I know I overuse the words seriously and apparently, but I can't stress that above seriously enough. Marshall Faulk honestly and truly (new words!) wants to be the Rams next head coach. Seriously....no joke. Via PFT....

In an excellent Monday Night Countdown segment in which ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reviewed the status of various embattled head coaches, Mort mentoned that former Rams running back Marshall Faulk wants to be the next head coach of the team.

Seriously. [Ed note: Sweet useage!]

Our take? The dude has been hanging around Deion Sanders too much.

As you might recall, Sanders tried a couple of years ago to throw his fedora into the ring for the Falcons job — with zero experience in coaching or personnel evaluation and/or management.

Faulk, like Deion, simply doesn’t have the credentials to be a head coach. He could be an assistant coach, and then he could gradually learn the side of the business he never saw while he was a player. And then after working his way up the ladder and gaining some experience he might be ready to become a candidate for a head-coaching job.

I missed the segment last night, and no other source has picked up on this besides PFT and Rotoworld, soooooo we might be looking at another Chris Mortensen "exaggeration" here. Obviously I agree with Florio's statement above, but really anyone could probably do better than what Linehan and Jim Haslett combined to do this year.

Plus, anything that can be done to make sure I never have to endure Deion Sanders and Faulk calling a game again is definitely a good thing.

What The Faulk? (Pro Football Talk)

Matt Vasgersian hasn't exactly made friends in St. Louis in recent years, which is why this comment he gave to the St. Louis Dispatch is so hilarious. The Dispatch talked to a few FOX announcing teams about what it's like to cover the Rams this season, and this was Vasgersian's response....

"We've had plenty of Lions and Chiefs and Raiders games, too, the last couple of years, so we know how to polish up a turd pretty good,'' he said. "We're not getting A and B games, and after the A and B games are assigned the networks all tell you'' that everything else is equal, "which we know is not quite accurate. But not everybody can do the Giants and the Cowboys and the Patriots every week.''

He said that when he sees the Rams on the assignment sheet, he is more concerned whether they are at home or on the road than being stuck with a lousy team. The Edward Jones Dome isn't his favorite venue from which to work.

"That building's pretty dreary, man,'' he said. "That's a little more trouble than having them on the road, because the building stinks and there's just no energy in there. That's one of those things you look at and go, 'Oh man, are we the Z crew?'""''

Vasgersian is no stranger to strong comments about the St. Louis market. He had been the San Diego Padres' television play-by-play announcer before giving up that assignment to take the MLB job, and while broadcasting a game from Busch Stadium in August 2007 said Cardinals fans should get in their El Caminos and drive back to the Ozarks.

He said that was a joke. But he also was heard that night in comments that weren't intended to be broadcast: "I'm done with this place. I'm so tired of losing here. It's hotter than (bleep). We get our (butts) kicked every time we come here. I'm not coming here next year."

He finds it somewhat ironic that he's been working a lot of football games involving a lousy St. Louis team.

"Karma's a *****,'' he said, chuckling.

Ah yes. That karma certainly is a (I'm assuming he said bitch)....bitch. But if getting to do NFL games each week, and becoming the face of a newly formed MLB channel is bad luck, I'll be the first to say that St. Louis is a shithole (I kid, I kid).

St. Louis Rams' games no picnic for broadcasters (St. Louis Dispatch)
Matt Vasgersian Trashes St. Louis (Awful Announcing)

Everyone who likes the Red Sox raise your hand! Okay you can keep reading. Everyone else....just click away. It's all Cards and Sawx this weekend. Here's your schedule....

Saturday:

St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox- Thom Brennaman, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal (Fox, 3:55pm, 88%)

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Cleveland Indians at Los Angeles Dodgers- Matt Vasgersian & Eric Karros (FOX, 3:55pm, 11%)

MARKETS INCLUDE: Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Los Angeles, San Diego

Sunday:

St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox- Chip Caray & Buck Martinez (TBS, 1pm)
Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs- Jon Miller & Joe Morgan (ESPN, 8pm)

Al Hrabosky works with Dan McLaughlin for Cardinals broadcasts and last night the two were discussing if Jason Isringhausen still gets nervous while warming up. Listen closely to Hrabosky's response, McLaughlin stifling laughter throughout the copyright read, and the subsequent dead air as Dan seemingly mutes his mic for about a minute....

That's just too funny. Using the phrase "get it up" will always make me laugh.

(Thanks to reader Dorf for the tip)

The responses have come fast and furious the past day. Some thought the comments were funny, others are pissed, and some thought I let Matt Vas off the hook. Whatever you think about the situation, I'm glad you chose to express yourself here (especially you St. Louis).

As far as Matt goes....I believe the guy was joking around, and just made a mistake. You have to take someone at their word, and I have no reason not believe his email and this apology he made on air yesterday....

“If I offended anybody about my take on the Ozarks, it was meant in good fun, folks, certainly not to rip anybody down,” Vasgersian said.

Then, with a graphic titled “Welcome to the Ozarks” displayed on the screen, he added: “We thought it appropriate just to put some factual information up about the Ozarks. Beautiful state park, everybody speaks glowingly about it. I'm told there's no finer place to be in the month of September in all the Midwest. . . . So, all in good fun, folks.”

It's up to you on how you respond to this, but I think he's still one of the better young announcers in the game. He shouldn't have lost his job over something like this, and AA is glad he didn't.

As far as St. Louis....I've been there once and loved every minute of it. I went to the Anheuser-Busch plant and played with Clydsdales. Got to go to a Rams game where I drank tall Budweisers and walked through Downtown before the game, and saw the Rams beat the hated Seahawks. I also gambled on a Riverboat Casino, and may or may not have stopped at the Hustler Club right across the river in Illinois (It was there I met a girl who's husband had died in a horrible plant accident the day before. That's a different story entirely though....allegedly. I may not have been there.).

Anyway(s), I hope you enjoyed your time at the site, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Football Season is going to be an event to see here.

Cheers,
BP- Awful Announcing

Vasgersian's prattle ignites ire in Ozarks (Sign On San Diego)
Matt Vasgersian Trashes St. Louis (Awful Announcing)
Vasgersian Responds To AA and The Lou (Awful Announcing)

(P.S.- My next band name will be The Vasgersian Incident.. We'll be a cross between The Killers, The Arcade Fire, and Phil Collins. Trademarked.)