I haven't watched an episode of Around The Horn since I was doing those video clips for Deadspin, and even then it was begrudgingly. Well recently SI put together a Best of Sports Media for the decade, and not only did we receive an ridiculous (yet extremely appreciated) honorable mention for Sports Blog of the Decade, but they also took a light jab at ATH. Via Deadspin....

The topics are patently absurd (one involved Evander Holyfield boxing a horse for the WBA heavyweight belt), but on the whole it's no more bizarre-and a lot funnier-than, say, Around the Horn.

That seems one of the nicer things that people have said about that abortion of a show, but apparently that was enough to send Bill Plaschke over the deep end. Via Plaschke's Twitter....

-I saw where, in its annual media issue, a certain publication took another shot at Around the Horn. We love it. Just spell our names right.
-One of these days, your grandfather's media is going to realize that, when it comes to ATH, they are out of touch with today's consumers
-ATH thrives because the grass-roots sports fan — which is most of us — thinks sports should be fun, and what's wrong with that?
-While our critics have dwindled to a few, we embrace those who still think seven years of hundreds of thousands of daily viewers are wrong
-Our show wouldn't connect with today's sports fan if yesterday's sports media didn't still rip it. The rips remind us the show still works
-I'll end this by once again thanking our show's patron saint, a notable broadcaster who called us, ''Gasbags on parade.''
-I'm honored to be one of those gasbags, and thankful that so many people allow us to parade into their lives...
-(and if those last few tweets don't get me into the showdown Thursday, nothing will!!)

Ah yes....those gasbags on parade. I mean when someone as respected as Al Michaels calls you a "gasbag", I would think you would take notice. But on the other side of the coin....if it ain't broke don't fix it. I know a good handful of people that list ATH as one of their favorite shows, and 700K worth of viewers at 5pm isn't anything to shack a stick at.

Hilarious. SI has decided to put out an issue that is completely void of Brett Favre and they want you to know about it....


(HT: The Sports Hernia)

Trent Green recently retired, and while he seems to still seems to be getting used to life without Football, the former NFL qb might have found a new career. Green is filling in for the vacationing Peter King, and decided to write about Mike Vick, the NFL schedule, Brett Favre....and of course....the "10 things he thinks he thinks". Here are some highlights....

2) I think I'm going crazy because I feel like we've been talking about Brett Favre and his retirement since the new millennium. You want to play, Brett? I hope you do. I've always enjoyed watching you play. But please decide by the start of training camp.

6) I think, actually I know, that Mark Brunell is the last quarterback standing from the 1993 draft class. He's outlasted Drew Bledsoe (No. 1 overall), Rick Mirer (No. 2), Billy Joe Hobert (No. 58), Gino Toretta (No. 192), Alex Van Pelt (No. 216), Elvis Grbac (No. 219) and me (No. 222). Keep going, Mark! I'll be pulling for you.

8) I think that brings me to ticket prices. Where are the family seats at most stadiums now? Teams need to realize they are pricing out a huge part of their fan base. DirecTV is great and watching games in high definition is amazing. But absolutely nothing can beat watching a game live. The atmosphere, the grill smells, the people all dressed in team apparel, the elements, the live sound of a good tackle, 80,000 people all cheering at the same time -- you can't replicate the experience. I'd like to see all owners set aside a few sections for reasonably-priced seating so parents can afford to take their kids.

10) I think I hope Peter King has a great vacation. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.

Okay that last one was a bit cheesy, but I think Trent Green may have a future in the writing business. Apparently those concussions haven't had THAT much of a lasting affect on him. In fact, Peter King may have just been Wally Pipp'd! Oh and who knew Mark Brunell was still in the League? That my friends is insight!!!

What it's really like to retire and how NFL should handle concussions (SI)

You knew that the story was coming out one way or another, and today we all learned where. Tony Dungy's talk with Mike Vick, during his last days in prison, will be presented as an article in this week's SI. In fact, it's already online and here's a brief snippet....

Then I went to see Michael. As I sat down with him at the table in the visitors' room, he looked just like many of the young men I have talked with in other prisons. I couldn't get over how young he still looked. I hadn't seen him in person since 2005, but his face looked the same. The Falcons' number 7 jersey, though, had been replaced by a tan jumpsuit with his inmate number on it. We talked for about two hours, and my message was the same one I've given hundreds of other inmates I've visited. "What you learn in life is the same thing you learn in football," I told Michael, who was scheduled to be released from prison this Wednesday to serve the final two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement. "You have losses, and you have to rebound from them. The key thing is, How do you bounce back from a defeat?"

In the two hours we spent together, Michael and I learned a lot about each other, and we made a commitment to stay in touch after he is released. When I left the prison, I found myself thinking: What if Michael, who says his father was not a positive influence on his household when he grew up, had had the same family support system that Josh [Freeman] had? Would he have ended up in this situation? I really don't think so.

That's really just the surface of the article, as it delves into how Dungy helps a lot of inmates, so you should definitely check out the rest. I've noticed over the past few days that rarely has anything bad been said about Vick, and I'm beginning to understand why. It's human nature to want to forgive and forget, and that's what the media seems to already be doing with Vick. Either that, or they want to be the first to score an interview (*ahem* ESPN!).

Guidance With A Fatherly Touch (SI)

Three weeks ago Sports Illustrated reported that defensive lineman BJ Raji, a potential top five pick, had tested for marijuana. After denial, after denial from Raji and his agent, and even the NFL saying he was not on the list, SI has admitted they got it all wrong. Here is their apology, which popped up on SI.com today....

An SI.com report posted earlier this month incorrectly stated that Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji's name would appear on the NFL's list of players who tested positive for drugs at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. We regret the error.

Well that's nice of them. I'm all for having sources and sticking to them, but when you've got a young man's future in your hands, you absolutely have to provide all the info that you have. The evidence was flimsy at best, and thankfully Raji can move forward with his Draft Day experience.

Correction: BC's Raji not on NFL's drug list (Sports Illustrated)

If there was one thing that I never thought see, was the day that Peter King opened a Twitter account. KSK found the SI writer's page the other day, and there are so many good entries, that it's almost impossible to link to just one. Here are my top three....

3. "Good morning all. This is my first Tweet of all time. Noticed in the NY Times that Oprah beat me by one day. I'm bitter."

2. "Just talked with Mark Sanchez. Dedicated lad. Worked out at his old high school tonight. Will go to class all week at USC. More in MMQB."

1. "Have a good day. Off to run some errands. Hey, thanks to Karen Dmochowsky and Sam Farmer for making Twitter sound not so intimidating."

As KSK points out, it didn't take just one person to help open a Twitter account for Mr. King, but it took two. I also like the use of the word "lad" in reference to Mark Sanchez. Twitter has taught me that Peter King talks like he's stuck in nineteen dickety two (King had to say dickety because the Kaiser had stolen our word for "twenty.")

The Peter King Twitter Is Here, And It Defines Clutch (KSK)
Peter King (Twitter)

Media Watch posted a very interesting interview with Terry McDonell, Sports Illustrated's Managing Editor today. In it he stated that contrary to popular belief, the magazine competes with networks rather than other magazines, and that SI might lack the resources to do so.

SI's conundrum reflects the troubles of magazines, especially weeklies. Yes, SI publishes a terrific issue every week. Problem is, ESPN can boast not only a popular magazine of its own, but also an iconic television and radio network. It's not hard to figure out which of the entities deserves the moniker "The Worldwide Leader in Sports."

It's not all SI's fault, though. I find it inexplicable that Time Warner, which also owns CNN and the Turner broadcasting channels, hasn't jumped in to give SI greater TV exposure. Perhaps Walt Disney's brands simply work together better than Time Warner's do. But that is no excuse for why Time Warner hasn't done more to make SI a bigger name in sports media and entertainment. Time Warner is blowing a terrific business opportunity.

