Everyone is always piling on T.O., including the ESPN Sunday Countdown crew. Both Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter have been critical of the wide receiver multiple times this season, which is why some of their comments came across a bit hypocritical this past weekend.

The set was discussing Anquan Boldin's recent run-in with a coach, and both Johnson and Carter were sticking up for the Arizona receiver. This isn't sitting well with the Dallas Media, who are calling both analysts hypocrites today. Via Barry Horn at the Dallas Morning News....

As we all know from watch ESPN's Sunday studio show this season, Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter aren't very fond of Terrell Owens. The ex-WRs have picked, picked, picked on T.O. for everything from alligator arms to lizard leanings. They think T.O.'s sideline behavior has been lousy.

So it was surprising to hear Keyshawn kid-gloving Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin this morning after his sideline spat with former T.O. sparring partner Todd Haley.

"No. It's not that big of a deal," Keyshawn said. If it was, you could see players grabbing him ... I've been with Todd Haley and I've been around Todd Haley. He coached me with the Jets. He coached me in Dallas. In our meeting rooms (he) was the worst. You would like to be a fly on that wall. I don't how we could even be in the same room, I don't know how we can get along so well. But that's just a player and a coach out there competing. I work for TV, but I hate it because they try to turn it into more than it is. And, it's not that big of a deal."

Said Carter: "For one, a lot of times you don't know what the players are saying. But as players and coaches, we're a fraternity. Whatever we say on Sunday's or Monday's during the game it doesn't count. This is a competitive atmosphere. It's a result's oriented business ...When you have an athlete like him and he can't participate in the game, he's going to let the coach know that. And he has a right to know that because of the sacrifice he's made for his teammates."

Considering that the Carter-T.O. "Bullet incident" happened only a few short weeks ago, it's definitely surprising that he would be a Boldin apologist. Forget the fact that anytime Keyshawn says that someone is a "distraction", that it's extremely hypocritical. I know the media is trying to play up the whole fight between Anquan and Coach Haley, and ESPN was right in dismissing it over the weekend, but they should be more careful about who they do and don't defend on-air.

Do Keyshawn and Cris Carter have a double standard when it comes to T.O.? (Dallas Morning News)

Yardbarker, the site that supports this site, has a ton of athletes on its blogging roster, but their latest pickup might be the most notable. Well at least controversial. Terrell Owens is now blogging for the network, and in his first post (a huge 50 word piece) he addresses Cris Carter's comments on "shooting" the Cowboys' wide receiver....

Hey Yardbarker... This is T.O. and I want to tell you this myself. People ask me what I thought about what Cris Carter said about me a few days ago. All I know is, if I'd been the one who had said that about him, what would everyone have thought?

Well, as short as that side of things is, he's actually right. The Sports World would have been up in arms if Owens was the one using the reference, but then again....who does he have to blame that perception on? It's a double edged sort out there folks, especially for athletes. It's usually best to be on the duller one, if you know what I mean.

What Cris Carter said (Yardbarker)

At the beginning of the season, I thought it was a lock that CBS was going to take the NFL "TV Partners Cup" this season, but because of the Brady injury and a "fading Favre", FOX once again won the ratings battle for the year. It was a close race though. I've sifted through the numbers, via SBJ, and here's how they networks came out in the end....

The NFC's channel averaged a little over 17 Million viewers for the year, with NBC clocking in at 16.6, and CBS hitting exactly a 16.2. The interesting thing with the numbers though is that, when compared to the 2007 totals, the only network that did better was NBC. CBS was hit the hardest by being down 2.1, and while FOX was down slightly from last year, NBC actually gained 4.2% in viewers and 2% in the final average rating.

As far as Pregame Shows go, FOX won the overall award with CBS only trailing slightly, as both networks showed gains over 2007. ESPN's Countdowns were the only pregame shows that brought brought in losses (Monday: -4.8%, Sunday: -4.5%), and in its first year, NFL-N's "NFL GameDay Morning" averaged a rather paltry 270,000 viewers.

