It was strange and surreal.
It was uncomfortable, but fun.
It was the return of hockey last night at Savvis Center.
I've been doing the Blues public address announcing since 1987. And last night's first pre-season game against Nashville was one of the more unusual nights of all of the 900 or so games that I've been around.
It was the new game, and the old game.
It was new people, and it was the usual people.
I had to work hard at remembering the policies and procedures that govern my job and the presentation at Savvis. Nothing was fresh in my mind, and nothing was easy. In a lot of ways it seemed like my first night on the job back in '87 except I was re-learning most things while learning some new things. After all, it's been a year-and-a-half since anyone was involved with an NHL game at Savvis. Many of the same people were around to run the show...but at the same time there were enough new and different people involved...and a few of the old guard missing...to make for a "first day of school" type feeling.
The hockey itself? I think it will take some getting used to. When all is said and done, I think most people will enjoy the changes made to the game. Especially the shootout that ensures that no game will end in a tie. A lot of the hockey purists are dead-set against this addition to the game. And, I understand why. It's like the soccer shootout. You play a team game for a couple of hours...then the outcome is decided by a series of man-to-man challenges. Not perfect by any means. But, professional sports is a form of entertainment. And there's certainly not been enough entertainment value in hockey over the past several seasons.
When I announced, after the regulation game was over, that there would be a shootout to demonstrate to the fans how it would work during the regular season, many of the fans who were headed for the exits returned to their seats. As a demo, last night's shootout was perfect. The score of the shootout was tied after the first three shooters from each team took their shots. Then it goes to a "sudden death" shootout. Each team sends out another shooter. The first time one team scores, and the other doesn't, the game is over. Nashville missed their first shot, the Blues didn't. So, it was a great practice run.
The Blues have sold just over 10-thousand season tickets. That's down from around 14-thousand. I'm thinking, before next season rolls around, that the new rules, and the excitement that they bring to the game, will bring enough fans back to hockey to replace the missing season ticket holders, and then some.
It was weird.
But it was wonderful to be back at the rink.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Slaten The PR Machine
By now, you've probably heard about yesterday's "dust up" between Kevin Slaten and Steve Savard at the Martz press conference at Ram's Park. I have to laugh. Before Monday was over, Slaten was calling for the Rams, and Channel 4, to fire Savard, and Savard was calling for a boxing match at Guns 'n Hoses.
As I said yesterday, I don't really know Steve Savard. But I do know, and despite his checkered past, like Kevin Slaten. I've worked with him at KTRS and found him to be a fun person to be around. Oh, Kevin likes for people to agree with him, but generally I had no problem with Kevin as a co-worker.
My slant on yesterday's fracas? Kevin is being Kevin. But he is also no dummy. He, I believe, is doing his job by generating publicity for himself as he has done many times in the past. To be sure, some of his past exposure has been negative. We all know about his Steamers p.a. debacle and some of his public, domestic problems. But, I think Kevin realizes that to command the big bucks in any market, you have to be in the spotlight. And he goes to unusual lengths to be noticed, and get his name in the paper. Dan Caesar cooperated nicely in this morning's Post-Dispatch.
Yesterday's tensions started out with Kevin, unusually, showing up at the Martz press conference to ask "tough questions" which, he claims isn't done often enough by other members of the St. Louis media. Apparently it escalated when Savard sniped at Slaten about never showing up at these events before. Savard, used to being the top rooster around Rams park, apparently couldn't stand another rooster being in the coop.
Not many of us would find a way to get into an "almost fight" with a guy who is obviously as big and in shape as Savard. But, I believe Kevin's mindset at this thing was to get himself some attention. And, if it means having to sling insults back and forth with Savard, so be it.
What's interesting to me is that Kevin Slaten is not really a candidate for a boxing match...or, for that matter, any other type of physical contest. Besides recently having shoulder surgery, Kevin is not as young a man as he would have you believe. Notice, when he's on the air, that Kevin always deflects or dodges questions that come up about his age...or anything that might indicate how long he's been in broadcasting. Many will remember, like me, that Kevin was doing TV sports at Channel 4 back in the mid-70's. You do the math, Kevin Slaten is at least as old as me...and I'll be 55 in December.
I wonder if Steve Savard knows that he's challenging a man to a boxing match that's been eligible for his AARP card for several years. Would it solve anything if the ex-NFL player who is maybe 42?, beat up on a guy who might be pushing 60?...even if it were for the benefit of Backstoppers. I don't think so.
Savard said last night on KTRS that he would continue to conduct himself with class. Well that's admirable. But I've always been of the opinion that if you have to say you're conducting yourself with class, you don't really have the right idea of how it's done. That's for someone else to say, not you. He would have been better off, in my opinion, to tell Randy Karraker, Jack Snow and John Hadley...who were doing the show on KTRS...to let it go, and not comment at all on the Slaten deal.
Anyway, both guys should take a deep breath. But my belief is that Kevin is getting what he set out for, more attention for himself and his radio show.
As I said yesterday, I don't really know Steve Savard. But I do know, and despite his checkered past, like Kevin Slaten. I've worked with him at KTRS and found him to be a fun person to be around. Oh, Kevin likes for people to agree with him, but generally I had no problem with Kevin as a co-worker.
My slant on yesterday's fracas? Kevin is being Kevin. But he is also no dummy. He, I believe, is doing his job by generating publicity for himself as he has done many times in the past. To be sure, some of his past exposure has been negative. We all know about his Steamers p.a. debacle and some of his public, domestic problems. But, I think Kevin realizes that to command the big bucks in any market, you have to be in the spotlight. And he goes to unusual lengths to be noticed, and get his name in the paper. Dan Caesar cooperated nicely in this morning's Post-Dispatch.
Yesterday's tensions started out with Kevin, unusually, showing up at the Martz press conference to ask "tough questions" which, he claims isn't done often enough by other members of the St. Louis media. Apparently it escalated when Savard sniped at Slaten about never showing up at these events before. Savard, used to being the top rooster around Rams park, apparently couldn't stand another rooster being in the coop.
Not many of us would find a way to get into an "almost fight" with a guy who is obviously as big and in shape as Savard. But, I believe Kevin's mindset at this thing was to get himself some attention. And, if it means having to sling insults back and forth with Savard, so be it.
What's interesting to me is that Kevin Slaten is not really a candidate for a boxing match...or, for that matter, any other type of physical contest. Besides recently having shoulder surgery, Kevin is not as young a man as he would have you believe. Notice, when he's on the air, that Kevin always deflects or dodges questions that come up about his age...or anything that might indicate how long he's been in broadcasting. Many will remember, like me, that Kevin was doing TV sports at Channel 4 back in the mid-70's. You do the math, Kevin Slaten is at least as old as me...and I'll be 55 in December.
I wonder if Steve Savard knows that he's challenging a man to a boxing match that's been eligible for his AARP card for several years. Would it solve anything if the ex-NFL player who is maybe 42?, beat up on a guy who might be pushing 60?...even if it were for the benefit of Backstoppers. I don't think so.
Savard said last night on KTRS that he would continue to conduct himself with class. Well that's admirable. But I've always been of the opinion that if you have to say you're conducting yourself with class, you don't really have the right idea of how it's done. That's for someone else to say, not you. He would have been better off, in my opinion, to tell Randy Karraker, Jack Snow and John Hadley...who were doing the show on KTRS...to let it go, and not comment at all on the Slaten deal.
Anyway, both guys should take a deep breath. But my belief is that Kevin is getting what he set out for, more attention for himself and his radio show.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Radio Sports Announcing 101
As a young radio broadcaster, aspiring to do sports play-by-play for a living, I was taught a valuable lesson once that I would like to share with anyone who is of a mind to listen. The actual instruction will come at the bottom of this post. In the meantime let me explain what got me thinking.
My wife and I, and our oldest son, spent the weekend in Chicago visiting my youngest son who attends DePaul University. While there, we did a lot of shopping, eating at restaurants, and looking around. We even spent some time in the Wrigley Field area at the conclusion of Saturday's Cardinals-Cubs game. What an interesting synergy when St. Louis and Chicago fans stuff themselves into a small area. We spent about a half-hour at the Cubby Bear to "drink in" the post-game hijinks of the Cards/Cubs rivarly on the day the Redbirds clinched the division. Lots of fun.
But I digress. We headed back for St. Louis mid-afternoon Sunday. After clearing the Windy City suburbs and post-Bears/Lions traffic, I decided to try to pick up the Rams/Cardinals game on KTRS. Just south of Joliet, we were a good 260 miles from St. Louis, and the 550am signal came booming in. So, I was able to listen to almost the entire broadcast by Steve Savard and Jack Snow as we headed south on I-55. For the most part, a decent call of the game. But I was frustrated at times by the effort that I had to put into it.
What do I mean by that? Steve Savard seems like a nice man. But he exhibits a play-by-play style that many younger broadcasters, especially those who are also TV sports anchors, have. They do radio play-by-play as if it were a television broadcast. I mean, they describe the action as though the listener can also SEE the game. This is an understandable habit as we all are video animals these days. When you see highlights, or play-by-play on television, there is no need for the announcer to do a good radio play-by-play description. Such as:
-The weather.
-The color of the uniforms.
-The direction the team with the ball is going.
-To what side of the playing field the ball is thrown.
-The type of formation the offense displays.
-The size of the crowd.
You get the idea... All of the things the listener CAN NOT SEE FOR HIMSELF!
Often, this manifests itself with the announcer saying things like:
In baseball-- "That one's hit deep to left field" That what? Was it a pitch down the middle? Was it a curve ball? Is it a line drive? Is it a high fly or a beach ball?
In football: Out of nowhere--"There's a pass to the sideline" Where were they on the field? What down is it? How many yards for a first down? What formation were they in? What's the defense doing? Who are the wide receivers? How many are there? Which sideline? etc. etc.
I could go on and on. But the announcer operates under the assumption that his audience sees what he is seeing.
