Calvin Johnson’s catch
For an organization with as much collective intelligence as the NFL, its rules-makers sure are stupid when it comes to what constitutes the simple act of catching a football.
It seems we, fans and media, are in universal agreement that Calvin Johnson, who landed in the end zone with both feet, with two hands securely around the ball, then hopped and landed on those same two feet, then fell on his butt, then rolled onto one knee, then placed the ball on the ground, and then let go of the ball as he got up to celebrate, made a game-winning touchdown catch for the beleaguered Lions last Sunday. Hell, I say he made the catch four times, first for the two feet, then for the second two feet, then for the bum and finally for the knee.
Most have said the NFL applied the rule correctly, they just hate the rule. I’ll go further. I also hate the rule, which states that a player making a catch while going to the ground must maintain possession of the ball “all the way to the ground.” Johnson did that, and then some. He just didn’t see the need to continue to hold the ball for the act of getting up.
Let’s now make this even simpler. Two 8-year-olds playing catch in the yard with a football know what is a catch and what is not. What do you supposed they’d say about the play? Something along the lines of “Gimme a break” with an exaggerated eye rolling is my guess.
Bowling ball shot guy in Buffalo
The NFL just loves to hear itself talk. If the previous item does not demonstrate this clearly, maybe this will: the NFL has banned the tailgating practices of one Ken Johnson, a Bills fan who for 20 years has presided over a popular and delightfully wacky tailgate party. In addition to grilling meat directly on the heated hood of a 1980 Ford Pinto (what the hell else are you going to do with a 1980 Ford Pinto?), Johnson offers passers-by a shot of cherry liqueur out of the thumbhole of a bowling ball.
Apparently, this is all too much non-sanctioned fun for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The league, which apparently holds some jurisdiction over Ralph Wilson Stadium parking lots, has banned the practice. Johnson has gracefully agreed to move his tailgate party to a farther-away lot, though he has occupied the same space for two decades.
Have there been complaints? Have police been called to quell rowdy fans, normally docile sorts who raise hell when lubed up with a shot of fruity schnapps? If the answer is no, then I wish Johnson would steadfastly refuse to relocate, and that hardy Bills fans would band together with him. I'm sure he'd end up losing, but I'd love for him to fight this. This story needs to stay in the forefront for a while, for fans' sake.
Cowherd’s take on it
I am a big fan of ESPN Radio talk show host Colin Cowherd, mostly because he always tries to offer an angle that’s a little different than what everyone else is knee-jerkedly saying about an issue in sports. I could not, however, agree with his take on Ken Johnson’s tailgate. Cowherd seized upon a quote from Johnson, who said “You wonder how many people go to the games because of characters like me. I think I add to the experience.”
Cowherd compared Johnson, for this quote, to the guy at the comedy club who heckles the comedian, thinking his own humor adds to the comedic experience; to the loudest guy at a table at a steakhouse, telling the loudest jokes, laughing at his own jokes, thinking he’s the life of the party; and to the drunk fan at the stadium who thinks he adds something.
Colin, Ken Johnson is not these guys. At worst, he adds nothing to the experience of attending an NFL game but certainly doesn’t take anything away from it. But, nearer to the truth, the collective Ken Johnsons of the sports world make it fun to go to games. All these new stadiums have priced out so many fans, all in the name of providing comfy luxury boxes for wealthy “fans,” and “family entertainment” for people who attend the game with children. You know what? That is not enhancing the NFL experience for anyone who is supposed to matter. You want to entertain your kids? Take them to an amusement park. You want them to watch football? By all means, take them to the game, but let them watch football, not climb a pirate ship. You want to entertain corporate clients? Take them on a junket to Grand Cayman.
Cowherd suggested people like Johnson are the reason people are choosing to stay home and watch in HDTV. No. People are choosing to stay home because the NFL is making it clear true fans like Ken Johnson, who enjoy a little good clean fun before and after the game, people who have provided us great memories of trips to the stadium in addition to the football memories we have, are being told they are not wanted. And by the way, with what it costs just for the privilege of parking your car in a lot, I think fans should be allowed a little Ken Johnson-type fun. One fruity shot is not the reason a crowd goes from family-friendly to drunk and disorderly. It’s just damn fun. And people do come out for that guy. If you don’t believe me, check this out. http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/384/example-a-why-buffalo-bills-fans-rock.
