Tony Dungy is still planning on talking with Mike Vick soon, and today he went on the Dan Patrick Show, to explain why he's doing so and that he believes the former NFL QB is remorseful. He even went so far as to compare him to players that have actually murdered someone, and are still in the league....

Dungy is going to visit with Michael Vick before he leaves jail. Dungy says he heard Vick has found God and wants to talk to him about that and other things. Dungy said he's given other players second chances and it's worked out well. He pointed to kicker Mike Vanderjagt.

Dungy said that someone should give Vick a second chance because "it's the right thing to do." Dan and Tony pointed out that there are players in the NFL who have killed people and are still playing.

While he's certainly right about the current state of the NFL, everyone even said it at the time, that killing dogs is/was worse than killing a human. While, I may not necessarily agree with that stance, I can definitely understand that point of view. I still believe he deserves a second chance, but only if he truly understands what he did was wrong.

The big meet and greet is set for May 5th, and I'll keep you posted.

Tony Dungy comments on Favre, plans to meet with Vick (Sports Illustrated)

Watching Siena take out Ohio State the other night was a extremely entertaining (in more ways than one), but it probably wasn't for one religious fan. Multiple times during the two overtime contest, a camera angle of the Siena bench showed a fan displaying a "John 3:16" sign. Well not everyone appreciated said fans choice of expression. Watch the security on the left around the :12 mark of this clip....

Wow. Now I certainly was distracted by the sign at times (mainly because you could see the guy occasionally while play was going on), but that sort of comes with the territory in College Sports. Actually all Sports for that matter.

The thing I wonder, even though it's highly unlikely, is whether CBS requested the sign's removal. Someone will probably be getting a call or two come Monday.

Security Guard From Hell (March to Madness)

So the World Baseball Classic is underway (you'd know if you got up at 4:30am the other day to watch Korea-Chinese Taipei), and people are doing their best to get you to watch. David Letterman and Tommy Lasorda are two of those people, and while both are promoting the tournament, each has their own approach. Letterman's is of course comedy, but it's Lasorda's that you'll find hilarious.

That's right, folks! If you don't root for Team USA, you're destined for eternal damnation!!!

"We cannot allow those clubs to beat us. It's our game," the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager said Thursday. "Remember one thing: In your hearts, you better pull for the USA or you may not get into heaven."

"It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese," he said. "It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us."

Well then. What does it mean if I don't even watch a single game of the WBC? Purgatory??? And if he feels that way about fans, how does he feel about his nephew playing for Italy? Either way, that old man is pretty damn funny. Oh and here's Letterman's Top Ten List with Team USA on why you should watch. While they don't say you'll go to hell, they do list "seeing players from other countries scratching themselves" as one of the reasons....



If You Don't Root for Team America, You're Going to Hell (The Sporting Blog)
Top Ten Reasons To Watch The World Baseball Classic (Sports Rubbish)

Man, I'm still scrambling because the storm knocked my power out this morning, but I wanted to share the latest Doctor Lou. For some reason Lou broke out his bible this week, but that wasn't nearly the best part. Make sure you watch until Holtz gives this week's "closing thought" and message to the Doc Lou haters....

"If you enjoy Doctor Lou, I hope you will show your support by driving during the day with your lights on. And if you're unhappy with Doctor Lou, please show your displeasure by driving with your lights off at night. Have a great week."- Lou Holtz

Too funny. I honestly thought they'd have run out of ideas and quotes for Dr. Lou by now, but that's obviously not the case. Sorry again for the delay this morning, and let's all pretend we're on the West Coast for the rest of the day.

I never even knew that players had the opportunity to turn down a Preseason All-American honor from a magazine, but then again...Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas. According to Florida Today, the quarterback apparently told his SID not to even nominate him for the skin mag's team....

Tebow, who will attend photo shoots today for magazine covers in Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News before attending the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., on Wednesday, is vocal about his deep religious convictions. His father, Bob, is a missionary. Tebow feels it could also be his calling in life, after his football career is over.

Gary Cole, senior vice president and photographer director of Playboy, e-mailed and talked with Higbee on the phone about the decision not to nominate the Gator star.

"I spoke with Gary Cole and we're on the same page," Higbee said.

