Michael Vick is being released from Levanworth on May 20th, and ESPN has released the details about who they are sending and where. Three reporters will be spread out from Leavenworth, Kan, to Hampton, Va, and Atlanta, and the network will air specials throughout the day. There will even be a one hour special that Tuesday. Via ESPN PR....

Michael Vick to be Released From Prison

Michael Vick will be released from Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas on May 20, then head to Hampton, Va. where he will be under home confinement. ESPN will provide live coverage from Kansas, Virginia and Atlanta, detail NFL reaction, and present a one-hour special Tuesday night.

On-site coverage (Tuesday, Wednesday)
In Leavenworth, Kan: Kelly Naqi
In Hampton, Va.: George Smith
In Atlanta: Darren Lyn

NFL Reaction (debut on Tuesday SportsCenters)
Reporter Ed Werder’s piece with reaction from a variety of NFL-related personalities speculating on Vick’s NFL future.

SportsCenter Special (ESPN2, Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
Bob Ley will anchor a one-hour SportsCenter special with Mark Schlereth, Trent Dilfer, Herm Edwards, and Chris Mortensen.

ESPN.com’s Lester Munson will take an in-depth look at Michael Vick’s depleting finances and the people that targeted them, and interview Tony “Dogman” Taylor, one of the dogfighting associates who pleaded guilty and served time for the incident. John Clayton will also take a look at the five most likely landing spots for Vick when he returns to the NFL. The NFL Blog Network will also open up a discussion for debate on whether Vick should keep an open mind to switching positions. Additional columns and reactions from Len Pasquarelli and Pat Yasinskas will also be available on ESPN.com.

I guess the situation warrants the special, but to follow the guy halfway across the country is a little much. I also wonder exactly many people care that he's getting released. I'm guessing it's not as many as ESPN thinks.

You Thought Brett Favre Coverage was Overboard? Wait for Michael Vick... (Fang's Bites)

I never understood why courts come up with a sentencing that makes someone only serve a day or so in jail, but I guess the law is the law. According to TMZ, Barkley just plead guilty to two counts of driving under the influence, and was subsequently sentenced to ten days in jail, five if he completes an alcohol program....

Barkley just pleaded guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence and pleaded "responsible" to running a stop sign for the December 31st incident in Scottsdale.

Barkley was sentenced to 10 days in jail -- but will only do five if he completes an alcohol education program. Barkley was also fined $2,000.

Forget the amount of time Barkley was sentenced with for a minute, is $2,000 a standard fine in Arizona for a DUI? That seems rather small if you ask me (not that it ultimately matters). As for the sentence, people have done worse and have received less to no time in jail, but driving drunk is a serious crime and I think Barkley understands that.

Charles Barkley Is Going to Jail (TMZ)

If it weren't for his previous actions in court, I would say that O.J. comes across as really apologetic here, but alas....it's probably just leftover acting skills from the Naked Gun movies....

The rest of the parties are going through their final statements, and I'll be sure to update you with the verdict as soon as it goes down. Not that you care or anything.

Update: Wow....Simpson is looking at a minimum of 15 years in prison.

Obviously it won't be as dramatic and/or controversial as his 1995 trial, but at least one network has decided to air OJ Simpson's December 5th sentencing. OJ is facing multiple charges stemming from an alleged Las Vegas robbery back in September of 2007, and (THE) ESPN will be airing the sentencing live this Friday!

ESPNEWS and SportsCenter will televise live the sentencing of O.J. Simpson on Friday, Dec. 5. The court appearance in Las Vegas is currently scheduled for noon. Legal experts Lester Munson and Roger Cossack will provide analysis. In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas and on October 3, 2008 found guilty on multiple charges.

So if it's at Noon that means Flores and McKendry will be on the call. I don't know what kind of pull ESPN has these days, but they really should bring out Judge Ito out of hiding for at least a brief appearance. He might be tough though. Hmmm, I wonder what Kato Kaelin is upto these days? Actually I wouldn't be surprised if he's already booked on First Take that day. That's a win-win!

(Via ESPN PR)

Does Bristol implode? Who knows, but we're about to find out. In an awesome catch this morning by MDS over at Fanhouse, we've learned that an analyst doesn't believe last night's Breaking News on Mike Vick.

ESPN's legal anyalist Roger Cossack was on ESPN Hollywood Cold Pizza First Take this morning disputing the ESPN Breaking News item that Vick won't have to admit to killing dogs and gambling. Via MDS and Fanhouse....

Last night ESPN reported that although Falcons quarterback Michael Vick intends to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges on Monday, he will not admit to killing dogs or gambling, the two crimes that would be likely to significantly damage his ability to return to the NFL some day.

