For the second straight year, actor Jamie Foxx will host ESPN’s sports awards telecast. The 12th Annual ESPY Awards will air on July 18 at 9 p.m. EST from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.

“I’m excited – we’re going to make lightning strike twice,” Foxx says. “I had a great time last year and we’re gonna take it up a notch.”

Last year, in addition to announcing presenters and performers, Foxx did some crooning of his own, singing “Can I Be Your Tennis Ball?” to Serena Williams and also playing musical tribute to LaBron James. The versatile Foxx previously did hosting duties at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

“Jamie Foxx brings an extraordinary combination of talent, energy, humor and star appeal,” says Ron Semiao, ESPN’s senior vice president of original programming. “Ultimately, The ESPY Awards are about connecting sports fans everywhere. As one of Hollywood’s most celebrated entertainers and sports enthusiasts, Jamie is the perfect host for this event, which highlights the many reasons why we all love sports in a entertaining way.”

Foxx will next be seen on the small screen in FX’s “Redemption” playing Crips co-founder Stanley “Tookie” Williams. He just completed work on Michael Mann’s “Collateral,” in which he stars opposite Tom Cruise. Foxx’s previous credits include “In Living Color” and The WB’s “The Jamie Foxx Show.”

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Reality vets want to help your family

The reality producers behind “Joe Millionaire” and “Temptation Island” are looking for a few good families. Actually, the good people of Rocket Science Laboratories don’t have much use for good families. They’re looking for families that need help.

The latest offering from “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance” team of Jean-Michel Michenaud and Chris Cowan will be a family makeover show that attempts to improve every aspect of a different family’s life every week.

“This series will give the opportunity for a family to make a new start with a better life by providing the resources and expertise needed to address the important issues in their household,” says Ray Giuliani, a co-executive producer at Rocket Science. “The selected families will receive the experience of top professionals who will pave the way for a successful future in the truest fashion of a complete makeover.”

From deeper psychological improvements to superficial changes in landscaping and wardrobe, the new show will use a team of experts on an improvement mission.

The show is still in the casting process and families that believe that they have what it takes to make quality television should visit the website at www.familytimecasting.com for more information.

“We are looking for families with interesting stories that deserve the generous resources we have available to change their lives,” Giuliani says.

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Suit alleges Super Bowl show caused injury

It’s clear that the exposure of Janet Jackson’s nipple during the Super Bowl halftime show offended millions of people. It’s clear that many of those people were angered and outraged. A proposed class action law suit filed by a Tennessee woman on Wednesday aims to explore the damage that Jackson’s nipple has caused to our national psyche and put a financial value on that damage.

The primary plaintiff in the case is Terri Carlin, a 47-year-old bank employee from Knoxville. In the federal complaint, filed by attorney Wayne A. Ritchie II, the plaintiff doesn’t ask for specific damages noting only that the amount in the controversy is more than $75,000 but will not exceed the gross revenues of all defendants for the past three years.

Considering that the defendants in the case are Viacom International, CBS Broadcasting, MTV Networks, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, that could end up being a lot of money. Somewhat perplexingly, AOL, which produced the halftime show, isn’t listed as a defendant.

The brief declares that there could be at least 80 million members of the class, or anybody who was watching the Super Bowl halftime show. However, the defendants themselves, and just about anybody related to the defendants in any meaningful personal or business manner are not eligible.

The complaint alleges that by being exposed to the “sexually explicit conduct” viewers were caused to “suffer outrage, anger, embarrassment and serious injury.” The entire complaint, which explains how CBS and the halftime show violated FCC regulations is available at TheSmokingGun.com.

Worry not, though, if you were a part of that sizeable percentage of the American population that was amused, bemused or just generally apathetic to Jackson’s exhibitionism. Just because her performance wasn’t necessarily injurious to your well-being, the suit has room for you as well.

In fact, while non-viewers are outside of the plaintiff class, it would appear that you shouldn’t have needed to be watching the Super Bowl at all to get your piece of the action.

“(B)ecause defendants knew that the Super Bowl and Super Bowl halftime show would have a worldwide audience and knew that for much of the world, these events would reflect the standards and reputations of Americans abroad, plaintiff and the members of the plaintiff class have been defamed by the defendants and have suffered injuries and damages to their reputations as Americans,” the brief reads.

The challenge, it would seem, is assessing the monetary value of every American citizen’s reputation as an American.

The lead attorney in the case, Wayne A. Ritchie II, is a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives and a partner in the Knoxville firm of Ritchie, Fels and Dillard.

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AP-NY-02-06-04 1631EST