Other notable numbers:

- Cowboys played in six of the top games on FOX and CBS.
- Steelers played in five.
- ESPN averaged an 8.9 cable rating for its third season of Monday Night Football (up 3.5%).
- The NFL Network averaged a 6.2 cable rating (down 12.7%).
- "The OT" on FOX beat out "Football Night In America" on NBC by an average rating of 6.9 to 4.0.

Hey, why not another "analyst war" to add to the growing list? This time it involves Warren Sapp and Keyshawn Johnson, and was of course started by Sapp during his weekly random bashing on Inside the NFL. So the topic of discussion was the Cowboys, and how Brad Johnson was going to work for them, when out of nowhere he goes into a mini rant on ex-Cowboy and current ESPN analyst, Keyshawn Johnson....

"An accurate quarterback, a championship, someone that knows the ropes and how to distribute the ball. He’s played with worse malcontents than T.O. He played with Keyshawn. Keyshawn was kicked off the team, away from us. Terrell Owens is a choirboy compared to Keyshawn. He’ll get the ball and distribute it and they’ll be fine."- Warren Sapp

Now I sort of understand the point he was going for there, but was there really a need to bring Keyshawn's name into it like that. Obviously, based on reporter's and teammate's accounts of his demeanor, the statement is likely true, but Sapp is just taking every chance he can to be controversial. Sooner or later that's going to come back to haunt him.

Warren Sapp calls Keyshawn Johnson 'malcontent' (Watchdog)

James Brown took the time to answer a few questions during a Washington Post chat today. Some of the answers in regards to the pregame shows he has worked for were pretty interesting. He was asked some tough questions about the differences between the two rival networks, but the former FOX and now CBS Host, had some good responses....

Q: It seems these days that just about all the NFL gameday programs have really ramped up their "production values" and have become in your face, loud, quick paced product. Despite this overall trend, CBS has struck me as being more restrained, perhaps the thinking man's gameday program.

Did you notice such a difference when you left FOX and joined CBS?

James Brown: Yes, I noticed that CBS, to use your words, was more restrained, and I hear that concern loud and clear in terms of broadcast maybe being "in your face." Hopefully we can as broadcasters temper that with an upbeat, energetic presentation that's not so "in your face," because the viewers are very mature, knowledgable, savvy football fans who don't need to be yelled at. In all honesty, one of the complaints about the CBS show is that some find us by comparison to be boring, and too conservative. Taht was the concern and reputation I heard when I left fox for CBS. Hopefully we have stepped up the excitement without engaging in bufoonery, presenting solid football information in a humorous or interesting fashion. We aren't talking financial crisis, world wars, etc. -- we want to make it fun.

Q: JB what ultimately led to you leaving the Fox pregame show for CBS? Was it the fact that the CBS show is done in New York?

James Brown: It was an exceedingly difficult decision leaving the No. 1 pregame show and people who were more than just colleagues, they were friends. But on balance, the opportunity presented at CBS was too good to pass up. The opportunity to do a range of things is why I pursued the opportunity at CBS.

The great thing about all the pregame shows is certainly the variety that they provide, and while I miss JB on FOX, I think he's a much better fit for CBS. I'm also surprised that he didn't try and skate around the differences between FOX and CBS, and I highly approve of the use of a word like bufoonery when describing them.

James Brown Talks NFL, Sports Broadcasting (Washington Post)

I'm kind of amazed at how quickly ESPN jumped off the Cowboys' Bandwagon, but whether T.O. and the 'Boys are doing well or not, it's still going to be a major story on the network. Just about every ESPN analyst railed on the receiver after his comments following the loss to the Redskins and now he's firing back at the "Leader" and most notably, Keyshawn Johnson. Via the Star-Telegram....

“It’s me being confident in who I am. Its not going to be the last time you hear me say I need the ball.

Owens took a lot of heat from the ESPN studio analysts Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter after Sunday’s comments.

On Tuesday, he offered his own rebuttal.

Regarding Keyshawn Johnson, whom Owens’ referred to as Sheshawn at least three times, he said: “[As the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft] he is the ultimate underachiever on that panel. I am the reason he is in the booth. Everybody is aware when I was brought to Dallas he was the one they let go to get me here.”

