Friday Fumblings

--Early indications are that the Rams have picked a people person. Scott Linehan is being introduced at a press conference today as the new head coach. According to a report by Bernie Miklasz on 1380ESPN this morning, the coach had one request of his new bosses before they would gather for the conference. He wanted to say hello to, and answer the questions of, all of the behind-the-scenes staffers who work for the Rams.

This strikes me as something the beloved Dick Vermiel would have done in his days with the Rams. Vermiel, as you probably know, was universally loved by everyone at Rams Park. He knew them all by name. In many cases he knew the names of their kids and other family members too. Asked about their health. Kids grades at school. You know...just a likeable guy.

On the other hand, I have heard stories about Mike Martz that fall on the opposite end of the personality spectrum. I have been told by friends in the media that Martz was not only NOT a people person, but not many of the workers at Rams Park had any use for him. I don't write this just because he's gone, but because it adds to the context of Linehan's gesture. I'm told that Rams staffers would duck into meeting rooms, or hallways to nowhere, just to avoid interaction with Martz. Because interaction with him was either unfriendly, or of a demanding nature. They said as far as Martz was concerned, you were either a friend or an enemy. And if you were a friend, you were expected to be doing something for him. He didn't know you as a person, only as a piece in his chess game.

It appears that Linehan is off on the right foot and on his way to repairing some of the behind-the-scenes chaos that has existed in the Rams company for the last several years. A good people person has come to be what we expect from a high-profile personality in St. Louis.

--I am somewhat torn as to my opinion on the latest "in the stands" incident in the NBA. In short, Antonio Davis of the NY Knicks went into the stands in Chicago Wednesday night in an effort to defend his wife from what he thought was a drunk in the stands who was harassing her. The league has suspended Davis for 5 games for breaking the rule that no player can go into the stands during a game for any reason. The suspension was somewhat light due to the "mitigating circumstances of the incident", according to NBA operations man Stu Jackson.

Now the fan in quesion, 22-year-old Michael Axelrod, has, of course, hired an attorney and is suing Davis and his wife. He says she cursed him and put her hands on his face trying to shut him up. He says all he was doing was cheering loudly for his Bulls, and against the Knicks. He says he wasn't drunk..." I had a glass of wine with dinner".

Well, I'm sure the real story of this incident is somewhere in between what Mr. and Mrs. Davis would tell you, and Axelrod's explanation. But, in my mind, Davis (who by the way is President of the NBA Players Association) broke a rule that should have been totally clear to him before his decision. Totally clear, because not much time has passed since the brawl in the stands in Detroit. And we all know how hard the league came down on those guys. I know this is a totally different type of incident. But the rule is not challengeable. Players aren't to go in the stands, for ANY reason.

I believe this is a case of a fellow who is 6-9, 245 pounds, deciding that taking matters into his own hands was the best option. If he thought his wife's life was in danger, not likely at a basketball game, then you could almost excuse his actions. But, walking off the court and calling for security to handle it would have saved him a lot of time, trouble, and possibly before it's over, money. In my mind, this again speaks to the "dream world" that many professional athletes live in. They don't live by the same rules and laws that everyone else does, or any rules for that matter.

Now, I don't have much use for people that scream "law suit" at their first opportunity either. It doesn't look like there any good guys in this story.

Random Wednesday Thoughts

Y'know...I don't smoke. (Haven't since I made a New Year's Eve promise to myself in 1975 going into 1976) And I certainly don't want to appear as though I do, or encourage anyone else to. So, as glamorous and "in character" as I may appear in the caricature below, I have asked my friend Nick to re-do the drawing minus the cigarette. Nick and I are old enough to remember when just about everybody in the news business (Edward R. Murrow glamorizing it on TV) was a smoker. So it would make sense to show a guy typing up a news story in a caricature with a tobacco product in his mouth.

That reminds me, I was unhappy...no kinda pissed...to read the other day that most of the tobacco settlement money in Illinois is not going to the stop-smoking education and other anti-smoking programs that it was supposed to. As usual, the politicians promise to do one thing with government money, and then wind up doing something else. So, while the tobacco companies implement new strategies every day to get cigarettes into the mouths of our young people, our states are doing much less than promised to fight that. Don't smoke young people...take it from someone who did...there's no good reason to...and many good reasons not to. Just one of which is not dying from lung cancer.

Another disappointing loss by the Blues last night. Not disappointing because it was unexpected, but because they came fighting back to tie the game after trailing 3-0. Then it seemed the Devils turned the faucet back on and as a team said..."OK...this is silly. Let's win this thing." They then outplayed the Blues terribly and scored the winning goal. But, that's what we've got to expect from the Blues with the current roster. Folks, they just don't have enough quality players. As I said before, they are just biding time with these guys until the team is sold. The team we have now is made up of (by most accounts I've heard) "a bunch of good guys". But, they need people who can play...not good guys. They have a few...but not nearly as many as all of the other teams in the NHL. Just look at the standings. We thought last season was bad without hockey. This one is turning into something worse--pitiful and disgraceful hockey that we've never seen before in St. Louis.

Looks like the new Rams coach is going to be one of three assistants in the league. Only one, Cam Cameron, has been a head coach before. He was head coach at Indiana U. a few years back. I don't know enough about Scott Linehan or Ron Rivera to have a reason to dislike them. At this point you just have to hope that the Shaw/Zygmunt hiring team will do a thorough enough job of thinking this thing through to pick the right guy. The enjoyment level of our football Sundays for the next few years depends on it.

The sales effort has begun for the Grizzlies upcoming season. If your company or family would like to bring a group to the outstanding venue in Sauget for the coming season, I can help with that. Or I can put you in touch with the right people. It's always great fun at Grizzlies games...and it's not too soon to book your outing for the late May-early September season. First come, first served.

Branching Out

Well what do you think of this? My friend, and cohort in advertising, Nick Mirkay did a caricature of me that I am going to be using in some advertising. I have decided to advertise my blog in various places to hopefully attract a few readers to the site.

When I write about some topic in the news, the "News Guy" to the left will appear in the ad with appropriate copy and the address of the blog. Nick also did one with a sports theme, and a generic presentation.

Hopefully I'll get a few people to mark the site as a favorite and drum up some repeat visitors. The entertainment I've gotten out of writing for the blog has surprised me. Now, with the help of a few advertisers, I'm going to try to make a buck or two. If you know of, or are, someone with a business who might be interested in advertising on this site, please contact me and I'll give you more details of what my plans are for marketing the whole thing. You can drop me an e-mail through the link on my voiceover site. A link to that site is in the right-hand sidebar.

Obviously Nick is an incredibly talented artist and is available to do graphic and free-hand artwork such as what you see above. If you would like to discuss advertising that includes some of Nick's excellent work, I can make that happen. Just call or drop me an e-mail. Again, the toll-free number and e-mail address is on my voiceover website.

What a Day of Football!

I realize now how much I miss the Rams being a playoff caliber team. Today there was unbelievable drama on the football fields of the NFL.

The Indianapolis-Pittsburgh AFC game was not much to get wound up about until the last ten minutes of action. Pittsburgh pretty well had their way with the Colts until the late going. Then the Colts came to life and almost won it thanks to a controversial decision by the officials on an instant replay of an inerception that should have sewn it up for Pittsburgh. And then, after the Steelers took over on downs inside the Colts 5 yard line very late in the game, Jerome Bettis fumbled on a play that would have put the game out of reach had he scored. The fumble was returned all the way into Pittsburgh territory, and could have gone for a TD, but Ben Roethlisberger saved the day with a clutch tackle. Then Indy still had a chance to take the lead with a field goal by the usually reliable Mike Vanderjagt...but he missed and the drama was over.

The Chicago-Carolina game was a head scratcher too. It figured to be a defensive struggle. But, the offenses had answers and made it a much more high-scoring game than anyone expected. Lots of drama toward the end of that one too. Carolina wins and goes to Seattle for the NFC championship next weekend.

The games today remind me that back in the Rams glory days of '99-'02-'04?...well, before things fell apart this year, I tried to remind myself that I should really savor those playoff games and special moments with Warner & Co., the good Martz days, the Super Bowl win, and even the loss. We just don't get the chance to have too many post-season parties in any sport, so when they come along, we have to really cherish them.

Do you remember the feeling that raced through your body when Mike Jones made the tackle to clinch the Super Bowl in '99. I do. Do you remember the excitement that engulfed St. Louis when Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas to win the World Series in '82? I do. Do you remember the Stanley Cup being paraded down Market Street in....uh, never mind.

But, you get the idea. Today's NFL games remind me how fortunate were were to get the Rams in the early '90s from L.A. and how at least they give us the chance to be involved in playoff excitement... much more so than Billy Bidwill, nice a guy as he may be, ever did. When the special moments come along in sports, we should drink in the atmosphere and tuck away those feelings, to bring out and do a replay in our minds on days like this.

Let's hope John Shaw picks the right coach so we don't have to wait too long for more of those moments.

Test of Character

A couple of days ago I wrote about the anonymous postings to chat rooms and blogs for which the internet is becoming infamous. Does anyone really care about the person on the other computer? It seems not. In fact, when I wrote the other day about Howard Stern, and was less than complimentary, a few folks took the occasion to blast me personally with cruel and defamatory replies. When I called them out as being vicious, one response was, "Welcome to the internet". Is that what it is? Is the internet becoming just a place to degrade and humiliate others without conscience? Is the ability to communicate anonymously too much of a temptation to avoid cyber-hooliganism? Are we unable to interact in a civil manner when cloaked in anonymity?

