A Rare Gem from ESPN Classic

While it may not happen frequently, every once in a while we stumble upon something on ESPN Classic that makes us think that the network isn’t a total waste.

This past Friday offered up a rare glimpse at the comedic and historical potential the network possesses—all by airing a seemingly random baseball game from September 1993 between two teams who went on to finish a combined 41 games out of their respective divisional leads that year. 

So why then was this arbitrary re-broadcast of a Cardinals-Reds game from 16 years ago enough to earn “classic” status?

For the average fan, Mark Whiten’s exploits were the primary reason the game was notable. Whiten—a player whose career high in home runs topped out at 25 - went 4-5 with four home runs and 12 RBI in the Cardinals 15-2 victory.

For the JSF team, there were two additional reasons this one was a classic:

1.) The opportunity to marvel at just how crappy the Cardinals roster was in 1993.  The following players received significantly playing time in the game - Tripp Cromer, Stan Royer, Geronimo Pena, Gerald Perry, Lonnie Maclin. 

On the bench celebrating with Whiten were names like Erick Pappas, Rod Brewer, Tracy Woodson, and Les Lancaster, all of whom had played their last Major League game within one year. 

And we wonder why Joe Torre didn’t experience much success in St. Louis.

2.) Todd Zeile’s negative sideburns:

If ESPN Classic is looking to score us as regular viewers, one way to do so is to prominently feature negburns like these.

Mar. 9

1959 - The Barbie doll makes its debut at a toy fair in New York.  Little did the creators realize the impact it would have on the hair stylings of a certain Dallas Cowboys linebacker 40 years later.

1965 - Brian Bosworth is born.  And people, Brian Bosworth’s date of birthday deserves to be celebrated if for no other reason than to give us an excuse to look at pictures like the one on the right.

1987 - Rapper/Actor Bow Wow is born.  And for that the sports world is thankful as it ultimately brought us the cinematic masterpiece known as “Like Mike”

2010 - JSF posts yet another picture of Brian Bosworth’s hair in the '80s in celebration of his birthday.  ###MORE###

Keith Hernandez, PIX 11 - Kevin Burkhardt, is absolutely mesmerized that Hernandez’s mustache remains undaunted even in an extreme moment of bliss.

Click here to access the entire “oh” face collection…

In an unofficial, un-scientific JoeSportsFan Nation poll, 82% of sports fans thought it was “downright hilarious” that the Oakland Raiders attempted to sign free agent offensive lineman Khalif Barnes.

Of those 82 percent, all but one percent chose “downright hilarious” because Barnes once crashed his car into a tree, reported the accident, fled the scene and then called in his car as stolen four hours later.

“That’s the type of player that makes the Raiders who they are,” said one respondent.

The other one percent chose “downright hilarious” because Khalif Barnes was wearing Raiders spikes and face paint while visiting Oakland.

Because it’s such a fun fu***ng time, we look to Bobby Knight to describe why he uses the word f**k so much. Language obviously not fu***ng safe for fu***ng work.

An updated classic: Terrell Owens in the Real World. Where will T.O.’s fast food career take him after being fired by Burger King?