He said there was one thing he agreed with that Carter had to say and that was that Jerry Rice is the best receiver of all time.

“But I am second all time behind Jerry Rice," Owens said in accentuating his superiority over Carter and Johnson.

It still amazes me that after all these years that it's so easy for people to get under T.O.'s skin. Especially when no one at ESPN was doing so on purpose. They were just responding to comments the receiver made, and explaining how ridiculous they were after 30% of the offense went through him on Sunday. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. It doesn't take a genius to say that T.O. needs to just be quiet and play Football, but coming from one who used to act the same way when he was younger....he might want to listen up.

In the end, I'm just hoping that this small attack on ESPN will tone down the almost constant over-hyping of the Cowboys that the network does on a regular basis.

Dallas Cowboys' Terrell Owens not upset with Romo, offense (Star-Telegram)

I thought Cris Carter was a good hire for ESPN when they brought him on to replace Sean Salisbury, and while he hasn't really disappointed, he's certainly not doing much to improve his reputation. He verbally threatened Will Leitch a few months back and now he's taken to flat out lying on-air.

The topic of Matt Millen's firing came up on Sunday Countdown and when drilling the former Lions GM's drafting downfalls, he had this to say....

“Matt Millen – do a little undercover work. (Mike) Williams and Charlie Rogers both worked out with me before the draft. I could have told him, don’t draft neither one of them. (He) never asked me.”- Cris Carter

Okay then. That's kind of an egotistical way to go about discussing a topic, and I guess Carter's opinion is well thought of in the Football community, but there's one small problem. According to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, he actually WAS asked back in 2003 and 2005 by two separate newspapers, and he had a completely different view of the two receivers before they were drafted....

That’s interesting because here is what you said about both players just before they were drafted. Carter’s comments about Rogers, to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel just before the 2003 draft: “He’s very similar – and I don’t like to make a lot of comparisons – to Randy (Moss) in a sense, a big basketball player playing wide receiver. He’s the only receiver that’s come out since Randy that you can make an honest comparison to. He has a yearning to learn.”

And Carter’s comments about Williams, to the St. Paul Pioneer Press just before the 2005 draft: “I think he’s going to be a great player. I think people will be surprised at the kind of person he is. He’s really a hard worker. He takes his training very seriously and wants to be very good.”

So much for consistency.

It's one thing to forget a prediction or two as you go through the season, but something like this is pretty egregious mistake. I still find it funny that media members rarely go back and look up what they said when they spout off at the mouth like this. I'm no pro at the Internet, but it should be pretty easy to just Google "Cris Carter Mike Williams Draft", if you can't remember what you said 3 to 5 years ago.

Winners and losers (Yahoo Sports)

I was trying to come up with a way to do a video highlight with clips from each of the pregame shows for each Monday, but I'm still working out the kinks. In the meantime, I wanted to share my thoughts (and get yours) on each of the pregame shows. I'll get into each network individually, but I thought as a whole every show seemed to lose a bit on their fastball and only one really has improved (see below). It's not that Strahan and Patrick were necessarily bad, but all of the new teams seemed a bit dull compared to last year. The only crew that even came across as slightly excited that it was the first weekend was that of the Sunday Countdown team. The three network groups really didn't wow me and in the case of NBC....made me want to change the channel. Let's get into them network by network....
______________________

NBC: I still just can't get past the amount of people on the show and all of the switch overs and moving around of the analysts gets distracting about ten minutes through. While I thought Dan Patrick was good in his first showing, I personally think Keith Olbermann despises his role on the show. He seriously makes me want to change the channel and I think he's so polarizing that other people probably feel the same way. Bob Raismann of the Daily News even went so far as to call Olbermann an "agenda-driven punk" and that he should have "better things to do".

Now I don't necessarily agree with the term agenda-driven punk, but I can understand Bob's frustration. As far as the rest of the program goes, I really think that Peter King should be getting all of Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis' airtime. Sure he plays to his favorites, but he has more relevant information than Barber or Bettis could ever come up with combined. I feel bad for Cris Collinsworth when he tries to start up a discussion with those two.

