Sports and web series are like egg nog and Canadian Whisky—mixed together they make even the worst of Mondays mornings tolerable. Athletes are natural pranksters and the world of sports is so rife for parody it’s no wonder jocks make the best SNL hosts.
By now, we thought ESPN’s plucky send-up Mayne Street and Vuguru’s Back on Topps have thoroughly mined the world of sports cameos, not to mention the one-on-self athelte punking Double Take (watch Shaq’s ep again) that bowed in November. But then comes this latest call-up, an indie comedy, Sports Ballz – from creators Jason Schmid and Jake Bern, and writers Matt Harris and Adam Harrington – currently in its initial run on Funny or Die.
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The green screen backdrop is a typical two-shot sportscast set, with Harrington and Bern as the straight-playing anchors. While not as devoutly deadpan as those of say, the Onion News Network, the two are no less relatable as your typical catchphrasing sports anchors of the day.
Sports Ballz, unlike the more insider riffs on sports, trades the cameos for a more unabashed outsider role. No playing it safe here to coddle star egos. Turns out you can get the point across with a well cast lookalike and some clever insert shots. This allows for a 4-minute rip on Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger “douchebag” dating antics and Tiger Woods love of “the strange.”
“Ben Roethlisberger Will Date Your Ex-Girlfriend!”, which features Squatters star Copper Harris:
And “Tiger Woods Reveals His Sex Addiction”:
