DL492: Where Zerkle & I Talk Sterger, Extortion, Cam Newton and Paying College Athletes

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Josh Zerkle from With Leather joins the show today to talk, laugh and generally offend. And that’s why we love him.

We touch on Joe Theismann in the booth before getting into the Jenn Sterger name-clearing extortion plot. What name, exactly, is she (or her PR people) trying to clear? Haven’t they done more damage to her reputation than had they just kept quiet the whole time?

We parallel the Sterger situation to that of Alicia Lane and Rich Eisen. Lane could make the case that her reputation was being sullied (by co-worker and creepazoid Larry Mendte) but how can Sterger? This is nuts.

We touch on Favre, too, and wonder if this will hurt his legacy. With the internet the way it is now — compared to back in the days of Joe DiMaggio, or even Mickey Mantle (or, heck, even the 90s Cowboys), do we romanticize the past more than today? Can anyone, truly, have a “legacy” anymore with how eager we are to “humanize” everyone on the internet?

Is it the media’sREAD MORE

Let’s Remember The Time I Told Jenn Sterger I Hope My Daughter Doesn’t End Up Like Her!

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We’re coming up on our 500th show. If you haven’t signed up for our party, sponsored by the fine folks at Captain Morgan and Bulleit Bourbon, there’s a link on the right. Click waiting list, it’ll get you in. I think.

Anywho, we’re posting some “blast from the past” episodes of the show, so with news that JENN STERGER IS STILL SOMEHOW IN THE NEWS, I thought I’d reach back into the archives to Episode 58, when Jenn Sterger came on the show to explain that she did not, in fact, tell a Tampa radio station in the summer of 2008 that Erin Andrews can “suck it.”

Before we get back to that story, Jenn Steger is still actually in the news, you ask? Why yes, she is, inexplicably still in the news. From the Dan Patrick Show:

Jenn Sterger’s public relations manager Phil Reese joined the show to explain what they want from the Brett Favre investigation. Here are some of things he had to say:

– Reese wants the NFL to act immediately. DanREAD MORE

DL488: Hanukkah Music Is Terrible. Plus, Werth’s Deal, The Bowl Schedule, NFL

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Show is up late because I was having a conversation about an octopus. And have you noticed, to start the recap with two non-sequiturs, that there are no good Hanukkah songs? Other than Sandler, there may be TWO songs worth listening to. What’s the deal with that?

Nick and I talk about the Jayson Werth contract and what the heck that means for Carl Crawford. Can he seriously think about asking for 10 years and $195 million? And there is no doubt that Scott Boras is the best at his job in the world. No doubt.

We shift to the College Football Bowl talk. Connecticut is in the BCS, Michigan State is not and TEMPLE, who beat UConn this year, doesn’t even get invited to a bowl despite being eligible.

Let’s recap: Temple is one of 74 eligible teams, but there are only (HA, ONLY) 35 bowl games, so four teams don’t get invites. Temple was one of those teams, despite the fact that they beat a team that, with four losses, QUALIFIEDREAD MORE

DL483: WikiLeaks In A Sports Context, Dexter Theories, The Undrainable Knee

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The doctor couldn’t drain my knee because it has coagulated. They tried three times. I have a Frankenknee.

Nick and I try to figure out if this WikiLeaks story can be put into a sports context. Then I mention soccer.

Then we talk about Dexter.

Thanks for listening, and we hope the topics of today’s show pertain to your interests. Especially the knee thing.

DL465: Anniversaries, World Series, Cliff Lee, Dallas Freakout, McNabb Benching & Notre Dame

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Usually on a busy day I’ll put up a Photoshop collage of all the things Nick and I discuss. Today, you’ll have to listen and read. Sorry.

First, it’s my seventh wedding anniversary today. Time flies when you’re (insert joke here).

We talk about the student manager who died at Notre Dame and what the team should have done (and school will have to do) in the wake of this accident. Nick was a basketball student manager so he adds some insight into the situation from that perspective.

We discuss the World Series and how a bunch of good pitchers, rookies and spare parts are a game away from a parade. It’s inexplicable. Can Cliff Lee save the day in an elimination game in the World Series two years in a row? Will it matter for the Rangers?

We talk about Dallas’s football situation and wonder if people care more about the Rangers this week because they knew the Cowboys were already dead. Still, losing to the Jaguars, who are maybe the worst 4-4READ MORE

Can’t Kill The Hostess? Burn The Joint Down. The Daily Line Cancelled by Versus

Damn you John Ourand for making a guy work on a day he’s not supposed to be working.

Versus has axed @jennifersterger‘s show “The Daily Line” because of anemic ratings. SportsBusiness Daily will have all the details.

It’s not fair to blame Jenn Sterger’s rumored “settlement” with Brett Favre as the reason Versus just killed The Daily Line, but the timing sure seems coincidental. It was no coincidence, however, that the show got cancelled after a giant pile of nobody watched it.

Since its April debut, “The Daily Line” has averaged just 53,000 viewers for each live show. On Sept. 27, when the show was going against the Packers-Bears “MNF” game, it drew just 8,000 viewers.

It was a good idea by Versus, but the show never gained traction and frankly, never had compelling enough hosts. The guests, the times I watched (or watched online clips) seemed compelling enough, but the show had a Cold Pizza v1 vibe to it that it could never get past.

Remember the first incarnate of Cold Pizza that included hosts talking about pop culture and “whatever.” ThatREAD MORE

DL464: Will Brinson & I Are Giving Away Free Stuff. Plus Favre, Team Sterger and Rumors Sacking Facts

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Will Brinson is on the show. He kicked my ass in fantasy football this week in the Blogger Fantasy League. We talk about how we’re both letting Team Gillette down with our shoddy play.

But, dear listener, we have a contest…for you.

You’re going to win swag — or as Brinson calls it “schwag” (Southerners) — so read very carefully.

There’s a promotion on the P&G Take it to the House page called Text it to the House. If you pick the five players who have the longest from-scrimmage run or reception, you win stuff.

“What do we win, Dan?”

I’m glad you asked, reader. You can win a signed football by Jerry Rice EVERY WEEK. Basically we were told that if you get all five right, you’re all but guaranteed at winning the grand prize which is a trip to the Super Bowl.

Yes, Brinson and I are going to try and get you to the Super Bowl. Each week, we’re going to give our picks. You go to the Facebook page or TEXT HOUSE TOREAD MORE

Brett Favre’s Wrangler Commercials Are Real, Comfortable & Off NFL Telecasts

Brett Favre hasn’t had the best few weeks. Despite beating the Dallas Cowboys to keep the Vikings season afloat this weekend, his Monday probably isn’t going as great as the gunslinger had hoped. Per Darren Rovell of CNBC, Favre’s Wrangler Jeans ads are being removed from NFL Telecasts.

He just went and got pantsed, dog gone’it.

Okay,  I’m even pretty grossed out by this. Particulars per Rovell:

Something clearly changed this past weekend, as Wrangler either replaced the Favre spots with spots using its other high-profile spokesman Dale Earnhardt Jr. or ran the Favre spots on niche channels.

The Favre Wrangler spot, which had been in heavy rotation, only ran ten total times on Sunday on smaller niche channels including Versus, FX, Speed and the History Channel. Not a single Favre Wrangler ad aired on an NFL broadcast, according to Front Row Analytics, a sponsorship evaluation firm.

Look, it’s not the greatest Photoshop we’ve ever done, but this was too easy NOT to do. Here’s hoping Sacha Baron Cohen’s next mocumentary comes in the form of an aging quarterback. OrREAD MORE

Who Wants To See Mike & Mike Make Lame Jokes To Letterman About Favre’s Wiener? Nobody? Tough.

I’ve really tried hard to stay away from this Brett Favre penis story. When Daulerio’s living room is on the Today Show and Stephen A. Smith is writing that it’s none of our business because we all try to get a little action on the side, this story quickly shot beyond my pay grade. When I suggested last week that this would be Deadspin’s biggest traffic post ever, Daulerio told me he didn’t think so. Then his bloggy beard (respect) ended up on shows like The Insider and The View is talking about the story. I think I’ll end up being right.

So how long will this go? Is this a Tiger Woods situation where the NY Tabloids put the story on the back (or front) page for more than a month? Is there another croc to drop?

Reports indicate this may just be the, ahem, tip of the iceberg — I SAID ICEBERG — and this story is going to continue to grow and grow. PFT suggested yesterday that Jenn Sterger’s publicist may be using theREAD MORE

Call of the Day: Gruden Applauds Favre After Throwing Game-Clinching INT

The Vikings went into New York last night — distractions, new wide receivers and all — and gave the Jets a pretty decent fight. Well, at least the second half was exciting.

With 1:38 remaining in the game and the Vikings down two, Brett Favre faced a crucial third-and-five from his own 21-yard line. Favre tried to gun-sling the ball in to Visanthe Schiancoe but Jets defensive back Dwight Lowery snuck in front for the interception, touchdown and — as Mike Tirico called it on ESPN — “game winner.” (UPDATE: Here’s the Vikings radio call. Classic.)

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE PLAY, AND THE ESPN CALL, AT NFL.COM

Tirico had the always solid play-by-play of the touchdown before Jon Gruden hopped in with analysis. Despite circling the wrong receiver — an easy, and forgivable, mistake in a bunch formation — Gruden had good, solid analysis of the play, lauding Lowery for having played it “perfectly…got a great jump, drove on the ball, finished the Minnesota Vikings.”

Good job Gruden. Now it’s time for Jaws, right? RIGHT?

Wrong. The ESPN camerasREAD MORE