Thanks to Nick Masuda of Golfweek Magazine for coming on the show and having an awesome conversation about Tiger Woods and The Players Championship. Tiger has been so dominant and we explored how much he has improved.

So much has happened since Jason Collins came out a few weeks ago. Tonight was the first opportunity I have had to have Hudson Taylor on the show since the announcement. We talked about what happened with Collins, what has taken place since and where gays in sports are going. Taylor’s organization, Athlete Ally is leading the charge.

Enjoy the show!

I also raise the question regarding how supportive the NFL really is. The two most vocal supporters of gay rights in the NFL are both out of jobs at the moment as Kluwe joined Brendon Ayanbadejo on the unemployment line.

Thanks to Jill Painter of the LA Daily News for talking all things Los Angeles and Bob Irzyk of KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City for talking about the Thunder.

In between, I had a great fan of the show call in plus a mini rant on the Miami Dolphins and how they are crying they did not get an opportunity to take money from the state to improve Sun Lifeless Stadium.

Enjoy!

History was made as the the last domino toppled when NBA veteran Jason Collins wrote, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” in the May 6, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated.

I am one of the few broadcasters on radio or television that has dedicated shows to the topic of homosexuality in sports. I started discussing this topic long before it became fashionable. I say this not to toot my own horn but to illustrate how happy I am that this historic day has finally happened.

I want to thank Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe and Outsports.com‘s Cyd Zeilger for being on the show tonight and truly adding to the insight.

Listen to the show. Hear the messages and realize we were here when the history was made.

Enjoy!

In his own words Jason Collins comes out. The twelve-year NBA veteran tells his story. Collins starts out by saying, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay. I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation.”  For the rest of the SI article, click here.

Tune into my radio show tonight and every Monday night 7-9pm EST to listen to our conversation on this story and more…SILVERMAN: On Sports and click on the SoFloRadio logo.

The column below was originally published on February 12, 2013 here on SILVERMAN: On Sports.

I am straight.

There I said it. I came out. I announced it to the world.

No one cares. But when the first active male professional athlete comes out and announces he is gay, the world will care.

I suspect the news will be met with joy, pride, excitement, relief, anger, hatred and confusion. It will mark the Jackie Robinson moment for homosexuals in sports. Somewhere in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and/or the National Hockey League there is at least one closeted player considering coming out. He is contemplating what will change in his life and his career if he announces to the world, “I’m gay!”

Would you care? Should you care? Should it matter?

You would! You should! It should!

Civil rights in this country has been a battle since our Founding Fathers inked their John Hancocks on the Declaration of Independence. We have come a long way since declaring “all men are created equal.” They authored those words on that historic parchment more than 200 years ago. Sadly, in 2013, that all men and women are created equal, is not yet self-evident. Despite all the advancements we have made as a nation on the subject of gay rights, we are still debating them. There are still states that do not recognize marriage equality or support gay rights. There are still politicians who do not want marriage equality or want gay rights. There are still religious leaders who convince their followers that homosexuality is a sin and that they should not support marriage equality and gay rights.

Why? Ignorance. Bigotry. Closed-mindedness. Take your pick.

In 1967, it was illegal in many states for black and whites to marry. Could you even fathom that today? No, you couldn’t. So why can’t men marry men? Women marry women? In a country where the divorce rate is over 50%, the argument that gay marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage is a joke. In November, friends of mine are getting married. They asked me to perform their marriage, so I am getting ordained. I am excited to bring them together as husband and wife. Despite my own marriage not working out for better or worse, I still believe in marriage. But until there is marriage equality throughout the land, I don’t think I will be walking down the aisle again until I can perform gay marriages as well as straight ones.

We live in the USA. The United Sports of America.

Record numbers of Americans tuned in to watch the Ravens outlast the 49ers in New Orleans in Super Bowl XLVII. The lights went out but we didn’t care. We joined together to celebrate football played at the highest level. A thirty-four-minute blackout inside the Superdome didn’t deter us from our joy, pride and excitement. One of the stories of the big game was the end of Ray Lewis’ career. For me, one of the biggest stories of the game was about one of the guys playing right next to him, Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Brendon is an articulate, soft-spoken, hard-nosed linebacker. He looks like a man. Tall, dark, handsome. All-American. Super Bowl champion. Gay rights activist and marriage equality supporter. Brendon is the son of an Irish-American mother and Nigerian father. He was born just a few years after it became legal for black men to marry white women in this country. He grew up recognizing that this nation is truly a melting pot and he was one of those well-blended individuals.

When the state of Maryland was preparing for its own vote on marriage equality, he supported it. Despite State Legislator Emmett Burns attacking him, publicly, he was a voice of reason for an idea long overdue. He was a voice inside a locker room in one of the biggest boys’ clubs in the world, an NFL clubhouse. Maryland voted to support marriage equality in November in part because of a football player talking out about what is right.

As Ayanbadejo was coming under fire, a punter thousands of miles away came out and supported him, Chris Kluwe. Kluwe kicks a ball. He doesn’t do much hitting but he is just as much a bad-ass as Brendon. A product of UCLA, Chris is another very outspoken supporter of gay rights simply because he knows we are all the same. After learning of Burns’ comments against Brendon, Kluwe wrote his own op-ed piece with some really colorful language and extremely valid points. If you don’t think a guy that makes a living measuring success in hang time can make a difference, you are wrong.

Hudson Taylor was a wrestler. Not the Hulk Hogan or The Rock kind, but tough and physical nonetheless. These days his most successful moves are not by pile driver but by the pen. Taylor wore a Human Rights Campaign Equality sticker on his helmet in college. He made a statement then, and now as the founder of Athlete Ally, he is making more statements. Athlete Ally’s mission is to encourage “all individuals involved in sports to respect every member of their communities, regardless of perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and to lead others in doing the same.”

In 2000, Cyd Zeigler co-founded the website OutSports.com. Cyd created the site to promote the accomplishments and stories of gay athletes around the world. He has been on the front lines in the conversation about homosexuality in sports. Zeigler knows on the field it only matters how you can play, not who you love. His journalistic career is dedicated to telling the stories of gay athletes.

Politics and sports seem to go hand in hand. Strange bedfellows, but we love strange bedfellows. So why do some people have a problem if those bedfellows are of the same sex? Playing sports? Brian Ellner has mixed his love of politics and sports for years. Ellner led the charge for the gay rights votes in Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington states. He has worked tirelessly to help make life equal for everyone in the LGBT community. Ellner has worked with politicians, entertainers and sports stars to further not only the discussion on gay rights but make sure these rights are a reality for all.

Monday night, Kluwe, Ayanbadejo, Taylor, Zeigler and Ellner joined me on my radio show for a summit on gay rights, homosexuality and homophobia in sports. It was a fascinating two-hour discussion with five men dedicated to one goal; gay rights and marriage equality. We laughed and got serious. We discussed the good, the bad and the ugly of sports and humanity on the subject. We shared ideas and wondered when, not if, an active professional male athlete will stand at a podium and say, “I’m gay.”

Radio shows rarely discuss this topic. On sports radio shows even more rarely. Maybe it’s because of ratings. Maybe it’s because most hosts don’t care or don’t have the balls to discuss the last taboo subject in sports.

Jackie Robinson came out in 1947. He didn’t have to say, “I’m black,” because everyone knew. It wasn’t a secret. Robinson had Pee Wee Reese to put his arm around him to show the world that teammates don’t care what the color of your skin is or who you love, they just care that you can play the game.

There are plenty of Pee Wees in the big four major leagues.

There is a gay Jackie Robinson too.

And we do care!

Related radio shows and columns by Bruce Silverman:

2-11-2013 Radio Show: Chris Kluwe, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Hudson Taylor, Cyd Zeigler and Brian Ellner

9-17-2012 Radio Show: Chris Kluwe, Cyd Zeigler, Ryan Walsh, Jamie Kuntz & Gay Rights in Sports

7-30-2012 Radio Show:  No More Chick-Fil-A in Sports, the Olympics & More with Cyd Zeigler and Hudson Taylor

7-20-2012 Column: Now is the Time to End the Chick-Fil-A Relationship with Atlanta Bowl Game

A special thanks to Julie West. Julie was originally from the Boston area and returned to run the 117th Boston Marathon. West finished the race just over 40 minutes before the explosions that rocked the day and witnessed the bombings. Her account of the day and the week that followed was riveting.

Mark Fontes of HamiltonPulse.com came on and we talked about New York’s treatment of Boston, the role of Social Media in news and our culture as well as the role sports plays in helping us heal

Btw…audio starts 12 seconds after you hit play….Enjoy!

Earlier today, two explosions rocked the Boston Marathon around the 4:19 mark of the race. Over one-hundred were injured and as of this posting, three had been killed. The first hour of the show was dedicated to coverage of this event. I had the news, the analysis and my thoughts. Before the show, I had spoken with a runner that finished the race about an hour before the explosions and saw the carnage out of her hotel room window. Because cell phone service was cut off in the hours after the event she was unable to join me on the air. Julie Wolf, SILVERMAN: On Sports editor, did join me live from outside Boston. She was at the race at mile maker 4 and gave a great accountant of her experiences early in the race and her thoughts of what unfolded hours later.

I had planned on starting the show talking about The Masters after the amazing win by Adam Scott. I pushed that conversation with Nick Masuda of GolfWeek magazine to the second hour of the show. Nick is a fantastic writer and our conversation about an Aussie winning for the first time was awesome. When the conversation turned to Tiger Woods, the rules of golf, the 15th on Friday and the aftermath, the best golf coverage on radio was loud and clear. I finished the interview asking Nick about the issue of security at golf events and asking him about homosexuality in golf. I don’t think anyone has ever asked him about that before.  Thats what you get on SILVERMAN: On Sports.

There was so much more I wanted to talk about tonight. The wonderful movie about Jackie Robinson, 42, the woeful Florida Marlins, the possible career-ending injury of Kobe Bryant and other sports topics, but sometimes sports is not about life and sometimes life is all about sports.

Not everything we talked about was pleasant or happy, but it was important to talk about it nonetheless.

Thanks!

There are going to be great stories like Darvish throughout the year. There are also going to be sad stories to follow.

Down in Miami, one of the saddest of all is playing out daily. The Marlins are not a major league franchise. At best they are Double-A talent from top to bottom. They have the second lowest payroll in the game. The home run sculpture in centerfield I refer to as “The Ant Hill,” cost $2.5 million to build. That would make it the 5th highest paid player on the 2013 roster. With the lack of offense this team is displaying, Big and Little Enos, the two idiots that own and run the team, could save even more money by unplugging the eye-sore entirely. It’s not like it is really going to be used.

Big Enos aka Jeffrey Loria, is running the Florida Marlins into the ground. I will not call them Miami until he is no longer the owner. Big Enos has a tremendous amount of experience destroying baseball franchises. He managed to take the Montreal Expos, a once proud and solid organization, and systematically turn off the players and the fans. Once he completed his task, he sold the ‘Spos to Major League Baseball and the league moved them to Washington to become the Nationals.

His reward for this? He was given the Florida Marlins. Yes, they won a World Series in 2003 and he will boast about that if you let him. I won’t because what he has done since is disgusting. Fire sale after fire sale, bad baseball move after bad baseball move. Lying to anyone that will listen so he could be given a publicly financed stadium where the Orange Bowl once stood. Loria’s $12 million initial investment in the Expos has been parlayed into his current team being worth in excess of $520 million. Not a bad deal, if you can get it!

So back to baseball. The Marlins have very little talent and even fewer fans. I have said on my radio show that I don’t believe they will draw 750,000 actual bodies inside Marlins Ballpark this year. That is an average of just over 9200 a game. I think that number will be high. I have also joked via Facebook and Twitter that the Marlins are looking for a new marketing director with experience drawing flies. This should be extended to the baseball side of their operation considering fly balls of any kind would be a welcomed part of their performance.

Naturally, I started thinking about the worst teams in baseball. The 1908 St. Louis Cardinals are a study in futility. They scored only 372 runs and were shut out 33 times, both records that stand today. Those Cards only won 43 games that year.

But the 1962 New York Mets are widely considered the worst baseball team in history. That expansion team won 40 games, a record no one wants to brag about.

So throughout the season, day by day, I will be comparing the ’62 Mets record against the ’13 Marlins to see who will truly be…the worst team in MLB history? I will post this information on the SILVERMAN: On Sports Facebook page as well as on Twitter: @SilvermanShow. Follow SILVERMAN: On Sports all season long to find out the answer!

As of today:

1962 Mets: 0-8

2013 Marlins: 1-7

I want to take this opportunity to wish Big Enos the best of luck this year! He is already the worst owner in the history of professional sports, but he has chance to own the worst baseball team in history as well.

Actually the more I think about it, he doesn’t need luck to achieve this, he just needs to be himself!

Kenny Anderson checked in from inside the Georgia Dome and Kenny was on fire! We talked about the game between Louisville and Michigan (he picks Louisville) as well as a lot more basketball. Today Rick Pitino was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame along with the Knicks’ Bernard King, UNLV’s Jerry Tarkanian and Sonics’ Gary Payton. Kenny played for Pitino and had great insight into the man. He grew up in the shadow of the Knicks and played against Tark. He also played with Payton and against Payton. Anderson has thrown his hat into the ring for the vacant Florida Gulf Coast job and we discussed that opportunity. I also asked Kenny about the situation at Rutgers and he told me that he has never seen or heard of a coach abusing players like Mike Rice did during his practices.

Kendrick Haskins of WAVE TV-3 in Louisville joined me for the second year in a row. Last year, Kendrick picked Kentucky over his hometown Cardinals and this year he is going with the homers. We had a blast talking about his experiences covering the game tonight and he truly broke down the advantage Pitino’s kids have over Michigan. Haskins also gave incredible insight into Louisville’s Kevin Ware, his injury, his recovery and his attitude!

Adam Cristo created another version of Smart or Stupid and I wrote my favorite tweet ever after saying it on the air earlier in the show.

The tweet was: No truth to the rumor I am starting that former Rutgers’ coach Mike Rice was offered a guest spot on Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management!

Enjoy

Thanks to Dave Schofield for bring his spring training to the show and kicking off Opening Day with me.

Hudson Taylor is a 26 year-old powerhouse making a difference in sports. Hudson created Athlete Ally and his organization and ambassadors are changing the world. Homosexuality in the United States is a hot topic subject today. Sports is the last domino in our society to tumble for gay rights. Athlete Ally and Hudson’s efforts are clearing the path for closeted athletes to come out.

Ian Gold from BeyondUSports.com came on to talk about the NCAA Tournament and what a dance it has been so far. We ran the gamut from Kevin Ware’s gruesome injury to the Cinderella from Florida Gulf Coast to the Shockers shocking the world.

>>>SIDE NOTE…FGCU coach Andy Enfield signed on as the new coach at Southern Cal. Ian and I discussed this possibility on the show tonight.

Will Manso is the sports director at WPLG ABC in Miami. We always have a great time talking about the failings of the Florida Marlins, but tonight we had the great state of basketball in South Florida. Will has been covering the Heat for years and has great insight into their coach Erik Spoelstra as well as the superstars. We mixed in some great The U talk too!

I finished the show with the fan favorite, the new hit SILVERMAN: On Sports segment…Smart or Stupid with Adam Cristo!

Enjoy!

Tonight on SILVERMAN: On Sports, we had it all. Inspirational story, basketball dancing, voice of reason in an unreasonable world and pro football during the off season.

Leading off, from the Baltimore Orioles (hopefully) Adam Greenberg. Greenberg is the feel good story of the year. In 2005 while playing for the Chicago Cubs, Adam was hit by the very first pitch he faced and didn’t return to the majors again until the Marlins gave him a one-day contract in 2012. Greenberg is hoping to catch on with the O’s in ’13

>>>> SILVERMAN: On Sports column on Greenberg and the Marlins, October 2, 2012: Florida Marlins & Adam Greenberg: One Out of Three Ain’t Bad

Next up, I danced with Ian Gold of BeyondUSports.com. Ian took us around the NCAA Tournament bracket by bracket. His pick, Louisville to win it all.

Billy Corben directed The U and Broke for ESPN and their series 30 for 30. Billy is always a great guest and we always get into topics most sports radio shows don’t have the balls to discuss.

We closed the show with a great discussion Bengals Tight End Orson Charles. Charles played his college football at the University of Georgia and made himself a legend by dropping and breaking the University of Florida’s 2006 Championship trophy while on a recruiting trip.

Don’t miss another episode of Adam’s Smart or Stupid and everything else that happened on tonight’s show.

Enjoy!

The NFL made big news the day before free agency starts. Barry Barnes of Lockerreport.com was the perfect guy to have on the show to talk about the moves made by the Ravens, Jets, Niners and others.

Adam introduced a new game to the show, “Smart or Stupid?” Not only was it fun and entertaining but it was informational as well.

Enjoy!

We also talk about pop culture and laughed a lot! I call that…SILVERMAN: On Sports and A Bunch of Other Stuff!

Tonight was a fun show from start to finish. I make Adam laugh so hard he cried. Stumped him on music (how could he not know Elton John) and introduced him to Bruno Mars on SNL.

I want to thank Nick Masuta of Golfweek Magazine. Nick is always an awesome guest and we had a great discussion on the future of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

Jorge Costales has been very critical of the Marlins and their ownership group as I have and it was a pleasure to speak with him on his thoughts past, present and future of the troubled franchise.

Enjoy!

History was made in MMA when Ronda Rousey won the first ever UFC Women’s Title. Jorge de la Noval of Championship Fighting Alliance gave great insight to this up and coming sport. Jorge believes boxing is the past and MMA is the future.

Big Enos, Jeffrey Loria wrote his appeal to the fans and what a joke of a letter it was. I read the letter and broke it down for the waste of paper it was printed on. Loria may have a new PR company, but the BS is just the same old load.

Matt Taliaferro of Athlon joined me to discuss the Daytona 500 and the history Danica Patrick made on the track.  We broke down the entire weekend at the Great American Race and talked about the NASCAR season.