Cole said some athletes turn down the invitation to attend the Playboy function in Phoenix honoring the team, and a photo shoot, because they don't know all the facts.

"I don't hate it when someone has all the facts, understands what our weekend and our history is and then chooses not to attend,'' Cole told Florida Today. "I do hate it when someone bases their choice on false or incomplete information. . . . The weekend (in Phoenix) is completely wholesome. I have always brought my children whether they were one or 16 years old. It's a really special few days when these fellows get the opportunity to meet each other and spend a little time together. Friendships are formed at these weekends that last a lifetime.''

I like that friendships line at the end. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, much like that magazine did when I was younger. That damn preseason All-American team was always getting into to my smut. It seemed/seems like a honor to be named in the magazine, and the poll is actually well respected, but I guess Tebow would be rather known for circumcising infants in the Philippines and tossing the pigskin around Congress. Good for him.

Playboy gets a 'no' from Tebow (Florida Today)

You've most undoubtedly read about Bonnie's comments comparing AAU players in America to Suicide Bombers in Palestine, but I hadn't seen the video anywhere so here it is. Bonnie is talking about incoming Arizona Freshman possibly skipping College and playing overseas when she goes into the analogy....

The worst part about the whole thing is not only the idiotic comparison, but the fact that she says, "I'm not making the comparison." Well yeah you are and you just did. Also, if you have to preface something by saying, "we live in a hyper-sensitive society", you should probably just not say what you're thinking.

Bonnie has since apologized and Fanhouse has the transcript...

"Hi, this is Bonnie Bernstein, and I'd just like to take a minute to apologize for making a connection this morning on Mike and Mike between Palestinians and the adults who influence the thinking of many young NBA prospects. I was a student athlete who was lucky enough to have part of my college expenses paid for by a scholarship, and so I've always embraced the importance of higher education.

That said, it upsets me greatly -- as I think you can tell, if you heard the interview -- when I hear about adults telling impressionable kids, 'Don't worry about school, your future is in the NBA.' These stories just lend credence to the notion one is often a product of his environment, and while I emphasized that twice during our discussion, in hindsight I realize it was simply a mistake to bring Palestine into the discussion at all, and for that, I apologize again.

Lesson learned: Religion and politics have no place on public airwaves at a sports network. That's definitely a credo I will live by from this point forward. Thanks and have a great day."

We can't even go a week now with stupid comments like this happening. How crazy is that? Just stop people...no religion, no race, and no gender talk. It will never come out good.

ESPN's Bonnie Bernstein Says Palestinian Kids Want to Be Suicide Bombers, Apologizes (Fanhouse)

I think I've come to a level headed approach over the past two years working on this site. Very few things "piss me off" anymore and I do a good job of reminding myself that Sports is in the end just a game and not the end of the World (as much as they my encompass my World). Well this my friends....pisses me off.

Dana Jacobson was doing her daily duties as host of First Take and leading Detroit News' Rob Parker and Skip Bayless through their list of topics when they came to the White Sox blowup doll incident. Watch closely as Dana Jacobson steals the show away from an idiotic point from Rob Parker. Listen closely.....

Let me just write that quote out for all of you again....

"If this was something that degraded somebody racially someway or religiously in some way. Would you view this differently?"

Okay, Rob Parker's understanding of the "you are coming into our home" argument aside (come on)....are you f'ing kidding me Dana Jacobson?!?! This statement is coming from someone who went on a vodka fueled religious tirade to get a laugh out of a crowd at a roast. This also isn't the first time that she's done this either. At the end of last month she questioned Tiger Woods about cursing on the golf course.

How can ESPN continue parading these jokers out there again and again and think that people aren't paying attention? Not all of ESPN is filled with them, in fact most of the employees aren't, but it's the precious few that are making the rest of the network look so bad. Hypocrisy should really be a crime, especially in this case. Good lord.

Dana Jacobson (Of All People) Questions Tiger Woods' Use Of Language (Awful Announcing)

Last week I mentioned that Ric Bucher was probably persona non grata after some comments he made about Utah and Mormons. It was also noted in the comments of the Playoff announcing schedule that Bucher was going to be an analyst for Game 4 of the Jazz-Rockets series at Utah this Saturday. Well according to SMW, that's no longer the case.....

