FanHouse Deadspin

The FanHouse Podcast: Because bloggers are much sexier on the phone.

We recently welcomed renowned lawyer turned author/blogger/athlete Clay Travis (read his new book!) to FanHouse. Naturally, we fired up the podcast machine. The result? Ye olde epic two-parter. The first half is after the jump and in it we answer the pressing questions: Is Tim Tebow a virgin? Is "fat-ass" an inappropriate term to use in intramural sports? Should you let your wife time your 40-yard dash? Is working at Deadspin fun? How many crazy pills did Lane Kiffin swallow? And, of course, who's more evil: Urban Meyer or Nick Saban? Do enjoy.

Hey, it's a sports blog writing about a sports blog and the world's first sports blogger! This is somewhere between navel-gazing and blogsturbation; we'll stick with the navel one for the picture's sake.

Regular readers of the super-famous sports blog Deadspin are probably aware of two things about it: 1) it's editor Will Leitch's last week, and 2) ESPN loathes Deadspin. Loathe hate anger rage.

Regarding the first point (we'll get to point two in a second), in the tradition of fine sendoffs, the peripheral characters of Deadspin are conducting a multi-segmented roast of Mr. Leitch, starting today. There's Big Daddy Drew, the Awful Announcing guy, Will's girlfriend, and hey, there's Bill Simmons too.

Wait wait wait wait. ESPN's Bill Simmons? That guy, the Sports Guy? ESPN.com's most decorated columnist is writing for ESPN's most hated nemesis?! (link is sort of NSFW: language and a crude fellatic photoshop that looks more like monochromatic vomit)

You directed 500 of your minions over to ESPN.com's brand-new Conversation boards so they could make jokes about Harold Reynolds banging my wife. (Note: I didn't think this was funny at the time ... now, I have to admit, it was kind of funny.) You were described by Buzz Bissinger as "Jimmy Olsen on Percocets," an analogy that gets more amusing every day. You even turned Chris Berman into the Casanova of the 21st century.

Sure enough. Erstwhile Page2 colleague Dan Shanoff appears in the comments of the article to make a statement about ESPN that, due to its scatological nature, we can't possibly repeat here or in front of our parents. The entire piece is supremely entertaining, especially as Simmons pores over pictures of Leitch from Google Images, and a strange salvo to be fired in the war between MSM and Blogfrica.

Ever since Chicago coach Denis Savard uttered the words "Commit To the Indian" in his frustrated tirade last week, the phrase has taken on a life of its own. From two competing Cafe Press sites to MSM attention on the phenomenon to a battle over whether this is a culturally insensitive catchphrase or simply a culturally insensitive catchphrase that will replace the Blackhawks' current slogan, which appears to be a celebration of Communism of some kind.

I covered this situation over on Deadspin this morning -- where, in case you were unaware, I'm writing the hilarious (and occasionally NSFW) NHL Closer every weekday morning -- and interviewed one of my favorite Blackhawks fans, Mr. Miller from Wirtzsucks.com Blackhawkzone.com about the slogan, which I believe is absolute marketing gold. I mean, it's "Beware the Penguins" without the crappy beer endorsement. One of Miller's comments that didn't make the cut spells out the hockey history vs. political correctness debate quite well:

I think any momentum that it might foster will soon be cut down by the PC crowd. White people who have no reason to be involved will take it upon themselves to "speak for" some Indian group claiming it's offensive or racist. That said, McDonough acknowledged that it's been getting some decent conversation within the organization. But I think Savard clearly was echoing the idea that the symbol on the front of the uniform is much more important than the name on the back. And in a blue-collar town like Chicago, that especially holds true.

The "McDonough" is team president John McDonough, who told the Chicago Tribune he was amazed "how much life" the slogan has been given by Blackhawks fans. A Tribune online poll showed strong support for "Commit To the Indian" as of Tuesday afternoon. I hope the team gives the fans what the want: A formidable, tradition-laden motto for a rejuvenated franchise. Read Savard's comments yesterday about honor and commitment, and you'll see why the PC police need to turn off their sirens.

It's true, you know - robots can do some frightening things. One of those things is hit a baseball, as show in this video. Truthfully, this video is pretty old, but it's new to the FanHouse, right? Enjoy.