I also wrote in that post about how my son is involved with a play in which things get out of hand when interaction on the net bleeds over into real life. I found a story today about just such an incidence. Check it out.

http://www.courttv.com/news/2006/0112/chatroom_suit_ctv.html

I'm guessing this sort of thing is going to become more common as the "internet experience", and life as lived through a computer, continues to grow. I would expect stories such as the one referenced above to become more common. When someone chooses to be no longer anonymous, he/she must deal with a world that many apparently are unprepared to handle. The real world.

Character is what you are in the dark.
American Proverb

Go Figure

I tend to be one of those people who bounces around the radio dial when I'm in the car. If something doesn't interest me, I'll pop a pre-set button and go somewhere else. So, I tend to sample a lot of what's out there. I lean toward talk and sports-talk radio, but I also enjoy several of the music stations.

During this week when the U.S. Figure Skating Championships have been contested at the Savvis Center, I've run into several hosts who enjoyed themselves by poking fun at figure skating and it's people. The tone of their comments was one of looking down their nose at the event and anyone who would have the inclination to enjoy attending.

I guess what I'm building up to is that as I grow older, I find it more and more difficult to stomach this sort of barroom mentality, particularly on the radio. You would think by listening to some of these guys that anyone who enjoys figure skating has got to either be a woman, gay, or a gay woman...or something less than what they consider human. Now even if that would all be true, it shouldn't take figure skating into the realm of scorn and ridicule. "Figure skating...heh heh...snicker, snicker...Spangles and glitter...heh heh...snicker...snicker...hair spray...tight pants...short skirts...heh heh...snicker... pass me another cigar."

Now, I've never spent a whole lot of time watching Brian Boitano or Katarina Witt specials on TV either, but I don't feel threatened by the activity. Notice I didn't use the word sport. Because, frankly I have a hard time calling it a real sport myself. A competition...OK...a physical contest...maybe...but more of a judged movement exhibition than a sport. Sort of like ballroom dancing. All that being said, some of my favorite radio hosts seemingly are compelled to belittle the competition and it's participants to make themselves feel better about being a "he-man, hairy legged, beer drinkin', ass whoopin, if-you-ain't-with-me-you're-agin-me, I-ain't-never-seen-a-cheeseburger-I couldn't-eat sports guy."-- "Heh heh...snicker...I seen that Witt woman with her top off in Playboy once."

You might think just for the good of commerce in St. Louis that these guys would hold back until the people staging this event are back home and out of earshot. Different strokes for different folks guys. And performing to the enjoyment of many should be just as acceptable on the ice in figure skates as it is in helmets and pads.

Somebody Knows Something

The news organizations were unable to provide much in the way of detail. The police are still baffled. We will hear more about this story, but from who? And when?

Here's the story I'm talking about reprinted from stltoday.com- _______________________________________________________
Teen is found shot to death in his bedroom
By Denise Hollinshed
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/10/2006

East St. Louis police are investigating the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy
found early Tuesdayin his bedroom. Police found Tony Dean with a gunshot wound
in the back of his head at his home in the 700 block of North 52nd Street about
2:15 a.m., said East St. Louis Police Chief James Mister. Tony was pronounced
dead at 3:01 a.m. at Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital in East St. Louis.
Mister said that at the time of the shooting, the boy's mother, Sharon Blanchard,
and seven other people were inside the house and that a couple had been standing
outside. Mister expressed exasperation that no one came forward to say what had happened.
"Everybody in the house said they heard a loud noise," a disgusted-looking Mister said
outside the boy's home Tuesday morning. Crime scene technicians appeared to be
gathering evidence from under a broken window on the front of the frame home.
Mister said the house had been hit by bullets from previous shootings. Tony was an
eighth-grader at Clark Middle School, where Principal Roland Coleman called in
social workers, counselors and East St. Louis police chaplains to assist grieving students.
________________________________________________________________

Here's a young life that is snuffed out because a bullet just happens to find it's way into his head at 2 o'clock in the morning? Come on. The mother was there. A bunch of other people were either in or around the house when it happened. I'm not a cop. But, I don't think it takes one to realize that all of these people are covering up the real story. Somebody has likely intimidated the group into not talking.

I just feel sorry for a young person that has had his opportunity to live denied because he was unfortunate enough to be born into a life that put him in those circumstances. I don't know if Tony Dean of East St. Louis would have gone on to great things. But, even before he could get to the point where he had some sort of control over his future, the factors of his existence ganged up on him to snuff out his chance. Those of us who have never been in such a life situation should count our blessings each time we hear of a story like this.

Now, which one of the people in the house at the time of this young fellow's death is going to have the courage and character to set things right? Somebody needs to tell the police what really happened in that house Tuesday morning. Young people of the area need to know that their lives can't end like this without someone being responsible, and being held accountable.

The Electronic Curtain

My son Stewart, who's studying acting at DePaul in Chicago, is currently rehearsing his role in a play in which he portrays a young man dealing with the consequences of having assumed a fake identity while interacting with others on the internet. It's an interesting concept, and a timely project, considering how we all become different people when interacting with others on line. The population that uses computers has become used to the notion that this form of communication will be of no consequence to them.

This phenomenon hit home yesterday after my friend Mike Anderson included an entry on his stlmedia.net website about my blog commentary on Howard Stern's satellite debut. Mike's site, much more frequented than this blog, drove greater numbers of people here than usually visit. He included a portion of my commentary on his site, which apparently ruffled some Stern fans. As a result I have had to endure personal insults from anonymous writers posting in response to my opinion. I expect others to have ideas that vary from mine. But why do people, under cover of anonymity, resort to attempts to defame or belittle others? What does this kind of internet behavior say about our current state of affairs, and the health of our society? Anything?

Not too many years ago, most personal interaction was either done face-to-face, by phone, or by mail. In those forms of communication, most people had to identify themselves in order to be taken seriously. Obviously, face-to-face communication is the most honest form. If you have something to say to a person, you either have the guts to say it to their face, or you don't. You're willing to accept the consequences of your words.

On the phone, or in a letter, you have the benefit of the distance between yourself and the recipient to communicate your message without fear of that person's physical presence or possible reaction. In this secondary form of communication the writer, or speaker, must still identify himself in order to expect a serious response. Anonymous letters and phonecalls may get your attention, but have come to be generally accepted as somewhat cowardly, and more of a nuisance than anything. It's exactly why we have effectively banned telephone solicitation, instituted caller ID, and why most junk mail ends up in the trash.

Blogs, message boards, chat rooms, and other places where people interact anonymously on the internet, seemingly have set up a way to semi-legitimately interact with others without fear. However, it seems to me, we all should have a greater awareness that much of what is said should be taken with a grain of salt. Anyone, anywhere can say almost anything without fear of physical confrontation, ridicule, or prosecution. (Of course, threats to national security and the like have come back to bite some writers in the rear if they screw up and go that far.) Therefore, we all must realize that little of what is written by "Mr. or Ms. Anonymous" carries any significance. It's just another moment extracted from an episode of Jerry Springer.

I don't hold this blog to be an important place to visit. I don't expect anything I write to change the world. It's simply a place for me to express an opinion, something to which everyone is entitled. But, at least my name is on it. I put myself out there for examination and ridicule. I don't take kindly to personal attacks as a response to what I say, but I won't be concerened about "behind-the-mask" opinions either. Most people in the St. Louis area know how to reach me if they really want to. Mr. or Ms. Anonymous provide no address, phone number or e-mail address. So their views carry no weight.

By the way, in Stewart's play, the lead character gets himself entangled in a number of messy situations when he actually tries to assume his internet persona in real life. A stage play is an understandable false reality. The internet also provides a false reality, and a place for many people to be, because of the "electronic curtain", more than they really are.

I Hesitate to Comment

It didn't take Howard Stern long to take advantage of the lack of federal oversight on satellite radio broadcasts to utter the f-word. While I wasn't listening myself, reports of his "right off the bat" expletive are all over the internet. Of course today was his first day on the Sirius satellite after many years of pandering to the masses interested in sleaze on the airwaves of broadcast radio.

I hate to talk about Stern, even to the smallish audience of my blog, because every time somebody mentions his name, his cash register rings. And I don't want to be a party to that. Stern has been the "anti-Christ" to my vision of what a good broadcaster should be for as long as I can remember. But give the guy credit for finding a way to make radio pay off in a big way for himself. He has always been about shock and money. And there will always be those who run broadcasting facilities who will give someone like him a chance to make a fool of himself in order to guarantee a revenue stream.

If someone wants to pay the $13 monthly fee to Sirius for the opportunity to hear Stern talk about body parts, downgrade guests (particularly women), and use the f-word every other sentence, well I guess that's their prerogative. I suppose listening to Stern while watching porn, drinking a morning beer, and thumbing through a Penthouse is attractive to a sizeable audience. I thought people stopped giggling at that kind of stuff around their eighteenth birthday, but perhaps I overestimate the intelligence of the population.