The show should really just be Costas, Collinsworth and Dan Patrick with Peter King providing reports, but every network seems to think they need an ex-player to provide nothing these days.

CBS: The only difference between CBS and NBC is that with the peacock I get mad an say I'm going to change the channel, and with CBS I actually do. I just don't get a sense that any of the participants, outside of JB, are that into their roles.

Also, if you saw the halftime show you probably lost your mind just like I did. I tuned in to catch any information on Brady's injury and they spent the whole time airing a glorified commercial for the new CBS building that Robert Kraft built outside of Gillette Stadium. I understand that there needs to be time fillers occasionally, but they really should have scratched it and talked about one of the most important injuries in the history of the league. Maybe CBS wanted to ignore it in hopes that people will still watch Patriots games this season on the network, and not hurt them in the ratings game (thank god for Brett Favre right?).

FOX: I really thought Michael Strahan was going to wow me during his first show, but he too came off as lackluster. I can't stand the whole Terry Bradshaw "dumb redneck" schtick they put us through every Sunday and with Strahan now on-set, it's only going to get worse. It really takes away from the genius of perhaps the best analysts the Sport has (minus Jimmy Johnson). Although I did chuckle when Howie Long said, "he brings our Championship total to eight and our divorce total to six," about Strahan.

Menefee is getting better though and it's still my go to pregame show in the morning. Well, until Frank Caliendo shows up and then I switch to ESPN. Speaking of which....

ESPN: I don't know what it is about this group of people, and I hate to say this in their presence (Hi Bristol!), but when Emmitt isn't on the show....Countdown is actually not bad. Sure it's a bit cheesy, and both Ditka and Key are a little bit over-the-top, but the analysis is there and they seem to be genuinely excited that early in the day for Football. If you can get past all the chuckling every 10 minutes, they actually have a lot of good points and gameday information. The show is especially good for you fantasy freaks out there because they update injuries and starter info just about every 15 minutes or so.

I'm not saying it's the best, but it somehow became tolerable in the offseason.
_______________________

All in all, I'm just not overwhelmed with any of the shows or the new hires. Outside of ESPN, the other three have regressed, and in one case even became almost completely unwatchable. I really hope for NBC's sake that they get rid of some of that ridiculously large cast of characters, but that doesn't seem likely to happen in the near future.

No place for partisan Keith Olbermann on NFL show (NY Daily News)

Just look at that picture above. Now I don't know about you, but that looks like both the coolest and cheesiest thing I've ever seen. ESPN has apparently been working with EA Sports for awhile now, and tabbed the video game in coming with a virtual playing field of sorts. And according to the NY Times you'll start to see analysts interacting with the Sports holograms in the coming days and months....

Boiled down, the complex technology, which will make its debut this Sunday on ESPN’s popular “NFL Countdown” program, involves using an Electronic Arts’ title — say Madden NFL 09 — with specialized digital camera equipment in the studio. Presto: Both real and virtual people move around the ESPN set to demonstrate plays and possible situations.

And the sports behemoth has more ambitious plans down the road. Instead of using the technology, called EA Sports Virtual Playbook, to tell viewers what to look for before games, ESPN wants to use it in reverse to play the ultimate Monday morning quarterback.

Using real information from a game, ESPN anchors could reprogram an actual sequence to show, for example, what would have happened had Peyton Manning thrown right instead of left.

In theory the idea is amazing, but when's the last time you saw a good 3-D anything? Every movie made comes out looking crappy and every person in them ends up looking like a glorified Weather Man. I hope it works out for them though, mainly just because I hate those pointless mini fields. They're finally putting those things to good use.

I'll try to have video of the technology up after it debuts this Sunday.

At ESPN, Play-by-Play Goes Virtual (NY Times)

(Thanks to IB for the tip)

Noooo! Pro Football Talk is reporting this morning that ESPN is officially dropping Emmitt Smith from the Sunday NFL Countdown team for the upcoming season. Smith will be replaced by Cris Carter on the show but will still be featured on that morning's edition of Sports Center....

