In the age of viral marketing, and sports based reality shows, players try to do everything they can to get their name out there. The latest, and very interesting venture, comes from Steven Jackson. Jackson has decided to make a video about himself, that is exclusive to his own website. Via 12 Step Drop....

As far as self-made productions go, that actually looks pretty good. It's good to see Jackson busting his but this offseason, because the Rams are going to need every bit of him this fall.

Steven Jackson: The Movie (12 Step Drop)

Obviously, this isn't the same is interrupting a Super Bowl TD for Porn, but it's certainly somewhat funny. Last week, the BBC was airing their first edition of "The Football League Show", when all of a sudden the show was switched from Soccer highlights to the movie "Blue Crush". Even more funny, was the fact that the scene they switched to involved actress Kate Bosworth going into a bathroom to pee (:40 mark). Via SS Reporters....

Too funny. I love the fact that they switch back less than a minute later. Also, the Country of England already thinks we are inferior to them intellectually and culturally. Do they really need to be seeing "Blue Crush"? You're not helping us out over here, BBC!

BBC Interrupts Your Soccer Highlights to Show Blue Crush! (SS Reporters)

You know those weekend movie blocks, which usually feature a couple of comedians promoting their latest crappy movie? Well FX has come up with the ingenious idea to have the FOX team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver host one of their very own! The duo will be hosting a set of movies that will air on the FOX network before the All Star Game on Sunday, July 12th. From the WSJ via Sportress of Blogitude....

Fox Sports spokesman Lou D'Ermilio confirmed network executives will head to Milwaukee next week to strategize with Commissioner Bud Selig about reversing the downward trends. "The purpose of the meeting is to find a way to boost the ratings for the All-Star Game and the World Series," he said. Plans include showing baseball movies on Sunday afternoons on Fox's sister channel FX, and promotional ads with broadcasters Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Fox says it is less concerned with the shrinking Saturday audience, since the regular season games represent about 10% of the value of the $255 million annual rights fee the network pays.

I guess it's as good an idea as any when it comes to promoting the dreadful All-Star Game, but I'm for one going to be tuning that one out. Actually I take that back....with a lineup like Mr. 3000, Fever Pitch and The Benchwarmers....I'm 100% in!!!

Baseball Mired in a Mysterious Ratings Slump (Wall Street Journal)
Who Are The Ad Wizards Who Came Up With This One? Buck And McCarver To Host A Movie Marathon On FX (Sportress of Blogitude)
Buck and McCarver to host All-Star movie marathon (Sports Media Watch)

I recently started getting back into collecting cards again after getting a box for Christmas, and I can't say how bad of an idea it was to do so. Sure you feel some nostalgia when opening the packs, but the insert cards, autographs, jerseys and random subsets, just make it impossible to keep up with. Well thanks to the Big League Stew, we now have a look into the life of a collector nowadays.

Joe Rock runs the Baseball Card Dugout in Brooklyn, and Director Casimir Nozkowski decided to make a mini movie about the business....

The part that got me, was not the over-the-top prices, but rather the simple phrase of "it's not for kids anymore" that was said about five times in a ten second span. If you'll excuse me, I have to go cry while laying on top of my complete set of 1992 Fleer Ultra Rookie Sensations.

Oh pretty little Juan Guzman...your borders are so blue. And look....it's Scott Leius. And there's O's sensation Chito Martinez. Sigh.

The Baseball Card Movie (Big League Stew)

The Lakers will be playing on ABC this Sunday, either against the Rockets in Game Seven or Game One of the WC Finals, but ESPN will also be debuting Spike Lee's "Kobe Doing Work" on Saturday evening. The 90-minute documentary on the Laker star, is a look into what it's like to be him for one game, and will air uninterrupted by commercials starting at 8pm. Here is the official trailer if you haven't seen it yet....

After all of the controversy surrounding the making of the film (Kobe almost reneged and Spike almost went with Duncan), it's great that it's finally ready for air. Based on some of the clips, ESPN has thrown around, it definitely seems worth a view.

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the full five minute version of "Superbadge", starring Shaquille O'Neal as "Thaddeus Thundercastle" and Alondo Tucker as "Billy Ray Badger"! (I apologize for the quality, but for some reason NBA.com doesn't let you embed videos. Click here for a better quality version)

Now that my friends is some good acting! I guess since the Suns are out of the Playoffs they have time to make movies, but if they all turn out like this, then losing out on the postseason was all worth it.