It seems like the effort to make money by dumbing down the world will always be there in one form or another. I have long expected this kind of radio to eventually become passe'. But, it seems that each time someone graduates from the Stern show to a less juvenile radio diet, another person or two succumbs to the attraction of the "dark side". Make no mistake about it, Stern attempts to portray himself as someone providing a legitimate service to listeners, and as a "thinking man". But, from where I sit, it's all part of the act.

My question now is, how much, and how severe, of this kind of product will be tolerated on satellite until someone steps in and tries to stop it? I have to believe if Stern, and other shockers like him, start crossing over into actual behavior control of their audiences, and someone gets hurt in some way, that the issue is going to come up in Washington again. You know that one of the satellite jocks is going to try something that goes past the edge of the envelope some time soon.

George Takei, "Sulu" on Star Trek, now an announcer on the Stern show, said today "the revolution has begun". I believe that to be true. It takes someone of the magnitude and popularity of Stern on pay-radio to set the wheels in motion. But, which way will this new movement go? I believe the age-old censorship debate is about to start all over again. Probably sooner than later.

Most Mispronounced Word of All Time?

English, by most estimations, is one of the toughest languages in the world to master. There are so many words with multiple meanings, even though they are spelled the same way for each. There are many words where the spelling seems to have nothing to do with the way it's pronounced. Gauge? Cough? Often? (why is there even a "t" in it?) You get the idea.

I will never know how someone new to our country could ever fully learn the language based on how those of us who are natives use it. The various American dialects give different twists to the same word. So many words are consistently and continuously mispronounced that those trying to learn it must be constantly baffled.

In fact, many mispronunciations seem to be generally accepted over time to the point that noone really seems to care. Over the holidays, I noted two prominent broadcasters misusing words to the point that I thought they must be kidding. One used the word "infamous" in a commercial twice thinking that he was being complimentary to the client's cut of steak.

in·fa·mous ( P ) Pronunciation Key (in-fuh-mus) adj.
1. Having an exceedingly bad reputation; notorious.
2. Causing or deserving infamy; heinous: an infamous deed.

The other used the word "realtor" at least four times in a commercial pronouncing it as "real-a-tor". This is one of those words that is misused so often (don't say the "t") that when we hear it, we don't even recognize it as being mispronounced.

Re·al·tor ( P ) Pronunciation Key (reel-tr, -tôr)
A service mark used for a real-estate agent affiliated with the National Association of Realtors.

We all hear words misused, or mispronounced on a regular basis. But, I would like to nominate a particular word as the most mispronounced word in the English language. It's not because this word is most used in regular conversation, it's because of the number of times it is mispronounced on a daily basis in a mass-audience setting. That setting is every sporting event that is played in this country. We precede the event with the national anthem. And most, not all, but most of the performers botch up one of the words in the song on a regular basis.

The word is perilous.

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

per·il·ous adj.
Full of, or involving peril; dangerous

I can't even put the accepted pronunciation (pronounced pro-nun-cee-ay-shun) marks beside the word in this case because the backwards e that is used in the on-line dictionary isn't able to be cut and pasted. I guess the program doesn't recognize it as a real character. But, perilous is supposed to be pronounced--

Pair'---not uh...but soft eh--luss

Having introduced the anthem at Blues games for the last 19 years, I have heard the word screwed up in many variations.

Pair-uh-LESS (most common), Pair-ih-LESS, Pair-IH-luss (not really a mispronunciation, but maybe a little too formal), PEER-uh-luss, Peer-uh-less, Peer-less, Pair-lee-us

Just about all possible "botch jobs" have been used over the years. I usually cringe, politely applaud when they are finished singing, and go about my business.

You may have your nomination for the most mispronounced word in the language, but I would think this word, because of the prominence and frequency of the usage, has to be right up there. We need to get the word out to all singers of the anthem, that there is nothing in the song about a pair-uh-less night..(many times they follow up perilous with night...instead of fight)

Please post your comments and thoughts and I'll do a follow-up soon.

Ho, Ho, and more Ho!

I'll be taking a few days off from blogging as I wrap up the year and enjoy a little down time with my family. I hope you'll remember the reason for the season, as I will try to do, and will be blessed with a special moment or two in the next ten days.

If you have enjoyed any of my ramblings during the year, I'd appreciate you spreading the word about my efforts here. Just tell your friends to visit:
www.tcalhoun.blogspot.com







Happy Holidays my friend!

Tom

Better, Worse, or Just Different?

During the holidays I often have moments of melancholy when I wish today's young people could enjoy the type of life I had as a young boy. And yet, I wonder if they would. I savor memories of my "good ol' days", but I tend to wonder if they really were any better than any other era. Let me explain.

When I was a tike:
-We had black and white TV that usually only got three channels. No TiVo. No satellite dishes. No DVDs. No video games. We listened to a lot of radio and found other things to do with our time. Lives weren't centered around TV nearly as much as now.
-We could leave the doors to our house (and just about anything else)unlocked. People respected one another's property. There was little crime, or fear of it, at least where I lived.
-People were not all in a hurry. They couldn't be. Transportation was not nearly as efficient. You walked a lot. You rode bikes. The bus. You had one car, if that.
-The only mobile phones were in cartoons and movies. Telephonic communication was more a matter of necessity than convenience.
-Most, not all, but most families had stay-at-home moms. Usually, the mother's job was to raise the kids, teach them right from wrong, feed them, and keep them out of trouble. Most people lived a life not too far off from the old "Leave it to Beaver" or "Ozzie and Harriet" shows. (I realize young people reading this might not know what those shows were like either)
-People were more into the lives of other people. You knew about the neighbor's sick aunt. You were sorry when your cousin's, friend's dog died. You were excited to see an old friend in church. Parents seemed to be more like leaders and teachers than friends and admirers. Grandparents were more a part of the family. Family members usually all had the same last name.
-Being a sports fan was simpler. By that I mean the basketball hero in your life was more likely to be the kid down the street who starred on the high school team than Shaquille O'Neal. Your baseball hero was "Stan the Man" or Mickey Mantle, and you could expect them to play their whole career on the same team. You wouldn't miss the "big game" between the high-school football rivals. You showed up at a playground basketball game because it featured two guys who could "really play".
-There was a lot less gray area between right and wrong. And if you weren't sure about it, any convenient adult was more than willing to straighten you out.
-A best friend was a constant companion and you didn't do anything without each other knowing about it.
-Life was simpler, safer, slower, warmer, fuzzier, centered around family, friends, school, church and love.
-Special moments seemed to be fewer and farther between. But they were really special.

By now, you're probably thinking this sounds a lot like an Andy Rooney piece on "60 Minutes".

I tend to think this would be a life and time that everyone would want. But then, the more I think about it, I really don't know. Maybe I'm just thinking that way because it's part of my history, and so many fond memories of people and places that I have enjoyed are found there. So, I tend to think of it as idyllic.

Would someone born in the last twenty years really want to go back to that time? If they could, would they want to stay? A better question is, would I be willing to give up the many conveniences and interesting technological aspects of living today? Cell phones? Cars that rarely break down? Computers and the internet? Interstate highways? Air travel? High definition TV? Surround sound? Drive-up windows? Automatic dishwashers, clotheswashers and dryers? ATMs? Pay-at-the-pump? Cordless drills? Should I keep going? Of course, noone would want to give all these things up. But, I didn't miss them as a kid, because we didn't know any better. They didn't exist. We did just fine without them. Different, but fine.

One thing is for sure, there's no going back. I tend to think that today will be the "good ol' days" to my sons; which is kind of a scary thought. I don't know how much more things can advance. Will they be thinking of the days when you actually had to pay for gas? When cars only drove on the ground? When you didn't have retinal-scan on every bank transaction? When everyone needed insurance to fix their car or their broken leg? When you had less than a thousand channels on your TV? When you couldn't transport yourself to another place in less than 5 seconds?

Who knows what living 50 years from now will bring? But could today (with all it's crime, hustle and bustle, people seemingly not caring about each other, "instant gratification is everything"-mentality and political correctness) possibly be thought of as "the good ol' days"? I think not. But then, I wouldn't think of my dad's, or grandpa's, time as the "good ol' days" either.

Pre-Holiday Notebook

Time for a bunch of random thoughts on the Monday preceding Christmas.

-How eerie is it to drive past the new stadium and see that big, rubble-filled hole in the ground that used to be Busch Stadium? As I was driving home from the hockey game Saturday night, I drove by on the south side of the Pavillion hotel and looked south into the construction dust that was illuminated by the lights on the new stadium. I got goose bumps. Very strange, and very cool at the same time.

-I've always thought one of the weaknesses in the whole scheme of things at KTRS radio is the lack of a clearly defined marketing plan. Many combinations of peronnel that have been on the air there since 1996 have been capable of taking the station to a dominant position in the market if only there were a professional effort put into advertising what the station offered. It's always amazed this little punkin' head how people in the advertising and communications business expect people to spend their ad budgets with their station, but have no clue about budgeting for, and creating, strong ad campaigns of their own. Duh?

-It seemed to me that the President made a rather strong attempt to connect with those who question the Iraq war policies of the administration in last night's address. His usual mechanical and distant delivery was replaced with a more personable and caring approach that should help him. He obviously has received some different coaching since his approval numbers dipped. I also think he's right when he says he can't say when we're going to pull out until the time is right. A pitcher doesn't tell the batter what pitch is coming.

-This will be the first Christmas that my oldest son spends away from our home. He has accepted a full-time position in Colorado ski country that will require him to work through the holiday season. It will be strange. And it makes me feel old.

