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• Jacksonville Jaguars lineman Richard Collier speaks out for the first time since being shot 14 times & having his leg amputated.
• Since the Rose Bowl’s been like a second home to USC lately, the Trojans will wear their red home unis when visiting UCLA this Saturday.
• Dusty Baker wants one more chance to ruin Kerry Wood’s arm.
• At least one football league is United in its support of Michael Vick.
Have you ever been watching “Baseball Tonight” or any other studio show on ESPN and wondered if the anchors actually liked each other? I mean, I know I can’t stand most of the talking heads ESPN puts on the air so you have to figure there are times when Mike Ditka wants to reach across the desk and punch Stuart Scott right in his lazy eye when he says “Boo-ya!”
The one ESPN personality who I think has probably had it worse than anybody else is Karl Ravech. As host of Baseball Tonight he’s had to work with his fair share of idiots. Sure, dealing with Harold Reynolds wasn’t too bad — well, except for Harold’s insistence on post-show hugs — and Peter Gammons is an icon, but aside from those two there are a lot more Steve Phillips and John Kruks sitting behind that desk. There has to be occasions where Ravvy just wants to choke Krukker after he says something that makes no real sense, but if there have been, Karl isn’t talking.
Of course, the same can’t be said of Kruk.
• It was a dark and stormy night at Wrigley Field on Monday, and SbB writer (& White Sox fan) Tom was right in the middle of it.
• The Carolina Panthers may send Sluggin’ Steve Smith packing.
• Prince Fielder & Manny Parra brawl in a Brewers dugout brouhaha.
• Brett Favre really doesn’t want to be a bother - even though he is.
• Powerade rolls out a new ad campaign featuring a British Olympic cyclist riding without her clothes on.
When I first read the news that John Kruk lived with a bank robber during his playing days, I just assumed it was Mitch Williams. It somehow seemed fitting.
Turns out, this happened in 1987, while Kruk was with the Padres, and it was some dude named Roy Plummer, a high school acquaintance. So other than possibly stealing loot from banks patronized by Kruk’s teammates, Plummer had absolutely nothing to do with professional baseball.
Despite the large sums of money lying around the house, and Plummer having no visible means of employment, Kruk didn’t recognize the possibility that his new roomie might be up to no good.
• VARIETY shoots up news that “Semi-Pro” was the top grossing film of last weekend, but netted only $15 million - “the lowest opening for a major Will Ferrell comedy in almost a decade.”
• In honor of Felix Pie’s twisted testicle, 100% INJURY RATE painfully looks back on some of the more unusual injuries to have befallen athletes.
• The BALTIMORE SUN is shattered that the Orioles’ Kevin Millar decided to break out the pink bat, only to have it splinter after two trips to the plate.
• LARRY BROWN SPORTS would buy anything Greg Oden was selling, based on his performance in this ESPN The Magazine ad:
• TIRICO SUAVE has some suggestions for anyone thinking of starting up a Dana Jacobson-inspired sports blog.
• WAGGLE ROOM swings over news that the Australian Women’s Open is in financial trouble.
Maybe they should take a cue from the other Aussie Women’s Open.
• DC SPORTS BOG takes a hair-raising look at the Patriots’ playoff beards.
Can this be true? We finally get to know the truth from Ray Lewis?
Ben Maller of FoxSports.com reports today that “Ravens LB Ray Lewis took a lie detector test as part of a segment called ‘Best Damn Moment of Truth,’ a play off of Fox’s new popular reality show.”
“In the segment, which will air during Best Damn on Friday night (check local listings), Lewis is asked numerous questions.”
Wow, that’s pretty amazing, that Lewis would submit to a lie detector test on national television. Read more…
• Scott Wolf of INSIDE USC asks if the Trojans should give up the Booty for the dirty Sanchez:
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• The SOUTH AFRICA INDEPENDENT ONLINE laces up their jogging shoes, as they hope it’s all downhill for the 153-mile Spartathon.
• THE WAYNE FONTES EXPERIENCE seeks some therapy, as they outline the five stages of Detroit Lions fandom:
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• FIRE JOE MORGAN is looking for a hero, but they won’t find one from John Kruk.
• RANDBALL just wants the free food, as two lucky fans can win access to the Penn State press box:
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• THE SPORTS HERNIA is shaking in their boots, as George Steinbrenner makes other tenuous threats to his team.
• OPEN COURT teases us news of Venus Williams changing her hairstyle at 30,000 feet:
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• Join the debate, as the folks at FARK call out their choices of worst sports announcer.
STUFFED-CRUST COACHES FACE OFF IN A HEART-POUNDER: BIG TEN TAILGATE is polite to point out that this weekend college football’s most esteemed lardasses, Kansas Coach Mark Mangino and Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz, will be playing sideline seesaw during the Jayhawks-Rockets matchup in Lawrence, KS (if only we weren’t going to USC-Nebraska!).
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Last year EDSBS noted that Amstutz was named spokesperson for “Get Fit Toledo!” by the mayor (we hope he had the same lighting and photoshop experts for his promotional posters as Mike Golic and John Kruk).We’re guessing Mangino is involved in a similar program in Kansas. The only difference being one second-word vowel difference.
ESPNERS WONDER IF BONDS IS BOYCOTTING THEIR GAMES: John Ryan of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS reports that Barry Bonds has not played in the three games in which the Giants have appeared on ESPN this season, leading some to wonder if he is “boycotting the Worldwide Leader.” (Bonds also sat out the ESPN-televised Home Run Derby last week)
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Ravech: “Barry said yesterday, `I don’t need a day off.’ This is, I believe, Game 3 in a row that the ESPN cameras have been there and he hasn’t played. I can’t believe there’s any connection. That wouldn’t be right to the team.”
Kruk: “You would hope not.”
Ravech: “There’s no way.”
Kruk: “You would hope he doesn’t dislike us that much that he would sit out games.”
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The comment was later edited out of the broadcast for morning replays.