As it turns out, ESPN NBA reporter Ric Bucher will not be reporting from Utah for Rockets/Jazz Game 4 on Saturday.

After a press release listed Bucher as the sideline reporter for the Rockets/Jazz game from Energy Solutions Arena on Saturday night, ESPN has apparently had a change of heart. Bucher will now work the sidelines for Celtics/Hawks Game 3, while Heather Cox will be the sideline reporter for Rockets/Jazz Game 4.

Seems like a smart move, but the smarter move would have just been to leave him at home with a suspension.

ESPN takes Bucher off Jazz telecast (Sports Media Watch)
ESPN's Ric Bucher Is Not Making Friends In Utah Anytime Soon (Awful Announcing)

If you're in or around Bristol, Connecticut around noon today be sure to stop by ESPN HQ for yet another protest from the Christian Coalition. It's not like before when Dana Jacobson's F-Jesus was just the topic. They are gathering to protest Chris Berman's use of the Lord's name in vain during one of the clips that has gone up in the past week. Seriously.

The coalition is concerned there exists at ESPN a "lack of sensitivity to persons of faith and a culture of religious intolerance." To support this position view the link listed below showing ESPN anchor Chris Berman using the term "Jesus" and "Goddamn" in the workplace.
http://withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=4911

The Christian Defense Coalition will be calling on ESPN to take three positive steps toward building a culture of religious tolerance in their workplace:

*Discipline or terminate any employee that uses religiously intolerant and hateful language such as "Goddamn" or the negative use of "Jesus Christ" in the workplace.

*Sponsor a workplace seminar and dialogue on religious tolerance and discrimination in the workplace. ESPN has held similar seminars on race and gender but never on religion.

*Host a discussion on one of their programs featuring the topic of the offensive use of "Goddamn" and "Jesus Christ" within the sports world.

Well then. I'm not going to tell anyone what's right and wrong, and I guess they have the right to protest whatever they want, but I'd personally be more worried that someone from the Christian Coalition is reading With Leather everyday.

If anyone wants to give me a report later this afternoon I'd love to see what went down.

Demonstration in Front of ESPN Monday -- Christian Group Calls on ESPN to End Religious Intolerance in the Workplace (Christian Newswire)
Christians Set To Protest ESPN (Awful Announcing)

So right when I'm finally getting some got confirmation that the comments listed on Deadspin were in fact dead on this falls in my lap. The Catholic League President Bill Donohue apparently hounded ESPN for a statement and he finally got one.

An email from Jacobson.....

A Catholic advocacy group charges the sports TV network ESPN has failed to respond properly to a graphic rant by anchorwoman Dana Jacobson in which she "attacked Jesus Christ."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue said he pressed ESPN on the issue and received an e-mail with an unsatisfactory statement by Jacobson.

The statement said, in part, "My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words." Donohue contended the response "fails on several counts".

"It is obvious, then, that neither Jacobson nor ESPN is dealing with this matter in a professional way," Donohue declared. "To put this issue behind them, ESPN must deal with this issue quickly, publicly and fairly, something it has yet to do. After all, most Christians are yet unaware of this event, but once they learn of it, they are sure to demand accountability."

I don't know if I'd go as far as to say that she "attacked Jesus Christ", but seriously what runs through your mind when you're saying something like that in a public forum? I'm not condemning (mainly because I've said stupid s**t when I was drunk), but I'd really like an honest answer as to what she was thinking.

There's still no word on whether she was suspended or not, but considering the X-Games start this weekend (and she's scheduled to be there), they probably told her to take a long vacation over the Weekend to "think about what she's done".

ESPN anchorwoman: 'F--- Jesus': TV host taken to task for outburst at public event (World Net Daily)

(Thanks to Bruce for the link)

Update: Via TBL....

Sources have confirmed that Jacobson, a co-host of “First Take” on ESPN2, currently is serving a one-week suspension because of her behavior at a Jan. 11 roast for ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic at Atlantic City, N.J. While declining to confirm Jacobson had been suspended, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said, “Her actions and comments were inappropriate and we’ve dealt with it.”

So there you have it. I wonder if a week is enough for Bill Donahue? I'm guessing it's not.