This is the area where Mr. Savard's technique...and that of many of his current colleagues... falls short in my book. It's a common problem among the current generation of broadcasters who have grown up with video. Back when some of us "old dudes" were learning the business, very few games were actually on television. The occasional baseball "Game of the Week" was televised. NFL games were not nearly as plentiful. ESPN, and the constant stream of video highlights, was way off in the future. So, the radio broadcast was our primary exposure to sports. The current crop of guys has grown up with the mindset that every piece of audio is an accompaniment to some video. But, as with the Rams-Cardinals game that I was tuned to yesterday, that's certainly not true. I was begging for someone to "put me at the scene".
The end of the game was a perfect example. Kurt Warner marched the Cardinals down the field on a drive for the potential winning touchdown. But I couldn't visualize whether the sun was at his back, or in his eyes, or for that matter if the sun was even a factor (many times it is at Sun Devil Stadium). He threw several passes where receivers were tackled inbounds, which kept the clock running. But I didn't know if the passes were inentionally thrown over the middle, or if they were thrown to the sideline and the receiver couldn't get out of bounds. There were times when the ball was thrown to the sideline..but I didn't know who the intended receiver was...or which sideline it was. Long pass? Short pass? Swing pass? Didn't know. On the play where Adam Archuleta of the Rams sacked Warner to essentially end the game, unless I missed it, there was no mention of whether Archie (I'm not much on nicknames either)came through the line to make the play...or from one of the sides. I'm talking about basic description of the action.
The lesson I learned about this early in my career was simply this--On radio, you describe the action as if everyone in your audience is blind, and has never seen anything, let alone a sports event.
To be an effective radio play-by-play person, describe everything you see in detail because the audience members, sightless or not, don't see what you're seeing. This lesson came to me not from Jack Buck, or Dan Kelly, or any of the broadcasters that I've been fortunate to be around. It came from a listener in O'Fallon, Illinois who used to catch my descriptions of high school and college games on the old WIBV. He had heard some of my poorly-worded efforts and decided to call me with some advice. He was blind.
His critiques made me realize that in order to be effective for everyone, a play-by-play radio broadcast must be geared to basic description for the benefit of every potential listener. Less analysis...more descriptive phrases...more atmosphere...more scores...more setting up the play...more situational description.. and attempts to involve the listener in the actual experience. It may seem elementary at times, but it's not about you being there...it's about the listener being there.
It was a powerful lesson from a man who had no broadcast training...but was the perfect professor. Since then I always tried to become "the eyes" of my listener. Many of today's broadcasters could benefit from my sightless friend's advice. Paint a vivid picture. Radio is a medium for great storytellers.
My wife and I, and our oldest son, spent the weekend in Chicago visiting my youngest son who attends DePaul University. While there, we did a lot of shopping, eating at restaurants, and looking around. We even spent some time in the Wrigley Field area at the conclusion of Saturday's Cardinals-Cubs game. What an interesting synergy when St. Louis and Chicago fans stuff themselves into a small area. We spent about a half-hour at the Cubby Bear to "drink in" the post-game hijinks of the Cards/Cubs rivarly on the day the Redbirds clinched the division. Lots of fun.
But I digress. We headed back for St. Louis mid-afternoon Sunday. After clearing the Windy City suburbs and post-Bears/Lions traffic, I decided to try to pick up the Rams/Cardinals game on KTRS. Just south of Joliet, we were a good 260 miles from St. Louis, and the 550am signal came booming in. So, I was able to listen to almost the entire broadcast by Steve Savard and Jack Snow as we headed south on I-55. For the most part, a decent call of the game. But I was frustrated at times by the effort that I had to put into it.
What do I mean by that? Steve Savard seems like a nice man. But he exhibits a play-by-play style that many younger broadcasters, especially those who are also TV sports anchors, have. They do radio play-by-play as if it were a television broadcast. I mean, they describe the action as though the listener can also SEE the game. This is an understandable habit as we all are video animals these days. When you see highlights, or play-by-play on television, there is no need for the announcer to do a good radio play-by-play description. Such as:
-The weather.
-The color of the uniforms.
-The direction the team with the ball is going.
-To what side of the playing field the ball is thrown.
-The type of formation the offense displays.
-The size of the crowd.
You get the idea... All of the things the listener CAN NOT SEE FOR HIMSELF!
Often, this manifests itself with the announcer saying things like:
In baseball-- "That one's hit deep to left field" That what? Was it a pitch down the middle? Was it a curve ball? Is it a line drive? Is it a high fly or a beach ball?
In football: Out of nowhere--"There's a pass to the sideline" Where were they on the field? What down is it? How many yards for a first down? What formation were they in? What's the defense doing? Who are the wide receivers? How many are there? Which sideline? etc. etc.
I could go on and on. But the announcer operates under the assumption that his audience sees what he is seeing.
This is the area where Mr. Savard's technique...and that of many of his current colleagues... falls short in my book. It's a common problem among the current generation of broadcasters who have grown up with video. Back when some of us "old dudes" were learning the business, very few games were actually on television. The occasional baseball "Game of the Week" was televised. NFL games were not nearly as plentiful. ESPN, and the constant stream of video highlights, was way off in the future. So, the radio broadcast was our primary exposure to sports. The current crop of guys has grown up with the mindset that every piece of audio is an accompaniment to some video. But, as with the Rams-Cardinals game that I was tuned to yesterday, that's certainly not true. I was begging for someone to "put me at the scene".
The end of the game was a perfect example. Kurt Warner marched the Cardinals down the field on a drive for the potential winning touchdown. But I couldn't visualize whether the sun was at his back, or in his eyes, or for that matter if the sun was even a factor (many times it is at Sun Devil Stadium). He threw several passes where receivers were tackled inbounds, which kept the clock running. But I didn't know if the passes were inentionally thrown over the middle, or if they were thrown to the sideline and the receiver couldn't get out of bounds. There were times when the ball was thrown to the sideline..but I didn't know who the intended receiver was...or which sideline it was. Long pass? Short pass? Swing pass? Didn't know. On the play where Adam Archuleta of the Rams sacked Warner to essentially end the game, unless I missed it, there was no mention of whether Archie (I'm not much on nicknames either)came through the line to make the play...or from one of the sides. I'm talking about basic description of the action.
The lesson I learned about this early in my career was simply this--On radio, you describe the action as if everyone in your audience is blind, and has never seen anything, let alone a sports event.
To be an effective radio play-by-play person, describe everything you see in detail because the audience members, sightless or not, don't see what you're seeing. This lesson came to me not from Jack Buck, or Dan Kelly, or any of the broadcasters that I've been fortunate to be around. It came from a listener in O'Fallon, Illinois who used to catch my descriptions of high school and college games on the old WIBV. He had heard some of my poorly-worded efforts and decided to call me with some advice. He was blind.
His critiques made me realize that in order to be effective for everyone, a play-by-play radio broadcast must be geared to basic description for the benefit of every potential listener. Less analysis...more descriptive phrases...more atmosphere...more scores...more setting up the play...more situational description.. and attempts to involve the listener in the actual experience. It may seem elementary at times, but it's not about you being there...it's about the listener being there.
It was a powerful lesson from a man who had no broadcast training...but was the perfect professor. Since then I always tried to become "the eyes" of my listener. Many of today's broadcasters could benefit from my sightless friend's advice. Paint a vivid picture. Radio is a medium for great storytellers.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Opportunity vs. Entitlement
The Hurricane Katrina situation has forced many of us to come to grips with the daily disaster of the poor, and their plight in this country. I include myself as someone who hasn't fully understood the scope of the problem. What's ordinarily out of sight...is out of mind...as the old saying goes. We generally aren't concerned with how the extremely poor in this country live from one day to the next. So, we don't have to be terribly concerned.
Being a part of the cycle of futility that exists below the poverty line is not a happy place to be. But, try as we might to help, some of the poor seem hell-bent on a pathetic existence. As Dickens so skillfully demonstrated in "A Christmas Carol", the poor will always be among us, and leaving their fate in their own hands, which was Scrooge's answer, is also not a solution. At the same time, their own spirit and self-determination must be at the source of anything that approaches a solution. The welfare system, which is a comfortable and compassionate approach to some in government, also robs our poor of the self-esteem needed to achieve and strive for a better life.
That brings me back to the hurricane. What is really disheartening, is the mindset that many of the affected people of New Orleans have displayed. We have seen, through their lack of action and comments to news cameras, individuals and families who have the expectation that someone else is in charge of their lives. They have submitted to futility. They assume no obligation to care for themselves, their families, or the places they live. They wait for someone to tell them where to go, what to do, and where their next meal is coming from. There can be no question that this attitude is a result of the welfare state, the way of life of the poor in this country for many years. The futility that is borne of being on the public dole has been exposed as the real human tragedy of this incredible natural disaster.
So how do our poor go from being those who simply exist on the leftovers of society to self-sufficient, self-sustaining and confident contributors to a better life for themselves and those around them? When and how do they discontinue the expectation of a better life based on what someone else allows them, to assuming the responsibility for their own future? I don't have the answers. But, it is obvious that these are questions that will need to be addressed in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. The welfare system, as we know it, doesn't appear to cut the mustard.
Being a part of the cycle of futility that exists below the poverty line is not a happy place to be. But, try as we might to help, some of the poor seem hell-bent on a pathetic existence. As Dickens so skillfully demonstrated in "A Christmas Carol", the poor will always be among us, and leaving their fate in their own hands, which was Scrooge's answer, is also not a solution. At the same time, their own spirit and self-determination must be at the source of anything that approaches a solution. The welfare system, which is a comfortable and compassionate approach to some in government, also robs our poor of the self-esteem needed to achieve and strive for a better life.
That brings me back to the hurricane. What is really disheartening, is the mindset that many of the affected people of New Orleans have displayed. We have seen, through their lack of action and comments to news cameras, individuals and families who have the expectation that someone else is in charge of their lives. They have submitted to futility. They assume no obligation to care for themselves, their families, or the places they live. They wait for someone to tell them where to go, what to do, and where their next meal is coming from. There can be no question that this attitude is a result of the welfare state, the way of life of the poor in this country for many years. The futility that is borne of being on the public dole has been exposed as the real human tragedy of this incredible natural disaster.
