We try to hate Eric Perkins. Our inner curmudgeon generally recoils at the sight of someone with such an unfailingly sunny disposition. Anyone who's that happy and enthusiastic all the time either isn't paying attention or is a bit dimwitted. But Perkins consistently foils our cynicism. His "Perk at Play" segments, while hokey as a rhubarb pie-eating contest, are unfailingly hilarious. Whether skating with the Minnesota Rollergirls or getting manhandled by local ultimate fighting champion Sean Sherk, Perkins is willing to make an ass out of himself for the viewer's amusement. And given the sorry state of our professional sports franchises in recent memory, getting some laughs along with the dreadful highlights is a welcome reprieve.