Small Screen.... Seriously

So for those of you who live outside Canada or who didn't get the facebook memo, The World's Greatest Sportswriter made his third appearance on TSN's Off The Record on Monday night.

I know both of my readers are probably asking themselves why I didn't use this space to hype my appearance beforehand.

Simple.

Last time they booked me, they bumped me for a pair of washed up former NFL quarterbacks; one who lost four straight Superbowls, and another who looks like David Hasselhoff's lost twin. Knowing how quickly schedules and priorities can change, I figured I'd wait till we'd completed taping before I spread the word far and wide.

And even then I hesitated, just because you never know.

Anyway, I had a great time and rave reviews have been trickling in since yesterday.

After we finshed taping the OTR folks said the performance was my best ever.

I also received multiple text messages informing me I was sharpest dressed man on the panel.

And this morning a co-worker told me that he caught a few glimpses of the show while working out, and while he didn't hear anything I said he assured me I was the panel's best gesticulator.

High praise.

Before I link you, a few words about the rest of the panel, Buffalo Bills receiver Lee Evans, Toronto Argos defensive back Chuck Winters and XM Radio host Terry Mercury.

Best panel ever.

I first met Chuck as a 17-year-old high schooler at the University of Michigan football camp. I was an undersized cornerback trying to get noticed by college scouts and he was a starter for the Wolverines and one of my team's coaches. A year and a half later my Wildcats smashed his Wolverines at the Big House, on the way to our first of two straight Big Ten titles.

Yesterday I took a few moments to remind him.

He seems to have gotten over it.

Terry Mercury I had met a couple years back at a CABJ meeting and afterward we rapped a little about mentorship and the need for more of us to reach out to more of you (young people) to make sure there are alwasy some of us in the business.

As for Evans, I've just always like the way he plays, and stuck around as a fan even after my least favourite team in all of pro football drafted him.

So I don't know if it was the Big Ten football vibe (Me, Lee, Chuck), or the CABJ connection (Morg and Terry), but of the OTR panels I've been a part of, only this one could strike the right balance between intelligence, tension, volume and fun. We all made our points while sounding halfway educated, and we could agree to disagree without acting like, well, guests on a sports talk show.

Anyway, I promised I'd link you, and since you've all been waiting since last Super Bowl for me to return to OTR, I won't make you wait any longer.

Clip One.

Clip Two.

Clip Three.

Enjoy.

And if you liked that, stay tuned because there'll be more in the future.

Promise.