Wanna be a reporter? Then dress like one!
Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the Ines Sainz flap.
Sainz, in case you hadn’t heard, is the drop-dead gorgeous reporter from Mexico’s TV Azteca who claimed last weekend she was subjected to whistling and “catcalls” from Jets players when she entered the Jets’ locker room to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez, a Mexican-American.
To all those who plan to opine further on this story, I have just one thing to say: I will read your opinion if, and only if, you have seen what Sainz wore to the interview.
“She asked for it” and “she had it coming” and “what did she expect” are no longer acceptable explanations of sexual harassment, and never should have been. But I’d like each of you to ask yourselves this: If Ines Sainz showed up at your workplace and interviewed for a job there dressed the way she was dressed, would you and your co-workers not have gotten together and shared a good chuckle over the bimbo who thinks this is how you dress for work?
Female reporters deserve equal treatment in the sports media. None should be treated differently because she is beautiful, or because she has breast implants, as some have suggested Sainz has. I don’t care. Anyone is free to alter his or her body how he or she sees fit.
Just don’t show up dressed like a hoochie mama, with high-heel boots and jeans that were spray-painted on your body, and expect to be taken seriously.
Suppose the Jets' PR director intercepted Sainz on the way to the locker room and told her that she needed to change into more appropriate clothes before she'd be allowed in. That would have solved everything. Don't you get the feeling she'd have felt equally aggrieved?
Carl Crawford’s cardinal sin
Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford made the final out of Tuesday night’s game against the Yankees trying to take third base on a fly ball. He was skewered in the media for it. He shouldn’t have been.
It is true that making the final out of any inning at third base is just about the worst mental error a ballplayer can make. You are already in position to score a run – in this case the tying run in the bottom of the ninth – on nearly any base hit to the outfield. Advancing to third base with two outs gives the runner so little extra chance to score, it is not worth the risk of being thrown out. Hence, the unwritten rule is this: don’t try for third unless you are absolutely sure you will make it.
It’s a good rule. Here’s the problem: nobody can ever be absolutely sure of making it, in a literal sense. One can only be pretty darn sure. When we see a player make it safely to third, we say, “well, he took a risk, but he made it, so it was a good risk.” How ingenious – hindsight.
Nonsense. Carl Crawford is one of the fastest players in the sport. He tagged up on a fly ball right on the rightfield line, medium-deep. He was thrown out on a sniper-rifle throw from a September-call-up outfielder, Greg Golson. If I’m Carl Crawford, I’m absolutely sure I’m going to make it. About as sure as one can be without hindsight.
Let’s put it this way: When I saw Golson settling under the ball, as a Yankee fan, my thought was, “OK, so we’ve got two outs; Crawford will be at third, but who cares?” I’m pretty sure this was a reasonable thought, shared by many. Golson’s throw was as shocking to me as it surely was to Crawford.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sports media BS about Andre Dawson
I flipped over to SportsCenter for about a minute this morning; just enough time to hear Tim Kurkjian talking about Andre Dawson. Dawson will enter the Hall of Fame today, and Kurkjian gave a list of his accomplishments, which sound pretty Hall-worthy.
But I have to call BS on this: he also said Tony Gwynn said Dawson was “as good as any player in our league for many years.”
What does that mean? Does it mean Gwynn thinks Dawson was the best player in the National League? If you don’t think that’s what it means, you need to read the words again. It means that Dawson was either the best player or in a tie for that status.
Yet Gwynn, at least according to Kurkjian, didn’t say “Dawson was the best player in our league.” Why not? Wasn’t he? Was he better than his contemporaries? Ryne Sandberg? Joe Morgan? Mike Schmidt? Mike Schmidt! Was Dawson really as good as Mike Schimidt? Better?
