Short takes: FSOK replays OU-Missouri football game
The college football season is not too far off. Fox Sports Oklahoma will help to prime your football appetite with a replay of the 2007 OU-Missouri game in Norman from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The No. 6 Sooners prevailed 41-31 over the No. 11 Tigerss as Chris Brown ran for three second-half touchdowns and Curtis Lofton returned a fumble for a score.
— TBS has a match-up of All-Star pitchers at noon Saturday as the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte is scheduled to face Rays’ David Price in the game at Yankee Stadium. Dick Stockton and Ron Darling will call the action.
— KOKH-25 will carry the Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals game at 3 p.m. Saturday. Joe Buck and Eric Karros will call the game, which will go to 27 percent of the nation.
— ESPN’s prime-time newsmagazine E:60 returns at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The program includes a feature on running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, a profile of 13-year-old pitching sensation Chelsea Baker and a re-air of E:60’s investigation into the corrective rape issue in South Africa.
— EA’s new NCAA Football 11 includes an all-new ESPN broadcast package integration. From kickoff to the final play, players will now be able to experience the game as part of ESPN’s Game of the Week. The full broadcast integration includes actual graphics, intros and music as well as an all new replay system showing the best plays and highlights. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Brad Nessler offer commentary and reporter Erin Andrews provides injury reports and sideline updates.
Finally with the death of George Steinbrenner, it’s a good time to look back at how “Seinfeld” worked the Yankees owner into the hit show. New York Times columnist looks back in a column titled “Sultan of Swagger.” Here is a link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/opinion/14dowd.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Seinfeld%20and%20Steinbrenner&st=cse
Kevin Durant named an ESPY finalist
Okahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant has been named one of five finalists for the ESPY Top NBA Player. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade are the other finalists. The winner will be announced in the awards show, televised live at 8 p.m. July 14.
Voting at espn.com/espys runs through 11 p.m. July 10 for most categories.
“The “Best Play” nominees will be announced during the 2010 ESPY Countdown show airing live on July 14 at 7 p.m. on ESPN and voting will take place throughout The 2010 ESPYs telecast. In addition, “Best Team” voting will be open throughout the live telecast.
Here’s a look at the top NBA player finalists:
— Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers. Finished fourth in scoring (27 PPG) during the 2009-10 regular season and averaged 28.6 PPG in the NBA Finals. Earned his fifth championship ring after leading the Lakers over the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Led the Lakers to best record in Western Conference during 2009-10 regular season, 57-25.
— Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City. Became youngest player to win the NBA scoring title (21 years, 197 days). Averaged 30.1 PPG during the 2009-10 regular season.
— Dwight Howard, Orlando. Named The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Led the NBA in rebounding during the 2009-10 regular season (13.2 RPG) and field goal percentage (61.2 PCT).
— LeBron James, Cleveland. Earned his second straight MVP award. Averaged 29.7 PPG (2nd in NBA), 8.6 APG (6th in NBA) and 7.3 RPG during the 2009-10 regular season. Led the Cavaliers to NBA-high 61 regular-season wins.
— Dwyane Wade, Miami. Finished fifth in scoring (26.6 PPG.) and tenth in assists (6.5 APG.) during the 2009-10 regular season. Averaged 33.2 PPG in the 2010 playoffs.
There’s a bunch of categories. Here are the five finalists for best sports movie:
— Big Fan. The story of a hardcore fan struggling to deal with the consequences of being assaulted by his favorite player. Stars Patton Oswalt and is written/directed by Robert D. Siegel.
— Invictus. A look at life for Nelson Mandela during his first term as president after the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Mandela campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen. Stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.
— The Blind Side. Chronicles the story of former University of Mississippi offensive lineman Michael Oher. Stars Sandra Bullock in an Oscar-winning performance.
— The Damned United. A look at Brian Clough’s 44-day reign as the coach of Leeds. Stars Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall.
— The Karate Kid. The story of a boy who, in his new home in China, embraces kung fu as taught to him by a master. Stars Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.
MLB Network to air Stephen Strasburg’s debut on Tuesday
The much-anticipated debut of Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will air at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the MLB Network. Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and John Smoltz will call the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates live from Nationals Park.
Strasburg, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, had a rapid rise through the Nationals’ Minor League system in 2010, with his 100 mph fastball and a combined 6-2 record with a 1.43 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings for the Harrisburg Senators (Double-A) and Syracuse Chiefs (Triple-A).
MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and Dan Plesac will offer pre- and postgame coverage on MLB Tonight starting at 5:00 p.m.
Short takes
— The MLB Network will the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft at 6 p.m. Monday. June 7. Pre-draft coverage will start at 5 p.m.
– The network will re-air Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game on at noon Monday.
— MLB Network expert Peter Gammons on the call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game:
“I felt sick for Galarraga. I was watching in studio at NESN with Dennis Eckersley. As we watched the whole thing unfold afterward, it made me feel really good. Jim Joyce admitted he blew the call and was visibly upset about it. Galarraga smiled and handled it well. He didn’t go out of his mind. There was a hug afterwards between Galarraga and Joyce. Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski also handled it well. Last night was completely civil. I couldn’t have done what Galarraga did. I would have been really upset.”
— The Tampa Bay-Texas game will be Fox’s main baseball broadcast at 3 p.m. Saturday, going to 44 percent of the country. Josh Lewin, a Rangers and Fox announcer, will get the day off. Dick Stockton and Kevin Kennedy will call the game.
ABC analysts discuss keys to NBA Finals
ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy
ABC broadcasters Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Breen conducted a conference call Tuesday to preview the NBA Finals.
Here are some excerpts:
What will be the keys?
Jackson: I think Kobe (Bryant) is going to be Kobe. I don’t think that they (the Celtics) will be able to contain him the way they did in ’08. Although they will make life tough at times, I don’t think they have the same interior defense that they had in ’08. I think the big difference will be in ’08 Paul Pierce was the best player in the series. They could not contain him and he had his way. I think the Lakers have a similar defensive force to what LeBron James was able to do with Pierce, which will not allow Pierce to be the best player in this series and will allow Kobe to be just that, which will give them a tremendous boost.
Van Gundy: I’m still wondering how healthy (Andrew) Bynum is because I think his presence is going to be critical to the Lakers’ chances. I think the Celtics are an extremely well balanced team as is L.A. I think both teams play offense and defense well. I think it will come down to possessions, who can rebound the ball better and who takes care of it better because I think these teams are evenly matched.
What’s the best way to defend Kobe?
Jackson: Ultimately I would force anybody not named Kobe Bryant to beat me because he has proven to be able to do that. If you get the ball out of his hands, you have the best possible chance of winning. That means double-teaming him, denying him, forcing him to get rid of the basketball. I don’t want Pau Gasol to beat me, but it certainly won’t be Kobe Bryant.
Van Gundy: I think interestingly they played against one very good defensive team and in that series, he had his most struggles, and that was against Oklahoma City. And yet he still had an outstanding series. And since then, he has has just been remarkable whether it’s he’s feeling better or the defensive has been different. Some of the shots he made in Game 6 against Phoenix were indefensible. Even when they started to send a second guy to double-team, the greatest of all times, like he and Jordan, they know how to get away from the double-team and still get a quality shot. I think the Celtics are very equipped to defend him. I think Ray Allen is a very disciplined defender. I think the length at the basket will force Bryant to take a lot of jump shots. I think Bryant is going to play well, but I think he’s going to face similar challenges to the one he found in the series in 2008. They are going to make it hard on him, and yet he can always rise up, because he has proven himself once again to be the best player in the NBA.
Jeff, how do you rate yourself as a broadcaster?
Van Gundy: I would say irritating to some, irritating to myself sometimes. I could always analyze myself as a coach like what I thought we were doing well as a group. Because I don’t really have a background in broadcasting, I’m sort of unknowledgable about when we have a great broadcast. I haven’t improved a lot in the stuff we do at the start, the openings. That’s still hard for me. I try to get a little better in the highlights when we have a replay. But still Mark is a lot stronger in those areas. I’ve said this before, I’m like a one-dimensional spot-up shooter. Mike is the great point guard. I stand behind the 3-point line and hope to get some open looks.
Why would you consider going back into such an unstable profession as coaching?
Van Gundy: People talk about coaching being a fickle business, so too is broadcasting. Broadcasters, their job security is not great either. To assume that in any coaching or in broadcasting, that things won’t change is probably to make a mistake. I don’t spend any time about what is next. When I was coaching, I never thought what’s next after coaching. And now that I’m broadcasting, I don’t sit there and contemplate a lot about what my next job will be. I’m just trying to do the job I have as well as I can and realize that change is a big part of pro sports and also broadcasting. You have to be ready to adjust and adapt when circumstances dictate.”
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.
