Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports media…
Michael Sam commentary: Barry Horn in the Dallas Morning News has a story on Dale Hansen’s commentary on Sam. The Dallas sportscaster was stunned about his piece going viral with more than 4 million views on youtube. Well worth checking out if you haven’t seen it.
On Monday’s 10 p.m. newscast, the longtime WFAA-TV (Channel 8) sports anchor offered up a 428-word commentary in support of Michael Sam, the former University of Missouri defensive end who, in a prelude to the NFL draft, on Sunday declared to various national media outlets that he is gay.
It took Hansen two minutes and 15 seconds to deliver.
By 5 p.m. Thursday, Hansen’s “Unplugged” segment had 2.34 million views on YouTube and was front page on a slew of websites. Even conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was talking Hansen.
“I think Mr. Hansen has some decent points,” said Limbaugh, despite insisting he didn’t see what all the fuss was about.
By his own count, Hansen received more than 1,000 emails from across the country and around the world. He even had 14 telephone messages, “and nobody leaves those for me anymore,” he said.
Chuck Culpepper on Michael Sam: Culpepper, who is gay, lauds Michael Sam’s courage at Sports on Earth.
Even when you consider America’s whoosh on the gay issue across the last decade; even when you consider that those who condemn homosexuality as a “choice” fade ever more into the margins with each generation; and even when you know that Sam’s Missouri teammates just spent a whole season loving him enough to vote him MVP; he still just chucked aside a lot of rational and irrational fear.
With fear a daily enemy in so much of life, here’s a great big bravo to him on that.
Marv Albert: Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing does a podcast with the one-and-only prior to the NBA All-Star game.
What makes the All-Star broadcast unique from any other.
-Top storylines, surprises, and disappointments of the season so far.
-The Indiana Pacers trying to knock off the Miami Heat and whether they’d be playoff favorites if they get the East’s top seed.
-The change at the top of the league with Adam Silver replacing David Stern.
-The evolution of pro basketball and how the game is played differently now versus the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
-How Marv’s signature “YES!” call originated, which is a fantastic story.
-Expanding his announcing portfolio calling the NFL and NCAA Tournament for CBS Sports. Also, why Jim Nantz should remain in place as the Final Four’s lead announcer.
-His broadcast influences growing up and advice to younger announcers on being yourself.
-Why Willis Reed’s heroics in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals is still his most memorable call from his illustrious career.
Figure skating: Ken Fang at Awful Announcing compares the live coverage of figure skating on NBCSN to the primetime on NBC.
Gannon, Lipinski and Weir have been delightful in their calls. They’re having fun in the booth plus Lipinski and Weir have been on top of the skaters’ elements, telling viewers about jumps, lifts, twizzles and footwork. In addition, Tara and Johnny have also clearly explained what the judges are looking for, how they review each jump, what can be a points deduction and what can be viewed as a bonus.
Maria Sharapova: Richard Deitsch at SI.com write about the tennis player’s broadcast future.
Among her NBC segments: Touring Russia House in Sochi with Ato Boldon and traveling around the city with Carillo. As far as Boldon is concerned, Sharapova could have a big future in television. “Oh, there is no doubt she could do TV in a second,” said Boldon, who is working as a correspondent for NBC in Sochi and is a sensational track and field analyst for the network. “The camera loves her and she is smart and very articulate. She is not too self-absorbed and I think has a good sense of who she is and who she is not. I remember once hearing her say she wanted to be a Bond girl. I doubt she would say that now.”
Added NBC Olympics executive producer Jim Bell, who hired Sharapova: “Maria has tremendous potential in television when her tennis career ends and I think she’ll have opportunities to consider beyond the tennis announcing booth.”
Rob Neyer: He writes his first baseball column for Foxsports.com.
Chuck Tanner used to say, “Baseball’s just an opinion.”*
* He also used to say, “Really? Half the guys on my team were snorting cocaine every day?”
I’ve never been a fan of Tanner’s Dictum, because it might seem to suggest that nobody knows anything; that nobody can know anything, in which case there’s little point in even trying. You think Omar Moreno’s just as good as Chet Lemon? Hey, baseball’s just an opinion. You think Jack Morris was the premier big-game pitcher of his generation? Hey, baseball’s just an opinion.
But don’t worry, friends. This column, my first (but not my last) in this space, isn’t about Jack Morris. It’s about humility, and the limits of our knowledge and our wisdom.
Jeannie Morris: In Chicago, Robert Feder reports the great Jeanne Morris will be the first woman sports journalist to win the Ring Lardner Award. Well deserved.
“This is well-deserved!” tweeted CBS 2 sports anchor Megan Mawicke. “Working at CBS I know just how much Jeannie paved the way for the rest of us!!”
Tweeted: NBC 5′s Peggy Kusinski: “Every Woman Sportscaster in Chicago should know & thank Jeannie Morris for being smart & a Pro – I’m a huge fan!”