Former OU star Thomas Lott appearing on KREF-AM 1400
Thomas Lott hugs former OU coach Barry Switzer during OU Legends flag football game in April.
Former OU star quarterback Thomas Lott is appearing weekly on KREF-AM 1400 during James Hale’s talk show from 3 to 6 p.m. on either Thursday or Friday. Lott told David Flores of San Antonio’s KENS5.com that he is enjoying his radio work since moving to Norman five months ago.
“I love it,” Lott said. “I just felt like I wanted to do something different with my life, and I’ve always considered myself as someone who stays informed. Not only in sports, but in other things going on in the world. I read a lot and try to keep up.
“I think my perspective as a player and coach helps. I can look at things from a player’s point of view and a coach’s point of view. I remember things I went through, and I can share that with my audience.”
Lott, a San Antonio native who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of three varsity seasons at Jay High School, recently was inducted into Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. Switzer and several of Lott’s OU teammates, including Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims, attended the festivities May 8 in Waco.
“It was a great experience,” Lott said. “Just seeing Coach Switzer and so many of my teammates made it a special night.”
Short takes
— The Texas Rangers will get a lot of media coverage this weekend in their series at Minnesota. Fox will regionally televise the 3 p.m. Saturday game, including KOKH-25, with announcers Josh Lewin and Mark Grace. Three-fourth of the nation, including KOKI-23 in Tulsa, will get St. Louis at Chicago Cubs with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. On Sunday, ESPN2 will nationally televise the Texas-Minnesota game at 7 p.m. with Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Orel Hershiser.
— With the Stanley Cup Finals between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks set to begin, HBO has added additional playdates for the hour-long documentary “Broad Street Bullies,” a look at one of pro sport’s most polarizing teams, the legendary Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup championship squads of the 1970s. Air dates include 10 a.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Tuesday. The film tells the backstories of these athletes, who won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975 with a bold, aggressive style that sparked controversy and criticism.
— ESPN has selected the first weeks of the Big Ten football schedule:
Sept. 4, 11 a.m., Western Michigan at Michigan State, ESPN2; 2:30 p.m. Connecticut at Michigan ABC and ESPN2.
Sept. 11, 11 a.m., San Jose State at No. 9 Wisconsin ESPN or ESPN2; 2:30 p.m. Iowa State at No. 11 Iowa, ABC and ESPN2.
Sept. 18, 11 a.m., Kent State at No. 23 Penn State ESPN or ESPN2
Dan Patrick interviews former NBA referee Tim Donaghy
Tim Donaghy
Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy talked about his trials and tribulations about gambling on the NBA on Thursday’s edition of “The Dan Patrick Television Show,” which airs 8-11 a.m. on DIRECTV’s The 101 Network.
Here are some excerpts:
Would you have done things differently or not at all?
“I would certainly not have done it at all. My decisions affected a lot of other people in a negative way, so I wouldn’t have done it at all.”
On gambling problem as NBA ref:
“The betting consumed me and I became addicted to it. It was easy for me to predict things and I was able to bet on NBA games that I was officiating in. … I was so successful at making these picks at 70-80 percent correct, that I didn’t need to help a team get a win. I was never asked to fix a game.”
How did you eventually get caught?
“I got caught because I got involved with people in organized crime talking about me during a wire-tap. I wanted to stop and these guys picked me up outside a hotel and took me for a ride in a car and said they wanted to continue to get information. They said they’d expose me and threaten to come down to Florida and visit my wife and kids.”
How much money did you make betting, Tim?
“Over a period of time of about four years, I made about $100,000. I was already making good coin as an NBA ref. It wasn’t about money at that time. … I used relationships to determine lines to games and provide information.”
Did the NBA ask you to fix games?
“The group supervisor and the head of officials would instruct you to make certain calls in certain games. It’s certainly manipulating a game. … In 2005, Dallas was put at a clear advantage when they were down 2-0 and it was swinging back to Houston.”
Any funny business in ‘06 playoffs between the Kings and Lakers?
“The Lakers were put in a clear advantage in Game 6 of that series.”
Last time you heard from Commissioner Stern?
“I haven’t. I did try to contact the league office and they blew me off. They still owe me money.”
Football analysts make appearance on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
Desmond Howard
ESPN college football analysts Herm Edwards, Desmond Howard, Mark May and Mark Schlereth will make a special guest appearance on the season finale of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” at 7 p.m. Sunday. They will help with the makeover of the Williams’ family home in Pine Mountain Valley, Ga. Husband, Jeremy, diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and wife, Jennifer, have a young son Jacob, who has spina bifida.
Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher and the Tuohy Family, who were the inspiration behind the Oscar-nominated film The Blind Side, also appear in the episode, along with Disney Channel stars Demi Lovato (“Sonny with a Chance”) and Wilmer Valderrama (voice of the animated series Handy Mandy).