"SI does not compete with magazines," McDonell said correctly. "We compete with networks. We have to be much more than a magazine. Our challenge is to find ways to compete vigorously with people who would seem to have more resources."

As usual, I'm not one to tell someone how to run their business, but I'm with Media Watch on this one. I always thought SI and Time Warner blew a terrific opportunity to challenge ESPN back in the 90s, and am not really sure why they haven't attempted it again. Maybe now isn't the time to be embarking on such an undertaking, but I hope they give it another shot in the future. The Sports World definitely deserves it.

Sports Illustrated hopes to continue the momentum (Market Watch)

Peter King usually uses the last page of his Monday Morning Quarterback column for a collection of random thoughts, and in his last "thing he thinks he thinks", he decided to take a shot at the New York Times. The Times, who acquired the Globe recently, announced that the Boston paper is dangerously close to being shut down, much to the dismay of the state of Massachusetts and King....

You cannot be serious about shuttering the Boston Globe, you New York Times people. That's unjust and ridiculous and will be a black mark against anything you do journalistically in the long-term. How do you walk into the flagship journalistic institution in a six-state region and say, "Unless everyone in the building takes a monstrous pay cut, and a few of you walk away from your jobs forever, we're closing the place?'' What kind of management style is that?

I think everyone is in agreement that it would be a shame to lose an institution like the Boston Globe, and it's certainly good to have someone as widely read as King, to have in your corner.

Ten Things I Think I Think (SI: Peter King)

The weirdest thing that came out of the Alex Rodriguez admission interview on ESPN, certainly wasn't anything about steroids. No, it was the claim by Rodriguez, that SI reporter Selena Roberts, broke into his building and was "stalking" him. Well apparently that was a lie because according to Newsday, A-Rod has called Roberts and has apologized for said claim....

This comes to us from the good folks at CNN, who sent over a transcript of today's "Reliable Sources" show in which host Howard Kurtz blurted out -- I mean reported exclusively -- that Alex Rodriguez called Selena Roberts and apologized for bashing her in his ESPN confession/interview on Monday.

Here's the part of the transcript about that:

KURTZ: Well, you know, Selena Roberts, who's a former "New York Times" reporter, I am told -- and I can report this exclusively -- that after that interview Alex Rodriguez called her to apologize.

Nothing more was said of it on the show.

Awww, that's sweet. You claim someone unlawfully entered you domain, stalked you, and you give a quick apology. That's nice. Glad that's all cleared up.

BREAKING NEWS: Alex Rodriguez, also known as A-Rod, said to have apologized to Selena Roberts (Newsday)

I've been trying to decide whether I'm jealous of Jimmy Traina's (Hot Clicks) relationship with Erin Andrews, or just glad I don't have to deal with the fact that we'll always "just be friends" (I'm not speaking for you, Jimmy). Well anyway, JT got his pal Erin Andrews to give you guys some tips on this made-up holiday wonderful holiday of Valentine's Day.

Everyone listen up and eyes forward to Ms. Andrews....

SI.com: Candy or flowers?

Andrews: I'm a candy freak but for Valentine's Day, flowers are the way to go.

SI.com: Flowers are such a waste. You look at them for two or three days and then you throw them in the garbage.

Andrews: NO! I love flowers. It's always special when a guy buys a girl flowers.

SI.com: It a guy doesn't want to do the traditional, cookie-cutter flowers/candy thing, what would you suggest he buy his lady?

Andrews: Well, given the economy right now, I think just fixing up the house, lighting a bunch of candles and getting a few bottles of wine would be perfect. If a guy wants to spend some dough, that's different. But if someone isn't working with a big budget, candles and wine are a good way to go.

