mediameltdown Page 59 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights


The Stupid, Stupid Implications Of Aaron Hernandez's “Ominous” Past
There's a troubling little narrative brewing in the matter of Aaron Hernandez. Even if the writers promoting it won't put it in so many words, it runs like this: Because Hernandez got into trouble in college, the Patriots should have seen this murder stuff coming....

ESPN Cutting Off Bill Simmons Calls For A <em>Sopranos</em> Parody
Last night's curious incident in which Bill Simmons's thoughts on "The Decision" went off into the ether led us (and many commenters) to draw comparisons to the final episode of The Sopranos....

Austin NBC Station Runs News Promo During Overtime, Misses Winning Goal
It's not exactly Heidi, but a major blunder by Austin, Tex. NBC affiliate KXAN deprived Lone Star State hockey fans the sudden-death goal that clinched Game 4 for the Blackhawks....


Sports Editor Charged With Human Trafficking
Bobby Abplanalp, the sports editor for a tiny North Dakota newspaper, was one of two men arrested this week for allegedly trying to pay for sex with a person known to be under 18 years of age....
![Bill Simmons Is Pissed That <em>SportsCenter</em> Edited Out This Joke [UPDATE]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/Image_Not_Found_1x_qjofp8.png)
Bill Simmons Is Pissed That <em>SportsCenter</em> Edited Out This Joke [UPDATE]
Up above, Bill Simmons and the rest of the NBA Countdown crew discuss how Dwyane Wade transmogrified himself last night into an All-Star once again. Magic Johnson wonders if he could do it again for Game 5, and Michael Wilbon says he'll benefit from getting two off days. ...
![Tennis Channel CEO: Comcast Battle Like "Being Raped By Brutal Captor" [UPDATE]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/18qivwajrb351jpg.jpg)
Tennis Channel CEO: Comcast Battle Like "Being Raped By Brutal Captor" [UPDATE]
Two weeks ago, a federal appeals court ruled that Comcast did not have to put Tennis Channel on its basic cable service and could, instead, throw it on a more-expensive sports tier. The court overturned an FCC ruling in the process. Tennis Channel was unhappy about this. In fact, Tennis Channel CEO ...

ESPN Mentioned Tim Tebow 137 Times In 120 Minutes
The Worldwide Leader has really outdone itself....

Counterpoint: Baseball Games Are Exactly As Long As They Should Be
The most striking thing about the Baseball Games Are Too Long argument is the amount of time spent thinking about it. ...


Steve Phillips And Brooke Hundley: A Romance Told Through Filthy Sexts
You can head over here and read the long version of the affair between then-ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips and then-ESPN production assistant Brooke Hundley. Or you can get a pretty good idea of their very brief romance by reading their text messages. As the full story points out, this was a m...

The Mostly Sexless Sex Scandal That Shook ESPN
A few hours after the 2009 Home Run Derby, Steve Phillips bought Brooke Hundley a drink. They were at the bar of St. Louis's Millenium Hotel, a block from Busch Stadium, where more than a dozen ESPN staffers had gathered after wrapping up another day's work during MLB's extended All-Star weekend. Hu...

Messed-Up Mugshots & Dead Jermaine Dupri: May In Local News Blunders
We Regret The Error is our monthly look at local news mistakes and the subsequent boilerplate apologies. Spy a blunder on your local news? Let us know....

Pirates Broadcaster On The Pirates' Hot Streak: "This Is Kinky!"
The Pittsburgh Pirates, you guys! They've been spanking their fans for years, but now they've won 19 games in May. They haven't lost a series since May 5. Last night they won 1-0 for the fourth time in 11 games. And cuddly color man Steve Blass is just tickled by it all....

This Time, The Egg Avoided Jim Knox's Face
Let's recount our Jim Knox greatest hits:...

Bill Simmons Thinks Memphis Fans Get Tense Because MLK Was Shot There
For many years now, Bill Simmons has positioned himself as a kind of ULTRA fan. He's not simply the voice of the fan anymore. He is more fan than you. He understands fandom in a way that you could not possibly understand. He understands that when fans get loud, things are going well! And when fans ...

MLB Network Is Just Inventing New Statistics Now
If only my dog could shit with at least a .275 average....

Trope-Recycling Bill Simmons Has Bill Simmons Syndrome
Bill Simmons this week mused on the fate of Dwight Howard, who appears to be the NBA's equivalent of plutonium: a potential world-beater but perilously radioactive. To characterize the gap between Perceived Dwight Howard and Actual Dwight Howard, the founder of Grantland and ESPN spittling-head did ...

Hawk Completely Melts Down About This Blown Double Play Call
Chicago White Sox announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson was obviously a little high-strung yesterday when Chicago had bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th with one out against the lowly Marlins. When umpire Angel Hernandez called White Sox batter Alex Rios out at first base to complete the double play an...