Very odd video found over at Sports Crackle Pop this afternoon, and I really don't have words to describe it. Mike Tyson is at the Sundance Film Festival promoting a self-titled documentary, and during a speech he decided to use the perfect language to describe how he feels about the movie....

"I'm afraid of how much pussy, and how much money I'm going to get, and it's going to lead to a lot of problems. That really bothers me a lot. It sounds funny, but it's really detrimental to me."- Mike Tyson

What in the hell? His insanity knows no bounds, but I'm glad he's back in our world.

Tyson: I’m afraid of the money and the pu**y (Sports Crackle Pop)

I don't know anyone that has watched the entire 23 hours of the PBS documentary, Baseball by Ken Burns, but that's not stopping the writer from adding a 24th hour. MLB Network has been airing the Series throughout its first few weeks on the air, and Burns announced last night that he's added a 10th inning to the 9-part/inning collection. Via the NBC LA.....

But documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, ever the boyishly enthusiastic storyteller, is gamely heading back to the plate, adding to his nine-part 1994 PBS series, "Baseball." The new film, to be called "The 10th Inning," will cover the National Pastime from 1993 to 2008, and air on PBS next year.

"So much has transpired in baseball since we last examined the game and all of its many nuances," Burns said in a statement -- or rather, an understatement.

Cal Ripken earned away Lou Gehrig's Iron Man title in 1995. Mike Piazza's dramatic home run in the first game played after 9/11 gave the country something to cheer about, if only for a fleeting moment. The Red Sox finally reversed the Curse of the Bambino in 2004.

But real story of baseball over the last 15 years is steroids: records smashed by impossibly big sluggers who looked like little men testifying before Congress; and the ongoing saga of an all-time home run king who is a walking, under indictment, asterisk.

Burns will do well to stick to his simple, possibly overblown -- and very probably true -- thesis that the story of baseball is the story of America. The last 15 years have given us tales of perseverance, resilience -- and illusion-shattering cheating.

The series is just way too big for one human to take in, but any "inning" I've watched, I've been sucked into the storytelling for an hour or so. The series was released in 1994, and like the article says, a heck of a lot has happened since then. Good timing if you ask me.

Ken Burns Goes Into Extra Innings (NBC LA)

Movies are so formulaic these days that they remind me of the South Park episode where the manatees selected balls to write Family Guy episodes. So you want a chick flick? Okay let's pull out a few ideas....

"Matthew McConaughey as a trash man and a divorced millionaire in Jennifer Aniston meet by chance in a small mining town and set the countryside ablaze." Or a Sports Movie? "Jeff Daniels has to Coach an inner-city school Field Hockey team because of a checkered past at a private school has made him blacklisted at every other school!"

I wouldn't be surprised if they actually did this in Hollywood, and is ultimately the reason why I think they decided to actually greenlight this idea. Via Hollywood Reporter via Puck Daddy....

New Line Cinema will presumably answer that question in a film about professional hockey player Sean Avery's experiences in the fashion world, including his stint as a summer intern at a fashion magazine. Avery, who considers himself something of a fashion jock, in May began a summer internship at Vogue, where, among other duties, he served as guest editor of MensVogue.com.

New Line, which is developing and will produce a big-screen account of his experiences in the fashion world and the relationships he made there, has hired ICM-repped Stan Chervin to write the screenplay. Contrafilms' Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson, who were behind New Line's sleeper hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth," will produce.

Avery, also repped by ICM, was a member of the NHL's New York Rangers at the time of the internship; he's since signed with the Dallas Stars. Avery told The Hollywood Reporter he's always been a fashionista. "I was always trying to be the best-dressed kid in school," he said.

Avery said that though his experiences made for great storytelling, it was his friends that pushed him into Holly wood's stylish threads. Lauryn Flynn, a friend and director of celebrity services at Burberry, brought the idea to her brother, Beau. Lauryn Flynn will co-produce.

The movie will be a romantic comedy.

Good to know. My guess at this moment is that actors who are a little bit younger than Matty Mc and Aniston will be involved, so I'm thinking of a Josh Hartnett-Rachel McAdams combo. You're welcome to submit your own duos in the comments.