Charles Barkley compliments Thunder in radio interview
In an interview Tuesday morning on Dan Patrick’s national radio show, which airs 8-11
Charles Barkley
a.m. on DirecTV’s 101 Network, TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley discussed a wide range of topics. Here are excerpts:
On how concerned should the Lakers be with their play in Game 2 – even though they beat Utah: “The Lakers will win the West, but Oklahoma City will have been their toughest series.”
On the Cavs loss against the Celtics last night: “LeBron just doesn’t look the same. He don’t look 100 percent to me. Hell yeah the Celtics have a really good chance of winning that series. The Cavaliers play so slow sometimes. They get all their baskets letting LeBron go one on five. They need to play a lot faster.”
On the Dolphins line of questioning with Oklahoma State star receiver Dez Bryant: “You shouldn’t ask someone if your mom was a prostitute, but If you tell someone your dad was a pimp — that makes you an idiot.”
On the Arizona immigration law: “I’m disappointed we came up with the law. We should find a way to help people get citizenship. I’m very disappointed in John McCain also. You should also fine anyone who hires an illegal immigrant.”
On whether or not police should taser fans who runs on the field: “You might kill somebody. I always give the police the benefit of the doubt. I think they should just beat the hell out of them, but not necessarily tase them.”
Two excellent sports films debut Tuesday night
Two excellent sports documentaries make their debuts Tuesday night. HBO’s “Broad Street Bullies,” which premieres at 9 p.m., takes a look at the powerful Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s who won Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975. The film includes 153 images of brawls, nearly all started by the Flyers.
Owner Ed Snider and former players and coaches speak with joy about mixing fisticuffs and filthy play with excellent hockey skills to remake hockey in their image at the Philadelphia Spectrum.
ESPN’s stirring documentary, “The 16th Man,” which debuts at 7 p.m., describes how Nelson Mandela used the Rugby World Cup in South Africa in 1995 to help defuse apartheid’s racial divisions.
The story was told last year in a Clint Eastwood film, “Invictus,” with Morgan Freeman playing Mandela. For “The 16th Man,” Freeman is the executive producer and narrator.
ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy enjoying NBA broadcasting career
Jeff Van Gundy
I had an opportunity to talk with ESPN basketball analyst Jeff Van Gundy for a Q&A in The Oklahoman on Friday. Here are a few more questions for Van Gundy, one of my favorite NBA analysts.
Have you enjoyed your broadcasting career?
I do enjoy it. You don’t have the highs or lows of coaching. It’s more in a right-in-the-middle lifestyle. There are certains aspects of coaching that I miss. But I learned awhile ago, not to worry about what’s next. I just worry about what I’m doing now. And I’m having a good time with it and I really like the guys I’m working with. If your doiong a secondary type of career, it’s absolutely essential that you enjoy working with those people because you’re not that comfortable doing something totally different and so you really have to like and enjoy the people around you.
Were you disappointed you didn’t win the Sports Emmy for game analyst?
Frankly, I didn’t even know they did that for sports. Something asked if I was disappointed to lose. I said, Heck, I was surprised to even be nominated. I just try to say what I see. When I came into it, people said, Are you worried about it impacting your next coaching job. My thing was I’m not about what is next. If somebody would not hire me because of an opinion I had on the TV, then it probably wouldn’t work out anyway. I’m the beneficiary of the guys around me because Mike and Mark do such a good job of withstanding my bouts of crazyiness.
Who is your pick to reach the NBA Finals?
Cleveland in the East. I think L.A. deserves my pick, but if you told me that San Antonio was able to advance then and play them, and they eventually beat in L.A. in a tough series, I wouldn’t be shocked. I think a lot of it depends on the health of Bryant, beause if he is healthy, I think their size plus Bryant makes them a very difficult team to beat in the Western Concerence. And I think Cleveland has upgraded their challenge from last year. Yes, I think it’s going to be Cleveland’s year, but there are some very good playoff matchups.
Jimmy Johnson rates Sam Bradford, other top quarterbacks
Jimmy Johnson
Fox Sports analyst Jimmy Johnson, a former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins coach, evaluated some of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. Here are some excerpts:
On Sam Bradford: “He is a big, physical, good looking player that can move. He is the prototype quarterback. You have to be a little concerned about the shoulder injury and if it is going to happen again but he has the intelligence that I like. You want him to lead your franchise. That’s why if the Rams look at him and think ‘he’s our guy and we believe in him,’ then you don’t even listen to another offer, you just get him signed. He’s a guy who will be able to fit into your offense style right off the bat.”
