NFL FanHouse

George Carlin Opened SNL With a Sports Joke

Michael David Smith — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:23:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, TV and Movies

NBC re-aired the first Saturday Night Live last night in memory of the show's first host, George Carlin. Here's the first minute of his opening monologue:

Carlin made one of his trademark play-on-words jokes regarding the hashmarks on a football field, and then he said he thinks Americans like football because it's a game of land acquisition.

That monologue is a reminder that Carlin was, as King Kaufman wrote, one of the best sports humorists around. Carlin was remembered last week for his brilliance in skewering politics and religion and language, but sports were also a major source of material for one of America's great comedians.

George Carlin Opened SNL With a Sports Joke originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-New York Giant Michael Strahan Promises: 'I Would Never Do Dancing With the Stars'

Michael David Smith — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:14:00 EST

Filed under: NY Giants, New York, TV and Movies

Michael Strahan is such a charismatic guy that despite announcing his retirement from the New York Giants and walking away from a 2008 salary of $4 million, he'll undoubtedly find a job on TV that pays him almost as much as he made in the NFL.

But whatever that TV job is, it won't be following in the footsteps of other NFL players Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Jason Taylor on Dancing With the Stars. Strahan made that clear to the New York Daily News:

"I would never do 'Dancing with the Stars,' " Strahan says, trying to stifle a laugh. "I just picture Emmitt Smith as a football player, and he was a tough player. Then I look and he has some freakin' tassles around his biceps. It's not the same, it's just not the freakin' same."

My first inclination is to agree with Strahan there: It does nothing for the tough image of an NFL player to see him dancing around on TV.

And yet, Dancing With the Stars is such a popular show that does so much to help players reach a broader audience that really, can you blame a guy for doing it? I'm sure there will be an NFL player on Dancing With the Stars every year, even if Strahan refuses to appear.

Ex-New York Giant Michael Strahan Promises: 'I Would Never Do Dancing With the Stars' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philadelphia Sports Columnist Bill Conlin Suspended for 'Blueberry Harvest' Remark

Michael David Smith — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:14:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFL Video, NFL Media Watch, Philadelphia, TV and Movies

Watch this video (from TheFightins.com) and see if you can find anything offensive about it:

That was a panel of Philadelphia sports reporters discussing the Eagles' minicamp. At the end of the clip, the longtime Philadelphia newspaper columnist Bill Conlin said in response to an e-mail from a viewer, "Amazing that guy would leave the blueberry harvest to send that off." The other panelists then laughed before one said, "Don't mock the blueberry harvest, mister."

I didn't get what was so funny about Conlin's comment that all the panelists laughed, but I also didn't see anything offensive about it. Apparently some people did find it offensive, though, because after the jump we have a video from the following day of the station's apology.
The apology:

"Panelist Bill Conlin made a remark that may have offended some of our viewers," the prepared apology stated. "His comments does not reflect the views of our network."

So what was offensive about it? Apparently some people thought it was racist. I'm not really sure why -- is the implication that Conlin was saying that picking blueberries is something that Latinos do? Call me dense, but I don't get it.

More at The Big Lead.

UPDATE: A commenter explains the offense:
It was racial, unethical and very disparaging. I am from Vineland, NJ where the emailer was from and Bill Conlin was pretty much calling him a hispanic who picks blueberries in the fields during the harvest season. I guess you would have to know the area to get it!

Philadelphia Sports Columnist Bill Conlin Suspended for 'Blueberry Harvest' Remark originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Strahan Answers Kelly Ripa's Question: 'What Is a Half a Sack?'

Michael David Smith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: NY Giants, NFL Video, New York, TV and Movies

After announcing his retirement on Monday, former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan appeared on Live With Regis and Kelly:

After Regis noted that Strahan had 141.5 sacks in his career and the NFL record of 22.5 in a season, co-host Kelly Ripa posed an important question to Strahan:

"Can I ask a stupid question? What is a half a sack?"

Strahan pointed to Regis and said, "If you were a quarterback, and Kelly and I both hit you at the same time, we split the sack." And just like that, millions of American housewives learned what half a sack is.

Michael Strahan Answers Kelly Ripa's Question: 'What Is a Half a Sack?' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBC Sunday Night Football: America's Most DVR-Proof TV Show

Michael David Smith — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:46:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, TV and Movies

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly has a roundup of the ratings for every single show on network television in the 2007-08 TV season. It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about TV ratings that NBC's Sunday night NFL games did very well, losing in the ratings only to American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, House and CSI.

