For Bryan Tucker, the funny just keeps going.
A Richmond native we profiled seven years ago who rose to the top writing job at “Saturday Night Live” as co-head writer, is not only still doing that job but now he’s launching a new online comedy venture with a veteran business manager from the Onion.
The Kicker is all about finding the funny in sports, which seems pretty rife with opportunity. In fact, how has someone not cornered this market already?
Making fun of sports seems like it would be easy. Reminds me of what comedian Todd Barry once said about roasting Chevy Chase: That it would be easier than shooting fish in a barrel. “It’s as easy as looking at fish in a barrel,” he said. No wait. “It’s as easy as being. Somewhere. Near. A barrel.”
The website will release daily content featuring videos starring athletes and celebrities, like this one featuring “Weird Al” Yankovic as a grizzled coach.
Tucker told Mashable that other prominent players will include Kenan Thompson, Andy Samberg, Perez Hilton, Wyclef Jean, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jamaal Charles, Odell Beckham Jr. and Eric Decker.
Full disclosure: If you know Tucker at all (and I’ve known him literally since birth – his dad was my dad’s college roommate in the ’60s) then you know he’s a huge fan of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Tarheel basketball, his alma mater. And his brother, Reed Tucker, who is a features writer at the New York Post, even co-wrote a book about how bad Duke sucks. So expect a lot of Tarheel love, maybe. Or maybe just a lot of Duke hate. Either way, these guys definitely know Tobacco Road hoops.
I’ve got a text out to Tucker to find out more about the project, which was just announced today, and will update asap.
Right now, the Facebook page already has 10.1 million views ahead of the launch, according to the Mashable article.