The first new airing of ESPN’s Around The Horn went off today without regular panelist Jay Mariotti - who has effectively been suspended from the show. During today’s production, host Tony Reali quizzed panelists about media reaction to Mariotti’s recent arrest for felony domestic assault.

No surprises in the reax from panelists Bob Ryan and Woody Paige. Both were as candid as could be expected under the circumstances. Kevin Blackistone though did raise an interesting point about the motivation of Mariotti’s critics:

“I’m not really surprised Tony, Jay has always been a polarizing figure. There’s a lot of ego and envy in this business of sports commentating. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable that he’s risen as he has by being such a provocateur and always telling other people what to do and how they should run their lives and how they should be treated thereafter.
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The contenders from today:

I’ll take Reali. Really outdid himself this year. TV show host? Get out!

Goes without saying that nobody topped Woody going as Julia Child last year.

Nailed it my man! (Though a pronounced, disconcerting stoop would’ve be a nice touch.)

Larger photos of today’s costumes after the jump. Read more…

Chris Mottram of THE SPORTING BLOG watches “Around The Horn” so we don’t have to. Turns my favorite rapper turned porn producer, Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg), appeared on the show this week, perched like a parrot on J.A. Adande’s clavicle.

To open the show, host Tony Reali “muted” a generally incoherent Broadus (granted, it was after he was done talking). Then we found out that apparently dain-bramaged Woody Paige is off the Lithium, as he unloaded a senseless verbal beatdown on recent fire damage victim.

If you’re in line at the DMV, or getting a head start on your taxes, you might enjoy the video (after the jump). Read more…

Interesting photo (with my goofy inset) of Erin Andrews I hadn’t seen before:

(‘Should’ve never told Tebow the interview was uncut and uncensored. Nuts!’)

Nice to see The Grip™ is back! And of course, The Grip™ takes on a whole different meaning depending on the context.

BTW, leave your own caption in the comment thread if you please.

From the I’m-Not-Making-This-Up-Dept.: SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY reports that Stats LLC today unveiled “a joint venture with Naveen Aranha, CEO of India-based Sportz Interactive, to create Stats Middle East.

“The operation will be headquartered in Dubai, and the move continues a marked global expansion for the sports data provider that last year opened a European operation and also has made significant inroads into India, China and Japan.”

STATS Middle East? That no doubt means President Bush is soon to be confirmed as the only man on the planet with a lower save percentage than Joe Borowski.

As you know, we’ve quite the homeless problem here on the westside of Los Angeles.

And then there’s the bums.

Oh man, DEADSPIN’s A.J. Daulerio today has a deconstructive dissertation that unloads on Rick Reilly - much like Rick Majerus after unscrambling Cinemax at the local La Quinta. Read more…