Craig James is scheduled to call the Alamo Bowl on Saturday, but this time he'll be a part of the storyline. Craig James' son Adam plays for Texas Tech (who's playing in the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State), and recently suffered a concussion. Adam wanted to sit out a practice or two, but apparently Tech Coach Mike Leach did not taken kindly to that idea. He (allegedly) ordered a trainer to put Adam in an electrical closet, to which (surprisingly) Papa James did not take kindly to....

Sources told ESPN's Joe Schad that the Jameses felt Adam was treated inappropriately by Leach because he was unable to practice after a mild concussion. A source close to the James family told Schad that Leach directed a trainer to confine him to an equipment room for three hours and, days later, told a trainer to place James in an electrical closet. An attorney for Leach said that while James was secluded twice, the circumstances were not as portrayed by the James family.

"Mr. and Mrs. James took the step with great regret and after consideration and prayer to convey to the Texas Tech administration that their son had been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health," the family said in a statement released on Monday.

Well then. Texas Tech has now suspended Leach for the Alamo Bowl and he could be facing even further action following an investigation. ESPN certainly protects their own, so I'd be worried if I were him.

Leach suspended after player complaint (ESPN)

I thought that Deion's whole thing was mentoring players coming into the league, heck he even had a television show about it. Well, it appears that going to Deion Sanders house now, and more specifically lying about it, can cost you your eligibility. Namely Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant's eligibility....

Bryant was ruled ineligible for violating N.C.A.A. bylaw 10.1 (d), which prohibits “knowingly furnishing the N.C.A.A. or the individual’s institution false or misleading information concerning the individual’s involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an N.C.A.A. regulation.”

Sanders said the suspension stemmed from a day he and Bryant spent together last summer. They met at an athletics center in Frisco, Tex., and later had dinner at Sanders’s home in Prosper, Tex. Sanders said the N.C.A.A. asked Bryant if he had ever been in Sanders’s home and Bryant said no.

Bryant could not be reached for comment through the university, but he said in its statement: “I made a mistake by not being entirely truthful when meeting with the N.C.A.A. I sincerely regret my mistake and apologize to my teammates, coaches, O.S.U. fans and the N.C.A.A.”

Well, that's a bit lame but I guess rules are rules. While I know Dez is probably upset, this could be a blessing in disguise for him. He's been battling some aches and bruises this season, and a mistake like this won't really cost him any spots in the Draft. Now he has time to heal, work out on his own, and get ready for the combine.

Oklahoma State Declares Star Receiver Bryant Ineligible (NY Times)

Another day, another Sports personality in trouble over on-air comments. Alan Pardew was calling the Chelsea and Man City, and while describing a rough tackle by Chelsea’s Michael Essien, he decided to say that he "raped" Manchester City’s Ched Evans. Here is the video, complete with sketchy English fanboy commentary! Via SS Reporters....

Seems like an honest slip of the tongue, but according to the BBC website over thirty people called into complain, and Pardew has issued an apology....

Pardew used the word rape to describe a tackle while discussing a game between Manchester City and Chelsea.

The former Charlton manager said in a statement released by the BBC that he "apologises unconditionally for any offence caused" in Sunday's programme.

The BBC said it had not taken a decision on whether the pundit would be invited back to work on the show.

I truly think that whoever ends up saying the word, is actually trying to say "raked", but for some reason their thought process takes them right to rape. Maybe people should stop saying it all together because the word raked is almost always going to sound like raped to the listener's ear.

BBC Pundit in Trouble For “Rape” Remark (SS Reporters)
BBC pundit sorry for rape comment (BBC)

In his first sitdown with Sports Media since his New Year's arrest, Charles Barkley chose Dan Le Batard as his destination. Among the topics were the details surrounding the arrest, his endorsements and his drinking issues. From 790 The Ticket via SbB....

The crazy part of the whole interview isn't really those comments, but rather the fact that the talk was over 50 minutes long! That was just the first three minutes. Other than that, I can't really tell a grown man what to do with his life, so I just hope Charles can come to happy medium with his drinking and gambling. It's not an easy thing, but his job and well-being depends on it.

FYI- Barkley will be conducting another interview with Ernie Johnson before the start of Inside the NBA tonight.

The Dan Le Batard Show (790 The Ticket)
Barkley’s 1st Post-DUI Interview: “I Like To Drink” (Sports by Brooks)

A week ago, I passed along the info that TNT was bringing back Barkley, following his leave of absence, after the All-Star break. Well we have an official date now, and that will be this Thursday. Barkley will be back in studio with Ernie and Kenny, before the network airs their usual pair of games that night. Via TNT....

The TNT lineup includes the Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai. Inside the NBA will feature Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and the return of Hall of Famer Charles Barkley (analyst). Barkley has been on a leave of absence from the show to deal with legal and personal issues following an incident on Dec. 31 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“From the beginning, Charles recognized that he used poor judgment. He took full responsibility and apologized for his actions,” said David Levy, President of Turner Sports. “We look forward to having him back in the studio, where Charles will once again share his opinions, insights and humor with colleagues Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith. Collectively, they entertain a huge group of loyal fans that tunes into the NBA on TNT each week.”

While there's no word on if he'll do another sitdown with Ernie Johnson like the one following his gambling issue, it's good to hear that Chuck will be heading back to work. TNT showed how great of an organization they are, in the way they handled this, and hopefully it will be the last time Barkley has to take a leave of absence.