-I will miss John Spencer. I've always thought he was a teriffic actor. His portayal of Leo McGarry on "West Wing" was, in my humble opinion, brilliant. It will be very interesting to see how the producers of that show deal with his loss. It looked as though he was destined for several more years as the Vice President to Jimmy Smits' character Matthew Santos, who observers expect to win the presidency in the current story line.

-The current battle over whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" is very amusing. I think most intelligent folks understand when each is appropriate. Christians shouldn't force Christmas down anyone's throat. But, at the same time, shouldn't be castigated for wishing someone a Merry Christmas at the wrong moment. Just because you're thoughtful enough to say "Happy Holidays" doesn't mean you're dissing Christianity, does it?

-I'm a little less than "jumping-up-and-down-excited" about the latest group rumored to be trying to buy the Blues. MattlinPatterson Global Advisors, from what I've been able to find out on the internet, is a group of people that specializes in taking over a company, infusing cash and different strategies, and then when the company is profitable again, selling their shares at an enormous profit. More than once I've seen the company referred to as "vulture investors". Interesting term. Kind of makes me wonder if they'd be in it for the love of hockey and/or St. Louis. They may be just what the doctor ordered, but I need to know more about the actual people who might run things.

Black Friday Afterthoughts

I'm surprised by...
-the thouroughness of the house-cleaning
-Randy and Jim being included, and Hadley not
-the way FOP came off on TV
-"Farmer Dave" not knowing until late Friday afternoon
-the fired people being allowed to continue through January 6th
-all of the new people being unknowns in this market
-"the Redbirds station" wanting to take on this new,"shock and awe" tone
-Tim Dorsey having to "lower the boom" when it wasn't really his call
-how radio execs always fall for the "out-of-town-host will work here" mindset

If it were my station to run...and I was going to clean house...I would have considered bringing in some people to replace them who have some cred in St. Louis. Maybe Guy Phillips, J.C. Corcoran and John Ulett, Dave Glover, anybody that St. Louis people could have some connection to, and might know something about sports. Corcoran does the baseball shows in Chicago during the summer already. He's been a proven ratings getter and seems to be able to "get along" at this stage of life. Phillips is a sports-oriented guy too. These people do mostly talk shows on music stations anyway and would bring with them something that none of the people coming in will have..."a built-in following".

Its like KTRS hiring all of KMOX's Cardinals salespeople. They have an existing relationship with their clients and could expect the money to follow them. I suppose they (Corcoran, Phillips etc.) wouldn't bring the "Holy Grail" of being strong enough in the 25-54 demo. These new people had better be REALLY good to get the under-35 crowd to actually listen to AM radio.

All of these out-of-towners have no existing audience and credibility and will be starting from scratch. As I stated before execution day, St. Louis listeners will be very slow to warm up to "outsiders". They could ask McGraw how long it took him to become "a St. Louis guy" over at KMOX.

I'm thinking about the future of all of the ex-KTRSers, but the guy I worry about the most is my good friend Jim Holder. As most everyone knows, he is one of the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure of knowing. And, like me, he's not a young gun anymore. I'm concerned about where, in this market, he will find work. Good luck "Holder-Man".

Glamorous?

Many times over the years I've been asked to give advice to young people eager to enter the field of broadcasting. Where should I go to school? Should I go into radio or TV? How much money do you make? Isn't it cool to be on the radio and play your favorite music? Isn't it fun being around sports all the time? ...they ask.

All of the answers to all of these questions make no difference unless you're willing to live through a day like a group of talented people did today at KTRS. Because one of those days will undoubtedly come. Not once, but likely several times during a career in radio or TV. The person who gets to the top quickly and stays there is a rarity. It's very likely you'll get caught up in sweeping format or personnel changes like today's "Black Friday" at the Big 550. Or you might just happen to have a boss that doesn't like the way you pronounce "Wednesday". Or you might make too much money for the big boss in Dallas. Or your ratings (which many times are bogus numbers) are down. Or you might just be the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong place.

I'm not saying that these kinds of things don't happen in other professions. It's just that in broadcasting it's such a public "execution". And in broadcasting, many times, it seems so personal. You're work is out there for thousands of people every day, and when somebody passes negative judgment on it, it's a hard thing to live down within the business. Many times you must re-locate to an entirely different market and start over to keep working. Especially if you specialize in a certain format. How many talk stations can there be in a given market. St. Louis is actually quite different than most markets. Here there are two major talk stations where you can actually make a decent...if not great...living.

I knew it was coming today at Westport. But I feel very badly for each of the professionals sent into broadcasting oblivion by the management people who felt the necessity to purge KTRS of it's short-lived "tradition". Oh, the philosophy behind the change is understandable. But that doesn't make it any easier for the people who were handed the pink slip and thought they had a promise of employment they could count on.

I hesitate to discourage any young person who envisions a broadcasting life for themselves. But I also urge them to understand what they might be getting into. So, I tell them... before you choose that career in the sexy, glamorous, "out there", edgy, and not-as-lucrative-as-you-might-think world of radio or TV, make very, very sure you have what it takes, and can take what it gives. Either that, or buy your own station.

Why I Got Out

From all the indications I'm getting, and the words of some people I trust to know what they are talking about, we might not recognize what station we're listening to when we turn to 550AM after December 31st.

"The Big 550-KTRS", as it has been billed for several years, may be getting ready for a pretty thorough house-cleaning. Of course, I don't work there full-time anymore. I haven't for almost two years now. But, all the signs point to a "blow-it-up-and-start-over-again" format change. Talk will stay. People will come and go.

The signs?
The ownership change when the Cardinals came over with the baseball broadcasts.
There is a new man in place calling most of the shots. Bobby Lawrence was put in place by the Cardinals people.
There is a new Program Director. Al Brady Law, who's been all over the country at other stations, was hired on. Usually that's an indication that upper management wants to do something different with programming but would rather bring in someone to "put new ideas in place". Of course, implementing change in radio programming inevitably means lost jobs for those currently on the air.
On-air auditions by people unknown in this market. Several times over the past month, Scott St. James and Meme Wolff (9am-Noon) have been inexplicably absent with individuals, and teams, heretofore unheard of taking their place. There have been other strange appearances in other dayparts, including evening sports programming. So far, there have been no unusual personnel switcheroos in morning or afternoon drive, but I wouldn't take that to mean there is no possibility of change there either.

Wendy Wiese and Bill Wilkerson (morning drive), Brian Kelly (News Director), Jim Holder (Sports Director), St. James, McGraw Millhaven (Noon-3), Randy Karraker and John Hadley (evening sports)all could have targets on their backs because of their one-time employment at KMOX. I understand that Brian Hartmann, an excellent voice and commercial production talent, has already been jetisoned. It would seem that the new regime is not necessarily interested in the best talent available, but is interested in new, different, energetic and "non-KMOX/KTRS tainted" individuals.

I would not expect the Frank O. Pinion show to be tinkered with, unless the new management is prepared to deal with an all-out revolt. Frank's show has carried the mail at the station for a long time. His show, even without the recently departed Terry Dailey, not only has huge numbers on a consistent basis, but obviously has connected with a fiercely loyal group of regulars. He could take "The Large Morning Show in the Afternoon" to about any other station in the market and blow a big hole in 550's good lead-in to Cardinals baseball in the Spring, if the management at KTRS doesn't deal with him carefully.

My opinion? The new management team had better be very thoughtful, careful and professional with how much they clean house. It's been proven time and again that St. Louis market radio is a different animal than that of the rest of the country. Listeners here have grown up on a different brand of radio because of the influence of KMOX...and the competition that has grown out of that station's one-time overwhelming dominance. People here get to know, like and trust certain personalities and don't like it when someone "messes with their people". The radio hosts here aren't "plug-in parts" like they are in other markets. People here expect someone who knows how to pronounce Gravois road and understands life in the Midwest. Hosts here, much more so than elsewhere, become members of the family. Throwing in a syndicated show because of it's success in other markets has only worked in the case of the most popular syndicated show of all time, Rush Limbaugh. And Limbaugh is from Cape Girardeau, something not lost on the local populous either.

So, Lawrence, Law, and the other "programming tinkerers" in place now at Westport Plaza had better be very sure of themselves before they eject someone in favor of a less-tested, and likely cheaper, replacement from Cincinnati, Little Rock, or Tuscaloosa. The high-energy approach to talk radio is something that might be interesting at first, but it better have some substance to it if St. Louisans are to buy it on a consistent basis. I hope they realize that different, doesn't always mean better.

I do know one thing for sure, this whole situation has many very talented hosts, and quality people, walking on egg-shells during the holidays. It's the worst part of being a radio personality. I've been there...and I'm glad I no longer am. Best wishes, and my condolences to those who unquestionably will lose a job soon.

