Butting heads with Fox
MICKEY ROONEY’S BARE END zone won’t be part of the Super Bowl advertising blitz.
The Fox network rejected a cold remedy commercial that includes a brief shot of the 84-year-old actor’s behind, said Fox Sports spokesman Lou D’Ermilio.
“Our standards department reviewed the ad, and it was deemed inappropriate for broadcast television,” he said.
The ad for the over-the-counter product Airborne is set in a sauna and depicts Rooney panicking when someone coughs. His towel drops as he rushes out, revealing his rearend for about 2 seconds.
Fox’s decision wasn’t affected by fallout from last year’s Super Bowl halftime show on CBS, which included a flash of Janet Jackson’s breast, D’Ermilio said.
The Federal Communications Commission levied a $550,000 fine against CBS parent company Viacom over the Jackson incident.
Rooney, whose films include the Andy Hardy series and “National Velvet,” said he was disappointed by Fox’s move and hoped the network would reconsider.
“I would never do anything that’s in bad taste. … I’ve been a family entertainer all my life,” Rooney told the Associated Press. “We’re not selling sex; we’re selling a health product.”
Wouldn’t have wagered on this
There was much gnashing of soccer teeth in England this week when Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur tied, 0-0, even though replays showed a long shot by Tottenham’s Pedro Mendes in the final minute had crossed the goal line before the ball was scooped out by Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carrol.
The referee and his assistants didn’t see it and blew the call. Now comes the odd part.
So blatant was the mistake that British bookmakers William Hill agreed to pay off bettors who, at odds of 20-to-1, had wagered on Mendes to score the first goal.
Meanwhile, a chain of opticians has reacted by offering free eye tests to all referees.
Voted most unpopular
Ryan White of the Oregonian was one of three voters who placed Auburn ahead of USC in the final AP college football poll.
Asked why he would do such a thing, White said, “I enjoy death threats.”
He said one e-mailer, after calling him all kinds of names, offered this suggestion: “Go kill yourself and make a video of it.”
“I assume it was from a USC fan,” White said. “Or maybe a Raider fan.”
Gentlemen, start your growling
In an unusual bit of programming, NASCAR and Animal Planet have combined on a one-hour special that will air Feb. 17 and focus on NASCAR drivers and their family pets.
According to a publicity release, the mix of fur, feather and fuel will feature, among others, Mr. Bigfoot, Shortrack, Vegas, Ragdoll and Pluto.
And those are just the drivers.
The last word
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, prodding guest Matt Leinart to leave USC for NFL riches: “If you don’t have the common sense to go to the NFL, you don’t belong in college.”