In April, SportsGrid will take Mediaite’s proprietary Power Grid algorithm and apply it to sports, gauging the performance and popularity of over 5,400 players, teams, coaches, front office execs, and members of the sports media.

To get a leg up on the launch, and the crazy arguing that will ensue (LeBron vs. Kobe, Ohio State vs. Michigan, Stuart Scott vs. local sports anchor Chip Carter), SportsGrid’s Dan Fogarty and Glenn Davis count down their Top 25 sports bloggers and internet personalities.

There are plenty of heavy hitters on the list, but much like every good lineup needs a three-point specialist or a defensive stopper, this squad wouldn’t be complete without writers who serve a more niche audience. Think of them as Bruce Bowen, minus the contempt from their peers.

Note: if you are not a fan of the gratuitous use of sports puns when arbitrarily ranking bloggers, TOO BAD, because we’re going to the hole until the fat lady sings.

With that in mind: every team needs a couple of goons to start fights, and some bangers on the inside…

Evangelical Christian group Focus opened its wallet (which they say was fattened to Super Bowl status by “generous friends”) to broadcast a “celebration of family”-themed pro-life commercial during the game. The commercial will feature Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and his proud mother, Pam, sharing her story of how faith convinced her to ignore her doctors’ concern for her health and continue on with her pregnancy.

The mystery here is why CBS is allowing this heated and particularly timely topic (tomorrow marks the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade) of abortion to distract from the ritual hoovering of wings and shouting at the TV. It’s particularly puzzling since during Christmas of 2004, they along with NBC rejected several commercials funded and filmed by the United Church of Christ on the basis that their religious theme was too apparent, like this commercial in which Jesus doesn’t reject you:

Focus, on the other hand, is stalwartly right-wing in its advocacy, offering a substantially clearer message than religious all-inclusiveness. And come February 7th, an estimated 100 million football fans will hear about it. Tebow’s stance, as a devout Christian (and football player), makes him an obvious choice for spokesperson.

The commercial marks a decided departure from the gluttony, bouncing cheerleaders, pyrotechnics and 24-pack experience one expects during Super Bowl Sunday. Gregg Doyel of CBS’ sports website called for the immediate cessation of stances and emotions, imploring readers to focus on the true issue at hand, football, and declaring Super Bowl Sunday “not a day to discuss abortion. For it, against it, I don’t care what you are. On Super Sunday, I don’t care what I am.”

Would CBS, or any network for that matter, approve a blatantly leftist pro-choice commercial for Super Bowl airtime, either to balance Focus’ advertising splurge or simply by itself? (We hear Tila Tequila’s just chomping at the bit). Would a pro-choice advocacy group rack up that kind of bill to make a point?

“I didn’t say I would kill you,” said Williams to the line judge she berated a few minutes earlier, before the tournament official made the call to dock her a point – which happened to be match point. So what did she say?

Although it couldn’t be picked up in the live broadcast, CBS later replayed the dressing down. “I swear to God, I feel like taking this ball and shoving it down your fucking throat,” said Williams, among other f-bombs and comments directed at the judge who had made an admittedly shoddy “foot foul” call.

Does this count as ‘threatening to kill’ someone? Maybe. After the match, Williams wasn’t particularly repentant. “I used to have a real temper, and I’ve gotten a lot better,” she said. “So I know you don’t believe me, but I used to be worse.”

The clip has been, and will continue to be, replayed on sports shows, but the discussion is going more mainstream as well. The outburst transcends sports, mainly because Serena Williams is such a big star. Said Toure on Twitter, “Will this be the thing people discuss around Serena in 10 years? No. Like Mac, she’ll still be loved. But it’ll stay in people’s minds,” and later, “To think Serena got her point penalty because she’s Black is absurd. Let’s not be blind apologists defending whatever lunacy Blacks do.”

It’s now become a topic on cable news as well – here’s Stephen A. Smith discussing if Williams should be suspended during an MSNBC segment today.

So far Serena has yet to weigh in to her 1 million+ Twitter followers.

Here’s the live video:

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