Ah-nold vs. the Death Penalty

The execution of Tookie Williams in Califonria early Tuesday has, like few cases lately, stirred debate on the value and righteousness of the death penalty. Some in Arnold Schwarzenegger's native Austria, where the death penalty is not an option, have called for the revocation of his citizenship as a result of his refusal to grant Williams clemency. Others around Europe have also voiced their outrage. As happens frequently with most people in high office, "The Governator" was presented with a no-win decision. One has to wonder if he went with his heart, or went with what he thought was expected, given his political positioning.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on the death penalty through the years. As of this writing, I'm leaning toward being anti-death penalty. My current thinking is that the judicial system is never going to be proficient enough to get it right one hundred percent of the time. There are too many humans involved. And, even though some defendants may be unquestionably guilty, the sanctioning of the death penalty opens the door to the mistaken execution of others. I do not have enough faith in the system to be totally confident that death is appropriate in each potential instance where it's sought. There are too many variables between the time of the crime and the eventual punishment. And executing one innocent person, ever, is too many. Ending a life cannot be un-done. That same person could be let out of prison after it's discovered they are innocent, as long as they are still breathing.

Having said all that, I have to laugh at the "holier than thou" comments of those who find fault with Schwarzenegger on this particular case. Here are a few I've seen:

Peter Pilz, a leader of the Green Party in Austria--"Whoever, out of political calculation, allows the death of a person rehabilitated in such an exemplary manner has rejected the basic values of Austrian society."

Richard Schadauer, the chairman of the Association of Christianity and Social Democracy--"Mr. Williams had converted, and unlike Mr. Schwarzenegger, opposed every form of violence."

Julien Dray, a spokesman for the Socialist Party in France--"I am proud to be a Frenchman, I am proud to live in France, in a country where we don't execute somebody 21 years later. Schwarzenegger has a lot of muscles, but apparently not much heart."

Similar statements have come from a number of the usual particpants on this issue.

What amuses, and mystifies, me about these comments is the lack of attention to the actual crimes committed by the defendant. You would believe by their words that Williams was some sort of saint being executed despite his overwhelming contributions to peace on earth and good will toward men. This guy took the lives of four innocent people. And there is no reasonable doubt about that. We can also be pretty sure that as a founding member of Los Angeles' Crips gang, he has been involved in, if not responsible for, a number of other deadly crimes. And, as Schwarzenegger points out, Williams never apologized, or took responsiblity, for anything. He just started writing childrens books in prison that made it appear he was a "changed man". We can only wonder now if he actually was.

The anti-death penalty commentators would do well to at least acknowledge the victims and their families if anyone is to accept their ideas. Standing up for the life of the person to be executed only garners so much favor. Showing an understanding of the heinous behavior that landed that person in the death chamber, and a modicum of empathy for the victims, might actually produce headway for their cause. Accusing an elected official of being a barbarian by allowing the judicial system to run it's course is not going to sway much opinion, cetainly not among those who already believe the death penalty appropriate.

I would like to hear just one of the anti-death penalty spokespeople be thoughtful enough to say--

"Obviously, Mr. Williams was guilty. God bless the victims and their families. There can be no adequate compensation for them. But no human being, or system devised by human beings, should be allowed to take the life of another human being. The lives of those taken by Mr. Williams should not be dishonored by any potentially mistaken execution. Real justice would not be served in that way. Mr. Williams should do whatever good he can, and make whatever amends with God possible, from a prison cell. Knowing that this man will never harm another person outside prison, and that he will know the hell of a penetentiary for as long as he lives, ought to be enough satisfaction for us all."

Perhaps if the anti-death penalty people were as caring about the lives of the victims, and able to show an understanding of the total picture, some who disagree with them may see their arguments in a different light.

The Obvious Choice

Shortly after posting my thoughts yesterday on the Blues goaltending situation, the management called a press conference and did what they had to do--give up on another highly-paid goaltender who came to the team with great expectations. Patrick Lalime is another in a line of failed attempts to remedy an on-going Blues nightmare at the most important position in hockey.

Hopefully, one of the "young guns" in the organization will grow into the position and become the steady player we've been looking for. Will it be Curtis Sanford? Jason Bacashuhua? Or one of the other highly touted youngsters toiling in the minors? Apparently the organization has already given up on Reinhard Divis as an NHL-caliber player.

At this stage of the game, I'm hoping that the team is patient with the situation and allows these younger guys some time to grow into a comfort zone. Being an NHL starting goaltender is pressure enough without the added expectation of immediate success. Sanford, 26, has shown the ability to play well at this level, maybe not as consistently as we'd like. But then he doesn't have the 1960's Canadiens playing in front of him either. He seems to have good puck awareness. Something that Lalime was way short on for some odd reason.

Bacashuhua is a 23-year-old who was drafted in the first round a few years back by the Dallas Stars. He obviously has the tools that teams are looking for in a modern goalie; more so than Sanford. Sanford is a little undersized and relies on athleticism and concentration to get him by. Bacahuhua will have the size to cover more of the goal on a consistent basis and make the saves up high that Sanford will likely let in.

Who knows if either of these guys are the answer to the problem for the long term. But we need to remember that they are young, and being asked to play a position that experts say you can not master until you approach 30 years of age. I hope we as fans, and the Blues as a team, are not going to expect immediate stardom from whoever is between the pipes after this Lalime debacle. Give someone a chance to take command of the situation by showing them some confidence, and see what happens. How could things possibly get worse?

La-loser

First, let me say that I would not want to be an NHL goaltender for all the gold in Snoop Dog's teeth. Having said that, Patrick Lalime has been as far from the answer in goal for the Blues as one can get without being paralyzed.

After Saturday night's pathetic performance, in which 4 of the 5 goals scored by the New York Rangers in a 5-4 overtime loss were very stoppable, I noticed something I don't think I've ever seen before. It appeared to me, from my position next to the Blues penalty box, that nobody wanted to go out on the ice to congratulate Lalime. It's traditional in hockey that all of the skaters go thank, congratulate, or apolgize to, their goalie after the game in almost all situations. It sure looked to me like noone wanted to lead the way to do that Saturday night. And with good reason. I don't remember ever having seen a team reluctant to console, congratulate, or whatever, their goaltender in my 18 years working for the Blues. Blues coach Mike Kitchen went off on Lalime too, or at least didn't hold back from making it clear who was to blame, after the loss Saturday.

Lalime was touted as one of the better goalies in the NHL when the Blues acquired him after the '03-'04 season. He had led Ottawa to several strong regular season and playoff runs in the past. The only knock on him was that he gave up a couple of soft goals in a critical Senators playoff game a while back. It was thought that Ottawa would have kept him around had they not had the chance to sign world-class netminder Dominic Hasek when he came back out of retirement.

There is a train of local thought that says Lalime doesn't like the situation in St. Louis and doesn't really want to play here. If he's tanking his performance...or even not really caring about it...because he wants to be traded, that's about as low as a guy can sink in professional sports. If that's true, I hope he never plays another NHL game, anywhere. The poor Blues are obligated to a pile of money on his current contract though. So, if he's finished here, somebody will have to trade to get him for the Blues to be rid of his contract. Yikes, can things get any worse for Blues management right now? If they start playing some of the younger guys in the system in goal it will appear to the Blues already disaffected fan base that they are giving up on the season. If they don't do something, it will still look that way. It's a no-win.

The other question Blues fans have to ask at this point is..."Why do goalies suddenly forget how to stop a puck when they put on the Blues uniform?" There have been several others over the last number of years who have had decent reputations before playing here, only to then play like the sport was new to them. Lalime is just the last. Remember Chris Osgood, Brent Johnson, Roman Turek, Fred Brathwaite, Tom Barasso, Jamie McLennan? Is there some systemic problem that messes up these guys when they play here? Is the lack of a full-time goalie coach that important? Does Keith Allain (the organization's goaltending coach) have some kind of counter-productive effect on these people?

At this point you have to wish The Note had never traded Curtis Joseph.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment

I am not an elected official, nor do I play one on TV. But, if I were, I would quickly draw up legislation proposing a constitutional amendment that outlaws the use of parking meters...in all situations...period. OK, yes I got a parking ticket today. But it was just the inspiration for writing this...not the ideas behind it. I've been an ardent fan of the idea of doing away with parking meters for some time.

First of all, I don't understand the logic behind parking meters. They are paid for, installed and maintained at considerable expense by the cities that own them. Then these jurisdictions have to hire people to go around and check the meters, and the vehicles parked by them, to make sure some hardened criminal isn't "breaking the law" by not feeding the meter. Then you have all of the administrative work that deals with collecting the fines from the tickets. Is this really an important function of a city government?

Wouldn't the tax dollars spent on meters be better spent by using them to encourage the public to do business in the city? Perhaps they could advertise the city's fine "no charge public parking" policy. Perhaps they could beautify the shopping districts, and business districts in some way. Perhaps they could colorfully paint the curbs to deliniate where the parking spots are and make parking more fun. Perhaps they could buy up old, run-down buildings and tear them down to create brightly lit, secure and free parking lots and garages.

Encouraging, instead of discouraging, parking near where people have to do business should allow the city (whatever city) to collect more sales tax revenue from the increased business conducted in that city. This would eliminate the need for meters, wouldn't it? It seems totally counter-productive to put up parking meters and hope people park one minute too long so you can write them a ten dollar ticket. The Country Club Plaza district in Kansas City is a good example of what I'm talking about here. They have clean, modern, parking garages interspersed throughout this upscale business district and it's booming. It has for many years.

When I got a ticket today...and I'm sure you've felt the same way...I was just pissed. It makes you feel like a criminal, even though you fed the meter like you were supposed to. I was 7 minutes over my time when the meter person wrote the ticket. 7 minutes! There should be a way for them to know if you actually fed the meter or not. If I had just parked without feeding the meter and flauted my responsibility, then got the ticket, I would expect to pay. But, I had parked in this very place many times before, put in my quarter for twenty minutes of time, and gotten back in plenty of time after doing my business. But not this time. So, of course, there's the ticket under the windshield wiper.

