The scheduled panelists for BWB4 at Bloomberg Sports were announced Tuesday. Like previous BWB events, the guys have assembled quite the impressive list:

Bill Squadron, Bloomberg Sports
Bomani Jones, The Score
Chris Russo, The Big Lead
Dan Levy, Bleacher Report
Dan Shanoff, Quickish
Eric Kay, CBS Read more

Gymnast Alicia Sacramone has signed with Under Armour sports apparel, becoming the first gymnast to land an endorsement deal with the Baltimore, MD-based outfit. Sacramone, a member of the silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2008, is one of the most successful gymnasts in U.S. history and is currently tied for the highest career tally of World Championship medals for American gymnasts, including three golds, four silvers and two bronzes. She has been named USA Gymnastics’ Sportswoman of the Year four times.

“Alicia’s commitment to training and her determination to perform at the highest level makes her an inspiration to young athletes across the world and an ideal fit for the Under Armour Brand,” said Tori Hanna, director of women’s sports marketing for Under Armour. “While her numerous medals and accolades are a clear reflection of her talent, it is her indomitable spirit that sets her apart as a natural choice to become the first Under Armour athlete on the gymnastics floor.”

Sacramone joins other athletes who have signed with Under Armour, including swimmer Michael Phelps, skier Lindsey Vonn, women’s soccer player Lauren Cheney and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

“I’m honored to join the Under Armour family, as Under Armour’s emphasis on training and its dedication to the next generation of athletes aligns perfectly with my core values,” said Sacramone. “I’ve always admired Under Armour apparel for its performance and style and now, to get the chance to work alongside such a high caliber of world champion athletes, it’s just an unbelievable opportunity.”

Victor Willis, the former cop and lead singer in the campy 1970s group Village People, reportedly plans to sue the Tampa Bay Rays within the next 30 days for misappropriating his voice and image. Willis left the group in 1984 and reportedly still earns $1 million per year (!) on the royalties alone from their hit song “YMCA.” But he’s not a member of the band’s current incarnation, and he said it was disingenuous for the Rays to promote a postgame concert last August of the current Village People using a clip of him singing their staple song.

“His voice is very distinctive. People know that song,” said Linda Smythe, Willis’ publicist. “They get excited, thinking he is going to be there.”

Oh, yeah, they circle the date. The current Village People group includes three original members: the Indian, the Soldier and the Construction Worker. The Cop, Biker and Cowboy are new. But you probably already knew that.

In Willis’ defense, he’s not asking for financial restitution. He merely wants the Rays to apologize and to promise that it never happens again.

How bad are things over in Flushing?

New York Daily News reporter Andy Martino wrote this lede for Tuesday’s Mets-Astros game:

“Blah blah blah blah rain blah blah blah Niese blah blah Astros blah blah Mets got spanked. Blah blah, 6-1. We really don’t know what else to tell you about this one. But we will try:”

Only 145 games to go.

[H/T SportsGrid]

DALLAS – You won’t hear any complaints from Dan Patrick Show producer Paul Pabst on the weather this week in Dallas.

Dan and the “Danettes” have embraced the elements and found a way to incorporate it into the show.

“We knew we were going to be cold,” Pabst said. “Our set is half-indoor, half-outdoor. Right before the show, we were like let’s embrace it. Nobody back home wants to hear a bunch of whiny media members complain about the weather because they have bad weather and they don’t get a free trip to the Super Bowl. We decided to reenact great cold weather plays in sports history. We did the “Tuck Rule” game and the Leon Lett game and went out on the snow.”

Despite the frigid weather, Pabst would rather broadcast in the cold than extreme heat. “I think I would rather be cold than hot,” Pabst added. “We once did a show in Dayton and it was 103 degrees. It was just miserable. There was nothing fun about it. There’s nothing you could do with it as a producer.”

Have no fear, Jay Cutler.

Charles Barkley is here to save you from the critics!

Barkley went after the players who attacked Cutler on The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

“I was mad at the players, to be honest with you,” Barkley said Tuesday. I think it was inappropriate and wrong to question a guy’s heart. Now reporters, they’re going to do what they want to. They’re entitled to their opinion. But as players, I don’t think it’s appropriate to question another guy’s heart. That crosses the line, because you don’t know. If you go back and start looking at all the stuff that’s been said, and clearly one of the more vocal critics was Maurice Jones-Drew, and then you find out he missed the last two games with a bad knee. Read more

Don’t blame Tostitos for that cheesy Brent Musburger line last night.

They had nothing to do with Musburger saying “This is for all the Tostitos,” according to Justin Lambeth, vice president of marketing for Frito-Lay North America.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Musburger “was having some fun.”

Clearly, Brent and I have two different definitions on what fun actually is.

In case you haven’t read it yet, check out Steve Buckley‘s column in the Boston Herald, where the Massachusetts native admits that he’s gay.

“But I’ve put this off long enough. I haven’t been fair to my family, my friends or my co-workers. And I certainly haven’t been fair to myself: For too many years I’ve been on the sidelines of Boston’s gay community but not in the game – figuratively and literally, as I feel I would have had a pretty good career in the (gay) Beantown Softball League. Read more

We can’t imagine they will.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber has lined up a side gig as an in-studio NFL analyst… for The Onion‘s upcoming Comedy Central series “The Onion Sportsdome”

Barber will serve as an “OSN analyst” for the series when it debuts January 11. Suffice it to say his appearances have been pre-taped.

In a clip released by Comedy Central, Barber talks to OSN anchor “Mark Shepard” about the surprising revelation that former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison went his entire career without realizing he was playing an organized sport:

Read more