It’s official. Emmitt Smith will not be part of ESPN’s two-hour pregame show, NFL Countdown, in 2008.

ESPN is expected to make the formal announcement soon.

Emmitt will be replaced by Cris Carter, whose enhanced visibility could help his chances of getting into the Hall of Fame on the second try. (Then again, if Carter does a bad job or comes off as a blowhard, it could hurt him.)

The Sunday NFL Countdown lineup will consist of Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Carter, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, and Chris Mortensen.

Monday nights from Bristol also will feature Berman, Ditka, Carter, Jackson, Johnson, and Mortensen. Stationed at the game sites will be Stuart Scott, Smith, and Steve Young.

Very sad news as about 80% of Emmitt's stellar comments came on the Sunday edition of Countdown. There is good news though....Emmitt still has a spot on Monday Night Countdown along with newcomer Trent Dilfer!

You can also tell that this is the first of many problems that ESPN will run into in regards to scheduling. They're either going to have to phase Emmitt out entirely or continually move people around to give everyone an opportunity on-air. That's what happens when you employ 8,000 different analysts.

Update: From the official release....

Former All Pro wide receiver Cris Carter has been named an analyst for Sunday NFL Countdown (11 a.m. ET) and Monday Night Countdown (7 p.m.), ESPN’s popular NFL pre-game studio shows. In addition, Emmitt Smith will move this fall from Sunday NFL Countdown to the new expanded Sunday morning editions of SportsCenter (8 a.m. and 10 a.m.) where he will offer insight and analysis during NFL segments. Smith will also continue to travel to the Monday Night Football game site each week for Monday Night Countdown.

Carter In, Emmitt Out On Sunday NFL Countdown (PFT)

(P.S.- I also saw Kordell Stewart on a program the other day....don't even think about it ESPN.)

According to Pro Football Talk, ESPN has brought on recently retired QB Trent Dilfer as an analyst for the upcoming season. This now makes a good 45 people or so involved with the NFL on the "Leader"*. Via Pro Football Talk....

Fresh from his NFL retirement, quarterback Trent Dilfer has landed a new gig in television.

ESPN has hired Dilfer as an NFL Studio Analyst. We’re advised that Dilfer, the former Bucs, Ravens, Seahawks, Browns, and 49ers quarterback, will have a significant role on Sundays and Mondays during the season, and that he’ll be involved in the Super Bowl and draft coverage.

He’ll make his first ESPN appearance on NFL Live on Monday at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

An industry source advises us that it’s a three-year contract between Dilfer and ESPN.

I don't even know where Trent Dilfer will even fit in unless the plan on leaving him on the mini field the entire time. Again, just throwing numbers at a problem isn't going to fix it. The Countdowns are beyond help, but I really think NFL Live could be a great show if they gave Trey Wingo a consistent cast of people to work with. In the past two weeks he's probably worked with over ten different people and that's not including the current players that were guest analysts.

Dilfer Joins ESPN (Pro Football Talk)

(*I have no data to back this up, but it could very well be the number)

I'll say it. I'm really starting to miss Emmitt. The guy provides so much for the Internet and this site in particular and it's just not the same without him. That's why I had to pass along this quote from DallasCowboys.com via PFT....

Emmitt also had an opinion on Adam Jones, saying, "If he's not getting arrested I'm OK" with him. But the one refrain we seem to be getting from veteran players, and echoed out here by Emmitt was this: Adam Jones can have all the great influences or guidance in the world around him, "You can be with the guy and in his ear 24 hours a day, but at the end of the day you can't be there the whole time."

Ah yes. It's like he never left us at all. I wish you were with us 24-hours a day Emmitt.

At Long Last Some Tangible Evidence (DallasCowboys.com)
More Wisdom From Emmitt (PFT)

Everyone was calling for Emmitt's head about Week 3 of this past season, but he grew on us. He was the lovable loser, and he was so bad for ESPN that he was good. I mean this site wouldn't be where it is today without him. Well there's a good rumor floating around the "Leader" that he may actually be back for another season.