But, enough of my personal grievance. Parking meters are just not a good idea. From perspectives I mention above, and about any other angle I can think of. Parking meters, to me, signify a tired and outdated way for a city to raise money. It's an ancient idea that only punishes people for trying to do business in an otherwise fine municipality, wherever it might be. It's unfair (as in my case today). It's stupid. And it should be unconstitutional. We pay enough taxes in this country without having to be doubly taxed in the cities where we live in this ridiculous way.

I think I'll send a copy of this to my congressman. Maybe that constitutional amendment will be on next year's ballot.

A Fitting End to Rams' Glory Days

What a perfect way to officially ring out the best era in St. Louis professional football. Kurt Warner, the centerpiece of our most joyful gridiron Sundays, comes back to town with the Cardinals to emphatically destroy all hope for the Rams.

Now the job is to clean house and try to find a bunch of young people to get excited about all over again.

Who should stay in the current organization? Aside from Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Leonard Little and Marc Bulger, maybe nobody. Oh, there are several other good to decent players, there are a few competent coaches. But, none that are inexpendible, IMHO.

Let's start with the off-field staff.

With all the current turmoil, including bitter office politics, behind-the-scenes back stabbing, fighting coaches, veteran players bashing other players anonymously, and other distateful intrigue, if I'm Georgia Frontiere, I seriously consider a total house-cleaning starting with John Shaw and descending from there. After all, Shaw's out-of-town management habits seem to be the "while-the-cat's-away" environment in which all of this mess festered. I seriously wonder, though, if Georgia is at a place in her life where she would consider such a vaporization of the entire front-office. It seems she puts so much faith in the decision-making of Shaw, that it's unlikely she would send him packing too. But, if she wants a true organizational facelift, that's what she needs to consider.

What about the team itself?

If you look closely, it appears there are less than a handful of real "keepers" on this team. Most of the recent drafting has been mediocre to awful, resulting in some young "baggage" that could easily be traded or jetisoned. You'll also see some veterans who have either hit the end of the line...or are getting close. (Faulk, Bruce, Timmerman on offense...Jackson, Coakley, Claiborne on defense) Then you have a slough of people with some experience who you have to think about replacing for various reasons, inluding frequent injuries, and lack of production. Archuleta, Tinoisamoa, Kennedy, Pickett, Lewis, and all people playing tight-end and offensive line other than the starting tackle positions.

Someone who knows how to put together a team would have some cornerstones to work with, but would have to do a good job drafting and teaching young players to get this team back to respectability within the next 3 years. It could be done. But, it has to be done now before the Rams slide even further into the depths of NFL irrelevance. As it stands now, they are a soap opera without any chance for a happy ending.

Hagin Treatment...Shabby?

I've been amused the last few days with newspaper articles and broadcast utterings suggesting that the Cardinals' treatment of Wayne Hagin was...let's see, the terms I've heard are...shabby, classless, shoddy and sleazy. Well, let's examine this situation from both sides as best we can.

To be sure, noone would want to be put in Mr. Hagin's position of being told that he was secure in his job, and then being let go. There is no arguing that that's a distasteful and devastating sequence of events from his perspective. I'm sure the Cardinals/KTRS wish it could have been handled differently as well. Mark Lamping probably lost more than a few good hours of sleep with a churning stomach over knowing that he was going to have to let a good man go after allowing that man to believe he was secure.

But, don't you also think that Wayne could see a little bit beyond his superficial "security". He had to know that he didn't make any friends in the Cardinals' camp when he got himself embroiled in the Todd Helton steroids controversy earlier this year. He also had to know that the Cardinals are committed to Mike Shannon long term. And, that he was not on Shannon's good side. Don't you think he had more than one feeler out for possible employment elsewhere knowing all this? If not, he should have. I would expect his agent was keeping an eye on other potential employment. If not, he should have been. If Hagin and his agent were "blindsided" by the firing, they shouldn't have been.

It seems to me that those who are writing in the paper, and crowing on the airwaves, about Hagin's treatment as being unfair either have an agenda, or have gotten to know Wayne as a friend and colleague. It's easy to see it from the ostensibly-mistreated employee side when you have an agenda (such as a KTRS competitor, or regular panderer to the working class), or are press-box friends with the affected person. To me, the administration of Mr. Hagin's position is just another chapter in how things are handled in big-money, long-term-contract, hiring and firing situations. It's the business. And business decisions often hurt someone. And, let's face it, when you're talking about the kind of money top-notch broadcasters make, it's significant business. You're not talking about hiring a minimum-wage, beer vendor for the games here.

So, how do the Cardinals/KTRS, Lamping/Dorsey, best handle the situation?

Do you offer Hagin the chance to work for the final season of his contract and hire John Rooney anyway and bring him into the mix? No. Everyone knows that doesn't work. Hopefully I don't need to explain why.

Do you tell Hagin at the time of the announcement of the switch to KTRS that he's going to be replaced? No. Because you don't know for sure about Rooney at that time. And, you have to cover yourself, even though you might be looking at a change.

Do you just keep Hagin with Shannon (even though they don't get along and you have other issues with the quality of the broadcasts)and hope that Rooney, or someone of his caliber, is available after next season? No. Because Rooney is so good that he likely would be snatched up elsewhere. Why would he sit out a season? And as long as you're making changes, you might as well change the broadcast mix too.

Or, do you hire Rooney (who you truly believe will be a cornerstone broadcaster a la Caray, Buck and Shannon), offer to pay Hagin for the last year of his deal, get the Rooney "buzz" going for the first year on KTRS, appease Shannon with a new and likeable partner, and deal with the Hagin fallout that's sure to come? Of course, this is the option that the Cardinals and KTRS chose.

Just about everybody also feels that Wayne Hagin won't be unemployed for very long. Even if he doesn't get a job for next season that's to his liking, he has the option of taking the Cardinals' money and using next season to search for the "right fit". Not a bad fall-back position.

I'd like to hear somebody do a little more than try to disparage the Cardinals for their handling of a messier situation than meets the eye, and explain what they would have done to handle it in a less "shabby" way. I suppose doing nothing, authorizing uninspired broadcasts, and allowing the tense situation between the broadcasters to fester, was that option.

Blues Win...but...

The Blues showed some spunk and determination in beating the Columbus Blue Jackets (not exactly the Canadiens of the 60's) 2-0 last night in Ohio. They got a shutout from Curtis Sanford. They got a goal and an assist from Lee Stempniak, who shows some promise, and ended their 11-game losing streak.

That's step one in getting things going in a different direction. It's hard to imagine they'll come right back and beat Detroit in Michigan Saturday night...but, life is full of little surprises.

No matter what they do on the ice, Blues followers still have the spectre of the unresolved "For Sale" sign hanging on the team. With the Checketts group bowing out of the takeover sweepstakes, there seems to be the growing sentiment that someone interested in re-locating the team may emerge with the cash. Of course, you can't help but be concerned about that if you're one who "bleeds blue". The longer the bidding goes, and the more we hear rumors about out-of-town bids, the harder it will be to muster any excitement for our boys. Not that it's easy now.

What have I heard? Nothing that has meat to it. But, I do know that the Kansas City group is licking it's chops. I have had the opportunity to work for the group that's trying to bring the NHL to KC the last few years. They annually host a pre-season game to impress NHL brass. They hire the off-ice officials and game night staff from St. Louis to help them put on a professional show. Paul McGannon and his NHL21 group have impressed upon me that they are totally serious about getting a team any way they can. If that means ponying up for the Blues, I'm sure they've got the means to do it and have probably made the necessary phone calls.

What's more than a little bit scary at this point is the apparent fact that the league is setting a bottom-line price for the team. They don't want the Lauries to take any ol' bid just to get rid of the team and set a low price for any expansion team the league may offer in the near future. That would mean that the price of the team (supposedly $150 million) is non-negotiable downward. If true...the Lauries could be put in the position of taking the money for the team and dealing with the problem of the Savvis Center lease later. If the team stays in St. Louis, it would, of course, require a package deal. If it doesn't, "Bill and Nancy Inc." could deal with the two products separately. It doesn't take a financial wizard to figure out that it then becomes more likely the team may be on it's way somewhere else.

Also scary is the lack of a public outcry to keep the team here. Back in the early 80's, when the rumors started flying that the team was headed for Saskatoon, there was all kinds of hand wringing and gnashing of teeth. This time, either the hockey faithful don't really believe there's a threat, or there is an overwhelming apathy. I'm not sure. I haven't heard any local bidder saying they are trying to make a deal either.

It's amazing how fortunes of Blues fans have changed so dramatically since the end of the season in April '04. I'm concerned that being a "Blue Bleeder" might soon require having to look at old video tape.

Happy I Was Wrong

Albert Pujols wins the National League MVP award.

I must say that my happiness for A.P. winning is nearly equalled by my surprise that the baseball writers who vote on this award actually got it right. Finally, they looked past a single stat posted by someone else. People who don't see the Cardinals regularly never saw that Albert is a passionate leader for his team. They never saw how he swung at pitches out of the strike zone many times this year because the Cardinals were so banged up that opposing pitchers were frequently attempting to "not give him something to hit".

