STUPID SPORTS SH!T: BAD ANALYSIS, SAL

by Chris Richardson, Intentional Foul

Hey, hey, hey. Chris here again with another look at some of the dumb shit that goes on in this wonderful sporting universe we are all so attached to. Unfortunately, there isn't as much fodder as there was last week (where are the freaking cheerleader stories?), so I broadened my scope a little bit and found some things that I found particularly annoying and/or stupid.

I guess people were on their best behavior for Thanksgiving.

Sal Paolantonio Sucks at Viral Marketing
Apparently, ESPN voicebox Sal Paolantonio is getting ready to release a book discussing which NFL players (past and current) are under and overrated. The title of this gem is the obtusely long "The Paolantonio Report: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players, Teams, Coaches & Moments in NFL History."

I can't wait to see the library card for that... Sal Pal's book has the potential of being the most abbreviated titles in the history of the card catalog.

To further promote the book, which is currently sitting in the 4000s on Amazon's Sale Rank list, portions of Pal's conclusions have made some interweb locations and let's just say the reaction is nothing to get excited about. In fact, Sal Pal's overrated quarterback and running back lists seem awfully under-researched and serve no other purpose than to promote arguments.

It seems as if Sal/ESPN's PR machine is trying to embrace the "no press is bad press" strategy but the thing is, if no one agrees with your conclusions, no one is going to buy your book. There's little point in reading a book full of absurd lists the author himself surely can't agree with.

Tony Romo? Most overrated in NFL history? He's only played 21.5 games dude. Why don't you let him actually build a reputation before you bash him, Sal (btw, Romo tied the Cowboy team record for single-season TD passes... does that constitute "overrated" as well...)?

Todd Sauerbrun is No Chicken Sh!t
Such were the words of wisdom provided by the Denver Broncos punter when he was asked about punting to Bears' All-World returner Devin Hester earlier in the week... before the Broncos lost to the Bears 37-34, thanks in large part to two huge punt returns for touchdowns from, you guessed it, Mr. Devin Hester.

Well, after winding up flat on your face during both returns, do you care to rethink your egotistical approach, there, Todd?

Here's the YouTube of Hester's fantastic performance. Be sure to watch Sauerbrun (number 10) wind up flat on his face each time he tries to slow the Hester convoy down. Good stuff:

OK, because of the long weekend (which I'm still trying to recover from... too much UK sports [two basketball games and that 4 overtime heartbreaker against Tennessee], plus a round-trip drive from KC to Kentucky and back again), I'm leaving you with just two examples this week. Fear not, fellow Carnies, because I'm sure there will be plenty of fodder to last us this lifetime and beyond. ;)

Until next week. Enjoy the ride.