Josh Hamilton eats candy bars Athletics fans throw at him
Eat It
Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton took the high road when dealing with a group of hecklers at Oakland Coliseum Monday night.
The Athletics held “Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night” Monday in reference to the fly ball Hamilton dropped in the final regular season game of 2012 to help the A’s win the American League West Division. Of course, Hamilton was a member of the Texas Rangers then, but the A’s still wanted to show their gratitude for the costly error with the Angels in town this week.
Furthermore, fans also chose to show their appreciation by chucking Butterfingers at Hamilton during batting practice as he shagged balls in right field which the former MVP decided to be a good sport and devour the tasty treats which rained down upon him.
MLB Predictions
Est. 1869
What’s lies ahead in the 2013 Major League Baseball season, well no one knows for sure but Opening Day is upon us and it’s time to roll out a few predictions. If you happened to listen to our live show this past week then you already heard those predictions.
Enjoy opening day, enjoy the season. I know I will.
American League East winner: Tampa Bay Rays
American League Central winner: Detroit Tigers
American League West winner: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
American League Wild-Card winner: Oakland Athletics
American League Wild-Card winner: Kansas City Royals
American League Pennant winner: Tampa Bay Rays
National League East winner: Washington Nationals
National League Central winner: Cincinnati Reds
National League West winner: San Francisco Giants
National League Wild-Card winner: Milwaukee Brewers
National League Wild-Card winner: Philadelphia Phillies
National League Pennant winner: Washington Nationals
American League Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers, Tampa Bay Rays
National League Rookie of the Year: Jedd Gyorko, San Diego Padres
American League Manger of the Year: John Farrell, Boston Red Sox
National League Manager of the Year: Bo Porter, Houston Astros
American League MVP: Yoenis Cespedas, Oakland Athletics
National League MVP: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
American League Cy Young Award: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
National League Cy Young Award: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
Joe Flacco drops F-bomb after Super Bowl
Joe Flacco dropped several long passes into the arms of his receivers during Super Bowl XLVII, and then capped off his MVP performance with one final bomb that CBS would rather he not complete. An f-bomb.
Jimmy Rollins Benched For Not Hustling
Multiple Offender
Philadelphia Phillies Jimmy Rollins latest jog toward first earned him a spot on the bench. Rollins was benched after a pair of baserunning blunders Thursday in Philadelphia’s 3-2 win over the New York Mets. It was the second time in two weeks the 2007 NL MVP was scolded for not hustling on the basepaths.
Rollins was pulled for the start of the seventh inning after a pair of mistakes in the sixth. He failed to run hard on a dropped popup that could have put him on second base. He stole second base, then was caught in a rundown on a grounder and was tagged out.
Rollins drew the ire of Phillies fans earlier this month when he jogged down the line on a grounder in a game at Milwaukee. He met privately with manager Charlie Manuel the next day. Manuel refused to bench his All-Star shortstop then. He had no hesitation against the Mets.
Manuel said Rollins’ missing hustle was a poor reflection on the franchise.
“My frustration grows any time I see anybody not hustle,” Manuel said. “It grows if I see the other team not hustle.”
Jeff Kent Joins Survivor
KentSports
Back on June 25, we posted the report that former 2000 National League MVP Jeff Kent was rumored to be a member of his favorite TV show as one of 15 contestants on the latest installment of Survivor, set in the Philippines.
Kent, 44, will match wits with the likes of 1980s sitcom star Lisa Whelchel, of Facts of Life fame, and two beauty pageant winners for the $1 million prize.
Kent, who left the game in 2008 after seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, says he’s long been a fan of the show where contestants are pitted against each other in tribes on remote locations and must work together on team challenges while all the while conspiring against each other to avoid the dreaded flame dousing that will get you on a boat home.
“I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I hate to lose. You know, there are not many tall white guys with mustaches walking around still these days. I’m hoping my reputation’s not big enough that these people know who I am.”
Matt Kemp Says Attention From Dating Rihanna Was Overwhelming
Seriously...Seriously
Sidelined Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was on pace for an MVP type of season until a hamstring injury put him on the disabled list. After coming back from the mandatory 15 days he re-injured the same hamstring and has been out since May 30. Kemp has had some time to reflect as well as talk to reporters.
