What Can Big Brown Do For You?

Well apparently he can't win the Belmont Stakes! I have been waiting all week to see the huge favorite Big Brown ride off into the stud farm sunset as a triple crown winner. Unfortunately, the race itself was a mile and half of pure boredom. 38-1 favorite Da' Tara took an early lead and held on for the win. Meanwhile, Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, held him up towards the finish line and helped earn him a pathetic 9th place finish.

Horseracing needed this day to help bring back their dying sport. After the death of 8 Bells in the Kentucky Derby, Big Browns domination of the first two legs of the triple crown were a ray of hope after a such a terrible moment in the first race. I probably won't watch horseracing again till next May, but this horse was a true champion and it was sad to see him run out of gas at the end of his defining moment.

Enjoy the rest of your life Big Brown, cause I know damn well no one is paying me $300,000 to sleep with them--but you might be doing that several hundred times over the next year. You're officially my new hero!

Roloff Family Friend Dies

Mike Detjen the business partner, craftsman, family friend and soccer enthusiast on Little People Big World, died Thursday. If you're familiar with the show, Detjen was the one seriously injured almost two years ago when the trebuchet on Roloff Farms misfired.

Detjen collapsed during a soccer club meeting. He was taken to the hospital to repair a torn aorta and didn't survive. The Roloff's broke the news on their family web site.

"It was a shock," Matt Roloff told The Oregonian. "He was like a family member."

Detjen was 60.

Kathy Griffin Up In Roker's Grill

Is anyone else glad Kathy Griffin is back in heavy rotation? The fourth season of her Emmy winning show returns next week and she just hosted the first annual A-List Awards on Bravo.

She appeared on the Today Show this morning to promote both programs and in between pleasantries and one-liners, Kathy "all-up-on" Al Roker. It's about time someone did it. Lord knows we've all been tempted.

You can check out the whole thing on Defamer.

You're welcome.

Photo: Yahoo TV

Keep Your Hands Off Him Dexter!

Jimmy Smits is joining the cast of Dexter as a take-charge Assistant District Attorney. Apparently he works with America's favorite serial killer on a murder case that personally affects both of them.

I'm just happy to see Jimmy Smits back on a winning show. Cane met an early death. Let's hope Jimmy's character doesn't meet his too soon.

Get 'Em While They're Relevant...Too Late

Did you guys pick up your "Anderson Cooper, you're not my boo" t-shirts yet? No?

Have no clue what I'm talking about? I need to start blogging in the morning.

Take a gander here and see what all the fuss is about.



Here's hoping this hubbub puts Usher's underrated duet with Alicia Keys, My Boo, back on heavy rotation. That was my jam!

Cleveland Rocks!

I watched the trailer for the new Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show this afternoon. You can take a peak as well right here.

I can't really tell which characters are real and which were just Family Guy inspired jokes. Will Cleveland really live next door to a family of bears? Am I an idiot for asking? Am I supposed to understand how the Seth McFarland universe works or just accept it?

But you know what saved the whole thing? The little ditty Cleveland sang at the end. I don't know if it's the theme song, but if anything from this ridiculous trailer gets kept, that's it.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I will root for this show because:

1. That damn song is so catchy.
2. I always liked Cleveland.
3. I support shows with strong minority leads. If I have to take them animated form, then so be it.

Yes She Can!

Set your Tivos folks: Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, is guest hosting The View on June 18.

She was originally offered to come on as a guest but she insisted on serving as a co-host just like Cindy McCain did in April.

No guests are scheduled just yet. Michelle is kind of a fashion plate so I'd like to see a fun designer or a successful model. Heidi Klum might be a good match. Since Project Runway returns to the airwaves in a few weeks, her appearance would be pretty timely.

It might also be fun to do a teaching segment. Let's see her cook something, make a craft with her kids, or salsa dance. She seems like a carefree lady and that might be a good piece that shows she can still cut loose....in case that dap she gave her husband last night didn't convince everybody.

TCA Nominations Are Out! Thoughts?

The nominations for the Television Critics Awards came out today. Unlike the Emmy's, the TV critics tend to know what they're talking about and it's always interesting to check out which shows they think are a cut above the rest.

You can see the full list here but here are some stats worth mentioning.

- HBO miniseries John Adams earned three nominations. That may not sound like too many but there are only 9 categories. The show may not win for program of the year but Paul Giamatti will probably walk away with the award for Individual Achievement in Drama.

- Christina Applegate earned a nom for Individual Achievement in Comedy for her work on Samantha Who. Applegate outshines this show. Without her, it probably wouldn't have made it past the Writer's Strike.

- Breaking Bad is off to a great start, with a nomination for Outstanding New Program. I hope this praise means Emmy will shine on this gem of a show as well. Bryan Cranston was superb as a dying teacher and Meth-maker.