Absurd. Dawson was not as good as Mike Schmidt. So he was not “as good as any player in our league.” All you have to do is name one player to see that.
But nobody questions the soft statement. Had Gwynn said Dawson was “the best player in our league,” BS detectors would have gone off all over the ESPN-watching country. But this soft language goes undetected.
It goes to show the following: people need to pay closer attention to the words they use and the words they hear. There’s very little honesty and too much political correctness. Andre Dawson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today. He was elected fair and square. That doesn’t make him the best player of his generation in the National League. He wasn’t.
But I have to call BS on this: he also said Tony Gwynn said Dawson was “as good as any player in our league for many years.”
What does that mean? Does it mean Gwynn thinks Dawson was the best player in the National League? If you don’t think that’s what it means, you need to read the words again. It means that Dawson was either the best player or in a tie for that status.
Yet Gwynn, at least according to Kurkjian, didn’t say “Dawson was the best player in our league.” Why not? Wasn’t he? Was he better than his contemporaries? Ryne Sandberg? Joe Morgan? Mike Schmidt? Mike Schmidt! Was Dawson really as good as Mike Schimidt? Better?
Absurd. Dawson was not as good as Mike Schmidt. So he was not “as good as any player in our league.” All you have to do is name one player to see that.
But nobody questions the soft statement. Had Gwynn said Dawson was “the best player in our league,” BS detectors would have gone off all over the ESPN-watching country. But this soft language goes undetected.
It goes to show the following: people need to pay closer attention to the words they use and the words they hear. There’s very little honesty and too much political correctness. Andre Dawson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today. He was elected fair and square. That doesn’t make him the best player of his generation in the National League. He wasn’t.
Monday, May 24, 2010
SUPREMES’ RULING A BLOW AGAINST ‘THE BIG SPORTS COMPANY’
A Supreme Court ruling concerning the NFL got very little press today, both on ESPN.com and on the online site of the New York Times.
But it drew my attention nonetheless.
The court ruled unanimously that the league is not a single entity but 32 separate businesses, and therefore cannot receive antitrust protection.
Now, I know very little about the law. That’s the domain of my wife and, more specifically in this case, my sister, who practices corporate law.
But I do know this: I’m getting very tired of seeing the NFL turn into the WWE or American Gladiators – a collection of trained warriors being divvied up under a single patriarch and told to go out and entertain the masses. Jerry Seinfeld once joked that all sports fans root for is laundry. I don’t think he had any idea how right he was.
In fact, the only things other than the uniforms that differentiate one NFL team from another anymore are the fans, by dint of the common culture they have from their shared geographic location.
And really, neither the fans nor the uniforms differ that much. Every NFL uniform now has the NFL shield – that’s fine; they all should bear the league’s shield. But do they have to bear it in exactly the same manner? “The shield must go on a small separate, white piece of fabric that connects the two sides of the V below the player’s neck, because that’s what an NFL uniform is mandated to be.” I’m paraphrasing the obvious.
Players, however, don’t play for the NFL. They play for the New York Giants (or whomever). Why should the Giants’ uniform conform to an exact style? Can’t they determine what their uniform should look like – and, more importantly for this court decision and for their business – who makes it?
I’ve been disgusted seeing EVERY team in the league mandated to put an identical “C” on the jerseys of their captains. Perhaps certain teams would like to decide for themselves that, “We’re football players, not hockey players. We don’t put a ‘C’ on the captain’s jersey.” Perhaps they would like to wear them but would prefer to determine for themselves what that “C” should look like. Maybe they don’t like having a “C” that looks like the one in the world “ALCOA.”
This is a trend that is making sports awfully bland. I know it’s not the most important consideration and hardly takes away from what was the best NCAA tournament I’ve ever seen, but the NCAA’s mandatory uniform floor being used in every venue removed the uniqueness of the arenas used. The people who traveled to, say, Syracuse should have been able to take with them the memory of their favorite team playing on “Jim Boeheim Court,” adorned in orange and a little blue. Instead, they remember the exact same wood-and-black monolith they saw on TV while watching other games.