SI.com: Good plan. Let's talk about some specific things that are either good or bad. Tattoos. Yes or no?

Andrews: They don't bother me.

SI.com: What if they're covered in them like David Beckham?

Andrews: It's fine on David Beckham.

SI.com: Long hair?

Andrews: How long? Rafael Nadal long is OK. But Bret Michaels long is not. But I love Bret Michaels.

SI.com: What about a guy coming up behind you and dancing?

Andrews: I'd like to skip that question.

So that's helpful, right guys? Just some candles and wine....easy enough. The one thing that Traina forgot to ask her about though, was the Playboy "Sexiest Sportscaster" contest. The winner is announced today, and I'll keep you posted on who gets the crown for 2009!

Update: Annnnnnd EA has taken the Playboy crown once again....

Stiff competition. A harder format. The pressure of being number one. None of it mattered. America’s Sexiest Sportscaster for 2009 is ESPN’s Erin Andrews, the champ in our poll for the second year in a row. Despite a more challenging, two-round format, which narrowed the field to five finalists, Erin came out on top again. To celebrate her victory, we’ve compiled our favorite YouTube clips of this sexy sideline siren at work, at play and, naturally, ice-fishing. Congrats, EA!

2009 Sexiest Sportscaster of the Year: Erin Andrews (Playboy, Sort of SFW)
Erin Andrews On Valentine's Day (Hot Clicks)

I personally thought Peter Gammons did a great job in his interview with Alex Rodriguez, but some people are not agreeing today, namely Sports Illustrated. SI writer Jeff Pearlman has criticized the ESPNer for not sticking up for Pearlman's co-worker, Serena Roberts, and Gammons is now apologizing for not doing so. Via an email to Deadspin....

I think in retrospect, I should have interrupted the Arod rant. My first question asked if Selena's story were true, he essentially admitted it was, and I believed she was therefore vindicated. I usually don't get into grudges, and felt he was promoting her book, which will be her response. I was trying to get Alex in his own words, but Jeff's criticism has merit that I accept.

Pearlman called Gammons the "Larry King of sports", and while I think that's a little harsh, I can sort of see how some would feel that way. The only problem is that both MLB (who has a new deal with ESPN), and Scott Boras, probably were all over the questions that were asked, and ESPN obviously wanted to be delicate with the piece. That's obviously not an excuse to avoid getting to the bottom of things, but it might explain the tone a bit more.

Oh and one more thing. I know it's slow now that Football is over, ESPN, but good lord! I've seen this damn interview about 40 times now!!! There was some Basketball played yesterday right? Hockey perhaps??? I know what will get us to forget about all this A-Rod nonsense. PETTTTTERRRRRR GAMMMMMMONNNNSSSS!

Ah...that's better.

Peter Gammons is the Larry King of sports television (Jeff Pearlman)
Peter Gammons Regrets Not Sticking Up For Roberts (Deadspin)

Since I'm sick, and presumably going to make chicken soup, lay down, and rent "Nights in Rodanthe" on demand, I've decided to just throw up (no pun intended) some clips from SI's Swimsuit issue to keep you entertained (don't even worry about that run on sentence). SI has always been good to me, so there's no time like the present to pay them back. Enjoy women who are naked, but aren't really naked, in places you'll never get to go to!

Oh and it's all brought to you by Sobe!!!

There is rarely anything that shocks me in this world anymore, and on a scale of 1-10, A-Rod taking steroids comes in at a .25. Jose Canseco called the Yankee slugger a user in his book "Vindicated", but Rodriguez vehemently denied the allegation. Well today (weird that this broke on a Saturday), SI is saying that he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Primobolan and testosterone back in 2003....

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."

While this isn't surprising, it's not all that damaging to Rodriguez. Steroid use wasn't yet banned in Baseball back in 2003, and the samples tested were supposed to be kept anonymous. Obviously, as we've seen with Bonds, Giambi, etc., that hasn't held true. But as we've seen with Giambi, Pettitte, etc., a little time just makes everyone forget.

