The NEW YORK TIMES projects news that ESPN is looking to broaden its broadcasting brilliance to the big screen.
The Worldwide Leader is focused on collaborating with Walt Disney Studios and Creative Artists Agency to produce & distribute sports-themed theatrical releases in the next few years. And the network is already making cinematic strides by hiring 30 filmmakers to produce one-hour mini-movies, set to start showing on the small screen in September 2009.
As the bigwigs try to brainstorm for feature film ideas, Mike Bianchi of the ORLANDO SENTINEL proposes remaking a Disney family favorite - featuring the ESPN Primetime Players. Read more…
The ex-Giants coach said on John Thompson’s local radio show that his shot at coaching the ‘Skins was scuttled by onlineopinionatorsagitated at such a scenario. Read more…
The PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS gossips about Stephen A. Smith, revealing behavior by the “Gone In 60 Minutes” radio host that we find very hard to believe: “ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith picked up some furniture at Raymour & Flanigan (2100 Route 38) in Cherry Hill earlier today and referred to himself in the third person while shopping, says a nearby customer.
“‘Stephen would like the sofa that Stephen was just sitting in’ our source quotes Smith, who’s been off from the Inqwaster since his column was stripped in August. Smith, accompanied by ‘an attractive young female’ was gracious to fans who approached, says our spy.”
So Smith had an attractive female, of her own free will, on his arm? And he was approached by someone (anyone) in public who wasn’t hawking free tickets to a Craig Ferguson standup performance? The Daily News really needs to vet its sources.
SPEECHLESS - STEPHEN A-1 WORST SPORTS ANNOUNCER: It’s well-known how importantly Stephen A. Smith feels about the blogosphere. Now the internet masses have been led astray by the “untrained writers” once more.
WITH LEATHER shares the important results of an important poll offered up by AOL FANHOUSE, and Stephen is A-1 on top of the hot list.
Too bad for Screamin’ A, it’s recognition for being America’s Worst Sports Announcer. The blogger basher was able to beat out such cringe-inducing competition as Lee Corso, Shannon Sharpe, and in the tourney topper, Monday Night mouth Tony Kornheiser.
SMITH: BLOGS “SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED” BIG AUDIENCE: After entertaining us with some unintentional comedy gold late last week from Stephen A. Smith, Tom Hoffarth brings us an encore of Screamin’ A.’s personal theater of the absurd - by releasing more quotes from an apparently epic interview.
Smith first claims to Hoffarth that “internet writers” have no right to reach a large audience (we take it he’s actually serious): “And when you look at the internet business, what’s dangerous about it is that people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses. I respect the journalism industry, and the fact of the matter is …someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can. They are not trained. Not experts.“The fun continues as Smith tells Hoffarth that bloggers have “sabotaged” the dinosaur print media: “The people who suffer are the common viewers out there and, more importantly, those in the industry who haven’t been fortunate to get a radio or television deal and only rely on the written word. And now they’ve been sabotaged. Not because of me. Or like me. But because of the industry or the world has allowed the average joe to resemble a professional without any credentials whatsoever.”
Smith’s well-reasoned comments about “sabotage” committed by bloggers perplex us. Why would the, as Smith calls them, “common viewers” turn away from the boundless wit and wisdom of men like Bill Conlin,
