Friday night was the last episode of “Quite Frankly,” the weeknight ESPN2 show hosted by Inqwaster‘s Stephen A. Smith. The station canceled the show, and on his ESPN Radio show Friday, Smith said he accepts blame for the ratings being lackluster. According to the sports network, Smith will continue to play a large role for ESPN/ESPN2. “The other things he does for us are going to increase,” an ESPN spokesman said Friday night. He added that Smith will be seen on air “as much or more than ever.” However, Smith’s comments to Phawker.com on Friday, suggest he is leaving the […]
PBR: FOOKIN’ PUNTERS!
BY PATRICK BERKERY Down in the Big Easy, where the Eagles’ unexpected playoff push came to a screeching halt Saturday night, there’s a colloquialism called lagniappe. It means ?a little something extra.? And what Jeff Garcia, Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, Marty Mornhinweg et al gave us after Donovan went down was a totally unforeseen little something extra. Well done, boys. Well done. That said, the way it ended stings. Badly. Lagniappe, schmaniappe, I say. The defense might?ve been sucking wind late in the fourth quarter, but Garcia was still cocked and loaded (insert rumors of Garcia being homosexual-related punch line […]
ROCKIST FROM THE CRYPT: JOHN REIS On Da Iggles, R.O.C.K. In The 215 And Killing HOT SNAKES Dead
BY DAVID R. STAMPONE WEST COAST CORRESPONDENT Many folks here in the 215 have closely followed the career of one John Reis, even if said guy is as essentially San Diegan as voted-in-Tuesday Baseball Hall of Famer Tony “Mr. Padre” Gwynn. His groups have always been well-received in the Delaware Valley (as is his weekly free-form radio show “The Swami Sound System,” heard online at www.fm949sd.com starting 1 am every Sunday). And, actually, two of his biggest bands each had a Philadelphia story. NOW PLAYING ON PHAWKER RADIO! Hot Snakes began as an SD/Philly two-dudes-in-two-cities project, with Reis rocking guitar/bass […]
PBR: Playoff Foreplay, How Much Do YOU Need?
BY PATRICK BERKERY Love these Nerf-ish Eagles profiles the local news roll outs during the playoffs. Dunno know about you, but nothing gets me ready for game day more than a reporter who knows nothing about football hanging with player X and his trophy wife at some atrocity of a Toll Brothers home in south Jersey, while the rugrats zip around in toy Hummers in the background. Are you ready for some playoff football? This “On the Sidelines” report from Fox 29’s Michelle Williams is a little different. Watch as she “ooohs” and “aaahs” at long snapper/magician Jon Dorenbos’s card […]
HOT DOCUMENT: Stephen A. Smith Speaks Out ‘Quite Frankly’ On ESPN2 Cancellation, Buzz Dissinger, And Will He Or Won’t He Take One For The Team
From: stephenaREDACTED Subject: Re: Request For Comment Date: January 12, 2007 4:55:17 PM EST To: PHAWKER Yes, it’s true, and I support ESPN’s decision. Doing a brand new show on ESPN2 was a tremendous challenge to begin with. I did my best, helped along by a tremendous staff, and I’m proud of what we accomplished. I’ve learned a great deal. I’ve also learned there’s limits to what I can withstand in regards to my schedule. Now I move on to future challenges — while enthusiastically embracing old ones like writing for the Inquirer on a more frequent basis I’m still […]
PBR: Burrell Trade To Red Sox In The Offing? Shhhh…
BY PATRICK BERKERY Name-dropping: it isn’t just for sycophant promo-sexuals anymore. (I’m not naming names, but if you’re feeling a little hot in your complimentary My Morning Jacket fleece pullover, as your Shins advance plays in the background and you’re meeting Irv Fucknut from Suck My Dick records for dinner at the Tin Angel tonight before some emerging singer-songwriter’s 7:30 set, then, yeah, I’m looking right at you.) So humor me, and my little brush with baseball genius. I participated in the annual Hot Stove Cool Music benefit concerts in Boston last weekend. Lots of baseball dignitaries like ESPN’s Peter […]
GAMBLOR: Rule Of Thumb, Never Takes Iggles Superbowl Odds From A Girl Who Can’t Find Her Top
“Prior to the Titans loss, the Birds dropped three of their previous four despite being the favorites in each game. Obviously a huge reason for their late season rally has been the reemergence of Jeff Garcia as a top flight QB. Since taking over the QB duties, Garcia has completed 62% of his passes while throwing 10 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. Garcia?s familiarity with the West Coast offense obviously made his transition to starter that much easier. […] The best part of all is if you were to bet the Philadelphia Eagles to win the 2007 Super Bowl heading into […]
PBR:Blogging Mama McNabb? Jeff Garcia as S.I. Cover Boy? Armchair Actuaries Crunching Salary Caps With Ant’ny Gargano On WIP? WHAT IN THE NAME OF BUBBY BRISTER IS GOING ON HERE?
