Daily Dirt: Sunday Night Baseball may employ popular ‘Manningcast’ format

Mango Jello does not get the respect it deserves. That, and more ahead … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 181 of the Daily Dirt.

1. The popularity of “The Manningcast” on Monday night NFL telecasts this fall has prompted ESPN to plan on introducing that kind of accompanying telecast for its Sunday night baseball programming this season.

Details remain sketchy, but it appears Alex Rodriguez would be a key element such a broadcast, meaning he won’t be a part of the regular in-game ESPN coverage during its Sunday night broadcasts. ESPN is reportedly looking at a TV booth consisting of Karl Ravech doing play-by-play and Eduardo Perez and David Cone providing analysis.

“ESPN experimented with ‘The Manningcast’ during ‘Monday Night Football’ (this season),” reported Chris Cwik of yahoosports.com. “Peyton Manning and Eli Manning host the program, and are joined by various guests to watch the Monday night game. It’s a looser, more conversational broadcast.”

“The Manningcast” was employed in 10 of the 17 NFL Monday night telecasts. Rodriguez has worked the past four years with play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian on Sunday night telecasts. Vasgersian would not be part of the new dynamic. He announced last fall he would not be returning to ESPN, preferring to explore new and different opportunities with the MLB Network.

2. This week’s “Found on Facebook”:

“Never blame someone else for the road you’re on. That’s your own asphalt.”

“Finally old enough to do anything I want., Too tired to actually do it.”

“Having a teenage daughter is like having a cat that only comes out to eat and hisses when you try and be nice to it.”

“Bacon gets you through those hard times.”

“Last night I ordered a drink with with dinner and to my surprise the waiter asked for my ID. I asked him if I looked that young and he replied, ‘No, I just wanted to see if you qualified for the senior citizen discount.”

3. The latest edition of “If I Had My Way”:

Mango Jell-O would be offered  as a side dish at every restaurant.

The NBA would return to those short shots of the 1970s.

Baker Mayfield would be traded from the Cleveland Browns.

MTV would return to showing music videos from the 1970s and 1980s.

All self-checkout lines would be eliminated at supermarkets and other stores, replaced by living, breathing cashiers.

Steve Fact O’ The Day
Much like NBA players, Steve wore short shorts in the 1970s.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. No one wants Steve in short shorts. No one.