It's SNL seasonal clip show time! This time around, in honor of the timeliness of the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, NBC will be airing SNL Presents: Sports All-Stars this Sunday at 9 PM. Like the Gilly Christmas special, this one will be hosted by two divisive SNL characters, Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte's ESPN/Summer's Eve commentators Twinkle and Stink, and will feature what Lorne Michaels deems the best sketches in the show's sports-themed canon. How good he is at that is a whole 'nother matter, but what's important is that I jumped on a conference call with Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte to hear what the charming lads had to say about the special. And well, they're funny. Enjoy the highlights after the jump.
Can you tell us some of your favorite sports sketches of all time?
Will Forte: Mine has got to be the -- pretty hands down the synchronized swimming sketch with Martin Short and Harry Shearer. I love that so much. Just everything about it; there's nothing about it I don't like. But if I had to boil it down to exactly what I liked it's just Martin Short, the way he looks and his hair, the nose plugs and, yeah, just everything about it, his floaties -- he's just -- it is perfection.
Jason Sudeikis: I would say I'm a big fan -- we reference this actually in the show -- of the Stuart Smalley with Michael Jordan.
Super Bowl: Colts or Saints? Care to make any predictions both of you?
WF: You know what, no, I don't know. I would be happy if either team won because, you know, once it gets outside of the Raiders then I just start looking at, you know, the teams I like and I actually -- there are many things to like about each team. They're two very likable teams. And of course Peyton Manning hosted the show a couple years ago so we love the guy and there are a lot of things in this show that are from his show. So I could -- but I'd be just as happy with the Saints coming in, they've never been to a Super Bowl. I want each team to win. I want a tie.
JS: I hope neither of them win. I hope we never get to the game.
WF: You're such a jerk.
JS: That's what I hope. I hope it's just one long halftime show.
WF: Well in the year 2012 that might just happen. We might not have the Super Bowl.
JS: It's all the Mayans -- just the Mayans with the spectacular fire show.
Mayans will win the 2012 Super Bowl, okay.
JS: You can put that in the books.
WF: The Mayans by 3 if they get a last second field goal.
Do you feel like you're going to need to tone down Twinkle and Stink for primetime?
JS: I think we do. It's more innuendo I feel than, you know -- I think it feels dirtier because it rhymes. But I think we get a few in there. I mean, Will, do you know anything? Have the censors -- have we pushed any buttons?
WF: I don't think so. I mean, we even threw in some crazy stuff like there's this product called Fuck Detergent. And... Oh wait a second.
JS: I don't know if we ever taped that one.
WF: Oh we didn't tape that one. We didn't tape that one.
It was spelled differently though right?
JS: No, it was F-U-C-K.
What are your favorite sports stars to impersonate or mimic? Is there anyone you really like kind of getting into character with?
JS: I played Bobby Knight once and that was a lot of fun because I got to yell at Seth. I got to wear like a red sweater and they put me in a very, very white wig and made my nose a little red and then I just got to yell my head off.
WF: I'm a very bad impersonator so I can't even remember if I've ever done a sports person. I mean, I think I was Bruce Jenner once but I don't think I said anything in the sketch, I was just sitting there in like a bronze track suit.
No dialogue?
WF: No dialogue. They don't trust me with dialogue.
Sorry to bring up Conan, but his props and gags are property of NBC -- do you think Saturday Night Live might use Triumph or the Masturbating Bear or anything like that? You see that happening or is that kind of a faux pas?
JS: God, I don't know if we could use them any better than they've used them. I wouldn't -- I don't know if I would even try.
WF: It would be like trying to remake the movie The Jerk. It's been done to perfection so yeah, you'll -- yeah, oh my God. He, yeah, I would never want to use them. They're his, they're his.
JS: Maybe use them in a dramatic piece.
WF: Yeah.
JS: You know, maybe some Broadway, like maybe do Streetcar and have like the Masturbating Bear play Stanley, you know? I mean I'd use it in a different setting. Maybe something like that or just put a paintbrush in Triumph's mouth and have him paint a picture.
Did you guys volunteer to be the hosts for this or were you tapped because of Twinkle and Stink?
JS: The producers asked us -- Lorne and Steve Higgins -- they asked us if we wanted to do it and we said no and then they were like "You have to contractually." And then we said "No, we'll quit." And then they said "Oh, seriously?" And we're like "No we're just screwing with you, yeah we'll do it."
WF: Then they said "We don't want you to do it anymore" and then it was this long wooing-back process.
JS: And this is four years in the making.
WF: Yeah.
JS: I mean, we didn't even have the characters on the show yet. They were just something we used to do, you know, while watching Monday Night Football at the offices. Ultimately they asked us.
Which Will Ferrell sketch would you rank higher: his Harry Caray imitation or the cheerleaders?
JS: I love Will Ferrell's Harry Caray. I think they may have missed a real hell of an opportunity that you're bringing to light here -- and I like that about you, this is good reporting. They should have done Harry Caray as a cheerleader. And, you know, now that Will's passed on -- has he passed on? I can't remember.
WF: He died, yes.
JS: He did die, okay, yeah, that's too bad, because that would've been something to see.
And finally, who have been your favorite sports hosts?
WF: Oh man well Peyton Manning, obviously one of the -- it's really -- Lebron James is so good like, you know, just to go like I'm meeting a person who will go down as one of the legends of their sport and it's really exciting.
Charles Barkley was so much fun because that was when I was first kind of getting into basketball. You know, he's always been such a fun character. And man was he fun -- Charles Barkley -- everyone fell in love with him, he was just such a sweet guy. And everything that comes out of his mouth is so funny, he's just so naturally funny. I love the guy.
JS: People won a lot of money off him too that's another reason they like him so much.
WF: Yeah, but I mean, yeah, okay, you're right.
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