Jammer's Blog

Ron Jaworsky, Mike Tirico, and Jon Gruden. That’s one HECK of a football announcing lineup! (ESPN)

Since I’ve got nothing else right now, let’s talk a little bit about the Monday Night Football announcing team, shall we?

I generally like the Monday Night Football booth lineup. Mike Tirico is a knowledgeable and excitable play-by-play guy. Ron Jaworski brings his quarterback credentials to the mix and is capable of being critical, especially of offenses (as is typical of former QBs turned color commentators). And Jon Gruden brings in the coach’s perspective. The three work well together and they have good voices that sound solid and football-y.

(Yes, football-y is officially an adjective for describing football voices. Bryant Gumbel doing play-by-play on NFL Network a couple years ago, on the other hand: not football-y at all. Terrible, in fact.) (Read more…)

So, last night, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers threw a perfect game. Except it wasn’t a perfect game, because with two outs in the bottom of the ninth — you couldn’t write fiction this implausible — first-base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call. And Joyce admitted after the game that he blew the call. So what should have been the 21st perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball is instead the most infamous one-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball.

Wow. Just, wow.

Today, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he wouldn’t reverse the blown call because, apparently, that would open up a can of worms that would bring the sport of Major League Baseball to a grinding halt. Or something. (Read more…)

Is it just me, or does former Tampa Bay head coach and current Monday Night Football color commentator Jon Gruden think everyone is the most awesome player ever?

I think we need to institute:

The Jon Gruden Scale

– Words cannot describe this football player
– Spectacular football player
– Outstanding football player
– One heckuva football player

After Monday night’s victory of the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons, which put the Saints at 7-0 along with Indianapolis as the last two undefeateds in the NFL, we then had the obligatory news conference where the press asked head coach Sean Payton if it seemed more likely now that the Saints could go undefeated.

More likely than when they were 6-0? Well, sure, I suppose — in the same way that 4th and 30 is more likely to be converted by the Cleveland Browns offense than 4th and 32.

Then, during his ESPN analysis, Steve Young went on to go down the Saints schedule to point to the only two teams remaining to play them that have a chance of beating them (Dallas and New England). The Saints are better, he said.

So are the Saints going to run the table?

Please. (Read more…)

I’m big enough to admit when I’m wrong. And clearly I was wrong when I suggested that Brett Favre should’ve remain retired.

I mean, did you see that Monday night game with Favre versus the Packers? (Read more…)