Kudos

As you know, PAE isn't very fond of ESPN, but the sports giant gets two large thumbs way up for two of its stories over the weekend.

Screw the "Who's Now?" and the Sunday Conversations with Tiger Woods. Has he ever said anything important? He makes Pete Sampras look like Dennis Rodman.

Low-access superstars are tired and with the exception of Gary Sheffield and Charles Barkley, they all pretty much sound like robots who have nothing interesting to offer.

But Rick Ankiel, the up-and-coming St. Louis Cardinals ace who forgot how to throw a strike a few years ago, has made a comeback as an outfielder. And Peter Gammons interviewed him for a story over the weekend and it was awesome.

The story aired just a few minutes after another story about Todd Crandell, a lengthy feature about a man who's gone from the darkest depths of addiction to founding Racing For Recovery, a group that helps addicts not only overcome their drug and alcohol problems, but also train for races to complete the circle of recovery. Neither of these stories was typical two- or three-minute TV. Each was at least eight minutes or so, and I'd watch them again if I could. This is the stuff ESPN should keep doing, not the flowery or self-serving shit we've come to expect over the last decade from what was once an enjoyable station to watch.