Again, I always preface this with the statement that I'm not one to necessarily poke fun at typos and errors, but to have twenty seven found in a national publication is a tad bit too much. ESPN's Fantasy Mag is out in stores now and for the low low price of $7.99 you can see some of the errors found by Walter Football too! Here are some of my favorites....

Who the Heck is Greg Smith? (Page 55)

I have no idea why ESPN even ranked Chauncey Washington, a Jaguars rookie running back, but it says the following in his write-up: "It's possible he could emerge as the inside rushing complement to MJD, but he'd have to bump Greg Smith first." I searched high and low on NFL.com's Web site, but I couldn't find any player named Greg Smith. The man they were referring to, of course, is Greg Jones.

Spelling Error No. 1 (Page 45)

Taking a look at the first sentence of Jamal Lewis' write-up:

"Dust when you thought he was done, Lewis pulled us all back in."

Special News Alert: Steve Smith Has An Is (Page 66)

Sounds like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, doesn't it? At any rate, you can find this grammatical blunder in the Steve Smith analysis:

"He's not a burner but has is savvy enough to make occasional big plays."

Quinn Sypniewski, Miracle Man (Page 81)

Just a slight contradiction here. In the Quinn Sypniewski write-up, ESPN writes, "He tore his ACL during Ravens minicamp this April and will miss the season."

Yet, for projected stats, they have Sypniewski catching 21 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown in 13 games.

Lorenzo Booker - Lost in the Mail (Pages 45 and 53)

In the Ronnie Brown write-up, ESPN writes:

"Ricky Williams is still hanging around in south Florida, and Lorenzo Booker should be a bigger part of the offense."

OK, so maybe this magazine was released prior to the Booker-to-Philadelphia trade? Or maybe not - on Page 53, they list: "Lorenzo Booker, PHI."

It's rare to not get through an entire magazine without finding a mistake, but doesn't ESPN employ people to proofread? It's one thing to have a typo or two but if you read the WF post you'll find that no one took a second look at any of the sections. Things contradict each other and they leave players out entirely (Steve Slaton). If you have the magazine, also keep an eye out for Merril Hoge's sound fantasy advice including taking Braylon Edwards as your first WR because he's, "like [Terrell] Owens without the drama."

I'm sure fantasy owners really care about that, Merril.

2008 ESPN Fantasy Football Magazine: 28 Factual Errors, Omissions and Illogical Statements (Walter Football)

Okay, first let me first say that I normally really like NFL Live. It is one of the last shows that didn't rely on ESPN's tactic of getting a handful of people yelling at each other over nothing. Make that was.

It starts out as a normal debate between Kiper and Hoge and then it just falls apart. Please try to understand one word that these jokers are trying to say throughout these two and a half minutes....

I love how Trey Wingo says he's asking the question with "trepidation". Riiiight. Whether it was or wasn't, the whole thing came across planned which is a running theme for ESPN these days. It's a shame when every program, but one on a network has turned into a "Made For Bayless Segment."

I'm sorry but this is not good TV, and I don't think there are many out there who think that it is.

Larry Brown just happened to be listening/watching closely to ESPN News' Fantasy Show last night, and what did he hear? Well just Merrill Hoge telling you when to tune into the program next. Next week at 11 O'cock....read that again and take a listen....



Great pull LB (no pun intended)! Freudian Slips make me giggle like a little girl. I've listened to this about 40 times and it still hasn't gotten old.

Merril Hoge Slips Up a Cock (Larry Brown Sports)

P.S.- Vince Young could not be reached for comment.

Screw Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn going into the Hall. Forget Barry Bonds' 755th. No friends it's time for the event of the year. It's Arena Bowl Sunday...number twenty one!!!

(Side Note: How crazy is it that there have been 21 of these things?)

Coverage begins at 3pm on ABC this Sunday, and Mike and Mike are your host for this momentus occasion. But of course.....that's never enough. What else are you getting you ask?

