The White-Johnson vs. Williams-Stewart "Smash and Dash" nickname debate just HAD to be figured out, and there is only one show that can bring them together to do it. The Best Damn Sports Show Period! Here is the rather funny exchange from last night....

Hilarious. I think the "iron-on logo" that White "did at his house" was my favorite comment, but I'm adding "swagger jack" to my dialect immediately.

FSN sent me this very short clip of Lawrence Taylor's appearance on BDSSP recently and in thirteen seconds the man will blow your mind. John Salley decided to ask him what he would do if there wasn't "order" in his locker room and watch his response....

Good lord that was hard. We all know that LT is cut from a different cloth, but that was just wrong.

It's about time Dick Vitale stopped creeping into our Baseball coverage and got back to what he does best and that's pimping for Hooters. He's been in various commercials for the buxom restaurant and now he's judging their annual bikini contest!

One of FSN’s most popular programs, the BEST DAMN HOOTERS SWIMSUIT PAGEANT, airs the 2008 contest on Sunday, August 24 at 9:00 PM, 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM local. More than 125 contestants battled it out for the title in front of such celebrity judges as BDSSP’s John Salley, former NBA star Gary Payton, actor D.B. Sweeney, basketball analyst Dick Vitale and golfer John Daly

Hosted by Chris Rose, along with reporting from past winner Michelle Nunes, the annual pageant promises to be a huge hit.

Before the 2008 pageant kicks off, BDSSP offers up a behind-the-scenes look at the contest with the one-hour special, “BEST DAMN HOOTERS UNCOVERED,” airing Thursday, August 21 at 9:00 PM, 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM local. Watch the girls as they prepare for the 2008 pageant, join them for photo shoots and rehearsals and get a real inside look at their activities, as BDSSP gives a camera to a different girl every night and has her capture her own footage. Plus, join the Hooters girls for a VIP pass to all of the parties and events leading up to the big contest.

Between hitting on Erin Andrews at a Rays game and this, Vitale can't be in good with his wife at the moment. Also, does the BDSSP ever do anything when attractive, scantily clad females aren't involved? I'm sure Chris Rose (the luckiest person on the planet) isn't complaining though.

Unbelievable story out of the Sacramento Bee (via DBB and D-Spin) that newest Best Damn Sports Show Period interviewer Ron Artest wants to step up his interviewing game. It was Kobe first, but now he wants to interview the Pistons fan that threw the beer on him back in 2004....

You thought Ron Artest interviewing Kobe Bryant was interesting? Get this...
As the continuing radio career of the Kings small forward continues, Artest is now hoping to interview the infamous John Green of the 2004 "Malice at the Palace" brawl. The Pistons fan is the one who hurled a plastic cup of beer at Artest as he rested on press row on that Nov. 19 in Detroit, sparking the bolt into the stands and yadda yadda yadda.

You know that story well, but this is something new and so very American if it comes to fruition. Apparently, Green has already been tracked down and appears to be on board with the plan. No date has been set, but the buzz grew enough that Fox's Best Damn Sports Show caught wind of it and wanted Artest to do the interview in their LA studio. Artest, who has grown so comfortable in the studio of KHTK's Carmichael Dave as his unofficial co-host recently, wants to do it in "his" house and Best Damn may be sending a video crew to capture the magic.

Now that is something I'd watch. The two parties involved in one of the most insane interactions between players and fans sitting down to talk to one another. Don't look now but BDSSP is looking rather good these past few weeks. The show was long rumored to be cancelled this Spring, but after some much needed tooling I think it's found it's direction.

Artest to interview brawl instigator? (Sac Bee)
This is just weird (Detroit Bad Boys)
Ron Artest Is Taking This Journalism Business Quite Seriously (Deadspin)
Newest BDSSP Hire Ron Artest Interviews Kobe (Awful Announcing)

I completely forgot that the BDSSP's sitdown with Al Michaels and Jim Nantz was last night until the little reminder popped up on the television. I was switching back and forth between that and Inside the NBA, but I decided to take down a few notes and quotes.

The two were on set with Chris Rose and John Salley and the hosts took them through a series of planned questions for about 40 minutes. They covered everything from their first jobs (Al- Hawaiian Minor League Baseball, Jim- Phi Slamma Jamma) to their memorable calls all while little topic headlines would show up on the bottom of the screen.

