The Saints won a rather thrilling Super Bowl last night, and the majority of the East Coast got to drink themselves to sleep after learning of most business calling an audible day-off for workers because of snow. Now that the haze has worn off, there are three rather interesting stories that happened over the Super Bowl weekend that I'm looking at today. In order they are Michael Irvin's rape allegation and firing from ESPN Radio, Warren Sapp getting arrested and being dropped from NFL Network's coverage and Steve Phillips sitting down with Matt Lauer this morning. First up....Michael Irvin....
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On the same day that his former teammate Emmitt Smith was getting into the Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin was getting fired from his ESPN Radio job after another alleged rape charge was levied against him Dallas. Not only that but ESPN decided to fire the former Cowboy WR from his gig at 103.3 FM even though Irvin's contract was set to expire at the end of the week. There were reportedly no plans to renew it, but ESPN opted to fire him anyway. Irvin (unlike Sapp) made his appearances on NFL Network over the weekend, spoke briefly about the allegation to reporters, and then filed a $100 Million counter suit against his alleged victim. Via ESPN....

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin made his first public appearance since he was accused in a civil suit of rape. He filed a $100 million countersuit against his accuser.

Irvin worked the Hall of Fame ceremonies for the NFL Network on Saturday. He was subdued at times but also emotional, especially when former teammate, running back Emmitt Smith, was selected for induction.

"It's not about me, but that's it," Irvin told a small group of reporters before they had a chance to ask questions. Irvin said he would only talk about the Hall of Fame.

Irvin's suit, filed in Dallas County, Texas, asks for $100 million in damages for allegations filed in a lawsuit that claim Irvin raped a woman identified as "Jane Doe" at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., in 2007.

The countersuit claims that the civil suit filed by the woman caused him to be fired from his radio job.

It's interesting that ESPN decided to follow up with the story after taking no time in firing Irvin. Like the story said, no charges were filed against him and his contract was set to run out, so it really makes no sense as to why ESPN Radio decided to fire him right away.
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The day after Michael Irvin got his walking papers, another analyst in Miami spent the night in jail. A crazy story came out of South Beach that NFL Network Analyst Warren Sapp had been dropped from the network's coverage of the Super Bowl, and after NFL-N confirmed the claims, Sapp spent the night in jail on a domestic abuse charge. Via the Sun Sentinel....

Police arrested Sapp on Saturday on one charge of misdemeanor domestic battery. An arrest affidavit says the incident happened around 5 a.m. Saturday in the former defensive tackle's hotel room at the Shore Club on Miami Beach.

Sapp's attorney said the former player is taking the matter seriously and will cooperate with authorities.

"He sincerely apologizes to the NFL family and fans for taking away any distraction from today's big game," Christopher Lyons said. "We ask that everyone reserve judgment on the matter until all the facts come out in a court of law."

The woman said she had been dating Sapp about two years. She told officers the two were partying with a large group of friends when she got tired and went to lay down.

Sapp entered hours later, pulled her out of bed and tried to get her out of the room, according to the complaint. The complaint says he yelled at the woman about men she had been hanging out with and men listed in her cell phone. The woman told police Sapp choked her, threw her down on a couch, then picked her up by her shirt and neck and threw her down again — injuring her leg. The victim had a swollen knee and bruises on her neck, the affidavit says. She was taken to the hospital.

Just a messy situation all around. According to Sports by Brooks, Sapp had been seen around Miami with a certain lady friend, but as of now the accuser wants to remain anonymous.
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As far as Steve Phillips, the former ESPN Baseball analyst made an appearance on the Today Show this morning to talk about his sexual addiction. Phillips, who is giving his first public interview since leaving the same rehab clinic Tiger Woods reportedly has been staying at, told Matt Lauer that he, "I couldn't stop myself from doing the things I was doing, even knowing the consequences." Here's the clip....


Man, what a weekend!

When it comes to David Beckham, women do some crazy things. I'm sure he's had multiple stalkers in his past, but that doesn't compare to this awkward encounter with an Italian reporter hell bent on grabbing his junk. Via Who Ate All The Pies?....

