There's really nothing that you can add to a photo like this, but I'd really like to know when Eric Karros' hair decided to come to life and decide to do stunts like this on camera. Via The Sporting Blog....


Wow....just wow.

Eric Karros Pushes Hair Design Into New Realm (The Sporting Blog)

Game: The Allstate Sugar Bowl
Teams: Utah Utes (6-6) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, Superdome
Start Time: 8PM EST (FOX)
Network and Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Charissa Thompson, Chris Myers
Favorite: Alabama (-10)
AA's Pick: Alabama 20 - Utah 12

(posted by One More Dying Quail)


Your starting pitchers for today's regional FOX games:

Jake Westbrook (Cleveland) vs. Nick Blackburn (Minnesota)
Chad Billingsley (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs. Chuck James (Atlanta)
Oliver Perez (New York Mets) vs. Jamie Moyer (Philadelphia)

As noted in the previous post, most of the country, about 47%, will have the Dodgers-Braves game. I'm one of the lucky 32% that gets to see Mets-Phillies (presumably - my son has already changed the channel once. Apparently, he really wants to watch the Spanish channel today. On mute) - I wonder if today will be the day Jamie Moyer finally crumbles into dust and blows away on a gentle breeze.

I'll be here and there all afternoon, so add anything good in the comments (from any of the three games) and I'll update when possible.

Mazzone: "(Blackburn) has to stay aggressive. You don't want to pitch prevent defense." - anonymous

Mazzone is absolutely right. You always want to stay with the 4-3 when you have a lead.

I wish I was getting the Mets game. Eric Karros is possibly the blandest color guy I've ever listened to. - Signal to Noise

If Eric Karros is more bland than Leo Mazzone, then that's an accomplishment. - Rick James Bible Owner

Continuing the Chipper Jones love fest in the Cle-Min game for some reason, the topic of ball players having candy bars came up:

Vasgersian: "Did you have any candy bar players besides Aaron?"
Mazzone: "All we had was 'Chicks Dig The Long Ball.'"
Vasgersian: "Chipper should have had a candy bar."
Mazzone: "Chipper's going into the Hall of Fame. He'll take that over a candy bar." - anonymous

I know this is an MLB thread, but Breen, Jackson, and Van Gundy are on fire today with Suns-Spurs.

Van Gundy: "If I'm Popovich, I'd rip Oberto's head off in film study tomorrow for that. You know Shaq hesitates at the line. A lane violation! That's basic preparation!"
Breen: "Rip his head off?"
Van Gundy: "Well, not literally, just in the film room."
Jackson: "I've been there, he would actually do it." - Signal to Noise

The NBA! Where Amazing* Happens!

*The category of "Amazing" has been expanded to include premeditated decapitation.

Sad news for FOX Pregame Show fans and Louisianans everywhere.....Terry Bradshaw says he plans to retire when his contract is up in 2011. From the NY Post via Extra Mustard...

Terry Bradshaw's getting ready to throw in the Terrible Towel. Bradshaw said yesterday that he expects to retire from TV when his contract with Fox runs out in 2011.

"I think in three years it may just be my time," Bradshaw, a four-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers, told The Post. "I see the energy and the enthusiasm these young guys have, and I think it's time to hang it up."

Bradshaw's retirement plans appeared to catch Fox Sports officials by surprise. They said the network believes he can be convinced to stay past the end of his current contract.

That's a shame that he feels that way actually because I think it's just the reverse. Even though Terry is almost 60 years old it's his youthfulness that makes him enjoyable to watch. I remember when Terry and Howie called last year's Sugar Bowl with Kenny Albert and the two ran circles around the younger Albert. Sure he can't do highlights on time to save his life, but you get the sense that he just loves the game of Football (unlike some of the "younger" guys).

If you want to retire you've certainly earned it Terry, but I think a lot of people would be upset that you're leaving.

Terry Bradshaw Set To Retire (NY Post)
We Hope Jillian Can Handle The News (Hot Clicks)

Onto the 2nd Round Folks, and just like we predicted Buck and Aikman to Dallas and Nantz and Simms to New England.

Saturday, January 12

Seattle at Green Bay, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Jacksonville at New England, 8 p.m. (CBS)- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Sunday, January 13

San Diego at Indy, 1 p.m. (CBS)- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
NY Giants at Dallas, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Ugh....here we go again. Out of all the people on FOX's coverage last year there was one person I couldn't stand more than any other.....Barry Alvarez. But hey that's just me and maybe he's improved like Charles Davis. See you around 8ish for fun.

Anyone up for drinking every time the bands are shown?