So how do our poor go from being those who simply exist on the leftovers of society to self-sufficient, self-sustaining and confident contributors to a better life for themselves and those around them? When and how do they discontinue the expectation of a better life based on what someone else allows them, to assuming the responsibility for their own future? I don't have the answers. But, it is obvious that these are questions that will need to be addressed in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. The welfare system, as we know it, doesn't appear to cut the mustard.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Rams Observations
--Haven't we seen way too many games that had the same script as the Rams' loss to the 49ers today? The whole game had the feeling of an I Love Lucy re-run. The only thing missing was "Meata-Vita-Vegamin". The players change...somewhat...but the producer and script remains the same. It was all so damn predictable.
--Rams player makes stupid play on opening kick-off putting team deep in the hole.
--Rams seem to have too much offensive fire-power for the other team..they march the ball down the field giving us the feeling that they will destroy the opposition. But wait, they can't seem to get the ball into the end zone. Wilkins kicks a field goal.
--Rams seem to...(uh, just re-read the previous paragraph)
--Rams march ball down field...except for a couple of minutes of commercials when they have had to call a time out for some inexplicable reason.
--Rams defense looks all right until...you're kidding me...the other team throws a long bomb and connects. Oh well...we're behind but we're still a better team.
--Rams play on even terms for a while with the opposition...(which seems to be vulnerable). Then, uh oh, the other team runs back a punt for a long touchdown. Oh well, we'll still be OK it's not out of reach yet.
--Rams struggle running the ball back after the touchdown again. Now I'm getting frustrated.
--Rams fall behind by a couple of touchdowns by halftime.
--After the bathroom and refreshment break...
--The re-freshed opposition takes the opening kick-off and runs it down the Rams throats for another score. Now we have to go into panic mode...shoot!
--Rams seem to have re-grouped a bit...They're moving the ball better now...but we need to score at least three times.
--Rams score a touchdown...Let's see we're going to need a two-point conversion...OK...let's surprize them even though we have three wide-receivers that nobody can cover...we'll try to run the ball up the middle behind our offensive line that hasn't been able to block anybody all day...yeah, that'll surprize 'em. Nope. 2-pointer...no good. Now we're going to have to score at least a couple more times.
--Rams manage to get the ball back late...still needing a touchdown and a field goal. Coach pulls a neat play out of the hat to baffle the opposition and score a touchdown. Where's that play been all day? Now we need to stop the opposition to get the ball back and drive for the tying field goal or winning touchdown.
--Hey..Rams stop the opposition on three downs. They punt and we get the ball back. OK we're in business now. Remember, we're playing a much inferior team.
--Rams begin last-minute, desperation drive. We are in field goal range. Jeff Wilkins hasn't missed all day.
--DOH!!! We throw and interception trying to move in closer...DOH..S%##! F#@#!..Son of a $%&*!!.
If you're a Rams fan...you could have written this whole thing for me.
For the most part, Rams football under Mike Martz has been winning football. But, for me, it's also been totally frustrating football. It more often than not seems the Rams have the better talent on the field but manage, in numerous ways, to shoot themselves in the collective foot. Some games they are able to overcome their self-inflicted wounds, others not. If the fault of that isn't poor coaching, what is it? Martz seems to always have a reasonable, if not very good, offensive team. But, rarely do we see anything to get excited about in any other phase of the game. I hate to say it, but you have to go back to the pre-Martz days and the Super Bowl team of '99 to find a team that was good in more than just offense.
Someone in the ownership/management structure of the Rams surely knows this...don't they?
--Rams player makes stupid play on opening kick-off putting team deep in the hole.
--Rams seem to have too much offensive fire-power for the other team..they march the ball down the field giving us the feeling that they will destroy the opposition. But wait, they can't seem to get the ball into the end zone. Wilkins kicks a field goal.
--Rams seem to...(uh, just re-read the previous paragraph)
--Rams march ball down field...except for a couple of minutes of commercials when they have had to call a time out for some inexplicable reason.
--Rams defense looks all right until...you're kidding me...the other team throws a long bomb and connects. Oh well...we're behind but we're still a better team.
--Rams play on even terms for a while with the opposition...(which seems to be vulnerable). Then, uh oh, the other team runs back a punt for a long touchdown. Oh well, we'll still be OK it's not out of reach yet.
--Rams struggle running the ball back after the touchdown again. Now I'm getting frustrated.
--Rams fall behind by a couple of touchdowns by halftime.
--After the bathroom and refreshment break...
--The re-freshed opposition takes the opening kick-off and runs it down the Rams throats for another score. Now we have to go into panic mode...shoot!
--Rams seem to have re-grouped a bit...They're moving the ball better now...but we need to score at least three times.
--Rams score a touchdown...Let's see we're going to need a two-point conversion...OK...let's surprize them even though we have three wide-receivers that nobody can cover...we'll try to run the ball up the middle behind our offensive line that hasn't been able to block anybody all day...yeah, that'll surprize 'em. Nope. 2-pointer...no good. Now we're going to have to score at least a couple more times.
--Rams manage to get the ball back late...still needing a touchdown and a field goal. Coach pulls a neat play out of the hat to baffle the opposition and score a touchdown. Where's that play been all day? Now we need to stop the opposition to get the ball back and drive for the tying field goal or winning touchdown.
--Hey..Rams stop the opposition on three downs. They punt and we get the ball back. OK we're in business now. Remember, we're playing a much inferior team.
--Rams begin last-minute, desperation drive. We are in field goal range. Jeff Wilkins hasn't missed all day.
--DOH!!! We throw and interception trying to move in closer...DOH..S%##! F#@#!..Son of a $%&*!!.
If you're a Rams fan...you could have written this whole thing for me.
For the most part, Rams football under Mike Martz has been winning football. But, for me, it's also been totally frustrating football. It more often than not seems the Rams have the better talent on the field but manage, in numerous ways, to shoot themselves in the collective foot. Some games they are able to overcome their self-inflicted wounds, others not. If the fault of that isn't poor coaching, what is it? Martz seems to always have a reasonable, if not very good, offensive team. But, rarely do we see anything to get excited about in any other phase of the game. I hate to say it, but you have to go back to the pre-Martz days and the Super Bowl team of '99 to find a team that was good in more than just offense.
Someone in the ownership/management structure of the Rams surely knows this...don't they?
Friday, September 09, 2005
Katrina Thoughts--10 Days Later
Well, it's been over a week since I posted. I've taken a little vacation time...and been very busy...but it's time to get back to it.
A week ago I paid $3.19 a gallon. Most places are at just under $3 right now. I guess not filling up last week turned out to be a good idea. Even though I had to fill up a couple of times since. I'm guessing the gas will come down another quarter or so as the summer travel season is over. But, we won't be seeing anything under $2.50 any more...just my prediction. Once they break a certain "psychological barrier" with the consumer, you rarely see them retreat very far. Competition doesn't seem to be much of a factor at this point.
Here I go again being unsympathetic. My wife asked me some good questions yesterday..."If our house were flooded out, or burned up, or blown away by a tornado, would the government feed us, clothe us, and give us a place to live until we were able to make it on our own again? Is the government responsible for everyone affected by some kind of natural disaster?" Interesting queries aren't they?
Got me to thinking...What is the difference between me and a tornado...and the Gulf Coast people and their hurricane? Where do you draw the line? Do we, as taxpayers, take responsibility for them and not for someone else equally devastated? Is the government acting as a big insurance company in this case? Is it just the amount of devastation that separates this natural disaster from others? This storm is costing taxpayers many billions of dollars...and it doesn't matter where the taxpayer lives. A smaller storm here in the midwest could devastate a smaller area...but not receive anywhere near the attention or response from any level of government. Maybe someone can explain to me how this works?
Other questions...If some of the Katrina survivors had their homes blown away and then they go back and rebuild on the same spot, should they feel bad about being turned down for insurance in the future? Will they have to sign something that says the government is not responsible for what happens to them financially if they do rebuild? Looks like they will have some serious economic issues to ponder before they can reclaim anything that resembles their old life.
Regarding New Orleans...My suggestion would be to salvage the French Quarter as an entertainment district...and try to rebuild and reopen whatever historic and cultural aspects of New Orleans you reasonably can. For instance, you could reasonably open a college campus like Tulane...most of the kids aren't permanent residents anyway. But, I would not rebuild most of the business and residential areas in the low-lying areas destined to have the same thing happen all over again. It might be 10 years, it might be 100 years, it might be 500 years before another storm like Katrina comes along. But, I believe it's irresponsible to put that many people and buildings right back in harm's way, unless your damn sure the area is safe from a repeat performance. Make a giant park or wildlife area out of it...someplace where thousands of humans won't have to, or be able to hide from another giant hurricane.
A week ago I paid $3.19 a gallon. Most places are at just under $3 right now. I guess not filling up last week turned out to be a good idea. Even though I had to fill up a couple of times since. I'm guessing the gas will come down another quarter or so as the summer travel season is over. But, we won't be seeing anything under $2.50 any more...just my prediction. Once they break a certain "psychological barrier" with the consumer, you rarely see them retreat very far. Competition doesn't seem to be much of a factor at this point.
Here I go again being unsympathetic. My wife asked me some good questions yesterday..."If our house were flooded out, or burned up, or blown away by a tornado, would the government feed us, clothe us, and give us a place to live until we were able to make it on our own again? Is the government responsible for everyone affected by some kind of natural disaster?" Interesting queries aren't they?
