Back Porch FanHouse - current-events

Tiger Woods '11 Will Feature Rory McIlroy on Cover as Well

Will Brinson — 2010-03-09T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: International Golf, Video Games, Sports Media, Current Events, Golf

EA Sports' signature golf video game is unique from the rest of their sports offerings because it's tied to a specific athlete: Tiger Woods. The game is named after him and each year he graces the cover in some birdie-inspiring pose.

This year, however, things are different. And not because of Tiger's off-course decisions, either. Rory McIlroy, the up-and-coming baller from across the pond, will join El Tigre on the cover (seen to the right) in an homage to the Ryder Cup.

From EA's release, via First Cuts, a perfectly sensible explanation for putting the youngster on the cover with the game's namesake:

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Stars and Nike Raise Money To Battle AIDS In Africa

Elie Seckbach — 2010-03-08T16:00:00 00:00

by Elie Seckbach

Filed under: FanHouse TV, Sports Advertising, Current Events

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

There are roughly 22 million people living with HIV and AIDS in Africa. Just last year some 2 million people died from the virus in the region. To help fight AIDS Nike brought together some of the biggest names in sports: Kobe Bryant, Maria Sharapova, Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin, Clint Dempsey, Marco Materazzi, Javier Mascherano and Fabio Cannavaro. It's all part of Nike's Red Laces campaign, where 100 percent of the profits will go to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Check out the video below.

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Back Porch Photo of the Day: Next Stop ... Sex Rehab

Ryan Wilson — 2010-03-08T09:30:00 00:00

by Ryan Wilson

Filed under: Current Events, NFL

We provide the picture, you provide the 1,000 words. It's the Back Porch Photo of the Day.

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FanHouse Talks Basketball, Civil Rights With the Harlem Globetrotters

Will Brinson — 2010-03-05T12:30:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Current Events, NBA

'Hot Shot' Branch and 'Curly' Neal are are best known as Harlem Globetrotters. Hot Shot currently plays and Curly is perhaps the most famous Globetrotter of all-time after a legendary career that spanned 22 years (1963-1985) when the 'Trotters were at their peak.

Now, though, they're in the middle of a "Goodwill Tour" and stopped in Greensboro, NC Thursday leading up to their March 21 appearance at the Greensboro Coliseum.

FanHouse caught up with Hot Shot and Curly (seen here at the All-Star Game with Dr. J) at the International Civil Rights Center & Musuem where the two basketball players (and role models) were educating a group of roughly 300 fifth-graders on the importance of the Woolworth's sit-ins that inspired the museum's creation (before they headed off to talk with more kids at a local YMCA and then again at the Coliseum).

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Brendan Shanahan Talks Olympics and Curling/Hockey Invading America

Will Brinson — 2010-02-26T19:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: International Hockey, International Olympics, Current Events, NHL

The Olympics coverage (even if tape-delayed) have resulted in a surge in popularity for both curling and hockey in America. it doesn't hurt that the US is having tremendous success on the ice during its run at Vancouver, but either way, it's interesting to see such a cultural shift in the sports landscape.

FanHouse caught up with Brendan Shanahan (he's in Vancouver, we're nestled warmly in North Carolina) to talk about that the impact of the Olympics on America's sports culture, what happens if Canada doesn't win gold at the Games, and the upcoming Gatorade Replay, where two high school hockey teams will meet again after (and I'm not kidding) a player's throat was slashed on the ice and the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

Very cool stuff. Talking starts below (and check the details on Replay Series 2 here).

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Gatorade Ends Endorsement Relationship With Tiger Woods

Will Brinson — 2010-02-26T18:40:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, Breaking News, Sports Media, Sports Advertising, Current Events, Golf, Sports Business and Media

No one really expected every one of Tiger Woods' sponsor to stick with him through his very public downfall. In fact, given the depth and scope of his current problems, it's kind of surprising that he's been able to keep as many as he has.