BY PATRICK BERKERY About six weeks ago, I’m on tour with the Pernice Brothers. I’m in the lobby of a hotel outside Eugene, Ore., watching some AFC game on a rainy Sunday with Kevin, our merch guy. We’re discussing the rapidly approaching twilight of Donovan McNabb’s career, guesstimating that if he doesn’t bring home a ring this year or next, he’s the Jim Kelly of the ’00s — just with a higher Q rating. Then they cut to footage of McNabb being helped off the field in Tennessee with a grimace on his face that says “See you in 8-to-12 […]
PBR: The ANSWER Needs A New Question
PATRICK BERKERY REPORTS: Guess Billy King passed on Stephen A. Smith’s suggestion that the Sixers and Allen Iverson kiss and makeup. Again. (Seriously, does Screamin’ A. answer to anyone at the Inky’s sports desk?? What’s he working on for Sunday’s big Jeff Garcia-T.O. grudge match? 1,000 hard-hitting words on how T.O. is just misunderstood? But I digress?) The concept of the Franchise Player seems to work on paper but not so much in practice, at least not in this town (see Moses, Barkley, Schilling, Rolen). The first time A.I. and Larry Brown couldn’t co-exist, ’round about 2000, the best the […]
GOODBYE A.I.: Iverson Sold, er, TRADED To Nuggets
By David Aldridge INQUIRER STAFF WRITER The Allen Iverson era in Philadelphia is over. Iverson, pending NBA officials’ approval, will be traded to the Denver Nuggets for a package including guard Andre Miller, forward Joe Smith and both of Denver’s 2007 first-round picks, according to a source with knowledge of the trade talks between the teams. Miller, 30, is third in the league in assists and is one of the league’s best point guards. He will also receive an additional $1million as a trade kicker as part of his six-year, $55 million contract. Smith, the first pick overall in the […]
GOODNIGHT MR. SURE SHOT: Jumpshot Pioneer Dead At 78
FROM ESPN: Hall of Famer Paul Arizin, who was one of the first in the league to make the jump shot a regular part of his arsenal, died in his sleep in his home in suburban Philadelphia. He was 78. The Philadelphia Warriors and Villanova University both claimed Arizin as one of their own. Arizin was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978. He played with the Warriors from 1951-62, making the All-Star Game 10 times and winning the league’s MVP in 1952. He led the league in scoring twice. The 6-foot-4 forward finished his NBA career with per […]
SPORTZ: The ANSWER Raising Lotsa QUESTIONS, Internets Buzzing With Fan-Tastic Exit Strategies
Celtics — Jeff Clark from CelticsBlog.com: Offer Wally, Telfair, and West for Iverson. I know it is a low ball offer, but the salaries work and you have to start somewhere. When they reject that offer, sweeten it with a lottery protected draft pick. They might find that they can’t do better than that deal and just pull the trigger. Bulls — Stephen A. Smith from Philadelphia Inquirer: Chicago could send the expiring contracts of forwards P.J. Brown and Michael Sweetney, with guard Ben Gordon and a first-round pick to Philly for Iverson. Their brass will meet today but appear […]