Got me to thinking...What is the difference between me and a tornado...and the Gulf Coast people and their hurricane? Where do you draw the line? Do we, as taxpayers, take responsibility for them and not for someone else equally devastated? Is the government acting as a big insurance company in this case? Is it just the amount of devastation that separates this natural disaster from others? This storm is costing taxpayers many billions of dollars...and it doesn't matter where the taxpayer lives. A smaller storm here in the midwest could devastate a smaller area...but not receive anywhere near the attention or response from any level of government. Maybe someone can explain to me how this works?
Other questions...If some of the Katrina survivors had their homes blown away and then they go back and rebuild on the same spot, should they feel bad about being turned down for insurance in the future? Will they have to sign something that says the government is not responsible for what happens to them financially if they do rebuild? Looks like they will have some serious economic issues to ponder before they can reclaim anything that resembles their old life.
Regarding New Orleans...My suggestion would be to salvage the French Quarter as an entertainment district...and try to rebuild and reopen whatever historic and cultural aspects of New Orleans you reasonably can. For instance, you could reasonably open a college campus like Tulane...most of the kids aren't permanent residents anyway. But, I would not rebuild most of the business and residential areas in the low-lying areas destined to have the same thing happen all over again. It might be 10 years, it might be 100 years, it might be 500 years before another storm like Katrina comes along. But, I believe it's irresponsible to put that many people and buildings right back in harm's way, unless your damn sure the area is safe from a repeat performance. Make a giant park or wildlife area out of it...someplace where thousands of humans won't have to, or be able to hide from another giant hurricane.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
More Katrina
Everybody's talking about it...so I thought I would too.
--I just paid $3.19 a gallon to fill up at the local quick stop. Actually I didn't fill up, I just stopped at $30 worth. I guess I'm hoping that in a week it might go back down to under $3. Probably not..but I thought it was worth the gamble. If all of this causes us to think more about how much gas we're burning, and how we're burning it, maybe there will be a silver lining to the high gas prices.
--I saw President Bush--along with George H.W.(#41) and Bill(#42)--on TV this afternoon explaining all of the steps that are being taken to ease the restrictions on the movement of gasoline. I hope it helps. I would think the environment can stand a few months of extra pollutants until we get back to something like normal. And, I don't mind that we use a Canadian, Brazilian, or Japanese ship to move some gasoline from one American port to another. Normally, only US owned ships are allowed to do that. I don't know how that got started, but I'm guessing it was something that a union (Longshoremen?), and shipping industry moguls lobbied through Congress.
--I understand that when you're hungry, and maybe thirsty, and have not had a decent place to sleep, or go to the bathroom, for a few days that you start to get more than a little testy. But, I have to go back to what I said a few days ago. All of the people in New Orleans were ORDERED to leave. Not asked. Not expected. ORDERED! Some of the people who stayed despite the order (elderly, sick, without transport) I can sympathize with. But, most of them have no right to be all ticked off or violent because someone isn't coming to their rescue in a timely fashion. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but they broke the law by staying behind. And, how could you not be scared out of there by the prospect of a category 5 hurricane? I would have been halfway to Canada by the time the thing got there.
The National Guard, and anyone else who will be coming in there to help, needs to have a clearly defined strategy and approach. They don't need to be rushing in there one vehicle at a time and be taken over by a mob of people who want to be the first ones out. And clearly, the people who are still in there have a mob mentality. When there is no sense of order, mob rules apply. So, the rescuers have to think about their own safety first, then go in, en masse, to provide the help that's needed. In this case, faster is not necessarily better.
--Make no mistake...we all will be paying for Katrina, in one form or another, for a long time.
--I just paid $3.19 a gallon to fill up at the local quick stop. Actually I didn't fill up, I just stopped at $30 worth. I guess I'm hoping that in a week it might go back down to under $3. Probably not..but I thought it was worth the gamble. If all of this causes us to think more about how much gas we're burning, and how we're burning it, maybe there will be a silver lining to the high gas prices.
--I saw President Bush--along with George H.W.(#41) and Bill(#42)--on TV this afternoon explaining all of the steps that are being taken to ease the restrictions on the movement of gasoline. I hope it helps. I would think the environment can stand a few months of extra pollutants until we get back to something like normal. And, I don't mind that we use a Canadian, Brazilian, or Japanese ship to move some gasoline from one American port to another. Normally, only US owned ships are allowed to do that. I don't know how that got started, but I'm guessing it was something that a union (Longshoremen?), and shipping industry moguls lobbied through Congress.
--I understand that when you're hungry, and maybe thirsty, and have not had a decent place to sleep, or go to the bathroom, for a few days that you start to get more than a little testy. But, I have to go back to what I said a few days ago. All of the people in New Orleans were ORDERED to leave. Not asked. Not expected. ORDERED! Some of the people who stayed despite the order (elderly, sick, without transport) I can sympathize with. But, most of them have no right to be all ticked off or violent because someone isn't coming to their rescue in a timely fashion. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but they broke the law by staying behind. And, how could you not be scared out of there by the prospect of a category 5 hurricane? I would have been halfway to Canada by the time the thing got there.
The National Guard, and anyone else who will be coming in there to help, needs to have a clearly defined strategy and approach. They don't need to be rushing in there one vehicle at a time and be taken over by a mob of people who want to be the first ones out. And clearly, the people who are still in there have a mob mentality. When there is no sense of order, mob rules apply. So, the rescuers have to think about their own safety first, then go in, en masse, to provide the help that's needed. In this case, faster is not necessarily better.
--Make no mistake...we all will be paying for Katrina, in one form or another, for a long time.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Where Would You Rather Be?
Just about wherever one lives in the United States, one runs the risk of being the victim of a natural disaster. Though it's hard to imagine the total devastation of such a large area like we're seeing in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
In the Midwest we have our occasional floods, tornadoes, and the New Madrid fault could produce the big earthquake at any time.
The West has it's wildfires, earthquakes and other seismic events.
The East and Gulf coasts have hurricanes and several other possibilities.
The North has tornadoes, floods and blizzards.
The Southwest has it's droughts, fires and severe heat.
I'm not sure where it's safest to live in our country, but I guess I'll take my chances here in the Midwest. We don't seem to have the extremes of the other places.
Although, we've been close to a couple of tornadoes over the years and it doesn't get much more frightening than that.
Even with all of these disastrous possiblities, would you rather live in any other country? Yes, that's a rhetorical question. I think I know your answer. When's the last time you heard of people flocking to get into any other country in the world?
They're breaking down the doors to get into Denmark? Nope.
They're closing the borders to South Africa? Not a chance.
They are not allowing new immigrants in Russia? Right.
They're fighting to get into Brazil? Give me a break.
With all of our problems...not just the weather...our good ol' America is still where people find the greatest possibility of living out their dream.
In the Midwest we have our occasional floods, tornadoes, and the New Madrid fault could produce the big earthquake at any time.
The West has it's wildfires, earthquakes and other seismic events.
The East and Gulf coasts have hurricanes and several other possibilities.
The North has tornadoes, floods and blizzards.
The Southwest has it's droughts, fires and severe heat.
I'm not sure where it's safest to live in our country, but I guess I'll take my chances here in the Midwest. We don't seem to have the extremes of the other places.
Although, we've been close to a couple of tornadoes over the years and it doesn't get much more frightening than that.
Even with all of these disastrous possiblities, would you rather live in any other country? Yes, that's a rhetorical question. I think I know your answer. When's the last time you heard of people flocking to get into any other country in the world?
They're breaking down the doors to get into Denmark? Nope.
They're closing the borders to South Africa? Not a chance.
They are not allowing new immigrants in Russia? Right.
They're fighting to get into Brazil? Give me a break.
With all of our problems...not just the weather...our good ol' America is still where people find the greatest possibility of living out their dream.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Katrina Questions
What a terrible storm. But we have to be thankful that it took that little turn to the East before coming ashore. Otherwise, they say we could be looking at death and devastation on the order of the Asian tsunami. I heard one New Orleans official say if the city would have taken a direct hit they wouldn't have had enough body bags.
Here are the questions I have in the aftermath.
--Will those that are being rescued from their roofs in New Orleans be charged with a crime? There was a mandatory evacuation order that they obviously chose to ignore. Now, tax money has to be spent, and the lives of rescuers are at risk, because these people chose to "ride it out".
--Will insurance companies be allowed to just quit selling insurance in hurricane affected areas? Some have already pulled out of Florida.
--If companies can sell only where they want to, will they be forced to lower their rates in the areas they do sell? I bet not.
--I actually read this morning that people are complaining about the conditions in the Super Dome. When does someone wake up and realize that they are lucky to be alive..or that someone else is taking care of them, not vice versa?
--Will the Saints have a place to play football? Their first home game in the Super Dome is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th. They've got a little over two weeks to get the place in shape...and make sure people can get to it without a boat.
--Will gas prices go up because of market pressure...or will the oil companies just have a good excuse for gouging?
--Where did Forrest Gump's shrimp boat wind up?
Here are the questions I have in the aftermath.
--Will those that are being rescued from their roofs in New Orleans be charged with a crime? There was a mandatory evacuation order that they obviously chose to ignore. Now, tax money has to be spent, and the lives of rescuers are at risk, because these people chose to "ride it out".
--Will insurance companies be allowed to just quit selling insurance in hurricane affected areas? Some have already pulled out of Florida.
--If companies can sell only where they want to, will they be forced to lower their rates in the areas they do sell? I bet not.
--I actually read this morning that people are complaining about the conditions in the Super Dome. When does someone wake up and realize that they are lucky to be alive..or that someone else is taking care of them, not vice versa?
--Will the Saints have a place to play football? Their first home game in the Super Dome is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th. They've got a little over two weeks to get the place in shape...and make sure people can get to it without a boat.
--Will gas prices go up because of market pressure...or will the oil companies just have a good excuse for gouging?
--Where did Forrest Gump's shrimp boat wind up?
Monday, August 29, 2005
Signs
--I happened to notice a window sticker on the way in to work today that got me thinking. It's a variation on the old "My kid is an honor student at XYZ school" and read something like this...
