I think it's safe to say that last year's promo featuring Harry Caray singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" can't be topped, but this year's commercial for the Winter Classic has me pretty amped.

"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" just never gets old and the Winter Classic is the best idea since night Baseball.

The motherly website, Momlogic, has an exclusive interview with Carmelo Anthony's fiancee, and for the first time she explains what set her off during Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. Not only does she claim fans yelled racial slurs at her, and the Nuggets, but they even called the couple's son a "bastard"....

"They began yelling 'F*** the Nuggets!' right in front of my son." Then she says they started calling the Nuggets players "n*****s." She was shocked. "I've been at a ton of games -- but I have NEVER heard fans say things like that." Then, looking directly at her while taunting Anthony on the court, Lala says the fans called her son a "bastard."

"I know it was directed at me. Yes, my son's dad and I are not married -- but we are engaged!" Lala turned to the fans and said, "This is just a GAME! Do you even know these players?!" She then asked her babysitter to take Kiyan out of the arena. The fans, who by this time, claims Lala, were completely intoxicated, became even "more aggressive," yelling "F*** the Nuggets!" and insulting their families -- namely, Lala says, her and Carmelo. Then they physically pushed her. Pushed to the edge, she turned around and yelled back.

TV cameras captured security guards approaching her. "They said they had seen the whole thing and told me I had done nothing wrong. I was NOT ejected, they just escorted me to a suite [for safety]. I was mad!" Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even apologized the next day for a variety of incidents that happened at the game -- including the insulting of another player's mother -- saying "This has gotten out of hand."

Usually in cases like this, both parties are to blame, but I can completely understand losing one's cool in this case. Arenas and stadiums have been getting more and more violent over the years, so hopefully this unfortunate incident leads to some stricter fan guidelines.

Lala: Fans Called My Son a Bastard! (Momlogic)

Skip Bayless isn't someone to shy away from controversy, but for the first time in awhile, the ESPN talking was taking to task for one of his ridiculous comments. ESPN 950's, Mike Missanelli, took umbrage with a recent statement Bayless made about Philly fans, and even caused Skip Bayless to hang up on him. Here is the hilarious audio....

To be honest with you, I've been to every stadium in the NFC East except Dallas, and Philly was actually the tamest of the three. Obviously everyone has their own experiences, but there are really drunk people everywhere. Missanelli is right about the way that the media portrays Philly has gotten old, and he was right to call Bayless out.

Oh and "GOOGLE ME!" is my phrase of the day.

ESPN's Skip Bayless (ESPN 950)

I passed along the info yesterday, that ESPN was pushing hard for the Cowboys opener in their new stadium to be the first MNF game of the season. Well apparently every other network has requested that game as well, which means that it looks like ESPN won't be getting it. Via Barry Horn at the DMN....

Fox, NBC, CBS and ESPN have informed the NFL they would like to telecast the Dallas Cowboys' home opener in September at their new stadium in Arlington.

The Cowboys are the NFL's No. 1 television attraction, and the team's first regular-season game at the new stadium is a bonus for the networks.

Networks give their game preferences to the league before the schedule is completed. The schedule will be released next month.

This really isn't a surprise, and when I posted yesterday on the subject, I didn't really even think about NBC's role in all of this. It's no secret that NBC usually gets first dibs in cases like this, and the NFL and Jerry Jones would probably like nothing better than the first game of the season to feature the new stadium. We'll find out in a month either way though.

Networks vie for Dallas Cowboys' home opener (Dallas Morning News)

Great catch by reader DH this afternoon. He forwarded on a link of the Colts' schedule that showed their September 14th game against the Vikings was going to be played at Lambeau Field. Well with a little bit more sleuthing, I uncovered that ESPN has moved the Vikings permanently to the their new home in Green Bay (click for larger)....


We all know that ESPN really wants to move all operations to Green Bay anyway (I think there are a few rooms available at Wendi Nix's condo), but that is too funny. It's obviously a simple mistake, but imagine the horror on Vikings Fans' faces as they click on their team's schedule and see their home field is that of the hated Green Bay Packers. Of all the stadiums and teams they could have made this mistake with. Good times ESPN.com!

Minnesota Vikings Team Schedule (ESPN)

It's definitely a slow day here at AA HQ which is why this story feel in my lap at just the right time. Not only is Google Earth an awesome way to kill time when you're bored, but now they have a Sports feature. You can now kill time by checking out 3D views of your favorite Football Stadiums (both College and Pro). Map Gameday via The Wiz of Odds has the details....

Google has just released the Google Earth Plugin for Internet Browsers. The Plugin currently only works for Windows computers. Pick up the Google Earth Plugin and check out some of the great stadiums and 3D animation from around the country: Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Stanford, USC, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, Tulane, Hawaii, Colorado, Nebraska, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma State, South Florida, Texas A&M, Michigan State and Iowa. Drop us a line if you come across a cool 3D stadium that's not listed above.

I'm already addicted to this. Download that plugin as fast as possible and I promise this last hour at work will go be fast. We can even play a game of "I Spy" if you'd like!

3-D Stadium Maps From Google Earth (The Wizard of Odds)
3D Stadium Maps from Google Earth (Map Gameday)