I'm guessing that some of these people swung a vote Albert's way based on the fact that he was due. He's been in the running for the award every year since his he started playing in the majors. I would think several of these guys thought he should get a vote now that Barry Bonds is "out of the way".

Albert Pujols, hard to believe he's 25 years old and will be in a Cardinal uniform for a long time.

Philly Cheese

Cowboys 21, Eagles 20, in the Monday night game.

Too bad. Terrell Owens is probably gloating somewhere. You can almost hear him even without the cameras and microphones that are constantly in his face. "Yeah...I told you they couldn't win without me. They're back to the old Eagles. Can't win the big one." He's probably having a chat right now with his agent. "Hey, you gotta get me a press conference so I can get back on ESPN and just stand there with a smirk on my face. Or maybe I'll write something on a goal post with a magic marker. Eagles lose without T.O. Yeah, give those ESPN boys a call."

Whether the Cowpokes (who by the way have an owner, Jerry Jones, who said he wouldn't mind having T.O. on his team) or the American birds won last night was really of no consequence to me. I had no dog in the fight...or bet on the line. But, you gotta know that the loss will fuel the fire of those (like Jesse Jackson..Holy Cow is there any situation he won't stick his nose into for publicity?) who think the Eagles are being too tough on their recalcitrant wideout.

There really is no question that, football wise, T.O. makes a team better. He does so many things that can't be defended that any defense is going to be a lot easier to attack with him in the lineup. But, is a team really better in the long run with him on their roster? Of course, the Eagles have learned the answer to that one the hard way. They may have to suffer a few more losses this season than they would have with Owens on the team, but mental health and togetherness will eventually make them better than they would be with all the foolishness around. Too bad they invested so much in the T.O. dream.

I saw a feature on ESPN before last night's game that analyzed the possibilities for Owens for next season. Who would be the team willing to take a risk on him this time? Chris Mortensen, the football analyst, eliminated most every team except the Denver Broncos. I think it was more of an opinion than anything else, but he seems to think Denver coach Mike Shanahan would be willing to give the guy a shot. One can only imagine the kind of antics he would come up with in the Mile High City with even less oxygen getting to that brain on a regular basis.

Weekend Cogitation

--Seems to me the Seahawks big guys were too much for the Rams big guys. Steven Jackson had little room to run all day. (So he did too much dancing and changing direction behind the line trying to find somewhere to run). And the 'Hawks O-Line kept tacklers off of their guys all day too. Especially Chris Claiborne (1 tackle all day by a middle linebacker...come on!) That game looked like it was definitely won in the trenches, and the Rams haven't been very good drafting or acquiring players for the non-skilled positions over the last 5 years.

--I hope I'm wrong, but I'm expecting Andruw Jones to beat out Albert Pujols for the MVP in the NL. The voters won't look deep enough into the stats to figure out how much more valuable Pujols is. They'll just see that Jones led the league in homers. They won't see his pitiful stats with runners in scoring position. And, they will think that a center-fielder is more valuable as a home run hitter than a first- baseman. For all of his great play, Pujols hasn't broken through to the next level as a superstar because he wears the uniform of a team in the Midwest. Sad, and unfair, but true. Like I said, I hope I'm wrong.

--The ownership situation with the Blues doesn't look like it will be settled any time soon. The Checketts group is having second thoughts. ****UPDATE 9:40PM Monday*** (Checketts officially out of the picture) Tony Sansone is apparently trying to keep Checketts in it. A local group, headed by Shawn Hayes, appears to be ready to jump in if allowed. But, even if they get something pulled together soon, it's too late to help the on-ice product for this season. By shrinking the payroll to a level that would be more attractive to a prospective owner, the current managment has succeeded in out-smarting themselves. They didn't figure that the loss of Demitra, Mellanby, Khavanov and Pronger...and the injury to Tkachuck would add up to this kind of disaster. But, it has. Those of us who bleed blue...will just have to BE Blue for this season.

--It looked like it would take forever to knock down the old stadium based on that first couple of feeble doinks produced by the wrecking ball. But, now look at the place. A gaping hole in the southwest quadrant. And it looks like considerable progress has been made. The hole's still not big enough though for Lawrence Phillips to get more than 3 yards.

Not Mickey..Not Andy...John Rooney

I should have seen it coming more than I did.

I knew John Rooney and Tim Dorsey were friends from way back. Both were at KMOX in the early 80's. In fact, I remember being at a KTRS Christmas party at John Carney's house with both Dorsey and Rooney in attendance. There were rumors then that Rooney was coming to work for KTRS. That would have been '97 or '98. I spoke with Rooney that night, (I was acquainted a bit with him from my KMOX days too) and he said to me that he would love to get one of the Cardinals' radio jobs whenever one became available, but was happy in Chicago.

So, it's no surprise that Tim would push for John in this situation. Especially since Rooney wasn't being retained in Chicago. If Cardinals/KTRS didn't strike now, they may have had to miss out on John for the length of another multi-year deal he made somewhere else. I'm sure the Cardinals were ready to shed Hagin too. What with his inability to get along with Shannon. His somewhat stiff approach to the broadcasts. And, of course, his PR debacle with the Todd Helton 'roids comments. I've already heard rumors that Hagin may wind up back in Denver. But, I'd be surprised if the Rockies would want anything to do with him after that mess.

What I do find somewhat interesting is that Rooney would be allowed to walk in Chicago after all those years...and as established as he was there with Ed Farmer. I'd like to know more about why the new flagship station wanted to make a change up there. Could John's less than diminuitive ego have gotten a little too big in the Windy City? Or was it a dollars-and-cents decision?

Aside from all the behind the scenes stuff, I think John will do a teriffic job on the broadcasts here. He is easily one of the most listenable and totally-informed baseball men in the country. He has won numerous awards and been recognized repeatedly as a top-notch guy, particularly on baseball. As someone who's been in and around sports broadcasting for a long time, I can't think of anyone who's any better.

During the introduction press conference today, Rooney said a few things that I harped on in a blog post several weeks ago when critiquing the Rams radio broadcast. He said that he enjoys being the eyes of his listeners. And that he is proud and happy to be on radio where you create "the theater of the mind". Hallelujah!! He gets it. It's an audio only medium. And he understands that the enjoyment level of the listener is totally dependent on including them in as many details of the game, and overall experience, as can be accomplished in the time given. He also showed that he likes to have fun (something Hagin was criticized for) with the broadcast by doing a "dead on" Harry Caray shtick during the press conference.

Even though you always feel badly for someone who loses a job, and it's hard to handle such a changing of the guard with class, I believe Lamping and Dorsey handled this as well as they could and did the right thing...no, the perfect thing...for Cardinals fans.

Sad Sack Blues

Everywhere I go, people ask for my opinion on the current state of affairs with our struggling (to put it extremely mildly) St. Louis Blues. Here's my take.

Hurry up and get the damn team in the hands of someone who wants to own it!! The loyal and constantly optimistic fans of the NHL in our city deserve better.

Until the cloud of anticipation and negativity is lifted, we will continue to have to put up with the current roster and it's shortcomings. Not that the current gaggle of skaters isn't trying. They just don't have enough ammo to fight in the current war. It's Custer against the Indians...the Christians against the lions...New Orleans against Katrina. Even with Tkachuck and Weight healthy this group didn't figure to win many games.

I've been working for the team since '87, and there's only one other time when I remember there being as bad a situation as this. It was when Bob Plager tried his hand at coaching at this level. Everybody loves Bob, including me, but he would be the first to tell you that he was in over his head. And the team showed it. When he was replaced, the team came back to respectability.

Right now, there is very little hope for respectability this season. The ownership situation getting straightened out will at least give us an idea of whether or not the team will:
a) Stay in town
b) Have enough money behind it to be solid and competitive
c) Maintain the current leadership structure (President, GM, scouts, coach etc.)
d) Make a serious commitment to winning The Cup
e) Have solid hockey people calling the shots
Until some of these questions are answered, the players will reflect the general malaise that hangs around the hallways and offices at the Savvis Center.

The current roster of players just won't be able to win many games. All of us who love hockey in St. Louis will just have to get used to that and enjoy hockey in '05-'06 for hockey's sake. At least it will be fun to see Detroit and Nashville a few more times this year. They are among the cream-of-the-crop teams in the world right now.

"Hang in there" is the motto for Blues fans this year. I know, it always has been.

T.O. Follow-Up

Stand your ground Eagles! Stand your ground!

Did anyone get the feeling...really...that there was any sort of contrition or genuine remorse in the words puked out by Terrell Owens at his press conference yeterday? Anyone? I didn't think so.

Just a bunch of words typed up by his smarmy agent Drew Rosenhaus. Then Rosenhaus gets up and pretty much destroys any possibility that fans would side with Owens by citing how unfairly T.O. has been treated by the media and everyone else. Waaah-Waaah! Puh-leeeease! Give me a frickin' break.

What was apparent to me was that these guys are finally realizing that their little game of "We have the sports world by the short hairs" is over. And somebody...in this case the Eagles...is putting a stop to it. They were trying to maneuver a way back to regular pay. (In T.O.'s case about a quarter of a million dollars per game)

One quote from Owens in yesterday's media opportunity is particularly laughable.

"I fight for what I think is right. In doing so, I alienated a lot of my fans and my teammates".

