So what does $25K buy you in NASCAR? About a million new fans perhaps???

Welcome to NASCAR, ESPN! War Tony Stewart!!! (I have no idea what that means btw)

Tony Stewart Fined $25,000 for ‘Bulls**t’ (Mister Irrelevant)

I don't care if he averages 106 yards, a 50.3 QB Rating, and 0.12 TDs per game. I'm picking anyone who can pull this off. Plus is a league with Fantasy Team Name's like "Brian’s Dong" really going to care who I pick? They will??? F**k.

These commercials are awesome by the way. Lebron's 90-footer has nothing on this.

Done and done, Jason Campbell. (Hogs Haven)
Jason Campbell’s NFL.com TV Spot (Mister Irrelevant)

I guess in all seriousness it's hard to keep track of what all your employees are doing. I mean I've maintained a 6 post a day blog all while continuing a 50-hour a week full-time job. Well the NFL Network is claiming that they had no idea that Deion Sanders even wrote a blog (editorial is such a fancy word) until his Vick story became National News....

Palansky (NFL-N Spokesman) said the NFL Network was not aware that Sanders was writing a newspaper column until one appeared July 22 under the headline, “Don’t be too quick to judge.” In that column, Sanders urged perspective regarding Vick.

Requests for comment from Sanders, made through both the NFL Network and the News-Press, were not successful.

“We won’t make him available,” Palansky said.

The weirdest part of the article is an apparent ultimatum from The NFL-N that reads, "Palansky refused to provide wording from Sanders’s contract that forbid him from writing his opinion on football in newspapers, but he said Sanders could continue to write about other subjects as long as his columns are approved in advance by the NFL Network."

I understand the need to police your employees, but really what's wrong with an article that asks for Vick to get his day in court? Sure it looks bad for him, but we're all so quick to judge these days (see: Duke Lax).

The big loser in all of this is obviously the News-Press who will not get nearly the same hits from the Vick article as their Reader Photo Submissions of their pets.

Sanders’s Opinion Is Limited by N.F.L. (NY Times)

(Usually) Everyday (usually around noon) I'll throw out a photo from the AP or one of the bigger sites and you provide the caption. Hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful (or two) of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Friday's Winners.....









"Coughlin (upon seeing the picture): Maybe now Eli and Jeremy can get that team chemistry b**s*** going. And hey, how bad can sucking be if Eli picked up pointers from Tara Reid?"- Brady's Love Child

"I didn't know Shockey and Eli double-dated."- Ed.

"I may not be able to catch footballs, but I sure can catch crabs."- G-Money

"Tara Reid has her boob out again!"- Anon (Now that's funny.)
____________________________

Are you funny enough to create a headline of Adrian Beltre workin' it out?


Daily Links:

Sorry for the lack of "Caption" yesterday, this redesign has taken up all of my time. You may notice some Friends of AA are starting to appear on the right-hand side. Basically all the links were erased in the move and I'm having to go back in and enter them in one by one. If by Friday your link isn't there, hit that pretty little Contact button at the top of the page and let me know. Thanks for your patience.

Also, there are going to be a lot links today because I missed a few days, so be sure to click on them all. Enjoy.

One of the Weirdest Videos I've Ever Seen (The Benchwarmer)
A Written Account of What's Wrong With Cooperstown (I'm Writing Sports)
The Broncos O-Line Days Of Nixing The Media Are Over (Signal To Noise)
Iraq Wins the Asia Cup (SS Reporters)
I Love Me Some Caricature Shirts. Had A Will Clark-Kevin Mitchell One Growing Up. (The Sports Hernia)
SMU is of their Double Secret Probation (Hawg Sports)
A Few Ideas For ESPN (Sons of Sam Malone)
Do Athletes With Disabilities Have an Advantage? (Huff Post)
Let's Go Bear! Let's Go Bear! (Digital Headbutt)
Bud Selig's B-Day! (The Money Shot)
Sadler Suspended for Steroids....Is there a bigger problem with the Red Sox? (Red Sox Monster)
A Vote For No Playoff System in College Football (We Suck At Sports)

Finally, The Onion has launched The Onion News Network which is just down right hilarious. The first video I've come across is a NASCAR "Coach" explaining strategy. "Pushing the pedal down all the way is very important."

NASCAR Coach Reveals Winning Strategy: 'Drive Fast' (The Onion)

It really blows my mind how Sports Reporters come up with some of the things they say. Some people really must have a disconnect in their brain that just allow them to blurt out whatever they're thinking at the time.

