Month: July 2020

Late to the Desus & Mero party, but plan on staying

/ Ian Casselberry / 1 Comment

At the risk of sounding way behind cultural trends or looking white as mayonnaise, I’ve become a fan of Desus & Mero.

I was aware of them before and NBA writer Chris Herring often shows them love on Twitter.

So what took me so long? I don’t know! Maybe because I don’t watch VICELAND that much, but now that they’ve moved to Showtime, I see ads for the show all the time before and after watching Billions.

(By the way, I’ve finished my binge! Just waiting for the second half of Season 5 whenever COVID-19 allows the series to go back into production.)

Part of it is the guys often talk about sports and have sports-related guests on the show, which makes it content worth watching for a notable clip I can write about for Awful Announcing. Like this clip on James Harden and the Blue Lives Matter mask he wore at the 8:14 mark:

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WISE Sports Radio NFL segment: July 16, 2020

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

For this week’s WISE Sports Radio NFL segment, the hope was that the Washington Post would publish its supposed bombshell story on the Washington football team (no longer the Redskins, remember). Plenty of media acted like they’ve heard what will be reported, even though they probably don’t really know.

The Post published its story after our segment: 15 women allege sexual harassment and verbal abuse from Washington Redskins team employees, three of whom recently left the organization before this report was published.

Pat Ryan, Mike Gore, and I addressed that speculation before getting to the big contracts signed this week. Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett received big paydays, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is looking at a potentially very lucrative future.

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WISE Sports Radio MLB update: July 15, 2020

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With just over a week until the 2020 Major League Baseball season begins, the Atlanta Braves made a surprise move in signing outfielder Yasiel Puig. The young slugger’s behavior has made him a difficult fit in the past, but his bat and defense certainly make the Braves better.

On WISE Sports Radio‘s baseball segment, Pat Ryan and I looked at the pros and cons of the Puig signing, recapped injuries to key players during Summer Camp, highlighted potential surprise contenders, shared our favorite All-Star Game moments, and recommended some sports documentaries:

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WISE Sports Radio NFL hit: July 9, 2020

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Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson stepped into it this week when he posted some anti-Semitic quotes on social media. He says he didn’t realize how those were interpreted and vowed to take steps to educate himself and work with the Jewish community in Philadelphia.

For WISE Sports Radio‘s NFL segment, Pat Ryan and I discussed whether the Eagles should release Jackson or if he should be taken at his word. We also talked about the massive contract Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed and continuing efforts to get the Washington Redskins to change their team name.

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Hello, Canada! Baseball talk on Edmonton’s TSN 1260

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Major League Baseball’s “Summer Camp” preparations for a shortened 2020 season are off to a shaky start with delays in player COVID-19 testing. That process has created plenty of doubt among players and frustration among coaches and executives who were assured constant testing would help to create a safe environment for everyone involved.

Baseball is forging ahead with workouts and plans to begin the season on July 23. But there’s still a question of whether more players, particularly stars like Mike Trout, might still opt out of playing.

I’m always happy to talk with Dave Jamieson (and Matthew Iwanyk) of Edmonton’s TSN 1260. We discussed the chances of playing a 2020 season and which teams are best suited for a 60-game season that could be unlike any we’ve ever seen.