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Strike Survival tip: Watch (gulp) sports!

Jan 23, 2008, 06:00 AM | by Mandi Bierly

Categories: News You Can Use, Sports, Television, The Experts Corner, To Care or Not to Care, Writer's Strike

If you've gotten the latest issue of EW, you now have "67 tips to beat the entertainment dry spell" during the writers' strike. But I'm here to offer you another one: Watch sports.

How radical of an idea is it? You tell me. I have some colleagues who refuse to see sports as entertainment — and some who refuse to watch sports, period. I asked Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant, who's been moonlighting as a sports reporter for LA's Indie 103.1 FM morning show for the last two years, why he's a fan. "I'm sure the writers will come picket my house," he joked, "but the reason I like sports is because it's unscripted. That's always been the reason to watch sports. You can't make that sh-- up."

So let's settle this once and for all: Do you watch sports? And if so, which ones?

You know I'm alway pushing the PBR (Professional Bull Riders), which you can catch on the weekends on VERSUS. (Olyphant, by the way, approves. Deadwood creator David Milch hired a bunch of cowboys to hang around the set because they had the right vibe. "They get drunk. They get in fights. And they tell terribly inappropriate jokes," Olyphant said, before sharing one punch line we can't print. "I just like knowing that when you're watching a guy get thrown around, that's his day.") If that doesn't sell you, maybe Travis Briscoe's recent record-tying ride on Copperhead Slinger (below) will:


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nunya Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 08:35 PM EST

while i have nothing against baseball or football, i have NEVER IN MY LIFE watched an entire game of either sport, neither in person or on tv. is something wrong w/ me? i promise i will make every attempt to watch the superbowl this year. i'm a new yorker, so go giants!

nunya Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 08:28 PM EST

the australian open!! i love federer but it would be so exciting if djokovic, nadal or tsonga beat him...

LisaMama Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 05:36 PM EST

I'm a football and baseball fan, and have my husband hooked now. Our 2 sons get into football as well. And with all the stories about steroids, sexual harassment, quarterbacks dating starlets and super models, and classic story themes like a aging star (Bret Favre, Packers) versus a young kid brother (Eli Manning, Giants), sports can be like a soap opera!
P.S. I also will be a Giants fan for the SuperBowl -- just for one day!

Laura Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 02:00 PM EST

Sunday night's game between the Packers and the Giants was the best thing I've watched on TV in awhile. I am a pop culture junkie and an NFL fan. The behind the scenes drama (38 year-old aging quarterback (Brett Favre) versus the 27 year-old in the shadows of his more famous Hall of Fame older brother, Eli Manning) was the stuff of novels and award winning movies. The game itself was better than any written sports movie. The edge-of-your-seatness quotient was high. God, I love football.

Nancy Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 01:47 PM EST

Colts fan here (NFL). Love the Colts, hate the Pats, and for one day only (Superbowl) I will be a Giants fan. I also watch the St. Louis Cardinals occasionally. To get through the strike, I have been watching the presidential debates. They're kind of like reality shows, "unscripted" but with writers!

Verity Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 01:26 PM EST

For me, scripted television is always put on the back burner when it's Football season. I'm a Virginia Tech grad so will watch just about every college game available. (GO HOKIES!) The same goes for the NFL (the Packers were SO CLOSE...still bummed about that one). I'm actually more devastated at the thought of Football season being over than I am over this whole writers' strike. I guess now I'll have to start getting into basketball as well.

Martha Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 12:45 PM EST

The writers' strike has definitely upped my sports watching...because if the repeats and new shows suck, there's usually Mike and Tommy calling a Celtics game! Hooray! And honestly, those two and Charles Barkley on TNT are way more entertaining than anything you'd see on "American Gladiators." And to further cement my Boston homer status...go Pats!

AB Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 12:40 PM EST

I love sports. They're entertainING, if not entertainMENT. If that makes sense.

idigress Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 11:38 AM EST

I love college and NBA basketball. I am slowly getting into football - I have watched about 7 games this season, up from one last season. It helps that the Super Bowl will be held here in my town - so the hype is inescapable!

