IamA Around The Horn panelist, DMN columnist, Afternoon Show host, Drunk On Sports author, Tim Cowlishaw. AMA!

Would you rather fight one Horse sized Woody Paige? Or 100 Ducksized Plaschkes?

I'm going to take on the Plaschke Ducks although I fear it won't go well.

Top 3 fave Radiohead albums?

OK Computer. Then Kid A. Then Amnesiac. Then In Rainbows. Then whatever order you like.

Tim, do you stay in touch with Jay Mariotti?

I have not heard from Jay in about a year except he wasn't thrilled with part of my book which I understand. I know he's still in LA area and I hope he's doing well. Had a radio show or a podcast or something for awhile, have not heard lately.

Does hearing the sound of getting points or losing points ever derail or change your thought process midway through? I Feel like hearing that sound would cause me issues making my opinions.

Frequently.

Tim, the growth of your talent on 103.3 has improved so dramatically from the time you started...was switching from the paper, to TV, to radio harder than you anticipated? Also, I'm a fan of Hoffman, just not his SportsCenter breaks. Does anyone give him any criticism over his pregnant pauses?

I love the line on Hoffman. You basically like him except for what he does. Actually, I think he will be very good in the long run. It was hard for me at first -- still is at times. I'm not a big fan of talking or hearing myself talk so I don't wear headphones unless I have to (same goes for Mosley, although he loves to hear himself talk as far as we can tell). The show is fun now. At least it is for us, and I hear that more from people, so I hope it's on its way to being a half-assed decent sports talk show.

Tim, I've been a fan of Around the Horn since the show first started. It was the first thing on TV when I got home from high school. I did not know you were a Drive By Truckers fan. You just went up a few points in my book. Congrats on winning the battle with alcoholism.

Besides Stephen Wright, who else do you do impressions of? Since you must be a comedy fan if you appreciate Stephen Wright, who is your favorite stand-up?

You have somehow missed my Ghost of Al Davis, a terrible Michael Caine, the British Jay-Z, a kind of a strange George Harrison.

British Jay Z? Off to youtube I go!

Edit: Your Ron Swanson is impeccable.

I forgot that one. So much wonderful work that I have brought to this planet.

Does Woody Paige write his own chalkboard jokes?

Also, what do the panelists do when they get cut and are waiting for the end of the show?

Big fan of the show!

Edit: Wanted to mention: you, Dan Patrick, and Tony Kornheiser (exclusive, list I know) are a big influence to my choosing of Sports Broadcasting as a major in college next year!

1. I think he does.

2. I take my mic off and walk down to the snack machines, check my phone, then come back and sit around for the final segment.

3. Tony Kornheiser was one of the reasons I majored in journalism at UT. I read an article by him on Jim Valvano (who was a nobody at Iona College at the time) in Street and Smith's Basketball Yearbook while I was at UT and I said, "I want to write like that.''

Best and worst thing about the Around the Horn Process? Also, same question but about Tony Reali

Worst thing is repeating segments. I am impatient. I could never be an actor and do multiple takes. Best thing is each day we get into something -- whether it's from GoodFellas or some musical reference or whatever -- that we never imagine when we start taping. Tony's terrific, he works his tail off and his job is much harder than you could imagine.

Hello, Mr. Cowlishaw! If you can answer this question, how do you feel about the whole Bill Simmons ordeal? Do you agree with ESPN's decision to suspend him?

I think it's all forgotten and he has his new show which I wanted to see last night but missed. I think it will suit what he does more than simply being on the set. I like Bill, I was his moderator for a speech he gave in Dallas four years ago. Probably the only time I will speak to a ballroom with 1,000 people in it.

Who is your favorite sports radio host?

Dan Patrick.

Who do you root for in college football?

Missouri. Or Texas. Or Colorado. If none of those are working, then LSU for no apparent reason.

How and when did you discover Radiohead?

On the radio in California in 2007 for a NASCAR race driving back and forth between LA and Fontana. I certainly knew OF them but they were a giant hole in my musical knowledge. I heard Fake Plastic Trees on KROQ, flew home and bought The Bends and Pablo Honey, then bought the rest chronologically to catch up. My son, Ben, was right behind me although he's misguided in his lack of appreciation for Amnesiac.

Do you have the Cowboys or the Eagles winning the NFC East?

Is Kliff Kingsbury in over his head in Lubbock?

I'm not sure on your past with alcohol, but because you brought it up in the introduction, how has quitting drinking changed your life?

