The Sports Guy phenomonon.. Is it Jump The Shark Time?

[SirFozzie]

Page 2 presents ...

Can't get enough of the Sports Guy? Well, now you can get him in animated form every week on Page 2.

Apparently this is starting next tuesday, with weekly episodes.

Uh..

yeah.

Ok...

He's asking that folks give it a few episodes...

But I am SK-EP-TI-CAL!

[cthomer5000]

I think the intern was when it jumped the shark. I have not been reading him at all since then.

[rkmsuf]

subliminally embedded

*buy insider*

*buy insider*

[VPI97]

He jumped the shark when every article turned into a Red Sox/Patriots lovefest.

[Franklinnoble]

He jumped the shark when every article turned into a Red Sox/Patriots lovefest.

That's pretty much all he's ever done.

[timmyw3]

I actually enjoy the Intern more than Simmons at this point.

[Daimyo]

Decline started when the Pats won the first Super Bowl, quickened with the second, and then totally nosedived with the Red Sox. Now it seems like all he ever does is bash Peyton Manning and praise Boston sports. Too bad... he used to be a must read.

[Desnudo]

He started out as The Boston Sports Guy, so I don't know what you expected. He's always been completely unapologetic for writing about the Patriots and Red Sox. Almost every single one of his articles has included a reference to them in some way shape or form. And if not them then the Celtics. If people don't like reading articles when teams are winning as well as losing, then too bad.

And I like the fact that he's the only sports writer or announcer out there that doesn't perform fellatio on Manning everytime he throws for 5 TDs against Arizona or the Bengals.

[Bomber]

He hasn't been new fresh or funny in quite a long time. The only sport he seems to know reasonably well is the NBA, the rest he's basically your average fan with a few semi-funny jokes.

[Desnudo]

subliminally embedded

*buy insider*

*buy insider*

I bet he goes on Insider by early 2005. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt on the cartoon except that it sounds incredibly stupid.

[Ksyrup]

The guy is now writing jokes for award shows. This is the sports journalist equivalent of Kurt Cobain writing songs for Britney Spears. At least Kurt knew when to bow out gracefully.

Come to think of it, Kurt and Bill have had about the same length of run...

[Draft Dodger]

And I like the fact that he's the only sports writer or announcer out there that doesn't perform fellatio on Manning everytime he throws for 5 TDs against Arizona or the Bengals.

...and KC
...and Houston
...and Green Bay
...and Denver
...and New Orleans
...and Atlanta

:)

[cuervo72]

Seriously, the Manning bashing and Tom Brady ass-licking is getting tiresome.

[rkmsuf]

Seriously, the Manning bashing and Tom Brady ass-licking is getting tiresome.

wait till you see it in cartoon form.

[Desnudo]

Seriously, the Manning bashing and Tom Brady ass-licking is getting tiresome.

"Steelers fans need to settle down. Just last week, my buddy Shek argued in a crowded room that Pittsburgh had the best offense in the league. And maybe he was right ... after all, their QB is probably going to break Marino's TD record, and they have a RB on pace for 1700 yards, as well as three potential 1,000-yard WRs, and they're probably cracking 500 points for the season. Oh, wait, that's the Colts."

Hah! And he's just echoing the sentiment of every sports fan in Boston with the Manning bashing and Brady butt kissing.

[Desnudo]

...and KC
...and Houston
...and Green Bay
...and Denver
...and New Orleans
...and Atlanta

:)

Didn't see the Pats, Steelers or EAgles in there. ;)

[Ryan S]

The guy is now writing jokes for award shows. This is the sports journalist equivalent of Kurt Cobain writing songs for Britney Spears.

I am not so sure about that.

He made no secret that his ambition was to work on a nightly TV show. The award show is merely an extension of that.

[Ksyrup]

Actually, the original Jimmy Kimmel thing came out of the blue, and he's no longer even writing for Kimmel's show anymore.

[cuervo72]

Hah! And he's just echoing the sentiment of every sports fan in Boston with the Manning bashing and Brady butt kissing.

Yes, but he's quick to say that it's not Manning who deserves the credit, it's the system, the offense-inflating rules, the receivers, etc.

And he doesn't live in Boston anymore....

[Subby]

To each his own, I guess...I still find him to be the most entertaining pop-culture/sports writer around...

[korme]

To each his own, I guess...I still find him to be the most entertaining pop-culture/sports writer around...
heard dat

[Desnudo]

And he doesn't live in Boston anymore....

What's your point?

[cuervo72]

"echoing every sports fan in Boston"

Pointing out a technicality.

[Fidatelo]

At least Kurt knew when to bow out gracefully.

I've never thought of blowing your head off as "bowing out gracefully" before :eek:

[Ksyrup]

That was tongue in cheek, obviously. Although, I think I'd rather blow my head off than write for an award show. But that's just me.