Now, I don't have a problem with parents who are really proud of kids and school accomplishments. Parents being into their kids is not nearly popular enough these days. Lack of parental involvement has always been a leading factor in youthful crime. Big Brothers-Big Sisters would enjoy the day when they have to go "out of business". I just think these stickers are, at best, disingenuous, and, at worst, a safety hazard.
XYZ School
Proud to be the parent of a
GREAT KID
Now, I don't have a problem with parents who are really proud of kids and school accomplishments. Parents being into their kids is not nearly popular enough these days. Lack of parental involvement has always been a leading factor in youthful crime. Big Brothers-Big Sisters would enjoy the day when they have to go "out of business". I just think these stickers are, at best, disingenuous, and, at worst, a safety hazard.
Don't you agree that these stickers are more about the parents than the kids? I believe they are a superficial way for a parent to call attention to himself/herself, not the kid and genuine academic achievement. Do these people think that the child actually cares about a bumper sticker on the family SUV that doesn't even identify him/her? Get real! If the parent actually wants to do something that the child appreciates they should take a family trip to Six Flags, or some other kind of "together-time" activity. And while there, the parent could tell the treasured offspring just how proud they are and top it off with a hug. The bumper sticker could stay out of my face.
I realize that schools use these stickers as a motivational/promotional tool. And, as long as the school sends one home with the student, parents will encounter the overwhelming urge to gloat and likely put the thing on the family vehicle. But, come on folks, I don't know you or your car. How could I possibly give you, or your school, the credit you're seeking? Do you think I'm going to do a search on your license plate to find out who you are, and then send you a letter of congratulations?
The only thing these stickers accomplish is to partially obscure the rear view of the driver. Maybe there should be a law.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Missing the Good Old Days
I noticed in today's edition of the Belleville News-Democrat an insert devoted to the high school football season. Most of the area high schools start their season tonight. It got me to thinking about how much fun and excitement there used to be for me on the first day of the high school gridiron campaign a few decades ago.
Back in the 70's and early 80's I worked for WIBV radio. Those of you old enough to remember will recall that the station was essentially the KMOX of the Metro-East. We had local news, talk shows, farm reports, obituaries, the community calendar, all of the community-oriented programming that made up a full-service radio station in those days. And, of course, we broadcast TONS of high school sports. That's the reason I wanted to work there coming out of college. Because there was such a variety of types of broadcasting to learn from, and be involved in. The station was what, I believe, radio stations licensed to serve certain communities should be....a real service to the community.
Right now, that same station at 1260AM, with new call letters of WSDZ, is known as Radio Disney. It's license is owned by the Disney company and it broadcasts a bunch of pre-teen oriented music and fooling around. This "niche programming" is delivered by satellite to the transmitter and doesn't really do much for anyone except pre-pubescent kids. It's still licensed by the FCC to serve Belleville and the surrounding area, but gets away with programming the stuff it does because of the very lax, "market driven" laws governing the broadcasters of the nation these days.
The station operates out of offices at West Port Plaza in Maryland Heights. It has no real connection to Belleville other than the fact that the transmitter and towers are still located just off 159 between Belleville and Smithton. The Disney people have spent a lot of money and tried mightily to re-configure the station's signal to serve more of the St. Louis region, but really haven't had much success.
All that said, I wish there was an economic solution to re-capturing the station and bringing it back to the type of service which the community had back in the 20th Century. We broadcasters had a great time serving the metro-east with the meaty, and some would say "small town", programming of those days. And I'm sure many in the area would appreciate having a station that pays attention to local issues, events and lives to call their own again. The economics of the current situation just don't seem to support that possibility though.
The first day of football season...when we usually broadcast one featured game and had reporters calling in updates from several other games around the area...was one of the highlight days of our broadcast year. The business community, until the early 80's, ate it up and supported our efforts with lots of sponsorship money. We brought a level of attention, and community pride, to the area gridiron programs that I'm sorry to say is likely gone forever.
You have to go far away from the big cities to find stations that absorb themselves in high school sportscasting these days. Sad...but that's the nature of the broadcasting beast in 2005. I certainly have some great memories of those days. And the first day of high school football season always takes me back there with a smile.
Back in the 70's and early 80's I worked for WIBV radio. Those of you old enough to remember will recall that the station was essentially the KMOX of the Metro-East. We had local news, talk shows, farm reports, obituaries, the community calendar, all of the community-oriented programming that made up a full-service radio station in those days. And, of course, we broadcast TONS of high school sports. That's the reason I wanted to work there coming out of college. Because there was such a variety of types of broadcasting to learn from, and be involved in. The station was what, I believe, radio stations licensed to serve certain communities should be....a real service to the community.
Right now, that same station at 1260AM, with new call letters of WSDZ, is known as Radio Disney. It's license is owned by the Disney company and it broadcasts a bunch of pre-teen oriented music and fooling around. This "niche programming" is delivered by satellite to the transmitter and doesn't really do much for anyone except pre-pubescent kids. It's still licensed by the FCC to serve Belleville and the surrounding area, but gets away with programming the stuff it does because of the very lax, "market driven" laws governing the broadcasters of the nation these days.
The station operates out of offices at West Port Plaza in Maryland Heights. It has no real connection to Belleville other than the fact that the transmitter and towers are still located just off 159 between Belleville and Smithton. The Disney people have spent a lot of money and tried mightily to re-configure the station's signal to serve more of the St. Louis region, but really haven't had much success.
All that said, I wish there was an economic solution to re-capturing the station and bringing it back to the type of service which the community had back in the 20th Century. We broadcasters had a great time serving the metro-east with the meaty, and some would say "small town", programming of those days. And I'm sure many in the area would appreciate having a station that pays attention to local issues, events and lives to call their own again. The economics of the current situation just don't seem to support that possibility though.
The first day of football season...when we usually broadcast one featured game and had reporters calling in updates from several other games around the area...was one of the highlight days of our broadcast year. The business community, until the early 80's, ate it up and supported our efforts with lots of sponsorship money. We brought a level of attention, and community pride, to the area gridiron programs that I'm sorry to say is likely gone forever.
You have to go far away from the big cities to find stations that absorb themselves in high school sportscasting these days. Sad...but that's the nature of the broadcasting beast in 2005. I certainly have some great memories of those days. And the first day of high school football season always takes me back there with a smile.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Unexpected Success
--As part of my business efforts, I've been producing, selling, and hosting a weekly radio show on Gateway Grizzlies baseball this season. It's heard Sunday mornings at 10 on 1380-ESPN. I call it "Grizzlies This Week" and it's been fun to do. But I must admit, there have been times when I would have preferred to not get up early on a Sunday morning to go to "work".
The show is what is known in the business as a brokered hour. That means, I buy the time from the station and sell the advertising, hopefully for a profit. I haven't made much money at it so far, but the idea came up right before the season, and that limited my sales effort considerably. But, I thought this summer I could at least establish the idea and then next year go for a "full-blown" sales effort starting after the holidays.
I was excited about the concept back in late May and early June. The Grizzlies have been a tremendous attraction for families during the summer months for the past few years. They have consistently led the Frontier League in attendance and everybody talks about how much fun they have at the games. The business community supports the team strongly with advertising and through participation in promotions. The radio show seemed like a slam dunk.
Then the Grizzlies started playing baseball games. Yikes! The team was worse than I could have imagined early in the campaign. The pitching was pathetic, the hitting struggled, and Grizzlies skipper Danny Cox manged to get himself suspended for most of June for bumping an umpire. There were rumors of friction between players. There were obvious examples of players not seeming to care about their effort while on the field. It was really ugly. It got to the point in mid-July that I seriously considered cancelling the show for the rest of the season. I thought, "who would want to be associated with what's going on here?". The best thing I could do for my advertisers would be to release them from their contracts. But, upon further consideration, I decided to stick it out, largely because of the great support from the Grizzlies management and ownership for what I was doing. And something in the back of my mind told me I would be sorry for dropping the show.
What has always made sports so fascinating and exciting to me is it's unpredictability. Lo and behold, a few weeks ago the Grizzlies started playing better baseball....much better baseball. They made a trade to pick up huge (6-6, 250) slugger Thomari Story-Harden in a trade with Mid-Missouri. Since then just about everybody in the lineup has been tearing the cover off the ball. The pitching staff, after many player moves and much hard work, has come together. Cox has been getting a solid outing from his starters almost every night. Closer Scott Patterson has been nearly untouchable since coming back to the team in late July. (He was a starter last season, and played for a team in Pennsylvania early this season). Defense-solid. Fan support-still leads the league.
As of this writing, the Grizzlies are over the .500 mark for the first time this season. They have won six games in a row and are right on the heals of the first and second place teams in the Western division (Rockford and Kalamazoo) of the Frontier League. The first two teams in the standings at season's end make the championship playoffs. It's been a remarkable turnaround. I would definitely not bet against them making the playoffs and, who knows, maybe winning the league championship again, as they did in 2003.
I am so happy that I didn't cancel the show. I have learned an important business lesson when it comes to sports. Never give up!
Go Grizzlies! And thanks for being a big part of my happiness!
The show is what is known in the business as a brokered hour. That means, I buy the time from the station and sell the advertising, hopefully for a profit. I haven't made much money at it so far, but the idea came up right before the season, and that limited my sales effort considerably. But, I thought this summer I could at least establish the idea and then next year go for a "full-blown" sales effort starting after the holidays.
I was excited about the concept back in late May and early June. The Grizzlies have been a tremendous attraction for families during the summer months for the past few years. They have consistently led the Frontier League in attendance and everybody talks about how much fun they have at the games. The business community supports the team strongly with advertising and through participation in promotions. The radio show seemed like a slam dunk.
Then the Grizzlies started playing baseball games. Yikes! The team was worse than I could have imagined early in the campaign. The pitching was pathetic, the hitting struggled, and Grizzlies skipper Danny Cox manged to get himself suspended for most of June for bumping an umpire. There were rumors of friction between players. There were obvious examples of players not seeming to care about their effort while on the field. It was really ugly. It got to the point in mid-July that I seriously considered cancelling the show for the rest of the season. I thought, "who would want to be associated with what's going on here?". The best thing I could do for my advertisers would be to release them from their contracts. But, upon further consideration, I decided to stick it out, largely because of the great support from the Grizzlies management and ownership for what I was doing. And something in the back of my mind told me I would be sorry for dropping the show.
What has always made sports so fascinating and exciting to me is it's unpredictability. Lo and behold, a few weeks ago the Grizzlies started playing better baseball....much better baseball. They made a trade to pick up huge (6-6, 250) slugger Thomari Story-Harden in a trade with Mid-Missouri. Since then just about everybody in the lineup has been tearing the cover off the ball. The pitching staff, after many player moves and much hard work, has come together. Cox has been getting a solid outing from his starters almost every night. Closer Scott Patterson has been nearly untouchable since coming back to the team in late July. (He was a starter last season, and played for a team in Pennsylvania early this season). Defense-solid. Fan support-still leads the league.
As of this writing, the Grizzlies are over the .500 mark for the first time this season. They have won six games in a row and are right on the heals of the first and second place teams in the Western division (Rockford and Kalamazoo) of the Frontier League. The first two teams in the standings at season's end make the championship playoffs. It's been a remarkable turnaround. I would definitely not bet against them making the playoffs and, who knows, maybe winning the league championship again, as they did in 2003.
I am so happy that I didn't cancel the show. I have learned an important business lesson when it comes to sports. Never give up!
Go Grizzlies! And thanks for being a big part of my happiness!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Radio Waves
Another writer...this time the excellent Pat Gauen who writes for Illinois editions of the Post-Dispatch...has found it necessary to explore the Cardinals/KMOX/KTRS deal and the significance of the variances in the radio signals. His piece deals primarily with the realities of the KTRS nighttime signal for residents in Illinois. I thought this territory was pretty well explored a few weeks ago, but let's see if I can ease some troubled minds.
There's a website that offers a color coverage map of every radio station in the country. www.radio-locator.com shows you that the night time signal of KTRS is restricted to the east. Everybody knows that. It also shows you that the signal of WSMI-FM, the station lined up to simulcast the games to fill in the weak area in the metro-east, will more than adequately pick up the slack. Maybe you didn't know that. Check it out.
It is abdundantly clear that the games will not, because KTRS is not a 50-thousand watt, clear- channel station, be heard in Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Mexico any more. But the Cardinals network of stations should adequately serve the markets that are more than casually interested in the broadcasts. Anyone who listened in far away places could not count on the broadcast being available anyway. Therefore, hearing those games in places thousands of miles away is a listening luxury that the Cardinals can live, and more importantly do business, without. Even KMOX won't gurantee that you will hear the game in Knockemstiff, Ohio on a given night because they have no control over weather conditions that might play havoc with skip waves bouncing off the ionosphere. We used to get calls at KMOX all the time from people in "the outback" asking why they couldn't hear the game that night. Our pat answers were, "Because the weather isn't cooperating" or "Just one of those nights".
The folks who can't hear KTRS in Illinois at night will be adequately served by audio of the games in some form.
There's a website that offers a color coverage map of every radio station in the country. www.radio-locator.com shows you that the night time signal of KTRS is restricted to the east. Everybody knows that. It also shows you that the signal of WSMI-FM, the station lined up to simulcast the games to fill in the weak area in the metro-east, will more than adequately pick up the slack. Maybe you didn't know that. Check it out.
It is abdundantly clear that the games will not, because KTRS is not a 50-thousand watt, clear- channel station, be heard in Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Mexico any more. But the Cardinals network of stations should adequately serve the markets that are more than casually interested in the broadcasts. Anyone who listened in far away places could not count on the broadcast being available anyway. Therefore, hearing those games in places thousands of miles away is a listening luxury that the Cardinals can live, and more importantly do business, without. Even KMOX won't gurantee that you will hear the game in Knockemstiff, Ohio on a given night because they have no control over weather conditions that might play havoc with skip waves bouncing off the ionosphere. We used to get calls at KMOX all the time from people in "the outback" asking why they couldn't hear the game that night. Our pat answers were, "Because the weather isn't cooperating" or "Just one of those nights".
The folks who can't hear KTRS in Illinois at night will be adequately served by audio of the games in some form.
- WSMI-FM (previously not on the network)
- Another network station (Sparta, Mount Vernon, Murphysboro, Herrin, Jacksonville, Springfield and Taylorville in Southern Illinois all have Cardinals affiliate stations)
- XM-Satellite
- Internet audio
As I've said in past posts, the serious Cardinals fan is finding a television set to watch the game. And, we've all noticed that there are TVs with the Cardinals game on them everywhere. The inconvenienced serious Cardinals fan is listening on the radio, and he/she will still be able to find a radio signal with the game on it. The not-so-serious Cardinals fan probably won't notice that anything has changed (much to the chagrin of KTRS bosses when the ratings come out).
I believe the major problem most people have with this thing has more to do with comfort than any potential reception issue. We folks here in St. Louis, and the Midwest, "don't cotton much to change". Not that that's a bad thing. Nobody likes to see a marriage break up. And our Cardinals were definintely married to KMOX for 51 years. But divorce happens all the time. Usually the people find a new way to make their lives work. But we conservative midwesterners get used to things being a certain way and any disruption in the daily routine throws us all into a hand-wringing, prozac-taking tizzy. Am I right?
Monday, August 22, 2005
Brain Waves
--I'm excited to say that I've agreed to return for another season as the public address announcer of the St. Louis Blues. My string of consecutive games without an absence...which began in January of 1987...will continue. Many thanks to Mark Sauer, Lou Siville and Chris Frome of the Blues organization who worked with me to structure a new deal. The Calhoun family is indeed grateful.
--Now with Mark Grudzielanek out with an infection in his knee, can it be long before the Cardinals sign someone from the Grizzlies to play a few games in the pinch? Heck, they could sign Grizzlies second-sacker Gary Gilbert to a one-week deal and wouldn't have to bother calling someone up from Memphis. Gary could play at that level...I'm darn sure of it. Especially when the team has a 13-game cushion in the standings.
--I've always been a Channel 5 guy. That goes way back to the days when I first moved away from home...(1975??) But, lately I've been watching a lot more of 2 and 4. I'm finding I can't quite warm up to the robotic Rene Knott and the "deer-in-the-headlights" Katie Felts on sports. And Frank Cusumano...who I think does a good job... isn't on enough. Plus...I just can't seem to buy into Mike Bush as a news anchor either. I keep waiting for him to come out with a "fuggedaboutit" when he's doing a voiceover on a news story. So, I think 5 is losing me. I find that I'm watching 5 out of habit...but switching to 4 during the show at 10 o'clock.
--I see where some of the things I said about the Cubs in a post last week caused a fan of the North-side bunch to respond with a comment challenging some of my thoughts. Let me say this, I admire, even if I don't understand, the loyalty that Cubs fans have to their team. In fact, I'll go one step further. When the Cubs were in the playoffs in '03, I actually found myself pulling for them to make it to the World Series. As a Cardinals die-hard, I know that seems like a sacrilege. But I have to admit it's true. When the Bartman incident happened, and Florida went on to win, I also felt a little bit of glee because it seemed that all was right with the world. The Cubs were once again foiled by the gods of sport. But, my post was not meant to be hurtful toward Cubs fans, it was intended to be more of an analytical piece about hapless...and luckless...sports organizations. But I guess I did give in to being a bit boastful in the light of such a huge lead in the division.
--Now with Mark Grudzielanek out with an infection in his knee, can it be long before the Cardinals sign someone from the Grizzlies to play a few games in the pinch? Heck, they could sign Grizzlies second-sacker Gary Gilbert to a one-week deal and wouldn't have to bother calling someone up from Memphis. Gary could play at that level...I'm darn sure of it. Especially when the team has a 13-game cushion in the standings.
--I've always been a Channel 5 guy. That goes way back to the days when I first moved away from home...(1975??) But, lately I've been watching a lot more of 2 and 4. I'm finding I can't quite warm up to the robotic Rene Knott and the "deer-in-the-headlights" Katie Felts on sports. And Frank Cusumano...who I think does a good job... isn't on enough. Plus...I just can't seem to buy into Mike Bush as a news anchor either. I keep waiting for him to come out with a "fuggedaboutit" when he's doing a voiceover on a news story. So, I think 5 is losing me. I find that I'm watching 5 out of habit...but switching to 4 during the show at 10 o'clock.
--I see where some of the things I said about the Cubs in a post last week caused a fan of the North-side bunch to respond with a comment challenging some of my thoughts. Let me say this, I admire, even if I don't understand, the loyalty that Cubs fans have to their team. In fact, I'll go one step further. When the Cubs were in the playoffs in '03, I actually found myself pulling for them to make it to the World Series. As a Cardinals die-hard, I know that seems like a sacrilege. But I have to admit it's true. When the Bartman incident happened, and Florida went on to win, I also felt a little bit of glee because it seemed that all was right with the world. The Cubs were once again foiled by the gods of sport. But, my post was not meant to be hurtful toward Cubs fans, it was intended to be more of an analytical piece about hapless...and luckless...sports organizations. But I guess I did give in to being a bit boastful in the light of such a huge lead in the division.
Friday, August 19, 2005
It's NOT my fault!
--I see where the relatives of Aaron O'Neal, the Mizzou football player who passed away after practice earlier this summer, are planning to sue the university. (I don't know, but can the school be blamed for the kid having a heart defect, or whatever it was?)
--A group of parents is suing Belleville High School District 201 over it's new dress code policy. (Hmmmm...isn't that what school board elections are for?)
--A Missouri appeals court judge is suing the Missouri Bar Association and an Osage Beach bowling alley for injuries sustained when she fell at a Bar Association sponsored bowling tournament. (Judge sues Lawyers! That's a good one.)
