Today is Easter Monday, a holiday not widely celebrated in the United States. In fact, I had to Wiki it to learn about the associated traditions. One Polish Easter Monday tradition caught my attention:
If you've been following this BON diary, then you'll get this metaphor: today we Longhorn basketball fans are Polish girls. And the NBA's riches are a giant log. Like I said: brace yourselves.
(It's not hard to figure out what's coming today, but I'm restricted from further commentary until after a story has been filed later today. After that, I'll be free to give you some interesting tidbits from several phone calls I made Sunday afternoon.)
Speaking of inappropriate leg-whippings, Colin Cowherd is back in the news. ESPN's newest Ombudsman, Le Anne Schreiber, used her first official feedback response column to address the "dozens" of complaints she received from letter writers over Cowherd's latest on-air malfeasance. I'd have more to say on this if Kyle hadn't just said what I intended to. The Mayor's good like that.
Kyle Russell hit two home runs during Saturday's series finale with Kansas to tie the Texas single season record (Jeff Ontiveros, 2002). Kyle's 19th and 20th dingers of the year helped Texas (28-10, 9-3) win 6-5 on Saturday afternoon. Full Texas Baseball Report on the site later today.
Brad Buckman and Kris Clack are now on the Houston Rockets! Not! (Sorry, I just watched Borat for the first time this weekend. I don't have much to say about the film, other than watching it this long after it came out, after hearing so much hype, sort of made it hard to appreciate.)
I was talking to Deadspin editor Will Leitch during Orson and I's online radio show last Tuesday and Will said something which resonated with me: his least favorite athletes are guys like Derek Jeter, who give you canned, boring responses that keep them out of the news. I found Will's sentiments - which I agree with - especially relevant on Friday afternoon when Dan Patrick interviewed Ricky Williams during his ESPN Radio show and Williams talked about how he's been spending his offseason. Williams was candid, but more importantly, he was deeply insightful and impressively self-aware. If you have a few minutes, go to the ESPN Podcast Center and listen to the segment. For all Ricky's shortcomings, he remains one of my favorite athletes of all time - both for his accomplishments and his personality.
Unless you were watching softball on Saturday night, you missed one of BON's all time favorites - Cat Osterman - making her professional debut as a sportscaster for ESPN. Cat called the Arizona-Arizona State game, a gig which she'll perform semi-regularly for the network. My Cat source tells me they don't yet know which games Cat will be calling, but that she'll be behind the microphone for several more (non-Texas) games this season.
Last, but not least, the coldest April weather in Austin in 20 years may have kept me away from the Texas Relays, but it didn't shut down the event itself. One of Austin's great sports events each year, it's too bad that the weather wasn't as cooperative as we've come to expect, but I'm happy to know the meets went on as planned.
--PB--