Olympics on NBC, Zach Harper of Talk Hoops on NBA All-Star Weekend, Big East Insanity.

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Our good friend Zach Harper from Talkhoops.net joins the show, at 4am eastern time, to talk about the All-Star Weekend in the NBA. But first…

Nick and I talk about the Olympics coverage thus far. First, we put on our Al Roker costumes (yes, I totally wish I had an Al Roker costume) to discuss the weather in Vancouver and how it’s really starting to screw with the quality of the events. But then, our ire is shifted toward NBC. How in the world can a media company spend more than $800 million and not show all the events when they happen? And how in the world do they think that we’d rather see a human interest story by Mary Carillo — who I like, by the way — interviewing Polar Bears more than 1,000 miles away from Vancouver. Just because it’s “CANADA” doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the Games going on in VANCOUVER.

And that’s the least of NBC’s worries. How about the lack of coverage during the day,READ MORE

Jay Busbee Talks Daytona 500, Potholes, Cautions & Danica

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Jay Busbee from Yahoo’s From the Marbles joins the show – from the track – to talk about the Daytona 500 and the week in NASCAR. We end up talking a lot more about potholes than I ever expected.

Was is just a string of bad luck, or was there something NASCAR could have done about the giant holes in the track that held the race up for nearly three hours? And while we’re all making Pothole 500 jokes this morning, is there something more serious about the issue. Jimmie Johnson was interviewed after the race and mentioned that when his tire went over the pothole, it was never the same, intimating that he was bounced from the race early because the track screwed with his car.

We talk about the race, and how NASCAR reacts when someone like Jamie McMurray — a relative unknown in a sport with some enormous names — wins their biggest race. Is this good for the sport to bring another name to the forefront, or would theyREAD MORE

A Present to Me: We go FJM on SAS

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With all apologies to the fine folks at Fire Joe Morgan, who took columnist dissection to a whole new level, we break down the most recent column of PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER COLUMNIST Stephen A. Smith.

SAS talks about how Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are linked forever. It’s a new concept, it seems. He thinks that they should both be back, but if people want McNabb gone, he thinks Reid should be gone too. Rather than break it down here, just give it a listen. And if you think we went overboard, consider it a birthday present to myself.

“Ooh, I got a poorly constructed column to dissect! It’s what I always wanted! And it’s wrapped in newsprint…how clever.”

Thanks for indulging us. Be safe in the snow.

Josh Zerkle Recaps Vegas. Plus: Berman to NFLN? Sapp & Irvin, SAS Writing, ASG vs. Olympics.

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Josh Zerkle from With Leather joins the show to give his recap of our time in Vegas. For more on that, read his recap at With Leather, or mine at TSB, or watch the video I put together.

And no, we don’t go through a hand-by-hand recap of the tournament. It’s more about the time in Vegas, the people we saw and the bets we made. Fun times.

We also announce the baby pool I’ll be starting soon. Look for that ASAP.

Inside the Press Box:

Nick and I tackle the rumors that Chris Berman will leave ESPN at the end of his contract and go to NFLN (or maybe DirecTV). My sources indicate ESPN wants to keep Berman and that nothing is imminent regarding his departure, but Nick brings up the point that if they really wanted to keep him, or if Berman really wanted to stay, a deal would have likely been worked out already.

What would that mean for ESPN? And more specifically to our conversation, what would that mean at NFLN?READ MORE

Super Bowl. Commercials. Vegas.

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Nick and I are back and we run through the Super Bowl, albeit a day late.

Culture Pop:

We also tackle the Super Bowl commercials to give some of our favorite and least favorite spots in the game. (For more on my favorites, check The Sporting Blog.)

Housekeeping:

And we talk about Vegas. A lot more on that in the next few days, but I’ll give you this: I finished 14th in the Trash Talk Championship of the World. The guys at Victory Poker were very gracious and equally as cool to hang out with. I had the best seat in the house, with a cast of pros and celebrities surrounding me. Just a great time was had by all.

Early Flight. Super Bowl Picks.

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With the snow about to crush the East Coast, I got an earlier flight, so I have to hustle. Didn’t want to not put up our official picks, so that’s what this is.

Follow me on Twitter to get updates from Vegas, and stop by The Sporting Blog for some highlights of the Trash Talk Championship.

Have a great weekend. Be safe. Go….Super Bowl!

Food. More Food. Food. Signing Day. Overrated Chants. Food. Grooves. Food.

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So if you can’t tell by the headline, we talk about food today. Sarah Sprague from Black and Gold Tchotchkes joins the show to talk about her 14 Days of Super Bowl Recipes. Amazing work.

But first, Nick and I talk about National Signing day, focusing not just on the teams this year, but taking a look back at some previous years to see if the five star locks held up. Fun stuff to look back from a few years ago to see how the recrutniks fared.

The Weekend That Is = FOOD.

Sarah, aka TheStarterWife on the interwebs, has your Super Bowl Party covered. We run through nearly the full list of her recipes, and she talks about how simple some of them really are to make.

And we get so into this food stuff we actually talk about the rehydration process of peas, only do dehydrate them again to be coated in wasabi. Yes, a twice dehydrated pea!

We talk about the lack of native cuisine to Indianapolis, which is what led to her pickingREAD MORE

Pitt Rumors. Bleacher Report. Stealing From The Joe Sports Fan Show. Trapped Inside an Elevator. Tom Brookshier.

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A different kind of show. In our middle segment, we steal some audio from this week’s Joe Sports Fan Show, with guests Josh Zerkle and….me. Consider it a teaser and a plug for the Vegas event all in one.

But first, Nick and I discuss the rumor mongering going around the internet about Pittsburgh going to the BIG TEN. From the looks of it, the rumor started on an OSU message board and Bleacher Report, the least reliable content network for news and information around. So of course, newspaper websites link to the rumors, thus making them more valid, and in turn, setting the internet ablaze.

It’s an issue of gatekeeping, but also of trusting what you read and making sure you illustrate what’s rumor and what’s sourced information. Nick brings up the 96-team NCAA tournament rumor that came up yesterday and we discuss how we, even at TSB or on this show or wherever any of you write, need to figure out if a rumor on SbB is more or less validREAD MORE

Will Carroll Talks Colts, Indy and Freeney’s Ankle. Plus PECOTA and Union Talk. Also: John Terry, Rex Ryan, Roger Federer.

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We throw a lot at you on this show. First, Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus joins the show to talk about, what else, FOOTBALL!

Carroll is an Indianapolis guy, so I wanted to get his take on the scene in Indy. Is it the euphoria like in New Orleans or more of a “been there done that” after winning a Super Bowl not too long ago?

We discuss the depth of the Colts and how losing Dwight Freeney may not be that big a deal. Oh, and we talk about Freeney’s ankle in a conversation that may or may not make sense after reports that he might have torn ligaments and not just a sprain.

But, it wouldn’t be right to have Carroll on and not talk a little baseball. We discuss the PECOTA rankings and try to figure out if throwing a dart against a wall is more or less accurate than their division winners. Note, I will not be betting any houses against the Yankees making the playoffs.

We also talk about theREAD MORE