On Jimmy Clausen: “He is an accurate passer and has a good touch on the deep ball. I like him. I just don’t know that he has the physical ability of Sam Bradford but if you need a quarterback he is probably one of the two guys who can come in and play for you now.”
On Tim Tebow: “He’s still a work in progress. It is going to be difficult for him to jump in and perform without sitting, watching and practicing. He is a talent but has to go to the right team that uses him the right way. Tebow’s development is going to be a two or three-year project. A team could use him in other areas before he becomes a starting quarterback but you first have to consider your current quarterback. Is he going to be comfortable going to the sideline while you develop Tebow? There are a lot of teams where that is not going to happen. I would take a chance on him in the second round. His intangibles are off the charts and if I am in the middle of the second round and he fits our style of play, I think he is worth the pick.”
TV journalism stoops to a new low
WFAA sports anchor Dale Hansen
Got to give Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen credit for publicly blasting his station’s decision to run a barroom video of an apparently tipsy Cowboys owner Jerry Jones making disparaging comments about former Cowboys coach Bill Parcell and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
The grainy video of Jones, taped without his knowledge and originated on deadspin.com, does not pass the test of news, deserving of air time on a Dallas TV station’s newscasts. Not even close.
Unfortunately, numerous media outlets also carried the video, including ESPN, the alleged Worldwide Leader in Sports.
Hansen, who has been with the station 27 years and must feel secure in his job status, blasted WFAA news director Michael Valentine’s decision to air the video with Jones’ sometimes profane comments Tuesday in a commentary during the station’s 10 p.m. newscast.
“Yet another example of the decline of journalism as we once knew it,” Hansen told viewers. “Our business now, too many times, is a fat kid in a t-shirt in his mother’s basement eating Cheetos and writing his blogs. And we make it news. Jerry Jones in a bar being Jerry Jones is not news to me. And the fact that some creep slides up to Jones, records the conversation without Jones knowing, then tries to sell that recording and that becomes news is an embarrassment to us all.”
Hansen said he discussed the ethics of airing the Jones video with WFAA’s news director and assistant news director. “I said I wouldn’t do the story,” he said. “They decided to do it anyway, saying it wasn’t an easy choice, but a choice they had to make. Their position was Jones is a public figure and the story is already out there so we had to do it, too. That’s the standard now.”
Former Dallas Morning News TV credit Ed Bark discusses the incident in his blog:
http://www.unclebarky.com/dfw_files/bbc0cd5caaf867eed1c48412548da07e-1524.html
Erin Andrews’ dream fulfilled with berth in “Dancing With the Stars”
While covering the National Spelling Bee last May, ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews was asked about someday appearing on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I want to do it, because I think I’d be good at it,” she told The Sporting News. “I would love it love it love it. I want to be like, ‘Who do I call? Let’s do this.’ I want to do it very badly. I love the show.”
Her dream came true this week with the announcement that she would be a competitor on the spring season of ABC’s hit show.
The Sporting News article also revealed that Andrews has her own stylist, Paige Geran, who has also dressed Britney Spears, Wayne Brady, the Spice Girls, and American Idols on-tour, among many others. Before games, Andrews’ outfits arrive at her hotel, and she trusts that “they’ll be appropriate” to the sporting event in question.
Andrews is “a huge Britney fan,” and “not afraid to admit it.” She listens to Spears’ music while getting ready for broadcasts.
Andrews’ sister, Kendra, is a former Florida State Seminole dancer, who has appeared in a Cheri Dennis video and recently landed a prominent role in the dance movie “Step Up 3-D,” due out later this year. Kendra flew to New York for the audition on one of Erin’s frequent flier freebie flights. Waiting to hear if her sister got the part, Erin said, “was worse than waiting for a guy to call.”
David Feherty talks about Tiger’s public statement
Tiger Woods
What will Tiger Woods talk about when he makes his public statement at 10 a.m. Friday? CBS golf analyst David Feherty talked about it on the “The Dan Patrick Show” on Thursday. Here are some of his comments:
Feherty on what his first question to Tiger would be tomorrow:
“So, how was your off-season?
Feherty on the curious timing of Tiger’s press conference (the same time as the Accenture Match Play – a sponsor who dropped him quickly):
“I don’t think he has that kind of streak in him. He just lets his golf clubs do his talking. I don’t see that. I think he’s just ready to get back in front of a camera and get it over with.”
Feherty on what Tiger might announce regarding his future in golf:
“I think he’s going to put his family first. It wouldn’t surprise me if he announces you won’t see him for a while.”
Feherty on whether or not Tiger will skip The Masters:
“I think he could quite easily. I think he could skip the year.”
Feherty on how Tiger will perform once he decides to compete again:
“There’s been a lot of talk about will he be the player he was? Hell, yes.”