If your Italian is not so good, the story is as follows: Elena Di Cioccio, a reporter for Silvio Berlusconi’s Uno station (yes, Berlusconi also owns AC Milan, Beckham’s current home), wanted to see if Becks was really packing Dirk Diggler-heat downstairs, as all those pants ads suggest. So she pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, walked up to Beckham while he was being interviewed in Madrid for an American TV station, and grabbed his crotch.

“Off the pitch we have seen fascinating photographs of David Beckham in his underpants and seemingly very well endowed and even his wife says that he is well equipped and calls him Golden Balls,” Di Cioccio said.

And Di Cioccio’s conclusion? A rough translation: “I touched it but it’s small! David you have conned us all. What did you use, cotton wool? It’s a trick!”

Well then. I don't really have much to add to that, I guess. I mean, I'm all for random women grabbing my crotch, but jeez ladies....there's a time and a place!

Video: Female TV Presenter Grabs David Beckham’s Golden Balls… And His Golden Penis (Who Ate All The Pies?)

Well it took the weekend for a decision, but late Sunday night, ESPN officially fired Steve Phillips citing his inability to be an effective representative for the network. VP Mike Soltys has the announcement on his Twitter page....

I really hope they didn't feel pressure from Deadspin's stunt near the end of last week, but there was really no other choice for the "Leader". You would think this line of reasoning would be used more often by ESPN. (More tomorrow when the full release comes out)

ESPN MikeS (Twitter)

(Top image via WEEI)

Sean Salisbury went from ESPN analyst to, online mogul, to radio host, in a brief period, and unfortunately controversy followed him each place. Everyone knows the ESPN alleged story about "Lil Sean" and a cell phone camera, while Sean's latest problems (after being let go by a radio station in Dallas) are rumored to be along the same lines, Salisbury is apparently suing everyone on the planet. Via Deadspin....

This is salisbury and I just want u to know ur guys lies and carelessness about CBS and espn stories has not only ruined my reputation but has cost me jobs so prepare urself for a lawsuit so big I will own deadspin u will be asked to give up ur sources so since u guys have cost me more than alot of money my only goal in my career is to ruin u like u have me. Sadly I tried to be honest with you and you have continually written lies. So you and a few major media networks arebeing sued. And put this on ur careless website. I kept a journal for 13 years at espn and a tell all book will be released in months to come. Book title: espn exposed. The truth inside the r rated company. So ur lies about a cell phone incident that is a lie and the reason I left CBS radio that u guys lied about. The time has come and I won't stop until the truth is told and deadspin is exposed.

Well then. Obviously, if the rumored cell phone incidents aren't true, then Salisbury has some leverage. Buuuut....these things have followed them everywhere, and the original ESPN employee is on record as confirming the story. It seems like big talk from someone who's frustrated with his current situation, but I'm definitely going to keep an eye on how it plays out.

(Side note: If you read that whole email exchange on Deadspin, the amount of spelling mistakes is atrocious. It wouldn't surprise me that this is/was a hoax.)

Sean Salisbury Has A Few Things To Get Off His Chest (Deadspin)

See what happens when you take a few days off? Apparently some hotel employee takes a peephole video of America's favorite sideline reporter, and said sideline reporter has since threatened a lawsuit against the maker of the video. Both the lawyer and ESPN have made statements, and here they are....

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 17 /PRNewswire/ — With respect to recent Internet postings of Erin Andrews, she has authorized her attorney, Marshall B. Grossman of Bingham McCutchen LLP, to issue the following statement:

“While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent. She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similary violated in the future. Although the perpetrator or perpetrators of this criminal act have not yet been identified, when they are identified she intends to bring both civil and criminal charges against them and against anyone who has published the material. We request respect of Erin’s privacy at this time, while she and her representatives are working with the authorities.”

ESPN's statement: "Erin has been grievously wronged here. Our people and resources are in full support of her as she deals with this abhorrent act."

Obviously there's a way to download the video, but there's not a chance in hell that I'm going to promote a criminal act like this on this site. It's a flat out violation of a persons rights, and the person who filmed it should definitely be charged with assault. I hope this goes away quickly for Andrews, and hopefully anyone who gets their hands on such filth, has the decency to not give it any play.