But Entertainment Weekly goes beyond just the ratings and reveals something fascinating about why the NFL is such a dominant force in American television. The complete list also includes the portion of viewers of each show who watched the show on their DVRs, and it turns out that just 1% of Sunday Night Football viewers watched on DVR, the lowest percentage of any show on TV. (The rates for other top shows were 9% for CSI, 6-7% for different versions of Dancing, 12-13% for different versions of Idol, 13% for Desperate Housewives and 15% for House.)

What that means, from the network's point of view, is that advertisers are more likely to get their commercials seen on NFL games than they are on other shows, because DVR users usually skip past commercials. And that's yet another reason that the NFL is the single most valuable content provider in American television.

NBC Sunday Night Football: America's Most DVR-Proof TV Show originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thanks to the Super Bowl, Fox Dominates the Network TV Landscape

Michael David Smith — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, Super Bowl, TV and Movies

A Variety article about the state of network television provides the latest example of how the NFL is the 800-pound gorilla in American media:

Fox, which benefited from airing the Super Bowl this season, is up 5% vs. last season -- it's the only network showing gains. CBS, which had aired the Super Bowl a year ago, is down the most (19%), while ABC and CW are off 14% and NBC 10%.

Those multibillion-dollar NFL rights deals don't just guarantee huge ratings on Super Bowl Sunday; they also allow the networks to use the Super Bowl to promote their programs. Only the Olympics can rival the NFL in guaranteeing ratings gold, and the structure of the Olympics -- nonstop for two weeks and then gone for two years -- doesn't lend itself to using the Games as a promotional vehicle the way the NFL does.

And that leads to why I don't think the news that NFL owners have opted out of the labor deal with the players' union is anything to worry about. There's so much money to be made in television that while there might be a fight over how that money is divided, there's no way either the owners or the players are going to shut down the league and keep the money from flowing.

Thanks to the Super Bowl, Fox Dominates the Network TV Landscape originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 08:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Hoag Professes His Virginity on 'The Bachelorette'

Michael David Smith — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Draft, TV and Movies

One of the contestants on this season's installment of The Bachelorette is Ryan Hoag, a football player who is best known for being Mr. Irrelevant -- the last player chosen -- in the 2003 NFL draft. Here's Hoag introducing himself, via The Sports Point:

"Christianity is first and foremost in my life," Hoag said. "I don't drink. I don't use cuss words. I don't have sex. I'm not going to do that until I'm married. So I have wondered about DeAnna in terms of how she'll deal with the fact that I'm a virgin. I don't know how she'll deal with the fact that I hold faith as the number one thing in my life."

Hoag has never played in an NFL regular-season game, but he was drafted by the Raiders and has had stints with the Giants, Vikings and Redskins.

Former Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Hoag Professes His Virginity on 'The Bachelorette' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T.O. Tells Conan About His Taste in Women

Michael David Smith — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Dallas, TV and Movies

As he makes the media rounds to promote his appearance on Under One Roof, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was on Conan O'Brien, where he explained his taste in women:

(Via Shutdown Corner) "A couple of my close friends, we have this little slogan: Looking for someone low-maintenance, that looks high-maintenance, but they're really not," Owens said. "I like the model type. Just the hot girls. ... I want to roll over, look at her when I get up, like, 'How did you get here?'"

Owens also discussed the awkward phase of his childhood ("at one point, I was really Conan O'Brien-ish") and his work with the Alzheimer's Association.

T.O. Tells Conan About His Taste in Women originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 12 May 2008 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBC to Charge $3 Million Per Super Bowl Ad

Michael David Smith — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, Super Bowl, TV and Movies

The Super Bowl isn't only the biggest day of the year in football, it's also the biggest day of the year in advertising. That has been true for a couple of decades, but at the Super Bowl next year, NBC is going to do something unprecedented: Charge $3 million for 30-second commercials.

The Wall Street Journal reports that by charging $3 million as a starting point for negotiations for the sale of 30-second commercial slots during the game, NBC is raising the price by 10%. Fox got $3 million from a couple advertisers for this year's Super Bowl, but the average price was about $2.7 million for 30-second ads.

NBC says this year's huge ratings mean that even though the economy is slowing down, companies will be willing to pay $100,000 a second for Super Bowl ad time. The NFL may be a recession-proof business.

NBC to Charge $3 Million Per Super Bowl Ad originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 17:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Taylor Dances to Monday Night Football Theme on 'Dancing With the Stars'

Michael David Smith — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:40:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, NFL Video, Miami, TV and Movies

This is just weird:

That was Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor's performance during the Latin round on Dancing With the Stars last night, dancing to the Monday Night Football theme song. I can understand, I guess, the choice of song, even if I don't really think "Latin" when I hear the first four notes of the MNF theme. But did Taylor really need to wear the eye black? That just looked stupid.