#8 Kansas vs. #3 Virginia Tech
The Orange Bowl
8:00 PM ET, January 3, 2008
Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL

Weather: 53 Degrees, Chance of Showers 30&
Spread: VT -3.5, O/U 52
AA's Pick: Tough one here. I've seen VT play a lot this season and they've never really beat anyone by that much. That was until their last 5 games of the season. VT -3, buy the half (Record 16-10-2)
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Barry Alvarez (FOX)

Team Leaders

Kansas Passing: Reesing- 62.6%, 3259 Yards, 32 TDs, 6 INTs
Virginia Tech Passing: Glennon- 62.8%, 1636 Yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs

Kansas Rushing: McAnderson- 175 Carries, 1050 Yards, 6.0 avg, 16 TDs
Virginia Tech Rushing: Ore- 244 Carries, 876 Yards, 3.6 avg, 8 TDs

Kansas Receiving: Henry- 52 Catches, 994 Yards, 19.1 avg, 9 TDs
Virginia Tech Receiving: Harper- 37 Catches, 571 Yards, 15.4 avg, 4 TDs
_____________________________________

God here we go....don't give Alvarez his own intro.

"They went right at Aqib Talib the best receiver for Kansas."- Barry Alvarez

Yeah he's on defense Barry.

"There's no rhyme or reason you'll see these guys on the. It's basically down and distance."- Daryl Johnston on the VT QBs

Yep....no parameters.

"That defense closes and they collision when they get there."- Barry Alvarez

Was that English?

"I think Sean Glennon might want that one back."- Daryl Johnston on Glennon throwing an INT

Thanks Captain Obvious.

"The intangibles on this kid are immeasurable"- Daryl Johnston

That's why they call them intangibles Moose.

"We talk about the different players Coach Mangoni recruits.......Mangino."- Barry Alvarez

"They took Branden Ore and pounded him down the field."- Daryl Johnston

"Branden Ore is hot."- Barry Alvarez

"If he can ride that running back and pull it and go out the back door he'd of had a big play."- Daryl Johnston

FOX came out with their Announcing pairings for the BCS games today, and basically nothing's different from last year's teams. It really bugs me that FOX has the BCS in the first place because they're just throwing people out there who haven't called a College Football game all season, and Barry Alvarez could challenge Bryant Gumbel for the World's Most Boring Commentator, but anyway here they are....

Orange Bowl: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Barry Alvarez
Fiesta Bowl: Matt Vasgersian, Pat Haden and Terry Donahue
Sugar Bowl: Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis
BCS Championship: Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis

FOX gets 4 of the 5 BCS contests with ABC getting the 5th, and that is almost certainly going to be covered by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit.

Below are a few of the highlights from FOX's BCS Games last year and hopefully they can improve on what was a terrible Bowl Season for the network. The production was awful as they had mics cutting in and out, and the only good team from last year (Kenny Albert, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long) won't be back. I laid into Charles Davis pretty hard last season, but he's been pretty good on the BCS Show they have on FOX after the NFL Games on Sundays. Hopefully they can do better this go around.

"Oh yes indeedy....Jack Bauer would be most pleased by this Florida effort."- Thom Brennaman
"It feels so good. And he doesn't mind flash dancing out of there."- Charles Davis
"Are the Gators just going to win everything this year? Football, Basketball.....Dancing with the Stars?"- Charles Davis

Update: For those of you wanting background on the "Mangina" moniker for Davis you can head here.....

BCS National Championship Live-Blog: Florida/OSU- 3rd Quarter (Awful Announcing)

10. “I misread the memo, they played in England today and I came with you to NEW England.”- Kenny Albert (Not funny AT all)

9. “He has the opportunity to tune up for next week’s game with the Redskins.”- Keyshawn on Tom Brady (Kinda nitpicky, but he was so adamant when he said it)

8. “It was in the front, first row.”- Randy Cross (This was after saying a pass landed in the third row)

7. “Roethlisberger comes on the field again.”- Dick Enberg (Coming from a guy named Dick...that's pretty nasty)

6. “He wasn't untouched, but he wasn't touched enough."- Dick Stockton (Via Tim....Too funny)

5. “And that was over in an eyelash.”- Dick Stockton

4. "Feels like a playoff game, a Super Bowl!"- Thom Brennamen (A Playoff game with the Dolphins?)

3. "He's got pictures of somebody there."- Boomer Esiason on Rex Grossman being the Bears’ QB next year (I hope it's more drunken shots of Orton)

2. “Nobody was sure if they’d be playing Football in San Diego today with good reason. Fires continue to burn throughout Southern California.”- Chris Berman (See Chris....that's NOT a good reason)

1. “The shot clock was running down and managed to call a timeout before it ran out.”- Dick Stockton (I give up on you Stockton lovers....I just can't take him anymore)

I have video on the Dick Stockton debacle, but I'm having trouble getting it edited. Dick was basically on fire yesterday. The Shot Clock comment came within the first two minutes of the game, and it was just down hill from there. The funniest part is that Brian Balldinger immediately felt the need to call it a Play Clock and went into a diatribe on how hard it is to see it in Metrodome. It was downright hilarious.

Hopefully I'll get another 10 from the Monday Night Live-Blog, and feel free to add any I missed.