It seemed a tad bit contrived, but on the whole it was a good set of stories and praise. Here are the highlights....
________________________

Al Michaels on the "Do you believe in Miracles?" call:

“I’m in the third person now when I watch that.”
“I don’t see anything ever topping that.”

Al Michaels on how he prepares in the booth:

“What I’ve always tried to do, is to always think of myself in the booth, but putting myself on my couch. So even though I’m the one doing the announcing or narrating, I try to envision myself on my coach at home and in effect talking to myself.”
“I don’t think we ever pitch a perfect game and we’re the luckiest people in the World.”

Al Michaels on the SF Earthquake:

“Just for a moment I thought we were going to be pitched out of the booth. It was just 15 seconds but in an earthquake that feels like 5 minutes."

Al on Jim's connection to Golf:

“How much do you watch Jim Nantz do his thing?”- Chris Rose to Al Michaels
“I think Jim has become just the quintessential voice of Golf. It’s almost the perfect melding of a man and his Sport.”- Al Michaels

Jim and Al on prepared calls:

“You go into the night with a nine shot lead, you better believe I planned that.”- Nantz
“Does win for the ages come with an asterisk now?”- Michaels
_____________________

I would have pulled video but there was nothing really worth adding here. It's definitely worth a watch if you come across a replay, and I'm enjoying the BDSSP's new format more and more each viewing.

Here's Artest's first interview for the Best Damn Sports Show Period with Kobe (via YBB)....

Not bad.....not bad at all. I think I'd rather have Ron Artest out at the Conference Finals (a la Mike Bivens for TNT), and there's a little too much fawning at the end for my tastes, but good first interview.

In other news, Kobe is saying that he really jumped that pool of snakes. Riiiiiight.

Ron Artest Interviews Kobe Bryant (You Been Blinded)

Charissa Thompson is one of the huge winners in the Best Damn Sports Show Period shakeup, and she'll be on the sidelines along with Chris Meyers and Pam Oliver. Thompson spent last year on as a sideliner for the Big Ten Network's number one team with Thom Brennan and Charles Davis and most recently is the lone reporter for BDSSP. From USA Today....

Correspondent Charissa Thompson has been the winner from the latest on-air talent shake-up at Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period. The show's decision not to renew the contracts of former co-hosts Rob Dibble and Rodney Peete has given more air time to Thompson who now sits front and center with remaining co-hosts John Salley and Chris Rose on the set of the late-night show ( 11 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday). She'll also join Pam Oliver and Chris Myers as sideline reporter for the NFL on Fox this season. "Charissa can play to many fields. She's been a reporter and really knows sports," says BDSSP producer John Entz. "She's smart and quick."

Thompson is definitely smart and quick (also very attractive which doesn't hurt) and hopefully she'll add some energy to a FOX team of sideline reporters that can be seen as rather boring at times. Also mentioned in the article is the fact that FOX is going to be doing a BDSSP episode around legendary Sportscasters in the coming weeks. I'll pass on the particulars once I get more information.

As far as the BDSSP, the once rumored to be axed show is much improved and it's new direction actually makes it rather tolerable and occasionally enjoyable. If they are keeping the show than this is definitely a step in the right direction.

'BDSSP' shake-up (USA Today)

Had a couple send this to me, and with much chagrin I decided to take a gander at this Best Damn Sports Show Period Rap about the NFL Draft. It started out just as I expected, but picked up some steam in the middle. The Heidi and Lauren line got me and by the end I was singing the hook. Enjoy....

Any rap that can get Michael Irvin in it AND have Kim Kardashian say "booty" is alright in my book.

So Ray Lewis was on the BDSSP this past Friday and they had a cop come in to administer a lie detector test to the linebacker.

That was kind of intense, but I kept waiting for the one question to come. You know....A club in Atlanta...a knife...someone dying. Oh well I guess we'll never know. They could however still get Chris Rose on the thing to see if he actually thinks he's as cool as he thinks he is.

(Thanks to SR for sending the clip along)

This is the new game show on FOX called Moment of Truth. Somehow there's a lie detector and the questions get harder as more money is up for grabs (or something like that). Rodney Peete was a guest questioner for some reason and he had a tough one for the contestant....