The paranoia of sports leagues to control EVERYTHING is taking all the character out of the games we love. It’s enough to make me wish that Cubs fans would storm Wrigley Field by the thousands and knock those light stanchions from the roof and make that ballpark, once again, the true Friendly Confines – and, in doing so, raise a giant middle finger to Major League Baseball and to the Cubs’ ownership in a way that says, “We are the Cubs, and we don’t care about MLB’s prime-time TV ratings. We play our g**dam games in the g**dam daytime, because WE think that’s when baseball belongs.”
I hardly think Monday’s Supreme Court ruling is going to have anywhere near that dramatic an effect, and I think we’ve pretty much lost this battle against the devolution of sports into one big company. But if at least Eli Manning can take the sterile, corporate, ALCOA-looking logo off his chest, so he doesn’t look like he’s a business partner of the captain of the defense that’s trying to take his head off, it’s a step in the right direction.
But it drew my attention nonetheless.
The court ruled unanimously that the league is not a single entity but 32 separate businesses, and therefore cannot receive antitrust protection.
Now, I know very little about the law. That’s the domain of my wife and, more specifically in this case, my sister, who practices corporate law.
But I do know this: I’m getting very tired of seeing the NFL turn into the WWE or American Gladiators – a collection of trained warriors being divvied up under a single patriarch and told to go out and entertain the masses. Jerry Seinfeld once joked that all sports fans root for is laundry. I don’t think he had any idea how right he was.
In fact, the only things other than the uniforms that differentiate one NFL team from another anymore are the fans, by dint of the common culture they have from their shared geographic location.
And really, neither the fans nor the uniforms differ that much. Every NFL uniform now has the NFL shield – that’s fine; they all should bear the league’s shield. But do they have to bear it in exactly the same manner? “The shield must go on a small separate, white piece of fabric that connects the two sides of the V below the player’s neck, because that’s what an NFL uniform is mandated to be.” I’m paraphrasing the obvious.
Players, however, don’t play for the NFL. They play for the New York Giants (or whomever). Why should the Giants’ uniform conform to an exact style? Can’t they determine what their uniform should look like – and, more importantly for this court decision and for their business – who makes it?
I’ve been disgusted seeing EVERY team in the league mandated to put an identical “C” on the jerseys of their captains. Perhaps certain teams would like to decide for themselves that, “We’re football players, not hockey players. We don’t put a ‘C’ on the captain’s jersey.” Perhaps they would like to wear them but would prefer to determine for themselves what that “C” should look like. Maybe they don’t like having a “C” that looks like the one in the world “ALCOA.”
This is a trend that is making sports awfully bland. I know it’s not the most important consideration and hardly takes away from what was the best NCAA tournament I’ve ever seen, but the NCAA’s mandatory uniform floor being used in every venue removed the uniqueness of the arenas used. The people who traveled to, say, Syracuse should have been able to take with them the memory of their favorite team playing on “Jim Boeheim Court,” adorned in orange and a little blue. Instead, they remember the exact same wood-and-black monolith they saw on TV while watching other games.
The paranoia of sports leagues to control EVERYTHING is taking all the character out of the games we love. It’s enough to make me wish that Cubs fans would storm Wrigley Field by the thousands and knock those light stanchions from the roof and make that ballpark, once again, the true Friendly Confines – and, in doing so, raise a giant middle finger to Major League Baseball and to the Cubs’ ownership in a way that says, “We are the Cubs, and we don’t care about MLB’s prime-time TV ratings. We play our g**dam games in the g**dam daytime, because WE think that’s when baseball belongs.”
I hardly think Monday’s Supreme Court ruling is going to have anywhere near that dramatic an effect, and I think we’ve pretty much lost this battle against the devolution of sports into one big company. But if at least Eli Manning can take the sterile, corporate, ALCOA-looking logo off his chest, so he doesn’t look like he’s a business partner of the captain of the defense that’s trying to take his head off, it’s a step in the right direction.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Urban Meyer Is Sports' Latest Coward
I had a run-in with a high-school hockey coach 13 years ago. The coach was furious that I printed a quote from one of his alternate captains after the team's flat, losing performance in the first round of the state tournament.