New Line producing Avery film (Hollywood Reporter)
Casting the 'Sean Avery: Adventures of a Vogue Intern' movie (Puck Daddy)

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 no secret that ESPN has devoted a lot of money and time into building up their ESPN Films brand. They've come a long way from "3" and have had films featured at the Tribeca Film Festival the last two years. Their newest effort is a program titled "30 for 30" and will feature 30, 1-hour films by 30 different filmmakers, and the topic has to be a Sports' story from the last 30 years.

Even more interesting than the idea are the first few people they've tabbed to be directors. The short list includes Spike Lee and none other than "Mummy Lover" Steve Nash....

By year end, ESPN Films will have televised nine documentaries on ESPN and ESPN2. In addition, five filmmakers were named for the company’s “30 for 30” initiative which will create 30 one-hour films by 30 filmmakers on a subject from the past 30 years in sports, to begin airing in September 2009 (ESPN’s 30th anniversary) through 2010: Famed director Spike Lee (When the Levees Broke), two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple (Harlan County USA and Shut Up & Sing), Oscar nominee Mike Tollin (Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream), two-time NBA MVP and film entrepreneur, Steve Nash, and the rising star duo of Alfred Spelman and Billy Corbin (Cocaine Cowboys).

As I've noted before, I'm addicted to documentaries and if you haven't seen Cocaine Cowboys it's a must to add to your Netflix list. Any movie where a speedboat traveling with pounds of cocaine in its hull pulls over to aid a broken down Coast Guard boat, is a must see in my book.

As far as the other films, Steve Nash's piece will look into Canadian athlete and Cancer survivor Terry Fox and Spike Lee's will follow Kobe Bryant for an entire gameday. I poked fun at ESPN Films when they first released movies at Tribeca, but these documentaries are one of things that a network with incomparable resources does very well.

(Via ESPN PR)

Brewer's radio announcer and actor Bob Uecker's yacht struck by a freighter while docked near Milwaukee yesterday. Before you start freaking out Bob wasn't on board, and neither was anyone else, so no one got hurt (which is good). Still, the boat took on some serious damage....

Actor and Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker will need to get himself a new boat as his yacht was damaged when it was hit by a 550-foot freighter on Tuesday.

The freighter crashed into the yacht while it was docked near Milwaukee, causing thousands of dollars in damage, WISC-TV reported.

Uecker was supposed to use the boat in his charity fishing tournament on Thursday and a local boat dealer has loaned him another boat for the event.

There's no report yet on the speedo that Bob will wear for the charity event but I hoping for the leopard print. Also, 550 foot freighter?! How is that thing still floating? I'm picturing Rodney Dangerfield plowing into Judge Smails little wooden boat, but I know nothing about yachts (obviously), so I could be completely off base with the reenactment in my head.

Freighter Crashes Into Uecker's Yacht Near Milwaukee (WiscTV.com)

I have an odd obsession with documentaries these days. I've watched everything from King of Kong to The Bridge (most depressing film ever made), and after watching this preview I'm downright stoked for Bigger, Faster, Stronger....

That first dude is going to haunt my dreams, but this is a close second after seeing Speed Racer in IMAX on my list of Summer movies.

Hilarious find by reader EJ this evening. I'm not sure what this is doing there, but apparently the Nationals take on Indiana Jones on May 22nd (click for larger)...


I know the new Indy movie comes out that day, and my first thought was that it was a promotion, but it's not a link to anything. It's just a random picture of Indiana Jones. Is Harrison Ford throwing out the first pitch or something? If so, I'm so going to that game.

(posted by One More Dying Quail)

The NBA playoffs continue this afternoon with four more opening round games. AA posted the matchups and broadcast teams earlier in the week. You can see the three TNT games and the ABC game at the links below.

TNT NBA Playoffs Announcing Schedule
ESPN NBA Playoffs Announcing Schedule

For those who are uninterested in basketball, TBS has your National Pastime fix. They started with Major League II this morning, Major League is on right now, and Chip Caray and Ron Darling bring us the Dodgers-Braves game at 1:30.

Actually, it was Major League that got me thinking. One of the lesser plot lines in the movie is Pedro Cerrano's inability to hit anything but fastballs. Despite this sort of major problem, Cerrano is kept on the Indians roster all season, which kind of makes sense because the owner wants the team to finish dead last, so having a middle of the lineup hitter who can't handle breaking stuff is actually a good thing.

So here's my question: what were Cerrano's numbers for the Indians during the season portrayed in the movie? I'm thinking of the basic stuff - batting average, homeruns, runs batted in - that would have been the key stats in the late 1980s.

Feel free to leave your thoughts and reasoning in the comments.

(Wait, one more thought: is Trey Hillman the second coming of Lou Brown?)

It's been no secret that ESPN has been focusing a lot of their efforts on creating and distributing Sports films to the masses as of late. ESPN Films has been a staple at the Tribeca Film Festival the past few years and their "Black Magic" documentary got critical acclaim.

The newest set of films were set to debut at the TFF at the end of this Month, but ESPN has decided to air them on ESPN2 the day before the Festival kicks off.

On April 22 at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will begin airing the first of four inspirational and revealing documentary films - all making their televised world premieres – as part of the new ESPN Films initiative. The slate will feature: Hellfighters (about an against-all-odds high school football team); The Streak (about a high school wrestling team’s 34-year win streak); Bud Greenspan: At the Heart of the Games (about the famed Olympics filmographer) and The Zen of Bobby V (about Bobby Valentine and baseball in Japan).

I brought this up only because I remember a lot of you said that films seemed interesting when I first posted on this. The larger question though is what ESPN is planning to do with ESPN2. Anything is better than poker and pool at this point.

(Via ESPN)

I commented how I really liked the Foo Fighters intro earlier in the Tournament, but these "I Am Legend" ones are starting to bother me. I know your ratings are down CBS and you have to make up money however you can, but you've used the exact same clip for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

How many different ways can Greg Gumbel introduce his partners by calling them "legends"? The answer is two. At least change the movie to "There Will Be Blood" or something for next weekend. You could even show Tyler Hansbrough with the bloody nose! I'm a marketing genius.

Everyone get your acting resumes ready. If you are a 50 year old gentleman with ghost white hair and beard and wear some of the most ridiculous outfits ever, has CBC got the role for you!

There will be some loud jackets to fill when the CBC starts casting its latest made-for-TV movie: the Don Cherry story.

"We're trying to find out if Brad Pitt can play the leading role," jokes the movie's protagonist. "Maybe George Clooney could play me in the later years."

Pitt would actually be more appropriate since the two-part movie, written by Cherry's son Tim, deals mostly with the Coach's Corner star's early life in hockey's minor leagues. In fact, it will end when Cherry meets Ron MacLean, 24 years ago.

The movie is still in the development stages, with the younger Cherry's script being massaged by award-winning writer Paul Quarrington. Once CBC gives it the green light, shooting is expected to start this summer with next spring's Stanley Cup playoffs the target launch date.

I'm not exactly sure how you massage a script, and if it's similar to massaging a prostate, but only good things can come of this.

Cherry movie in the works (TheStar.com)

Over the past few years ESPN's been trying to branch out into Sports Films with honestly little success. Their made for TV movies haven't gone over too well and their trip to Tribeca earned good reviews, but the movies were/are hard to find.

Well now expect even more movies to hit the channel in the near future....
ESPN dominates sports on television. Now, the cable heavyweight is making a run at the big screen.

ESPN said it would collaborate with Creative Artists Agency and Walt Disney Studios to produce and distribute theatrical films with sports themes. As part of the network’s expansion in filmed entertainment, ESPN is also hiring 30 filmmakers to produce one-hour mini-movies to appear on the channel starting in September 2009.

Movies will be financed by Walt Disney, which owns ESPN; outside investors; or a combination thereof. ESPN executives declined to comment on financial elements, except to say budgets would vary by project.

I guess it's only natural that this move would take place, but you have to wonder why it hadn't happened sooner. Anyway, expect a lot more documentaries and short films to hit the network in September. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. This very well could be yet another sign that the "Leader" is changing their style or substance policy of the last few years.

With Partners, ESPN Is Expanding in Filmmaking (NY Times)

Add yet another Movie that ESPN has worked into it's programming. It was Die Hard 4 back in June, but they've been turning to Sports movies as of late. We got Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and The Gameplan last go around, but now we can add Semi Pro to that ever growing list.

I think I'm at the point in my life where I can't take anymore Will Ferrell. The dude is everywhere and his schtick has just gotten stale. With that said, I will probably still see the movie and laugh my ass off.

Oh and Bill....please retire those shorts.