Kemp is no stranger celebrity lifestyle having done fashion shoots for magazines and dated celebrities. If $160 million isn’t an indication that you’ve made it, being able to say you dated Rihanna certainly seals the deal. However, Kemp says that portion of his life was a stressful time.
“It was pretty much overwhelming,” Kemp said when asked about his relationship with the five-time Grammy Award winner. “It’s not something I’m used to. I’m not used to going to a grocery store or to just somewhere simple and people following me around. It’s overwhelming.”
Kemp also revealed in the interview that he likes to judge women by their shoes.
“I can tell that (women) know what they’re doing or they don’t know what they’re doing (by their shoes),” Kemp explained. “I’ve always liked shoes. I peep everybody’s shoes out to see what they’re rocking.”
WTF: Josh Hamilton
TALENT
Texas Rangers and early American League MVP Josh Hamilton can photobomb with the best of them.
LeBron James Almost Lost His Finals MVP Trophy
This One Isn't Getting Out My Sight
After winning a NBA championship things go crazy in a blink of a second and things get hectic so it’s no surprise things can can come up missing. That’s exactly what happened to newly crowned NBA champ LeBron James.
He was sure once he won he would be sobbing like Michael Jordan but responded more like Magic Johnson hopping up and down on the sideline ready to spray champagne and unleashed a smile that no one but family and friends have glimpsed since the whole Decision fiasco.
But after James retreated to the locker room, where teammates bathed him in a Budweiser, Dom Perignon, he caught a scare. He couldn’t find his Finals MVP trophy.
“Where’s my trophy?” James hollered, rummaging through his locker. “I left it right here!” He rushed through the tunnel back to the court, where he had to give an interview, but the moment it ended he asked, “Have you seen my trophy? Who took my trophy?” On the way to the press conference, where the MVP trophy was waiting all along, he relaxed a bit. “It’s just an individual award, anyway,” he says. “It’s not the one that matters.”
Jeff Kent To Be On Survivor
Stache
Former all-star second baseman Jeff Kent was a San Francisco Giants star back in 2000 when he won the National League MVP award. And now, he may be a star of primetime television on the 25th season of “Survivor.”
According to SurvivorFever.net, a fan site dedicated to the show, Kent is rumored to compete on the upcoming season set in the Philippines, alongside former Miss Teen Utah Angelia Layton, actress Lisa Welchel and several new and returning cast members.
The 44-year-old is no stranger to the small screen: he appeared as a contestant on “Superstars” in 2009. Kent was paired with former Miss USA Ali Landry in a series of sports-related competitions.
However, since his baseball career, Kent is perhaps best known in California as one of Proposition 8’s strong supporters and in Selma, Texas for owning Kent Sports Automotive.
Arizona Diamondbacks Owner Rips His Players
Preach
The defending National League West champion Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a rough start this year. They currently sit four games under .500 with a 26-30 record. With the Diamondbacks nine games out of the division lead frustrations in the desert are mounting.
Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick went on a rant in which he took on shortstop Stephen Drew and right fielder Justin Upton in an interview on Prostopreps.com.
He questioned Drew’s commitment to returning to the field this season and calling Upton an “enigma.”
Drew is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment for Class AAA Reno on Thursday after suffering ankle and ligament damage last July 20.”I think Stephen should have been out there playing by now. I for one am disappointed,” Kendrick said.
“I’m going to be real candid and say Stephen and his representatives are more focused on where he is going to be a year from now than going ahead and supporting the team that is paying his salary. All you can do is hope that the player is treating the situation with integrity. We have our concerns.”
The Diamondbacks are paying Drew $7.75 million this season and the sides have a mutual $10 million option with a $1.35 million buyout for 2013, and it doesn’t sound as if Kendrick would be willing to pick up the option.
Drew’s agent Scott Boras said Kendrick’s suggestion that Drew was focused on free agency “makes no sense.”
Upton finished fourth in the NL MVP voting last season is now hitting .243 with five home runs and 20 RBIs this season.
“I think Justin is an enigma at this point,” Kendrick said on Prostopreps.com. “I know he had an injury. It was something of a nagging injury, but he’s played.