After Barb and I saw a story the other night on the local TV news, the first thing she said was..."I'll bet somebody gets sued over that one". And, unfortunately, in our litigious society, somebody probably will get sued "over that one".
There is nothing anymore that isn't someone else's fault. Or better put, there is nothing anymore that can't be blamed on someone else (particularly if they have money or are a big company). There are plenty of willing lawyers looking for a payday. Lifting the restrictions on lawyers advertising their services on TV and radio was not a good idea.
There is nothing anymore that is just an accident, or an unfortunate turn of events, or bad luck. The sad part of all of the "let's take it out of somebody else's hide" mentality is that it has a snowball effect. As more of these lawsuits are filed, and gain notoriety, the more ordinary people think that they can win the "legal lottery" by blaming their misfortune, or stupidity, on someone else.
It used to be that if you fell off a ladder and broke your arm, you called an ambulance and went to the hospital to get your arm put in a cast. Now, we call our attorney and find out if we should take pictures of the ladder. After all, we aren't so careless or uncoordinated to fall off a ladder by accident. It had to be the fault of the company that made the ladder. Or maybe it was the fault of the place where we bought the ladder. Or the guy who invented the ladder. Or the guy who invented climbing. Or our mother and father for not giving us proper instructions on ladder climbing. Or maybe all of them. Let's sue them all!! Yeah...that's the ticket!! And, oh by the way, I now have a second elbow on that arm because I didn't go to the hospital to get my arm set. You know, I had to cover myself legally...and so, I'm going to have to get damages for my permanent disfigurement too! Does that sound ridiculous? I'll bet there's a lawyer somewhere who'd take it to court.
Come on...where do we get off this "sue happy" runaway train? Judges need to start telling these lawyers to go find a real job and the plaintiffs to be ashamed of themselves. But it seems, more often than not, judges are intent on dignifying these cockamamy claims.
--A group of parents is suing Belleville High School District 201 over it's new dress code policy. (Hmmmm...isn't that what school board elections are for?)
--A Missouri appeals court judge is suing the Missouri Bar Association and an Osage Beach bowling alley for injuries sustained when she fell at a Bar Association sponsored bowling tournament. (Judge sues Lawyers! That's a good one.)
After Barb and I saw a story the other night on the local TV news, the first thing she said was..."I'll bet somebody gets sued over that one". And, unfortunately, in our litigious society, somebody probably will get sued "over that one".
There is nothing anymore that isn't someone else's fault. Or better put, there is nothing anymore that can't be blamed on someone else (particularly if they have money or are a big company). There are plenty of willing lawyers looking for a payday. Lifting the restrictions on lawyers advertising their services on TV and radio was not a good idea.
There is nothing anymore that is just an accident, or an unfortunate turn of events, or bad luck. The sad part of all of the "let's take it out of somebody else's hide" mentality is that it has a snowball effect. As more of these lawsuits are filed, and gain notoriety, the more ordinary people think that they can win the "legal lottery" by blaming their misfortune, or stupidity, on someone else.
It used to be that if you fell off a ladder and broke your arm, you called an ambulance and went to the hospital to get your arm put in a cast. Now, we call our attorney and find out if we should take pictures of the ladder. After all, we aren't so careless or uncoordinated to fall off a ladder by accident. It had to be the fault of the company that made the ladder. Or maybe it was the fault of the place where we bought the ladder. Or the guy who invented the ladder. Or the guy who invented climbing. Or our mother and father for not giving us proper instructions on ladder climbing. Or maybe all of them. Let's sue them all!! Yeah...that's the ticket!! And, oh by the way, I now have a second elbow on that arm because I didn't go to the hospital to get my arm set. You know, I had to cover myself legally...and so, I'm going to have to get damages for my permanent disfigurement too! Does that sound ridiculous? I'll bet there's a lawyer somewhere who'd take it to court.
Come on...where do we get off this "sue happy" runaway train? Judges need to start telling these lawyers to go find a real job and the plaintiffs to be ashamed of themselves. But it seems, more often than not, judges are intent on dignifying these cockamamy claims.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Gas Prices
I don't claim to be the brightest bulb in the fixture...but I don't think I'm on the bottom of the food chain either. But I just don't get why we're paying upwards of 3 dollars-a-gallon for fuel in our cars.
I've heard all the supposed factors.... storms have hurt production, this is a high demand time of year, the oil producing countries have tightened their exports and lowered inventory, demand is out-pacing refinery capacity...all of that. Somehow I think there's more to it than that.
First of all, why the hell don't we have more refinery capacity if that's a problem. We've been hearing that same refinery capacity baloney for...say 50 years. Build another damn refinery if that's what it takes.
For America to allow foreign oil barons to control our economy in this way is simply unacceptable. If we can spend ba-zillions of dollars on wars, elections, roads, and a bunch of other stuff, we should be able to find a few billion to take those guys out of the picture. It's not like there aren't oil reserves in our part of the world to draw from.
Better yet, why haven't we come up with ways to eliminate the depency on oil in the first place? There are many other ways to make an internal combustion engine work. Why haven't they taken hold? Who's conspiring to hold back progress?
How is it that free enterprize and competition have seemingly gotten lost in all this. Why does the BP station have the same price on gas as the QT down the street...or the Shell a half block away? Didn't there used to be such things as gas wars...where the stations would compete for business with lower gas prices? I think so. Save me 5 bucks on a tank of gas, and I'll come in your store to buy my lottery tickets... or a loaf of bread...or a 12-pack of beer. Somebody at corporate is telling the local managers what the price will be...and that's it.
I'm guessing it's going to have to really get ugly before we change any habits. People will keep buying SUVs as long as there are "employee pricing" campaigns by the car companies. The big engine, gas guzzling trucks, Hummers, and kick-your-ass cars will keep rolling out of the showrooms as long as people are willing to pay 75 bucks to fill them up.
I don't know about you...but the hybrid cars are starting to look pretty attractive to me.
I've heard all the supposed factors.... storms have hurt production, this is a high demand time of year, the oil producing countries have tightened their exports and lowered inventory, demand is out-pacing refinery capacity...all of that. Somehow I think there's more to it than that.
First of all, why the hell don't we have more refinery capacity if that's a problem. We've been hearing that same refinery capacity baloney for...say 50 years. Build another damn refinery if that's what it takes.
For America to allow foreign oil barons to control our economy in this way is simply unacceptable. If we can spend ba-zillions of dollars on wars, elections, roads, and a bunch of other stuff, we should be able to find a few billion to take those guys out of the picture. It's not like there aren't oil reserves in our part of the world to draw from.
Better yet, why haven't we come up with ways to eliminate the depency on oil in the first place? There are many other ways to make an internal combustion engine work. Why haven't they taken hold? Who's conspiring to hold back progress?
How is it that free enterprize and competition have seemingly gotten lost in all this. Why does the BP station have the same price on gas as the QT down the street...or the Shell a half block away? Didn't there used to be such things as gas wars...where the stations would compete for business with lower gas prices? I think so. Save me 5 bucks on a tank of gas, and I'll come in your store to buy my lottery tickets... or a loaf of bread...or a 12-pack of beer. Somebody at corporate is telling the local managers what the price will be...and that's it.
I'm guessing it's going to have to really get ugly before we change any habits. People will keep buying SUVs as long as there are "employee pricing" campaigns by the car companies. The big engine, gas guzzling trucks, Hummers, and kick-your-ass cars will keep rolling out of the showrooms as long as people are willing to pay 75 bucks to fill them up.
I don't know about you...but the hybrid cars are starting to look pretty attractive to me.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Cubs vs. Cards
Cubs fans can now go back to their big-city lives and whine some more about what might have been in 2005. Dusty Baker's assemblage managed to win 3 out of 4 against the team of mostly minor-leaguers masquerading as the Cardinals.
Fans of the baby bears are looking at the standings in the paper today and trying to find a scapegoat for this year's episode of "Cubs Flop Again". Oops, did I say goat? Conversation on the "El" will likely focus on how the North-siders are essentially a better team than the one that's 17 games ahead of them in the standings, but Dusty Baker can't manage, or Andy McPhail can't general manage, or Ron Santo isn't exciting enough on the radio, or whatever lame brainwave they can conjure to make themselves feel better and hold someone accountable for the bottom line. And, we all know, every year the Cubs bottom line is that they just aren't a very good baseball organization.
In every sport there are teams like this. Ones that flirt with success from time to time, but can't make the right set of moves to achieve a championship. They have internal, and some would say external, forces working to ensure that the key hit, defensive play, coaching move, or pitch will not be made at the key time to get the key victory. In other words, they have the keys, but not the driver, to make the vehicle work properly. It's not for lack of trying, or money, or fan support. They just lack the right people in the right places. And that boils down to mismanagement.
Look at the Cardinals in football...the (dare I say it) Blues in hockey...the Clippers in basketball. They all are decent, if not very good, most of the time. But their poor management, instability of ownership, or personnel traditions perpetuate a legacy of mediocrity and/or failure. The Cubs, of course, have the ultimate business model.
So, try as they might, Cubs fans can not wish, pray, or root their team to a World Series. Cubbie supporters should take as much joy out of this weekend as they can. We Cardinals fans will be thinking of them when we're gathered around the TV at our World Series parties this year. Nah...probably not. We'll be thinking of how lucky we are to have a team managed by people who care, are smart, and able to turn their passion into positive action.
Fans of the baby bears are looking at the standings in the paper today and trying to find a scapegoat for this year's episode of "Cubs Flop Again". Oops, did I say goat? Conversation on the "El" will likely focus on how the North-siders are essentially a better team than the one that's 17 games ahead of them in the standings, but Dusty Baker can't manage, or Andy McPhail can't general manage, or Ron Santo isn't exciting enough on the radio, or whatever lame brainwave they can conjure to make themselves feel better and hold someone accountable for the bottom line. And, we all know, every year the Cubs bottom line is that they just aren't a very good baseball organization.