But Tiger lost one of his biggest backers earlier today: Gatorade announced that it would no longer endorse the troubled golfer, sending the following statement to FanHouse:

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Kristi Yamaguchi Talks Olympic Games With FanHouse

Will Brinson — 2010-02-26T10:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: International Olympics, Blogs, Winter Sports, Current Events, Figure Skating, Snowboarding, Sports Business and Media

Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic heroics are well documented. If winning gold in 1992 wasn't enough of an accomplishment, Yamaguchi was also inducted into the Olympics Hall of Fame in 2005, due primarily to her consistently awesome performance in figure skating at the world games.

FanHouse caught up with Yamaguchi, who is currently in Vancouver, to discuss NBC's coverage of the Olympics, the biggest surprises and themes emerging from the 2010 Games, and how Proctor & Gamble's "Thanks, Mom!" has brought hundreds of Olympian mothers to the games this year.

Hit up the audio below.

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Sal Masekela Talks Olympics, Shaun White's Stomping, and the Chargers

Will Brinson — 2010-02-25T17:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: International Olympics, Blogs, TV and Movies, Outdoor Sports, Sports Media, Current Events, Snowboarding, NFL, Sports Business and Media

Sal Masekela is best known as the "voice of the X Games," and as such, he's pretty much an authority on everything Olympics and snowboard-related. Which is why there's not a better time than RIGHT NOW to listen to what Sal has to say about Shaun White's epic 1260 Double McTwist, as well as all the Olympic action.

Added bonuses: 1) He has some harsh words for the folks at NBC regarding their coverage, 2) It turns out Sal's a huge San Diego Chargers fan (you may have heard of their recent personnel move), and 3) He's a blogger (over at We Resist Simple, a Tanqueray-sponsored testament to living outside the box, excess and whatnot). All of this makes for a podcasting perfect storm.

So shred on through below. Or something.

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Back Porch Photo of the Day: Possible Tiger Woods Vacation Home Destination

Ryan Wilson — 2010-02-25T09:30:00 00:00

by Ryan Wilson

Filed under: Cricket, Current Events

We provide the picture, you provide the 1,000 words. It's the Back Porch Photo of the Day.

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Haterade Power Rankings: Tiger Focus = This Week's Flavor

Will Brinson — 2010-02-24T10:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, TV and Movies, Sports Media, Sports Advertising, Current Events, Backporch Features

It's the Haterade Power Rankings. Drink up, suckers.

Here's the short version of this week's Haterade Power Rankings: TIGER, TIGER, TIGER. The world's best golfer had to hold a fake press conference to apologize to the world for being unfaithful. Still not sure why that's any of our business, but then again, we're a society of rubberneckers. Show me a train wreck and I'll show you a horde of gawkers waiting for something to blow up.

Well, this week we're taking a stand against all the self-righteous, wannabe do-gooders who spent their weekend explaining to the common folk and sinners why Tiger is destined for eternal damnation. Should be fun.

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Dr. Drew on Tiger Woods: 'Something Is Very Wrong'

Ryan Wilson — 2010-02-20T09:30:00 00:00

by Ryan Wilson

Filed under: Sports Media, Current Events, Golf

Last December, a few weeks after Tiger Woods ran his Escalade into a tree and his perfectly crafted image began to show cracks as mistresses scrambled to come forward and tell their story, Dr. Drew Pinsky told CBS News' Katie Couric that he wouldn't be surprised if Tiger had a sex addiction, and possibly a chemical addiction, too.

And now, after the most-watched 13 minutes in golf-related programming history, Dr. Drew gave his initial reactions to Woods' press conference.

Via MTV.com:

"He was clearly upset and appeared rather depressed," Dr. Drew said. "... He appeared remorseful and apologetic, but I walked away feeling something was very wrong."

"...We saw him bring up [wife] Elin multiple times to appease her, which is fine. There were some P.R. moments where he talked about sponsors, but then he talked about going back to treatment. You usually don't go back to intense treatment [after spending more than 40 days]. You usually go to an outpatient environment. That was an indication to me that something is very wrong."

"...If he's going back, something is very wrong," Pinksy said. "The only time he looked down and seemed to be deeply ashamed was when he talked about treatment ... feelings of depression in cases like this are appropriate, but I don't see him capitulating to the treatment."

