Tag: Michael Wilbon

Michael Wilbon dissed Pat McAfee for his potty mouth on Pardon the Interruption

Michael Wilbon threw a cleaer diss at Pat McAfee on Wednesday’s Pardon the Interruption.

Longtime Pardon the Interruption co-host Michael Wilbon wasn’t afraid to shade one of his fellow ESPN broadcasters during Wednesday’s show.

We’ll let you guess who it was. A hint: he doesn’t often wear a suit.

As Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discussed LIV golfers potentially giving their salaries up before merging with the PGA, Wilbon discussed why he would detest someone asking him to do the same.

He wanted to use saltier language on the program to make his point, but he decided to rib Pat McAfee while talking about his self-censorship.

“I guess that if I wore a black tank top, that I could get away with those words on this show,” Wilbon quipped to Kornheiser on the broadcast.

https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1836566401928356266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Of course, that is a direct jab at McAfee for his less-than-stellar reputation for swearing on his daily ESPN show, which is frowned upon in daily television of any sort.

We’re sure McAfee will catch wind of this and respond, as Wilbon didn’t seem afraid to get a dig in at his foul-mouthed ESPN co-worker.

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Liberty set ticket record after Mike Wilbon wrongly said Barclays Center had ‘worst’ home-court advantage

Mike Wilbon belongs on @OldTakesExposed for these comments.

The New York Liberty hosted the Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday afternoon and it was a historic event.

There were 17,143 tickets collected for the game, according to the Liberty, which is officially the largest gate attendance in league history. That means no other WNBA game has ever brought in more ticket revenue.

After the game, Liberty star Jonquel Jones credited the fanbase for the crucial victory against the Aces (via ESPN):

“We knew that our fans were going to be behind us and New York was going to be watching and supporting and that’s what we wanted to do, go out there and play with a lot of pride and a lot of heart.”

The victory and the gate record came just mere days after recent comments from ESPN veteran Michael Wilbon, who stated that Barclays Center had the “worst” home-court advantage in the NBA and the WNBA.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ObzEUS7r95A?si=6Cg0eRk3Ck8uDl3k&t=1048

As noted by Nets Daily writer Lucas Kaplan, you can hear Wilbon’s unusual comments around the 17-minute, 30-second mark of the telecast from Friday (via ESPN):

“You need a rabid, Phillies-like crowd in Brooklyn. Oh wait. They’re barely awake in Brooklyn. It is the worst home-court advantage, home-court situation in terms of spirit in the entire NBA — all 30 teams (maybe Washington) — and the entire WNBA — all whatever it is, twelve teams? It’s the worst. There’s nothing to rally the Liberty. […] Brooklyn’s home court situation? It stinks. It’s dark. It’s quiet. It’s like a library. […] You hipsters better get a real arena because you stink right now.”

Disregarding his momentary uncertainty about how many teams play in the WNBA, as there are indeed twelve franchises before expansion to the Bay Area, these comments were all the way off.

The Liberty had the fourth-highest average attendance in the WNBA this past season, per BeyondWomensSports.com. Meanwhile, New York’s year-over-year average attendance increase (2,450) was good for the second-best in the league.

Claire Fahy recently wrote a more accurate description of attending a Liberty game (via The New York Times):

“The Liberty’s success this year has attracted fans from all over the city. They have packed the stands at Barclays in the team’s signature sea foam green, borrowed from the Statue of Liberty herself. The team sold out 11 games this season on its way to a franchise-best 32-8 record. […] Barclays is a different arena on Liberty game days than it is when the Nets are in town. There are free activities, such as a photo booths and a face-painting station, that set the tone early, getting fans ready for a raucous evening.”

Wilbon clearly hasn’t spent much time in Barclays Center to watch the Liberty. But perhaps that is able to change soon so he can have a more accurate perception.

Joe Tsai, who owns the Nets and the Liberty, invited Wilbon to attend the Barclays Center when New York hosts Las Vegas for Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.

New York trails the series, 2-1, but can even it up to force a Game 5 in Las Vegas with one more victory at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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Commanders’ Sam Howell and remembering Heath Shuler’s time

Sam Howell is already off to a much better start than some Washington quarterbacks in the past.