But on ESPN First Take this morning, ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack said of the report, "It's hard for me to believe." Cossack explained that if the federal prosecutors allow Vick to enter a plea in which he does not take responsibility for killing dogs or gambling, the prosecutors are essentially saying that it's OK with them for Vick and his co-defendants to make mutually exclusive claims in their "confessions."

I was pretty much done with the whole Vick thing, but now I'm back in. This wouldn't be the first time ESPN has pulled this. Heck earlier in this whole ordeal Chris Mortensen botched about 4 reports on Vick.

I'm also with Cossack on this one. If this is actually the case, people should (and probably will be) in an uproar.

ESPN Legal Analyst Casts Doubt on ESPN Report on Michael Vick Guilty Plea (Fanhouse)

(posted by OMDQ)

It's not often that I feel the urge to post anything announcer-related on the weekends (aside from the occasional offering to the YouTube gods), but given AA's recent absence and the relevance of this story to this site, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Let's set the scene: Bill Maas, former NFL player-turned-Fox reporter, is rolling through the streets of Peoria, Illinois, on Friday, when Illinois State Police pull him over for a "roadside safety check" (apparently, police identify areas that are prone to drunk and other unsafe drivers and periodically stop people to make sure they're behaving themselves. Sometimes, they catch a lot of people).

No big deal, right? Right - that's exactly why I'm writing about it, because they pulled him over, found nothing wrong, and sent him on his way. Actually, "During the stop, police indicated Maas seemed nervous, and he agreed to a search of his vehicle."

Uh oh, spaghetti-o.

"Police found a .22-caliber revolver, 5 grams of suspected marijuana, 6 grams of suspected cocaine and 28 pills of Ecstasy. Maas and Murphy were charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Maas was also booked on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon."

That, friends, is not stuff you want the police to find. Maas was hit with three charges: possession of a controlled substance, possession of marifuana, and unlawful use of a weapon. His passenger, 27-year-old Sarah Murphy, was also charged with the first two crimes.

As always, I'm not a lawyer (and appreciate the advice of those who are) but this seems to be bad news for Maas (like getting arrested is ever a good thing). The marijuana charge should be a misdemeanor, but the two controlled substances and the presence of the gun complicate things. Apparently,

"Illinois has strict gun control laws. If you do not have a FOID (Firearm Owners Identification) card, you cannot carry a weapon in your car. If you have a FOID card, you can transport a gun anywhere in your vehicle as long as the gun is enclosed in a case or other container and it is unloaded. However, carrying an uncased gun under the car seat or in the glove compartment is unlawful use of a weapon (UUW). In certain circumstances, UUW is a class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison."

Maas will appear before a judge on Sunday for a bond hearing.

A recent SportsCenter piece on Pacman Jones had a need little addition to it the other day. Apparently ESPN can pick and choose any photo it wants to use for stories on you. LTMA has all the thug lovin' details....

Adam "Pacman" Jones is a thug transcended. Apparently, no longer a football player, a gifted athlete or an ordinary young man. Just a thug. Easily identified by his mug shot. That must have been why the producers of SportsCenter thought it was appropriate to use Pacman's photo from his recent booking in Las Vegas as his official chyron photo.

It is beyond reprehensible for ESPN to use Jones' booking photo to identify him generally. Using the booking photo coupled with the Tennessee Titans logo, as if it was Jones' "official" photo, visually insinuates and reinforces that Pacman is a criminal, when in fact his "record" has no convictions.

Again, Pacman has "allegedly" done some bad stuff, and the guy hasn't been convicted of anything. And no matter how you feel about him....this is pretty unfair....


ESPN Thug Love (Leave The Man Alone)

Two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Larry Sudbrook has won more than 450 games in 21 seasons as St. Bonaventure University's head baseball coach. Twenty-two of those have come this year, when the team started 2-7 and suffered a 2-6 stretch in midseason before rebounding to win seven of its last nine.

St. Bonaventure's beat nationally ranked Charlotte in the first of a three game series on Friday, but the more pressing news was Sudbrook's detention at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Thursday on charges that he tried to bring a gun through security.

The Associated Press did not note whether the handgun, which was found in one of Sudbrook's bags, was loaded. It is legally owned. Immediately following the incident, the school released a statement that said Sudbrook "forgot the gun was being stored in that bag."

Way to keep track of your weaponry, Larry. Does anyone else enjoy excuses like that as much as I do?

Bonnies' baseball coach charged after airport security finds gun (USA Today)
Larry Sudbrook Bio (CSTV)