First "Cold Pizza" posting of 2004 goes to...me, for posting this link to an approriately harsh "Slate" magazine review of the show.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2094301/

Wow! That writer really rakes ESPN over the coals.

I have just inadvertantly discovered that Kit Hoover is the only thing tethering me to Cold Pizza until Regis and Kelly. (Usually I stick around until 9 AM Central, for lack of anything better on.) This week, Kit is on vacation, leaving Jay, Leslie and Thea. It's taken me until Wednesday to find this out, and I had been staying tuned in for short periods, wondering where the heck she went. They finally mentioned Kit was on vacation today. 10 seconds later, I was watching Sportscenter without a second thought.

For me, Leslie was the tether. I actually Tivo-ed this trainwreck every morning and then watched it on fast forward. I finally had to let go.

Anyone know who the new hosts of this show are?

Woody Paige, Denver Post sports columnist, and Around the Horn regular will be hosting Cold Pizza starting after the Olympics. He is taking a leave of absence from the Denver Post, but will still contribute the occasional column. He will also continue to appear on Around the Horn.

So does anyone know who got fired or is it a complete overhaul? Please let Kit be one who got the ax because I've completely lost my Road Rules love for her after watching her suck the life out of this born on life support show.

Wow, breaking news on the Cold Pizza front, I didn't realize folks was gettin shitcanned. I just hope they keep Thea. They could let her get all dolled up and send her from horsetrack to horsetrack around the country. She looked great during the Triple Crown.

Why? It's not bad enough already?



You and me both. She's the only reason to watch the show. I don't want to imagine a world where I can't look at her every morning.

I'm just surprised that a playboy like Woody Paige can wake up early enough each day to host a morning news show.

Is this show still on? Good lord, put something decent on the television. I bet ATH or PTI reruns would put up better ratings.

No need to be bitter. The parts with Woody in it aren't bad.

Woody Paige started? When? Wow, I didn't know he had started, yet. Now I will watch tomorrow.

Woody is in Athens right now for the Olympics, so he does features on the show now. He has relocated to New York City from Denver, so I'm assuming that when the Games are over, he'll be in studio for the show.

I think it was about a week and a half ago. It's cool to see another side of him compared to his persona on ATH. He's very laid back or so it seems.

It's just that the show's on earlier and the medication hasn't had a chance to wear off yet.

Is there any show on ESPN Skip Bayless hasn't been on?

Well, there's The Season. But that may require some semblance of athletic ability. Hell, he was probably on Playmakers.

The Bayless/Paige segment, I think, is suprisingly good, but not a lot else is keeping me in. The show looks like it will make it to the first birthday, but I doubt it'll celebrate the second.

OTOH, how high could the ratings on ESPN2 mornings be before? MAybe it's doing better than we think.

I agree - and I HATE Bayless. The segment is basically just ESPN's what 236th ripoff of PTI but Woody is just awkward enough to kinda bring back my ATH love for him.

I have never seen this show. Is it still what it was when it started? "Good Morning America" mixed with sports? Because that sounded awful.

It's basically PTI: Early Morning Woody.

I'm 12 so, HA!

I'm slow but also 12. . . hee hee

Heh. I guess I'm 12, too.

Cold Pizza will move from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. effective this coming Monday, Oct. 11. The two-hour program, which will now air from 8-10 a.m., will also be repeated from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET.

two guys yelling at each other over three segments a day...
high quality broadcasting.
my personal favorite was the republican national convention when they were there the first day and then long gone back to the studio.
poor show. seems like they are making it up as they go.

Could someone explain to me why a single second of air time oughta be taken away from Thea Andrews and given to Woody Page and Skip Clueless?

I do think Thea needs more air time but I think it should be taken from Kit 'What in the hell has happened to me since Road Rules' Hoover. I think I actually like the Woody segment. (Bayless doesn't exist to me)

I sure can't, a couple of days ago I watched the show for the first time since they started and she was looking good and showing a lot of thigh. (From the extremely shallow end.)

I stopped watching Around the Horn because of Woody Paige. I actually like outspoken guys, as long as they stick to one opinion. And if only Bayless could find one consistency besides dogged insistence. He has one mode: vociferous speculation.

how sad...a program so bland that no one even bumps it up. woody in the gorilla suit didn't do much for me.

Woody was in a gorilla suit?

at one point, he almost was in a clown suit...he also escorted a live rooster onto the set. the rooster was named skippy.

I think I preferred Skippy over Kit. Sadly he was only on for half the show.

T.O., the donkey, was back this morning...
sad state that donkey makes more sense over page or bayless.

It really makes you wonder what the hell T.O. did to piss Brainless off so much. He practically talks about him everyday.

This morning Woody brought it a CD of him and Will Hung singing entitled 'Woody and Hung.'

Skip Bayless is very angry.

And Skip also hates all athletes with a passion. Grrr!