Case in point, one KDKA-CBS and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Paul Zeise. Zeise is a contributor to a weekly television show called "Sports Showdown", and when the subject of Mike Vick came up he had this to say....

“It's really a sad day in this country when somehow ... Michael Vick would have been better off raping a woman if you look at the outcry of what happened. Had he done that, he probably would have been suspended for four games and he'd be back on the field. But because this has become a political issue, all of a sudden the commissioner has lost his stomach for it.”

Umm what!?!? First of all...when do you ever joke about rape? Second...Would that really even be the case? Wouldn't he get locked up right away and for probably a longer period of time??? Just an aside here....if you're a guy....just never compare ANYTHING to rape. In fact let's all stop trying to compare Dog Fighting to Murder, Battery, Rape, Armed Robbery, etc. All of those are heinous and deserved to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

KDKA has told Zeise and the Post-Gazette that he won't be invited back. Good for them.....let's keep asses like this off the airwaves please.

Apologies issued for PG reporter's remarks (Post-Gazette)

Tony Stewart won the Brickyard 400 this past Sunday and did so in front of the first ESPN audience in quite awhile. Never one to back away from a fight, Stewart took the network, and his new critics, head on...

And when Stewart's feeling swell, no one is safe — even a new broadcast partner. On the day Cup returned to ESPN for the first time since 2000, Stewart called out the network for criticizing him after he said he planned to celebrate Chicagoland with a case of Schlitz.

"I don't want anybody from ESPN talking about how irresponsible I am," he said. "Heaven forbid you actually have fun in life."

I guess that would be a dig at anyone who critiques a Sport. And while it is a valid point....it's just the way things are. It comes with the territory of being involved in a Sport or even being in the spotlight at all. ESPN is the leader of critiquing, and while Tony may not like it....he's going to have to learn to live with it. Pretty much how ESPN is going to have to live with blogs.

P.S.- I still think it's hilarious that Tony is the only racer who won't go on Jim Rome's show. If anyone has more info on this let me know.....I'd like to hear the story.

Temperatures, Stewart on patented midsummer rise (USA Today)

Only in Baseball could something this odd happen. Kansas City reporter Karen Kornacki was in the locker room talking with Tony Pena Jr when she was shot in the eye with a pellet gun by Royals' Outfielder Emil Brown.

Emil Brown shoots reporter in eye (RTC Talk)
Emil Brown shoots reporter in the eye with a pellet gun (Royals Review)
Somebody Take Away Emil Brown’s Red Ryder BB Gun (The Big Lead)

The NHL is in discussion with ESPN to bring Hockey back to the network for the 2008-2009 season. The league apparently approached the Leader to take over for NBC's 9 game schedule. There is one major setback though....Versus.

Versus holds cable exclusivity to all of the NHL’s games through 2011 and is paying the league a rights fee "in excess of $70[M] annually.” Sources indicated that the net would be “willing to waive that clause, but only if it gets something in return -- either a lower rights fee, a stronger schedule or a deal extension.”

Here's to Hockey being back on SportsCenter!


NHL In Talks With ESPN About Bringing Game Back To ESPN2 (Sports Business Daily)

What does a network get for $10 million dollars these days you ask? Well NBC gets a handful of players and announcers for commercials, a fancy website with videos, and the tagline "Sunday Night Is Football Night". Via Sports Business Daily....

NBC today will launch the second phase of its $10M “Sunday night is football night” campaign around the net’s “Sunday Night Football” with a series a spots featuring NFLers and NBC announcers using the phrase. One ten-second spot includes Saints RB Reggie Bush, Colts QB Peyton Manning and Giants DE Michael Strahan. The tagline will be in all marketing materials for the campaign, including today’s launch of www.sundaynightisfootballnight.com

Do we one favor....head over to the site and click on "Best Team in Football" which is the announcers section. Here you have the whitest collection of people on the planet and the site kicks into this rap about "Sunday Primetime". Whoo....Sunday Primetime cause it's time shine! Yes NBC, Peter King's gonna shine by getting his girl through a good college! WHAT?!?! Unh.

I kid, but the website is pretty kick ass. Head over there and click around...."Time to Shine!".

Sunday Night Is Football Night (NBC)

Obviously there are a few things different at AA today. I'll go through the laundry list of changes for you.....