-Flight of the Conchords earned a few nominations as well. The boys may walk away with an Emmy this year and I can't wait to hear their acceptance speech.

The Mole Is Back! Better Than Before?

Dare I say I don't miss Anderson Cooper. Tonight's return of The Mole was great. I was hesitant when it was announced that parts of the game would change. From the looks of it, the only thing worth mentioning is that there are a few less questions on the quiz...other than that, it's the same show I fell in love with years ago.

The games are just as suspenseful and fun as I remember with an exciting combination of mental and physical prowess. The Robinson Crusoe game was very telling. The players selected Nicole as the whiniest person out of the bunch. This meant she got to control the rest of the game. Nicole got to select the players who'd serve as scavengers, timers and appraisers. Some of her selections were spot on (way to pick the old woman as an appraiser, she might love antiques) and some were a little suspect (the heavyset guy probably wasn't the best choice to be running back and forth on the beach in a time crunch).

Now what happened next was not shocking to anyone who's ever seen the show before but these people seemed kind of surprised. Whenever the host asks you to pick someone out of the group, this person inevitably gets a privilege. This time, Nicole had to sleep on the island by herself (ala Robinson Crusoe) while the rest of the players went back to the mansion. However, this also meant she didn't have to take the quiz, effectively earning an immunity.

How did Nicole get selected as the whiniest person in the group? She raised hell the night before and complained about sleeping outside to anyone who'd listen.

The Mole frequently meets with producers and knows what's coming up the next day. She could just be a bitch, but I think it's more calculating than that. Nicole knew they were going to ask about who whined the most, so she took the opportunity to label herself as a complainer, thus ripping an exemption from one of the players. Plus, in spending a night away from the game the other contestants didn't get to know her. That's less information they'll have for the quizzes. It's a great way to start the game.

Think about it.

It's early yet, but that's my guess after one episode. We'll see what happens next week.

ABC won't let me embed clips but you can check out some highlights , player bios and even take an online Mole quiz right here.

Welcome back Mole. You were missed.

Mary Nolan: How Do You Do It?

Mary Nolan has one of those "rise-to-fame" stories you only hear about on E! True Hollywood Story. Nolan, a 2004 graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Journalism, moved to New York just a few weeks after commencement. Thanks to an internship at Madison Magazine and a stint in Tuscany learning about cooking, she landed a job at foodie bible Gourmet Magazine.

She worked at Gourmet for a few years before enrolling at the Institute For Culinary Education. With journalism and culinary chops, Nolan decided to make an audition tape for the popular Food Network reality competition, The Next Food Network Star. Despite having zero television experience, Food Network approached her about starting work on a pilot of her own.

Nolan's show, Chic & Easy, premiered May 18. Her recipes focus on fresh ingredients, and simple elegant dishes. She seemed a little rushed and unconfident in the TV kitchen during the pilot. She might relax more on location. I can see her doing a food-travel show, maybe checking out the world's best farmer's markets? I don't think Nolan will be the next big Food Network personality but she'll probably be around for awhile.

Check out Nolan's show on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM/8:30 central. Once you see it, let me know if you think Nolan just lucked out, or truly deserves her own show. Maybe it's a little bit of both.

The Mole Returns Tonight

A small piece of my heart has been missing for 4 years. Tonight, it will be whole again when ABC's mystery game show, The Mole, returns to television.

I'll be back to dish about the wacky cast of characters after tonight's season premiere. This is a moment I thought would never come.

You can find me smiling wide eyed at the television tonight at 10/9 central on ABC.

Remembering "The Puerto Rican Day Parade"

The Puerto Rican Presidential Primary is today, and Hillary Clinton likened her campaign experience there to "..one big Puerto Rican Day Parade." All of the commotion around PR, the primary made me think of a now infamous episode of Seinfeld.

The episode featured the gang trying to get home after a Mets game. Because of the traffic from the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade and an abrasive driver in a Maroon VW Golf, Elaine, Jerry, George, and Kramer split up. Hilarity ensues for the entire cast, but the comedy was short lived.

In one scene, Kramer accidentally sets a Puerto Rican flag on fire with a sparkler then attempted to put it out by stomping on it. An angry mob chased Kramer and ended up throwing Jerry's car down a flight of stairs. Jerry quipped, "It's like this everyday in Puerto Rico."

Leaders in the Puerto Rican community called on NBC to apologize, as the scene blurred the lines between comedy and racism. NBC made an official statement and apologized. They promised to never aired the episode again (though it was the second to last episode of the show ever) and they originally removed it from the syndication package. However, the episode re-appeared in 2002 with the flag burning scene.

Just a little Seinfeld history for you on this Sunday afternoon.