Brian Powell from AwfulAnnouncing.com joins the show to talk about his website and the vast and diverse world of sports media. 

This is our 60th episode, so we expanded it (by happenstance) to 60 minutes. 

First, we talk about Awful Announcing, and how he started the site.  We discuss the nature of someone whose job it is to watch sports ALL THE FREAKING TIME and if he is able to maintain any semblance of a social life having to watch, listen to and clip sporting events all day and night. 

That’s the thing most people don’t realize...people who watch sports for a living can usually just read a box score and watch SportsCenter in the morning to get caught up.  Helll, that’s what we do (and even without most of the SportsCenter).  But he has to actually watch everything, listen to every word, visualize every chyron and bumper and bug on the screen for that one time when someone is up with a 4-2 count or when a teaser for the new Fox show Fringe is spelled wrong and turns into a promo for German soccer highlights.  (Note: click that freaking link). 

We talk about how he’s able to make a living stealing footage from major companies and has yet to be sued.  This brings up an hilarious potential spinoff for the site my wife created, Lawful Announcing (patent pending).

We go in depth about why everyone is so enamored with Erin Andrews.  There have been other sideline reporters before, but nobody gets the coverage on the blogosphere that EA receives.  It’s just mind-boggling the numbers she produces for blogs, and I’m not sure there’s any real reason other than the obvious fact that she’s attractive, good at her job and came along at the exact right time.  Maybe it’s that simple.

Even though he runs Awful Announcing, I ask Brian about some of the announcers he actually does like.   Some of the names might surprise you. 

We then move to the more awful side of the street to talk about the demise of Billy Packer and to discuss the enigma that is Joe Buck.  He’s great and awful rolled into one, and that fascinates me.  That spins us to the Life of Reilly and if Rick Reilly will ever justify his paycheck, commenting specifically on his terrible and unnecessary appearance at the Home Run Derby.

Reilly gets us to Bob Costas, and the newly-named Friends of Bob (or FOB) that will be joining him at the Olympic games in China.  Did you know the Olympics are only days away?  Can’t wait.

We close with a talk about, what else, ESPN.  The World Wide Leader is exactly that, and we discuss the fact that everyone has seemingly backed off their attempts to even try and give viewers any alternative programming other than covering events.  I mean, I guess Fox tries, but halfheartedly at best.  We wonder what the world would be like without ESPN.

We also wonder if ESPN has left itself vulnerable to the growing world of interwebs and if their lack of focus in the digital world has made it possible for some of the rest of us to thrive. 

Let’s hope so.

Link to this:

| | | | | |