I am a big fan by the way, being from Dallas, I have been reading your columns in DMN for years and been watching you on ESPN as well.

I would still pick the Eagles. Barely.

Kliff needs a staff. Not sure why he messed up on Baker Mayfield but maybe the kid (Stidham?) next year will save him at QB.

It changes your world when you stop drinking for 5 years after a lifetime of drinking. I think that goes without saying. It changes the people around you as well, you have to be prepared for that, it goes way beyond your ability to mange your own behavior.

Hey Tim,

I really enjoy the YouTube videos of you guys before the show. How long do you all sit there before you actually start the show?

20 minutes? 30? That's the usual.

Is Jackie Macmullan single? If yes, can you put in a good word for me?

She is married but give it time. Just kidding. She is happily married with 2 (or 3?) kids in the Boston area.

Thanks for the answers on my earlier questions, it's very appreciated!! Only a couple more.

Jeff Banister hire, Good or No Good?

Will the Dallas Stars be a wild-card again (or no playoffs) this season or will this be the season they can make the next step? The Benguinezza is looking mighty explosive.

I like the Banister hire but I do feel bad for Bogar. I think JD sees Banister as kind of a more fiery version of Bogar but who knows?

Stars will make the playoffs and be the most entertaining team in the conference but the West is LOADED.

How often are ATH winners pre-selected? A lot of facetime's seem a little too good to not be rehearsed and planned to be aired.

They are not pre-selected. Sometimes you have a great idea and think about what you would say and you nail it. Sometimes you think about it 2 minutes before you win and you wing it.

Howdy Tim, thanks for doing this. Always been one of the better sportswriters if you ask me. Just out of curiosity, what has been your favorite/most memorable sporting event to cover in your career?

In recent years, Texas-USC Rose Bowl always comes to mind. I love Stanley Cup playoffs, Stars 2 trips to Finals were great, wish they could have won the Cup before 1 in the morning. Masters with Tiger or Phil winning always cool. Favorite event I attended on my own but did not cover was Federer-Djokovic US OPEN semifinal 5-setter in 2011. Magical.

Thanks, great answer! One reason I've always liked you on AtH is you're more than happy to talk about some of the sports that don't get quite as much coverage. I'd love to see what happens between y'all on the show behind the scenes.

They should make blooper reels. But actually the Behind the Horn stuff they post every day peels back the curtain for you a little in that area.

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It's our best segment in the 415-430 range.

1. Where do you see sports news and reporting in the next 10 years with how things are currently evolving?

2. Who are some fellow columnists that you enjoy reading?

Thank you!

I wish I had a better idea of where it's going. I assume newspapers will still exist but I'm less certain than I was 5 years ago. One of the worst things about twitter is I don't read any particular columnist all the time any more. I see some of their stuff and I read a lot of people I have never heard of who do great work. There's a lot out there on Grantland and elsewhere.

Does the daily winner of ATH get paid any extra or is the same standard amount regardless?

If the winner got paid more, it truly would be the show of competitive banter.

Hey Tim, why don't you 'just for men' your half brown half gray goattee? All one color beard will help me take you more seriously! Go cowboys!

I think about it when I get all these people in twitter talking about it. But I'd rather just let it bother people.

Say, for April Fools Day, ESPN switches PTI & ATH personalities. Which ATH panelist would you pick to co-host PTI with?

Pablo or Bomani.

Watched Bernie on your recommendation, which I very much enjoyed, so thanks for that!

How many points do you think Jackie MacMullan would beat you by in a game of 21?

Jackie and I have played basketball 3 or 4 times going back to Final Four in 85 in Lexington. She posts up. I run around and shoot 3's and don't guard anybody. She would try harder. I would fake an injury and quit.

Can you comment on your personal relationship with Skip? What do you think about the things he's done to get where he is. Does it ever make you shake your head?

I have never been close with Skip although I admired him greatly when I was in college and shortly after that. His columns in the Dallas Morning News in the early 80s were the best thing in either paper. He veered off in another direction after the Times Herald folded. I would say I don't understand what he does, but I basically do understand it.

I think you're awesome Cowlishaw. Who is your sports "if you could have lunch with anyone?" and why?

John McEnroe. Obvious reasons. To listen and learn about a great sport that generates invisible ratings in this country.

Hi Tim, you are my favorite ATH panelist. How did you know you had such a good Al Davis impersonation?

I didn't. Not sure I actually do. We used to imitate him after the Raiders visited the Cowboys for workouts in the '90s, but I can't say I worked on it.

Tim do you have one particular episode or moment from Around the Horn that stands out in your memory?

The "episode" where we did the entire show backwards sort of like the Seinfeld episode, sort of like Memento. Not sure how they pulled it off. I even had a backwards sneeze.

Hey Tim, you're my favorite ATH panelist. Do you think Demarco Murray will win MPV this year?

Most Popular Voyeur? Just kidding. If he ends up with 1800 yards, he'll have a shot. If Peyton Manning throws 50 TD passes again, he won't.

What keeps you from not intentionally blowing a day off work on ATH by tanking to get cut early?

Haha tanking doesn't do any good. You still have to stay there for the final shot. No one is allowed to miss the newspaper toss!

Remember when you posted a picture of your 401k on twitter? I still have the screenshot haha

I blame that on Mosley. He had that picture in his phone as kind of a joke. I wasn't even on twitter or using my phone when that happened. I still plead not guilty!

Have you ever had to stop an ATH segment from too much laughter from everyone to actually have any competitive banter?

We stop from time to time, usually not from laughter. Usually for technical reasons although occasionally one of us messes up.

What was the process of getting to where you are in the sports world like?

A lot of hard work but a lot more luck. I was a 43-year-old hockey beat writer (and there's nothing wrong with that, I was perfectly happy to cover the Stars another 5 years) when I got lucky that the Star-Telegram decided to hire Randy Galloway. Then I got lucky I was picked to replace him. Then I was lucky that ESPN decided they needed a Dallas personality for a new show in 2002.

Do you see the Rangers attempting to move Elvis with Profar's inability to recover from this shoulder injury? They don't exactly have as much of a surplus at the middle infield position compared to the last couple years.

I don't think they can move Elvis with that contract. Only for another awful contract. Also since Profar is a complete unknown regarding his health, there's no reason to trade Elvis. It's a mess.

Hey Tim, we’ve had a few interactions on twitter (about Charlie Blackmonk, Sigur Ros and actually just now, follow if you really want @SheaCaringle haha) and I first want to say thanks for interacting with your fans, it means a lot.

As a recent graduate with a degree in journalism who is working a clerk job and occasionally covering high school sports but also likes to have a good time, my question would be what advice do you have for young writers? I know you cover this a bit with Drunk on Sports and it’s a pretty standard question but any insights would be great.

Bonus question: Favorite Wes Anderson film and favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film?

Grant Budapest Hotel and Magnolia for the last questions. The young writer part is hard in terms of directing people where to go. The writing part -- you have to read about 5 times more than you are currently reading. I felt like I never read enough -- and I read a lot compared to most, maybe 20-25 books a year, but still think I'm on a treadmill trying to catch up.

Thanks Tim, any advice besides Drunk on Sports for really influential books about sports writing?

Drunk on Sports is no t really influential on sportswriting but thanks. Great books to read are the Koufax and Mantle books by Jane Leavy, Open by Andre Agassi (these aren't about sportswriting, they are simply great writing) and give Scribe by Bob Ryan a read.

So tim... Royals or Giants?

I picked KC in 6 and that's looking solid after that 3rd inning.

How do you feel about TCU? Think they are the best CFB team in Texas this year?

Yes I think they will finish ahead of Baylor. I don't see them making the playoff, but who knows?

Here is my question: One time I saw you at Cristina's in Lewisville. What did you order?

I'm not sure but I do recall a race to the men's room followed.

Tim,

I read your book, and it is great. I read in your book that you were almost 60, and I told that to my mom, and she did not believe me.

So how do you keep yourself looking young?

Also, who is your favorite athlete of all time to watch?

The book is great, you are correct. Just kidding. Thanks for reading. I am nowhere close to 60 and I will keep saying that for five months. And four days. It's the filter on the TV. In person I look like your great uncle.

What's your favorite Beer?

Five years ago, Stella. For updated info, go here: http://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Sports-Tim-Cowlishaw-ebook/dp/B00BWAIWQQ

What's your favorite DBT song, and why is it TVA?

Uncle Frank. Carl Perkins Cadillac. Primer Coat. Zip City -- all Cooley songs. All great. The list goes on. Just saw them for first time about a month ago, terrific show.

Do you hate soccer as much as the rest of ESPN seems to?

Also, what four teams do you see making the CFB playoff? Is this system really any better? Some great teams will still get snubbed

I do not hate soccer. I do not get soccer. I have tried (maybe half heartedly). I actually want to read a great book about British soccer. Should I read Damn United or something else?

College football playoff -- Florida State, Michigan State, Mississippi, Alabama.