• -Chats with players/coaches during ArenaBowl week;
• -Merril Hoge will host a live in-game chat, analyzing the game and answering online questions;
• -Scouts Inc. Insider breakdowns highlighting key individual match-ups;
• -Page 2 columnist Mary Buckheit will contribute video clips from Media Day, as well as an all-access look on game day;
• -Senior writer Elizabeth Merrill feature on how ArenaBowl XXI is helping New Orleans reemerge as a marquee sports event city since Katrina;
• -Daily stories from William Bendetson in New Orleans, including an in-depth look at how far the Arena Football League has come in its 21 years;
• -Q&As with Arena Football celebrity owners

That's awesome right! Right. But that's just the week of (so ultimately this has already happened even though I've seen know of it). What happens gameday is just plain amazing....

• -17 cameras covering the game, including:
  • -SkyCam -- overhead remote-controlled camera will provide unique aerial views;
  • -Roaming hand-held RF steadicam will provide crowd shots and specialty shots;
  • -Cameras inside locker-rooms during pre-game and halftime;
• -Players and coaches (three per team) wearing live microphones, offering in-game audio inside the huddle as plays are called and conversations with ESPN commentators;
• -Analysis from ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, who will host an ESPN.com chat throughout the game;
• -Possible booth visit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Joey Galloway, co-owner of the Columbus Destroyers.

Holy crap! A possible visit from Joey Galloway?!?!?!?!?! No f'ing way. And Merril Hoge stating that Columbus' QB Matt Nagy is the "most overrated QB in the Arena"? How can you NOT watch?!?!?

Don't Piss Off Bon Jovi (Deadspin)

(Source: ESPN)

ESPN is televising all 11 AFL Playoff games, and Mike and Mike have obviously been spread too thin (with all the cow-milking and spelling bee announcing)....so ESPN is giving them a break. They're adding a fourth team for the booth! YAY!!! (Who knew they had three??? Well I did, but I'm a freak...I'm talking about the public)....

Ex-NFL'er Ray Bentley will join Dave Pasch to create the most unnecessary team ever. Nothing against them, but 4 teams for 11 games? That's a little ridiculous. But I guess with Mike and Mike getting a break until one of the Conference Championship game...it's warranted.

Here's the schedule in case you care....

Fri., June 29 Orlando Predators at Philadelphia Soul
Dave Pasch and Ray Bentley ESPN 7:30 p.m.

Sat., June 30 Columbus Destroyers at Tampa Storm
Mark Jones and Merril Hoge ESPN 12 p.m.

Sat., June 30 Colorado Crush at Kansas City Brigade
Bob Wischusen and Mark Schlereth ESPN 3 p.m.

Mon., July 2 Utah Blaze at Los Angeles Avengers
Jones and Schlereth ESPN2 10 p.m.

Sat., July 7 TBD at San Jose SaberCats
Wischusen and Bentley ESPN 3 p.m.

Sat., July 7 TBD at Dallas Desperados
Jones and Hoge ESPN 8 p.m.

Sun., July 8 TBD at Georgia Force
Pasch and Bentley ESPN2 7 p.m.

Mon., July 9 TBD at Chicago Rush
Jones and Hoge ESPN2 8:30 p.m.

CONF CHAMPIONSHIP

Sat., July 14 Conference Championship
Wingo and Schlereth ESPN 12 p.m.

Sat., July 14 Conference Championship
Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic ESPN 3 p.m.

ARENABOWL

Sun., July 29 ArenaBowl XXI (New Orleans, La.)
Greenberg and Golic ESPN on ABC 3 p.m.

P.S.- It's going to be a sloooooooow news day today folks.
P.P.S.- Kansas City finally made the playoffs in something!
P.P.P.S- Does every AFL team make the playoffs?