"...The prognosis is good as long as he continues his treatment," Dr. Drew said. "And the fact that Elin is still in the game and part of the picture is positive. But he needs to be in treatment and follow the recommendations of his treatment team, and the best thing for him is not to go back to golf now."

CBS golf analyst David Feherty isn't a board-certified physician, but he knows Tiger Woods. Feherty spoke with Couric on Friday and in response to the question about whether Tiger and Elin's marriage can survive, he offered this: "I think if any couple has a chance, they are the only couple remarkable enough to make it. The only mistake you can make with Tiger Woods is to underestimate what he can do. He's proven that time and time again."

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Rick Reilly's Passionate 180-Degree Turn on Tiger Woods

Will Brinson — 2010-02-19T16:30:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, TV and Movies, Sports Media, Current Events, Twitter, Sports Business and Media

Rick Reilly was quite impressed by Tiger Woods' Mr. Roboto breakdance earlier today, and he's consequently (and appropriately) being lambasted on Twitter for his reaction.

But what, you ask, did Reilly say outrage the proletariat? Well, that's why we have the moving pictures below.

More importantly, perhaps: the way in which Reilly so quickly conceded how awesome Tiger's reading was ("sincere," "totally impressed," and "heartfelt" are all used) when just a few months ago, as Chris McKendry mentions early in the interview, Reilly gave Woods a step-by-step guide to how to reset his public image.

Naturally, "giving a robotic press conference that makes everyone go 'meh'" was not No. 1 on that list. But then again, if Reilly points out that El Tigre is a cyborg, he's certainly not going to land the homecoming-style Tiger interview that he used his column to beg Tiger for anyway.

Upshot: at least Reilly took a shot at Brit Hume, which is somewhat redemptive.

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Stephen A. Smith Calls Tiger Woods' Press Conference 'Weak,' 'Fake'

Will Brinson — 2010-02-19T15:45:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, TV and Movies, Sports Media, Current Events, Fake News, Sports Business and Media

If you were minding your own business today (you know, live blogging Tiger Woods' press conference, watching ESPN, tracking Elin's flight status, trying to decipher Woods' body language, etc.), you might have been interrupted (rudely and suddenly, quite frankly!) by the sudden appearance of Stephen A. Smith on ESPN.

That's because the notorious cheese doodle-loving and often boisterous columnist-turned-failed-talk-show-host-turned-blogger was back on the teevee, screaming about something that would be interesting and relevant, were it being discussed by anybody but Smith.

The topic, of course: Tiger Woods. And Smith, in the video below, had plenty to say, often involving the words "fake" and "weak." That's because, naturally, Tiger's not worried enough about his image. Don't mind him as he leaves midway -- his kettle just boiled over into a giant black pot.

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Live-Blogging the Tiger Woods Press Conference*

Ryan Wilson — 2010-02-19T11:00:00 00:00

by Ryan Wilson

Filed under: TV and Movies, Sports Media, Current Events, Golf, Twitter, Backporch Features

It's the Tiger Woods Press Conference Live Blog, people. Fun starts promptly at 11 AM ET.

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Michael Jordan Reportedly Joining Tiger Woods Press Conference (Update)

Will Brinson — 2010-02-19T10:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, Sports Media, Current Events, Sports Business and Media

Tiger Woods will, a la Punxsutawney Phil, emerge from his rehab-cave today for an hour to let the world know whether golf will be interesting or not for a few months. And, if Brad Faxon is to be believed, it will be Michael Jordan -- and not his wife! -- who will join him at the nationally televised (and live-blogged) press conference.

Also ... notable: Notah Begay! (via Deadspin)

Faxon said Notah Begay dropped out of this weekend's PGA tournament in Mexico to be with his former Stanford teammate at the press conference, adding, "I know Michael Jordan's going to be there. I know Elin is not going to be there. ... I think Tiger really wants some friends there. That's why this thing is really a mystery to me."

[...] "It would be fantastic in this press conference if he laid out the entire timeline of what happened," Faxon said. "This has taken on a life of its own that's way beyond golf."

Faxon is a notorious Dennis & Callahan "friend of the program" so there's no telling if this is true or if he's just hooking them up with the first early morning run of page views in what is sure to later be called "National Tiger Woods Press Conference Day."