Via PFT...

At a time when most folks who pay attention to the television coverage of the NFL believe that Emmitt Smith will be “blowed up” by ESPN, a media source tells us that the current plan in Bristol is to bring Emmitt back for 2008.

Said the source, “ESPN isn’t crazy about Emmitt but the network feels like if they let him go, they would have been bullied into doing so.”

The source cautions that the decision isn’t set in stone. “People change their minds there every other second,” the source said.

We need Emmitt back for another season ESPN....don't make me start a petition. Hey if anything he'll distract everyone away from how annoying Chris Berman is for another year.

Return of the Emmitt?

C.Mottram has gotten pretty good with the video editting skills as evidenced by his stalking photos set to "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, but I think this one beats that one by a landslide.

Chris Berman is not happy with Emmitt Smith.....

Those two are just too much fun aren't they? Can we get them on some College Basketball shows or something ESPN? Is that too much to ask?

Berman Finally Tells Off Emmitt ... Sorta (The Sporting Blog)

I watched the better part of the late edition of Sports Center, and between Sean Salisbury spitting on people (he nailed Emmitt at one point), and hearing the phrase "punch them in the face/mouth" about 100 times....I was done for the evening.

But not before pulling all of the Emmitt clips and turning them into one great video that describes this Giants upset better than anything out there. Enjoy!

I/We have a lot of fun with Emmitt, but like I've said before...I don't think he's all that bad. He starts along this path of making a perfect point and one word or phrase just trips him up. I know what he wants to say and I'm almost rooting for him to get it right.

He's just not live TV material at the moment and this collection of clips illustrates that pretty well. I'm not sure he'll be back or not, but let's hope he doesn't get "debacled" in the offseason and that we can "tilt our caps" to him again for years to come.

Thanks for a great NFL Season Emmitt!

(Firefox isn't playing videos for me for some reason. It works in IE if you want to watch.)

So we have a 3 Hour edition of Countdown and Emmitt to start our day off today and I couldn't think of a better way to start a Super Bowl Sunday. I'll be in and out of this place for the better part of the show and if you hear anything fishy be sure to leave it in the comments (I don't think TSH has ever made a more appropriate photo).

Oooh Tom Osborne gets some face time on the intro for this perfection thing. Don Shula seems particularly excited to be doing this.

Haha...Chris Berman just coughed something up on the intro that'll be up shortly.

"If they go 19-0, this team will be in an elite class by itself for this season and this season only."- Emmitt Smith

I think I know what you were trying to say there Emmitt, but you didn't say it quite right. We know they were elite of the NFL this season.

Someone needs to tell Berman that the Patriots lost two preseason games. He said they were undefeated in the presason, regular season and now playoffs. (Via Steve)

Great point Steve. I've heard multiple people say this over the past week. Also his tie is just amazing...I can't stop staring at it. Whoa is Arlen Specter's head really that big, or his body that small? That's scary.

Nice Emmitt! He got through a whole minute of commentary about Spygate without messing up. Great job. Ron Jaworski just said he was okay with the Patriots video tapping and that he was involved in sign stealing himself. Steve Young did not look happy. Here's the vid....

Go Rodrigo y Gabriela! Whoa....they are pretty badass.

Guitar players??? Bring on Bonerama!! (Via Mal)

Here's your Berman vid....too funny....



"If you're the Giants you have to prepare for a 100% Tom Brady"- Tom Jackson

Umm...okay. Great insight Tom. Whoa Mike Ditka is yelling at people now....and Keyshawn talks to little birdies. Why did they have to do that on the mini field?

"Here we go....don't be afraid to come over here now."- Chris Berman to the camera when it didn't immediately come to him when he was talking.

Uh oh....he's going to go ballistic during the break.

Wow....Belichick has one hell of a herp outbreak going on during this Navy sketch.

Bill Belichick's cold sore in HD = the Cloverfield Monster. (Via Mez)

If you're bored with ESPN you can head over to FOX for the Alec Baldwin hour. He's on the Packers for some reason now and I keep waiting for him to say, "You ask me if Brett Favre has a god complex. Let me tell you something....Brett Favre is God."

