How did this happen to John Saunders?

I made the mistake the other night of watching a bit of ABC's The Superstars, which is yet another failed attempt by the network to recreate successes from the past (Exhibit A: Howard Cosell clones on Monday Night Football.) 

Even in an age of reality TV, which is about as real as pro wrestling and Bob Costas' hair colour, this doesn't quite make the grade. I'm not sure why anybody would want to watch sports stars and alleged celebrities (stars of home makeover shows) bowling or racing jet-skis or participating in the rest of the lame stunts that make up the show.

But what struck me hardest was the fact that former Citytv guy John Saunders is handling the announcing duties for this embarrassment. What, I had to wonder, had Saunders done to deserve this? Did he fill Mike Tirico's shoes with shaving cream? Oil Brent Musburger's office door handles? Pronounce the last letter of the alphabet the Canadian way?

Whatever it was, Saunders now finds himself in an announcing gulag from which there may be no escape. Now, he could help himself by calling this foolishness with the tone it deserves instead of performing as if he were covering the Super Bowl. ``Drama" and ``gruelling competition" are words that never should have escaped his lips.

But Saunders deserves better than this. 

Heck, viewers deserve better than this.

OTHER STUFF: Could Nike (or was it LeBron James) have looked any pettier this week when it pulled video of a college player dunking on the Cleveland Cavaliers star? Xavier University guard Jordan Crawford somehow managed to beat King James at his skills camp. But before anyone could get to see the video, the suits from Nike stepped in and confiscated them. Now, really. Is James' reputation so fragile that the sight of some college player fluking a dunk would send fans back to shoe stores demanding refunds for anything James-related? Or is it that Nike is just a tad paranoid? ... Former Score second-in-command David Errington, who left the sports channel earlier this year, has landed as president and CEO of the National Broadcast Reading Service. Talk about a career change. ... NBC's ratings for the Wimbledon men's final were the highest in 10 years. ... Hardcore Sports Radio (Sirius 98) will carry a full slate of CFL games, including the playoffs and Grey Cup.

Comments

[chris]

Isn't sitting next to, and listening to, Mike Lupica on a weekly basis punishment enough for Saunders?

[2nd Guess]

Saunders can spin it this way: Cosell was the biggest name at ABC Sports, and he was the anchor on the original Superstars telecasts.

[doug]

I guessa gig is a gig, ...I remember Michael Caine(the actor) once very honestly saying in a interview some movies I make to pay the mortgage others due to their artistic merit and script..I thought what a refreshingly true statement, as every film is not the next classic, some just pay the bills...so I think this is a case of that...

[David]

Poor Saunders, he keeps mangling the word 'obstacle' in obstacle course. (Which, tragically, he has to repeat approximately one thousand times per show)

It sounds like a cross between "hospital course" and "obstetrical course".

And what's up with T.O.'s smack talkin'? Ralph Malph talked better trash.

[Phil]

John Saunders is doing this for the trip to the Bahamas!! Smart man probably got his whole family down there for free as part fo the gig too!