• ESPN MAINTAINS DELUSIONAL VIEW OVER “WHO’S NOW”: The PALM BEACH POST reports the delusion meter is off the charts in Bristol as ESPN tries to spin the abject disaster that is “Who’s Now”.
ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Glenn Jacobs said the “Who’s Now” area on ESPN.com has the “
most traffic on espn.com … for four weeks.”
Jacobs added that website visitors have cast over 4 million votes, though TV ratings “have not appreciably changed for its time slot. There may be a disconnect between those who like it and those who don’t like it. It was a chance for our fans to have some fun. Sports is built on debate. We took that idea and tweaked it.”
Yes, the segment is indisputably lame, but we actually like Bob Young of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC’s offshoot of the idea, titled “Who’s Next for trouble? (Good sports scandals always welcome)“.
Example: “Rudy Carpenter and Matt Leinart: For once, there are no quarterback controversies in town.
Next: A paternity test in Leinart’s battle with his ex-girlfriend reveals shocking news - once again Carpenter has displaced the starter..”
• The NEW YORK TIMES has a little leaguer querying Dodgers outfielder Juan Pierre during a Dodgers steroids awareness clinic yesterday (which was held with Barry Bonds and the Giants in Los Angeles): “Do you think Barry Bonds took steroids?”
Pierre’s response: “
I don’t know. I’m staying away from that one.”
• Padres radio play-by-play announcer Ted Leitner, on the prayer he’s been saying for Barry Bonds not to break the home run record in San Diego this weekend: “Dear God: Please not here, and please not me.”
Meanwhile the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reports the Giants-Padres games tonight and tomorrow at Petco Park are sold out. But nearly 5,000 tickets remain for Sunday’s game.
• THE NFL WILL “GRAB! GRAB! GRAB!” ONTO MOVIE BIZ: DAILY VARIETY reports the NFL is getting into the movie business. The league is “directly involved” in an upcoming film about Vince Lombardi, which chronicles the week before the 1967 NFL Championship game.
The NFL may or may not fund the project, which has yet to wholly establish financing. But the big factor for the moviemakers is the league’s involvement will “
enable access to such key sites” as Lambeau Field, in addition to “
extensive marketing muscle in promoting the [film] and the availability of historic footage.”
The movie’s script takes after “Instant Replay,” which was written by former Packer Jerry Kramer and the late Dick Schaap.
We hate to say it, but if the NFL is involved, we’d be willing to wager dollars to Lendale White’s breakfast menu that the film will be flat as Jim Taylor’s haircut.
• SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports the YES Network on Monday will broadcast the complete replay of the August 6, 1979, game between the Yankees and Orioles. The game took place immediately after the funeral of Yankees captain Thurman Munson, who died in a plane crash four days prior.
The game was originally broadcast as part of ABC’s “Monday Night Baseball” package - and would’ve been blacked out in NYC at the time. But George Steinbrenner granted ABC the right to air its feed of the game in New York, lifting the local-market exclusivity held by WPIX-TV.
• The DETROIT FREE reports that Greg Oden already, really knows how to give back to the fans, as Topps will host a meet-and-greet with him today in Cleveland.
Small detail: If you want a photo with Oden and an autographed Oden basketball card,
it’ll only cost you $1,000.
• The ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION this week has the unsurprising news that the Falcons “acknowledged that a small number of season-ticket holders canceled their ticket orders” after Michael Vick’s indictment on dog fighting charges.
Falcons VP of Sales Dave Cohen: “
We’ve had season ticket-holders call up very upset and wanted to cancel, but we talked to them on a one-on-one basis and explained to them that we’re a team that’s stronger than just one player, and a lot of them understood that.”
The Falcons had a 93% season-ticket renewal rate, which has been the “normal retention rate over the past few years.” But the “majority of the renewals took place in February, March and April,” while the “Vick controversy did not begin until late April.”
• Scott Wolf of the L.A. DAILY NEWS detects winds of change when it comes to west coast college football training camps: “The idea of double practices in training camp is losing favor. Next week, USC practices once day Monday through Friday with two practices on Saturday. We also hear UCLA is not really planning two-a-day practices either.
“
The idea is to keep players fresh in training camp. It reminds of those halcyon days at UC Irvine when Paul Hackett had three practices a day.“
