Seattle Sportsnet

There are just some guys out there who you see on TV or hear on the radio that make you want to puke. No matter what they say, you don’t agree with it. No matter how they say it, it comes out annoying. Sure, there are hundreds upon thousands of media types who are pretty damn good at their jobs. But when it comes to the dregs of sports reporting, we have a trio of punks who may have you reconsidering your cereal each time they bring you the news.

1. Jay Mariotti. The former Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and frequent “contestant” on ESPN’s Around the Horn, Mariotti is quite possibly the epitome of egocentric journalist. When he isn’t smirking, scoffing, or degrading the remarks of his constituents, Mariotti can be found getting into tussles with the subjects of his reporting (such as Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen), or acting out on feuds with his enemies (such as a near-fistfight with White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson in 2004). Every now and then, Mariotti will actually provide decent insight into a relevant topic, but unfortunately his bright moments are obscured by the many negative ones he creates on a near-daily basis.

2. Stephen A. Smith. If you’re a fan of loud noises, East Coast accents, and biased reporting, then you’ll probably get a kick out of Stephen A. Smith. The guy ESPN hired to interview controversial African American athletes, A. Smith is essentially the Johnny Cochran of sports journalism. If you’re surrounded by controversy and need a friend, S.A.S. is the guy you turn to for representation. Why, just yesterday in fact I saw him interviewing Pacman Jones on Sportscenter, lobbing softballs for the enigmatic ex-Cowboy defensive back to swat out of the park. The Philly native may not give you any original analysis, but he will tell you everything you already know in a much louder, more obnoxious tone than you’re used to hearing. If that’s your bag, then Stephen A. Smith is your man.

3. Jim Rome. Does anyone watch Rome is Burning? That would be the name of Jim Rome’s ESPN show for those of you who aren’t aware (and there are probably quite a few of you), and it is pretty much a half-hour waste of time. Rome was barely tolerable back in the day when he worked for Fox Sports, and yet somehow the L.A.-based reporter was hired by ESPN after FSN dropped his show. Compared to the other two guys on this list, he’s much better at his actual job, breaking down the day’s news and providing original insight on sports topics. But that doesn’t salvage the fact that he still comes across as pompous and big-headed when reporting stories we’d rather just hear about than have to get all riled up for.

Perhaps the worst part of his show is a question-and-answer session with two guests aptly titled “The Forum.” If Rome were able to book credible media types for each of these sit-downs, he might have a pretty decent segment to fill some time. But more often than not, his guests are L.A.-based and barely worthy of a media tag (the guy who spends the most time in “The Forum” is none other than ex-”Blind Date” host Roger Lodge…not a real journalist), all of which makes Jim Rome one of our least favorite sports reporters.

So the Huskies lost a game. Don’t throw yourself in front of a train, don’t drink yourself to the point of a hospital visit. In the aftermath of yesterday’s heartbreaking, triple-overtime loss to California, the Husky Men’s Basketball team will bounce back and be just fine. Sure, there are some things this team still needs to work on–like Jon Brockman’s free-throw shooting, the ability to cut down on ticky-tack fouls, and controlling the clock–but there are plenty of positive signs that should let you know this Husky ballclub will be okay. Here are three positives that should encourage even the greatest of pessimists.

1. Isaiah Thomas. His field goal percentage was nothing special (40%, on 8-20 shooting), but Isaiah Thomas put on an offensive clinic in the first half of yesterday’s game, dissecting the Bears’ defense with surgical precision and answering any doubts about his ability to handle Pac-10 competition.

For a five-minute stretch in the middle of the opening half, Thomas dipped, bobbed, and weaved his way through frozen defenders, maneuvering his way to the paint before using his 5’7″ frame to create separation and finish around the rim. On three straight possessions, the freshman guard attack the Cal interior and made tough shots, the final blow coming on an up-and-under, dipsy-doodle reverse layup that brought the sold-out home crowd to its feet. Thomas found his way to the bench after a foul brought on by a little showboating, but finished the game with 22 points and five assists in proving once again how good of a player he truly is.

2. Free-throw shooting (minus Jon Brockman). Okay, so it’s basically a hypothetical situation since Brockman has to be a part of the free-throw equation, but if you take away the senior forward’s paltry 2-8 performance at the stripe, the rest of the team combined to knock down 25-32 charity shots, good for a very respectable 78%. Unlike last season when the whole team seemed to be plagued by free-throwitis, the ’08-’09 Huskies aren’t really that bad at the line, save for Brockman. If the Dawgs can keep improving upon their most glaring weakness as the season wears on, we may not be blaming the dreaded fifteen-foot line for this entire team’s deficiencies in the near future.

3. Justin Dentmon. In all honesty, how many Husky fans thought Justin Dentmon would make a huge impact in his senior season? My guess would be very few, seeing as how he had seemingly regressed in each of the past two years following a brilliant freshman campaign. Now more mature and with a much-improved jump shot in his arsenal, the Carbondale native has forced opposing defenses to step out onto the perimeter to guard him, opening up more opportunities to drive the lane and create his shot inside, which is what he does best.

In addition to his improved scoring ability, Dentmon has handled the transition to shooting guard with relative grace. Like Nate Robinson before him, Dentmon has thrived away from the ball and appears more adept as an undersized two than a true point guard. His late-game ability to knock down free-throws has been key throughout his four-year stint with the team and will continue to be a relied-upon asset as the season transpires. I never thought I’d say this, but JD (who finished with 24 points yesterday) may be the answer for a team that began the year with a number of questions.

Don’t get down on yourself Dawg fans. The Huskies need only go 10-5 from this point forward to all but ensure themselves of an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. If they can knock off the Oregon schools next week (which they very well should be able to), that magic number will be taken down to 8-5, making the possibility of the Big Dance much more realistic for all of us.