I knew the player to be somewhat of a hothead, but he was, as a key player, a senior and a guy with an "A" on his sweater, a perfectly appropriate player for me to interview after the game. The player criticized two key coaching decisions. I thought one of his criticisms was dead-on, the other ill-considered. But that didn't matter. The young man had a right to his opinions, and I certainly had a right to print them.
The coach was upset, not just because I printed these quotes, but because I did not go to him for response to the player's comments. He had a right to be upset about that.
At the beginning of the following season, he refused to speak with me at all concerning the team, finally relenting after my editor spoke to him. Our relationship seemed uncomfortable after that, to me, that is, but he apparently got over it very quickly, telling a mutual friend that he had no problem with me, and later telling me what a good job he thought I did.
Incidentally, I did not think he was a very good coach, but I admired the fact that he was willing to listen to reason, and to get over one indiscretion by a journalist concerning an accurate quote.
I italicize the word "accurate" because there has been a flap today concerning another accurate quote from an athlete. Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson comparing Tim Tebow and his apparent successor, John Brantley. "You never know with Tim," Thompson said. "He can bolt. You'll think he's running, but then he'll just come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything's with rhythm, time. Like, you know what I mean, a real quarterback."
That last part, "real quarterback," implies that Tebow is not a real quarterback. I don't care about the debate over what type of quarterback Tebow is. What I do care about is that Urban Meyer was angry enough about the quote that he threatened the reporter -- becoming just the next in a long line of sports figures to reveal himself as a bully, and, closely related, a coward.
Meyer seems to be upset for two reasons -- one, because the quote is insulting to his favorite player; or, at least it would be insulting to Tebow if it weren't clear to anyone with common sense that Thompson merely was drawing comparisons between the freelancing, running style of Tebow and the more traditional pocket passing of Brantley; and two -- because Thompson has apparently caught hell for the quote, likely from those without the aforementioned common sense.
But that's not Fowler's problem. Fowler's job is to report facts and back them up with accurate quotations. For those of us with common sense enough to know what Thompson meant, it was a great quote, the type of quote that let us football fans know exactly what this receiver felt about working with one quarterback after working with another.
It was a rare moment when an athlete, in an interview, actually SAID something!
And what does this reporter get for this insightful piece of writing? A threat from a gutless coach, who said, "If I were (Thompson's) father, we'd be going at it right now. Be very careful." And where did Meyer make this threat? In front of several of his assistants. Just like so many other sports figures, who threaten reporters in front of all their teammates. You never see a guy go to a newsroom and threaten a reporter. He might actually get his butt kicked.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon decried Meyer's actions on Pardon the Interruption, wondering if Meyer is going to threaten scouts and GMs who pass on Tebow in the draft. No. Of course he won't threaten them. They're usually former football players who just might give Meyer the beating he deserves. A reporter? Ah, just some skinny geek with a notebook who never played a sport.
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cowards take on the wrong reporter -- the one who actually moonlights as an MMA fighter -- and get a serious beating. I don't think that will change the fact that coaches think the press is supposed to be nothing but positive, but maybe it will tell them that it's time to show some guts. If you're so tough, try picking on someone your own size -- and without all your buddies backing you up.
I knew the player to be somewhat of a hothead, but he was, as a key player, a senior and a guy with an "A" on his sweater, a perfectly appropriate player for me to interview after the game. The player criticized two key coaching decisions. I thought one of his criticisms was dead-on, the other ill-considered. But that didn't matter. The young man had a right to his opinions, and I certainly had a right to print them.
The coach was upset, not just because I printed these quotes, but because I did not go to him for response to the player's comments. He had a right to be upset about that.
At the beginning of the following season, he refused to speak with me at all concerning the team, finally relenting after my editor spoke to him. Our relationship seemed uncomfortable after that, to me, that is, but he apparently got over it very quickly, telling a mutual friend that he had no problem with me, and later telling me what a good job he thought I did.
