Last weekend’s boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Gardens Arena in Las Vegas brought out some big name sports reporters, celebrities and athletes.

Among the big name sports reporters was the always sexy Ines Sainz.  As for the athletes, Michael Irvin was among the many, however, if you ask Sainz, the Hall of Fame receiver is looking a lot like Michael Vick these days.

While chasing the boys around last week for interviews, Sainz came across Irvin.  Whether she knew he was actually the former Cowboys receiver, and not the current Eagles quarterback is anyone’s guess, but when it came time to introduce her guest, Sainz kicked things off by saying “Well friends, we are now with Michael Vick.”

The subtitles (for her Mexican station) may say “Michael Irvin,” but I know I heard “Vick” come out of her mouth (0:50 mark)….

And by the way, Michael Irvin is a former football player, not a boxer (image above).

Everyone says stupid stuff. However, when you’re in the public eye, you can expect that stupid stuff to echo around for a long, long time. Just ask Jessica Simpson. Well, silly comments or brief moments of stupidity are often made fun of, then quickly forgotten. But anything having to do with a social or political issue, regardless of context, always seems to have much more sticking power when it comes the public consciousness. While some of the people on the list have managed to weather the storm following their racial insensitivity, more than a few have not. So remember: no matter how epic your sporting career may have been, if you say something racist, there’s a decent chance that will be your legacy. Just look at these guys.

10. Michael Irvin

The noted loudmouth went on a national radio show in 2006 and had this to say about Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo – “He doesn’t look like he’s that type of an athlete. But he is. He is, man. I don’t know … some brother down in that line somewhere … I don’t know who saw what or where, his great-great-great-great-grandma ran over in the ‘hood or something went down.”

Looks like The Playmaker is wrong about a couple things here, not the least of which is that he refers to Tony Romo as a great athlete, which in and of itself should be grounds for at least suspension.

9. Byron Scott
Well this almost certainly wasn’t intentional which affords us the opportunity to laugh at the gaffe. Here’s a casual press shot of Byron Scott doing something basketball-ish while donning this season’s must-have accessory: the swastika tie. How anyone involved with this photo shoot could let him get in front of a camera with that number boggles the mind, but it happened.

And if it WAS intentional? Then God help us all us from Byron Scott and his plans for a master race.

8. Spanish National Basketball Team
While not the most egregious example of racism on this list, this photo demonstrates both insensitivity to Asians and the fact that Spain keeps leading the discussion when people bring up the most racist sports fans in the world.

While this photo was taken for a sponsor of the Spanish basketball squad, I don’t really get the message. “We’re going to China! Let’s bust out slanty eyes like some 7 year-olds!” Whatever the intention was, the message that resonated was either that these guys are too stupid to realize this wasn’t clever or funny or that they were too insensitive to care. Not the best spot to be in.

7. Floyd Mayweather
Not content to simply bob and weave his way to dodging a fight against Manny Pacquiao, two months ago, Floyd went on a bizarre video rant that was at once homophobic, ignorant, racist and completely devoid of charm. eferring to him as a “yellow chump” (I’m guessing not in the cowardly sense) and ordering that “motherfucker to make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice,” the real offense here is that a guy making approximately $75 billion per year doesn’t know that sushi comes from the Japan and not the Philippines.

One could argue that Floyd’s earlier escapades, like wearing a sombrero when fighting De La Hoya on Cinco de Mayo may have blurred the line between humor and good taste, but there’s no question after watching his homemade video. Dude’s racist.

6. Fuzzy Zoeller
Golfers LOVE change. They are among the most progressive people in the world. So needless to say, when a 22 year-old athletic black phenom was raising hell and winning tournaments by double digit stroke leads, they were thrilled.

Leave it to some old white guy named Fuzzy to lead the welcome wagon for Tiger Woods. When Woods was running away with his first Masters in ’97, Zoeller had these kind words for him, “You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”

See ya at the Klan rally, Fuzz.

5. Bill Romanowski
Romanowski’s alleged racial comments have all been delivered via second-hand sources, but his violent, pill-seeking behavior in the past has precluded us giving him the benefit of the doubt. He blinded a teammate, spat on J.J. Stokes and heaved a football at the crotch of Bryan Cox.

Apparently, Romanowski was trying to sell a teammate on PED’s because “It is the only way we can compete with the black guys.” Then the source claimed that Romanowski actually didn’t say “black guys” but rather dropped the n-bomb. Mike Shanahan has come to his defense saying that if he was a racist, he wouldn’t have been voted defensive captain three years in a row, but Romanowski’s past behavior indicates that this guy is capable of most anything, including racism.

4. Charles Barkley
Because of Charles’ happy-go-lucky demeanor, he often gets away with saying some pretty garish stuff that would leave others crucified by the media. Having been somewhat outspoken on race issues in the past, he stepped up his game when it came to the discussion of black coaches in college football. He blasted Auburn for not hiring the black candidate, while further condemning Notre Dame for firing Tyrone Willingham, which I agree with, but not on the merits of race.

However, Charles Barkley’s shining racist comment hearkens back to a press conference when he was asked if he thought his team not getting calls was a racial issue, to which he responded (I’m paraphrasing. It’s been a while and I can’t find the original quote), “This is why I hate white people. You guys try to turn everything into a racial issue.” Says the guy with the white wife.

Because it was Chuck, the press conference erupted with laughter and the world kept on spinning. However, if the races had been reversed, I think we would have seen a very different outcome for the perpetrator.

3. Shaquile O’Neal
In what’s perhaps the least threatening, but most childish act of racial insensitivity on this list, Shaq was interviewed by Fox Sports in 2002 and asked if he had any words for upstart Chinese center Yao Ming. To which Shaq intellectually replied, “Tell [NBA center] Yao Ming, ‘Ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-so.”

No word at press time if Yao had received the message.

2. Don “Moose” Lewis
Haven’t heard of this guy? Good. Most of America hasn’t. However, he made a minor splash earlier in 2010 by presenting plans for a “whites-only” basketball league. He obviously ruffled some feathers with these plans, so he decided to cover his ass by declaring, “There’s nothing hatred [sic] about what we’re doing. I don’t hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here’s a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like.”

First of all, Moose, there’s a lot “hatred” about what you’re hatching. Secondly, if you want to gauge the depth of the market for fans of fundamental basketball check out the attendance numbers for the WNBA. Then try to get investors for your experiment.

1. Jimmy the Greek
This sports personality’s legacy was tainted by perhaps the most iconic racist statement in the history of sport. Conveyed to a TV reporter, Jimmy Snyder said:

“The black is a better athlete to begin with because he’s been bred to be that way — because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs. This goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trading, the owner — the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid.”

And that was pretty much the end of the famed handicapper’s career. Beyond that tone statement, there was little evidence that Snyder harbored any racist sentiments, but, in light of the fact that he was a public figure representing a TV station, it should come as no surprise that the network did what they did.

Almost everyone gets annoying after two hours. In fact, it takes a special gift NOT to be annoying after an extended period of time. After spending much of my TV-watching life with some of the people below, I can say with some certainty: They don’t have that gift. After reviewing this list, I was amazed by how many different ways people can be annoying. And these are just the active ones. There are no Billy Packers or insane John Madden’s here. These are nine guys that are currently bugging the hell out of us while we try to watch sports.

1. Dick Vitale
Has Dickie V gotten more obnoxious as the years have gone on, or have we just grown less tolerant of his shtick? Probably both. Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit on this guy: He is scary as hell in HD. He’s dropped about 15 pounds in the past decade and his eyes are nothing short of bloodshot every time he appears on TV. I’m bracing for the moment his head starts glowing and he speaks in a low-pitched growl instructing me to find the dark side.

Fortunately, we don’t have to see him that much when he’s calling a game. Unfortunately, we still have to hear him. A lot. I’m all for enthusiasm about the college game. I think we could use more, in fact. But Vitale’s has worn a little thin as we hear the phrase “diaper dandy” for the millionth time in late March. Just say “freshman,” dude.

As he gets older, his exclamations sound more and more like a gasp for air than they do sounds of excitement, which is…disarming. Ideally, I don’t want to see Dick Vitale in any capacity, but he should at least be kept in the studio where his mannerisms can be appreciated on a novelty level, rather than courtside, where he haunts me for two hours.

