June 11, 2010 – The dust-up between New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick and ESPN/Yankee mouthpiece Michael Kay was over Mushnick’s protectively veiled claim that Kay’s lifting of newspaper information verbatim and using it as his own was dishonest. It had to do with Mushnick being “critical” of Dave Winfield’s ESPN television analyst skills and explaining (and I paraphrase) that Winfield isn’t good in a panel setting where the chance to talk comes around periodically, unexpectedly and demands ‘think and speak on your feet’ skills.

Kay utilized his ESPN PR arsenal and had Winfield on his radio show as an ESPN-promoting guest, where the former six-team hall of famer came off as artriculate and lucid, prompting Kay to go into a complimentary spiel of how good Winfield is on radio as opposed to television where he then used Mushnick’s explanation word for word.

Mushnick’s mention in print launched Kay into a rant against Mushnick on his ESPN radio show and a challenge to match up Mushnick’s column with Kay’s broadcast. Mushnick consented and “wasted column space” (his words) on explaining the details for the first time publicly. Kay and his ESPN PR hackers, I mean, backers decided it wasn’t going to provide the tape, as promised, and dropped the matter. Win by TKO for Mushnick.

And so, we are afforded another glimpse into the ESPN media machine where anyone they put on camera is “an expert” and what they say is gospel. Which is why it’s humorous that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers slammed Tony Kornheiser as being unprepared and Ron Jaworski as not knowing what he was talking about. Funny how a media writer can get pushed back upon by the ESPN PR machine, but a star Green Bay Packers quarterback can get away with his credibility while talking the truth. I guess there’s not much to be gained from taking on a professional whose integrity is a given.

Now, Kornheiser has since given up his Monday Night Football gig, although the availability of John Gruden probably had something to do with it. Not to mention that Kornheiser took a buyout from The Washington Post, and had taken a sabbatical from his local Washington D.C. radio show to only do ESPN’s “Pardon The Interruption,” and “MNF.” He seemed to go through a mid-life crisis, some minor health problems, creeping into old age, whining about things, telling us how early he went to bed and pretty much admitting that his heart wasn’t in it.

Kornheiser has become the arbiter of bland. Recently he told us how great the band “Sugarland” is, he’s kept us up on his thoughts about “American Idol,” and missed the Steven Strasburg debut because he had tickets to Carol King and James Taylor. Ho hum Tony. You are old.

What we get out of Kornheiser these days are inquisitive references to youthful trends and “urban speak,” stories about having dinner with with John “Junior” Feinstein, golf with Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams and trips to his beach house in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. Very retiring. He no longer goes on the road, covers the games or talks with his cronies that include Mike Lupica, Mitch Album and Bob Ryan (unless he’s a subhost on PTI).

While Kornheiser’s “American Idol” is losing lots of steam with the public, so is PTI, as partner Michael Wilbon transitions from an elite African-American sportswriter with an impeccable resume, to a hanger-on to Charles Barkley, an invitee to Michael Jordan’s gambling and golf party on Paradise Island, a bi-coastal (Scottsdale, AZ) yuppie and a biased Chicago sports fan. Where once you could count on him for an objective and intelligent point of view, he has now reduced himself to wonder. Wondering how he can have an intelligent opinion if a Chicago team happens to factor in, which they do in every sport. Wilbon thinks he can beat this by admitting outright of his Windy City bias, but it became clear how much of a phony he is, when he talked about how big a Black Hawks fan he was as they approached the 2010 Stanley Cup, after having never mentioned them before.

Which brings us to ESPN’s ‘bosses of bias’ as LA’s Jim Rome blows with the wind with every Lakers win (“you guys are good, and Kobe is god”) or loss (“come on Phillip, change something up, the Lakers are dogs”) and Bill Simmons, the sports guy mayor of Boston. Aside from the referees, these two guys are the biggest annoyances of the 2010 NBA Finals and should have David Stern command a gag order and fine. Neither guy enlights. All we will get is how personal losing will be to them. At least they both have plenty of familiarity with that condition.