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Yes, it is only OTAs, but Sam Howell is looking better than some previously have in Burgundy and Gold.

When Howell is complimented, you don’t want to get carried away, but at the same time, we know there have been times Washington quarterbacks have left coaches and players concerned very early in the process.

When Washington was getting adjusted to the new salary cap in 1994, Heath Shuler’s agent and the Redskins took too long getting the Shuler’s deal done. To further the mess, lawyers got involved, debating over the salary cap. But some big names had no idea, simplistically labeling Shuler a holdout.

Shuler missed the beginning of training camp, and when he reported to camp Michael Wilbon infamously said that Shuler better be John Elway. Frankly, Wilbon, in those days, made his shtick openly rooting for the Bears, poking at the Redskins fans when he could. It got under their ‘skin,’ and Wilbon knew it. The irony was his Bears didn’t have great quarterback play for decades, and Joe Gibbs had won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.

It didn’t take long for word to get out. The coaches and players could see that the guy the Redskins drafted in the 7th round (197th) that season was better than the guy drafted 3rd overall in the draft. Gus Frerotte indeed looked better in training camp. There was no social media in 1994, but word was traveling.

Word travels nowadays with lightning speed from OTAs and training camp. The word last year early was Carson Wentz could look good at times, but other times was erratic.

The prevailing reaction to Sam Howell, beginning last week, is he is up and down but not as down as both Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz were at times.

Perhaps Sam Howell’s floor is higher than both Heinicke and Wentz, who at times, struggled to find open receivers last season. But of course, it is early, and the team is not yet working in pads.

However, isn’t it encouraging to hear Rivera express that Howell is already displaying some confidence in his knowledge of the new system being installed by new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy?

Hopefully, this young quarterback won’t experience some unfair media member declaring that Howell needs to be Patrick Mahomes.

 

 

Michael Wilbon: “I’m putting Justin Jefferson in the conversation with Jerry Rice”

One national analyst is ready to compare Justin Jefferson to one of the all-time greats

Justin Jefferson is truly one of the best, if not the best, wide receiver and football player in the National Football League today. He has been setting both team and league records left and right as he continues to blossom into a truly elite football player.

The discussion about where he ranks in the pantheon of great wide receivers in the game’s history is largely not talked about, as his story is still being written. For one analyst, however, he is ready to have that discussion.

On Monday’s Pardon The Interruption on ESPN, co-host Michael Wilbon said that he would put Jefferson in the same conversation as Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who is widely regarded as the greatest of all time.

That’s incredible praise for the third-year wide receiver from LSU. The discussion was focused on the incredible catch Jefferson made at the end of the fourth quarter. Before he mentioned it on air, Wilbon tweeted it out himself, lighting a firestorm in his mentions.

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Is it too early to discuss Jefferson among the all-time greats? Perhaps, but who cares. We are here for it.

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Lane Kiffin ripped ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, who called Ole Miss coach a ‘clown’

“Life is too short to be so angry.”

Whew, this escalated quickly.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon slammed Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin while on Pardon the Interruption, and Kiffin certainly didn’t ignore what was said.

“Lane Kiffin’s a clown,” Wilbon said in a rant ahead of this weekend’s Alabama game against the Rebels. “Lane Kiffin has been an embarrassment at multiple stops. I mean, nobody’s gonna run out there and say, yeah ‘I want Lane Kiffin right here on the logo representing me.’ … Lane Kiffin’s a cute little story for guys like us who have to talk sports every day, and we can come in Monday and say, ‘Hahaha Lane Kiffin.’ Once again, Lane Kiffin equals embarrassment at some point wherever he is.”

Kiffin went right back at him on Twitter:

Yow. Well then.

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Could Snyder really be convinced to sell his entire stake in Washington’s team?

While minority owners are looking to sell their piece of the pie, it may be possible that Snyder joins and looks for a sole buyer.

With news surfacing that three minority owners in Washington are looking to sell their shares of the team, it puts Dan Snyder in a tough position. While his family still holds onto approximately 60% of the shares, it might be hard to find anyone who wishes to take on the potential PR nightmare of getting in business with Snyder and his team. The easiest route forward would be to find someone who wishes to own the entire piece of the pie, but that would mean Snyder has to give up what might be his favorite piece of property.

