Watchdog

Let me be the last to weigh in on the matter of Katherine Webb, beauty pageant winner, aspiring model (including, reportedly, a spot in SI's Swimsuit Issue) and close personal friend of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.

Was it a tad creepy and uncomfortable when ESPN's Brent Musburger gushed over Ms. Webb's appearance during Monday night's BCS National Championship Game?

No doubt. But...

Well, hello there, WatchDog Nation. I'm here for one of my periodic Friday visits, ready to blog like in olden times (7/2/07 - 10/28/09).

Today we begin with Bob Knight, the ESPN analyst who last night worked the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt game in Nashville.

Normally I don't watch college hoops before March, but a close relative recently was accepted into Vanderbilt University so I suddenly...

Lionel Messi, known as the world's best soccer player, was featured on the first episode of "60 Minutes Sports" on Showtime on Wednesday night.

See a preview of the episode below:

...

A complete transcript of an interesting conversation I had with CBS analyst Bill Cowher Tuesday at an event to promote the network's coverage of SB47:

First, I asked Cowher whether with all of the openings around the league he was tempted by any of them. He said this:

"No, no, no, no. Hey, we have the Super Bowl. All these coaches are trying to get there. I know I'm going to be...

ESPN said it chose not to renew the contract of commentator Rob Parker, which expired at the end of 2012.

Parker, a former Newsday columnist, had been suspended for one month after comments he made Dec. 13 on ESPN2's "First Take" in which he discussed Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III's relationship with the African-American community, questioning whether he is an inauthentic...

Do salsa and milk go well together? Victor Cruz believes so.

The Giants receiver is the latest celebrity to sport a milk mustache, launching the Breakfast Blitz program as a part of his partnership with National Milk Mustache "got milk?" campaign and Fuel Up to Play 60.

As a part of the Breakfast Blitz program, which helps highlight the importance of milk in a healthy breakfast,...

Kobe Bryant joined Twitter on Friday, and the world has rejoiced.

He posted his first tweet at 12:13 p.m. ET, and in the four hours and 13 minutes since, he has gained 250,329 followers. (That number will likely increase by the time I hit the "save & view" button in our CMS.) Only 3 percent of them were fake, according to StatusPeople.

His first (and only, so far) tweet...

Everyone knows that Notre Dame being in the BCS Championship Game is good for the business of college sports, but few know that better than ESPN analyst Lou Holtz, the last man to lead the Fighting Irish to a national title.

“When Notre Dame is on top, college football is better,’’ he said. “I have been going to ESPN for eight years, and there are about six restaurants I go and eat in. I've...

Mike Francesa-ologists went into red alert with the news another of his producers, Ray Martel, has moved on, in this case after two-plus years at the helm.

By all accounts Martel departed on good terms, moving on to the new national CBS morning show.

Martel sought more favorable work hours for a family man, but the switch also provides stability as we begin what figures to be a popular...

SNY is the local cable home of the Big East, such as it is, but that deal is set to expire when ESPN’s does after the current academic year. Beyond that lies . . . uncertainty.

But assuming the Catholic, non-big-time-football schools successfully reassemble a basketball-focused league, SNY – New York's only regional sports network without a pro winter team – would appear to be a logical fit.

Right,...