Bob Ryan Needs To Get Out More

[Bob Ryan] is a long-time sports columnist for The Boston Globe.  He is also a fairly frequent competitor on [ESPN’s Around The Horn], which will be the focus of this piece (kinda, sorta).

Okay, I suppose calling Around The Horn, which airs at 4 p.m. CDT M-F, a completion is a stretch.  For the show involves four sports journalists trying to make points (both literally and figuratively) on a number of different sports-related topics, with the one with the lowest total being eliminated each round.  Subsequently, the last one left standing is declared the winner, and they are given 30 seconds to mouth off about anything they want.

Considering the fact that ESPN doesn’t even have a specific section for Around The Horn on their website, you may come to the conclusion that it is not to be taken all that seriously.  I do find it rather entertaining most of the time, however.

Much of this has to do with the “competitors” often taking shots at each other, and [Woody Paige] is usually a hoot and a half.  [Bomani Jones] is another favorite of mine.

On the other hand, you won’t be seeing Ryan having too much fun on the show.  Well, at least not as far as appearances go.  For his face stays in the same stoic expression as in that picture of him over there.

No, I do not think that it is a Boston thing.  For [Jackie MacMullan] hails from the same area, and she has come close to cackling with laughter more than a few times on the show.

Besides, I have seen Ryan acting almost gregarious on ESPN’s [The Sports Reporters], which airs at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays, and [Pardon The Interruption], which airs at 4:30 p.m. CDT M-F.  Hence, the title to this piece.

Of course, after searching for the specific sections for The Sports Reporters and Pardon The Interruption, I may have unfairly portrayed Around The Horn in a poor light.  For with there apparently being none to be found, it looks like the powers that be at ESPN aren’t taking any of their individual shows all that seriously.  Yeah, maybe I am the one who needs to get out more?

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Male Chauvinist Pigism?

[Pam Ward] has been a play-by-play announcer for college football games on ESPN for several years now, and whenever I run across one of the games she is working, I will look for another to watch.  However, since it is coming to the end of another season, I went ahead and watched the rebroadcast of the [Military Bowl] earlier this morning, and my mouth actually flopped open when I heard the following.

Dan Hawkins Announcing Gaffe - A funny movie is a click away

Link: [On Guyism]

In case you missed it, [Dan Hawkins], who was doing the color commentary, told Ms. Ward, “Don’t go to the kitchen, Pam.  You’re going to miss a score in this game!”

Now, I would like to believe that the reason why I don’t want to watch a game that she is working is on account of her voice.  For hearing [Hannah Storm], [Dana Jacobson], [Michele Tafoya] and several other ladies talk football doesn’t bother me a bit, but in the spirit of full disclosure, they are all fairly good looking (trying to stay out of trouble with my wife here) while Ms. Ward is not (at least to me).

Anyway, I wonder what motivated Mr. Hawkins to say something like that.  In all fairness, it may have been an inside joke between them, but since she seemed to ignore it…

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ESPN's Blueprint For Change

With news breaking about all of the “support” [Nevin Shapiro] gave the [University of Miami Hurricanes], cries for dramatic changes to the rules that forbid college athletes from receiving any compensation, other than in the form of scholarships, will undoubtedly get louder.  For it is a mess as is.

No, I don’t know what would be best.  For as some of the panelists participating in the [ESPN discussion] said, it would be pure chaos if players could hire agents to negotiate contracts, but the way it now is ain’t good.

Yes, this article originally included an embedded segment of the show, but I couldn't get the auto-play shut-off.  Therefore, since I do not want to subject others to something that I absolutely hate, the video had to go.  Besides, it didn't include the things that really caught my attention, anyway.  You can watch/listen to that part [here].

One was made by [Jay Bilas] about there not being any rules prohibiting a student on a full music scholarship from signing a recording contract, nor any of the other things that go along with such.  Of course, the other side of that coin may be that they would no longer receive a scholarship, but that wouldn’t prevent them from still playing in the various university bands, choirs or whatever.  Whereas, once an NCAA athlete gets paid, they can no longer participate in that sport.

Another was made by [Nick Sabin] about college athletics not being a business, and that no one is making a profit and putting it their pocket.  Alas, good ol’ not-so-saintly Nick often comes off as a real jerk, and this is no exception.  For as the head football coach at the University of Alabama, he is making a total of [$5,997,349.00 per year], with an annual salary of $5,166,666.00 and $830,683.00 in non-university compensation.

The last one I would like to mention irked me almost as much as what Nick Sabin said.  For it was made by [Joan Cronan], who is now in charge of all of the University of Tennessee athletic programs, about playing college athletics being a privilege, and that if an athlete wants to go market themselves, they can turn pro.  The revenues generated from just the football program at Tennessee was reportedly [$29,326,709.00] for the 2009 season, and the combined football PROFITS from all of the schools was reportedly over [$1 billion] last year!

Yes, I am well aware of the fact that tuition costs (amongst many other things) would sky-rocket if college athletics adopted a pro-style compensation package.  In fact, some schools would probably have to drop most of their athletic programs, but it sounds awfully hypocritical to me to hear about an athlete being run off of the field (or court) in disgrace for accepting a few bucks from a booster after the university has helped them understand just how much they have been making for it.

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