Taylor is currently in first place on the show, ahead of Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Jason Taylor Dances to Monday Night Football Theme on 'Dancing With the Stars' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Favre Tells David Letterman Randy Moss Had Nothing to Do With His Retirement

Michael David Smith — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:49:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, TV and Movies

Retired Packers quarterback Brett Favre appeared on David Letterman last night, and when Letterman tried to bring up the question of whether the Packers' failure to acquire Randy Moss had anything to do with Favre's retirement, Favre shut it down:

"Randy I think is a great player and will continue to be, but believe me, that had no bearing whatsoever on my coming back," said Favre of the rumor that won't die.

Favre also said he thinks Aaron Rodgers will do well as the Packers' quarterback in 2008, and that he now spends time on his property in Mississippi doing, basically, nothing. Sounds like the retirement a lot of people want.

Brett Favre Tells David Letterman Randy Moss Had Nothing to Do With His Retirement originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deion Sanders Promotes His Reality Show

Michael David Smith — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:58:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, TV and Movies

There were few NFL players I enjoyed watching more than Deion Sanders, but I can guarantee I will not be watching his new reality show, which he promoted on the Late Late Show:

Sanders says the show, which follows his family around like The Osbournes and is called Deion & Pilar Sanders: Prime Time Love, emphasizes Christian values. And he then proceeds to explain on the Late Late Show his belief in the Christian value of having some animals on his property so he can exploit tax breaks intended to benefit farmers.

Prime Time Love apparently shows Sanders' reaction to his daughter's first date, about which he says he doesn't want her dating athletes because to them, "It's a game to them and they want to score."

Deion Sanders Promotes His Reality Show originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry, Rick Reilly: The Weakness of 'Leatherheads' Is the Script

Michael David Smith — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, ESPN, TV and Movies

Rick Reilly, who last year jumped ship from Sports Illustrated to ESPN, is one of America's most popular sports writers, and almost certainly its highest paid. But he's also done a little dabbling as a screenwriter: Along with fellow former SI scribe Duncan Brantley, Reilly co-wrote Leatherheads, the new George Clooney movie.

Now the reviews of Leatherheads are in, and the advice Reilly is getting is, "Don't quit your day job":

On Ebert & Roeper, film critics Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips agreed that the acting in Leatherheads was good, the directing was good, the score was good, but there was one problem.

"All the blame for me goes on the script," Phillips said. "The two Sports Illustarted guys who wrote this, they may know their football, but they do not know their funny."

Roeper agreed: "The weakness in this movie is the script. ... The script is weak, it does kind of meander, it needed a couple of re-writes."

At least Reilly has that $2 million ESPN salary to fall back on.

Sorry, Rick Reilly: The Weakness of 'Leatherheads' Is the Script originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blogophobe Bob Costas Will Have Blogger Will Leitch on His Show

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: New York, TV and Movies, Blogs

One of the reasons I, as a blogger, wasn't particularly bothered by it when Bob Costas referred to blogs as "a high-tech place for idiots" is that I never really believed that Costas believes all bloggers are idiots. Costas is too smart a guy to paint with that broad a brush, and it was no surprise when Costas later said that he understands that not all bloggers are idiots, and that his antipathy for blogs is as much about his age (56) as anything else.

And it should also be no surprise that Costas, who will open the eighth season of his HBO show, Costas Now, with a live broadcast about the evolving sports media landscape, has invited Deadspin blogger Will Leitch to appear on the show. From an HBO release:

"On April 29 we're going to take stock of the sports media landscape," said HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg in a statement. "For example, the rise of Internet bloggers and sports talk radio are topics you cannot ignore. What is their impact on sports and how news gets reported? We look forward to a comprehensive and opinionated evening of discussion."

If there's anything Costas knows how to do, it's facilitate a comprehensive and opinionated evening of discussion. I'll be watching.

Blogophobe Bob Costas Will Have Blogger Will Leitch on His Show originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chad Johnson Bores Audience on Carson Daly

Michael David Smith — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:56:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, NFL Video, Cincinnati, TV and Movies

Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson has been on TV more than Leave it to Beaver reruns in the last few days, and his latest stop was on Last Call with Carson Daly:

The most striking thing about all these Johnson TV appearances is that for all the entertainment he provides on the field, both with his play and with his touchdown celebrations, he's really not a particularly engaging talk show guest. The studio audience laughed a couple of times, but it felt forced, like there was a one-second delay between what Johnson said and the audience noticing that the "laugh" sign had been turned on.

As for those touchdown celebrations, Johnson claims the league office appreciates them. When Daly asked him about the league's reaction to his antics in the end zone, Johnson said, "They love it to death because it makes the game fun."