We finished the show with a fun discussion on the Oscars last night. Always good to go to SILVERMAN: On Sports and a Bunch of Other Stuff!

Enjoy

Kenny Anderson is always awesome on the show and tonight was no exception. The former NBA star talked candidly about Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and his career. Great stories and a great interview.

Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News joined me from LA to discuss the passing of Dr. Jerry Buss at 80 years old. Buss had owned the Lakers since 1979 winning 10 rings and was a model owner. Jill also discussed the state of the Lakers, Clippers and Kings as well as the future of the NFL in the City of Angels.

Greg Bryant just signed his letter of intent to play football at Notre Dame. Bryant was one of the best running backs in the country out of Delray American Heritage. Greg is a fine young man and should have a great career with the Irish.

I was feel like a proud papa when my former producer, Chris Wittyngham is on the show. Chris is the sports director at WVUM and came on to talk about the NCAA investigation into Hurricane Nevin, Mario Cristobal leaving “The U” for Alabama and the amazing season the mens’ basketball team is having in Coral Gables.

So enjoy the show and join me again next Monday night for SILVERMAN: On Sports!

There I said it. I came out. I announced it to the world.

No one cares. But when the first active male professional athlete comes out and announces he is gay, the world will care.

I suspect the news will be met with joy, pride, excitement, relief, anger, hatred and confusion. It will mark the Jackie Robinson moment for homosexuals in sports. Somewhere in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and/or the National Hockey League there is at least one closeted player considering coming out. He is contemplating what will change in his life and his career if he announces to the world, “I’m gay!”

Would you care? Should you care? Should it matter?

You would! You should! It should!

Civil rights in this country has been a battle since our Founding Fathers inked their John Hancocks on the Declaration of Independence. We have come a long way since declaring “all men are created equal.” They authored those words on that historic parchment more than 200 years ago. Sadly, in 2013, that all men and women are created equal, is not yet self-evident. Despite all the advancements we have made as a nation on the subject of gay rights, we are still debating them. There are still states that do not recognize marriage equality or support gay rights. There are still politicians who do not want marriage equality or want gay rights. There are still religious leaders who convince their followers that homosexuality is a sin and that they should not support marriage equality and gay rights.

Why? Ignorance. Bigotry. Closed-mindedness. Take your pick.

In 1967, it was illegal in many states for black and whites to marry. Could you even fathom that today? No, you couldn’t. So why can’t men marry men? Women marry women? In a country where the divorce rate is over 50%, the argument that gay marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage is a joke. In November, friends of mine are getting married. They asked me to perform their marriage, so I am getting ordained. I am excited to bring them together as husband and wife. Despite my own marriage not working out for better or worse, I still believe in marriage. But until there is marriage equality throughout the land, I don’t think I will be walking down the aisle again until I can perform gay marriages as well as straight ones.

We live in the USA. The United Sports of America.

Record numbers of Americans tuned in to watch the Ravens outlast the 49ers in New Orleans in Super Bowl XLVII. The lights went out but we didn’t care. We joined together to celebrate football played at the highest level. A thirty-four-minute blackout inside the Superdome didn’t deter us from our joy, pride and excitement. One of the stories of the big game was the end of Ray Lewis’ career. For me, one of the biggest stories of the game was about one of the guys playing right next to him, Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Brendon is an articulate, soft-spoken, hard-nosed linebacker. He looks like a man. Tall, dark, handsome. All-American. Super Bowl champion. Gay rights activist and marriage equality supporter. Brendon is the son of an Irish-American mother and Nigerian father. He was born just a few years after it became legal for black men to marry white women in this country. He grew up recognizing that this nation is truly a melting pot and he was one of those well-blended individuals.

When the state of Maryland was preparing for its own vote on marriage equality, he supported it. Despite State Legislator Emmett Burns attacking him, publicly, he was a voice of reason for an idea long overdue. He was a voice inside a locker room in one of the biggest boys’ clubs in the world, an NFL clubhouse. Maryland voted to support marriage equality in November in part because of a football player talking out about what is right.

As Ayanbadejo was coming under fire, a punter thousands of miles away came out and supported him, Chris Kluwe. Kluwe kicks a ball. He doesn’t do much hitting but he is just as much a bad-ass as Brendon. A product of UCLA, Chris is another very outspoken supporter of gay rights simply because he knows we are all the same. After learning of Burns’ comments against Brendon, Kluwe wrote his own op-ed piece with some really colorful language and extremely valid points. If you don’t think a guy that makes a living measuring success in hang time can make a difference, you are wrong.

Hudson Taylor was a wrestler. Not the Hulk Hogan or The Rock kind, but tough and physical nonetheless. These days his most successful moves are not by pile driver but by the pen. Taylor wore a Human Rights Campaign Equality sticker on his helmet in college. He made a statement then, and now as the founder of Athlete Ally, he is making more statements. Athlete Ally’s mission is to encourage “all individuals involved in sports to respect every member of their communities, regardless of perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and to lead others in doing the same.”

In 2000, Cyd Zeigler co-founded the website OutSports.com. Cyd created the site to promote the accomplishments and stories of gay athletes around the world. He has been on the front lines in the conversation about homosexuality in sports. Zeigler knows on the field it only matters how you can play, not who you love. His journalistic career is dedicated to telling the stories of gay athletes.

Politics and sports seem to go hand in hand. Strange bedfellows, but we love strange bedfellows. So why do some people have a problem if those bedfellows are of the same sex? Playing sports? Brian Ellner has mixed his love of politics and sports for years. Ellner led the charge for the gay rights votes in Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington states. He has worked tirelessly to help make life equal for everyone in the LGBT community. Ellner has worked with politicians, entertainers and sports stars to further not only the discussion on gay rights but make sure these rights are a reality for all.

Monday night, Kluwe, Ayanbadejo, Taylor, Zeigler and Ellner joined me on my radio show for a summit on gay rights, homosexuality and homophobia in sports. It was a fascinating two-hour discussion with five men dedicated to one goal; gay rights and marriage equality. We laughed and got serious. We discussed the good, the bad and the ugly of sports and humanity on the subject. We shared ideas and wondered when, not if, an active professional male athlete will stand at a podium and say, “I’m gay.”

Radio shows rarely discuss this topic. On sports radio shows even more rarely. Maybe it’s because of ratings. Maybe it’s because most hosts don’t care or don’t have the balls to discuss the last taboo subject in sports.

Jackie Robinson came out in 1947. He didn’t have to say, “I’m black,” because everyone knew. It wasn’t a secret. Robinson had Pee Wee Reese to put his arm around him to show the world that teammates don’t care what the color of your skin is or who you love, they just care that you can play the game.

There are plenty of Pee Wees in the big four major leagues.

There is a gay Jackie Robinson too.

And we do care!

Related radio shows and columns by Bruce Silverman:

2-11-2013 Radio Show: Chris Kluwe, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Hudson Taylor, Cyd Zeigler and Brian Ellner

9-17-2012 Radio Show: Chris Kluwe, Cyd Zeigler, Ryan Walsh, Jamie Kuntz & Gay Rights in Sports

7-30-2012 Radio Show:  No More Chick-Fil-A in Sports, the Olympics & More with Cyd Zeigler and Hudson Taylor

7-20-2012 Column: Now is the Time to End the Chick-Fil-A Relationship with Atlanta Bowl Game

Equality to me is one of the most important issues facing this country today. In my opinion, everything will improve including the economy once marriage equality and gay rights are the law of the land. Tonight, I walked that walk and talked that talk.

I want to thank Chris Kluwe, Punter from the Minnesota Vikings; Cyd Zeigler, Founder of Outsports.com; Brendon Ayanbadejo Linebacker of the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens; Hudson Taylor, Founder of AthleteAlly.org and Brian Ellner, Gay Rights activist for all coming on the show tonight. The forum was amazing, the discussions were lively and candid and the radio was as good as you will find anywhere in the world.

In the middle of the show, I was alone with my thoughts. No guests, no callers, no script, no notes, just me and I told you exactly how I felt about equality in this country. It was one of my most insightful commentaries.

Radio is a medium that allows the message to be the focal point. Never have I been a part of a show that was more necessary than this one.

Reach out and discuss gay rights and marriage equality with all of my guests and me @SilvermanShow on Twitter. One day soon, everyone is this country will be equal. One day soon, there will be openly gay athletes in all sports and in all walks of life!

Enjoy!

Thanks to Minnesota Vikings’ kicker Blair Walsh. Walsh was inside the Superdome for the game and he proved to be an All-Pro guest as well as an All-Pro kicker!

Next up was Barry Barnes of Lockerreport.com. Barry is based in Baltimore and has covered the Ravens all season. His insight regarding last night’s game as well as the entire history of the franchise is complete and insightful!

Twan Russell joined me to give his perspective on the big game as well as his fellow Hurricane Ray Lewis. Russell’s take and candor about how the game is really played was awesome.

So enjoy the show and we will talk to you again next week!

Super Bowl XLVII is about to kickoff and the Ravens and the 49ers are ready. So is New Orleans. Is there a better place to play the NFL’s biggest game? Miami might make an argument for no, but I say yes!

Years after Hurricane Katrina nearly flooded the Crescent City off the map, the Cajuns are back and throwing great sports parties!

Right after the New Year in 2012, I wrote about my experiences in The Big Easy in this column. I was back in Nawlins a few weeks later. It was pretty amazing to be in the city right before the Sugar Bowl and right after the BCS Championship game. The town seemed to have amped up its energy.

Despite the bad press coming out of the Saints’ camp in the past year, the city continues to prove it is the comeback kid. Hurricane Katrina truly destroyed the area. The idea of hosting sports championships, championship teams and more was so foreign when the levees broke years ago.

Now hours before kickoff, New Orleans is on display for the sports world to see. It truly is a wonderful host and backdrop for a championship weekend. The city has great food, history, lodging and of course, hospitality.

The people of New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole, need these big events. They showcase the resolve of those residents that stayed when others left. They showcase the businesses that rebuilt. The eyes of the world will be on the Superdome, the very improved Superdome.

So the visitors will come from San Francisco and Baltimore and all points around the world. They will all descend on the city on the lake to watch two teams with the potential to be extraordinary.

This game has so many back stories, it’s a sports’ lovers dream. A sportswriter’s one too.

HarBowl. Ray Lewis. Art Modell. The side bars are endless in this game!

Sometimes I am very good at predicting the outcomes of games. I am probably one of the few sports columnists that doesn’t bet, but I will tell you this, the big winner of the Super Bowl is:

New Orleans

The show started talking about the NFL Pro Bowl and the future of the NFL. When Stan Saunders of WJZA CBS in Baltimore joined me, we had a very frank discussion on Ray Lewis. Stan has covered Lewis since he was a rookie and had tremendous insight into him. Stan was very candid about Lewis as a man, a football player, man of God and the man at the center of a 2000 double murder investigation in Atlanta. It was an interview that you will not hear anywhere else. From Lewis, we discussed Ray’s teammate Bernard Pollard and his comments about the future of the NFL. Injuries have been on Pollard’s mind and we discussed it all.

Adam and I talked about Manti Te’o and Lance Armstrong. The lies, the cheating and bizarre stories that surround them both.

I finished the show with another great visit from Nick Masuta from Golfweek Magazine. Nick was live from the Farmer’s and another huge win by Tiger Woods. Nick is one of the best golf writers and always has a great insight into the PGA tour.

Enjoy the Super Bowl we will have great coverage next Monday!

The NFL playoffs have been amazing. Thanks to Barry Barnes from LockerReport.com for breaking down all four of this past weekend’s games and giving insight into the Baltimore Ravens and Ray Lewis. I did ask the tough questions they are not asking in Baltimore regarding Ray Lewis and the 2000 Super Bowl.

WPLG’s Will Manso joined me to discuss the Dolphins outlining their stadium renovations to the tune of $400 million and how the state and local officials will react.

Adam and I had a lot of laughs about last night’s Golden Globe Awards, discussed steroids, the Baseball Hall of Fame  and we had two awesome callers tonight as well.

Enjoy!

Fun show tonight previewing and talking about the BCS Championship Game in South Florida. As much I wanted a tie (I know, I know it isn’t possible) I knew that Notre Dame would be routed!

Thanks to Bob Wieneke of the South Bend Tribune and Jeff Speegle of ABC in Birmingham for checking in with us from Sun Life Stadium.

The NHL actually solved their labor dispute and ended the lockout and I had the best hockey writer in America (and Canada for that matter) on to talk about it. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune is the best, listen and realize why.

Enjoy the show!

NO MOR FOTBAL

That needs to be the message sent to Chick-Fil-A by the organizers of the bowl once proudly known as the Peach Bowl. It’s time for the Chamber of Commerce to cut their ties with the Atlanta-based fast food chain.

Why?

Simple. Zero tolerance. In this case, zero tolerance for hatred and bigotry. Dan Cathy, the son of the chain’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, recently admitted in an interview with Baptist Press that the company he runs is against marriage equality. Chick-Fil-A donates millions to anti-gay rights organizations.

This attitude has no place in the world and certainly not in college athletics.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize that everyone, even companies are entitled to their own views and beliefs. BUT when a company takes a social action like Cathy’s has done with his words and his money, the game changes.

Cathy is a smart man. His company has over 1600 locations and makes billions every year. He wanted his stance on gay rights known. He knew his company would take a hit publicly and maybe even in its bottom line. He doesn’t care.

Remember, this is the same chain that is not open on Sundays. The reason was outlined in the founder’s Five-Step recipe for Business Success, “I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.”

The mayor of Boston has vowed to keep Chick-Fil-A out of his city. College campuses have been working to keep them out because the anti-gay stance by Cathy and his company has not been a well kept secret.

Now it’s time to keep the chicken seller out of college athletics.

The message needs to be loud and clear, you can’t peddle hate and intolerance when you promote college football.

I call on the NCAA, the Chamber of Commerce, ESPN and all partners of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Game, Kickoff Classic and Golf Challenge to squib kick Chick-Fi-A out of the football business.

The NCAA has had a very hands off policy lately, see the Penn State/Sandusky tragedy. They can’t stay out of this situation.

Why?

This game is one of three bowls to receive an NCAA grant for the Youth Football Program.

The purpose of bowl games is to raise money for local charities. I realize this is a fact that is largely forgotten in favor of great football games.

It’s time to remind the masses. It’s time to remind Chick-Fil-A.

Bowls serve the community.

The entire community.

>>>>I did a number of radio shows about this subject and gay rights, this was one of the best of the year. Click below for my interviews with Vikings’ punter Chris Kluwe, OutSports.com’s Cyd Zeigler and Jamie Kuntz, the college football player that was kicked off his team for being gay.

Even the morning after, I am sick.

Another senseless act of violence in this country. Another story of tragedy that grips our nation. Another opportunity to debate gun control from sea to shining sea.

On Friday morning, the sixth mass shooting this year took place at an elementary school in a quiet, “safe” Connecticut town. Twenty children lost their lives. Six adults did too. All by the hand of the man holding multiple guns, firing off round after round at close range. There is no such place as safe.

Why? We may never know because it appears that after the rampage, 20 year-old Adam Lanza took his own life. In doing so, he took answers to his grave.

Now what? Do we just shed a few tears? Hug our children and shrug our shoulders and when the news trucks leave, stop talking about guns? NO!

While watching the cable news channels, most of the talking heads said, “Today is not the day to debate gun control and the second amendment. Today is a day to mourn.” Well, I completely disagree. Now is the time to debate. Now is the time to discuss. Now is the time to be pissed off and change things. Now is the time while the blood is still wet, the tears are still flowing and our hearts haven’t hardened from the sixty-first mass murder in the last thirty years.

The sports world has not been immune to gun violence. Just a few weeks ago, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Javon Belcher killed his baby mama and then went to talk to his head coach and killed himself in front of Romeo Crennel. With a gun.

It has been reported that three out of four players in the NFL have guns. In the wake of that murder-suicide that left an infant an orphan, at least seven of them have given up their firearms. Some will say that gesture will do little to change the violence. I applaud them.

In sports, we revere statistics. We memorize home run totals, goals scored, wins, losses, yards thrown; we remember the numbers. A friend from Canada sent me a picture regarding handgun murders around the world. The numbers are as shocking as those out of Newtown. Last year, hand guns killed 48 people in Japan, 8 in Great Britain, 34 in Switzerland,  52 in Canada, 58 in Israel, 21 in Sweden, 42 in Germany and 10,728 in the United States.

10,728 in the United States. Remember that stat. STAT!

How do we, as a “civilized society”, accept so much loss of life? I have often said too many people in this country only care about life until birth. To those individuals, once you are born, you are on your own. That mindset is not civilized. We need to protect each other.

Vikings’ punter Chris Kluwe took to Twitter to express his thoughts, “The way we deal with this tragedy in CT will tell us a lot about where we’re headed as a society. Do we only address the symptoms (i.e. just gun control laws)? Or do we also address the disease – how we treat each other and those who need help.”

Chris, we need to address both. We need to address them now. The discussions need to take place at every level from the home, through columns like this, on the talk shows and especially in Washington. Our political leaders must take up this issue and make real changes.

Guns are a complicated issue. I don’t think that the second amendment should be eliminated but we need toward look at other countries for answers. When other industrial nations have yearly gun murder totals less than our daily rates, it’s time to make meaningful and effective changes.

We must protect our citizens more than we protect the right to buy an Uzi. I call on our elected officials from President Obama to all the members of Congress down to the state and local levels to stop accepting 10,728 gun murders a year.

I realize “The American President” was just a movie. But when President Andrew Shepherd said, “You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I’m gonna convince Americans that I’m right, and I’m gonna get the guns” I was nodding my head.

Mr. Obama, it’s time to go door to door and get the guns.

NBC Sports’ Bob Costas came under fire for speaking out about guns. In an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Costas said, “Give me one example of a professional athlete who by virtue of his having a gun, took a dangerous situation and turned it around for the better.  I can’t think of a single one. But sadly, I can think of dozens where by virtue of having a gun, a professional athlete wound up in a tragic situation.”