It will still taint A-Rod's legacy as a hitter, but I don't think it will hurt him as much as Bonds or McGwire.

Sources tell SI Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 (Sports Illustrated)

Normally this is a Doctor Z thing, and I won't now how much he contributed until I receive the issue, but SI forwarded me a snippet of their Media Reviews for 2008 and I wanted to pass it along. They handed out awards for various things like best books, movies and documentaries, but here's the important one....Who are America's favorite announcers....

NFL - Bob Papa and Ron Jaworski
NBA - Mike Breen or Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins
MLB - Vin Scully and Vin Scully
NHL - Jim Hughson and Brian Hayward
NCAA Hoops - Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery
NCAA Football - Ron Franklin and Kirk Herbstreit

I have no idea why they listed Vin Scully twice, or if someone's missing, but other than that....I can't really find anything wrong with the list. I wouldn't personally say that Bob Papa is my favorite NFL announcer, but people seem to be taking a shine to him on the NFL Network.

I'll have more on SI's reviews when the issue comes out, and I'll have my own end of the year post up soon.

I'm still playing a bit of catch-up after talking about a half of a week off for the holiday, but wanted to make a spot to send best wishes and speedy recovery to Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman. Dr. Z, as he's known within the magazine, suffered back-to-back strokes late in November, but according to Peter King, the longtime SI scribe is slowly but surely own his way to recovery. Via SI's Monday Morning Quarterback....

It is Saturday morning. The best football writer of our time is sitting in a chair in room 106 of St. Clare's Hospital, looking very much like Paul Zimmerman. In fact, a little better. He's lost some weight, maybe 15 pounds, and he has the beginnings of a Hemingway beard of gray stubble. For a man who had two strokes a week ago -- one on Saturday, the next on Sunday -- his gestures and facial expressions when I speak to him are precisely the same as the last time I saw him. Dr. Z is still most definitely all there. It's the cogent speech, for now, that's not. Temporarily. But that's not going to stop him from trying.

"He still talks all day,'' says his smiling and wonderfully devoted wife, Linda, a.k.a. The Flaming Redhead from all those Zim columns on SI.com.

I write today to tell so many of his friends and acquaintances in the league and in his reading public about him. I wasn't sure how. I thought it might be good to just tell you about him and how he's doing because I know you'd want to know. And then, because so many people who read Web sites are young, I wanted to give those readers a chance to find out what all the fuss is about. Why, you might ask, with so many interesting things happening in the football world -- the idiotic Plaxico Burress tragicomedy, teams going into the playoff home stretch, the Packers and Chargers and Saints falling out of the race with bad losses -- would I lead the column thusly? It's because you need to either learn about how well Zim captures the essence of this great game, or you need to be reminded of his brilliance because you haven't seen the breadth of it in a while.

I've mentioned on these pages before that I look forward to the good Doctor's Media Rankings every year, and while his game picking skills are still questionable, I hope to read one of those articles again in the near future. All the best, Doc Z.

If you get a chance, make sure to read the rest of that Peter King entry on Zimmerman, which is linked below.

The best football writer of our time (SI: MMQB)
Doctor Z's Football Media Rankings Are Out (Awful Announcing)

How ironic is it that two days ago we were talking about how certain airports are adding SI stores to their terminals, and now we get this. Denver International Airport's Internet filter is apparently blocking certain websites because they have been deemed inappropriate, and yep....Sports Illustrated is one of them. From The Seattle Times via SbB....

Want to browse VANITY FAIR magazine on the Denver airport’s free Wi-Fi system? Sorry. You’ll have to buy it at the newsstand, because Denver International Airport’s Internet filter blocks VANITY FAIR as “provocative.”