There are acceptable ways of ending an interview. A handshake is the customary move, but even a simple nod and thank you can suffice. Asking for a kiss on the lips, however, probably isn't the best move (as Joe Namath demonstrated in 2003). Well that's the exact move that Herb Deshaies, father of Astros' announcer Jim Deshaies, pulled during an exhibition game on the MLB Network this afternoon. Here's the clip....

Awkward! I love that the announcers immediately went to the Namath comparison and Deshaies referred to his pops as a "masher". I have no idea what that means, but I think I can guess.

ESPN has been through the ringer over the past year after the emergence of blogs and even mainstream media not always buying what the "Leader" was selling. There were multiple on-air, print and "roast" instances and there was even a Power Point sent around that tried to deter advertisers from working with the network. It's tough when you're at the top, whether the criticism is justified or not.

Well you can add the Wall Street Journal's Market Watch to the list of critics and they don't seem to be pulling any punches....

It's one thing for a journalist to see a quip fall flat, but it's another when people feel abused. To ESPN's shame, some of its employees have insulted the audience on several occasions with lowbrow or boorish behavior.

(Lists Jacobson, Jemele Hill and Bonnie Bernstein as examples)

John Walsh, executive editor of ESPN, cautioned me to "consider the volume (of content that) our company produces" and said: "I don't think it's a cause for a pattern or trend." ESPN's staff shouldn't try so hard to be controversial. The network would have fewer embarrassments.

"We'd rather the scoreboard says none," Walsh said. "But if the scoreboard says three (examples), we endure." He called them "three separate instances" and added: "Trying to group them together, I think, would not be a wise thing for you."

Then call me unwise, Mr. Walsh. I'm not buying your argument.

In the news business, journalists will chalk up something out of the ordinary as an aberration. But when it happens twice, we wonder if it is a pattern. By the third time, it can reasonably be called a trend.

ESPN rejects the idea that there is a pattern of recklessness in its ranks, but I'm not so sure.

The whole thing is really a fascinating read and even looks back at what ESPN used to do well and how it has changed over the years. The interesting thing to note for the future is, as more and more mainstream publications continue to lambaste the network, how will they respond? It seems like the network will take a couple steps forward (new Sports Center format, V Foundation work, Euro 2008, changing S.A.S' role) and then just leap back (NBA/NFL Draft, Titletown, continuing to employ Joe Morgan), so much so that they seem worse off than they were before.

I do somewhat agree with Mr. Walsh that incidents will undoubtedly take place with all the coverage that the network has. The issue though is the degree to which those incidents have hurt individuals or groups in the past. Up until recently most hadn't been punished and probably weren't even addressed. The question now is whether ESPN listens to its critics or just ignores them and plows ahead for that almighty dollar ultimately turning the network into Sports' version of MTV.

No entity, company, or medium is perfect. Not TV, newspapers, radio, or blogs. But if you're going to claim to be the "Leader" of anything.....you should try and come as close to that level as possible.

ESPN: The sports leader in embarrassment (Market Watch)

The trial wasn't supposed to happen until 2009, and according to AP it's not going to happen at all. A settlement has reached in Reynolds vs. ESPN.....

BRISTOL, Conn. — ESPN says a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed by former baseball analyst Harold Reynolds over his firing. Reynolds sued the sports network for at least $5 million in October 2006, three months after he was fired. He claimed he was wrongly fired after a female intern complained about what he called a “brief and innocuous” hug. Reynolds played 12 seasons in the major leagues and worked at the network for 11 years. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. An ESPN spokesman says the suit was settled last week in Hartford Superior Court.

Obviously no numbers are going to be released, but you can imagine how big that check for Mr. Reynolds is going to be. And thus ends our long and strange trip that has taken us from Bristol, to an Outback, to MLB, to Connecticut Courts, and now a settlement. We'll never really know what happened and thanks to this settlement there will be no ESPN "Dirty Laundry" (rats), but I hope that Harold Reynolds is at least feels somewhat vindicated by this.

The only reaction I have to this all is.........I really miss Baseball Tonight.

