Shaq’s new show old already
There aren’t many points in sports that we all can agree upon, but Leftovers believes it has found one: Enough about Shaquille O’Neal and his new reality-comedy show, “Shaq VS.”
The big fella has held so many “news conferences” to promote the show — including one Monday in Las Vegas where he touted his play-fight with former boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya — that we’re sick of it. And that’s with only one episode, featuring Shaq vs. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, even airing.
Still, there was the series-ending finale to promote Saturday in Baltimore: Shaq vs. Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps. We’ll say it before you do: Shaq wants to send the show off with a big splash.
For the episode that will air Sept. 15, Shaq will take on Phelps at a Baltimore-area pool today, with help from Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman.
There will be two races: Shaq will swim 50 meters, and Phelps will race a “longer distance, to be revealed,” and there will be a relay: Shaq will have teammates, including medal-winning Olympic swimmers, while Phelps will swim every lap himself.
There could be another edge for the man who said he’s known around Orlando, Fla., as “Shaq-mu” — like the whale Shamu, get it? Phelps showed up in a walking boot for Saturday’s hype-fest, the result of a car accident a little more than a week ago.
“I’ve been in the water this week. I can still train and everything,” Phelps said, adding with a smile, “I’m actually trying to get in Shaq’s head with the boot a little bit. He doesn’t know if it’s real or fake. I kind of have that working to my advantage.”
Not necessarily the case. Not if the 7-foot-1-inch, 325-pound Shaq shows up for the taping in a Speedo.
• EXCUSES, EXCUSES — Among Tiger Woods‘ top 10 excuses for losing the PGA Championship, from CBS’s David Letterman:
— “Spent the previous night with John Daly.”
— “Would you practice if you had a hot Swedish wife?”
• FILE IT AWAY — From the Headlines We’d Like To See File: “Vikings flagged for delay of game when (Brett) Favre can’t make up his mind, changes play for 23rd time.”
• MAINTAIN A LOW PROFILE — Plaxico Burress‘ lawyer says a prison consultant is preparing the former New York Giants star for life behind bars. A number of jokes immediately come to mind — none of which can be published here, however.
Benjamin Brafman told the New York Post that the wide receiver is getting advice on “how to use his period of confinement as productively as possible.”
Burress, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He accidentally had shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in November. His plea deal calls for a two-year prison term, and he’s to be sentenced Sept. 22.
Prison consultants are popular among celebrities and other high-profile people facing incarceration.
Now, that’s a profession, even in a sagging economy, where there is definitely no shortage of work.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES