ZYMURGY QUETZAL JUKEBOX: As someone who has long advocated the creation of a cable network dedicated to academic competitions, I am pleased to announce that, this Sunday afternoon at 3:30 EST/2:30 CST, ESPN will be broadcasting the 2003 Scrabble All-Star Competition.

Lead commentator on the broadcast will be that guy who wrote that book about all the Scrabble people.

More info here and here.

(Via TV Tattle.)

GENERIC WEEKLY ER/WEST WING COMMENTS SPACE: Since people seemed interested over the past few weeks, let's do it again. My brief, brief thoughts:

ER: (1) I liked this Susan Lewis plot more last year when she did it with the kid from Almost Famous than with Bob Newhart; (2) Cranky Luka is more fun than overly passionate Luka; and (3) Again, where's Gallant?

West Wing: Whoever authorized that Josh-railing-at-the-heavens/Capitol scene should be fired, and John Wells should not be allowed to turn Leo into Rocket Romano v. 2.0. Not a great episode.

Your turn.

LET ME UNDERSTAND YOUR PLAN: Did you know that the rap collective Arrested Development was still around?

Fox TV's lawyers now do.

Next on Speech's litigation list: The Tennessee Titans, Sly and the Family Stone and our dog, Wendell.

FINAL OUTS: After reading about the sad death of Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson today, you may have taken a look at SI's list of baseball players who died during their professional careers, and had some questions about some of the more curious listings.

Here's details on three of the odder ones:

Ed Delahanty (1903) -- Big Ed got violently drunk on a train fron Detroit to New York, and when they reached Niagara Falls, they kicked him off. The Hall of Famer started to wander across the International Bridge. He didn't make it all the way.

Len Koenecke (1935) -- Remember that stunt R.E.M's Peter Buck pulled on that plane that time? This was worse, with Koenecke going loco on a chartered plane, ending with the co-pilot battering him to death with a fire extinguisher to prevent the passenger from forcing a crash landing. Great story.

Doc Powers (1909) -- The A's catcher was chasing a foul ball behind home plate in the first game at Shibe Park history, and crashed into a concrete wall, causing severe abdominal injuries. After numerous operations, he died of gangrene two weeks later.

(Via Clutch Hits and TheDeadBallEra.)

FOURTEEN DAYS OF SOLIPSISM (#4): Can you tell the King of Pop from Everyone's Favorite Neighbor? See "What Mr. Rogers Taught Michael Jackson", from March 9, 2003.

BECAUSE IT'S BUGGING ME, THAT'S WHY: Has there ever been a more hookless pure-pop hit than Donna Summer's "Heaven Knows"?

FIGHT FIERCELY HARVARD, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! How does an American university memorialize a alumnus who fought for his home country in World War II, when that country was Nazi Germany?

Just like everyone else from Harvard who died in World War II -- only with the addition of a teensy disclaimer.

(Mind you, this is the same Harvard that does not honor the sixty-four graduates who died fighting for the Confederacy.)

Say what you will . . . at least it's an ethos, right?