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Simpsons 'Weld' Curling, Welcome Bob Costas in Latest Episode

Will Brinson — 2010-02-16T14:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Curling, International Olympics, TV and Movies, Current Events

The Winter Olympics are in full swing, which means that pop culture is all but required to mock the inanity of the various snowy (or not-so-snowy, depending on the day) snoozefests going down up north.

The Simpsons did just that, "drawing the pin" with a bunch of "hack weights" at the sport of curling while managing to package Bob Costas, Olympic semi-mockery, and Valentine's Day all-in-one on Sunday.

(And yes, watching the USA-Germany curling match while writing this takes away any notion that discussing curling might not be mockery, in case you're curious.)

In the segment, Costas, not surprisingly, was the announcer for the event (and although none of his clips have been uploaded to Hulu yet, you can watch the full episode here).

Of course, maybe they weren't mocking the "sport" of curling -- Homer makes a pretty good point, as seen in the clip below, by pointing out that curling is perfect for couples, offering bowling for the man and woman.

All hipster curling lingo via

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The Dugout Is Snowed In

Brandon Stroud — 2010-02-10T21:30:00 00:00

by Brandon Stroud

Filed under: Current Events, MLB, The Dugout

In case you were wondering where The Dugout has been, you should know that I chose last week ... yes, last week ... to move to the D.C. Metro area. So not only am I never going to get to see Tai Shan the toddler panda, but I was treated to a blanket of over three feet of snow and was without power for most of it. There's another "blizzard condition" going on outside my window as I type this, so you might not get to read this either.

But hey! It's time to look on the bright side. Snow is beautiful, the bigger, less interesting panda bears are still at the National Zoo, and I've got a new hometown team! Let's see who they are! /looks up "Washington Nationals" on Wikipedia

Wait, there's a team in Major League Baseball WORSE than the Cleveland Indians? Oh son of a...

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FanHouse Plays Antonio Gates in Madden at the Super Bowl

Will Brinson — 2010-02-10T16:45:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, Video Games, Sports Media, Current Events

Apologies for the delay in this final Super Bowl offering, but approximately 44 different internet nightmares conspired to delay it. Anyway, the kind folks with Microsoft Xbox -- with the extremely helpful assistance of the folks at Motorola -- got me a few minutes with the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates during media week.

Gates seemed to believe that yours truly had video game super powers, but that's not the case. At least as far as he knew. We squared off Colts (him) vs. Saints (me) and the game actually went to overtime.

Unfortunately for Antonio, he got the ball first in the opening half, meaning the Saints got the ball in overtime. which meant I would only need a quick score to put Gates away.

Funny story: I magically turned into Brett Favre, misread Gates' underneath zone defense, got scared and tried to go to my bailout to the right ... only Gates was in Cover 2 and he was off to the races with a game-winning pick-six.

Video below.

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Haterade Power Rankings: Super Bowl Edition

Will Brinson — 2010-02-10T09:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, TV and Movies, Sports Media, Sports Advertising, Current Events, Backporch Features, Sports Business and Media

It's the Haterade Power Rankings. Drink up, suckers.

This past week was Super Bowl week ... and what a Super Bowl week it was! The game itself garnered the highest ratings of any television program ever, and were the media not filled with so much goodwill, and the 60 minutes of football not so awesome, the lack of drama leading up to the whole thing might have been worthy of hating.

Instead, there was plenty to complain about in the hours and days following Super Bowl XLIV, not to mention a few commercials and, of course, Lane Kiffin. I kid, I kid.

Actually, no I do not.

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FanHouse Talks to Chris Mortenson About Social Media and Sports

Will Brinson — 2010-02-05T09:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Blogs, ESPN, Current Events, NFL, Twitter

Chris Mortensen (@MortReport on Twitter) is one of ESPN's most prominent NFL reporters and he's also one of their best Tweeters, utilizing the medium to break news, create synergy with their website, and most importantly he's constantly interacting with his followers.

Because of his social media presence, when I saw him just outside radio row, I figured I should get his take on the direction of social media in sports reporting today. Mort was kind enough to oblige, and moving pictures prove it below.

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