Incidentally, I did not think he was a very good coach, but I admired the fact that he was willing to listen to reason, and to get over one indiscretion by a journalist concerning an accurate quote.
I italicize the word "accurate" because there has been a flap today concerning another accurate quote from an athlete. Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson comparing Tim Tebow and his apparent successor, John Brantley. "You never know with Tim," Thompson said. "He can bolt. You'll think he's running, but then he'll just come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything's with rhythm, time. Like, you know what I mean, a real quarterback."
That last part, "real quarterback," implies that Tebow is not a real quarterback. I don't care about the debate over what type of quarterback Tebow is. What I do care about is that Urban Meyer was angry enough about the quote that he threatened the reporter -- becoming just the next in a long line of sports figures to reveal himself as a bully, and, closely related, a coward.
Meyer seems to be upset for two reasons -- one, because the quote is insulting to his favorite player; or, at least it would be insulting to Tebow if it weren't clear to anyone with common sense that Thompson merely was drawing comparisons between the freelancing, running style of Tebow and the more traditional pocket passing of Brantley; and two -- because Thompson has apparently caught hell for the quote, likely from those without the aforementioned common sense.
But that's not Fowler's problem. Fowler's job is to report facts and back them up with accurate quotations. For those of us with common sense enough to know what Thompson meant, it was a great quote, the type of quote that let us football fans know exactly what this receiver felt about working with one quarterback after working with another.
It was a rare moment when an athlete, in an interview, actually SAID something!
And what does this reporter get for this insightful piece of writing? A threat from a gutless coach, who said, "If I were (Thompson's) father, we'd be going at it right now. Be very careful." And where did Meyer make this threat? In front of several of his assistants. Just like so many other sports figures, who threaten reporters in front of all their teammates. You never see a guy go to a newsroom and threaten a reporter. He might actually get his butt kicked.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon decried Meyer's actions on Pardon the Interruption, wondering if Meyer is going to threaten scouts and GMs who pass on Tebow in the draft. No. Of course he won't threaten them. They're usually former football players who just might give Meyer the beating he deserves. A reporter? Ah, just some skinny geek with a notebook who never played a sport.
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cowards take on the wrong reporter -- the one who actually moonlights as an MMA fighter -- and get a serious beating. I don't think that will change the fact that coaches think the press is supposed to be nothing but positive, but maybe it will tell them that it's time to show some guts. If you're so tough, try picking on someone your own size -- and without all your buddies backing you up.
Monday, March 15, 2010
SportsCenter is Bad for Children
OK, that's a little overly dramatic, but it scares me that a generation of future broadcasters is learning the trade by watching this crappy show.
I never really see any SC edition other than the weekday-morning shows, but I hope the people who host those other shows are better than the horrendous Josh Elliott. Last week I meant to blog something about his use of the term "missers" as the plural form of the word "mister." It isn't. The word is "messrs."
Today he showed the highlight of Kyle Singler of Duke crashing into ESPN sportscaster Dan Shulman (great play-by-play man, by the way) to save a loose ball (great play, by the way). And he identified Shulman as being "astride" Dick Vitale.
Please, readers, pick up a dictionary and look up the word astride. Quite a visual you will get of the working relationship of Messrs. Shulman and Vitale.
I'm fed up with the dorky, dippy Elliott. He is now in my crosshairs.
I have DirecTV, so I don't get to see NHL games on Versus, but I do see Versus hockey ads on the NHL network. Not good, boys. I'm actually pretty glad the NHL finds ways to keep most sports fans out. Thirty years I've been a hockey fan, and I'm glad that most people don't appreciate this great sport. It hasn't been corrupted by superstar cachet. I hope it never is.
So, Versus and NHL, please keep up the good work. Three closeups of Tim Thomas' face as we hear highlights of his saves -- all while he serves as Tukka Rask's backup. That's a fine ad campaign.
I never really see any SC edition other than the weekday-morning shows, but I hope the people who host those other shows are better than the horrendous Josh Elliott. Last week I meant to blog something about his use of the term "missers" as the plural form of the word "mister." It isn't. The word is "messrs."
