Poking fun at ESPN has become a cottage industry online.

That’s why other than the occasional swipe at Chris Berman or Stuart Scott or Rick Reilly or Skip Bayless or Neil Everett, do you see us crapping on the Worldwide Leader at PTF.

When Stephen A. Smith has become one of the more reputable faces on ESPNs roster, what’s left to bash?

We’d be remiss, however, if we did not trot out a pair of issues that ESPN had Monday night.

First, on Monday Night Countdown, Berman had to offer an on-air apology for some poor sap that doesn’t have a job today who wrote on the rundown “Roethlisberger Drink and Drunk.” It was an apparent attempt to highlight Big Ben’s “dink and dunk” offensive style but instead turned into a reminder to all that the Pittsburgh QB has never been shy around the suds.

Second, old pal Reilly highlighted the fact that he is a well-known credit-whore when he told Stu on-air that he had Roethlisberger injury news “first” and reported it as so on Twitter before anyone else.

How do you do it Rick? With all that limited access you have at ESPN, it’s insane that you would be the first one to report that a big name quarterback has his arm in a sling.

Can we extend this NHL lockout thing a few more minutes … or years?

That positive news you heard a few days ago regarding the NHL lockout possibly coming to an end? Well, PTF insiders are reporting that Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews called commish Gary Bettman personally Monday night in an effort to extend the lockout indefinitely. Why? Meet Toews new girlfriend Lindsey Vecchione, she of the not-so-famous Chicago Bliss lingerie football team (No. 9 in your program, No. 1 in your pants).