“He’s certainly not the Justin Upton he has been in the past, and we would expect of him. He’s 24 years old. It’s time for him to be a consistent performer, and he’s not been that.”
Barry Bonds Starts Calling Himself A Felon
762
Barry Bonds is publicly referring to himself as a convicted felon these days, and he’s quick to point out that conviction was never for steroid use.
He appealed his obstruction of justice conviction from April 2011 on one count of giving an evasive answer to a 2003 grand jury investigating illegal steroids distribution.
“I went through the system. And that’s what it is,” Bonds said at Monday’s Arizona Diamondbacks-San Francisco Giants game while doing charity work through Big Brothers and Sisters of the Bay Area. “And that’s what I got. I went through the system. I’m in an appeal process right now. I was never convicted of steroids.”
The slugger said he met recently with Giants president and CEO Larry Baer about working for the club in some capacity, and Bonds has a personal services contract the Giants have said could go into effect once his legal proceedings were in the past.
When asked if he regrets any connection to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, Bonds said: “Do I have any regrets? What happened happened. It’s there. It is what it is. I live with it. I’m a convicted felon for obstruction of justice, and that’s who I am. I live with it.”
The 47-year-old home run king, looking especially lean at about 212 pounds from his new love for cycling, also spent a stint in the broadcast booth during San Francisco’s 4-2 win.
“It’s always a treat when he comes around,” winning pitcher Barry Zito said. “I love Barry.”
While Bonds will long be remembered for his surly nature and mighty swing, he acknowledges he brought on many of his issues himself. Still, dealing with all of the court dates and speculation of his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs did take a toll.
“I gave my life and soul to that game. That’s what’s heartbreaking. That’s the hard part of it,” he said. “My (reputation) was kind of iffy anyway. I created that guy out there for entertainment only. Whether you hated me or liked me, you were there. And I only wanted you there. I just wanted you to see the show. That was it. All I ever wanted was for people to have a good time and enjoy it. It was fun to come out and people would boo or yay or whatever. They all showed up to see whatever would happen next and it motivated me to play hard.”
It’s unclear when Bonds might begin work with the Giants, though he doesn’t figure the timing would work this season.
He said he would expect his job to be different from the varying roles of former Giants first baseman J.T. Snow.
“I think my role is a little higher than that,” he said, laughing. “I love J.T. a lot, though.”
Bonds said if struggling two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum sought his advice, he’d provide it.
“If Lincecum wants the answers, I’ll give them to him,” Bonds said.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he would welcome Bonds’ input if he takes a job with the club.
“We have a great hitter here who has really accomplished so much,” Bochy said.
The seven-time NL MVP is busy rehabilitating from two surgeries over the past six weeks — one for a disk injury in his lower back sustained while running and also a procedure on his hip and quadriceps area. He is scheduled to be examined by doctors Tuesday.
“I work out every day. That never changed,” he said. “I’m going to die training. That’s what I love to do more than anything in the world.”
Bonds hasn’t played since 2007 and sees no reason to formally retire just yet — and insists his Hall of Fame chances are far from his mind.
“That’s up to the writers to worry about that stuff. I’ll be at home having a good time with my life and my kids. That’ll take care of itself,” he said. “I don’t try to predict the future or analyze how other people are thinking or how it’s going to turn out. I face my opponents as they come. It would be very sad if it didn’t happen. That’s why I don’t need to comment on it. There’s really no need.”
He said the legal issues he has faced in recent years will always stay with him.
“It’ll never go off your mind,” he said. “You don’t ever forget those things. You move on. I’ll never forget it.”
Pete Rose To Debut One Man Show At Casino
4,256
Major League Baseball’s all-time hit king Pete Rose, banned for life for betting on baseball while he was a player and the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, will do a one-man act at the Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Indiana on Friday. The show is being called: “An Evening With Pete Rose,” or “4,192—The Making of the Hit King.”
“It’s me telling stories about how I got started playing ball, the impact my father had on me as an athlete, signing with the Reds and right on through the breaking of the (all-time) hit record,” Rose said.