Just a quick note (mainly for myself) before we get into the Regional Previews for March Madness. I watched the better part of the AFL "Monday Night" game on ESPN 2 last night....and you know what? It wasn't half bad.

• -The hitting seems extra vicious this year with people actually trying to pick others up and throw them over the boards.
• -The on-field mic is amazing, and the interviews with coaches and players are interesting.
• -Jaws and Merrill are actually pretty good together, and are insanely knowledgeable about the AFL.
• -You get to play the Berman-Jackson "From?" Game with just about every player (this is perhaps the best drinking game I've ever invented).

I only see a couple of flaws. 1) It's AFL Football.....it can get a little boring. 2) Jaws and Hoge are both analysts. Neither is a play-by-play guy.....that can get kind of annoying by the end of the game. 3) How many times can you ask a coach what he needs to do to get back in the game before it becomes annoying?

I say twice. Jaws asked Jon Gruden's brother (coach of Orlando) this about 14 times. The on-field interviews are neat, but don't over do it. Two each half (one with a player, one with the coach) should suffice.

Oh and this quote by Jaws made me laugh....."Orlando is the Green Bay of the Arena Football League."

On second thought......maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought I did.

So I was all set to bring you all some hot steamy AFL Announcing action today. Complete with videos of Mike and Mike talking about their wives, and Merrill Hoge proclaiming that offensive player of the year Damien Harrell was "worthless". ("Sure Harrell threw for over 10,000 yards, buuuut his throwing motion is still suspect")

Unfortunately (or fortunately) when my Tivo let me know that it was time to change channels to ABC......something entirely different came up. What you ask could preempt the AFL opener in the Greater DC Metro Area????

Karate Kid II.

I wish I was making this up because I was rather giddy about watching Mike and Mike do the commentary, but could I really complain? (I submit that I could not!) I decided to cut my losses and switch to the UCONN-GTOWN game where I enjoyed James Brown use the term "Freelanceability".

In the end....am I really sorry that I missed cutting edge entertainment like this?



2006 Intro found at KSK.

So the results are in, and in case you care there were a grand total of 3 National Writers/Talking Heads that chose the Bears to make it to the Super Bowl. Those writers were Tom Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News, Katherine Smith of the Tampa Tribune, and FOX Sports' Brian Balldinger.

Here are the results from the rest of the major publications and other notables (ESPN idiots).....

Athlon Colts-Panthers
ESPN The Mag Dolphins-Bears
Pro Football Weekly Panthers- Colts
Sporting News Steelers-Panthers (Umm, how did that work out for you?)
Street & Smiths Panthers-Broncos
John Clayton Colts-Seahawks
Len Pasquarelli Colts-Seahawks
Michael Smith Colts-Panthers
Sal Paolantonio Colts-Panthers
Scouts Inc. Broncos-Seahawks
Merril Hoge Bengals-Cowboys (Good call there Young Hater)
Tom Jackson Colts-Panthers
Joe Theismann Colts-Panthers
Mike Golic Colts-Panthers
Sean Salisbury Colts-Panthers
Mark Schlereth Patriots-Panthers
Awful Announcing Redskins-Redskins (Actually I picked the Colts and Seahawks....had the Bears losing to the 'Hawks in the Conference Championship)

Seriously ESPN.....could we get some variety here. Do you all just copy each others work? Don't answer that. Bill Simmons could not be reached for comment after a RedSox'esqe comeback to knock the Pats out of the playoffs. He will however be calling the Saint Marys-San Diego game on ESPNU tonight. If anyone gets ESPNU please email me if he cries.

(Seriously though....a free t-shirt and/or post to anyone who can send me a tape of his performance. I'll pay all shipping and for the tape.)

So I know you are getting back from a three day weekend, and you want to get back into the swing of things. But there's something that's just killing you. Who are the announcers for ESPN's coverage of the upcoming Arena Football League season? Well that's what I'm here for.....drumroll please......

