Olympics

Former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Colin Dunlap claimed last night that West Virginia head football coach Bill Stewart called him last December and asked him to dig up dirt on Stewart’s successor-in-waiting, Dana Holgorsen. Dunlap made his allegations on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.

Holgorsen was named coach-in-waiting on Dec. 16 and Dunlap says Stewart called him several days later and made the request. Dunlap formerly covered Mountaineers football for the Post-Gazette. He resigned from the newspaper in late May.

“He tried to flame-throw the guy in December by calling me and at least one other reporter because the other reporter and I discussed it. [Stewart] said, can you get the word, I think it was scumbag or something, tattooed on the front of the sports page? You need to dig up this dirt; you need to get it out on this guy. And I said, ‘Hey man, I’m not a part of some witch hunt.’ But I understood the guy was like backed in a corner and was in a tight spot.”

Holgorsen has been the focus on several damning newspapers articles in recent weeks, including a May 28 piece in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch that said Holgorsen had been involved in at least three and maybe as many as six alcohol-related incidents since being named to succeed Stewart. West Virginia officials are now investigating the possibility that Stewart or his wife, Karen, were the sources for several disparaging stories about Holgorsen and that information may have been fabricated to paint Holgorsen in an unflattering light.

In related news, naming a successor-in-waiting is always a great idea.

(H/T/ to Dr. Saturday)

Game 3 of the NBA Finals on ABC between Miami and Boston earned a 11.1 overnight rating, which was down 3 percent from last year (11.5 overnight rating for Boston-Los Angeles).

The Heat’s 88-86 victory was the highest-rated program of the evening in prime time and led ABC to win the night, according to Nielsen.

Locally, the game earned a 32.3 metered market rating in Miami – - the third highest-rated NBA game in Miami. In Dallas, the game earned a 26.7 metered market rating.

Prior to the incident last night in which an angry Miami Heat fan threw a towel that hit Charles Barkley, fans serenaded Barkley with a NSFW chant that rhymes with “Duck you, Chuck.” Barkley responded by giving them the double middle finger.

(H/T to Sportsgrid)

The Broadway play Lombardi will close its doors May 22, the producers of the show announced. The news comes the same week that one of the show’s stars, Judith Light, was nominated for a Tony award for her performance in the show as Vince Lombardi’s wife Marie.

Lombardi opened late last Summer to mostly solid reviews. Based on the life of the legendary Green Bay Packers coach, the play counted the NFL and sports advertising legend Tony Ponturo as producers. Dan Lauria played the title role.

In February, the producers announced another play, based on the real-life friendship of NBA stars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Magic/Bird will open on Broadway in 2012.

More information on the end of Lombardi is in the official announcement, after the jump.

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Don’t point the finger at the Philadelphia Eagles for Michael Vick canceling on Oprah Winfrey.

There was a report from Fox 29 in Philadelphia on Thursday morning that said the Eagles forced Vick to cancel his appearance.

“Not true,” an Eagles spokesman told the Philadelphia Sports Daily.

“The Eagles were supportive of Michael’s decision both when he agreed to do the show and when he decided to cancel,” said Chris Shigas, a spokesman for Vick.

I’m sure we will learn by next week that Oprah was planning an ambush of Vick and somehow the quarterback caught wind of it.

Until then, let the speculation continue.

If we were in charge of a major international sporting event, we’re not sure exactly when we’d announce the host city. But you know when we wouldn’t? At 5 p.m. on a Friday that just happened to be New Year’s Eve. And yet, that’s exactly when the organizers of the America’s Cup announced that the 34th running of the event will be held in San Francisco.

It’s just the latest in a series of PR mistakes. Read more

Former Jim Rome Show producer Travis Rodgers is back on the national scene.

Starting next Monday, Rogers will host Travis Rodgers Now, a three-hour show airing from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST on Sporting News Radio.

Rodgers left Jim Rome‘s syndicated show in 2009 after 14 years as lead producer and was a current host on 1560 The Game in Houston.

“It’s hard to explain how excited I am to do a national show from Houston,” Rodgers said. “When I came to 1560 the Game, this was a goal of mine. I have worked in national radio for a decade and a half, it’s what I know best, and I am incredibly excited to get started.”

[H/T to Marcas Grant of New Era Radio]

On January 11, 2011 (that’s 01/11/11) Comedy Central will launch its own version of ESPN: “The Onion SportsDome.”

The network clearly has high hopes for the program, and not just because of its “Onion” pedigree. The new show will launch after the season premiere of one of the channel’s most successful programs. “Tosh.0.

The network is even working with The Onion to create a dedicated faux-sports news website at OnionSportsNetwork.com, which will feature clips from the show, as well as from The Onion.

Watch out Bristol, you may have some competition coming your way. Check out the first preview of the series here:

Sometimes you forget that Woody Paige is one helluva columnist and more than just a talking head on ESPN’s Around The Horn.

Just three days after Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley committed suicide, the Denver Post columnist opened up about nearly killing himself in 2002:

I know an older man who eight years ago this month was committed to committing suicide.

Me.

The last, desperate, despondent, despicable act was all planned out. The Broncos were playing on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002, against the 49ers. I would fly into San Francisco the day before, drive up to Napa Valley, enjoy a bottle of expensive red wine and check into a nice inn. The next morning I would head over to the coast and swim out in the Pacific Ocean far enough that I couldn’t make it back to the beach.

Paige goes on to describe how friend and broadcaster Gil Whiteley stepped in and made sure he got proper medical help. Paige later discovered that he was diabetic, which was the cause of his depression.

Do yourself a favor and take five minutes out of your day to read this column. It will give you more insight of people who suffer from depression.

This story is going to get bigger before it disappears: UNC uncovered academic infractions and is holding a press conference Thursday night to address the issue.

A report from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill’s WTVD says multiple players on the football team are involved, with other sources placing the number as high as nine (or higher). ESPN’s Joe Schad believes the investigation centers around whether players “including standouts” had papers written by a former tutor.

Head coach Butch Davis previously coached at Miami and endured the wrath of the NCAA although it wasn’t his fault. His predecessor Dennis Erickson committed several violations and the team was banned from postseason. In late 2006, Davis came to a struggling UNC program and led them to bowl games in 2008 and 2009.