2. Chris Berman
To be fair to Chris, he’s gotten better in recent years, but he still carries the hallmarks of the caricature he portrayed in the 80’s and 90’s. He founded his career as the “Tim ‘The Toolman’ Taylor” of the NFL, often communicating in a language that’s just a step above grunts and moans. While this was endearing in the new age of sports broadcasting and ESPN, it wore thin quickly. While flashes of his “rumblin’, stumblin’, tumblin’” manner of broadcasting still exist, ESPN and Berman have managed to pare them down in recent years. But not enough to keep him off this list.

More to the point is the fact that his shtick either overshadowed or obfuscated his audience as to what his actual point was. It’s hard to observe the down-field blocking when you’ve got some dude exclaiming, “Whoop whoop whoop” like the Three Stooges.

3. Deion Sanders/Emmitt Smith/Michael Irvin
I am lumping these guys together, cause if you combined only their strengths, you’d have one hell of a studio guy. There’s a steep learning curve for mid-90’s Cowboys in Broadcasting. Aikman just got good a couple years ago, Moose Johnston is still a ways from being there, and the trifecta above has varying degrees of promise, but they’re still a ways away.

Deion, despite often dressing and grooming himself like a cartoon character is probably the furthest along of the group. Despite dressing like Goofy, he’s knowledgeable, interacts well, and God knows he has the confidence to pull this off. However, his presence on the studio shows often seems as though a time machine retrieved him 1996 and set him down at a desk. Annoying, but not fatal.

Emmitt Smith has the face and heart for television, but what’s so unbelievably frustrating about this guy is that he’s likable and well spoken, but seemingly never gives you the answer you’re looking for. If he asked about blocking assignments, he’ll drift to play calling and footwork.

Michael Irvin is polarizing in much the same way I would imagine Charles Barkley is to some (I love Chuck). However, personalities aside, the difference between Chuck and Playmaker is that Playmaker can’t interact with anyone else at the table. Which is unfortunate when you have six guys gathered around, talking football. He pissed off Steve Young two years ago with his inability to be gracious to the other hosts. He may not bother me directly, but he bothers everyone on the show, which kills me. If I had to pull one, it would be Irvin.

4. Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw reminds me of John McCain. A jovial, likable guy that is probably a cauldron of rage deep down. We see flashes of this when Terry has to defend his position to the other studio hosts. He becomes very defensive, which in and of itself is off-putting, but then gets very aggressive about his position, talking over the other and making certain to get in the last word. That behavior makes me go to ESPN for my Sunday morning coverage.

Couple that behavior with the incessant cracks about wardrobes and slapstick humor and he comes across as nothing less than insane.

5. Joe Morgan
The correlation between baseball announcers and their desire to operate on “gut” rather than stats and figures is hardly a mystery. Baseball is an institution as much rooted in lore, legend, and history as it is in the present. Joe Morgan takes that philosophy and runs with it, fast and far. Every ball player is a saint, doing God’s work by participating in the national pastime.

Statistics? Who needs those when you’ve got the heart of a champion and a desire to be the best? Umm, as a member of the gambling community and a very casual baseball fan, I do, Joe. So give them to me. If the guy is batting .113 with running in scoring position in the postseason, don’t tell me he’s good in the clutch. Science says he’s not. If you’re that personally invested in the sport, go into the stands, get a hot dog, and sing “Take Me out to the Ball Game.”

6. Bill Walton
Yikes. Walton’s inclusion on this list has only to do with the fact that he has the most obnoxious voice in the history of the spoken word. It’s strange how much his voice resembles his appearance: gangly and slow.

His insights are normally spot on, I never saw a shred of evidence that he was anything less than objective when he was discussing his son, and his sense of humor is actually pretty refreshing when laid atop the rest of his team’s dry remarks. But, oh, that voice.

Put two Fruit Roll-Ups in your mouth. Then cram in a handful of marbles. Then say “Sasha Vujacic cleans up on the glass.” Congratulations. You sound like Bill Walton.

7. Bob Costas
In an alternate universe, Bob Costas is a 73 year-old man sitting outside a general store, drinking iced tea and whittling. And part of me thinks that he would probably be that guy in this universe if he wasn’t a professional announcer/host. I can stand him in every capacity but baseball. He hosts the Olympics studio show and does a fine job. Covering an equestrian steroids scandal on HBO? Beautiful. Go to town, Bob.