In every sport there are teams like this. Ones that flirt with success from time to time, but can't make the right set of moves to achieve a championship. They have internal, and some would say external, forces working to ensure that the key hit, defensive play, coaching move, or pitch will not be made at the key time to get the key victory. In other words, they have the keys, but not the driver, to make the vehicle work properly. It's not for lack of trying, or money, or fan support. They just lack the right people in the right places. And that boils down to mismanagement.
Look at the Cardinals in football...the (dare I say it) Blues in hockey...the Clippers in basketball. They all are decent, if not very good, most of the time. But their poor management, instability of ownership, or personnel traditions perpetuate a legacy of mediocrity and/or failure. The Cubs, of course, have the ultimate business model.
So, try as they might, Cubs fans can not wish, pray, or root their team to a World Series. Cubbie supporters should take as much joy out of this weekend as they can. We Cardinals fans will be thinking of them when we're gathered around the TV at our World Series parties this year. Nah...probably not. We'll be thinking of how lucky we are to have a team managed by people who care, are smart, and able to turn their passion into positive action.
Friday, August 12, 2005
People Questions
--Hypothetical question. Would you, for even one second, get out of your car and leave your 6-week old baby alone in the back seat? Of course, I'm referring to yesterday's incident in East St. Louis in which a mother's car was stolen with her recently-born baby inside. A SARAA alert was issued. We all thought the worst. The news media scrambled to report the story. Thankfully, the car...with the baby still in his car seat and OK...was found later a few blocks away.
On the evening news we saw videotape... taken before the happy ending... of the mother. She was understandably distraught, blubbering, being consoled by relatives, and wondering who could do this to her and her baby.
Hellll-ooooooo!!!! She may not think so, but she is as much to blame for the incident as anybody. It appeared she thought she was victimized by outside forces, and to the extent that someone stole her car, she was. But, she also should understand that her behavior would be foreign to most parents anywhere on the planet. Most moms and dads would not let their baby out of their sight and, therefore, not allow a similar incident to happen. She left her baby alone in the car, apparently with the engine running--at least I hope so because the temperature was in the 90's and the child would need the air conditioning. If that's not an invitation to steal the car, especially in crime-ridden East St. Louis, what is?
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the mind-set, or mindless-set, that would cause a parent to essentially abandon their baby in such a way. To most people, your own child is THE most precious thing in the universe. And, leaving a helpless child somewhere, anywhere, where someone else's priorities could possibly harm them, is beyond conventional comprehension.
I also saw that the East St. Louis police are not considering charges against the mother. If putting a baby in a position to be car-jacked is not child endangerment, what is? I have to question their judgment in this one too.
Again, someone needs to explain to me how a truly loving parent could begin to let something like that happen.
On the evening news we saw videotape... taken before the happy ending... of the mother. She was understandably distraught, blubbering, being consoled by relatives, and wondering who could do this to her and her baby.
Hellll-ooooooo!!!! She may not think so, but she is as much to blame for the incident as anybody. It appeared she thought she was victimized by outside forces, and to the extent that someone stole her car, she was. But, she also should understand that her behavior would be foreign to most parents anywhere on the planet. Most moms and dads would not let their baby out of their sight and, therefore, not allow a similar incident to happen. She left her baby alone in the car, apparently with the engine running--at least I hope so because the temperature was in the 90's and the child would need the air conditioning. If that's not an invitation to steal the car, especially in crime-ridden East St. Louis, what is?
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the mind-set, or mindless-set, that would cause a parent to essentially abandon their baby in such a way. To most people, your own child is THE most precious thing in the universe. And, leaving a helpless child somewhere, anywhere, where someone else's priorities could possibly harm them, is beyond conventional comprehension.
I also saw that the East St. Louis police are not considering charges against the mother. If putting a baby in a position to be car-jacked is not child endangerment, what is? I have to question their judgment in this one too.
Again, someone needs to explain to me how a truly loving parent could begin to let something like that happen.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Random Thoughts
--Part of the back wall in right field--which serves mostly as a billboard--taken down in Wednesday's storms at GMC Stadium. The picture in the News-Democrat today reminds me of what it might look like if one of the Grizzlies left handed hitters "really got into one".
--I'm sure Terrell Owens thinks he's always on the right side of all of his controversies. But you would think he has to wonder why he's always in the middle of one. Keeping his mouth shut would be a start.
--Another double-fatality auto crash involving high school kids from Freeburg High School. This time 15-year-old boys out late, and apparently drinking, then driving. Not old enough to drive. But somehow running wild without parental supervision. Sad. Whatever happened to the parental curfew?
--Barb and I saw West Side Story at the Muny last week. It struck me that the gang violence story line is as relevant today as it was in the early 60's. Apparently nobody learns anything from young people killing one another. The hormones are still more powerful than good sense.
--Is Bo Bice still happy that he came in second? I've seen a lot of Carrie. Where's Bo?
--The Cardinals are spoiling us. I hope they have as good a team next year to play in the new ballpark.
--I'm constantly asked about the NHL coming back and how it might be received by fans. I'm expecting a "honeymoon" period as the curious re-examine things. But, if the fans see the same old plodding, uninteresting brand of hockey, there will be a lot of empty seats at NHL arenas for the rest of the season. Especially since not many teams are lowering ticket prices.
--Who's on first? Albert Pujols, who now has the best shot at the triple-crown in the majors in a long time. 9 points out of the lead in batting average...4 HR's behind Andruw Jones...2 RBI's behind Carlos Lee of Milwaukee. It could happen.
--I'm sure Terrell Owens thinks he's always on the right side of all of his controversies. But you would think he has to wonder why he's always in the middle of one. Keeping his mouth shut would be a start.
--Another double-fatality auto crash involving high school kids from Freeburg High School. This time 15-year-old boys out late, and apparently drinking, then driving. Not old enough to drive. But somehow running wild without parental supervision. Sad. Whatever happened to the parental curfew?
--Barb and I saw West Side Story at the Muny last week. It struck me that the gang violence story line is as relevant today as it was in the early 60's. Apparently nobody learns anything from young people killing one another. The hormones are still more powerful than good sense.
--Is Bo Bice still happy that he came in second? I've seen a lot of Carrie. Where's Bo?
--The Cardinals are spoiling us. I hope they have as good a team next year to play in the new ballpark.
--I'm constantly asked about the NHL coming back and how it might be received by fans. I'm expecting a "honeymoon" period as the curious re-examine things. But, if the fans see the same old plodding, uninteresting brand of hockey, there will be a lot of empty seats at NHL arenas for the rest of the season. Especially since not many teams are lowering ticket prices.
--Who's on first? Albert Pujols, who now has the best shot at the triple-crown in the majors in a long time. 9 points out of the lead in batting average...4 HR's behind Andruw Jones...2 RBI's behind Carlos Lee of Milwaukee. It could happen.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Worried About Prince Albert
From what I'm hearing, there is reason to be legitimately concerned about Albert Pujols. Not about the way he plays the game--the passion and ability he takes on the field most every night is way beyond most big name, big contract players. And his heartfelt contributions to the community and good work with underpriveleged and mentally challenged kids is exemplary. What he needs to be careful about is his public image, and eventual baseball legacy.
I know you've seen it too. Lately, there have been many clips on television and radio sportscasts, and quotes in the paper, in which our man Albert has been down right rude, and borderline hostile, toward reporters. He snears and mocks them with snide and hurtful answers to questions that make you wonder what's going on in his head. Is he getting the "I'm better than you because I'm a highly-paid and much-loved athlete" syndrome? I certainly hope not.
But, it seems to be obvious that he has some kind of problem dealing with the media. There is no doubt that some media members ask absolutely inane and ridiculous questions. But, some guys who regularly cover the team tell me that Albert is quickly becoming a "don't go near him in the locker room" kind of guy. He is high on the "s--t list" of several members of the media.
How difficult can it be for an athlete to be patient with reporters for 10 minutes per day? After all, even the tactless Whitey Herzog understood that reporters, at least the members of the Baseball Writers of America, are the people who determine whether you are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He mustered enough patience after every game to be civil enough, and entertaining enough, to become their darling.
I would hope that before it gets out of hand, and A.P. does permanent damage to his image, Brian Bartow (Cardinals Media Director), or someone in a position of authority with the team, would pull him aside and point out the grace and humility with which Stan-the-Man handled himself in ALL situations during, and after, his career.
#5 has the chance to surpass the great #6 in the statistics department, but at this pace will never come close to "The Man" in the beloved category. It is doubly important for Albert to learn some people skills because "Cardinal Nation" demands not only great players...but equally great people... to wear the "birds on the bat".
I know you've seen it too. Lately, there have been many clips on television and radio sportscasts, and quotes in the paper, in which our man Albert has been down right rude, and borderline hostile, toward reporters. He snears and mocks them with snide and hurtful answers to questions that make you wonder what's going on in his head. Is he getting the "I'm better than you because I'm a highly-paid and much-loved athlete" syndrome? I certainly hope not.
But, it seems to be obvious that he has some kind of problem dealing with the media. There is no doubt that some media members ask absolutely inane and ridiculous questions. But, some guys who regularly cover the team tell me that Albert is quickly becoming a "don't go near him in the locker room" kind of guy. He is high on the "s--t list" of several members of the media.
How difficult can it be for an athlete to be patient with reporters for 10 minutes per day? After all, even the tactless Whitey Herzog understood that reporters, at least the members of the Baseball Writers of America, are the people who determine whether you are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He mustered enough patience after every game to be civil enough, and entertaining enough, to become their darling.
I would hope that before it gets out of hand, and A.P. does permanent damage to his image, Brian Bartow (Cardinals Media Director), or someone in a position of authority with the team, would pull him aside and point out the grace and humility with which Stan-the-Man handled himself in ALL situations during, and after, his career.
#5 has the chance to surpass the great #6 in the statistics department, but at this pace will never come close to "The Man" in the beloved category. It is doubly important for Albert to learn some people skills because "Cardinal Nation" demands not only great players...but equally great people... to wear the "birds on the bat".
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