This quote goes right to the heart of what is wrong with this guy. In the space of two short sentences, in which he is supposedly apologizing, he uses the word "I" three times, and "my" twice. Again, it's all about "me and my world". Not anything else. He believes they are his fans, and his teammates, and they are operating on his time and his turf.

Could he have made a better impression by saying it this way? "As a fighter, sometimes one makes mistakes. These mistakes have obviously alienated football fans and fellow members of the Eagles team. This behavior has been destructive and is unacceptable. I want to be a better person and teammate. I intend to change."

I'm not sure that even had he said it this way, his body language and general attitude could have carried it off. He smirks and snears at the world. And characterizing himself as a fighter is even more off-base. His enormous athletic ability has gotten him a free ride through life. He hasn't had to fight for anything, including the spotlight which he so desperately craves. Fight? For what? I don't see where he and his agent could believe even someone as dillusional as they are would swallow that one.

And having the agent that everyone loves to hate get up and try to make things better just made things worse. These two guys are a team that personifies what big-name, big-money, big-ego sports stars and their agents should strive NOT to be. They are so detatched from reality that they actually believe they are part of the big picture. In reality, if both of them died tomorrow, few outside their immediate family would shed a tear.

I'm sure there are some who hope that T.O. gets reinstated. I'm sure there are some who hope he catches a touchdown pass to give the Eagles their much sought after Super Bowl win. But, outside of Philadelphia, I believe there are many more who would like to see this fellow squirm in his own venom for a long while, and not be paid to be the boorish, childish, and selfish icon who shows kids how to spit in the face of convention.

This whole saga has now become a media trial about what's right and wrong. What's acceptable and unacceptable. What you can, and cannot, get away with before enough is enough. Let the lawyers fight it out now. And let T.O. eat his lunch backstage.

Stand your ground Eagles! Stand your ground!

T.O. Needs Personality Enema

I'm sure he doesn't believe it, but Terrell Owens is in danger of talking his way out of a football livelihood. And for an athlete as enormously talented as he is, that's just a damn shame. How frustrating must this situation be for Philadelphia football fans? All that talent, so little success.

At this point, the only team in the NFL you could envision putting up with his poisonous, cancerous, putrid, cataclysmic, pestiferous (insert your favorite adjective here) personality is the Oakland Raiders. One insider with that team has said "We're doing our best to get rid of troublemakers. Why would we want him?" And, Raiders owner Al Davis doesn't have enough cap room to take on the Owens contract anyway. Besides, Randy Moss, thought by most to be as talented, only caught one pass in yesterday's loss to KC. They're having trouble getting the ball to whoever plays wide receiver.

Noone, at this point, seems capable of getting through to this numbskull Owens that he is his own worst enemy. I'm sure his agent (the almost equally obnoxious Drew Rosenhaus) has tried to impress upon him that he may be killing the Golden Goose. Certainly he knows the press will always give him enough rope to hang himself. And he proceeds to do it with regularity anyway. As talented as he is physically, that's how thick-headed he seems to be when it comes to the stuff that comes out of his mouth in front of cameras and microphones. He is more than willing to go out of his way to say anything that might ensure that he is the center of the sports universe. And he does it with total disregard of how those words might affect his standing with his teammates, coaches, team ownership, and fans. His total lack of ability in that regard is as laughable as his athleticism is admirable.

The fact that I am writing about a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles is evidence enough that the guy is a fascinating case study. He is one of those people that you just can't help but be interested in. You wish you had a small percentage of his physical ability, but you wouldn't want to actually be him for all the tea in China. I've often wished I could dunk a basketball, but I wouldn't want to at the cost of everyone else in the world hating me.

One must wonder just what kind of true mindset a man such as this actually has. I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day. Does he really believe all the stuff he says? Or is he trying to convince himself that he's "the greatest" by saying stuff that he wishes were true? Does he hurt those around him to make himself feel more powerful and influential? Is he compensating for some other shortcomings in his life? Is he putting on an act? If so, can he stop it? Does he really care more about himself, and his place in the sports world's salary structure, than everything else? Like football and winning.

Terrell Owens sure appears to be the quintessential "me first" athlete. He's taking it to the level of becoming a caricature of himself. The "Leon" Bud Light commercials couldn't even live up to his level of self-aggrandizement and greed. I guess that's why we don't see them any more.

It appears that Owens may have to take up professional wrestling soon to actually make a living with all that physical prowess. But I doubt, even then, that he could be trusted by his fellow wrestlers to "act out the script".

Where will it end? Ask T.O. I'm sure he believes he has the answer.

Bad Sign(age)

--I fully admit up front that this post is prompted by an editorial in today's Belleville News-Democrat. Rarely do I find something that makes me jump up and say "I've been thinking the same thing", but today's writing was different.

The editorial--"While We Wait for a New Bridge" could not have been more right on. It speaks to the poorly thought out and ineffective signage on the Poplar Street Bridge...officially the Bernard F. Dickman Bridge...spanning the Mississippi by the Arch. This overused mess of a thoroughfare is the primary access for Illinoisans to Missouri...and Missourians to Southern Illinois. And folks from everywhere travel 3 major interstate highways across the water there too.

While a group of esteemed leaders from both states engage in a pissing contest over funding of a new bridge, the Poplar Street is congested and confusing. One of these days there will be a deadly accident that will call attention to just how confusing it is...particularly for out-of-towners. I'm sure, if you use the Poplar on a regular basis, you've been involved in the mad, lane-changing scramble that occurs as soon as all the entrance ramps from Illinois converge into the five, side-by-side lanes that carry all of the traffic across the river. That scramble would be lessened considerably if drivers knew what lane would be most appropriate for them to be in before they reached the bridge.

Often, a driver will not know what lane gets him to where he's going until he's actually on the bridge deck and a short way from an exit ramp. Then, after seeing the sign he's looking for, he has to slam on the brakes...or at least slow down drastically...in an effort to cross a couple of lanes of traffic to get to the appropriate lane. I don't cross the bridge every day, but I still have been in enough "near miss" situations to consider myself lucky not to have had a major accident on the freakin' thing. And that's mostly because you can see other drivers losing their cool when they realize they have a lot of lane changing to do in a short amount of space. It's hard to believe that they (IDOT, MODOT or both) couldn't come up with a better plan for signs.

And that exit ramp that carries 55/44 off the bridge on the Missouri side is an absolute joke. How some engineer thought that the volume of traffic that goes down that ramp could be adequately handled by a single-lane, 90-degree turn at the end of the bridge on the Missouri side is beyond me. You would think a first-grader could have come up with a better idea.

Kinda makes you wonder how effective a new bridge would be if similar engineering expertise will be put into that planning. And we've already downgraded the budget for that project to less than half of the original plan. Should be interesting.

In the meantime, somebody fix the current Poplar Street mess before some foggy morning when a tangle of cars and trucks winds up in the river.

Martz Madness

There have been strange situations arise in St. Louis sports before, but the Mike Martz soap opera takes the proverbial cake...and eats it too.

Let's see...our little Midwestern super-drama includes:

--Office politics of a pro sports team (Shaw, Zygmunt, Martz, Armey, Frontiere, and staffs of all of the above)
--Strong personalities butting heads (see above)
--Physical ailments of the lead characters (Martz' heart, Vitt's heart, players injuries)
--Rich people (All of the lead characters are rich by most common-man standards)
--Clashing media personalities (pro-Martz vs.anti-Martz, Slaten vs. Savard, Hadley vs. about everybody)

Add in a little sex and gunplay and we'd really have one for Hollywood. Who knows, those things may happen too before this little tale is finished being told. If this melodrama were playing out in New York or Los Angeles (where the Rams came from) I'm sure somebody would be writing a screenplay already...at least for a TV movie.

What's really strange here is that Martz, because of his heart ailment, is not even around the office intrigue anymore. He's practically incapable of doing, or saying, anything else that will lessen his image, or give management more of a reason to send him packing. He can't be a lousy coach for the rest of the season either. Not that he's been a lousy coach...just one of questionable judgment from time to time.
Everybody's writing him off as the Rams coach, but he can't go out an make a bonehead move on the field to open the door to his firing, at least not for the rest of this season.

Personally, I never bought into Martz being a head coach. I liked his play calling when he was in the press box as a coordinator. But, he never quite seemed to grasp the idea that he was in charge of the whole shlameel. The rest of the team was left to the other coaches...he was going to focus on his pride-and-joy offense. That, to me, seemed like an Army general saying he was going to command the artillery...and telling his colonels to worry about everything else. The troops always know where the big guy's heart is. And if they know he doesn't care about them, then they won't care about him, or his success. Consequently, the Rams have been a slip-shod defensive and special teams operation ever since Vermiel did his retirement/un-retirement thing after the Super Bowl championship.

But, back to "As the Rams Squirm". I hope Joe Vitt continues to do well and forces the front office to hand him the job without the "interim" tag. He seems like a good coach, and down-to-earth person. I could get excited about the scenario where the underdog coach with, the heretofore unrecognized, head coaching ability takes over and takes charge and leads them to the playoffs. That would be the coaching version of "The Kurt Warner Story". Then Martz could be handed his hat after the season and allowed to take his career to a market where his "I'm smarter than you" personality will have more of a chance at success. We don't cotton to those left coast, smarty-pants guys here in Archville.