1) Yes, I can't figure out how to get the logo to sit next to those pretty little buttons at the top of the page. It might be blank for a little while.
2) Your link is not gone for good in the Friends of AA section. It's just temporarily missing. I will fix that as soon as I fix the page header problem.
3) Yes, that's an ad you see sitting on the right. You'll be seeing a lot more of them as well. I know I'm going against everything I said, but you reach a point when someone offers you cash that you start to change your mind. Don't hate me.
4) How does all this change the site.....well, it doesn't.
5) If you have complaints, kudos, ideas, or just downright disdain for the direction I'm going please let me know in the comments.

XOXO,
AA

It looks like Deion's comments on Mike Vick's Dogfighting charges have got him in some hot water with the NFL Network. Their first plan of action was to pull Deion from his duties as columnist for the The News-Press in Southwest Florida....

Understandably, the NFL did not like that one of the faces of its network was being portrayed as a Vick apologist. Deion sent a column responding to the criticism to The News-Press and the NFL Network on Friday morning.

That night, I received an e-mail from Thomas George, the NFL Network managing editor, which read: “This column and subsequent variations of it (are) not approved by NFL Network. It cannot run.”

The column posted is in Sanders' online space but was written by Sports Editor Ed Reed. Reed ends the column with a quote from Deion in which he describes the NFL as a "fraternity" in which you pray for someone rather than "throw stones".

I wasn't even aware that Deion wrote a column, but this decision makes good PR sense for the NFL-N. Sanders is scheduled to continue his column but not until after this uproar dies down.

NFL Network puts hold on Deion column (The News-Press)

Two great players enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY today. Tony Gwynn, who seemed to always put the ball in play when he was up to bat, and Cal Ripken, who was always there, every day, period.

After the jump, we'll read the reaction to this auspicious event through the words of newspaper columnists from San Diego, Baltimore, and Cooperstown itself.

In addition, we'll fit in some coverage of the other big event today: Arena Bowl, baby!!!!

The Cooperstown Crier gives us the welcome news that local residents aren't jaded by living in the shadow of the sport's ultimate destination. Some Cooperstown residents are going gaga because their favorite players are going in the Hall today. This, from Gwynn superfan Frank Vito:

This weekend, Vito hopes to get a chance to talk with Gwynn when he serves as a driver for the Hall of Fame. "I'm hoping maybe I get to pick him up at the airport in Albany, and have a chance to talk to him the whole way back," Vito said. "That would really be a dream come true."

And the HOF librarian is a former Baltimore resident:

"It kind of comes under the responsibilities of the job, which is kind of neat," Gates said. "I had fun speaking with Ripken about the longest game when he was with Rochester." Baseball's famous "Longest Game" between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox lasted a record 33 innings and took more than eight hours to complete. The game began on April 18, 1981, and the teams played until after 4 a.m. before the game was suspended and resumed on June 23 with Pawtucket winning, 3-2.

Ripken was 2-13 in the game, and, of course, played in all 33 innings.

Said Gates: "It's kind of fitting that the Iron man played in the longest game in baseball history."

Our very own weekend editor One More Dying Quail once worked at the HOF, so I'll bet he enjoys this weekend on a personal level as well.

Let's check the reaction in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gwynn played 20 ultra-productive seasons as a Padre. He now coaches the San Diego State baseball team, and his son now plays for the Brewers. He still can't believe this is happening to him:

“We were talking at breakfast this morning,” Gwynn said. “Here's Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, Carlton Fisk. For me, still, it's like 'Wow. Look at these guys here.' . . .

“We're in awe. We're still in awe. The fact that you're going to be inducted doesn't change that all that much.”

From the Baltimore Sun, Maryland's native son and most famous Oriole also goes into the hall today. Cal Ripken, The Iron Man, says he's awed by his induction, but it's still second on his list of career moments.

Ripken said the Hall induction falls behind the Orioles' 1983 championship in his list of career highlights. He spent his career putting the team first and said he has enjoyed stepping back and appreciating what he achieved.

"It endorses who you are as a player and what your contributions were," he said of entering the Hall. "And it doesn't take into consideration the team. Being elected to the Hall of Fame is about your career pretty much and your impact on the game."

It may rain in upstate NY today, pushing the ceremony back until Monday, but that won't dampen these guys' spirits any.

####################################################################

And in even bigger news, today is Arena Bowl number something-or-other, and the San Jose Sabercats take on the Columbus Destroyers. For some people, this is life or death sports action. Here's a great primer on the sport from the Columbus Dispatch:

The team now has its own fight song, though.

Destroyers Battle Cry, written by Christian rappers Domonice Thompson and Clay Armstrong, made its debut this week.

The Columbus artists, who perform onstage as CeriOus, said they wrote the song about all of life's battles.

"It also translates into football," Thompson said.

And the San Jose Mercury News is watching for signs of a letdown in a team that unexpectedly lost in the American Conference championship game last year. They think this year's version has a not-so-secret weapon:

The Destroyers have gotten superb play from quarterback Matt Nagy, who is no stranger to the playoffs. Two years ago, he was the losing quarterback when Colorado beat Georgia in the ArenaBowl.

In a league in which defensive stops can be more unusual than a cool summer day in New Orleans, Nagy will probably have to play extremely well to keep pace today. SaberCats quarterback Mark Grieb has thrown 15 touchdowns and just one interception through two playoff games.

And if the MSM coverage of the event doesn't float your boat, I highly recommend that you check out It's Still Football. They've been blogging the Arena League all season long in hilarious fashion, and somehow wrangled press credentials for the big enchilada. They're taking reader suggestions for features and interviews, so hop over there and check them out.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

--Extra P.

(posted by OMDQ)

Courtesy of The 26th Man comes a great interactive feature that gives us all some insight into just how lucrative this whole blogging thing can be. You know, in a perfect world.

Just for fun, I ran the addresses of the six Channel Four News Team members to see what we're worth as a group. The results are after the jump.

Awful Announcing

One More Dying Quail


Signal to Noise


Run Up The Score!


Just Call Me Juice

The Extrapolater

This one takes awhile to develop but it's definitely worth it. Listen at the very end when you can hear a producer yell NO! as our friend Merry says she works for NBC right before the ABC logo pops up....

"True, True, True!"

FYI- I'm moving the Friday You Create The Caption to the end of the day, so it's on the top of the page for Friday night and Saturday Morning.

Which leads right into the next question....Why is it up right now? Well I'm heading out a little early today to pregame for The DC Sports Blogging Happy Hour IV (at least I think it's IV). I hope to see all of you there, and if I don't...enjoy your weekend.

Yesterday's Winners.....











"Mmm, Rolling Rock. Coach said I could have some beer if I work hard."- Hollywood Wags

"Coach says we've got to practice like champions. I say I've also gotta drink like a champion again -- damn, that's good vodka."- Signal to Noise

"Charlie Batch: "You think we should tell him that he's stepping on the hose?"

Trainer: "No, Ben has to figure this out for himself. If we help him too much, his brain will never recover from the trauma. Chrysler windshields hurt, you know.""

- The Legend of Vince Tremblay

"Big Ben got all the way to training camp before he realized he left the hospital without removing his feeding tube after his latest injury."- The Great Bambi

Ouch.
____________________________

Are you funny enough to create a headline for this photo of Jeremy Shockey hanging with Tara Reid and a transvestite?

Daily Links:

What's the Price of Success? (We Suck at Sports)
A Neat, New Fantasy Search Engine (Melgea)
Your Super Duper 6 (The Benchwarmer)
What IS on Joey Harrington's IPOD? (The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)
Mike Vick Rapping? (The Angry T)
Some Interesting Jason Grimsley News (Lion In Oil)
A Nice Big 10 Preview. Go Blue! (Rumors and Rants)
Matt Leinart has a Movie Career Now? (AZ Sports Hub)
Wait, midget power-lifters??? (Blog of Hilarity)
Paps Is Not A Milano Fan, also insane. (Red Sox Monster)
JCMJ Interviews CNBC's Darren Rovell (Just Call Me Juice)

Finally, the post of the week goes to Larry Brown Sports for this piece on hypocritical Sports Bloggers. I'm with him on this one....if you're doing a National story just go ahead and link the local paper. It'll give an added angle for your post and good blog posts won't get buried on sites like Ballhype.

Sports Blogger Can Be Hypocritical and Lazy (Larry Brown Sports)

Also, this just in.....Here we go....Reebok Stops Sale of Vick's Jersey and refunds retailers. (Sports Biz)

Back when ESPN first hired their new online Editor-in-Chief I got an email from J at Vegas Watch with the subject "Tough start for New ESPN Editor". I opened the email and J mentioned that a title on the main page linking to a Pat Forde article on Tiger Woods read....."To Tough to Tame."

I was a bit late in reading the email, and by the time I got to the page the title had been changed entirely. Well that bring us to today, or yesterday for that matter. From Larry Brown Sports via Between The Lines....