[Franklinnoble]

I've never thought of blowing your head off as "bowing out gracefully" before :eek:

You've obviously never been married.

[Desnudo]

"echoing every sports fan in Boston"

Pointing out a technicality.

He does echo what every sports fan in Boston thinks, regardless of where he lives. Technicality overuled! Charged one time out!

[Maple Leafs]

Actually, he jumps the shark twice every year: when the NBA season starts, and when the NBA playoffs start.

Other than that, he's great.

[davidlando1]

Is it just me, or has the term "jump the shark" become trite?

[MikeVick7]

To each his own, I guess...I still find him to be the most entertaining pop-culture/sports writer around...


Count me in.

[Maple Leafs]

Is it just me, or has the term "jump the shark" become trite?It's become such a cliche that even the joke about the term "jump the shark" jumping the shark has now jumped the shark.

[davidlando1]

It's become such a cliche that even the joke about the term "jump the shark" jumping the shark has now jumped the shark.
agreed :p

[Desnudo]

Is it just me, or has the term "jump the shark" become trite?

Bill Simmon's noted that Jump the Shark was done about three years ago to poke a little fun at the original poster.

[Subby]

Heh - I like his NBA stuff the best of all...the NBA Draft Diaries are always classic.

[tucker342]

I love reading his columns. And I agree that his NBA Draft Diaries are awesome:D

[cuervo72]

He does echo what every sports fan in Boston thinks, regardless of where he lives. Technicality overuled! Charged one time out!

I expected as much for a retort, I left myself open to this.

If this is the case then, I suppose I should say that all Boston sports fans should stuff it! ;)

(I actually like Simmons, a lot. I'm just sick about hearing how the Pats are underrated, how Manning sucks, etc. We get it...)

[Scholes]

I remember when he did a little back and forth e-mail thing with Chuck Klosterman (SPIN Magazine), and I seemed to like Klosterman more than Simmons, and then I read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and enjoyed it... not a mindblowing work or anything, but I remember thinking to myself that Simmions could never put out a well recieved book like that because his thoughts don't conclude. He just kind of throws stuff out there, and while I do enjoy most of it, it does seem that he's getting a little overblown. It's bound to happen eventually with anything associated with ESPN though, they find a little thing that people seem to like and force feed it to you constantly (i.e poker, shows where three people sit around and argue, etc.).

[cuervo72]

Well, my thoughts never conclude, so I can identify with that...

[Daimyo]

I'll give you that Simmon's NBA stuff is still good... probably because the Celtics suck.

[CamEdwards]

is it just me, or would chuck klosterman and bill simmons both be incredible bloggers? i loved Fargo Rock City, but "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs" did nothing for me. Same with much of Bill Simmons's stuff. But I think I'd really like to read their pithy little comments posted throughout the day.

[haji1]

I still really like SImmons, but I wish he would get back to his movie reviews.

[Desnudo]

I still really like SImmons, but I wish he would get back to his movie reviews.

Ditto, I've been wondering what happened to those. The one type of column I really could care less about is the LA scene column like the award show one he wrote. I'd much rather see #42 reviewed.

[Fidatelo]

OK, so I watched the cartoon this morning, and all I can is...

that thing is a steaming coiler. I'm a huge Sports Guy fan, read all his stuff and love it, but that cartoon was crap.

[digamma]

OK, so I watched the cartoon this morning, and all I can is...

that thing is a steaming coiler. I'm a huge Sports Guy fan, read all his stuff and love it, but that cartoon was crap.
Agree. Completely agree.

[rkmsuf]

oof that was bad

[CamEdwards]

wow, that cartoon really was crap.

[VPI97]

http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_poo.gif

[Desnudo]

I take it I should save my opinion of him by not watching it?

[pooryorick]

Wow. I'd rather click on one of JeffNight's lame ass "LOL OMG GUYS THIS IS FUNNY" links than watch the sports guy cartoon again. And that's saying something.

[Maple Leafs]

It's not that bad.

But it wasn't good, either. It's not something I'd forward on to my friends, for example. It's really one joke, stretched over a few minutes.

By the way, what was with his note in his column a few days ago about how he "created" the characters? Isn't it just him and his friends?

[LloydLungs]

It's not horrible, it's just pointless. A one-joke cartoon that's barely a minute long.

I'm not sure I understand why this project got off the ground if they're not going to put a little more into it.

[Desnudo]

It's not horrible, it's just pointless. A one-joke cartoon that's barely a minute long.

I'm not sure I understand why this project got off the ground if they're not going to put a little more into it.

And it's a joke that's already been driven into the ground. Watching that guy run to home plate, it felt like ten times as long as it actually took.

