Per a hilarious teaser clip for Current TV’s Friday evening broadcast premiere of Joy Behar’s Comics with Benefits, a Hurricane Sandy fundraiser held on Monday at the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City, Larry David‘s mom did more than curb her enthusiasm when the comedian expressed his young-age professional aspirations.

David recalled on stage with Behar how his journalistic aspirations were ridiculed by his no-nonsense mom. “I said, ‘Ma, I think I want to be a sports announcer when I grow up,’” David remembered. “She said, ‘What makes you think you… you?…. you!!! You’re going to be a sports announcer? Are you kidding? You’re not special.’”

Had mom not been so harsh, David probably would have wound up more on the color commentary side than play-by-play. In a perfect world, he would have found his way to the sad sack New York Mets.

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Shepherd to Join View, Variety Says
Variety does some source leaning in today’s paper, announcing that Sherri Shepherd is the new cohost on The View, taking the fifth spot on the morning chatfest alongside Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and newly-installed Whoopi Goldberg. The trade paper cited its sources in confirming the story, which also says the announcement will be officially unveiled on this Monday’s show.

Rudin Wrangles Graves Novel
Producer Scott Rudin has reeled in the movie rights to Robert Graves historical novel, I, Claudius, in a major $2 million deal, reports Variety. Michael Fleming‘s story also says that The Departed pair of Leonardo DiCaprio and scribe William Monahan will become attached to the project, likely to end up at Disney where Rudin has a production deal.

Toronto In’Panic’
A looming actors strike next summer is having an effect on the Toronto International Fim Festival, reports THR’s Gregg Goldstein. The possible strike cloud hanging over the industry’s head coupled with new distributors and few Oscar contending pics has added to the pressure at the fest, which is in a mood of “panic” according to one of his sources. Read the pre-fest recap here.

- CHRIS GARDNER