Today he showed the highlight of Kyle Singler of Duke crashing into ESPN sportscaster Dan Shulman (great play-by-play man, by the way) to save a loose ball (great play, by the way). And he identified Shulman as being "astride" Dick Vitale.
Please, readers, pick up a dictionary and look up the word astride. Quite a visual you will get of the working relationship of Messrs. Shulman and Vitale.
I'm fed up with the dorky, dippy Elliott. He is now in my crosshairs.
I have DirecTV, so I don't get to see NHL games on Versus, but I do see Versus hockey ads on the NHL network. Not good, boys. I'm actually pretty glad the NHL finds ways to keep most sports fans out. Thirty years I've been a hockey fan, and I'm glad that most people don't appreciate this great sport. It hasn't been corrupted by superstar cachet. I hope it never is.
So, Versus and NHL, please keep up the good work. Three closeups of Tim Thomas' face as we hear highlights of his saves -- all while he serves as Tukka Rask's backup. That's a fine ad campaign.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Scoreless Duel -- Or Scoreless Dull?
Wow, let's just get to April and play some real baseball, because this isn't doing much for me, other than watching what the Florida wind can do to a baseball -- oh, and a nice pick by Nick Johnson. It'll be good to see him back at first base for the Yankees. Oh, wait, we already have a first baseman? I guess he'll DH. So much for leaving the DH role empty for our older position players such as Posada, et al. Needless to say, I'm not in love with the Yankees' off-season.
So let's talk hockey. Hockey? Yes, hockey. Specifically this: Will the buzz from the Olympics translate to an increase in interest in the NHL?
In a word, no. I don't know why Americans don't like hockey. I love hockey. I always have. It's not great on TV, but really, neither is baseball. And hockey in person is better than anything. It's beatiful. You think the sound of the crack of the bet is special when you're at a baseball game? It's nothing compared to the "clop" of a puck on a stick as a player receives a pass.
Hockey has given Americans plenty of opportunities to fall in love with it. The Miracle on Ice -- followed, you may remember, by the first of four straight Stanley Cups for the New York Islanders, won in sudden-death overtime. Gretzky's time in L.A., Lemieux's entire career in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back titles. The Rangers' breaking the Curse in 1994. Not to mention there was already a USA-Canada gold medal game in 2002, in this country!
It's not the lack of a good TV deal. The NHL was on ESPN for years. It helped, but hockey just never took hold. And let's put it this way: if football were on Versus, would the ratings suffer? Or would people complain for five minutes and then find out where Versus was? You bet they would.
Does interest in figure skating pick up after the Olympics? Seriously, does anyone watch the long program, or whatever it's called, and see some pixie win a gold medal, then make a commitment to go to more figure-skating performances? Or, for that matter, speed skating? Does anyone care about Apolo Ohno in a non-Olympic year?
I don't care about figure or speed skating even during the Olympics. For the 100 or so people who are interested in them all the time, I am missing out. That's how I feel about non-hockey fans. It's the best sport to watch, and I've been addicted to it since I was 8 years old. And it had nothing to do with the Miracle On Ice. It had to do with having a father who loved hockey and shared his passion for the sport with me.
So my kids will probably love hockey, too. Yours probably won't. It'll be their loss.
So let's talk hockey. Hockey? Yes, hockey. Specifically this: Will the buzz from the Olympics translate to an increase in interest in the NHL?
In a word, no. I don't know why Americans don't like hockey. I love hockey. I always have. It's not great on TV, but really, neither is baseball. And hockey in person is better than anything. It's beatiful. You think the sound of the crack of the bet is special when you're at a baseball game? It's nothing compared to the "clop" of a puck on a stick as a player receives a pass.
Hockey has given Americans plenty of opportunities to fall in love with it. The Miracle on Ice -- followed, you may remember, by the first of four straight Stanley Cups for the New York Islanders, won in sudden-death overtime. Gretzky's time in L.A., Lemieux's entire career in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back titles. The Rangers' breaking the Curse in 1994. Not to mention there was already a USA-Canada gold medal game in 2002, in this country!
