90 Seconds: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

+ In sports we hear so much about a player's or team's "body of work," and that's what I keep coming back to with Jenn Sterger. In Wednesday's second round of her "Good Morning America" interview, she was again smart and honest and composed. There really isn't anything that she's said that I thought was untrue. She says she's not trying to play the victim card and I believe her on that point as well. But if you consider the body of work, how she got noticed, how she got her attention that led to a Playboy spread and a New York television job, she may not be a gold-digger or home-wrecker, but she is an attention-whore who got what she wanted: a place in the spotlight with big, rich macho athletes. She's not to blame for anything having to do with Old Man Favre, but again, folks need to be careful what they wish for. Too, the self-proclaimed "entertainer" who says she's "not the right martyr for this cause" might want to dial down the self-importance. She's not a talented journalist or any kind of sports authority. She's merely a pretty girl with fake boobs and a walk-in closet full of tight shirts who's used those assets to get the few jobs she's had so far in broadcasting. She says she fears this scandal might keep folks from taking her seriously. I'd like to meet anyone who has.

+ Each of the last few years — including the last two that ended in championships for the Los Angeles Lakers — began with experts saying thing like, "If Andrew Bynum can stay healthy ... " And just when it looked like the young center was going to finish strong and finally head into the playoffs at 100 percent, dude hyperextended his knee in a game against San Antonio's backups and suddenly his and the Lakers' postseason forecast has some clouds in it. Bynum is scheduled for an MRI today, so let's hold off on planning the Lakers' funeral for now, but certanly keep the phone handy.

+ If we're to go by W-L records, the Cleveland Indians are one of the best teams in baseball this year, and the Red Sox are thee worst. Betcha didn't expect to hear that two weeks in. Quick, can you name the Indians' manager?

90 Seconds: Tuesday, April 12, 2011

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

+ Jenn Sterger, you are not an entertainer. You are little more than a hot young girl. Personality and fake boobs are not things to bullet-point on a resume; what is actually on yours? You told GMA today it was never your intention to play the role of the victim, but that's precisely how you came off in the interview you chose to grant. You claim that once this storm hit, folks called you a gold-digger and a home-wrecker. OGS buys that you're not those things, and also believes the pain you feel is very real. But if you're not either of those derogatory things, can you admit to being a slight attention-whore? From your outfits at Florida State games and Playboy shoots to being an ill-qualified television sports personality, welcome again to the world to which you so desperately sought entree.

+ Don't expect the point-shaving scandal at the University of San Diego to amount to much, unfortunately. This should be a huge story, but because it doesn't involve big-name stars or programs like Cam Newton or Ohio State, it won't get the coverage. But to me, the scumbags who step to players to ask them to fix games are dirtier than any street pimps, AAU thugs or dads named Cecil. Hundred-dollar postgame handshakes are one thing, but asking a broke-ass college athlete to influence the outcome of a game is far worse.

+ A full analysis on the Miami Heat's postseason chances is coming to the pages of OGS soon, but I have to make a quick point here. Too often we hear athletes talk about how they as individuals or their teams have overcome adversity. It's such a terrible cliche. But from the minute the Heat organized that embarrassing look-at-me circus last summer, they've grown and improved and developed some necessary chemistry. I won't be rooting for LeBron and Co., but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Heat come out of the East.

Susan Shan: A Q&A With Up-And-Coming Sports Blogger

One Great Season is marking its one-year anniversary this week with interviews of several sports media personalities. Today's subject is rising blogosphere and social media star Susan Shan. Feel free to suggest future interview subjects by clicking here.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

One Great Season: So you're the newest contributor for RedStormSports.com. What will you be doing and when will things start to get real busy for you?
Susan Shan: I'm going to be contributing to their website. I'll be writing features and contributing blog posts to them. I'll also be doing interviews for their RedStormSports.com's All-Access video platform. They have an on-demand section as well for subscribers, where paying users can access video platforms. They've asked me to just go ahead and get right to work, so there's no hesitation.

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