Reality check
I was already sick of Dream Job before it even came on, but thanks to a lack of quality TV options, we got to see the train wreck not once, but twice. If I'm not a big fan of most of the current anchors, how is a show about people trying to be like them going to be any good.

The show really screamed Fraught, at least from the outset with Stuart Scott hamming it up even more than usual and the first three awful finalists each doing a set of highlights.

And talk about filling all the stereotypes of people trying to find a sports broadcasting job. The first three guys were a Missouri j-school student (lots of them around), a Stuart Scott wannabe crossed with Don "No Soul" Simmons, and a fat guy who I've wanted to slap since those ads started playing ad nauseum. Lots of forced references, bad flubs and general awkwardness from those guys. Tony Kornheiser nailed it with the fat guy, comparing him to Chris Farley doing a SNL skit about SportsCenter.

The panel was reasonably sharp, although Kit Hoover could fill in for Paula and LaVar Arrington (what the heck was he doing there anyway?) as Randy. Having the main ESPN talent guy was also a plus since they are hiring someone off the show for SportsCenter (while ESPNews guys like Michael Kim continue to wait their turn).

In between, they wanted to make use of the leftover 2-Minute Drill equipment from the studio, so they forced an identifcation quiz that made everyone long for the days of Hearsay.

Back to the contrived highlights and the reasonably solid contestants. There was the half-Asian/half-Jewish kid from Stanford who was sharp and could have a future. (He's my early pick to win it all.) After that was a girl from Chicago going to Brown who eerily looked a lot like Annika Sorenstam but seemed to hold her own. Finally, there was the comedian who figured ESPN needs even more funny guys who may or may not know sports.

The voting-off process was pretty straightforward, although I couldn't get on the site to cast my vote. It was funny that it came down to a special red phone tiebreak vote to eliminate Stuart Scott-lite. It's too bad we couldn't vote off the actual Stuart, or the worst anchor/reporter/special guest after each SportsCenter.

I am curious to see what else they're going to subject them after the first couple of weeks. They've already had them do highlights. I guess stuff like interviewing, reporting, doing ads for Tylenol or TGI Friday's, etc.

I suppose I'll watch a bit of next week just to see Ogre (or a hobbit, take your pick) try his hands at highlights. Thankfully, there will be other things on next Sunday (just that Oscars thing) to distract me.

One last note on this show. You wonder if anyone was giving out or reading copies of this book during the casting call?