Some say guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I don’t buy that. Adam Lanza would have not killed twenty-six human beings without guns.

It’s time to end senseless gun violence. We have lost too many lives from bullets fired from a gun.

You can make your own list of victims. Here is a small one to think about:

John Lennon in 1980. John Kennedy in 1963. Martin Luther King in 1968. Twenty-six in Newtown, CT in 2012.

You in 201?

>>>> I discussed guns in this December 17, 2012 radio show that included great interviews with David Bergman on Bon Jovi and Ian Gold of BeyondUSports.com on college athletics.

Now Tim Tebow haunts my slumber. I rarely watch David Letterman anymore but tonight I tune in to see the lovely Kate Beckinsale and Dave’s got a Top 10 re: Timmy Terrific!

For those of you that missed it, I got out of bed for you. Here are Letterman’s Little Known Facts about Tim Tebow

1o. Fell to earth when his home planet Krypton exploded.

9. Throws left, pray right.

8. For breakfast has Icy Hot on toast.

7. If you tell him your street address, he’ll tell you the value of your home.

6. Currently 9th on the Kim Kardashian athlete waiting list.

5. Back in college threw a football twenty yards

4. One time, lost his temper and said, “Darn It”

3. Distracts defenders by flashing his beautiful, piercing blue eyes

2. Justin Bieber fans have “Bieber Fever”; Tim Tebow fans have “The Tebola Virus”

1. Can turn water into Gatorade

Thanks Dave! Now I wont be able to sleep tonight. Nightmares with visions of Tebow in my head. I wonder if Bill Belichick is having those tonight too?

now check out the video!

Happy New Year boys and girls! What a fantastic way to start 2012! Two of my favorite guests joined me.

David Bergman, one of the world’s best photographers, was once again fantastic talking about football and of course, Bon Jovi. David is their tour photographer and he was with Jon when the Death Hoax went viral two weeks ago. His recap of the events and his role in defusing the situation was another great event in his career.

The callers tonight were fantastic and thanks to all the listeners and callers I have on SILVERMAN: On Sports. Y’all are both knowledgeable and loyal. Thank you for coming back for another year!

Great thanks to George Richards of the Miami Herald for talking NHL! Most shows will not talk about hockey but I will not shy away from any topic and hockey is enjoying a great year, just as the Florida Panthers are. So enjoy the Return of the Rat!

This show is now 2.5 years old and only getting better because of all of you! Enjoy the download and don’t forget to subscribe to SILVERMAN: On Sports while you are here, LIKE the Show on Facebook and follow on Twitter: @SilvermanShow!

Again, a happy and healthy new year to everyone!

What is the character of a man?

Is it the number of wins? The losses? What he did with his time? His money? The way he lived his life?

These and others are going to be the questions that will be debated after the death of Joe Paterno. Paterno was 85.

Here is the box score on JoePa’s life:

409-136-3 overall record as head coach at Penn State

24-12-1 all time bowl game record.

Two national championships. Three Big Ten titles.

All time winningest head coach in FBS history. His final win came against Illinois in his last game. The win gave him one more than Grambling great, Eddie Robinson.

46 years in the den as the top Nittany Lion.

$4 million donated by Paterno and his wife to the university he spent the majority of his life serving.

All the players he sent to the NFL. All the lives he touched in positive ways. The number of men he helped in his career is countless.

BUT all that being said, his legacy may be tied to a man that hurt young men. Touched their lives in all the wrong ways.

Is it fair to Paterno? It’s not really my job to say. Actually, it’s yours. You need to judge him on your own. Not after reading my columns. Not after reading the countless articles written since the Jerry Sandusky tragedy was exposed and Paterno was fired. That is the way it should be. The public being educated about the facts and formulating their own opinions on a subject. I realize that I am going off on a tangent but actually this is the perfect story to tell while standing on my soapbox regarding making up your own mind.

Paterno was a polarizing figure in the last three months. He had his supporters and detractors. The Washington Post article and interview published last week shed interesting light on him. As I wrote in my column, Joe Paterno: The Sandusky Tragedy, Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy and His Career, I wish he had spoken out right after his dismissal. I didn’t think that statement’s by Paterno during the height of his chemotherapy treatments was the most ideal time to get his true feelings and knowledge of the Sandusky situation.

The trials will come and more of the facts will come out. Without Paterno’s testimony, we will probably never know exactly what role he played or what he really knew about what his friend and assistant was involved in regarding the alleged abuse of children.

Now the man born days before Christmas in 1926 has lost his battle with cancer. A battle for the most part, he fought secretly and I am sure, bravely. I only wish he had shown the same bravery facing the Sandusky story.

 Related articles and complete coverage of Joe Paterno written by Bruce Silverman for SILVERMAN: On Sports:

Joe Paterno: The Sandusky Tragedy, Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy and His Career

Jerry Sandusky is a Coward

College Coaches Leading Their Student-Athletes to the Abyss

Penn State Tragedy Covered Like Only Bruce Silverman Can: PODCAST A Must Download and Listen

Playing the Game has Nothing to do with Doing the Crime

Say It So, Joe, Resign NOW

Joe Pa Should Step Down in unHappy Valley Today

I started the year with David Bergman and I finished it with him as well! David was on my very first show and he is one of my favorite guests! Tonight we talked about his experiences with the 121212 Concert. He was among rock royalty from Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Stones, The Who, Billy Joel and Paul McCartney just to name a few. We discuss sports, his 9-11 experiences as well as other news stories he has covered.

From David to Ian Gold of BeyondUSports.com. Ian and I tackled the full range of college athletics. From basketball to football to super conferences we discuss it all. I waxed my theories on college athletes getting paid, repaying their scholarships for leaving early as well as our bowl predictions.

Since I never shy away from talking about news stories of the day, I did rant against guns after the senseless deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. I also ranted against the talking heads that sounded like idiots trying to explain why the tragedy occurred. I encourage you to read my column from Saturday as well! Read this!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

We will be back in the Caddyshack live on January 7, 2013 in time to discuss the BCS Championship Game between Notre Dame and Alabama!

Enjoy!

Another senseless act of violence in this country. Another story of tragedy that grips our nation. Another opportunity to debate gun control from sea to shining sea.

On Friday morning, the sixth mass shooting this year took place at an elementary school in a quiet, “safe” Connecticut town. Twenty children lost their lives. Six adults did too. All by the hand of the man holding multiple guns, firing off round after round at close range. There is no such place as safe.

Why? We may never know because it appears that after the rampage, 20 year-old Adam Lanza took his own life. In doing so, he took answers to his grave.

Now what? Do we just shed a few tears? Hug our children and shrug our shoulders and when the news trucks leave, stop talking about guns? NO!

While watching the cable news channels, most of the talking heads said, “Today is not the day to debate gun control and the second amendment. Today is a day to mourn.” Well, I completely disagree. Now is the time to debate. Now is the time to discuss. Now is the time to be pissed off and change things. Now is the time while the blood is still wet, the tears are still flowing and our hearts haven’t hardened from the sixty-first mass murder in the last thirty years.

The sports world has not been immune to gun violence. Just a few weeks ago, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Javon Belcher killed his baby mama and then went to talk to his head coach and killed himself in front of Romeo Crennel. With a gun.

It has been reported that three out of four players in the NFL have guns. In the wake of that murder-suicide that left an infant an orphan, at least seven of them have given up their firearms. Some will say that gesture will do little to change the violence. I applaud them.

In sports, we revere statistics. We memorize home run totals, goals scored, wins, losses, yards thrown; we remember the numbers. A friend from Canada sent me a picture regarding handgun murders around the world. The numbers are as shocking as those out of Newtown. Last year, hand guns killed 48 people in Japan, 8 in Great Britain, 34 in Switzerland,  52 in Canada, 58 in Israel, 21 in Sweden, 42 in Germany and 10,728 in the United States.

10,728 in the United States. Remember that stat. STAT!

How do we, as a “civilized society”, accept so much loss of life? I have often said too many people in this country only care about life until birth. To those individuals, once you are born, you are on your own. That mindset is not civilized. We need to protect each other.

Vikings’ punter Chris Kluwe took to Twitter to express his thoughts, “The way we deal with this tragedy in CT will tell us a lot about where we’re headed as a society. Do we only address the symptoms (i.e. just gun control laws)? Or do we also address the disease – how we treat each other and those who need help.”

Chris, we need to address both. We need to address them now. The discussions need to take place at every level from the home, through columns like this, on the talk shows and especially in Washington. Our political leaders must take up this issue and make real changes.

Guns are a complicated issue. I don’t think that the second amendment should be eliminated but we need toward look at other countries for answers. When other industrial nations have yearly gun murder totals less than our daily rates, it’s time to make meaningful and effective changes.

We must protect our citizens more than we protect the right to buy an Uzi. I call on our elected officials from President Obama to all the members of Congress down to the state and local levels to stop accepting 10,728 gun murders a year.

I realize “The American President” was just a movie. But when President Andrew Shepherd said, “You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I’m gonna convince Americans that I’m right, and I’m gonna get the guns” I was nodding my head.

Mr. Obama, it’s time to go door to door and get the guns.

NBC Sports’ Bob Costas came under fire for speaking out about guns. In an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Costas said, “Give me one example of a professional athlete who by virtue of his having a gun, took a dangerous situation and turned it around for the better.  I can’t think of a single one. But sadly, I can think of dozens where by virtue of having a gun, a professional athlete wound up in a tragic situation.”

Some say guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I don’t buy that. Adam Lanza would have not killed twenty-six human beings without guns.

It’s time to end senseless gun violence. We have lost too many lives from bullets fired from a gun.

You can make your own list of victims. Here is a small one to think about:

John Lennon in 1980. John Kennedy in 1963. Martin Luther King in 1968. Twenty-six in Newtown, CT in 2012.

You in 201?

Thanks to Nick Masuda of Golfweek for joining me and talking about the past, present and future of golf from Tiger Woods to Rory McIlroy and everyone in between.

Bob Irzyk from KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City for coming on and talking about the Thunder, Cowboys, Johnny Football and the bowl games.

Barry Barnes of Lockerreport.com came on to talk about the Ravens coaching change and RG3′s injury. Not sure about his porn name but I am glad we got to the bottom of the Cam Cameron news hoax.

Enjoy the show!

Saturday’s SEC Championship was an instant classic. Georgia came up a few yards short as Alabama heads to Miami to take on Notre Dame for the title of best college team of 2012. Thanks to my amazing callers for discussing the great game inside the Georgia Dome.

Jeff Speegle of ABC 33/40 in Birmingham joined me for the second time in as many weeks. Jeff is getting ready to head down to Sun Life to see if Nick Saban can make it two in a row.

This has been a rough year for the Kansas City Chiefs and this past weekend was truly a tragedy. A murder-suicide at Arrowhead Stadium was the latest in a very long season. Thanks to Michael Coleman of CBS in KC for coming on and giving us the latest in this ongoing story.

Finally, a fan favorite, Rontina McCann put her spin on the college football season.

We really do have a pool and a pond, pond would be good for you, natural spring!

Thanks to WFOR’s Kim Bokamper for joining in on everything from the Dolphins to his performance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Ian Gold guested from BeyondUSports.com to discuss college football. We broke down the SEC Championship, the National Championship possibilities as well as who will win the Heisman.

Jeff Speegle from ABC in Birmingham talked about the Tide’s chances against Georgia in the SEC game in Atlanta Saturday. Should be a very interesting game inside the Georgia Dome. The winner gets the Irish for all the marbles!

Finished the show discussing the NFL, the Jets and the future of football in Los Angeles with Mark Fontes of WZBN TV 25 in NY/NJ.

I will talk to you from the Shack next week! Enjoy!

Special thanks to Josh Appel of bullsradio.org and Chris Wittyngham of WVUM.org for coming on and taking about college football and the Marlins.

WPLG-TV 10 sports director Will Manso was awesome talking about the Marlins, their ownership Big and Little Enos, Jeffrey Loria and David Sampson. Will showed why he is the most respected sports anchor in Miami when he spoke out about the Marlins brass.

Barry Barnes joined to to discuss the NFL and the University of Maryland’s move to the Big 10 from the ACC.

Now go and enjoy the show!

I always enjoy having Cyd Zeigler (@CydZeigler) of OutSports.com on the show. Tonight was a candid conversation after four huge gay rights and gay marriage victories from election night 2012. We had a great conversation about sports and gay athletes and I even asked a few questions Cyd had never been asked before. Kudos to me!

We finished the show with a true hero on a few different fronts! Adrian Chism is the football coach at tiny Southwest Christian Academy in Atlanta. His school only had 13 players this year and despite losing all their games on the field, they were winners through and through. Chism is a retired Marine and it was a pleasure to speak with him on Veteran’s Day. If you would like to contribute to their fundraising effort, 13 for 13, please call: (404) 346-2080 and ask for the coach!

Enjoy!

Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings is a bad ass punter but truly a great guy. He has become one of my favorite guests because he truly is thoughtful and intellectual and well spoken on a variety of subjects. Most sports shows will keep it to sports but with Chris I know we can talk about anything and everything and we did just that! From gay rights, the politics in general to the presidential election it was a great interview! Follow him on Twitter @ChrisWarcraft!

After Chris, we jetted out west to talk Los Angeles sports with my “girlfriend” Jill Painter of the LA Daily News. Jill and I talked about the Lakers, Dwight Howard and the NHL.

From LA, we headed over to Houston and KHOU’s Butch Alsandor. The topics of the night: the Rockets, James Harden, Jeremy Lin and the new and improved…maybe…Astros.

We closed the show with a great story about a small high school football team. Southwest Christian Academy in Atlanta might be small but they are full of heart. Read more about them in this article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I will continue on this story in the coming weeks and months!

Don’t forget, vote on Tuesday!

Enjoy!

UGA Beats Ole Miss 37-10 as Hugh Freeze(s) Over

Notre Dame Avoids Falling into a Pitt in Triple OT

No Crack in the Ice as NHL Cancels Winter Classic

Prevent Defense Prevents LSU from Upsetting Alabama

Brooklyn Nets First Win in Return to New York

Steve Nash Leg Fractures Opening of Lakers’ Season

Michael Coleman started us off with a quick conversation about the Chiefs’ quarterback controversy. With Brady Quinn knocked out Sunday, Matt Cassel is back in the conversation.

It was a pleasure to speak with Nat Moore. The former Dolphin and Gator great discussed a wide range of topics including the Georgia over the Gators in Jacksonville, the Dolphins topping the Jets in New Jersey as well as the state of college football, Tim Tebow and head injuries. It is a must listen interview.

I closed out the show with a great talk with JB Bauersfeld of WIBW CBS  in Topeka, KS. Kansas State and their Heisman hopeful, Collin Klein is in the national discussion and JB brought it strong.

With Sandy pounding the northeastern seaboard, I hope that everyone is safe and everyone enjoys this great show!

Georgia should always be listed first in that border battle between the two storied college football programs.  On the eve of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, let’s clear up why it’s always GEORGIA before Florida.

Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies. Statehood came in 1788. Florida didn’t become a state until 1845. GEORGIA first!

Georgia is on top of Florida on the map. GEORGIA first!

Georgia became the first chartered state university in the country, founded in 1785. Florida was created in 1853. GEORGIA first!

Georgia started playing football in 1892. Florida in 1904. Florida claims the game in 1904 didn’t count and they started their program in 1906. GEORGIA first!

Georgia won the first meeting between the two schools in 1904. Florida didn’t win one until the 1928 game. GEORGIA first!

Georgia played in its first bowl game in 1942. Florida in 1952. GEORGIA first!

Georgia won its first pigskin national championship in 1942. Florida in 1996. GEORGIA first!

Georgia won its first Heisman Trophy in 1942. Florida in 1966. GEORGIA first!

Georgia has beaten Florida 48 times. Florida has won only 40 times. GEORGIA first!

Georgia is named before Florida on the 2012 game logo. GEORGIA first!

I could do this all day long and I don’t even need Bill Clinton to do the math for me.

GEORGIA first!

I brought back The Wiz, Chris Wittyngham to the show. Chris was my first producer and I am proud that he is now the Sports Director at WVUM. We broke down what is going on with the University of Miami’s football program as well as what they can expect from NCAA sanctions.

The show was also very comprehensive on the rest of the sports world. We are in that time of the year when multiple sports collide. IF there was NHL hockey, all four sports would be in action now.

Since hockey is but a memory, we let it fly on the NFL, College Football, the World Series and the upcoming Georgia-Florida game. We will be all over the aftermath of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party as well as Sunday’s matchup between the Dolphins and Jets

Thanks to Barry Barnes of LockerReport.com, Tyler James of the South Bend Tribune and Mark Fontes of WBZN TV25 NY/NJ. They were great guest and brought a great conversation tonight!

Barry brought us into the beltway talking about Ray Lewis ending his season and possibly his career yesterday. We also had a great talk about Redskins’ rookie Robert Griffin III.

Notre Dame has not been a major topic of conversation in recent years but they are back to prominence and Tyler really gave us great insight to the return of the Fighting Irish.

New York area sports are a huge focus these days in the sports world and Mark brought us into the city with discussions on the Jets, Giants, Yankees, Knicks, Nets and more!

Mark and I had a great talk about my wonderful experience at the Negro League Museum in Kansas City. I highly recommend it to anyone in or visiting the KC area.

Enjoy!

Great show tonight and we definitely ran the gamut from the highs (the Colts) the lows dumb fans doing dumb things (Athens, GA, Atlanta, Jacksonville and Kansas City) and of course Bikini Basketball (it’s legit folks!)

Special thanks to Tommy Schoegler from Indiana New Center for great insight on ailing coach Chuck Pagano, Andrew Luck and the great start to the Colt’s season. AJ McArthur joined us as well from the Bikini Basketball Association. He is the president of the league as well as the owner of the Miami Spice. It will be interesting to see how the product on the court develops. The BBA is getting some great press. We finished the show with Butch Alsandor of KHOU in Houston and had a great discussion about the upstart Texans as they take on the Jets in New Jersey.