So what's the problem you ask? Well, the deceased person's name is Skip Prosser. Now I'm not one to pick on mistakes because let's face it...I'm not perfect myself. But this is a tad ridiculous, and it seems to be happening more and more lately.

Hardly A Eulogy for Skip Prosser (Larry Brown Sports)
ESPN Misspells the Dead (Between the Lines)

Just passing this along because it's funny as hell. Saw this item on PFT this morning so I went searching for the audio.

Billick was discussing how hard to work teams during Spring Training Training Camp and he was recalling a story about Bill Walsh working with a Physiologist in the 80s. (5:30 mark)

Audio (WNST.net)

"And the physiologist came back and had an interesting uh view that the team was the most depleted, most physically beat up, most vulnerable prior to its first game because during training camp you just go out and beat the s*** out of them."- BB

Hilarious....he didn't he pause at all. Just a normal part of his vernacular.....nothing to hear here.

Screw Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn going into the Hall. Forget Barry Bonds' 755th. No friends it's time for the event of the year. It's Arena Bowl Sunday...number twenty one!!!

(Side Note: How crazy is it that there have been 21 of these things?)

Coverage begins at 3pm on ABC this Sunday, and Mike and Mike are your host for this momentus occasion. But of course.....that's never enough. What else are you getting you ask?

• -Chats with players/coaches during ArenaBowl week;
• -Merril Hoge will host a live in-game chat, analyzing the game and answering online questions;
• -Scouts Inc. Insider breakdowns highlighting key individual match-ups;
• -Page 2 columnist Mary Buckheit will contribute video clips from Media Day, as well as an all-access look on game day;
• -Senior writer Elizabeth Merrill feature on how ArenaBowl XXI is helping New Orleans reemerge as a marquee sports event city since Katrina;
• -Daily stories from William Bendetson in New Orleans, including an in-depth look at how far the Arena Football League has come in its 21 years;
• -Q&As with Arena Football celebrity owners

That's awesome right! Right. But that's just the week of (so ultimately this has already happened even though I've seen know of it). What happens gameday is just plain amazing....

• -17 cameras covering the game, including:
  • -SkyCam -- overhead remote-controlled camera will provide unique aerial views;
  • -Roaming hand-held RF steadicam will provide crowd shots and specialty shots;
  • -Cameras inside locker-rooms during pre-game and halftime;
• -Players and coaches (three per team) wearing live microphones, offering in-game audio inside the huddle as plays are called and conversations with ESPN commentators;
• -Analysis from ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, who will host an ESPN.com chat throughout the game;
• -Possible booth visit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Joey Galloway, co-owner of the Columbus Destroyers.

Holy crap! A possible visit from Joey Galloway?!?!?!?!?! No f'ing way. And Merril Hoge stating that Columbus' QB Matt Nagy is the "most overrated QB in the Arena"? How can you NOT watch?!?!?

Don't Piss Off Bon Jovi (Deadspin)

(Source: ESPN)

I was listening to Vick Attorney Billy Martin give his client's statement yesterday, and there is no way in hell Michael Vick wrote that statement for him to read. Martin started the following statement by stating that this statement was "in his (Vick's) words".......

"I pleaded innocent to the allegations made against me. I take these charges seriously and look forward to clearing my name. I respectfully ask you all to hold your judgment until all the facts are shown. Above all, I'm sorry my mom has to go through this most trying time and the pain it has caused my family. I also want to apologize to my Falcon teammates for not being with them today at the beginning of spring training. There is nowhere in the world I'd rather be today than in camp with my team."

What's the one thing wrong with that statement? I'm sure a Football player would call Training Camp, Spring Training. Umm....Billy...It's almost August! This guy may be 1231 and 2 in trials, but I'd fire his ass if he didn't know the difference between the two.

Here's the video....



I love how he has to reaffirm that Vick's been playing his whole life. Doesn't seemed ad-libbed to me at all.

Doing what Sports Writers do the best, The San Franciso Chronicle got a response from Bonds before tonight's game on Costas' "All-Natural" comments...

Bonds offered a comeback before Thursday's game. Asked what he thought of Costas' all-natural claim, Bonds asked reporters: "How do you know?''

Oh Snap! What a comeback!!! Umm wait....I don't get it. I don't know if he was trying to be funny or if he was trying to make some sort of pseudo "innocent until proven guilty" statement. Either way I'm hoping for Bob Costas to provide a pee sample first thing tomorrow morning.

Knapp: Bonds vs. Costas, Rounds 3 and 4 (SF Gate)

(Thanks to F for the tip)

Via ESPN Radio and Forbes comes Bob Costas' response to Barry Bonds comments that AA posted earlier today....

