So apparently besides hosting SportsNation on ESPN, Charissa Thompson is also co-hosting the ABC celebrity diving show “Splash”. I had no idea. I mean, I’ve heard of the show because of its premise, but I didn’t know Charissa was co-host! But she recently showed off herself and co-host Joey Lawrence (of “Blossom”) fame actually diving into the pool. Whoa!

It seems ESPN never runs out of blondes. Then again, maybe blondes just make better sideline reporters. (Probably not, though, but let’s go on believing that anyway, what’s the harm?) Another one of ESPN’s blondes is anchor reporter Jade McCarthy.

I guess it’s probably not right to pigeonhole Samantha Ponder (nee Steele) as an ESPN reporter, because I’m seeing her everywhere these days, from college basketball to NBA basketball, like today’s Clippers-Lakers throwdown on ABC. Meaning, of course, it’s time for another round of Samantha Ponder pics!

So you probably heard: Rachel Nichols is no longer with ESPN. She recently signed on with CNN, which also means doing sports coverage for TBS, TNT, etc. Not sure when she actually started (does CNN cover sports?), but I began seeing her on the sidelines of the NCAA tournament. She definitely still looks good, that’s for sure.

Leeann Tweeden used to do reporting for poker shows (I’m not sure if she still does that), but I recently saw some ads for her on UFC Tonight, which I take it is a news/entertainment show devoted entirely to the UFC and MMA fighting. Here’s what the show offers.

I’m sure I have Speed Channel on my Dish subscription … somewhere. Not sure where, though, since I’m not much of a car guy, or into speeding. I’m usually the slow guy who refuses to go any faster than 5 miles over the speed limit on the road because getting to that red light just a few seconds earlier isn’t on my list of priorities. That, of course, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the Speed Channel’s reporters, especially blonde lovelies like Kaitlyn Vincie.

ESPN’s “First Take” is, um, one of those acquired tastes, but there is one very good reason to watch it on a daily basis, and that’s for host Cari Champion. It sure as heck isn’t for whatever annoying twits they have arguing about some silly topic that day (though usually it’s the skinny black guy vs the skinny white guy, both equally unwatchable). Why can’t this show just feature Cari Champion interviewing people or showing highlights? I’d watch the crap out of that show.

So Charissa Thompson and the Sports Nation crew are currently in New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and I have to admit, she’s looking mighty good on those live stage shows. On Monday she came out in tight black leather pants which were pretty, yes, awesome. I couldn’t find videos of that, but I did find this old episode of the show featuring Charissa Thompson in glasses. I didn’t see this before, but she certainly doesn’t disappoint.

I guess I can’t list Rachel Nichols under the ESPN Hotties category anymore. The reporter has ditched the sports network to host a a weekend sports program for news network CNN, who are apparently branching out into sports now. What, news isn’t profitable anymore?

I saw the lovely Jessica Mendoza doing the Minnesota-Texas Tech Bowl Game tonight, and thought she did a pretty good job with the interviews and all that other “side story” stuff they’re always forcing their sideline reporters to do. If her name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s a former pro softball player, but apparently this softball player can talk more than just softball/baseball.