Phil Mushnick

Phil Mushnick

College Football

ESPN’s examination of Winston case lacks common sense

No matter what words you choose to apply to the E, the S and the N, the P in ESPN is taken. It stands for Preposterous.

Over the last few weeks, ESPN joined other news media in examining the justice-curiously-delayed suspected sexual assault case attached to Jameis Winston. The star quarterback of Florida State’s undefeated team last week was eliminated from prosecution.

While ESPN was unable to conclude whether Winston should be prosecuted, it joined others in concluding the episode and ensuing legal applications didn’t pass the smell test, that, from Winston’s lawyer to the Florida State graduates and suspected yahoos representing the local law, a stench filled the senses.

After all, it was fair to suspect, a middle legal ground between consensual sex and non-consensual sex (rape) had been discovered. And, in a world gone nuts, on that middle ground we could find a national championship and/or a Heisman Trophy?

And so ESPN tried to apply common sense to the case; it brought in its legal experts and football “insiders” to conduct on-air inspections.

After all, sexual assault or rape is a serious crime, not far behind murder.

And as I watched and listened, a question repeatedly struck me: Where was ESPN’s common sense and legal logic when it successfully pursued Ray “Cold Case” Lewis to sign on?

Beyond pleading to obstruction of justice in a 2000 double homicide, why, in the name of minimal logic, would Lewis have made a financial settlement with the families of the two murder victims if he had nothing to do with, or knew nothing about the still-unsolved murders?

Perhaps ESPN’s on-air legal experts and football insiders can look into that, but only because, compared to the stench of the Winston case, ESPN’s hiring of Lewis remains preposterous, with a capital, as in capital murder, P.

Francesa wrong as per usual

MIKE “Let’s Be Honest” Francesa spent the entire week getting everything definitively, authoritatively, informed-by-imaginary-insiders, pompously dead wrong!

From Robinson Cano (a non-issue; he’ll re-sign with the Yankees), to bogus “facts” about the DiMaggio brothers, N. Illinois will destroy Bowling Green (Bowling Green won by 20), Gary Kubiak’s future, Dustin Pedroia, and his revisionist 180 on Brett Gardner, the NFL Draft, Mr. Wizard got so much wrong that WFAN doesn’t have to bother “losing” one tape; it can have a bonfire — while heating half of Astoria!

But his best came when a caller asked why he’d cite All-Star balloting in assessing Cano. Francesa exploded; hollered that he’d never do that, never did that — the caller’s a liar! He hung up on the guy then continued to berate him as if he’d left him speechless — another Honest Mike transparency.

Of course, 20 minutes earlier Francesa did exactly as the caller claimed. WFAN wasn’t yet able to “lose” that tape.

So today, Let’s Be Honest will play both tapes then apologize to that caller. From the movie, “Fat Chance.”

Cano? As reader Mario Morgado writes, “He took the money and jogged.” Hey, at least he didn’t throw any, “I wanted to be closer to my family” stuff at us.

It remains astonishing that while nearly every Yankee fan above the age of 10 recognized that Cano, the last few seasons, didn’t bother running to first — not even after swinging third strikes bounced far from the catcher, not even in close games played deep into playoff races — the media assigned to cover the Yankees rarely mentioned it, let alone made it an issue.

Reynaud not blessed with ability to return kicks

The Lord works in mysterious and often comical ways: On Sunday, CBS’s Jets-Raiders opened to the sight of new Jet Darius Reynaud, standing in the end zone, preparing to return the kick. But first …

Reynaud blessed himself. Then, he kissed both hands. Then he pointed his hands heavenward. Then, he pounded his chest with one fist. Then he pointed a finger heavenward. Then he bobbled the kickoff, thus was unable to return it.

Later, on a kickoff return, Reynaud, all by himself — or so it seemed — fell.

Mike Mayock continues to brutalize nationally televised football telecasts. On Thursday, during NFL Network’s Texans-Jaguars game, he broke his own record for “I think,” “I say,” “see/saw,” “Here’s what I like/I don’t like.” He must warm up with, “Me, me, me, me, meeee!”

He has a gift for emitting knowing, cryptic and unexplained laughter, as if we just wouldn’t understand. Yet he places commas where periods are needed.

His take on NFL QBs: “It is what I think is the most difficult position in all professional sports, to play at a high level.” Given the NFL is the highest level, did he mean the highest level at the highest level? He couldn’t stop at “sports”?

Then there was: “I wouldn’t want to play Detroit in a playoffs situation, in a one-game.” The playoffs are all one-game “situations.” He should’ve quit after “playoffs.”

And although he’s fluent in genuine gridiron gibberish — “physicality” “verticality” “athletes in space” who “high-point the football” after they’ve “leveraged the linebacker,” thus destroying “zone integrity,” he confused “prostate” with “prostrate.” If he’d only chosen to say the man was “on the ground.”

Net radio’s Chris Carrino and Tim Capstraw who rarely pull their punches, last week identified the Nets as a team with “a glass jaw,” a team that too easily goes down, stays down.

Moose Johnston, who worked Chargers-Giants on Sunday, would be easier on the nerves if someone at Fox finally insisted he cease making short stories long. In one run-on sentence, he spoke of QB Philip Rivers’ “play at the quarterback position … for the San Diego Chargers.” And he was just getting started.

The Chargers’ P.A. announcer sounded like a blend of Bob Sheppard and Marty Glickman.

Catch of the Week: After Texas scored a touchdown against Baylor on Saturday, Fox showed a tape of UT coach Mack Brown, just before the snap, desperately trying to call a timeout.

Three plays, 65 seconds and two first downs into Friday’s Bowling Green-Northern Ill. MAC championship, ESPN play-by-player Carter Blackburn said, “It’s all Bowling Green!”

Ya think the same members of the Hispanic Clergy Organization who demonstrated their support for Alex Rodriguez, Sunday preached that it’s sinful to worship false idols?

Phil Hughes, no matter how early he was yanked or how badly he pitched, always stuck around to take questions, even when he had no answers. Mark of a good man.

Three plays, 65 seconds and two first downs into Friday’s Bowling Green-Northern Ill. MAC championship, ESPN play-by-player Carter Blackburn said, “It’s all Bowling Green!”