Once you get him on the subject of the national pastime, he becomes a sanctimonious heel that acts more like a character from Field of Dreams than an objective reporter/broadcaster. We get it. You’re from St. Louis. You love baseball. You want us to love baseball, too. You know how you get us to love baseball? Stop treating baseball like it’s the most important thing in the world.

If you make something seem that serious, it’s going to scare people off. That’s why I don’t go to church anymore.

8. Bryant Gumbel
Rampant fact-checking was in order for this entry to ensure that I didn’t confuse the two replicate Gumbels. Greg is the one who looks like he ate everyone else in the studio. He hosts the NCAA tourney studio show. My only real hang up with him is that he needs to let his hair grow a little more so that he can perfectly resemble a washed-up Venezuelan pitcher from 1977. I find his tempo and voice to be soothing. It sounds like he’s always in control and would never let me miss a moment of action. Especially when he’s in the NFL booth. Good job, Greg. You’re aces.

Evil twin Bryant, on the other hand was an atrocious announcer and a ham of a studio host. Announcing first: he was….bad. His timing wasn’t good, his day job seemed to preclude his ability to do his homework, and his tempo was choppy. Though the first two are probably more grave errors, his cadence was my biggest gripe. He would take you out of the play every time he opened his mouth. The NFL Network saw this and fired him a couple years ago, which solved that problem.

But his studio presence, especially on “serious” issues, continues to be irritating to no end. While faking sincerity and concern are hallmarks of any interpersonal host, the emoting he would do on a Barbaro-type story are ludicrous. His “lean in, scrunch face, nod solemnly” to every human interest story became so cliché he would take you out of those moments as well.

In short, if you want to be immersed in something, keep Bryant away. Greg’s cool though.

9, Magic Johnson
In a vacuum, Magic Johnson would be a fine studio host, and when he’s pulling duty for ABC Basketball late in the season, he tows his weight just fine. However, when he’s the fourth man (or third if Barkley is in time-out for pursuing drunken blow jobs) on Inside the NBA, he brings the show to a grinding halt. It’s a perfect example of being judged in light of your company, and Magic doesn’t have much of a place in that dynamic. He’s an NBA icon, but the gregarious nature and constant smile, though comfortable, dulls down the edge that Kenny, Ernie and Chuck bring to the table.

Magic seems to be the parent in the room when he’s on the show (which seems to be all the time, lately), which keeps everyone on slightly better behavior than we would like. Nothing is better than when Barkley gets going on a politically incorrect tirade, Kenny’s biting his lip, and EJ is scrambling for synonyms for “shut the fuck up, Chuck”. You just don’t get to see that when Magic’s in the room.

With the NFL Hall Of Fame Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys only a few days away, now is the time for inductees, old and new, to reminisce about their experience and what it means to be a Hall of Famer.  Perhaps no one has shown such pride in putting on that yellow blazer than former Cowboys star wideout Michael Irvin, who claims to have had sex in his Hall of Fame jacket.

“I remember when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame and they gave me my Hall of Fame yellow blazer. I wore it for two straight days. Finally my wife was in bed and said she wanted to make love but that I had to take the coat off. I refused and kept the blazer on because I wanted to perform like a Hall of Famer on the field and off.” [The Chicago Tribune]

Well said Michael.  Spoken like a true Hall of Famer.  Jerry Rice, Emmit Smith and the rest of this year’s inductees can learn a thing or two from the man who calls himself “The Playmaker”.

Hat Tip – [With Leather]

The two were among 16 celebrities chosen to be on the 9th edition of Dancing With The Stars and whether they can continue to build on the success that previous athletes have had on the show remains to be seen.

Also making an appearance is Joanna Krupa, but with no Terrell Owens as a partner don’t expect any entertaining sound bites from her.

Of the previous eight winners, five have been athletes, including Irvin’s former teammate Emmitt Smith.  Also on that list is US Short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, Indy Racing League driver Helio Castroneves, former US Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi and US gymnast Shawn Johnson.

For this season’s edition, Irvin, Liddell and Krupa will be joined by Louie Vito, Natalie Coughlin, Donny Osmond, Mya, Macy Gray, Aaron Carter, Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar, Ashley Hamilton, Kathy Ireland, Kelly Osbourne, Mark Dacascos, and Tom DeLay.

Hat Tip – [TSN.ca]