The act will feature questions from an on-stage interviewer and audience members, and it is expected to last about 90 minutes.
“That’s what keeps it fresh for me,” Rose said. “You never know what people are going to ask. Somebody will ask a question I haven’t heard before and it calls to mind a story and I’m off and running.”
Rose, 71, retired with 4,256 hits, a .303 batting average and three batting titles. He was the 1963 NL rookie of the year, the 1973 NL MVP, the 1975 World Series MVP, a 17-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner and a three-time World Series champion and until 2004 denied betting on the Reds or on baseball. In 2004, he admitted to betting on baseball and on the Reds.
For more than 20 years, Rose has lobbied unsuccessfully to be reinstated and to become eligible for the Hall of Fame.
David Stern Says Flopping Is Legitimate Concern For NBA
Oscar Goes To
NBA commissioner David Stern, like coaches and players everywhere, recognizes that flopping has become a problem, and he vows to study the issue this offseason.
“It’s a legitimate concern,” Stern told ESPN’s Lisa Salters during the broadcast of Indiana Pacers-Miami Heat Game 1 on Sunday. “Some years ago, I told the competition committee that we were going to start fining people for flopping and then suspend them—and I think they almost threw me out of the room (and told me), ‘No, let it be.’
“But I think it’s time to look at it a more serious way, because it’s only designed to fool the referee—it’s not a legitimate play in my judgment,” Stern added. “… Some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies.”
Salters’ question was in the context of the league fining Pacers coach Frank Vogel $15,000 for calling the Heat the “biggest flopping team in the NBA” and saying it will be “very interesting how the referees officiate the series and how much flopping they reward.”
“He didn’t have a beef, he was just manipulating the referees—or trying to,” Stern said. “I would have fined him much more than our office did.”
Kurt Warner Answers His Critics
Can't We All Just Get Along
Kurt Warner, criticized by former players for saying he prefers his sons not play football, issued a lengthy response saying he is disappointed “we can no longer respect others opinions.”
Warner, a two-time NFL MVP, faced a sharp backlash last week from ESPN’s Merril Hoge and former New York Giants receiver Amani Toomer, which we posted on May 4th HERE, for questioning the safety of playing the game.
Hoge said Warner was irresponsible and “sounded extremely uneducated.” Toomer claimed Warner was disingenuous considering his role as an NFL Network analyst and should “keep his opinions to himself.”
Warner has made his point; now he’s asking for a civil conversation about the dangers of violence in the NFL with fewer individual attacks are needed.
In comments posted on his website, Warner said:
” … I love this game and all the things that it taught me and afforded me along the way, but regardless of all that I have a responsibility to my kids. I cannot be oblivious to the risks of the game of football simply because it was good to me. So as my kids continue to play I worry about them every time they get hit, just as my wife worried about me every time I got hit in my 12 years in the league.
“Now, I don’t want to scare anyone about this great game and I will continue to support all of the adjustments being made by the NFL (& other levels) to increase player safety in hopes that the game of football has a long and healthy run as the world’s greatest team sport. But, we must proceed with caution and be informed of how to handle these situations if we ever find ourselves in them (as Mr. Hoge so eloquently stated).”
Warner questioned why Hoge and Toomer considered his comments throwing the game under the bus.
“I don’t know why it is so hard for people to understand how I can BOTH love the game and be grateful for what it did for me and at the same time have concern for my kids in regards to playing it. Why does it have to be one or the other?” Warner wrote.
ESPN’s Bill Simmons Gives Up MVP Vote After Wagering On Outcome
Recount
One of the oldest sayings in sportswriting is “No cheering in the press box.” One that ought to be equally prominent is “No wagering on the teams or players you’re covering.”
ESPN’s Bill Simmons has just learned that latter lesson in a very public way. He has given back his ballot for the NBA’s MVP award, because it was well known that he had bet on LeBron James to win.
BusinessInsider.com brought up the issue with ESPN, noting that Simmons had said on a podcast before the season started that he was betting on James to win the MVP. When Simmons recorded another podcast of him filling out his MVP ballot, the conflict of interest became tough to ignore, since he voted for James.