Other sports I enjoy watching - tennis, figure skating, The Olympics (winter and summer).

Annie Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 11:34 AM EST

The Australian Open has definitely helped me through the strike for the past week and a half. Roger Federer and Jelena Jankovic's are keeping it lively! Federer's 10-8 in the fifth win over Janko Tipsarevic was way more dramatic than what crappy reality shows are dreaming up.

Diane Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 11:15 AM EST

I'm an NFL gal myself, but I'm getting into the NBA during the writers strike. I have to recommend the NY Knicks as one of the greatest unscripted reality shows on TV today. The coach (a former NBA great) has been sued for sexual harrassment, the fans come to boo and the team members appear to hate each other.

Ames Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 11:09 AM EST

I love sports. I don't understand artsy fartsy people who think they are too good for sports. I was really hoping to see the Packers in the superbowl. Watching that interception and field goal on Sunday was a better ending than most shows could have come up with.

EP Sato Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 10:54 AM EST

I love Pro boxing and am also a Green Bay Packers nut. I also like basketball during the playoffs. The lack of scripted tv's led me to seek other options, and I've found myself watching an inappropriate amount of time watching "Ninja Warrior" too. Is Ninja Warrior a sport? It should be.

Jane Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 10:24 AM EST

Sports are always good for a few hours of entertainment. Especially when the olympics roll around, since they show sports that aren't on tv as often. To tell the truth, I still haven't gotten over the cancelation of wide world of sports years ago. Skiing and tennis and all that are just as exciting (if not more so) than a regular season NBA game.

Dio_K Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 10:20 AM EST

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Ceballos Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM EST

I'm with Canadian Girl.

I've been a huge sports fan for years, so I can't really say I'm watching MORE sports because of the strike. I love football, baseball, basketball, tennis (as well as playing each of those sports).


I'll even watch a bunch of nonmajor sports they show on ESPN (figure skating, billiards, and, yes, bullriding) Can't really get into watching any of the X-Games. Also, can't get into watching poker because I can't stand how every player wears sunglasses (I mean, I thought a big part of that game was reading your opponents face). Also, it's not a sport.


I guess one thing I finally DID get into this year was fantasy football. Now THAT's something that'll make time go by if there's nothing good on TV. I'm even trying my hand at fantasy basketball right now (not as good as fantasy football, but still fun in its own way)

jaime Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM EST

Really SPORTS???????

Alot of my gay friends are in love with football. . .so they have FOOTBALL SEASON. I amoung others have AWARD SEASON (OSCARs = SUPERBOWL) and it has just been crazy season with the strike in all. GLOBES were the worst ever and well whats an award show with out fashion. Now lets hope they dont cancel the Oscars cus if they do I say they cancel the Superbowl. Its only FAIR. . .lol!!!!!

Im still 100% on the writers side and just watching dvd's and BRAVO during the writers strike!!!!

mjryan Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 09:38 AM EST

I love sports. Football, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, Tour de France, the Olympics...I'll watch them all.

sm Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 09:30 AM EST

I've been watching baseball, well the Red Sox, since I was old enough to hold my own head up. I love it, and it is an almost endless season. I've been getting into football over the last several years as a way to pass the time between the World Series and Spring Training, and the Pats have definitely rewarded me this year. And the commentary during games is high (if unintentional) comedy. I reccomend sports as a way to kill time until the writers come back - you usually have some back story like a rivalry, cute men running, crusty old guys yelling from the sidelines, scantily clad women dancing, and inane commentary. What more could you want?

Broadway Baby Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 08:53 AM EST

I am a NFL nut and I do love me some Red Sox. Maybe I'll try watching hockey this year - but I doubt it.

Canadian Girl Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 08:06 AM EST

I do watch sports and I have been for years, so I can't really say that the writers strike has anything to do with it. Admittedly it's even more tempting now, though, because there's little else on now to grab my attention.

Being Canadian, my first pick is always hockey but I also watch football (I was devastated when the Packers lost) and occasionally tennis and soccer...but that's usually only when something BIG is airing, like Wimbledon or the World Cup.


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