Your Backup Teams:

Trey Wingo-Mark Schlereth
Ron Jaworski-Merril Hoge

I'm stoked for Jaworski finally getting a shot, and Wingo-Schelereth isn't bad, but Merril Hoge?!?!?! Shoot me in the face. I wonder which 40,000 Yard, 82 TD QB he'll make fun of this season?

Your #1 Team, and Announcers of Arena Bowl XXII!!!!!!

Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic














Umm what did you just say? Wait....really??? Yep it's true (and awkward).

Greenberg and Golic, who will take their “Mike & Mike in the Morning” radio show on the road each Monday and Tuesday when they work games, will call ArenaBowl XXI.

God I don't even know how to feel about this. On one hand I will be throwing stuff at the TV, but at least I'll be able to watch some football after the SuperBowl is over. I need an AFL team though.....can someone make suggestions? I'm thinking the Colorado Crush because they just signed Peter Warrick and/or Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul.

Quick story. I worked for the Philadelphia Charge of the WUSA when JBJ first purchased the Soul. I sat in the back of a meeting that he was involved in and he was a dick. He was yelling at people for not meeting deadlines and embarrassing people by having them stand in front of the group. It was awkward, and I can understand him wanting a smooth start to the inaugural season, but Jon.....it's the Arena League.....calm down.

This Merrill Hoge thing had me chuckling at first. It was the beginning of the season and Vince Young hadn't done anything yet. It was the perfect time to be a skeptic about Young and pile on. But now? Now you're just sounding like a stubborn ass.

Sure the Titans run the ball. Travis Henry gets 70-90 yards in the first half....1 TD, and they're still down 10 points. They head into the second half and they get down 13. Head into the 4th and the lead is back down to 10......all of a sudden Vince is playing like a madman. The lead is three.....but crap there's only 3 minutes left. The defense finally wakes up and gets a stop. 2 minute drill time.....the Titans are trying for the tie. Umm, no they're not....Vince drives them down the field with a combo of runs and passes. Titans win.

Just think for a second if Fisher hadn't started the season with drunk-ass Kerry Collins under center. The Titans could be the fourth seed in the playoffs. Vince reminds me of two players actually.....the first is obvious.....John Elway. The second is a crossover of sports. Up until now there was one player that teams were terrified to face at the end of games. He is so clutch that people have solely kept track of his stats and late inning heroics. Well that one player is David Ortiz.










If I'm a defensive coordinator I do NOT want to face Vince during a two-minute drill. Your defense is tired, they are playing a pseudo prevent defense, and you're scared. You're scared to death. Hell, just ask the Texans' Richard Smith, the Giants' Tim Lewis, the Jags' Mike Smith, the Bills' Perry Fewell, the Colts' Ron Meeks, the Skins' Gregg Williams, and the Eagles' Jim Johnson.

Forget the mechanics, forget the players on the team, and forget the coaches....Vince Young does it on his own. He wills one of the crappiest teams to win. He doesn't have the defense that Elway had and he doesn't have the protection in the lineup that Ortiz has.

Look....Merrill....Buddy. I understand you want to "stick to your guns". But occasionally you're just wrong (see AA- Jemele Hill. I wouldn't say I like her, but she's not as bad is I originally pegged). While I may be wrong occasionally (rarely)......if I'm ever THAT wrong, I will admit it. But no one is ever this blatantly wrong. It's one thing to peg a rookie as a flash in the pan, but after he's proven you wrong over, and over, and over, and over again.....just give it up. Every other ESPN talking head does so and no one remembers (I wish this wasn't the case).

I think One More Dying Quail sums it up best by saying this.

"Whoever ultimately wins, one thing should certainly happen at ESPN: someone should take Merrill Hoge aside, tell him to stop letting whatever personal issues he has with Vince Young cloud his judgment, then teach him how to construct a reasonable argument."

I agree, either admit you are wrong, or just move the hell on Merrill. Check out the video collection below.