In between the calls, Adam and I had great talks about the weekend that was and what is coming up this week in sports including the Jerry Sandusky sentencing tomorrow, infield fly rules, college football wins and loses and more!

Enjoy!

“You can’t lick our Cocks”

“Fear our Cocks”

“We Love our Cocks”

Gamecock fans do embrace their heritage. They live in COCKominiums. They celebrate their wins in a train cars called the COCKaboos. They do love their Cocks.

But this morning while watching GameDay on ESPN from Columbia, SC, it wasn’t about the Cocks.  It was about the PENIS.

Yes folks, penis.  Framed between Chris Fowler’s shoulder and a graphic for the University of Miami-Notre Dame game was a poster that had three penises over one vagina.

A USC student must have thought he was being clever.  ESPN stayed on the shot way to long.

I just thought the whole thing was COCKamamy!

Brand new building. STRIKE ONE.

Ozzie Guillen. STRIKE TWO.

Adam Greenberg. GRAND SLAM.

Big and Little Enos (the two idiots that run the hapless franchise) didn’t do very well this year. They really only got one thing right this year and it took them 161 games to achieve it.

Marlins Ballpark is a beautiful building on the outside. Go inside and it’s an interesting mix of modern and bizarre. Baseball shouldn’t be played indoor unless it rains. It’s really that simple. Open the roof boys and let the sun shine in!

Under the roof, things weren’t much better. They lost 90+ games. I’m still not sure what they were thinking putting that ant hill in center field. They wanted to have a home run sculpture, but that thingie is just ridiculous. They took their mascot, Billy the Marlin and turn him into “Roberto the Rainbow Trout.”  Billy’s new uniform looks like it was stolen from the costume locker of the James Earl Jones’ baseball classic, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings.

And then there is the debacle of Ozzie Guillen. He has always been a reporter’s dream. A quote machine. But given enough time, Ozzie has always proven to be a liability with his mouth. Only a few days into the season, he praised Fidel Castro. You just don’t do that in Miami. It would be like praising Adolf Hitler when you are running for president. Oh wait, Mitt Romney did that. 

But last night, the Florida (I will call them that until Big and Little Enos sell the team and profit at least $500M) Marlins did something right. They created a real life The Natural moment.  My apologies to Robert Redford, but Roy Hobbs is no Adam Greenberg.

Greenberg was ready to break into the bigs on July 7, 2005 with the Chicago Cubs. The rookie stepped into the box, dug in to face his first ever major league pitch and the Marlins’ Valerio de los Santos threw a 92 mile rocket into Greenberg’s head.

POW. In that split second between the mound and the plate, everything changed. Career over. Life altering. Vertigo. Headaches. Dreams dashed.

Last night the Marlins brass gave Greenberg something that was taken away from him seven years ago at that other ballpark in Miami, a chance to get into the record books. You see, to have an official at bat in MLB, you need to get a hit or strikeout. A walk or as Greenberg already experienced, getting hit by a pitch is not an official at bat. So last night in the sixth inning, the manager that doesn’t always get it right, did the right thing. Gullien sent the 31-year old to lead off for the Fish.

Greenberg faced the  the Mets’ possible NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey and got mowed down with three knuckleballs. Greenberg took the first for a strike and swung and missed on the next two. As Greenberg walked back to the dugout, his smile was as wide as Miami skyline. He was probably the happiest strikeout victim in the history of baseball.

So the Marlins stuck out on their new ballpark. I know many people who love it, but come on folks, if you need to sell tickets on Groupon or LivingSocial in a brand new building… STRIKE ONE.

So the Marlins struck out with Ozzie Guillen. Who really thought it would be a bad idea to bring a Latin manager to a Latin community? I know many people loved his hiring, but come on folks, he has always had foot in mouth disease…STRIKE TWO.

So Adam Greenberg struck out in his only at bat. I know many people loved this story, but come on folks, how can you not! GRAND SLAM!

I am a pro-gay rights and pro-gay marriage supporter. I brought on three different gentleman that represent three different angles to the same goal.

Chris Kluwe is a punter for the Minnesota Vikings. Recently he wrote a scathing blog referencing the myopic statements by a Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns. Kluwe is elegant and passionate about equal rights and is position as a straight NFL player speaks volumes to the progress being made to further gay rights in the pro sports community.

Cyd Zeigler is the editor of OutSports.com and it was great to have him back on the show to talk about Kluwe’s comments, the state of gay-rights in the United States, Chick-Fil-A as well as the dismissal of Jamie Kuntz from the North Dakota State College of Science’s football team. Cyd is one of my favorite interviews!

It was also an honor to speak with Jamie Kuntz. He is a classy and intelligent young man. Most people have a hard time when they are outed and he is handling himself very well. I look forward to hearing about the next chapter of his life and hopefully, his football career!

Thanks also goes to Ryan Walsh of TV-22 outside of Boston for a great discussion on the Patriots and Bobby Valentine. It’s always a great time with Ryan.

It’s a pleasure to host shows that have social importance that transcend sports! Enjoy!

I am very lucky to have some amazing guests for you week in and week out and tonight some of those great people joined me for the celebration.

Thanks to David Schofield who was my first guest on that first show for being the first tonight! David is a great baseball man and great photographer!

David Bergman. What can I say about David that I haven’t raved about on the air? He is one of the best photographers in the world! davidbergman.net

Brian “The Beast” London, so knowledgeable and frank about his beloved Miami Hurricanes and football in general.

Jorge Rodriguez, the Godfather of Sofloradio.com for calling in and not talking sports! Billy Corben of rakontur.com. What a fun conversation about sports and so much more. Check out their “Broke” on ESPN when 30 for 30 Vol. 2 starts on October 2, 2012.

Ari Russell of BeyondUSports.com. Great stuff on the fresh college football season. Always strong and always opinionated!

I felt like a very proud papa tonight as two of my former co-hosts called in and both are doing very well at their respective colleges. Chris “The Wiz” Wittyngham at “The U” and Josh Appel at USF. Great to have those two help celebrate what we started three years ago.

And what other radio show has an official rabbi? I dont there is one. Rabbi Erin Boxt was brilliant tonight not only with his great prayer for the victims and survivors of 9-11 but for his great knowledge of sports!

I am a very lucky guy to be surrounded by great people on the show, calling in and listening out there in never, neverland!

Thank you.

Tonight’s show was for you! Enjoy!

Jill Painter is always fantastic on the show and tonight was no different. She was talking the newest Laker, Dwight Howard, the Dodgers in the playoff hunt and USC football. Good stuff!

With the NFL season kicking off WEDNESDAY?!? with the Cowboys visiting the Giants, it was time to welcome back Mark Fontes of WBZN TV-25. We had a great discussion on the Giants, the NFL season and the world of baseball.

Adam and I had a great time talking about the rest of the wold of sports and I am so proud of him for finally watching Caddyshack!

Tune in next week when I celebrate the third anniversary of SILVERMAN: On Sports! I will be welcoming back to the show some of your favorite guests and mine!

Enjoy!

Not many shows will talk golf but when you have a great writer like Nick Masuda from GolfWeek magazine calling in, it is not only easy but great radio. Awesome interview about Lydia Ko, Tiger Woods and the future of golf!

When we want to talk NFL and Peyton Manning, the go-to-guy is Tommy Shoegler of Indiana Newscenter. Great talk about the Colts past and present, the future of Manning in Denver and what we can expect from the upcoming pro football season.

Brian “The Beast” London closed out the show talking about college football. The Beast is one of the most knowledgeable guys on the planet talking college ball and everything Miami Hurricanes. Our conversation covered everything from the upcoming Canes NCAA issues to Penn State and Joe Paterno to who will win the hardware this year. His predictions, Matt Barkley for the Heisman and his team USC for the national championship.

The highlight of the show was a call from my Number One Fan, Zack! I met him over the weekend he was strong with his predictions for the NFL, not so much with college and certainly showed off his great personality!

Thanks to everyone for listening! Enjoy!

I truly wish to thank two pioneers in sports for joining me as guests. Cyd Zeigler Jr. of OutSports.com and Hudson Taylor of athleteally.org were tremendous with me tonight. Both men were articulate and elevated my position of eliminating Chick-Fil-A from the sports landscape.

Adam and I had a great conversation throughout the show on the Olympics and some of the other stories of the day.

Sports is a great escape from the daily grind. Sports should inspire us and let us heal. I hope that out of the Chick-Fil-A message of intolerance we find acceptance for everyone in this country regardless of race, creed, gender, religion or sexual orientation!

Enjoy!

Well I can paraphrase Field of Dreams, but that doesn’t make it so. The South Florida community ponied up the cash because management said they couldn’t build a winner without a state-of-the-art baseball-only ball park.  They even took meetings with other cities to show they were serious about moving if they didn’t get what they wanted in South Florida.

Jeffrey Luria and David Sampson got their wish. Big and Little Enos (a reference from Smokey and the Bandit, think about it, it fits) got everything they wanted. Retractable roof, check. Location at the old Orange Bowl, check. A home run sculpture in center field that looks like an ant hill with lights, check. Millions of tax money to go to the new place, CHECK! (cashed too)

They did all the right PR moves. They went out and hired Ozzie Guillen from the White Sox. A Latin legend without a filter. They signed shortstop Jose Reyes, starter Mark Buehrle and closer Heath Bell. The management said all the right things. What are they saying now?

The architect of this current version, Larry Beinfest said, “We’re disappointed in the club’s performance. We made our moves this winter, came out of spring training, and everyone’s expectations, and rightfully so, that we’d be in a different position today. The current team is really not in contention, at a tenuous spot at best, and I think it was time to restructure.”

Restructure? Are you kidding me? You put this team together a few months ago.  The message was now that we have this brand new ballpark we are going to build to win and to be contenders for years to come.

No, this team was built to look like Big and Little Enos were trying to win. They made the moves over the office season to give the appearance they cared about the fans of South Florida.

What did South Florida baseball fans get?

A team that is currently 45-51 and starting to sell off its assets for the third time in its history. At least the first two came after a World Series title.

Hey, at least fans get to buy tickets for up to 58% off on Groupon. Yes folks, the team that brought you a new building, an ant hill in center and a mascot that looks more like Roberto the Rainbow Trout than Billy the Marlin sells tickets on the discount website!

This ownership group is a joke.

But the joke is on the South Florida community. They got their franchise as a reward for running the Montreal Expos into the ground. They begged and pleaded and conned their way to a brand new building in Little Havana. And as soon as they can, they will sell this franchise, that is nothing more than glorified double-A ball club, for a very large sum of money.

When they played in the house that Joe Robbie built, there were more people working the concession stands than in the stands. It was pick a seat night every night. At least in the 80′s when the Braves were horrible and selling tickets for a dollar to pad their attendance numbers, I knew the team had a future.

The Marlins only have one because their long lease. Don’t forget over the next 40 years, Miami-Dade County will spend over $2 billion dollars for the privilege of providing the Marlins the smallest ballpark in the major leagues.

What does the commissioner of baseball have to say this latest fire sale? NOTHING! Bud Selig has not ben an advocate for the baseball fan in South Florida. He allowed Wayne Huizenga sell off the clubs assets after winning it all in 1997 because the public would not build him a new building. Selig took away the 2000 All-Star Game from the area because of questions with the Marlins ownership and he let Big Enos sell off players after the second ring in 2003. Rest assured Selig will never utter the words, “In the best interest of baseball.”

Too bad the fans can’t trade away this ownership group for a few Cuban cigars and an owner to be named later.

In the best interest of the Marlins.

We started the show with the biggest story of the day, the NCAA penalties against Penn State University in the wake of the Sandusky convictions and the Freeh Report. The NCAA came down with a penalty I believe was harsher than the Death Penalty. For all the reasons, listen to the podcast.

Thanks to Ari Russell of BeyondUSPorts.com for coming on to bring a very balanced look at the sanctions.

Cory Giger has had a very busy day but not too busy to talk with me. He made appearances on ESPN today as well as SILVERMAN: On Sports. The ESPN 1450 host and Altoona Mirror Sports Columnist, was fantastic bringing us into the (Nittany) Lions’ Den. We finished our discussion of this latest chapter in a very ugly book with Laura Deitsch to talk about the psychological aftermath of the tragedy and the announcement today.

Since Dan Cathy, the leader of Chick-Fil-A came out publicly last week against gay marriage and gay rights, wrote a column on why the chicken chain should not be associated with college athletics any longer. We discussed this on the show tonight.

>>> Why Chick-Fil-A Should Not Be Associated with College Athletics Anymore

I want to also thanks Nick Masuda of Golf Week magazine for another great discussion on golf and this week it was the Open won by 42 year old Ernie Els after a huge collapse by Adam Scott.

The show ended by me going “Off the Reservation” as I do from time to time. Tonight, OTR dealt with American Astronaut and Hero Sally Ride.

Enjoy!

That needs to be the message sent to Chick-Fil-A by the organizers of the bowl once proudly known as the Peach Bowl. It’s time for the Chamber of Commerce to cut their ties with the Atlanta-based fast food chain.

Why?

Simple. Zero tolerance. In this case, zero tolerance for hatred and bigotry. Dan Cathy, the son of the chain’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, recently admitted in an interview with Baptist Press that the company he runs is against marriage equality. Chick-Fil-A donates millions to anti-gay rights organizations.

This attitude has no place in the world and certainly not in college athletics.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize that everyone, even companies are entitled to their own views and beliefs. BUT when a company takes a social action like Cathy’s has done with his words and his money, the game changes.

Cathy is a smart man. His company has over 1600 locations and makes billions every year. He wanted his stance on gay rights known. He knew his company would take a hit publicly and maybe even in its bottom line. He doesn’t care.

Remember, this is the same chain that is not open on Sundays. The reason was outlined in the founder’s Five-Step recipe for Business Success, “I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.”

The mayor of Boston has vowed to keep Chick-Fil-A out of his city. College campuses have been working to keep them out because the anti-gay stance by Cathy and his company has not been a well kept secret.

Now it’s time to keep the chicken seller out of college athletics.

The message needs to be loud and clear, you can’t peddle hate and intolerance when you promote college football.

I call on the NCAA, the Chamber of Commerce, ESPN and all partners of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Game, Kickoff Classic and Golf Challenge to squib kick Chick-Fi-A out of the football business.

The NCAA has had a very hands off policy lately, see the Penn State/Sandusky tragedy. They can’t stay out of this situation.

Why?

This game is one of three bowls to receive an NCAA grant for the Youth Football Program.

The purpose of bowl games is to raise money for local charities. I realize this is a fact that is largely forgotten in favor of great football games.

It’s time to remind the masses. It’s time to remind Chick-Fil-A.

Bowls serve the community.

The entire community.

Thanks to Mark Fontes of WBZN TV 25 in NY/NJ who joined me to talk Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks as well as Tim Tebow and the New York Jets. Great conversation about the state of the Knicks, how Lin fits in and what the Jets can do to really take advantage of Tebow.

Adam Cristo and I had a great conversation regarding the latest on the Penn State tragedy. The fallout of the Sandusky Trial and the Freeh Report continues and it seems to make a bad situation even worse.

A report from the Palm Beach Post indicated that the Miami Dolphins could be redesigning their logo and helmets. I found a great graphic artist, Julie Oakes of decographics.com who has created her own Dolphin logos. She was a lot of fun to talk to and discuss the future of the Fish graphically.

Those topics and more on tonight’s SILVERMAN: On Sports! Enjoy!

Thanks to George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel for coming on and talking about the Dwight Howard saga and the rest of the NBA off season.

Great discussions on Tim Tebow (special thanks to Jimmy Fallon Tebowie), a clip of the new EA Sports NCAA Football 13 (listen at your own risk) and of course, the first meeting between Big and Little Enos (the originals from Smokey and the Bandit, not Jeffrey Luria and David Sampson) and the Bandit himself.

Loved talking about Wimbledon as 2012 will be regarded as one of the best fortnights ever.

Special thanks to Michael Coleman of KCTV-5 in Kansas City for calling in from Kauffman Stadium in KC as the Home Run Derby was being held. I loved the discussion we had about Frank White and the Negro League Museum.

Fun, informative and funny! We had it all tonight on SILVERMAN: On Sports!

Enjoy!

I discussed the country club sports in the same hour! Golf first with Nick Masuda of Golf Week Magazine. Nick is an incredible writer and his analysis of Tiger Wood’s win at his own ATT tournament was spot on. Tiger has now won three times on tour this year: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill, Jack Nickalaus’ Memorial and his own. That is quite a threepeat.

Moving to tennis and the upsets at Wimbledon, I enlisted the help of two of the nation’s former collegiate champions: Caryn and Stacy Moss. Great conversation about the state of tennis around the country and around the world. The second week of the fortnight should be interesting and then there is Olympic tennis right back at the All England Club.

Bruce Udoff, our legal analysis joined us again to discuss the latest with Jerry Sandusky. Yes the trial is over and he was convicted on 45 counts of sexual child abuse but this tragedy is far from over. The cover up at Penn State and the depths of knowledge of Sandusky’s actions will be in our conversations for years to come.

Thanks for the great calls and texts throughout the show. This is going to be a rocking summer for SILVERMAN: On Sports! Enjoy!

We recapped the Jerry Sundusky trial and his convictions on 45 of 48 counts of sexual child abuse. I read the December 16, 2011 article I wrote entitled: Jerry Sandusky is a Coward after seeing that hundreds of people have read that article just since the verdicts were announced last week. I also went Off the Reservation for the first time in a long time to finish the show.

As many of you know, I also do voice overs and impressions and tonight it was fun to have Carl Spackler from Caddyshack in studio. Ok, it wasn’t Bill Murray but it was funny! Check it out!

It was a fun night and I hope you enjoy the podcast! Bruce

Tonight I had two of my favorite guests on: NBA great Kenny Anderson and WPLG Sports Director Will Manso. Kenny is always fun to have on the show and tonight he delivered his best appearance. A true triple double: funny, informative and insightful. Will was fantastic with the sportscasters perspective on the Heat and the Finals.