And regarding whether or not he's happy in Cincinnati, Johnson said, "There were some things that didn't sit well with myself. There were some things that didn't go well in house. ... I'm going to leave it in God's hands. Where ever he wants me, that's where I'll be."

Chad Johnson Bores Audience on Carson Daly originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terry Bradshaw Acts Insane on Jay Leno, Discusses His Nude Scene

Michael David Smith — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:15:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, TV and Movies

Terry Bradshaw appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday night, and he appears to be, as Seth Greenberg might say, certifiably insane:

Bradshaw always acts a little nutty on the Fox NFL pregame show, but on Leno he takes that to a whole new level, talking about, among other things, his nude scene in the movie Failure to Launch, which was recently named one of the 10 Worst Nude Scenes in film history.

After the jump, the second part of Bradshaw's appearance.
At the very end of the clip, we finally find out that Bradshaw is actually on Leno to promote a documentary about Hurricane Katrina and its impact on his home state, Louisiana:

Terry Bradshaw Acts Insane on Jay Leno, Discusses His Nude Scene originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Golic Discusses His Steroid Use With David Letterman

Michael David Smith — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Video, NFL Media Watch, PEDs, TV and Movies

ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic appeared on David Letterman Monday night, and a little over three minutes into their appearance, Letterman asked Golic about his past steroid use:

"Back in '87 I was with the Philadelphia Eagles," Golic said. "It was not illegal in the NFL then, [steroid testing] came about in the next CBA, I think it was in '89, but certainly it was illegal to acquire steroids and inject them."

"I blew out my shoulder and I had reconstructive surgery and it was in January and I didn't want to miss minicamp, it was only my second or third year in the league and I said I'm going to do it to recover quicker. I did it for about five or six weeks and it made me nuts. My wife was the one who said, you know, 'I understand what you're trying to do, but it's getting out of hand'."

When Letterman asked what he meant, Golic said, "Roid rage. The roid rage is very, very true. In the mid-80s there was a lot of steroids going on, it was used an awful lot and I think football has done a nice job of cleaning it up."

Letterman asked whether it's possible that moderate use of human growth hormone and steroids could be beneficial, and Golic said that might be true, but that athletes don't do anything in moderation.

Golic and Greenberg also discussed March Madness, Tiger Woods and Billy Crystal.

Mike Golic Discusses His Steroid Use With David Letterman originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots 19-0 Shirts Make Conan O'Brien

Michael David Smith — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Video, Boston, Super Bowl, TV and Movies

Remember those New England Patriots 19-0 shirts that were sent to Nicaragua? Although it happens every year in every major American sports, the fact that the Patriots' championship apparel was printed and never used has become a topic of conversation across the country, including in Conan O'Brien's monologue last night:

Conan could barely get the joke out because the New Yorkers in his audience were so enthusiastic in their applause for the Patriots losing the Super Bowl, but once he managed, he got some good lines off at the expense of Howard Dean, Dennis Rodman, Carmen Electra and MC Hammer.

Patriots 19-0 Shirts Make Conan O'Brien originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami Dolphins' Jason Taylor to Appear on Dancing With the Stars

Michael David Smith — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:59:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Miami, TV and Movies

Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor has always defied the usual football player stereotypes. He's a quiet, easy-going guy off the field, his charity work allowed him to be recognized as the Walter Payton Man of the Year, and his main endorsement deal is for that least manly of products, moisturizer.

And now he's got a new off-season hobby: He's going to appear on Dancing With the Stars. Several athletes have been on the show before, but Taylor is the first active NFL player to do it. The other contestants will include athletes such as Monica Seles and Kristi Yamaguchi, as well as Adam Carolla, Priscilla Presley and some "stars" I've never heard of.

So, good luck to Jason Taylor, whose agility on the football field may very well translate to the dance floor. But somehow I can't picture his new boss, Bill Parcells, watching. %Gallery-6080%

Miami Dolphins' Jason Taylor to Appear on Dancing With the Stars originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swimsuit Issue Cover Model Marisa Miller on David Letterman

Michael David Smith — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:03:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, TV and Movies

I don't know if I've ever received more negative feedback about anything I've written than when I confessed yesterday to not knowing who Marisa Miller, the SI Swimsuit Issue cover model was. Well, now I know all about her, thanks to the e-mails I received and this interview with David Letterman:

I thought Letterman was going to have a heart attack when he said, "Tell me about this body painting," and she replied, "You have to be fully shaved."

Previously on FanHouse:
Texans Cheerleader Swimsuit Twins Confuse Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit Issue Hits Stands Today

Swimsuit Issue Cover Model Marisa Miller on David Letterman originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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