Update: ESPN's "Johnny on the Spot" Spokesman Mike Soltys has made a statement on the Network's behalf....

According to the lawsuit, ESPN terminated Reynolds’ contract “for cause,” but gave no further explanation or specific reasons. ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said the resolution allows the network to spare the people involved any further disruptions and that the settlement was “economically compelling” for ESPN. “Our confidence in both the appropriateness of our action andour legal position never wavered,” Soltys said Tuesday.

I wouldn't expect anything else from the "Leader".

Update #2: Here is HR's response....

“My family and I are ecstatic,” Reynolds said in a statement Tuesday night. “This was a matter of principle and I stood on principle and never wavered. All of my goals were met and now I look forward to concentrating on the game I love.”

Now if MLB could only put you in a format that I could see. Good for you HR.

Update #3: And now the video....



(Thanks to Anon for the tip. Both quotes via the Associated Press.)

I don't know how many people caught Brent Musburger and Steve Lavin's call of the Illinois-Wisconsin game last night, but it was definitely one for the ages. Not only did Musburger rant about Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson (ending it with "Ya gotta abstain, buddy") AND ask Steve Lavin if he wants to get a beer after the game.....but he mentioned Erin Andrews going to the Playboy Mansion. Seriously.

Via reader JA......

Just after halftime of the Wisconsin-Illinois game on ESPN, Steve Lavin observed that the Wisconsin student section had been chanting "Er-in An-drews, Er-in Andrews." He then observed that she's a bigger rock star than, among others, the Beatles. Brent Musburger responded: "When she goes to meet Hugh Hefner, I wanna go with her."

I know he was referring to the Playboy Sexiest Sportscaster Contest, but you CAN'T say that on-air! Good lord. I missed the video of that one but thanks goodness for Brahsome!

Here's the "Beer" quote on his throw to SportsCenter. Wait for it.....Waaaaait for it.....



LavinBurger Love Them Some Erin Andrews (Brahsome)

(Thanks to readers Adam and Nathan for also writing in regarding Brent)

I wonder how many people at ESPN HQ spit their coffee out as this little exchange played out....

Wow. I'm surprised Jay Crawford even tried to speak. It wasn't that long ago that he was named in a little lawsuit. Again, I'm not sure if Sage Steele cares or not about the comments, but I personally wouldn't want to be a woman working at the "Leader".

I know this rates low on the supposed pantheon of harassment, but should there even be a pantheon at all?

Now everything that I know as far as the sexual harassment cases at the World Wide Leader besides one (Harold Reynolds) is just hearsay. There is strong evidence that many are in fact true, but nothing will come out until HR takes ESPN to trial somewhere around 2050. In the meantime we can always question certain moves that the Company makes and this seems like a good time to do so......

ESPN announced today it has named Paul Richardson to the position of senior vice president, human resources. Richardson has significant experience in managing human resources operations in global companies, most recently serving as the executive vice president, global human resources, for Universal McCann in New York. For ESPN, Richardson will oversee all aspects of ESPN’s human resource efforts, supporting 50 different business units and 5,000 employees around the world.

Richardson began his career 22 years ago as an attorney before transitioning to the human resources field. Since then, he has held executive human resource positions at a wide array of media companies, including those focused on television and film production, digital media development, publishing, marketing and sales and other media platforms. At Universal McCann, he was responsible for overseeing all human resource functions for 72 offices and approximately 3,000 employees worldwide.

Hmmm.....what is the one word in that whole Press Release that stands out over all of the rest?

Attorney.

You can't say they aren't prepared, and hopefully we won't have to hear about these little stories here and there. Be proactive Mr. Richardson because pretty soon most females might think twice about working for the "Leader".

(Source ESPN PR)

No probably not the entire state (like us and Ohio), but the people that voted 1971 Nebraska and 1995 Nebraska into ESPN Classic's Playoff of the Top 32 Teams in College Football.



The whole thing isn't that funny until right at the 4-minute mark Herbstreit "gooses" Rece Davis.

"Do Not touch me like that again."- RD

Kirk Herbstreit is Pissed (We Are The Postmen)