Nick Masuda of Golf Week magazine made his debut on the show and was wonderful with the his analysis of the US Open at Olympic in San Francisco. He was on the left coast to witness the win by Webb Simpson and the collapses by Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods. Great interview about a truly incredible event.

Adam and I had great discussions on the NFL bounties, the Roger Clemens verdict and more. Check it the podcast and enjoy!

Jill Painter of the LA Daily News called in from the Staples Center in Los Angeles just before they dropped the puck in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

As always on the show, we talked about the stories of the day and none is bigger than the Jerry Sandusky trial. We will keep tabs on testimony as I am so passionate about this story. Feel free to read previous columns I wrote on the subject.

Jerry Sandusky is a Coward Column

SILVERMAN: On Sports Radio Show  Full show dedicated to complete coverage of the Penn State Tragedy

Joe Pa Should Step Down in unHappy Valley Today Column

Say It So Joe, Resign NOW Column

Joe Paterno: Jerry Sandusky, His Career and His Cancer Column

The Joe Paterno Obituary You Not Read Anywhere Else Column

Dan Roche of WBZ CBS-TV in Boston was the first guest tonight. We had a great conversation about the Heat-Celtics series, the Boston fans views of the Heat and what will happen next in the East Conference Finals.

Manny Navrraro of the Miami Herald joined next to talk about the Florida Marlins, Big and Little Enos and the surprising state of baseball in the State of Florida.

After the amazing shot and win from Tiger Woods yesterday at the Memorial, it was awesome to have Golfweek editor, Jeff Babineau make his debut on the show. Fantastic discussion on Tiger past, present and future.

Our returning champion, Barry Barnes from LockerReport.com called in to talk about the great baseball being played in the nation’s capital as well as the future of the Washington Redskins.

We ended the show talking soccer with Michelle Kaufman from the Miami Herald. We love firsts on SILVERMAN: On Sports and Michelle gave us two. One, first time we have had two Herald writers on one show. Two, first time the show was ever upstaged by a fox. Soccer is a passion of mine and it is always great to talk about it with a knowledgeable source. This was the first time Michelle was on the show, it won’t be the last!

Enjoy!

Great conversations on the biggest sports stories with some of the best in the business!

Special thanks to three SILVERMAN: On Sports originals for joining in on the fun tonight. Starting with Dave Schofield our MLB and Soccer correspondent for a spirited and insightful discussion on the state of soccer in the USA. We also talked about the first two months of the Major League Baseball season.

From Dave, I talked NHL with Michael Russo of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Mike is one of the best hockey writers in the world and an old friend. Great discussion about the NHL today and where it could be headed in the near future. Mike picks the LA Kings to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Thanks to Josh Appel, one of the first producers of the show for calling in and talking MLB, NHL and NBA with me.

I finished the show by going live to my current producer, Adam Cristo who was in the American Airlines Arena to cover the Heat-Celtic game one for the show. Adam predicts a sweep by Miami. We shall see. The West looks so very tough with the Spurs leading the Thunder in the conferences finals.  San Antonio has won an amazing 19 straight games!

Enjoy the show!

Special thanks to Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Times for doing triple duty with us: Lakers, Clippers and Kings. Bob Irzyk of KOCO in Oklahoma City talking THUNDER basketball. George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel joined us to give the update on the firing of Stan Van Gundy and the future of the Magic with and without Dwight Howard. We finished the show strong as Brian Windhorst of ESPN came on and truly broke down the Miami Heat and their struggles to stay alive without the play of Chris Bosh.

Awesome show, awesome guests and we are only getting started here on SILVERMAN: On Sports! Enjoy!

Special thanks to Adam Cristo for pulling double duty tonight. Adam produced the show as well as a great report from the American Airlines Arena to give us the latest on Chris Bosh’s injury.

Ryan Walsh joined me from Boston to talk about the Sixers-Celtics series. Greg Simmons came on from San Antonio and was fantastic in his debut helping me break down the Clippers-Spurs semi final and the future of San Antonio professional sports. Tommy Shoegler made his return to the show from Indianapolis and we talked about the Heat-Pacers series as well as the future of the Colts.

I also began the discussions of the upcoming London Olympic Games. We will talk more about them as we get closer to the summer games and how I want to see more amateurs, less professionals representing the USA.

Throughout the show, I talked about the underlying issue of injuries in sports, specifically, head injuries in the NFL. I gave my pledge to you, I will continue to report and discuss the important issues facing the sports we love, even when other shows and networks will not.

That is what makes, SILVERMAN: On Sports so special, so unique and so important.ENJOY!

Special thanks to Barry Barnes of LockerReport.com for coming on and being an excellent guest as well as the assist in getting Leigh Torrence of the Washington Redskins. We discussed the Skins taking two quarterbacks in the draft. Robert Griffin III should be fun to watch!

Tommy Shoegler of the Indiana News Center was fantastic breaking down the Colts draft and explaining the exit of Peyton Manning and the entrance of Andrew Luck.

Donovan Campbell of WSVN FOX7 in Miami brought it strong as always discussing the Dolphins draft as well as Marlins and Heat talk.

Adam Cristo, the S:OS producer, was awesome inside the American Airlines Arena, as the Heat looked to go up 2-0 on the Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

I wrapped up the show with FIU’s Head Football Coach Mario Cristobal talking about TY Hilton, the Golden Panthers electrifying WR going to the Colts.

Whew…What a show! Enjoy the podcast!

Sandwiched between those great interviews, Daryl Hobby (@WVLTdaryl) from CBS8 in Knoxville joined me to discuss Pat Summitt and her amazing career as the head of the Lady Vols program for 38 years. Truly a wonderful and heartwarming interview to discuss a truly hall of fame career. I encourage you to read this column I wrote: Never Forget Pat Summitt, A Coach to Remember.

We also touched on Ivan Rodriguez’s retirement from MLB, the perfect game thrown by Philip Humber of the White Sox and the eavesdropping of Mickey Loomis. If Saints owner Tom Benson does not can his GM now, Roger Goddell should.

Join me next week for a very special SILVERMAN: On Sports on Radio as we recap the 2012 NFL Draft!

“I want to help ensure the stability of the program going forward. I would like to emphasize that I fully intend to continue working as head coach emeritus, mentoring and teaching life skills to our players, and I will continue my active role as a spokesperson in the fight against Alzheimer’s through the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund.”

On September 1, 2011, Summitt announced she had the onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease. She said she wanted to continue to coach as long as she could. After a 27-9 season, she was forced to call it a career to tend to her health. Her long time assistant, Holly Warlick will replace her.

A sad day indeed.

On the day she told the world of her health change, I wrote the following:

1071.

59.

36.

18.

8.

1071 wins, the winningest college basketball coach of all time. 59 years old. 36 years, the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. 18 final four appearances. 8 national championships.

Why do I list these numbers?  It was announced by Pat Summitt herself that she has been diagnosed by the Mayo Clinic with early on-set dementia. Coach Summitt has spent more than half her life in Knoxville coaching women’s basketball and has been more successful than another ANY college basketball coach, man or woman.

>>>Follow SILVERMAN: On Sports on Twitter: @SilvermanShow

No one should experience memory loss. The brain and its amazing functions keep so many memories alive within us. It powers us. For Summitt, her brain has made her a legend. An icon. A hero. She has coached her players to the summit (pun intended) better than anyone else and with this news, she may start to forget some of those triumphs.

She is an impressive lady. Her numbers speak volumes about her career. On paper, any sports fan can’t help but say, “Wow, she is the best!” What strikes me the most about her character as a person is the fact that she made the announcement on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, was all by herself, sitting on a couch calmly stating her situation and her hope to continue coaching at Tennessee. It was not done in a press conference or via letter issued to media outlets, but by one woman talking directly to her faithful with class and dignity.

Class and dignity are two words that unfortunately do not get used very often regarding head coaches in sports today. Scandals have rocked many college campuses, but last Tuesday, the best that college athletics has to offer was on display. Unfortunately, it was to announce a developing neurological disorder for which there is no cure.

>>>Get more sports from SILVERMAN: On Sports on Facebook

Pat Summitt’s grandmother had Alzheimer’s. My grandmother had it too. It is a disease that is frustrating for the individual living with it and agonizing for friends and family. Witnessing a once powerful figure slip away memory by memory is hard to endure. Tennessee fans love Pat. They would carve her face on Mount Rushmore if they could get away with it, and she would be deserving to be in the company of the men immortalized.

There is no doubt that Summitt will add to the numbers above. More wins, at least another year as the head Lady Vol and hopefully many years yet to live. But as she does, those numbers will fade away in her mind. So will the memories of the wins and the loses and so will the experiences of her life. Over time, she will remember less and less and become a shell of the pioneer and leader she is today. There may come a day when she will not be able to tell you how many points a free throw is worth, but there will never be a day anyone will be able to deny that she was the greatest basketball coach to storm the sidelines of a college game. Don’t you forget that!

Yesterday, at the age of 43, ex-NBAer and former University of Florida star Dwayne Schintzius passed away from respiratory failure at the age of 43. At 7 foot 2, Schintzius was certainly a larger than life figure and that translated on and off the court. George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel joined me to discuss his life and career. Don’t forget the amazing performance Dwayne had in the 1996 flick Eddie starring Whoopi Goldberg! We played the most famous clip from the movie, “Ivan make basket!

With Ozzie Guillen returning tomorrow to manage the Marlins, I thought it would be an interesting discussion to go outside of Little Havana and get some Ozzie perspective. Thanks to legendary WGN TV sportscaster Rick King for joining me. Rich covered Guillen during his years as a White Sox player and manager and summed it up as I have, it was “Ozzie being Ozzie” when he said he loved Castro.

I know that I am torn about his comments regarding the former dictator from Cuba. In this country you certain have the right to say you love someone, even a hated former head of state, but when you were hired specifically because you were Latin, you simply can’t say stupid things like that in the middle of Little Havana where the Marlins new ballpark was built.

We also talked home runs because steroids seem to find their way into the discussion. Kickoffs in the NFL also made it to our radar as well. Enjoy the show!

You know, new ball park, new manager (suspended), new unis, a home run sculpture that looks like an ant hill.

How do I get there? Well, that is why I have an iPhone. Siri can find anything, right?  Well, my lovely assistant found the new home of the Fish.

Turns out the shiny new ballpark is permanently closed.

>>>Follow Bruce Silverman on Twitter: @SilvermanShow

The reasons are unconfirmed but speculation is running wild…

Ozzie Guillen must have really pissed off the Cuban community.

It turns out it is bad karma to tear down a legendary stadium like the Orange Bowl.

The uniforms are so, so bad, the players walked out.

Billy the Marlin torched all the grass after I renamed him Roberto the Rainbow Trout. (The redesigned mascot has a rainbow bill below his cap)

My favorite rumor, Big and Little Enos, the two leaders of the organization, moved the team to Montreal where they already ruined one, once proud baseball franchise.

Regardless of the actual reason, you can check it out for yourself. Go to your Maps app and type in Marlins Ballpark Miami and see if you get what I got.

I wonder if the new stadium will reopen in time for Guillen’s return to the dugout?

This was not a sitcom. This was very much reality. Just before the press conference, the Marlins suspended their skipper for five games effective immediately.

Ozzie has always been known to put his foot in his mouth over the years. That must really hurt when you are wearing spikes.

>>>SILVERMAN: On Sports on Radio on Ozzie Guillen.

His words have hurt the Cuban community here in the United States. His ignorance regarding Castro continued through the conference. At times he said he hated Castro because of what he did to his own citizens over the years. At other points in the presser, he stated he didn’t know about actions of the former Cuban president. The contradictions were striking.

I did find Ozzie to be genuine in his remarks today. He seemed to truly be upset about the hurt he has caused the Cuban-Americans, the Marlins and his family. He took full responsibility for his remarks.

He did take it like a man.

He played that way. He has managed that way. He has spoken like one too. Sometimes he has come off like an uniformed one. But when you were a uniform and you speak you mind, you garner attention. His style is the reason he has been a polarizing figure.

The fact that he is Latin-American is the very reason that the Marlins hired him as their manager. The two individuals in charge of this twenty year old franchise went hard after Guillen  because they felt with their new ballpark in the middle of Little Havana they needed Latin flair to bring the fans to the stands.

Jeffrey Loria and David Sampson have gotten what they wished for and they have to live with the aftermath. They have a shiny new stadium and they have a shiny new controversy to deal with only days into the season. Ozzie made the statement he called “The biggest mistake of his life.” He said it, they made it possible.

Guillen begged the community for forgiveness. He said that today would be the last time he speaks of politics. If he wants to help the healing process, I don’t see how he can avoid talking politics in the future. The process of mending the outfield fences must include a continued dialogue and learning more about the atrocities that Fidel Castro is responsible for over the years.

Many in the Cuban community, many that live near the new Marlins home want Guillen to be fired. Reaction is already mixed about the five game suspension. I find the handful of games as a token punishment by the Marlins brass. It’s a slap on the wrist. Loria and Sampson made a baseball decision. Is it a business one? That remains to be seen. How many of the protesters outside of the stadium will not enter it until Ozzie Guillen is not Marlins manager?

Ozzie being Ozzie got him the job. Ozzie being Ozzie created this firestorm. Ozzie being Ozzie will define his future. It will no longer be defined by wins and loses. It will be defined by not only his future actions, but his future words.

The question that remains is if he will ever be able to take the spikes out of his mouth.

There was a great article by the Sporting News exposing Urban Meyer for the fraud that he is and we not only discussed it, but we actually had a caller that graduated from University of Florida that could not defend Meyer!

Thanks again to Sean Fazende of FOX 8 in New Orleans for the latest on the Saints bounty scandal. Dave Schofield, our MLB Insider came on and we made our picks for the World Series.

Adam and I discussed the Ozzie Guillen situation agreeing that he just can’t keep his foot out of his mouth. If you missed it, Ozzie Loves Fidel not Harriet.

We finished up with George Richards of the Miami Herald talking NHL playoffs!

Remember, they report, I decide…I am Bruce Silverman!

I started the show with former Georgia Tech All American Kenny Anderson. The conversation started with his amazing freshman year and the amazing win over Michigan State that propelled his Yellow Jackets into the 1990 Final Four in Denver. Kenny brought wonderful perspective to tonight’s match  up and broke down both teams leaders. Kenny’s pick: head-Kentucky, heart-Kansas, winner-Kentucky.

From Kenny I took you to New Orleans into the Superdome with Kendrick Hawkins of WAVE3 in Louisville. Kendrick took us through the UK-Louisville game and made his pick for tonight, Kentucky.

After Kendrick, Michael Coleman of KCTV5 in Kansas City joined me from another part of the Superdome. The Kansas native was strong with his analysis of the game as well as a very interesting perspective on college athletics in general. Michael’s pick: Kansas by 4.

I closed the show with Brian “The Beast” London of cbssports.com and @allcanesradio. Brian is always fantastic on the show and we talked not only about tonight’s game but the Orange Bowl, the new Florida Marlins park and even though we never talked about The U, he did pick Kentucky to win tonight. We will talk about The U the next time he is on!

As for me, I pick Kentucky to win tonight. They are just too strong and too deep, just like Kenny, my heart is with Kansas but even the Wizard of Oz couldn’t help Bill Self’s team tonight!

Right after the New Year, I wrote about my experiences in The Big Easy in this column. I was back in Nawlins a few weeks later. It was pretty amazing to be in the city right before the Sugar Bowl and right after the BCS Championship game. The town seemed to have amped up its energy.

Despite the bad press coming out of the Saints’ camp right now, the city continues to prove it is the comeback kid. Hurricane Katrina truly destroyed the area. The idea of hosting sports championships, championship teams and more was so foreign when the levees broke years ago.

Now on the eve of the 2012 Final Four, New Orleans is on display for the sports world to see. It truly is a wonderful host and backdrop for a championship weekend. The city has great food, history, lodging and of course, hospitality.

The people of New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole, need these big events. They showcase the resolve of those residents that stayed when others left. They showcase the businesses that rebuilt. The eyes of the world will be on the Superdome, the very improved Superdome.

So the visitors will come from two towns in Kentucky, a big city in Ohio and a small one in Kansas. They will all descend on the city on the lake to watch two basketball games that have the potential to be extraordinary.

Louisville vs. Kentucky has so many back stories, it’s a sports’ lovers dream. A sportswriter’s one too.

Kansas vs. Ohio State matches two big schools from two big conferences. It certainly has the making of a heavyweight prize fight. With these two early games, it’s possible the championship game may not be the best game of the weekend.

Sometimes I am very good at predicting the outcomes of games. I am probably one of the few sports columnists that doesn’t bet, but I will tell you this, the big winner of the Final Four is:

New Orleans

I am not surprised by this. I predicted it the minute it was announced that Jim Irsay was going to cut him loose. For five years and $96 million, I would be a Bronco too. Actually, I would have signed for $95 million, but Manning said it wasn’t the money.

So the next question is, what happens to Tim Tebow during this off-season of quarterbacks. Answer: The New York Jets send a fourth round pick to Denver for Tim’s services.

Tim Tebow is the best tight end playing quarterback in the NFL. Unless the Jets are planning on using him as a TE, WR, FB, RB, this is just dumb.

Players in NY and fans in Jacksonville are already expressing their displeasure.

John Elway has traded one of the most polarizing figures in football today. I have been saying for nearly a year that if the Broncos could get a real QB (Manning is obviously the real deal) and have Tebow line up at every position on the offense other than center, guard and tackle, they would have the most explosive, original offensive attack in the league. Obviously Elway and company chose to part with Timmy Terrific.

I don’t think that anyone will argue with me when I say that Peyton is a better NFL quarterback than Tim. But I was curious who really was the better college signal caller. This is where there can be a great debate. Even for me, a guy that would root for any team playing the Gators unless a Florida win would benefit my Georgia Bulldogs. Even then, it would be painful. I usually don’t watch and just hope for the best.

So let’s take a look at the numbers for each of these SEC legends. (*indicates SEC record)

Peyton Manning. University of Tennessee. 1994-1997.