The Football player is a guy by the name of Ty Keck who once played for the Giants (or so says the internet), and it was nice for Rodney Peete to take time "out of his busy schedule" to ask him that question. Oh and don't watch that show...it's terrible.

Man the Best Damn Sports Show sure the hell is trying to get some press before their impending implosion this spring. Well their latest gimmick is an attempt to get the Chiefs Head Coach Herm Edwards on the show. You would think that would be easy considering the Chiefs are floundering and everyone saw how bad of an actor Herm Edwards was on Hard Knocks. That's not the case at all.

Herm has actually turned down the show's numerous interview requests because of the name of the show itself. You see, Edwards doesn't like the use of the word "Damn" in the title. Well TBDSSP has a solution for that....they're changing the show's name to "The Best Darn Sports Show Period" on October 30th, so they can get an interview with Herm "Mr. Clock Management" Edwards. Seriously.

From SBB via the KC Star...

Chiefs associate director of public relations Pete Moris has confirmed that Edwards will tape a segment on the show on Oct. 30 via satellite from Kansas City. It will be a special one-time show renamed “Best Darn Sports Show Period.”

“We were willing to do anything to get Herm on the show, including renaming it,” said the show’s host, Chris Rose. “Herm is such a good interview and we’ve been wanting to get him on so long. We can’t wait.”

Wow....what a spectacular guest! They're pulling out all the stops over there. I'm telling you all.....it ends with Amanda Beard naked on Chris Rose's lap while he sobs into his hands.

Best Damn Stripper Show Finally Firms Up KC's Herm (Sports by Brooks)
Best darn quote gets show to change name (Kansas City Star)

Back a few weeks ago I let you know that the "program" known as the Best Damn Sports Show Period is likely to be done for good by spring. Well apparently Producers got wind of this and are trying one last ditch effort to get viewers from the 18-34 male demographic. They've hired Swimmer and recent Playboy Covergirl Amanda Beard to be a "correspondent".

Among her new roles will be to do interviews and features from the World Series, Super Bowl, the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Daytona 500 and other big events.

“Amanda’s personality fits in perfectly with the show,” said John Entz, executive producer. “She has a great sense of humor, other athletes love talking with her, and she’s a natural in front of the camera.”

Umm, great.....Alyssa Milano Version 2.0. Actually.....I guess there's nothing REALLY wrong with that. Just don't have pop up video interviews all over the place like on MLB.com. Oh wait....BDSSP doesn't have a website what am I saying? Oh crap, they do.....look at that. You learn something new everyday.

FSN Sports Show Nabs Beard (Media Week)

UPDATE: According to a source close to the hiring let me know that the deal has been in the works for months actually and not a recent effort. At least they're trying at FOX. I'm rooting for you personally.

FSN is apparently looking to make some changes which sadly (not really) includes ridding themselves of The Best Damn Sports Show Period. The plan is to focus on stronger stories and more substantial National Stories.....

When Mike Feller left his job as Fox Sports Net’s vice president of programming earlier this summer, it seemed that FSN was going to ditch its national nonevent programming for good.

The final two national shows left on FSN’s schedule were the documentary series “Beyond the Glory,” which was in repeats, and the nightly news-and-entertainment show “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” which internal sources say is not likely to last through next summer.

But David Sussin was promoted to Feller’s post, and Sussin is recommitting the network to a hefty schedule of national programming. FSN plans to roll out three new shows by next spring and has eight others in the development pipeline.

“There is a need for strong sports entertainment programming that appeals to a national audience,” Sussin said. “We’ve gotten a lot more aggressive at looking for strong stories. We’re not looking for gimmicks.” (SBJ)

Sussin also goes on to say that they have to keep the audiences that watch FSN's game around after the contests are over. The first program which seems to highlight this line of thinking is Sports Science which on the surface looks awesome. Everyone give a golf clap to FSN for getting rid of the drivel that has infested Sports Television over the past few years. This seems like the opposite direction that ESPN is going and I couldn't be happier someone is taking a chance on this.

Now if I could only find FSN on my TV.......

FSN recommits to national shows (SBJ)

P.S.- I had about 14 different headlines for that one, but finally settled on the one above. It was a ton of fun and I urge you to try and come up with a few on your own.