It's not the lack of a good TV deal. The NHL was on ESPN for years. It helped, but hockey just never took hold. And let's put it this way: if football were on Versus, would the ratings suffer? Or would people complain for five minutes and then find out where Versus was? You bet they would.
Does interest in figure skating pick up after the Olympics? Seriously, does anyone watch the long program, or whatever it's called, and see some pixie win a gold medal, then make a commitment to go to more figure-skating performances? Or, for that matter, speed skating? Does anyone care about Apolo Ohno in a non-Olympic year?
I don't care about figure or speed skating even during the Olympics. For the 100 or so people who are interested in them all the time, I am missing out. That's how I feel about non-hockey fans. It's the best sport to watch, and I've been addicted to it since I was 8 years old. And it had nothing to do with the Miracle On Ice. It had to do with having a father who loved hockey and shared his passion for the sport with me.
So my kids will probably love hockey, too. Yours probably won't. It'll be their loss.
Balls and Beers
Mitre gets the Pirates to go 1-2-3. Then again, so could I. OK, that's a little harsh. I'm going to try to be nice to the Pirates for as long as I can, because I'm thinking of making multiple trips out there for games this year. I've never been to PNC Park but I hear it's one of the best ballparks there.
I have been to Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and I've long thought I could get into the Phillies as an NL team I could follow. I really like Philadelphia, and they have a great ballpark.
Alas, after 18 months of venom from Boston fans, I don't think I'm going to spend that much time around another angry fan base. Philly fans aren't the self-righteous clowns Boston fans are, but they more than rival the Beantowners in the anger department, and I'm not going to deal with that, especially the season after the Yankees have just vanquished the Phils in the World Series.
Meanwhile, I hadn't had much to write since the first, so I needed inspiration. So, I crack open a Yuengling and take one sip, and the ideas just start flowing. This one is a "Bock Beer," and the label features a goat and the words "Tastes Good." And it does. My initial reaction: what a weak slogan! But have you seen a Bud Light commercial lately? "Here We Go!"
They actually paid an ad exec to come up with "Here We Go"? I must be in the wrong business. I could have come up with that. That's even worse than "It's the Cola" and "The Strength to Be There." And ad people wonder why we all use our DVRs to skip commercials.
A-Rod fires to first to end the top of the fourth and jogs off the field with a smile on his face. Why is he smiling? Because at this time last year his mind was occupied with just about everything but baseball. Now, it's just baseball. Rodriguez will hear "STE-ROID" chants the rest of his career, but I everything has turned for him. He's about to put up a monster year. Count on it.
And here comes Jeter to the plate. Is there anything better than that?
I have been to Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and I've long thought I could get into the Phillies as an NL team I could follow. I really like Philadelphia, and they have a great ballpark.
Alas, after 18 months of venom from Boston fans, I don't think I'm going to spend that much time around another angry fan base. Philly fans aren't the self-righteous clowns Boston fans are, but they more than rival the Beantowners in the anger department, and I'm not going to deal with that, especially the season after the Yankees have just vanquished the Phils in the World Series.
Meanwhile, I hadn't had much to write since the first, so I needed inspiration. So, I crack open a Yuengling and take one sip, and the ideas just start flowing. This one is a "Bock Beer," and the label features a goat and the words "Tastes Good." And it does. My initial reaction: what a weak slogan! But have you seen a Bud Light commercial lately? "Here We Go!"
They actually paid an ad exec to come up with "Here We Go"? I must be in the wrong business. I could have come up with that. That's even worse than "It's the Cola" and "The Strength to Be There." And ad people wonder why we all use our DVRs to skip commercials.
A-Rod fires to first to end the top of the fourth and jogs off the field with a smile on his face. Why is he smiling? Because at this time last year his mind was occupied with just about everything but baseball. Now, it's just baseball. Rodriguez will hear "STE-ROID" chants the rest of his career, but I everything has turned for him. He's about to put up a monster year. Count on it.
And here comes Jeter to the plate. Is there anything better than that?
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