ESPN issued a statement to me today about Tony Kornheiser’s recent comments about Hannah Storm’s wardrobe on ESPN Radio in D.C.. From Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President, Production:

“Hannah is a consummate professional and one of ESPN’s most respected voices. The comments were totally inappropriate, which Tony recognized. He apologized to Hannah and addressed it on his radio show. We are in the process of reviewing the entire situation. “

On his ESPN Radio show in D.C. today, Kornheiser noted that he called Storm yesterday and apologized for his comments.

Kornheiser on what he said to Storm:

“I apologize unequivocally. … I was wrong. This is sort of what I do, and I’m sorry for it. … Not the first time and won’t be the last time but I apology for it this time.“

After relating what he said to Storm, Kornheiser said she was “cordial” in her response to his apology. He also noted that Storm was sending a pair of boots that she wore on SportsCenter to the P.T.I. show to auction of for charity. (Great idea, actually.) Read more…

Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com noted on-air comments made on ESPN Radio in D.C. this week by ESPN P.T.I. co-Host Tony Kornheiser about his ESPN colleague Hannah Storm:

Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today. She’s got on red go-go boots and a catholic school plaid skirt … way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now.

She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body … I know she’s very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won’t … but Hannah Storm … come on now! Stop! What are you doing?

So Kornheiser carpet-bombed female ESPN colleague Storm with insults about her ESPN on-air appearance on his ESPN radio show in D.C. while she unknowingly went about her business 349 miles away in Bristol, CT.

I wouldn’t have believed it had I not heard it with my own ears.

In 2002, Kornheiser was suspended from his ESPN radio show and P.T.I. for slamming company management on-air. I asked a top-level ESPN talent today if he thought Kornheiser would face similar repercussions over his comments about ESPN co-worker Storm:

Read more…

Longtime D.C. sportscaster George Michael passed away today. From the WASHINGTON POST:

(Turning slot machine into a “SportsMachine!” changed sports media)

From 1984 to 2007, he oversaw a trendsetting show that made liberal use of action highlights from games that was eventually called “The George Michael Sports Machine.” At its peak, the show was syndicated to more than 200 stations. The show was credited with inspiring ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” 

ESPN’s SportsCenter actually started in 1979, but I do think it’s reasonable to say that the production Michael put into the Sports Machine show, with the (now amusing) futuristic-looking set, did inspire SportsCenter’s advancement to better production value.

Other thing to remember about SportsCenter in the early days is that it had a very low profile nationally because cable was still in its relative infancy. Michael had considerably more weekly viewers with his network syndicated highlights show on Sunday nights, so for many people the concept of a national sports news show was first introduced to them by Michael. Hard to imagine a world without that now, eh?

Though a less-known connection to ESPN involving Michael probably had a much larger impact on the network we know today. 14 years ago it was Michael who first paired WASHINGTON POST sportswriters Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon together for a television show.

Kornheiser and Wilborn first appeared on Michael’s ‘Redskins Report’ every Sunday in D.C., then went on to co-host a show called ‘Full Court Press.’ That experience helped propel Kornheiser and Wilbon to ESPN’s ‘PTI’, where they currently host the most-watched daily show on the network.

Another Michael connection to ESPN is through SportsCenter’s highest-profile anchor Scott Van Pelt. Van Pelt grew up in D.C. watching Michael and talked to me today about the experience. Read more…

• Erin Andrews wants to put that whole terrible peephole incident behind her - that’s why she’s going on Oprah.

• What better way to get pumped up for the college football season than with our first look at the USC Song Girls.

• Tony Romo’s back with another blonde bombshell, as the Cowboys QB is supposedly smitten with Dallas sports TV reporter Candice Crawford.

• Why should you watch coverage of Kansas vs. Northern Colorado on Saturday? Because Samantha Steele will be working the sidelines.

• Want to tell the Chicago Bears coaching staff that you’d love to make the final roster but don’t know how? Say it with flowers.

Read more…

• Has the Curse of Alyssa Milano finally been lifted from MLB pitchers?