This is something that ESPN’s Michael Wilbon could see happening.

“I don’t know that [Snyder will sell] but would I be surprised? No,” Wilbon said Monday morning via NBC Sports Washington. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all because I don’t believe he’s going along with this.”

According to Forbes, Washington’s football team is worth $3.1 billion, which is ranked as the 14th most expensive sports team in North America. There may be a number of right people who would pay that number to take over the team, but it may cost more than that in order to get Snyder to even consider giving them up.

“I just thought that while there’s all this reporting on cooperation and collaboration, I don’t believe a word of that stuff. I believe Snyder wants to fight this every step of the way,” Wilbon said. “I don’t believe he’s going along with this. I believe Snyder is sulking and pouting and raging and I don’t buy that he’s sitting around and saying, ‘Okay how about this name?’ I just don’t buy it.”

An interesting idea was floated over the weekend that Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos may pop up in the bidding for the team, as he has reportedly wanted to get into the NFL ownership circles for a while now. While it may not seem likely that he would become a part-owner with Snyder, he undoubtedly has the money to offer enough to buy the team outright from the current owner. If Bezos offered $4 billion or more to take Washington off of Snyder’s hands, would he say no?

Hard to say, but he’d at least have to listen.

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Spencer Dinwiddie says LeBron James ‘best athlete in NBA history, bar none’

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie took issue with some statements from ESPN’s Mike Wilbon that KD and LeBron wouldn’t dominate in the 80s.

Consider Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie the spokesman for the disrespect of current players from folks who think, in light of the new Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance,” that the best players of the here and now could not dominate in the 1980s and 90s.

At the end of the week, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, a Jordan confidant, and his partner Jalen Rose, who was part of the only team to push Jordan’s Bulls to a Game 7 in 1998, both suggested that not even LeBron James or Kevin Durant could be dominant players in the Jordan Era. Dinwiddie questioned their state and went on to discuss what make the players of today, including LeBron, so great.

Dinwiddie’s look is a lot more nuanced and holistic when it looking at the history of the game. And he brings up a rarely heard argument that Kareem has the GOAT basketball resume, but that Jordan had the more dominant peak. But it’s hard to disagree that when looking at the tape, there is no better athlete in the game’s history, or perhaps a greater basketball mind, than LeBron James.

However, despite Dinwiddie’s efforts, the arguments will only continue. Episodes 5 and 6 of “The Last Dance,” are set to air tonight on ESPN and will hit Netflix internationally tomorrow.

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Michael Wilbon defends Jameis Winston after QB undergoes LASIK surgery

See what Michael Wilbon had to say about the timing of quarterback Jameis Winston’s LASIK surgery.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston had quite the NFL season, throwing for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. In a contract year, you couldn’t put up more mind-boggling numbers.

The Bucs are now deciding whether Winston’s performance in 2019 warrants another year playing in Bruce Arians’ system. Several former players think Winston is poised for a big Year 2, noting how it takes time to learn Arians’ offense.

Winston seems to be doing all he can to stay in the Bucs’ good graces, even undergoing LASIK surgery recently to correct his nearsightedness. Many people have already made the joke that Winston has 30/30 vision, and some media pundits like Tony Kornheiser of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” have wondered why it’s taken Winston so long to get the surgery, since he’s had a vision issue since at least his Florida State days.

Kornheiser’s co-host, Michael Wilbon, who has had LASIK surgery himself, defended Winston and the timing of the procedure on Thursday’s show. Here’s what Wilbon had to say when Kornheiser asked why it took Winston so long to correct his vision.

Per Wilbon:

“[He] might have had to wait. I had the problem since seventh grade. I got LASIK in 2003 or 2004… So seventh grade to 2003 or 2004 is a long time. You wait because it’s not available to people with certain ailments like an astigmatism, that LASIK could not address 15 years ago, but it can be addressed now.”

When Kornheiser asked Wilbon if the surgery changed everything for him, Wilbon replied, “Everything in your life.”

It’s definitely worth listening to the segment, which can be found around the 10:30 mark of the podcast.

There’s no telling for sure just how much this will improve Winston’s game, but I feel like him getting the surgery is a sign of his impending return to the Bucs.

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