851-completions*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1354-attempts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    62.85completion%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           11,201-passing*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      90-touchdowns 33-interceptions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           18-300+ yard games*

Additional information: Completed degree in three years. Member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. First overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. UT retired his number 16 jersey. School renamed one of the streets leading into Neyland Stadium Peyton Manning Pass.

Tim Tebow. University of Florida. 2006-2009

661-completions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  985-attempts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        67.1-completion%*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              9286-passing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     88-touchdowns  15-interceptions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                176-rating*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          62-rushes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2947-rushing*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        57-rush touchdowns*

Additional information: First sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Drafted 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Helped Florida win two SEC and National Championships in 2006 and 2008.

Numbers don’t lie. They each had very impressive college careers. Each of them hold SEC records. I can’t believe I am going to type this, but Tim Tebow was the better college quarterback. He made a larger impact on the game and on his teams success. It is hard to argue two national and league titles. It is hard to argue with a Heisman in his second season. So there, I said it.

Tim Tebow was a better player than Peyton Manning.

In college.

Now with this trade, will Tim be Tebowing in the Big Apple? Rex Ryan and Tim Tebow. Polar opposites.

A match made in heaven or hell?

I am not surprised by this. I predicted it the minute it was announced that Jim Irsay was going to cut him loose. For five years and $96 million, I would be a Bronco too. Actually, I would have signed for $95 million, but Manning said it wasn’t the money.

So the next question is, what happens to Tim Tebow during this off-season of quarterbacks.

Tim Tebow is the best tight end playing quarterback in the NFL. He is currently the backup quarterback on Denver’s roster.

Will John Elway trade one of the most polarizing figures in football today or keep him on the roster? The rumors are flying with many teams associated with a trade scenario for the former Florida Gator. I have been saying for nearly a year that if the Broncos could get a real QB (Manning is obviously the real deal) and have Tebow line up at every position on the offense other than center, guard and tackle, they would have the most explosive, original offensive attack in the league. It will be interesting to see what Elway and company choose to do with Timmy Terrific.

I don’t think that anyone will argue with me when I say that Peyton is a better NFL quarterback than Tim. But I was curious who really was the better college signal caller. This is where there can be a great debate. Even for me, a guy that would root for any team playing the Gators unless a Florida win would benefit my Georgia Bulldogs. Even then, it would be painful. I usually don’t watch and just hope for the best.

So let’s take a look at the numbers for each of these SEC legends. (*indicates SEC record)

Peyton Manning. University of Tennessee. 1994-1997.

851-completions*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1354-attempts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    62.85completion%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           11,201-passing*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      90-touchdowns 33-interceptions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           18-300+ yard games*

Additional information: Completed degree in three years. Member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. First overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. UT retired his number 16 jersey. School renamed one of the streets leading into Neyland Stadium Peyton Manning Pass.

Tim Tebow. University of Florida. 2006-2009

661-completions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  985-attempts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        67.1-completion%*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              9286-passing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     88-touchdowns  15-interceptions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                176-rating*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          62-rushes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2947-rushing*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        57-rush touchdowns*

Additional information: First sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Drafted 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Helped Florida win two SEC and National Championships in 2006 and 2008.

Numbers don’t lie. They each had very impressive college careers. Each of them hold SEC records. I can’t believe I am going to type this, but Tim Tebow was the better college quarterback. He made a larger impact on the game and on his teams success. It is hard to argue two national and league titles. It is hard to argue with a Heisman in his second season. So there, I said it.

Tim Tebow was a better player than Peyton Manning.

In college.

I want to thank Rabbi Erin Boxt for starting the show with the Mourner’s Kaddish followed by great calls from Adam Kuperstein of NBC6 in Miami and Donovan Campbell of WSVN7 in Miami.

A very special thank you to our callers and our Facebook and Twitter fans for keeping in touch with us during this very tribute to the fallen franchise.

We had great discussions about why the Dolphins are failing on and off the field. The conversations were thought provoking, intelligent and moving.

It was nice to switch gears later in the show and talk about the Sweet 16 of the Big Dance as well as other sports related issues!

Once again, SILVERMAN: On Sports on Radio has proven it will boldly go where other shows would not dare to go.

To the Miami Dolphins, RIP.

But here is the thing. There are some bad things going on right now in college basketball too. I don’t want to be Debbie Downer but while others are writing about the great games and the amazing finishes, I feel it is my civic duty to point out some of the headlines that are taking away from the on the court theatrics.

Word out of Georgia Tech has Glen Rice Jr. being kicked off the Yellow Jackets team. A week ago, the son of the former University of Michigan standout was charged in a shooting incident outside an Atlanta nightclub. Despite leading GT in scoring and rebounding this season, Jr. was a Rambling Wreck off the court.  Various disciplinary incidents resulted in Rice not playing for the Jackets after February 17.

Now let’s go south to the U. Miami’s leading scorer Durand Scott was suspended right before their ACC  tournament game against FSU.  Scott has been tied to the Hurricane Nevin scandal. The timing of this suspension couldn’t have been worse and the Canes lost to FSU 82-71. The defeat cost Miami a birth in the Big Dance.

From South Florida let’s jump north to Syracuse. The Orange started their season with a scandal and they will finish it with another. First Bernie Fine, an assistant for the New York university was fired for inappropriate behavior ala Jerry Sandusky. Now news has broken that Fab Melo will not play in the NCAA Tournament. First of all, fantastic name. I don’t think there has been a name that great in basketball since World B. Free and he had to change his name to be that cool. My apologies to Metta World Peace, not cool.

The absence of Melo, the sophomore sensation, will probably seal the fate of the Orange in this tournament. With him, they were expected to vie for the whole thing, without him, they will probably be simply another what-if footnote.

The reason for his suspension is suspect too. The only explanation given: due to  University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time.

Three college athletes. Three seasons ended prematurely. Three teams rocked. Three programs left scratching their heads.

One suspended before the end of the season.

One suspended before the end of a tournament.

One suspended before the start of THE tournament.

When the NCAA Tournament was dubbed March Madness, I don’t think the moniker was meant to embody the ugly in college basketball.

March Madness. It’s a shame that it’s now a double entendre.

We started out with Eric Yutzi of NBC 13 in Indianapolis talking about Peyton Manning. Great discussion on what created the divorce between the Colts and Manning and then we went scenario by scenario on where Peyton will play next season. My take, Denver with John Elway and Tim Tebow moves to every skill position on offense.

A very special thank you to Billy Corben. I love having Billy on the show because he is one of the most interesting and well versed guests I have on my show. We covered all the bases from sports to films to politics and everything in between. The interview was only scheduled for 30 minutes but Billy was so much fun and he had such a great time that the discussion lasted an hour. I know Billy loved speaking with Mickey Mouse (me doing Mickey) as well as all the other subjects we covered.

We finished the show with Brian “The Beast” London of BeyondUSports.com and All Canes Radio. I love talking NCAA sports and March Madness with Brian. His knowledge of college sports is nearly second to none!

Enjoy!

Well, this is simply a public service for you March Madness Junkies! Tell me who you think is going to win it all!

Who do I think is going to win? You are just going to have to wait a few days until I post it all!

Enjoy!

 SOUTH (Atlanta)

Louisville

It’s not time to dance yet. This may be college basketball, but it’s just like high school. Before you go to the Big Dance, you have to make the rounds of the pre-parties.

And so it goes. Conference tournaments this weekend. Then the selection committee. Then the brackets. Then everyone fills them out. Then the “Real Dance”starts.

Are you tired from that last paragraph? I am. I’m exhausted and nothing has happened yet.

This is the beauty of the process. This is why a tournament to crown a champion is so wonderful. This is why college football’s biggest stage has to pay attention to this March to the Madness after the 2011 football season. This is the way it should be.

Yep, I am actually using this upcoming NCAA tournament to make yet another plea to the powers that be to scrap the BS of the farce they call the BCS and create a playoff system. Read my words, it’s time boys and girls. Enough is enough. Give us what we want. Give us a tournament. Give us a real champion. You know you want it too!

It’s not hard. You know you will get the money. Oh my, you’re going to get the money. You will get the publicity. Oh my, you’re going to get the publicity. It will be bigger than the Super Bowl. Oh my, did I just say something of blasphemy? Yes I did.

So take every TV in your house and put them in one room. Run the wires all over the place so that you can watch every game from every conference from every part of this great land. Take your notes and get ready to fill out your brackets. Enjoy every minute of the pre-party before the Big Dance.

This is the best part of the beginning of spring.

Pick out your prettiest dress and find your date.

March to the Madness.

I’ll be the one in the straight jacket!

The Colts created a football legacy in Baltimore beginning in 1953 and in the middle of the night in March, 1984 they skipped town for Indiana. That was done by Robert Irsay, this move was orchestrated by his son Jim. Basically, like father, like son.

Now, Manning gets to interview teams to decide where he wants to finish his Hall of Fame career. I hope he finds a home that not only beats the Colts regularly, but where he can win a ring. Too bad next year’s Super Bowl isn’t in the “Building Peyton Built.”

I have to wonder if Manning was healthy last year and went 15-1 instead of 1-15, if the Colts would be in the money saving business. You have to understand Irsay is cutting the best quarterback in the history of the NFL loose because of dollars, certainly not sense!

Early tonight, I had to laugh. It dawned on me there was once a quarterback that refused to play for the Colts. He went on to a Hall of Fame career with the…Denver Broncos. No…not Tim Tebow. Don’t be silly.

That QB was John Elway.

Don’t cry for Manning. Unlike when he was drafted out of Tennessee with the first overall pick in 1998 by the hapless Colts, he will do the drafting this time around.

Number 18 will be number 1 no matter where he becomes the signal caller.

The Colts, I wish them Luck. They are going to need him.

The breaking news out of the NFL is the “Bounty Scandal” out of New Orleans involving former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams. We went to Nawlins and had a great interview with Sean Fazende of Fox 8 in the Big Easy. The NO native had the latest on the scandal and we had a very spirited discussion on the future of Williams as well as the coach and general manager of the Saints. A must listen to find out my thoughts on what I would do to the people involved in this story.

Finally, thanks to Ari Russell of BeyondUSports.com for coming on and talking college basketball. From the new controversy at Syracuse University to Big Dance coming up, Ari was awesome. We also had a great discussion on Frank Haith of Mizzou as well as the past, present and future of Butler University and Khyle Marshall.

We also covered a few more sports subjects including Rory McIlroy becoming number one in golf!

Enjoy the download and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Yep, March Madness will just have to wait so that the world does not spin off its axis. So that the bracketologists don’t lose their jobs one day earlier. February’s extra day gives us all one more day to catch our breath before the dizzying, frantic pace of the Big Dance.

March Madness is an interesting phenomenon. Certainly in the world of big time college athletics, it proves you can have a tournament to crown a champion. A novel concept considering many believe you can’t do the same thing at the big time level of college football.

The playoff system comparisons aside, basketball is very different. It gives big schools and little schools a chance to win it all. Something that simply can’t happen in football. On the court, a number 15 can beat a number 2. Number 16′s don’t beat number 1′s, so we will skip that thought.

Boise State will never play for a football national title unless there is a playoff system. Yet, a school like Gonzaga has captured the imagination of the nation with its big play from a small school, just as the Broncos have. This is what makes the basketball tournament so exciting.

Four brackets, four number one seeds and rarely do those number ones square off for the crown. That’s what makes this event so exciting. Just about every team in the field has a chance. It doesn’t matter what conference you came from, as long as you’re playing, you’re contending. It doesn’t matter if you won more games than anyone else during the regular season or got really hot and won your conference, if you’re dancing, you’re dancing.

And what better place to dance than New Orleans, the host city for this year’s Final Four. The same city that gave you the BCS Champion will give you the NCAA’s National Champion, once again proving what I wrote about in January, New Orleans: The Sports Capital of the World.

Enjoy your extra February day. Save your energy, because you’re going to need it. When they cue the music and the bass starts to thump, the Madness will not end until they crown the champion. There certainly isn’t a better city to hand out head wear like that than The Big Easy.

It’s not easy to win The Big Dance, it truly is maddening.

The major of the night was spent on the NBA and the All Star Weekend even though I did highlight a number of other stories including the prospect of Peyton Manning joining the Miami Dolphins and Robert Griffin III’s stock rising after his performance in Indy for the scouts. I also touched on the Rams putting their number two overall pick on the block.

The remainder of the evening was spent with NBA great Kenny Anderson. Kenny is definitely one of my favor guests for his candor and basketball knowledge. We talked about the NBA All Star events, why the super stars don’t dunk anymore and spent quality time talking about Jeremy Lin. Kenny was awesome breaking down his game, his attitude and his future. We also broke off traditional sports talk and discussed racism in 2012. As I always say, SILVERMAN: On Sports is not your typical sports show.

Enjoy the podcast and check us out live every Monday night from 7-9pm EST!

First, self hating fans of the Fish started a clever refrain, SUCKFORLUCK. They took joy in their favorite team losing. This is a concept that I simply don’t understand. Isn’t being a die hard about “Stand(ing) by your Man.” I can’t believe I just referenced a country song,

Well, the Dolphins started to win after putting up 7 straight losses to start the 2011 season. Poof, number one pick gone.

Dolfans sad.

The management fires Tony Sparano as head coach with 3 games left in the season.

Dolfans happy.

Since then, Miami has hired Joe Philbin as their new head coach. I thought they had hired Regis. After all, he was free after leaving his talker with Kelly Ripa.

Now, the “faithful” are on a new kick, err, drive…Peyton Manning. Some fans pitched in to buy a billboard to help bring the Indianapolis Colts quarterback to Miami. I realize that there are rumors flying about what is going to happen with Peyton. But really? Since Andrew Luck is going to go number one to the Colts, you think the most prolific QB of the last 14 years is going to want to come to South Florida and lead your team?

The Colts would be foolish to let him go. They do have to pay him a big time bonus if he is on the roster on March 8.  Unless he really isn’t healthy enough to play in 2012, I can’t imagine they are going to let their franchise leave for the promise of pressing their Luck.

From SUCKFORLUCK to Payday for Peyton. What’s next Dolfans? You already have Jimmy Buffett as a minority owner!

What you will not find in this column is a single pun playing off his last name. You will not read about creative headlines or fired headline writers.

Jeremy Lin is a very nice basketball player. He has captured the attention of the NBA world. He is a great story.

He is a Harvard graduate.

To me, that is the fact that needs to be emphasized. So to drive (the lane) my point home, Jeremy Lin GRADUATED from Harvard University.

Yes that Harvard. The same school that gave us the fathers of Facebook and Microsoft and Two-Face (from the really bad Batman movie).

If we go into the numbers, Lin put up some big time numbers out of the Ivy League: 1483 points, 487 boards, 406 assists and 225 steals (yes, he learned to be a thief at the most prestigious college in the world). He also put up a 3.1 grade point average while getting an Economics degree in 2010. That last sentence is what really impresses me.

In a time when basketball players are one and done in college. Rent-a-players by basketball factories, Lin got his degree. He didn’t go to school to make it to the NBA. He made it to the NBA because he went to school. What a novel concept.

He is the talk of the town because he is playing well. He took control of the New York Knicks while their superstars were part of a M*A*S*H unit’s recovery room. The NBA even made a place for him to participate in the upcoming All-Star Weekend.

Everyone I have spoken to about him talks about what a nice guy he is and how well grounded he seems. He made a YouTube video on how to get into Harvard. Turns out it only takes five easy steps. I missed those when I was filling out my college applications. He is my kind of athlete, a cool nerd with a sense of humor.

What is the future of Jeremy Lin? No one knows, but I hope that he continues to stay calm, cool  and collected. I hope he gets all the endorsement deals he can earn. I hope all of this success and attention makes him a better basketball player instead of a footnote in the annals of professional sports. It would be a shame for this shooting star to burn out as fast as Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, Icky Woods and Dontrelle Willis.

Harvard. NBA. All that is missing from Lin’s resume at this point is an MBA.

Just to prove that SILVERMAN: On Sports is the smartest sports radio show, we went to Harvard University tonight! Martin Kessler of TheCrimson.com joined me to talk about the rising star, NY Knick Jeremy Lin. Lin, the former Harvard standout, has been on Kessler’s radio for years. He gave us great insight into the college career of the NBA’s man of the hour. It was a really fun interview. Thanks to Martin for joining the SILVERMAN: On Sports family.

The show also included great conversations on everything NBA, pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training as well as the media Jumping the Shark with Lin puns. We also discussed the controversy surrounding the firing and suspensions that have come out of the punathon that is celebrating Jeremy Lin’s taking New York by storm.

We also paid tribute to Gary “The Kid” Carter who passed away after a battle with brain cancer.

So download the podcast and enjoy the show! Follow me on Twitter @SilvermanShow, enjoy Silvermanonsports.com and hit LIKE on facebook.com/silvermanonsports!

But I don’t get all the media coverage. I am sorry, but I don’t think it is warranted or deserved.

Whitney Houston died Saturday in Beverly Hills and her death, like all deaths ,is a loss. I will never downplay the end of a life. What I am questioning is why so much media coverage for a woman that for the better part of her career has been slowing killing herself. Yes, I know, the cause of her death will not be known until the autopsy report comes back. But please don’t fool yourself into believing that her lifestyle didn’t play a large role in her death.

I know the drill. I live in South Florida and had to endure the Anna Nicole Smith case for weeks following her death. The media coverage was obnoxious. I also happened to live about a mile from the Hard Rock Hotel she died in. An 8 iron away from the coroner’s office and three miles away from the hospital where they took her. The helicopters flying over my house went on for weeks. Starting at 8am and ending after the nightly news. They would just fly around in circles, capturing non-stop footage of the triangle created by the three above mentioned landmarks. I don’t know what they were thinking they would get on film, it wasn’t like she was going to walk out and wave.

I did, but they never put me on the news.

I know how news works. I have been a journalist for over twenty years. The news directors think Houston’s death is a huge story so they cover it for 15-20 minutes a night. They don’t want to be outdone by their rival news outlets. They interview everyone they can find, from the last person to see her alive to her best friend in third grade to the bell hop that brought her room service. ENOUGH. I tried to avoid the pun, but I can’t, it’s overkill.