Nor can you get to the popular gossip column perezhilton.com on the Denver airport’s Wi-Fi signal. Or the hipster-geek favorite BOINGBOING.NET. Or the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED swimsuit photos, even though the magazine’s bare-breasted cover shot is on prominent display at airport stores, right next to PENTHOUSE and HUSTLER.

Airport officials are erring on the side of caution in blocking access to certain sites through the free Internet browser offered to travelers. They say they’re using prudent judgment in a public, family-friendly atmosphere.

Well that's random now isn't it? Apparently even the airport spokesman is aware of the matter, but doesn't plan on doing anything about it. Sorry SI, you won't be getting any of the over 4,000! wi-fi connections from the airport anytime soon.

Denver airport Wi-Fi blocks popular magazine Web sites (Seattle Times)
Denver Airport Considers SI.Com A Porno Website (Sports by Brooks)

Okay, I'll admit it....I'm fascinated by Peter King. No, not because I think his writing is amazing, or that he has virtually the whole NFL in his cell phone. None of that. It's really the fact that he just doesn't care. He'll write an article that contradicts something he wrote a day ago and isn't even fazed. He's like Derek Jeter in that Gatorade commercial, "but for me the next article begins when the last one ends."

Well that brings us to some stellar research that reader PW put in regarding the relationship between Peter King and Tom Brady. In PK's latest article, he posted the following email exchange about Brady and Matt Cassel....

From Brian Maxwell, of Minneapolis: "I know it's early but if the Pats win the Super Bowl this year with Matt Cassel, does it reflect negatively on Tom Brady's legacy? I think if that happens, we can stop the "greatest of all-time" talk.''

PK: Not sure I've heard anyone call Brady the greatest of all-time. But you're right. Cassel has made one start. Brady has made 128, has won 79 percent of them, is 14-3 in the postseason, is 3-1 in Super Bowls. I understand your point -- that if the Patriots go far into January, then it takes some of the shine off Brady's star. But we're not even far into September.

Now it struck both PW and I, very odd that Peter King would say that he has , "never heard someone call Brady the greatest of all-time," when King himself has probably written those exact words about a million times in Brady's career. Let's take a look shall we....

October 5, 2004
Patriots QB Tom Brady is as cool as a man can be when the rush is on (Sports Illustrated)

"Playing like this is the biggest reason why the Patriots are poised to set the all-time record for consecutive wins Sunday against Miami. Tom Brady is simply an unflappable player, one of the greatest pressure players I've ever seen."

December 19, 2005
Brady, Pats are back; Bolts end Colts' perfection bid (Sports Illustrated)

"I was in the Brady-for-Sportsman crowd, probably as a leader of the pack. This morning, I'm not here to say he's better than Peyton Manning, worse than Peyton Manning, the same as Peyton Manning, because, let's face it, they're both all-timers."

October 23, 2007
Pats-Colts, Brady-Manning ... let the arguments begin (Sports Illustrated)

"Tony Kornheiser asked Ron Jaworski Monday night on ESPN who he thought is better right now -- Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Jaworski looked like he'd rather answer this question: "Which of your daughters is your favorite?'' The answer is simple. We're living in an era with three of the best 10 quarterbacks (Manning, Brady, Brett Favre) ever to play. We'll have years to debate what order you'd put them in, and more great ones will be added as time passes."

November. 6th 2007
Personnel chiefs Scott Pioli and Bill Polian are behind the success in New England and Indy (Sports Illustrated)

"Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are already among the alltime greats."

January 14, 2008
Observations from a nearly perfect NFL weekend (Sports Illustrated)

"Tom Brady was a ref's buried whistle and a stunning drop by Mr. Hands Wes Welker from being 28-for-28 the other night. Are we watching the best quarterback of all time in mid-career? Are we watching, maybe three of the best five or six of all time?"