Jay Crawford thinks its a great idea to make fun of Woody and pander to Skip, who also enjoys shouting.

Why can't Thea Andrews just host this show all by herself? Even if she only wanted to talk about the hockey lockout, I would still watch.

Skip Bayless is one of those people who I disagree with just about everything he says or writes. He's such a lightweight though, so I can't work up the same level of dislike for him as I have for Mike Lupica. I hate to say it, but Mike Lupica sometimes has important things to say. Skip, never.

Why did Skip Bayless ever become a sports writer? It's obvious that he hates all athletes!

On Wednesday's 12/15 show- Bayless stated that Jerome Bettis does not belong in his Hall of Fame.

That would be the Jerome Bettis that is only the SIXTH BEST all time leader rusher, trailing only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson and Curtis Martin. Bettis is closing in on Dickerson, and will end up at least fifth best all time.

And that makes a guy borderline at best?

Bayless' disdain for athletes is sickening. Skip- wipe that sickening half grin half scowl off your face and shut up!!

If you all were to describe Woody Paige to me, I would hate him. For some reason though, I don't. He kind of amuses me. I think he plays up the angry sports guys with indigestion a little much (not as much as Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, though). He kind of makes me giggle and I think he means well.

The biggest complaint I have about this show (other than that Kit went from looking adorable to being slightly scary) is that they put WAY too much make up on the men. I don't think that is actually Bayless' face. He might look like me, but they paint on that face every day. Seriously, the pancake makeup they put on the men is disturbing. The only thing that moves on their faces are the eye crinkles. Which in the case of Jay Crawford is a good thing. His eye crinkles are adorable. Moving on now...

The reason why Woody is so funny (especially on Around the Horn) is that behind the "angry sportswriter" facade is someone who doesn't take himself too seriously, unlike most of his peers.

Ditto, just look at why PTI is a success and from time to time ATH and Cold Pizza is somewhat good. Woody is enjoyable (except judging for Dream Job, which he grilled everyone) that he doesn't take himself seriously. Other sportswriters like Skip, Lupica, Ryan, and Mariotti take each subject so seriously, including the entertaining ones. That's why there are people who backlash on sportswriters because of their tone. To be honest, I think its who has the best loudmouth, which in every network is heading towards and for that writers have become too serious, which leads me to the ATH thread.

Time to vent more Skip Bayless hatred...

Cold Pizza (basically a FLUFF show) covered a survey conducted of the most popular sports mascots- which the Phoenix Suns' Gorilla won.

Jay Crawford poses the question- who are your (Woody & Skip) favorite sports mascots.

Woody: Much love for the original, the San Diego- now Famous Chicken. Expressed appreciation for the Gorilla, for the Phille Phanatic, for Hugo the Hornet and the Stanford Tree.

Skip: Hates all mascots. Doesn't watch them or the cheerleaders.

And then- Skip reveals why he is the least likeable guy in sports today.

Skip says during breaks in the action, he takes the opportunity to REVIEW HIS NOTES and CONSIDER STRATEGY for the next play/possession/inning/situation.

Skip- news flash. You are not a coach or general manager. You are a writer- but it seems like you are more of a frustrated nerd who is living vicariously through your profession. Sports are supposed to be fun- they are supposed to be entertainment!

You don't like mascots- fine. But Woody had it right- can you imagine Skip taking kids to a game?

Skip is a small angry man. You are on a FLUFF show- stop taking yourself so seriously!

Did anyone see Wednesday? My tiVo taped over it. I was wondering who the selection for the best rivalry was this week.

Wednesday was Notre Dame/USC- the football rivalry.

Thanks GG

First off- Monday's (1/3) show:

Thea looked VOLCANO HOT broadcasting out of Miami. I absolutely love it when they send her to warm climate location shoots. Her outfit, her hair- top shelf.

Skip- you must DIE! From bitching and moaning about John Anderson (who made a much better host than Jay Crawford) to clowning with a Terrell Owens action figure- YOU STINK!

Highlights (lowlights, really):

* Amare Stoudmire (Phoenix Suns) scores 50 points on Sunday-- Skip pooh poohs him as not a top big man (Stoudmire's 6-10)

* When asked which is the WORST team from the NFC to qualify for the playoffs, Skip passes over the 8-8 Vikings & Rams- and selects the NFC best Philadelphia Eagles.

* Skip continues to WHINE and COMPLAIN about a Michael Vick touchdown that happened TWO WEEKS AGO.

Skip- you cry more than a thirteen year old girl.

Skip is a fool! WTF is wrong with him? He went on to say he just wasn't impressed and that Amare is more of an athlete than a big man. What the hell does that even mean? Amare is a big man that can move. Is this a bad thing? Skip is just irritating beyond belief. Why did they think that adding him to the show would be a good idea.

I'm happy to know Thea is still on the show. Aside from the opening credits, I haven't seen her in at least a month.