"As anyone can plainly see, I'm 5-6 1/2 and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally," Costas said Thursday in a telephone interview.

"I've actually always had a pretty cordial relationship with Barry," Costas said. "I have no ill feelings toward him personally. I regard him as one of the greatest players of all time who got an inauthentic boost and then became a superhuman player. I wish him no ill whatsoever."

"He's under tremendous scrutiny and some pressure. It's no big deal," Costas said. "This is a consequence of doing your job, and I've never tried to do my job in any case with the intention of calling attention to myself. I think if people watch the program, they can judge for themselves."

This is great. Costas takes the high road in all of this, but I really hope this continues the rest of the summer. Hell....there's nothing else going on.

Great Great Great Find by Deadspin this afternoon that I had to comment on. Erin Andrews gave an interview to the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the places her and her friends like to hang out at. First question I have is....Why in the world would you ever publicize that? And B.....When does the next Greyhound leave for A-Town?

The Highlights....

- "My girlfriends and I can polish off a bowl each, and wash it down with their amazing margaritas." (The word polish just completely distracted me there. What was the rest of that?)

- "Everything from the queso and chips, lobster taco, and quesadillas are awesome. Plus the portions are small, so you don't feel guilty for trying everything." (Mmmmm...Lobster Taco)

- "BCBG's staff is not only entertaining, but they will put together 15 outfits for you in no time. I've closed the store down a few times." (WOMEN BE SHOPPIN! Shoppin, shoppin, shoppin!!!)

Also, what the heck is up with that photo that they posted to go with the story (above)? Very odd choice if you ask me, but I like the watermelon top with the sweats. Niiice. Someone needs to do one of these for me with DC......WaPo, I'm listening.

Gimme Five: Erin Andrews' hippest hangouts (ACJ)
Erin Andrews, Atlanta Tapas Lover (Deadspin)

I know how most of you feel about Sports Talk Radio, but let's shelf that argument for a minute (we all know you still listen). Well back in the 90s, Jim Rome was an egotistical, pompous...well, he was a dick. I hated him on ESPN and the radio, and I thought the Chris/Jim Everett thing was about the dumbest joke ever and that he got what he deserved.

For about 10 years I just never gave the guy another chance. Until recently. When the whole Eric Wynalda stuff came up I started to listen to his show again. And you know what....I f'ing love it. Sure the gimmicks are a little stale and the callers that get "racked" are kind of annoying, but the guy is the best interviewer I've heard in quite a long time.

It's amazing, but over the past three weeks no one has come even close to the level of guests he's had and the depth at which he's covered the recent controversies in Sport. His interview with former Mob Captain Michael Franzese yesterday was some of the best radio I've ever heard.

So I have just one question.....When the hell did this transformation take place?

When did Rome come up with the model that folks like Dan Patrick would covet? The guy is on 200 radio stations around the country....200! To put that in perspective, longtime radio hosts (20 years) Don & Mike have a total in the range of 30 to 40. The guy gets 2.5 million listeners a day.

If someone can answer that question for me I'd love to know the answer.

Phenomenal! Rack me. And feel free to hammer me in the comments.

(Usually) Everyday (usually around noon) I'll throw out a photo from the AP or one of the bigger sites and you provide the caption. Hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful (or two) of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners.....








"So, the devil will help me with my child support payments if I just keep making this sign?"- mcoale

"Lienart: My baby mama wants money.
Kid Rock: Just smile and flash the sign bro, I'll give you Shawn Kemp's lawyer."- Hermano

"Finally, Heisman and Hepatitis together at last!!!"- G-Money

"KID: Pams cookie was this big....MATT: Wow that beats Paris by a MILE"- JK

"Count with me....One! Two! Two Tools...ahahahah!"- Anon
____________________________

Are you funny enough to create a headline for this photo of Ben Roethlisberger getting ready to suck on something during the first day of Steelers' training camp?

Daily Links:

Are African Americans Really Better Athletes? (Pyle of List)
A McNown is Banned from the Playboy Mansion (Nyjer Please)
The Simpsons and Sports (The Feed)
Steve Phillips is not making any new fans. (The Money Shot)
That Rick Vaughn is such a Trend Setter. (The Sports Hernia)
I'm a Sucker for a White Rapper Post. (Red Sox Monster)

Finally, a longtime broadcaster succumbed to cancer yesterday. Bill Flemming was one of the broadcasters I grew up with and AA is sorry to see him go. No one will ever come close to covering the range of events he covered in the Olympics.