And all of that research was done in the matter of about 10 minutes using Google. I can understand forgetting certain stances or predictions that you've written in over twenty years of Football reporting, but come on! He's devoted entire articles to that same "All-time Greatest" debate about twenty times since Brady's been in the league. The guy is either like Guy Pearce in "Memento" and he's working backwards and sideways, or he's just messing with everybody. Either way, he continues to blow my mind.

I really have no idea how well the recent trend of media companies creating themed stores will work out, but plan on seeing them all over airports when you're traveling this fall. Sports Illustrated is even getting into the game with and will have a store in the new 3,000 foot long, North Terminal project at Detroit's Metro Airport. Via Sports Business Journal's Terry Leffon....

The 831-square-foot shop "will sell a variety of licensed merchandise bearing logos of local Michigan pro and college teams, as well as SI-branded publishing-oriented licensed goods, such as calendars, books and posters." The store is being launched "under a multiyear commitment with Delaware North Cos. and could serve as the prototype for similar locations, as new airport terminals open in [L.A.] and other markets during the next year." SI CMO Andrew Judelson said, "We invest the brand, they invest the capital." SI also gets "royalties on store sales." Judelson: "We've been approached to do SI restaurants, but that didn't fit our DNA. This seemed more appropriate"

Different companies like CNBC, USA Today, CNN and the New York Times are looking for spots at various airports as well, but it looks like the Detroit Metropolitan Airport is the furthest along. In addition to the SI store, the new terminal will feature a Brookstone, Books-A-Million, Caribou Coffee, as well as a USA Today shop.

It certainly seems like a bold move for both the airport, and media companies like SI, considering the current economic climate and how little people are traveling these days, but it might be worth a shot. I've got random Sports t-shirts that I've picked up at various airports and truckstops throughout the years, and I'd certainly stop by if I was in Detroit.

SI Prepares To Launch First Retail Store In Detroit Airport (Sports Business Journal - $)
New Detroit airport terminal gleams amid industry gloom (M Live)

Seems like an interesting idea right? You have an in-depth article on a subject in Sports Illustrated that garners national praise and you turn it into a short documentary. Via Variety....

Time Inc. Studios, together with management-production company the Collective and XYZ Films, will produce features and documentaries based on articles published in Time Inc. publications such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Life.

The company has identified its first project, optioning the April 14 Sports Illustrated article "Breaking the Bank." Written by L. Jon Wertheim, the feature covers the alleged criminal exploits of Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor "Lightning" Lee Murray, who is suspected of masterminding the largest cash heist in history in 2006.

XYZ Films said it will contribute a seven-figure development fund that will option articles, hire screenwriters and tie talent to packages that can then be shopped to studios. It doesn’t cover TV projects.

I've made no secret of my love for documentaries, so this is obviously a great idea to me. I'm personally hoping that the process of how Peter King picked his Top 500 players in the NFL (and more specifically how Reggie Bush was #19) is a topic in the near future. Is there anywhere I can vote for these things?

As far as Murray, anyone who comes to the ring wheeled in like Hannibal Lecter, NEEDS to have a documentary made about him.

Time Inc. to produce in-house films (Variety)

It's always humorous when a non-Sports channel decides to try to report on something. For as much flak as we give ESPN, for the amount of info the ratio of mistakes to the amount of information they produce is pretty small. CNBC however rarely gets into the Sports game and hilarity ensues when they do....

When big news breaks, it's always a struggle to try to put together the details. In the frenzy, someone's bound to make a mistake. It happens.

The news that Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers is currently being picked up by media outlets around the world. The funniest breaking news tease seen thus far: CNBC's "Breaking News" box that said the following:

SI: Manny Ramirez to Dodgers for Jon Heyman

Jon Heyman, of course, isn't coming to the Red Sox. He is a SI.com reporter who reported the story soon after the trade happened.

I wish I had the visual evidence because that's too funny. I also just got word that Selena Roberts was part of the Ivan Rodriguez deal and instead of going to SI today, she'll immediately report to the Detroit Free Press.

Gotta Laugh About It (Boston.com)