(HT: First Cuts)

Sorry for the delay in posting today. I'm a bit under the weather and it's going to be slow going today. Anyway, I found this press release from ESPN very interesting, especially on the heels of Scott Van Pelt's recent suspension. Apparently ESPN has apparently agreed to hook up with Major League Baseball to promote MLB.TV. Via ESPN...

MLB.com and ESPN Digital Media announced today that they are teaming to bring fans an all-access premium content pass to baseball that includes MLB.TV Premium’s unmatched live baseball streaming schedule and ESPN Insider’s distinctive, award-winning content. Beginning February 17, fans can purchase both of the leading premium content services together for a single, discounted price.

For an annual membership fee of $129.95, fans receive:

* MLB.TV Premium: Unlimited access to live and on-demand streams of every regular season game, 100 select Spring Training games and the first two rounds of the World Baseball Classic from MLB.com in 2009 (blackout and other restrictions apply). Among the features coming to MLB.TV Premium in 2009 are: proprietary speed detection allowing a hi-definition quality picture on any screen; live game DVR functionality; live game picture-in-picture capabilities; multi-game viewing options; home and away feeds for every available game; live game radio option; and real-time player tracker alerts for live at-bat look-ins.

* ESPN Insider: Among the most successful premium content services online, ESPN Insider delivers the best in predictive analytical content including exclusive professional level scouting information and the best in draft coverage from ESPN Scouts Inc., Buster Olney’s award-winning blog, and the latest buzz on athletes and teams in Rumor Central. In addition, Insider features exclusive video (including on-demand episodes of Baseball Tonight, Pardon The Interruption, Around the Horn and more), access to ESPN The Magazine through a regularly-updated digital edition, Insider-only chats with athletes and celebrities, special access to ESPN Radio and first-look offerings from ESPN.

ESPN was probably not very thrilled when an employee bashed the commish of Major League Baseball, on the eve of this announcement. I still think a suspension was too much, but we can sort of understand the reasoning behind it.

Here's the audio in case you missed it....

About a year ago, the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman was briefly suspended for her "lynching" comments in regards to Tiger Woods, and today another analyst on the network has been suspended. Former PGAer Andrew Magee, who is an on-course reporter, has been "disciplined" for a comment made to analyst Gary McCord, about a funny t-shirt that he saw a fan wearing. Via CBS Sports....

Magee, serving as a roving reporter during the second-round broadcast, told the network he believed he was off the air when he mentioned to fellow analyst Gary McCord that he had just seen a fan wearing a T-shirt that read, "I got kicked out of the Boy Scouts for eating a brownie."

McCord, who works primarily for CBS Sports, didn't react verbally and there were several moments of dead air following the comment.

Golf Channel spokesman Dan Higgins said the network received several e-mail complaints from viewers about the remark. The Golf Channel's online message boards have been filled with fan feedback on the matter.

"He was disciplined for that," Higgins said, from Orlando. "It was a mistake. He's fairly new in the role of on-course reporter, which is no excuse, but he has been disciplined, yes.

"It was inappropriate."

I'm confused. Were there really that many people out there who were actually offended enough to contact the network? And on top of that, how many people do you think even get the joke? I admit that I myself had to think about it for a few seconds before it registered. While I have yet to hear how the presence of the t-shirt was exactly relayed over the airwaves, it seems like this is a non-issue. I think the Golf Channel's stance of the comment being "inappropriate", is the right one, and in no way should Magee be suspended.

Update: It appears that Magee has actually been suspended and will be off the air for one week starting today.

Golf Channel reprimands loose-lipped Magee (CBS Sports)

It's been a week since Charles Barkley's DUI arrest, and with his current role at TNT under question, the controversial analyst has decided to take a leave of absence from the network. Via USA Today....

Charles Barkley, the popular Hall of Fame basketball star and Emmy Award-winning NBA television pundit with aspirations for political office, might find his career plans in jeopardy after TNT Network said he would take a leave of absence after a charge for drunken driving.

Police in Arizona said Friday that Barkley, 45, had a blood-alcohol level of .149 after his arrest in Scottsdale on New Year's Eve. A level of .150 is a case of "extreme" inebriation, said police Lt. Eric Shuhandler. The state's legal limit is .08.

"I have spoken with Charles Barkley regarding the incident. .. and I understand he has hired a lawyer to represent him regarding this matter," said David Levy, president of TNT Sports, in a statement. "When I spoke with Charles, he was apologetic for the events that transpired and it was obvious he understands the significance of the situation. This is an important time for Charles as he deals with the legal and personal issues that confront him. Charles is a valued part of the Turner Sports organization and we are concerned for his well-being."

All things considered, this is probably the best move for all parties involved. It's obviously a tough decision for TNT whether to fire Barkley or not, but there are honestly only so many negative PR hits that you can take. Even if those hits come from a media darling like Charles, at some point they're going to add up. As I've said before, it's a shame that he can't get his life in order, because he could be a very positive voice for the Country. An incident like this just knocks your credibility back down to zero, and unfortunately for him....he really is a role model.

Update: TMZ has the audio of the arrest now. In case you want to listen to 9 minutes of sobriety testing...click below....



Charles Barkley to take leave of absence from TNT after arrest (USA Today)