When you're a new analyst ESPN has to trot you out on as many programs as possible. Like for example, Sean Salisbury. How many different ESPN shows have you seen him on since he joined the network...15 or so? Well the Leader is now taking it to an even bigger level.

They're asking their analysts to cover different sports. First up in the queue....Mr. William Parcells.

Bill Parcells will be ringside for ESPN's Friday Night Fights broadcast with host Joe Tessitore and analyst Teddy Atlas. The release states that Parcells plans to discuss his three passions in life Boxing (that's good because it's a boxing telecast), Football (understandable), and Horse Racing (Huh?).

So if you want to hear about Football and Horse Racing during a fight....tune in this Friday!

In one of the most revealing interviews ever (sarcasm folks) Barry Bonds gives about 75 one sentence answers until the interviewer comes to the topic of the latest Costas Now piece on Bonds. From The Chicago Tribune Via Baseball Think Factory....

Speaking to a small group of reporters by his locker only about an hour before his club played the Braves, Bonds discounted the words of Patrick Arnold, a chemist who went to jail for distributing steroids to athletes in the case stemming from the 2003 raid of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), and the man who did the interview: HBO’s Bob Costas.
...
“I’ve never met that guy, I’ve never seen him in my life,” Bonds said about Arnold. “I’ve never met him in my life. I’ve never even heard of the guy—never.”

About Costas, Bonds said: “Is that the story Bob Costas talked about? A little midget man, who doesn’t know jack about baseball, who never played the game before? You can tell Bob Costas what I called him.”

There you Bonds....don't defend yourself at all and go right to the name calling. I'm sure no one has ever made fun of Costas being short.

Diggin' for gold, comin' up with Barry (Chicago Tribune)
MLB.com: Bonds shoots back at HBO piece (Baseball Think Factory)

P.S.- Look at how Collinsworth dwarfs him in that photo above. That just cracked me up.

I alluded to this last week, but ESPN finally unveiled their Fantasy Football Hall of Fame and it's pretty darn interesting. It seems like they took a ton of time coming up with this, and I've been flipping through the site the whole morning. It takes a while to load but it's worth it.

Here's some of the info....

Categories:

* Waiver Wire Wonder (WWW) - An undrafted player added through free agency who becomes a star.
* Touchdown Vulture (TV) - A running back who scores goal-line touchdowns, thereby depriving the primary running back of a touchdown.
* Stud (STUD) - The best of the best, an elite fantasy player.
* Out of Nowhere (OON) – Players who turn in a truly unexpected performance for their GMs.
* Unheralded Rookie (UR) - A rookie who enters the league with little fanfare and becomes an instant star.
* Handcuff Hero (HH) - A player drafted as the backup to a star, and excels after the star goes down.

The site is extremely detailed, and all of the inductees have their own plaques and are decked out in red sport coats similar to the yellow ones for the actual Hall. My favorite entry has to be TD Vulture Leroy Hoard who single-handily knocked me out of my leagues playoffs in 1998. The dude who had him somehow drafted him and stopped playing halfway through the season. Good times.

Be sure to flip through there today....it's worth a visit.

ESPN Brings To You The First Two Members Of The Fantasy Football Hall Of Fame (Awful Announcing)
ESPN Fantasy Football Hall of Fame (ESPN)

The Inductees:

Player	Induction Yr Team	Season	Position	Category	Current Team
Abdul-Jabbar, Karim	Miami Dolphins	1997	RB	WWW	N/A
Alexander, Shaun	Seattle Seahawks	2001	RB	HH	Seattle Seahawks
Alstott, Mike	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1997-01	RB	TV	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Anderson, Mike	Denver Broncos	2000	RB	WWW	Chicago Bears
Bennett, Drew	Tennessee Titans	2004	WR	WWW	St. Louis Rams
Bettis, Jerome	Pittsburgh Steelers	2004, 05	RB	TV	N/A
Betts, Ladell	Washington Redskins	2006	RB	WWW	Washington Redskins
Beuerlein, Steve	Carolina Panthers	1999	QB	OON	N/A
Boldin, Anquan	Arizona Cardinals	2003	WR	UR	Arizona Cardinals
Colston, Marques	New Orleans Saints	2006	WR	UR	New Orleans Saints
Culpepper, Daunte	Minnesota Vikings	2000, 04	QB	STUD	Miami Dolphins
Cunningham, Randall	Minnesota Vikings	1998	QB	WWW	N/A
Davis, Domanick	Houston Texans	2003	RB	UR	N/A
Davis, Terrell	Denver Broncos	1998	RB	STUD	N/A
Duckett, T.J.	Atlanta Falcons	2003-05	RB	TV	Detroit Lions
Faulk, Marshall	St. Louis Rams	2000, 01	RB	STUD	N/A
Gado, Samkon	Green Bay Packers	2005	RB	WWW	Houston Texans
Garcia, Jeff	San Francisco 49ers	2000	QB	OON	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gary, Olandis	Denver Broncos	1999	RB	WWW	N/A
Gates, Antonio	San Diego Chargers	2004	TE	OON	San Diego Chargers
Goings, Nick	Carolina Panthers	2004	RB	WWW	Carolina Panthers
Gould, Robbie	Chicago Bears	2006	K	WWW	Chicago Bears
Harrison, Marvin	Indianapolis Colts	2001, 02	WR	STUD	Indianapolis Colts
Hoard, Leroy	Minnesota Vikings	1998, 99	RB	TV	N/A
Holmes, Priest	Kansas City Chiefs	2002, 03	RB	STUD	Kansas City Chiefs
Jacobs, Brandon	New York Giants	2005, 06	RB	TV	New York Giants
Jeffers, Patrick	Carolina Panthers	1999	WR	WWW	N/A
Johnson, Larry	Kansas City Chiefs	2005	RB	HH	Kansas City Chiefs
Johnson, Rudi	Cincinnati Bengals	2003	RB	HH	Cincinnati Bengals
Jones-Drew, Maurice	Jacksonville Jaguars	2006	RB	UR	Jacksonville Jaguars
Mack, Stacey	Jacksonville Jaguars	2001, 02	RB	TV	Jacksonville Jaguars
Manning, Peyton	Indianapolis Colts	2004	QB	STUD	Indianapolis Colts
Mayes, Derrick	Seattle Seahawks	2000	WR	WWW	N/A
Moss, Randy	Minnesota Vikings	1998, 03	WR	STUD	New England Patriots
Muhammad, Muhsin	Carolina Panthers	2004	WR	OON	Chicago Bears
Owens, Terrell	San Francisco 49ers	2001	WR	STUD	Dallas Cowboys
Rackers, Neil	Arizona Cardinals	2005	K	WWW	Arizona Cardinals
Rhodes, Dominic	Indianapolis Colts	2001	RB	WWW	Oakland Raiders
Robinson, Marcus	Chicago Bears	1999	WR	WWW	Detroit Lions
Sanders, Barry	Detroit Lions	1997	RB	STUD	N/A
Smith, Lamar	Miami Dolphins	2000	RB	OON	N/A
Smith, Rod	Denver Broncos	1997	WR	WWW	Denver Broncos
Stewart, Kordell	Pittsburgh Steelers	1997	QB	OON	N/A
Stokley, Brandon	Indianapolis Colts	2004	WR	WWW	Denver Broncos
Tomlinson, LaDainian	San Diego Chargers	2006	RB	STUD	San Diego Chargers
Volek, Billy	Tennessee Titans	2004	QB	WWW	San Diego Chargers
Warner, Kurt	St. Louis Rams	1999	QB	WWW	Arizona Cardinals
Williams, Moe	Minnesota Vikings	2002	RB	TV	N/A

Other Highlights (via ESPN)........

• The Welcome Rotunda: entryway to FHOF, with navigation to the other halls.
• Inductees: searchable and sortable player “plaques,” with information on each player’s fantasy accomplishments. Fantasy GMs will be able to get involved via chats and polls.
• Expert Lounge: ESPN’s fantasy football experts - Matthew Berry, Eric Karabell, Nate Ravitz, Tristan Cockcroft, Scott Engel and more - will share their fantasy insight and interact with fans in the Expert Lounge. Players can access all of the expert tools ESPN offers from this area.
• Fantasy GM Wing of Honor: This hall is devoted to celebrating the fantasy owner. Players can interact with one another and discuss all things fantasy via message boards and chats. ESPN fantasy experts will honor the top GMs, and “enshrine” them based on their success in ESPN leagues.
• Fantasy History and Trivia: series of dynamic trivia questions related to fantasy football. (launches 8/16)
• Customizable, Interactive Video: (Launches 8/16)
• Pro Shop: Players can download this customizable widget to their desktop to keep all of their league’s Fantasy Football information at their fingertips. (Launches Sept)