Now at this point, I know you are saying to yourself what does this have to do with sports? Well, it doesn’t but it does have to do with our society and how twisted it is. How we revel in tragedy and pain. How we feel better about ourselves at other people’s expense.

Now here comes the sports angle.

Freddie Solomon died Monday after battling cancer, he was 59. He was without a doubt the best player in the history of the University of Tampa. A small school with a small football program but he played BIG. And when I say BIG, I mean HUGE. So huge many people actually point to him as the reason for the existence of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What made Solomon a legend on the field was that he was so electrifying in college that he was the reason the U of Tampa would fill Tampa Stadium. Basically, Fantastic Freddie proved to the NFL that Tampa could support a pro franchise. It’s a shame he never played for the Bucs. Although, I certainly don’t wish the early Buc years on anyone, except of course, Steve Spurrier, he did deserve it!

Solomon was drafted by the Dolphins in 1975. He played three years there before ending his 11 year career catching passes in San Francisco. Solomon was a gentleman on and off the field. He did wonderful things in the San Francisco community after his retirement. Little is known about his short battle with cancer but if he fought it like he played, I am sure the cancer didn’t have an easy time taking his life.

Cancer versus hard partying, drugs, booze and tabloid headlines. The latter got tributes on the Grammys and newscast after newscast. I am sure there will be special editions of magazines soon and tribute albums to come. Cancer got a mention and a few highlights on ESPN.

Both Freddie Solomon and Whitney Houston had great talent. Both made fans cheer.

Drinking, drugs, partying, those are choices. Cancer, you don’t get to choose. Who would?

Let’s get our priorities straight.

We made the decision that the Marlins will always be known as the Florida Marlins. The same franchise that unretired a number for a second year player. A disgusting decision by the two individuals that run the club forever to be known as Big and Little Enos.

We paid a tribute to former Dolphin and 49er Freddie Solomon who died of cancer today at 59. A great guy on and off the field.

The show, as it often does, ran the table of sports and entertainment talk as only SILVERMAN : On Sports does.  This is a download for the ages. Enjoy!

Has Tiger fallen? Probably more than any other athlete of our time. To gauge how far he has fallen, you need to take out a paper and a pen and make the list. Luckily for you, I have already done that for you.

When you say Woods has fallen, what image does that conjure up for you? On the course or off? There are few different ways to look at it.

Off the course you have his sponsorships and public image as well as his marriage. All I will say about his private life is that it is none of our business. I have always maintained this stance about every individual I discuss on my radio show and I will maintain the same position in my writing. You and I have no idea what goes on behind close doors. We never will know the truth of Tiger’s marriage, the knowledge Elin had before and during it and what kind of arrangement they had for it. So that is the end of the discussion, it has no relevance.

His meteoric rise from amateur to world champion was amazing. We all marveled at his prowess. We were wowed by his golf shots and his creativity and respected his dominance. The talk was about how he was the best and at such a young age. The conversation included how many majors he would win and how fast he would eclipse Jack Nicklaus’ records.

As for the hit his public image has taken and the sponsorships he has lost, well that is another story. His off the course issues, have muddied his squeaky clean image that was so carefully crafted by his handlers. When he turned pro, the companies lined up for his services. They wanted to be associated with his greatness and they wanted to profit off of his success. Oh and they did. From the moment Nike introduced him with a simple commercial saying, “Hello World.”

The sponsors for the most part have dried up. The man ESPN The Magazine predicted would be the first One Billion Dollar Athlete is not the darling of Madison Avenue anymore. There are a few that have stood by him but most dropped him faster than a weekend golfer throwing his clubs into the water hazard on number 18 at their local muni. Most publicly said they wanted to go in another direction with their marketing and advertising dollars.  Most would privately point to his image problems. So he doesn’t look like a walking billboard anymore.

I have maintained for years that one of the reasons that Tiger Woods was so dominate on the course was because he didn’t have to play for the money. He still doesn’t. Despite all the problems and the divorce, make no mistake, Woods has all the money he will ever need or spend, even if we tried to help him spend it.

Tiger walked to the first tee of his first professional tournament in 1996 as  a millionaire. Win or lose, he didn’t have the pressure to make the cut to earn a pay check. He didn’t have to worry about the money list to earn his tour card. He just stepped up to that first tee and gripped it and ripped it. His talent  and creativity was so good, despite a bad drive he could still see his way to par or even a birdie. Eagles came pouring out like rain. The wins started piling up. The majors too. Then it stopped. It all stopped.

Some people will point to his personal problems and say that is the cause of his on the field troubles. I don’t. I believe it has to do with that knee injury. The nagging knee injury. It has always been there. He has had a bad knee for years. He changed his swing over the years to compensate for his knee problems. And for a long time, it worked, He still could out drive, out putt and out think everyone else. That is why he was feared. That is why he dominated golf.

Today it’s a different story. Tiger is 36 years old. The knee is that old too. Sure, it has been scoped and scooped and rebuild and sliced and diced. He says it’s better than ever.

Tiger’s success on the course will come if his knee is the as good as he is saying it is. When everyone else was pointing to his marriage, I was pointing to his knee. He was just a little off and the talking heads would say, it’s his brain. He can’t get out of his head because of all his troubles. Not the case. The same guys that said he was the toughest mentalist in all of sports were now saying he couldn’t hack it mentally because of his off the course issues.

It is this simple folks, he wasn’t comfortable on his wheel. That lack of comfort affect his swing. It affected his putting and that is the reason why Tiger Woods has not been winning lately. You know the adage, you drive for show, you put for dough. Putting is all about feel. It’s all about balance.

He hasn’t had that standing over a four footer or a forty-four footer. That is the reason Tiger Woods has not dominated golf.

2012 brought him back to Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for the first time in ten years. Whether he roars or purrs this weekend, is not the issue.

It’s whether he finds his balance….on the green and off.

One of the best college football players ever, one of the best NFL running backs ever, has retired. Again. This time for the last time.

Ricky Williams was different.

He wasn’t just a football player. He was a philosopher. A world traveler. A free think. A pot smoker.

Ricky was always Ricky.

In college at Texas, he was nearly unstoppable. He rushed for 6592 yards rushing and 75 touchdowns during his four years as THE Longhorn. His powerful running style made him hard to handle on the gridiron. His strong will made him hard to handle off of it. It also led him to a Heisman Trophy in 1998.

In 1999, his talent led Mike Ditka to trade the entire bayou to draft him fifth overall. Their partnership was a strange one to say the least. The strangest part, the infamous ESPN The Magazine Cover with Ricky in a wedding dress.

But again, that was Ricky being Ricky.

After three years in Nawlins, Ricky changed the black and gold for the aqua and orange of the Miami Dolphins. In Miami, Ricky was loved and then hated and then loved again. He got suspended for smoking his marijuana and then retired because he chose getting high over getting paid. How many players would take that kind of stance? A year later he returned to the Dolphins, shaved his head and played like Ricky.

He spent his last year with the Baltimore Ravens running with and tutoring their future, Ray Rice. A successful year for both backs. Ricky finished his NFL career with over 10,000 yards. One of only twenty-six backs in the history of the league to join that elite club.

If you haven’t noticed yet, I have basically referred to Williams as Ricky throughout this column. There is a reason for that.

I met Ricky only once. His son went to school with my youngest and we were together to celebrate the boys’ graduation from kindergarten. His son was so excited to have my son meet his dad. So the three of us walked up to Ricky and my son was so excited to met him. Partially because he was meeting a friend’s father, partially because he was meeting his first ever professional athlete. Ricky was very shy and polite. Gave me a firm handshake and a heartfelt, “Nice to meet you.”

My son still excited about meeting Ricky, asked him for his autograph on his graduation ball that he was having all his friend’s sign. Ricky smiled, almost uncertain about how to handle the situation and took the ball from my son. He held it for a few seconds, then put marker to ball and returned it to him. Ricky just smiled and saying it was nice to meet both of us.

As we walked away, my son showed me his autographed ball. I looked at it and smiled.

Williams had signed it very simply.

Ricky

From the Thrill of Victory side Mark Fontes of WBZN TV 25. Great discussion of the 9-7 G-Men that went on to win it all 21-17 in the big game.

From the Agony of Defeat, I welcomed back to the show Ryan Walsh of WWLP TV 22 who was still in Indy. Ryan brought great analysis to the Patriots lose and awesome perspective on Tom Brady’s performance and his wife’s comments.

Since it was the Super Bowl, a discussion of the game of the year would not be complete without discussing the commercials. Lucky for me and for you, I had Jay Sharfstein, Executive Creative Director of Filter Advertising to give Madison Avenue’s take on what $3.5 million bought. I loved our discussion and it is not the kind of interview you will find anywhere else.

In between the interviews, Adam and I broke down the game, the halftime show (you want my take on Madonna?) listen to this show! I will let you in on a little: I find it ironic that a halftime show featured a woman known for not wearing a wardrobe just a few years after a halftime show that was infamous for a wardrobe malfunction.

So there is the rundown of tonight’s show. It is a MUST LISTEN from the media station, silvermanonsports.com. @SilvermanShow

Download it here, subscribe to it on iTunes and check out my Facebook page, They Report, I DECIDE!

To follow up the Game, join me tonight from 7-9pm EST as  SILVERMAN: On Sports storms the airwaves discussing the Big Game from New York to Boston and back to Madison Avenue for the commercials. Go to www.silvermanonsports.com and click on the Sofloradio logo to listen. Call in at 954-607-7469!

From the last to the first. Enjoy!

This just in….#Tebow would have completed that Hail Mary Pass that #Brady couldn’t!

#Eli is the better #Manning WOW

#Brady will be greatest ever he he leads #Pats to win

Take the pts. Make #Pats be u RT @ESPNMarkJones: It’s so counter instinctive to NOT score. Can’t blame him for not falling down

Did #Cris really say if a running back breaks free fall down at the one rather than score a TD? This is the best color #NBC can find?

Prevent defense! Preventing you from winning the #SuperBowl since 1967

#Brady may get his wish…ball in hand to win versus #Manning have ball to win

Cris as worthless as the diploma he got at #Florida

Love that Al corrected him! RT @MiamiFan11: Lmao RT”@FauxJohnMadden: “Wes Welker makes that catch 100 times out of 100..” I guess not Cris.”

Let’s see what #Eli is made of

The next big thing…AGAIN? RT @WindhorstESPN: Um, we’ve already moved past needing pens for PDAs

If the Chiefs had won Super Bowl I…would the #Pats & #Giants be playing for the Stram Trophy?

Does Montley Crüe make KIA cool?

Same company gave you an orgasmic FIAT RT @piersmorgan: Loved that Clint Eastwood/Chrysler ad – USA needs more rhetoric like this right now

Honda wins! Ferris!

Not nationwide RT @JessicaNorthey: “@mrbjorke: Did Jack in the box really make a commercial that says you may now eat the bride?”

RT @ajcsportseditor: Another #SuperBowl nail-biter to begin 4Q. Your call: #Pats or #Giants.. http://silvermanonsports.com/2012/02/05/stone-cold-lock-i-know-who-will-win-the-super-bowl/

This might be the fastest #superbowl I can remember

I’m still write! Stone Cold Lock, I Know Who Will Win the Super Bowl

Irony…owned by the same company! RT @fakenedyost: F DETROIT. I WANT THAT ORGASM CAR

The Acura NSX is hotter than #Madonna

Great ad for a car you will never buy but you want to find a woman with a scorpion tattoo on the nape of her neck down you!

Mr. Montana have you met Mr. Brady?

Which Green will make a bigger impact on the #SuperBow? Cee Lo or Ellis?

Sales of #Madonna book SEX will be non existent

Prince in the Purple Rain in Miami! RT @EthanJSkolnick: Favorite halftime shows seen

Don’t forget Cee Lo Green has a #UGA “G” under that robe…nothing else!

#Madonna doing Like A Prayer…this is a political ad for Mitt Romney!

Thanks! RT @JagsFan93: Hey… the Lingerie Bowl is going on right now… public service to the world.

Amen! RT @JerryPetuck: This is the oddest karaoke halftime show EVER!!!!! Can we get Prince back in the fold????

#Madonna is gonna break out into Hey Mickey!

Will Arnett RT @taylorhayden7: Who’s the dude trying to act like Alec Baldwin in Hulu? Madonnas preety good for a 50 year old.

I find it ironic that the #NFL would select #Madonna for the halftime show. Isn’t she known for not wearing a wardrobe to malfunction

Time to watch In Living Color halftime show!

Told you it was dangerous to let the #Pats hang around…10-9

Look for #Madonna halftime show to be sponsored by KY…it’ll get her wet!

An #NFL program Play 60 designed to get kids out of the house was sponsored by XBOX…#NFL sells out again!

I’m buying flowers now! Tweet you later!

87 has to have an impact for the #Pats…#Giants letting them hang around. Dangerous!

How sad. I am looking forward to The Voice after the game more than #Madonna at halftime

Like i said RT @CabeyKabe: @UptownReport 2nd round pick Samson Satele , now playing for Raiders. The story of the dolphins 4 the last decade

Ample? #pats in #SuperBowl #Dolphins home RT @UptownReport: @CabeyKabe they didn’t let him go. He left and they got ample compenation.

So where’s all the Pro-Family organizations boycotting the #SuperBowl because @howardstern was in a commercial for #NBC America’s Got Talent

Rather see Victoria Beckham 1/2 naked in a spot than David…just saying! I’m Posh

So far Coke ad biggest dud I talk commercials along with the Game tomorrow night 7-9p EST on http://silvermanonsports.com Click on Sofloradio icon

Letting #Welker go brilliant move by the #Dolphins

I do. I love it all. The big game has become the single biggest television event every year. The first Super Bowl wasn’t even called the Super Bowl. The ticket prices, $6-$12 and there were thousands of empty seats. Two different television networks aired the game.

Today. The tickets have face values over $600. I just saw as part of ESPN’s one million hours of coverage leading up to kickoff that parking is $350. For parking! Are you serious?

Then you have the Chevy app you can download to win one of twenty cars. Many of the commercials have commercials you can watch on the web for more entertainment.  I just got back from the supermarket and I swear it was more crowded today than before Thanksgiving. Crazy stuff.

Somewhere lost in all of this excess they will play a football game. I look forward to each game. Some are better than others. Some are classics others are duds. Today’s game…hmmmm…will it be a nail biter or a bore. Eli Manning is looking to win his second ring in as many tries in his brothers backyard. Tom Brady is looking for his fourth ring in five appearances.

I don’t bet on sports. So why have a headline that starts, “Stone Cold Lock,” well the truth is in the irony. No one knows who is going to win. Not Vegas. Not the odds makers. Not the players. So why is it that I listen to commercial after commercial telling me if I dial this 800 number or that one, I will be given the can’t lose prediction of the game. It’s all garbage. If these predictors were really that good, they would win the lottery every week and they would have invented Facebook.

Who will win? I have no idea. I know that the Giants will play the Patriots. I know it’s a rematch of four years ago. I know the Patriots are still smarting from losing their perfect season to the G-Men in Super Bowl XLII. So who will win Super Bowl XLVI. You tell me. I am rooting for a great game, great commercials and hoping my wings are delicious.

How about you?

What if Tim Tebow was playing in Super Bowl XLVI? I know the Florida Gator fans are loving me right now! Probably the first and last time they will ever love a Bulldawg.

To begin, media week would have been much more interesting. If you thought that the sports nets had wall to wall coverage from Indy, imagine if Timmy Terrific was playing on Super Bowl Sunday. I think a TV satellite would have fallen from the sky. Not to worry though, he would have risen from his “Kneel” to the “Lambeau Leap” faster than Superman outrunning a speeding train to save the day. I am not sure if reporters would have been talking to anyone else. They could have held the media interviews with him at Lucas Oil and every other member of his team and the Giants could have gone to Sullivan’s for a great steak.

The world have been so wrapped up in Tebowmania that churches might have actually had to adjust their services schedule. Some might have even brought in megatron projection TVs so that they could go straight from mass to the big game. Congregants would have brought chips and dips and tailgated in the parking lot. Of course, everyone would have been doing the “Tebow” and praying for a Broncos win.

As I was dreaming up this most unlikely scenario, I looked into the numbers. The quarterback match up we would have been enjoying instead of Brady v. Manning.

Eli Manning: 359 completions on 589 attempts for 4933 yards, 29 TDs, 16 INTs for a QB rating of 92.9. Giants 9-7 on the year.

Tim Tebow: 126 completions on 271 attempts for 1729 yards, 12 TDs, 6 INTs for a QB rating of 72.9. Broncos 8-8 on the year.

Yep those are some really impressive numbers for Timmy. The kind that inspire and bring awe to his opponents. Right?

So here is the thing that makes Tebow v. Manning so interesting to me. We all know about Tebow’s famous 29-23  overtime win over the Steelers. It was the kind of game that would have Barney Stinson saying, “Tim was legend, wait for it…dary!” In that game, the Bronco QB’s mystic grew because he threw for the magical number 316 yards. Even I wrote a clever headline about 316 in my column: Tebow Throws for 316. Coach is John. John 3:16. Do you believe?

But here is the thing, Tim is not the only magic man with the magic number.

Manning did it too. Did you know that? Did you hear about it? See clever headlines? See political cartoons linking Eli to 3:16? No? Neither did I.

Time to snap out of it. WAKE UP! Come to your senses. Manning did do it. Difference is, he did it in the NFC Championship Game. You know the one where if you win it, you get to play in the Super Bowl. Not only did Manning throw for 316 yards on the road against the 49ers, the Giants won the game in OT 20-17 to put Eli and the G-Men in the big game for the second time in four years.

Where will Tim be when Manning is vying for his second championship? Don’t know, but I know he will not be on the field, suited up and putting it all on the line.

So for anyone that even thought about what it would be like for Tebow to play in the Super Bowl. Dream. Play Fantasy Football. Break out Madden 12. Go old school and get out the electric football game, you know the one. The big, metal plug in jobber where you spend a lot of time setting up the players for them to vibrate all over the place with the quarterback holding a small piece of foam dancing around until he falls. Ah childhood memories.