[digamma]

I gave the cartoon another try today and actually smiled at Barry Bonds' head falling off continuously.

[korme]

haha yea, that third episode is actually pretty funny

[Desnudo]

The Bonds one was funny.

[Franklinnoble]

Bah. Still weak.

Bang! cartoons are better... and there's no competition for the gold standard... Strong Bad!

[Maple Leafs]

The Bonds one was OK. Still nowhere near passing the "send the link to your friends" test.

[Desnudo]

Closer though, much closer.

[Fidatelo]

The Bonds one was ok, but I'd still rather he focus his energy on writing more columns, and less on putting out a mediocre-at-best cartoon. Why does he need to be in a cartoon anyways?

[Desnudo]

Who knows? Why does he need to hold Clippers season tickets? Why do we have to watch that damn #3 movie ad every single time the page loads? I really wish he followed another sport besides the NBA.

[korme]

i found the fourth episode to be funny as well

[digamma]

There's that old saying that you gotta dance with the girl who brung ya'...
Classic Simmons today:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/041217

Some excerpts:

Top-six underrated things about Clippers games:




1. Those random NBA moments that you can't get on TV
For instance, during one game this season, a veteran on the visiting team was playing eye tag with a girl sitting courtside near the basket. She was pretty cute but looked like she had some miles on her -- she wasn't quite "Get My Own Scene" hot. (In other words, she looked like someone who could definitely crack a Skinemax movie, but not as the only girl in a sex scene, and definitely not as the lead detective or anything.) Anyway, they were mouthing words to one another, then he grabbed a pen and paper from the ballboy, wrote down his number and the ballboy ran it over during a timeout. And this happened in the final minutes of a tight game. Swear to God.
***

Q: I just turned 18, and I'm curious as to whether or not there is a list of rules I should abide by when making my first porn purchase. Do I make eye contact with the guy ringing me up? Is there a discreet manner in which people are supposed to pay? I'm struggling here, this is unchartered territory for me. Any suggestions?
--Danny S., Danbury, CT




SG: Rent a regular movie as well, so you don't seem like a pervert. Wait until there's nobody at the counter. Move as quickly as possible. Don't make eye contact. Don't speak unless spoken to. Try to have exact change. Don't wear a raincoat. And if there's a female behind the counter, abort the mission.




(Note: I subscribe to Adam Carolla's theory on this one -- namely, that men need the same luxury for porn rentals as women get for Brazilian bikini waxes. Notice how women invariably get waxed by someone who doesn't speak any English? Even though it's a potentially humilating event, it's almost like it doesn't count as a human interaction, right? Can you have an interaction when two people can't understand one another? Probably not. The same should go for strip club bouncers and people working behind the counter at a video store. They shouldn't speak a word of English. Don't worry, this is on Carolla's Presidential platform for 2008.)
***

You're right, that was pretty good. If that show came around 15 years later, there's absolutely no question that both of those Dads would have been gay. In fact, there's still time. But I don't think it cracks the top-five sitcom ideas. I always thought the best possible sitcom could be summed up in one sentence, followed by the subsequent sentence, "Comedy ensues." If it sounds funny in two sentences, it's probably a winner. The premise behind "My Two Dads" was flawed because, in real life, they would have gotten a blood test to figure it out. But look at something like "Diff'rent Strokes," which could be described in ten words:




"Rich white guy adopts two poor black orphans. Comedy ensues."




(Now that, my friends, is a great sitcom premise.)

[korme]

agreed, his clippers and mailbag articles were fantastic today

[Desnudo]

I love when he writes about what goes on at Clippers games besides the game. After reading one of those articles about players not paying attention during time outs I decided to watch the benches during timeouts. I happened to be at a Sonics game and what do I see? Ricky Davis sitting on the scorers table checking out the Sonics dance squad while Doc Rivers talks to the team.

[korme]

yea, talking about kandi man staring at the kiss cam on the jumbotron as dunleavy frantically writes down a new play, that's hilarious

[SirFozzie]

see sports guy's at his funniest when he riffs on random tangents. Try to nail him down to one topic, and he becomes any other writer.

[Ksyrup]

As if Sports Guy cartoons weren't enough, they've now added a Mike & Mike cartoon.

Kill me now.

[Franklinnoble]

Stick a fork in the Sports Guy. He's done.

It was bad enough when the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Now that they've won 3, and the Sox have won the WS, he's just freaking intolerable.

[Ksyrup]

I wasn't slagging on Sports Guy; it's ESPN this time. A Mike & Mike cartoon?! Ugh.

[Passacaglia]

It always seems odd to me how often people in the sports media talk about things other than sports. I mean, it seems like there are so many things to discuss, but instead, I find that the more you immers yourself in sports media, you don't necessarily learn more about sports -- you learn more about the people who cover sports.