BusinessInsider.com says it received this response from ESPN on the matter:
“Bill had never received a ballot before and didn’t find out he had one until two-thirds of the season had passed. By that time he had made multiple MVP bets, two of which he had discussed on podcasts. He ended up withdrawing his MVP vote to avoid the perception of any conflict.”
Tim Thomas Taunted With Obama Signs By Washington Capitals Fans
Obama Don't Want No Drama
President Barack Obama wasn’t in attendance at the Verizon Center to see the Washington Capitals take on the defending Stanley Cup champions Boston Bruins for Game 3 on. But his face did manage to make an appearance, several times.
Capitals fans used pictures of Obama’s face to taunt Boston’s star goalie Tim Thomas, who skipped out on the team’s visit to the White House back in January months after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup.
Despite being named Stanley Cup MVP, Thomas refused to join his team in D.C. when Obama honored the Bruins, citing political issues. In a statement posted on Facebook, Thomas said he believes the federal government “has grown out of control” but also wrote that he blames both political parties.
Before the playoffs began, Thomas abruptly ended a media session when a question was asked about the skipping out on Obama.
Capitals fans didn’t let him off the hook that easily. In honor of Thomas’ White House snub, several Caps bloggers coordinated a fan effort to revisit the story and taunt him with pictures of Obama’s face and posters depicting the president (some which were gigantic). A Capitals blog called Russian Machine Never Breaks even created PDFs of Obama’s face for fans to download, print and bring to the game.
Stephon Marbury Getting Bronze Statue In China
Climbing Mountains In Coney Island Pays Off
Two weeks ago Stephon Marbury became a champion for the first time since high school when he helped lead his Beijing Ducks to a 4-1 series win over defending Chinese Basketball Association champion Guangdong Hongyuan, bringing the Ducks their first-ever CBA championship.
Marbury put up MVP-caliber numbers in the CBA finals averaging 33.4 points, 6.2 assists and four rebounds a night in the five-game series and poured in 41 points to seal the deciding Game 5. He couldn’t officially be named the series’ most valuable player due to a CBA rule stipulating that no foreign-born player can win the CBA’s regular-season or postseason MVP awards.
Eager to recognize Marbury’s championship-winning performance, though, fans at the Chinese basketball website hoopchina.com started an online campaign aimed at building a statue of the point guard.
Within hours, more than 200,000 fans had thrown their support behind the project; within a week, more than 1 million had voted in favor of pushing the statue into production.
The moment captured is of Marbury lifting the CBA championship trophy has been modeled in clay and will be transported to the Jiangxi Province to start the bronze work.
Skip Bayless Called Out Over Fraudulent Boasts
ESPN loud-talker Skip Bayless may have reached a new low on Tuesday morning during an episode of “First Take.” During a debate about the NBA MVP race, Bayless got called out by Jalen Rose for lying about his high school basketball exploits. Not surprisingly, the events leading up to confrontation began with Bayless ranting about a professional athlete.
On March 31, Bayless tweeted that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be doomed if Russell Westbrook continues to play point guard instead of taking more of a scoring role. Seemingly to back up his assertions about the best use of Westbrook, Bayless added two more tweets citing his own high school basketball career at Northwest Classen High. Not only did Bayless claim that he started for the team that lost in the state finals in Oklahoma in 1970, he even compared himself to NBA legend “Pistol Pete” Maravich.
Bayless claims revealed that he played on the Junior Varsity team in his junior year and only averaged 1.4 points per game during his senior season and didn’t even register any statistics in his team’s state final loss.
Lance Berkman Gives Away Teammates Truck In April Fools Prank
HEY! That's My Truck
St. Louis Cardinals Lance Berkman pulled off the best April Fool’s prank yesterday, when just prior to the third inning he drove a 2009 white Chevrolet Silverado onto the warning track at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. The public address announcer declared that it would be given away to a lucky fan.
However the truck wasn’t Berkmans or the Cardinals to give away it in fact belonged to teammate Adam Wainwright, who was in the dugout at the time.
Wainwright watched as the supposed prize winners, a father and son and cousin to World Series MVP David Freese, climbed into the pickup bed and Berkman drove them toward the home dugout. Wainwright did a double-take as the truck drove around the field and was in shock when he realized the truck belonged to him.