So dream your little dream and remember this from your Uncle Bruce. The Broncos will never play in a Super Bowl with Tim Tebow playing quarterback. He will always have 316, just not a Super Bowl ring.

If you do enjoy fantasies, I invite you to make plans for the all new, expanded Fantasyland at Disney World. It opens in 2013 and will feature an all new Dumbo. Hmmmm…

Talent. Looks. Money. Success. Family.

Josh Hamilton has had it all. Lost it all. Earn it all back. Then…

A drink. A relapse. A downfall.

Hamilton has battled his demons like he would battle a pitcher. One day at a time, one pitch at a time. It seems that a bottle or a glass of alcohol has become more formidable than a split finger fastball.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ number one overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft seemed to have it all when he was drafted out of high school. A five tool, can’t miss prospect. That is the problem, can’t miss often does.

Not that Hamilton hasn’t enjoyed success. He has. He earned the 2010 American League Most Valuable Player Award. He seemingly put his addictions behind him so that he could start to realize his potential when he made his Major League debut in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds. He biggest success has come after his trade to the Texas Rangers. The MVP. The World Series appearances.

The relapses. The first in 2009. Now again just weeks before spring training. Reports have Hamilton falling off the wagon Monday, January 30th in Dallas. He was drinking at Sherlock’s Pub & Grill. Why? No word yet. But does it really matter? No. The fact is an addict is an addict for life. For many, everyday sober is a triumph. For others, everyday is one day closer to losing the battle to stay clean.

I give the Rangers a lot of credit. They were trying to protect their franchise player. They didn’t leave him to look after himself. They assigned him an “accountability partner.” A coach to look after him to assist him to stay on the straight and narrow. The Rangers are looking for an new “AP” for Hamilton since Johnny Narron left the Rangers to join the Brewers as their new hitting coach. Is the search going to be too late?

The outfielder was even banned from baseball for three years from 2003 until 2006 because of his addictions. He was reinstated in part because he agreed to to being tested three times a week. There was the very publicized 2009 incident in Arizona that gained attention and now in 2012, Hamilton’s career is once again in question.

Hamilton is not the first ball player to have addictions. He is not the first to overcome only to fall down. Questions are how he will respond. How will he overcome? Will he overcome? What will Bud Selig do? What will the Rangers do?

The only question that really matters is what will Josh Hamilton do? Baseball is just a game. It was played before him and it will go on without him. Hamilton’s life and family now hangs in the balance. His problems will not fit in his glove. They can’t be put in his locker and forgotten when he laces up his spikes.

Only Hamilton can determine what happens the next time he steps into the batter’s box and takes his cuts. The batter’s box of life, not baseball.

Loyalty. That is one of the biggest problems with all of this. Money talks. Bigger conferences talk. College coaches taking NFL jobs.

You have heard the stories. The head coach visits the high school senior’s home, breaks bread with the family, says grace and promises that kid he will be there when that blue chipper graduates or gets drafted.

Now here is the problem. Coaches can do anything they wish. They can recruit their brains out. Get the best class in the land. Make the alumni salivate and then turn around and leave. They can leave for another school, they can leave for the pros, they can leave to create a ponzi scheme you can read about on any internet news service. Once that student is signed, sealed and delivered to the school of their first choice, they are stuck. Unless of course, they want to transfer and sit out a year. Oh the hypocrisy.

Coach A gets into hot water for NCAA violations. The administration is not happy, the alumni is not happy. What does Coach A do, he changes jobs. Goes to the NFL ala Pete Carroll.

Or he goes to another school ala John Calipari. That is the one that really amazes me. How one college will take a guy that is under investigation at another institution and accept him as their next lord and savior.

Student-athletes don’t have the freedom to come and go at will. They can’t change schools like their coaches can. Their school loses the right to play in a bowl next season, sorry kid.

Here is my proposal to the NCAA; eliminate this garbage. If a head coach violates NCAA rules, he or she suffers the penalty. The penalty follows them wherever they go. Get two years probation and lose 10 scholarships. Guess what, your new school is now the receipiant of the deal, not the old school. If the original school is ruled to have been in the know of the infractions and the NCAA imposes sanctions, the kids get to leave and go wherever they want, no sitting out, no waiting around. If the coach want to go to the pros, the leagues say sorry, you are not eligible for this job until your NCAA violation has been lived out. I give Roger Goddell credit for banning Jim Tressel from joining the Indianapolis Colts until weeks into the season for what he did or didn’t do at Ohio State.

So in the shadow of the Super Bowl, Chip Kelly stayed at Oregon while Greg Schiano took the job at Tampa Bay. Mario Cristobal stayed at Florida International rather than replacing Schiano at Rutgers. Kelly and Cristobal get my admiration for their loyalty to their programs and for the boys they recruited to play for the Ducks and Golden Panthers. I wish all coaches had their integrity while playing the ‘real’ big game.

Forget Saving SILVERMAN, save the integrity of college athletics.

Happy national signing day y’all!

Originally written and published for BeyondUSports.com by Bruce Silverman

The conversation certainly covered the upcoming Super Bowl, the bore that was the Pro Bowl and the strange existence of Womens Professional Soccer. We wrapped up the show with some great callers and our Major League Baseball correspondent Dave Schofield.

More SILVERMAN: On Sports columns to come throughout the week and don’t forget the Tweets from: @SilvermanShow

They Report, I DECIDE! Enjoy!

Bud Selig has been the commissioner of baseball since 1992. That is about 20 years too long. He was supposed to step down and America’s pasttime was going to find a new leader. Now he has signed on for another two years. His first order of business, add more teams to the playoffs. Ten teams, possibly as early as the 2012 season. Are you kidding me? What is this the NHL?

Look, Bud is from the lucky sperm club. He is not a self made man. He was a used car salesman that never upgraded his image. In 1970 he bought the Seattle Pilots from bankruptcy and moved them to his home town, Milwaukee. Because he didn’t have enough time to order new uniforms and change the colors, the Brewers first unis were the Pilots old ones with the stitching taken out and re-embroidered. His original idea was to pay tribute to the heritage of Milwaukee minor league baseball with the name and color, red, white and blue. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

Then, since he was such a great owner, ha, (I wish there was a sarcasm font) he was appointed commish. He has never uttered the words, “In the best interest of baseball.” He allowed the Florida Marlins (they were called that before selling out to the City of Miami) to fire sale not one but two World Series Champions. He moved the 2000 All Star Game from Miami to Atlanta because of ownership issues. Who is supposed to look out for ownership issues? The commissioner! He let the same guys that drove the Montreal Expos into the abyss to buy the Florida Marlins when MLB bought the Expos and moved them to our nation’s capital. This is the same guy that declared an All Star Game a tie.  A TIE? You know, the same thing as kissing your sister?  I could go on and on about Bud Selig but I think you get the point. Oh, by the way, for the majority of his career as the leader of the sport I love, he ran it from Milwaukee not New York City. How can you really be taken seriously as a commissioner or a sport if you are making day to day decisions from the beer capital of the USA? Forget the fact that he bought his suits off the rack.

I am feeling a little bit better, but alas I have to return to point. Ten teams in the playoffs? The Wild Card concept has proven to be successful. The idea that the league that wins the All Star game earns home field advantage for the World Series versus the team with the better record. Eh. Not a fan of that. Expand the playoffs, to quote John McEnroe, “You can’t be serious!?!”

Yep, Bud is serious. He has taken this magical game baseball and turned it into every other sport. Baseball is special. It is the oldest professional team sport. The one in which records used to matter. Well they did before he took over. Then he allowed a strike that cancelled a World Series and then he allowed steroids to take over the game so that baseball could make a come back. We all loved the 1998 season and the home run race between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa. But that was all a sham. They were both juiced. As was Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and others. Those guys were among the best in the late 90′s and early 00′s, but now we knew it was all drugs and mirrors.

So for all the “good” I have already described (again, where is that sarcasm font?) Bud gets not only two more years, but he gets to bastardize the game of baseball even further. The owners rubber stamp this because they hired “their guy” and it will make them more money.

Money
It’s a crime
Share it fairly
But don’t take a slice of my pie

My apologies to Pink Floyd for quoting them in a column about Bud Selig but those lyrics perfectly sum up what has been the theme of his tenure.

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill made a wonderful, inspiring movie called “Moneyball” about Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s and how he made baseball work in the world Bud Selig created. It was inspiring how Beane found a way to make his team matter when the game was relegated to the world of the have and the have nots. Please, no one make a movie called “Buddyball” because I couldn’t sit though that horror film. We have all lived it for the past two decades.

Thanks Bud for destroying baseball. The integrity. The records. The purity.

Someone let me know when there is someone in charge of baseball that has the balls to utter those magical words, “In the best interest of baseball!”

journalism |ˈjərnlˌizəm| noun
the activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on radio or television.
• the product of such activity: an art critic whose essays and journalism are never dull.

It’s dead. Yes, DEAD. It doesn’t exist any longer. I try like hell to make sure that every column I write, everything I report on falls into the highest quality and integrity of the word, but for the most part, journalism as we once knew it is DOA.

It’s sad because I still believe it could exist. In order to make that happen, news organizations would have to fact check what they print, broadcast, tweet, blog, you name it. Problem is, everyone is a journalist these days. You have a blog, you are a journalist. You use your webcam on your computer to post something to YouTube, you’re a journalist. Own a smart phone, have Twitter as an app, you are a journalist. Did you go to school to be one? Probably not. Did you work at a television station, newspaper, magazine, radio station to train to do research to get the facts right and report them to the world, doubtful. Well folks, I did. So when I rant about the death of journalism, I speak from a higher authority. Granted Hebrew National still trumps me. (Glad I can keep a sense of humor when I am steaming mad)

Cable news stations have agendas. Talk show hosts that claim you are in the “no spin zone” are actually making you spin so much you should be on the Tea Cup ride at Disney World. The left has their mouth pieces, the right has it too. The problem is the public will take whatever they hear, see or read and take it as fact. There is no due diligence by the public anymore. When is the last time you read something, then went and read another piece on the same subject so you could garner a better understanding? Probably never. It’s not your fault. Not many people do it anymore.

Then you have reporters that will not ask questions because they don’t have the guts to ask it. Nick Saban said in 2003, ”If you don’t win your conference championship you have no business playing for the National Championship.” Did anyone in 2011 or early 2012 ask him about that quote before he played for a national championship? Nope. I asked it on my radio show, but would Nick come on the show. NO. Monday night during the GOP Debate in Florida, the candidates were asked questions; did they answer the questions they were asked, NO. Did the moderator hold their feet to the fire? NO. The candidates  just use the debates as forums for their talking points. Let me monitor a debate and I promise you if a candidate does not answer a direct question. I will stop the debate, ask it again and again, until they answer it or drop out of the race. We don’t let our children behave like this, why do we accept it from our political leaders and/or our reporters?

Which brings me to the reason why I wrote this piece. Devon Edwards. Heard of him? Before Saturday night I doubt you did. Edwards was the managing editor of Onwardstate.com (an online new organization associated with Penn State) and he reported that Joe Paterno died Saturday night. He didn’t. He died Sunday morning.

Edwards resigned amid pressure because of his premature reporting. CBS News, one of the most trusted names in news, reported Paterno’s death Saturday night as well. Did anyone at CBS resign or get fired? I didn’t hear that. Did you? They are the pros, Edwards, just a college student.

Journalism is dead my friends. I hope that with the emerging media we now have, some organization will bring it back to the balanced center, the ideal of telling a story as a public service with all sides represented. I promise you this, I will be a journalist that will strive to do just that every time I sit on a keyboard or hit the on-air light for my radio show.

If we don’t have a system of checks and balances forged and protected by journalists of the highest morals, ethics and integrity, forget Saving SILVERMAN, save us all!

This column was originally written and published on BeyondUSports.com by Bruce Silverman

The top sports stories were covered extremely well. Thanks to Ari Russell of BeyondUSports.com @AriRussell for starting the show off with the life and legacy that Joe Paterno leaves behind. Ari brought great perspective and insight to his legend past, present and future. Barry Barnes of lockerreport.com joined us to talk about the AFC Championship game. Barry covers the Ravens in Baltimore and brought amazing insight into the last minute of the loss to the Patriots. Mike Shumann of ABC7 in San Francisco broke down the NFC Championship, the future of the Niners and shared a great story about his experience winning the Super Bowl as a player. We finished the show with a great interview with my legal analyst Bruce Udolf discussing the legal legacy Joe Paterno leaves behind as it relates to the Jerry Sandusky tragedy both from the criminal and civil sides of justice.

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Is it the number of wins? The losses? What he did with his time? His money? The way he lived his life?

These and others are going to be the questions that will be debated after the death of Joe Paterno. Paterno was 85.

Here is the box score on JoePa’s life:

409-136-3 overall record as head coach at Penn State

24-12-1 all time bowl game record.

Two national championships. Three Big Ten titles.

All time winningest head coach in FBS history. His final win came against Illinois in his last game. The win gave him one more than Grambling great, Eddie Robinson.

46 years in the den as the top Nittany Lion.

$4 million donated by Paterno and his wife to the university he spent the majority of his life serving.

All the players he sent to the NFL. All the lives he touched in positive ways. The number of men he helped in his career is countless.

BUT all that being said, his legacy may be tied to a man that hurt young men. Touched their lives in all the wrong ways.

Is it fair to Paterno? It’s not really my job to say. Actually, it’s yours. You need to judge him on your own. Not after reading my columns. Not after reading the countless articles written since the Jerry Sandusky tragedy was exposed and Paterno was fired. That is the way it should be. The public being educated about the facts and formulating their own opinions on a subject. I realize that I am going off on a tangent but actually this is the perfect story to tell while standing on my soapbox regarding making up your own mind.

Paterno was a polarizing figure in the last three months. He had his supporters and detractors. The Washington Post article and interview published last week shed interesting light on him. As I wrote in my column, Joe Paterno: The Sandusky Tragedy, Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy and His Career, I wish he had spoken out right after his dismissal. I didn’t think that statement’s by Paterno during the height of his chemotherapy treatments was the most ideal time to get his true feelings and knowledge of the Sandusky situation.

The trials will come and more of the facts will come out. Without Paterno’s testimony, we will probably never know exactly what role he played or what he really knew about what his friend and assistant was involved in regarding the alleged abuse of children.

Now the man born days before Christmas in 1926 has lost his battle with cancer. A battle for the most part, he fought secretly and I am sure, bravely. I only wish he had shown the same bravery facing the Sandusky story.

 Related articles and complete coverage of Joe Paterno written by Bruce Silverman for SILVERMAN: On Sports:

Joe Paterno: The Sandusky Tragedy, Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy and His Career

Jerry Sandusky is a Coward

College Coaches Leading Their Student-Athletes to the Abyss

Penn State Tragedy Covered Like Only Bruce Silverman Can: PODCAST A Must Download and Listen

Playing the Game has Nothing to do with Doing the Crime

Say It So, Joe, Resign NOW

Joe Pa Should Step Down in unHappy Valley Today

So why did I soften my stance for this column? Cancer. Paterno is battling lung cancer. I have great admiration for cancer survivors. I have been a caregiver. I have seen what cancer does to people, their loved ones, their relationships and their lives. Now was not the time for Penn State’s former coach to do an interview discussing the tragedy that unfolded and ended his storied and career.

Paterno often struggled with his thoughts as the drugs that are designed kill the cancer and save his life were taking their toll on his physical and mental capabilities. Chemotherapy will do that to you. Cancer brain is often joked about when a cancer patient is receiving treatments and forgets things. Cancer brain is an actual medical condition and one that can’t be avoided. The interview he did should have been conducted shortly after his dismissal.

I can appreciate that Paterno wanted to talk about the Sandusky story. It cost him his career. He tainted his own record, his life and his legacy. I am not exactly sure if this interview truly gave him an opportunity to set the record straight. I believe he was sincere. I believe he was trying to be honest. Unfortunately, the combination of being in his mid-eighties and being in the middle of a battle to save his life is not the optimum time for an interview of this magnitude.

The story of Joe Paterno has changed over the last few months. He went from revered to revolting in many people’s opinion for allowing his friend Jerry Sandusky continue to abuse children after he was informed of the disgusting behavior that Sandusky conducted. He tried to explain to The Post that he didn’t know what to do. That he felt overwhelmed and didn’t realize that men did that to other men. I hope that was the chemo talking because if his comments were coherent, it illustrates how out of touch Paterno was from life let alone his football program.

I have said many times that Paterno was the ultimate authority at Penn State during most of his career. When he said that he reported what he learned about Sandusky to his superiors, please understand he had no superiors at the university. He was the end all, be all of human existence at Penn State.

It is sad that Joe Paterno is battling cancer. No one deserves cancer. Cancer has destroyed more lives than I even care to ponder. I know the tragedy of cancer personally.

In an episode of M*A*S*H years ago, a very upset Hawkeye Pierce sat down with his commanding officer and head surgeon Henry Blake after losing a patient in the OR. Blake profoundly put it into perspective to Alan Alda’s character when he said, “Look, all I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war and rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is doctors can’t change rule number one.”

Here is what I have learned after twenty plus years as a journalist, rule number one is many head football coaches think they are gods. And rule number two is journalists can’t change rule number one.

This column was originally written and posted on BeyondUSports.com by Bruce Silverman.

I spent a lot of time breaking down the NFL playoffs with Ryan Walsh of WWLP 22 in Springfield, MA and Stan Saunders of WJZ CBS 13 in Baltimore. Of course, they both think their home town teams will win the AFC Championship. It was a blast to talk Ravens and home town Miami with Stan!

I also spent some time breaking down the BCS Championship Game and I still maintain that Alabama, despite their dominating win over LSU should not be the national champions. Hey I am a rebel, what can I say.

Enjoy the podcast on SILVERMAN: On Sports, subscribe to the website, LIKE the Facebook page and follow on Twitter: @SilvermanShow!