"Junior Seau to perhaps on Special Team get a Touchdown if the situation dictates itself."- Chris Berman

WTF is he talking about?!?! Like a fumble recovery for a score? I'm also pretty sure that Seau doesn't play on Special Teams.

Okay are you ready? Here's who they're throwing at you starting at 11am:

Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Emmitt Smith, Chris Mortensen, Don Shula, Mercury Morris, Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Steve Young, Sal Paolantonio and Ed Werder.

So that's a ton of peop....wait there's more? No way....Bill Walton, Jason Krause, Jeremy Schapp, Kenny Mayne, Greg Garber, Rachel Nichols, and last but certainly not least..... and Mike Krzyzewski (I kid you not). Whew. Okay now that we've got that covered what will they be covering? They decided to ignore my request for an "All Emmitt Hour" and went with the some of the features below (complete with schedule!).

-Opening Tease: The Last Step to Perfection? (11 a.m. ET) (Coach K, Bill Walton, and Don Shula)
-Takin’ It to the House with Jason Krause: Super Bowl Week (11:30 a.m.)
-Belichick & Navy Effect (12 p.m.) (Jeremey Schapp on the Pats Coach growing up with Navy Football)
-Mayne Event: Sopranos’ Revenge? (12 p.m.)
-Patriots Offensive Line Shares Bond with Beards (12:30 p.m.)
-A Lieutenant’s Message to the Giants (12:30 p.m.) (A real life Lieutenant speaks to the Giants)
-Don Shula and Mercury Morris of the 1972 Dolphins on Set (1 p.m.)
-Eli Manning & Family (1 p.m.)
-Tom Brady’s Rise to Superstar Quarterback (1:30 p.m.)

But wait.....THERE'S MORE! My two favorite highlights of the show are below....

1. "The Countdown crew will give their Super Bowl picks via special delivery from the Arizona Pony Express during the same weekend the city of Scottsdale commemorates the Express with a statue near ESPN’s set location in Arizona."

2. "Popular ATO Records artists Rodrigo y Gabriela, the fast-fingered, acoustic heavy metal duo from Mexico via Dublin, will highlight the Southwest flavor of this week’s special edition of Countdown through exclusive video segments which will air throughout the show."

This is going to be a tour-de-force of awfulness. I hope you can be there with me starting at 11am sharp folks! And who the hell are Rodrigo and Gabriela? Anyone???


Oh okay.

(Source: ESPN PR)

I must admit here to all of you that I find the Jimmy Kimmel Show hilarious. Well the JKS did us all a great service last night by putting together all of the best clips of Emmitt's first season on ESPN. They even have one that we all missed!

Pardon the quality, but until networks start letting us embed videos this is what you get.

That's right folks....The Patriots need to go to Arizona "sharp as a whistle"! God I love you Emmitt. Just amazing.

Here's the Tom Brady/Brady Bunch piece on Countdown if you missed it. Kind of humorous kind of cheesy.

S2N will be here for a live-blog and then an open thread will be up for the late game. Have a great day and enjoy the last "real" Football games of the year before we get the American Idolized SuperBowl in two weeks.

It's 4 hours or so until gametime so I'm going to kill some time by breaking down the 2-hour edition of Countdown. Why you ask? Well I ask you why not??? First up....Ray Lewis talking about weather and saying "the bottom line" a lot. Video in a few...

Not bad, but he had a little bit of Emmittitis in a few spots. I'm going to need some help with this second video. Is Berman making a joke or did he really just call Norv Turner....Norv Turnover?



Did anybody else think the whole Brady Bunch thing was incredibly cheesy? (Via Nos)

Yes....yes I did, but I didn't think it was as bad as the Brett Favre running naked thing. I also laughed at the Brady one at least twice.

Emmittisms of the day and other quotes:

"9 straight road wins make them the best road team since Hannibal."- Chris Berman

"If the Giants win today they possibly go onto the SuperBowl."- Emmitt Smith

Man I was with you Emmitt. You were actually making a great point there for a second....