“Hilarious,” Wainwright said of the practical joke. “Those are the kinds of things that keep baseball pretty fun.”
MLB Predictions
Est. 1869
What’s lies ahead in the 2012 Major League Baseball season, well no one knows for sure but Opening Day is upon us and it’s time to roll out a few predictions. If you happened to listen to our live show this past week then you already heard six segments of in depth breakdown in each division of each league but here is a cheat sheet to those predictions.
Should be an interesting year with another added Wild Card team to the postseason mix and one can only hope this season has a magical finish like last year. Enjoy opening day, enjoy the season. I know I will.
American League East winner: New York Yankees
American League Central winner: Detroit Tigers
American League West winner: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
American League Wild-Card winner: Tampa Bay Rays
American League Wild-Card winner: Kansas City Royals
American League Pennant winner: Tampa Bay Rays
National League East winner: Washington Nationals
National League Central winner: Cincinnati Reds
National League West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
National League Wild-Card winner: Miami Marlins
National League Wild-Card winner: San Francisco Giants
National League Pennant winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
American League Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
National League Rookie of the Year: Drew Pomeranz, Colorado Rockies
American League Manger of the Year: Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles
National League Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson, Washington Nationals
American League MVP: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
National League MVP: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks
American League Cy Young Award: James Shields, Tampa Bay Rays
National League Cy Young Award: Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
Steve Nash Wouldn’t Mind Playing For Miami Heat
Blood In Blood Out
Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash made it clear he’s sick of losing and hungry for a championship. The two-time NBA MVP, a free-agent this summer, told The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday he’s “not coming back to the Suns if there isn’t improvement.”
While many NBA superstars have requested trades and left teams to join other stars, Nash has been loyal to the Suns organization. But that doesn’t mean the 38-year old won’t entertain other options, particularly with teams capable of winning an NBA title.
When asked about joining the Miami Heat if LeBron James reached out to him, Nash provided a surprising answer.
“I would listen,” he said. “(James) is phenomenal. I love what they’re doing there. A lot of people don’t like them because they put all that talent there. But they’re professional, they play hard, they play together. Their coaching staff has done a great job, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for them.”
The Suns are 25-26 this season. Nash is averaging 12 points and 11 assists a game while shooting 62.7% from the field. Miami is not projected to have much salary cap space next season, so if Nash was to take his talents to South Beach he would have to take a significant pay cut.
Matt Kemp Handed MVP By TV Graphics Person
Close But No Cigar
Apparently someone in the Los Angeles Dodgers TV graphics department is not sold on Milwaukee Brewers Ryan Braun being able to retain the 2011 National League MVP and did something about it.
The graphics person decided to hold no court debate or revote and just handled it over to Kemp in his first at-bat against crosstown splash the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Derrick Rose Buys $2.8 Milli Trump Condo
Sky's The Limit
Chicago Bulls star guard and league MVP Derrick Rose is moving on up and he bought a deluxe apartment in the sky. Rose recently paid $2.8 million for a three-bedroom condo a top of the Trump International Hotel & Tower.
“It’s definitely an unbelievable feeling just being up there,” Crain’s quoted Rose as saying before Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz. “The view is nice and I don’t take it for granted. It’s a blessing.”
The condo includes four bathrooms, a den and Rose also purchased two parking spots. If Rose ever wants to talk hockey or needs mullet advice, he’ll be able to do that too. Chicago Blackhawks star forward Patrick Kane also lives in the building.
Former Indianapolis Colts Executive Bill Polian Joins ESPN
Two New Adventures
Former Indianapolis Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian has joined ESPN as an NFL analyst. Polian makes his debut March 12 and will appear throughout the year on several ESPN shows, including SportsCenter.
Polian spent 24 years as an NFL general manager with the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Colts. He drafted four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and built Indianapolis into a team that went to the playoffs 11 times, won eight division titles, two AFC titles and a Super Bowl.
In January, he and his son, general manager Chris Polian, were fired by Colts owner Jim Irsay in a major shake-up that included firing coach Jim Caldwell and his staff.
At ESPN, Polian will focus on the NFL draft, free agency and other business-related issues.