• What better way to kick off the college football season than by trading really bad rival-bashing songs back and forth?

• Green Bay Packers LB Nick Barnett shares his shopping habits - such as getting his wife a Thumper.

• Tony Kornheiser talks about all the quivering he did during his “Monday Night Football” days.

• Chelsea FC will have to wait awhile before signing any new players.

Read more…

If you don’t already listen to Bill Simmons‘ podcast, we recommend doing so (if you’ve got the 50 minutes a day to spare, anyway). As chic as it is to hate Simmons, he’s one of the best sports podcasters in the business, and engages his (high-profile) guests as well as anybody. Credit where it’s due and all.

His latest guest yesterday was ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser, and as two neurotic writers are so often wont to do, they spoke frequently about their own fears. For Kornheiser, it’s flying. And while TK wouldn’t explicitly cite it as a reason for his departure from the show, it does sound like his departure was awfully good for his mental well-being.

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Dan Steinberg at DC SPORTS BOG has the latest on Tony Kornheiser’s seemingly cratered D.C. media career, transcribing comments from Commander Combover during a D.C. radio appearance this week.

(Took this on Venice Beach this week … vaguely applicable? OK, maybe not.)

Apparently Kornheiser, who was recently let go by the WaPo and nudged out of the Monday Night Football broadcast booth by Mike Tirico ESPN management, is finding it tough to supplement his PTI appearances with a free-money local-yokel radio show:

“A lot of business people want me to do syndicated national radio,” he said. “I don’t care about syndicated national radio. If they want to syndicate a local show that I do, I’m happy to do it, but I want to local radio.”

(Steinberg): How many business people are interested?

“Not enough yet,” he said. “But maybe in an hour. Maybe in an hour.”

So wait, Kornheiser has plenty of people beating down his door to do a national radio show, but no one in his hometown is interested in hiring him?

Does that smell funny to you?

Actually, uh, no.

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• He hasn’t even thrown a pass yet, but Jets QB Mark Sanchez is already cementing his status as a Big Apple sex symbol with a GQ photo spread:

And Hilary Rhoda, the bikini-clad babe sharing the snapshot spotlight, is also apparently Mark’s new main squeeze.

• Tony Kornheiser gives up his “Monday Night Football” gig, so ESPN tabs Jon Gruden as his replacement. It should be fun, considering what the ex-Bucs coach has said in the past about the Worldwide Leader.

• Will recent sex scandals cause Australian rugby to ban its cheerleaders?

• The Pepsi Center double-books a Nuggets-Lakers playoff game & WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” on the same night. Of course, Vince McMahon is going to have lots of fun with this Denver Debacle.

• Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger is hoping her boyfriend, Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, will soon race with her to the wedding altar.

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• Tony Kornheiser has called it quits with his “Monday Night Football” gig. In his place will be ex-Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden.

• And we’re sure Chucky will get along great with his new employer, since he’s had so many nice things to say about the Worldwide Leader before.

• Hedo Turkoglu’s heroics help the Orlando Magic curse the Celtics to no title repeat this year.

• Padraig Harrington is now taking golf tips from “Happy Gilmore“.

• In response to the Matthew Johns group sex scandal, some are calling for the banishment of cheerleaders from Australian pro rugby matches.

Read more…

Tony Kornheiser’s three years in the booth at Monday Night Football have been pretty uneventful.  Some people liked him and his humor in the booth, while others would rather have had a real football mind instead of the guy who was supposed to appeal to the common man.  Personally I didn’t really care because when I’m watching football I’m not paying attention to the announcers as mush as I am my fantasy team.

Still, while I was never a huge fan of Kornheiser in the booth, I did think he was a lot better after Ron Jaworski replaced Joe Theismann.  Of course none of that matters anymore because once Tony saw that this season’s MNF schedule included a few trips to the west coast and that he’d have to get in a plane more than usual, he decided he’d had enough.  Now he’ll be replaced by former Raiders and Buccaneers coach, and horror movie star, Jon Gruden.

Read more…