Normally, I write one of those Christmas letters and send them in the mail. This year, like a lot of things in my life, I didn't have time to do it. Honestly, there wasn't much to write about, and I'd just as soon forget the whole thing.
It wasn't all bad though. Here are some of the highlights.
* Mathew (10) is still being homeschooled and working about two years ahead in most things. He played soccer in the spring, and that's his only sport now. He is pretty involved in church activities, including children's chimes and choir. He's also an acolyte. His highlight of the year though was his first communion this fall. He had been looking forward to that for at least two years. He had a great deal of enthusiasm for his church activities. He is also in the last year of Cub Scouts. We'll see if he goes on to Boy Scouts.
* Erik (8) is the family athlete, by Palm standards, anyway. He plays soccer, football and basketball. After being one of the smallest kids on his football team last year, he got taller (if not wider) and played left offensive tackle this year. I think soccer is his best sport, but he has also played that the most. He is one of the best defensive players in his age group. I think he likes basketball the best, but that is also the current sport. He is also taking an interest in watching college and pro sports. Sometimes, he'll get up in the morning and instead of turning on cartoons, he'll turn on the Big Ten Network.
He is also working ahead of grade level at homes going reasonably well. He is at the Bear level of Cub Scouts and joins Mathew in the children's chimes group at church.
* #3 son, Karsten (4) is starting to do some pre-school work at home. He's reached the age where he wants to do everything his big brothers are doing, which includes schoolwork. He knows all the letters and can write most of them. He is now constantly asking us how to spell things. He also started Sunday School this year, which he just loves.
* The last but not least Palm child, Annika, will be 2 in March. She's adorable, of course, though I may not be the most objective observer. She's also wants to do everything the older kids do, but we haven't armed her with a pencil yet. Right now, she's into learning parts of the face, so whenever we hold her, she's poking our eyes, sticking her fingers in our ears, etc, wanting us to tell her what part that is while we also try to stop the bleeding.
She is also trying to talk and has a few words, mostly names for all of us. Mommy and Daddy she has down pretty well, although sometimes it's "mommies" and "daddies." I know I'm big, but I didn't think I was big enough to be plural. Mathew is "Momo," Erik is "Ay-yah" and Karsten, who was the first one to get a name from her, is "da-DEE", where the last syllable is kind of like a squeal.
This is such a cute age.
* The newest thing in my work is that I have been covering games instead of just writing about ratings. That actually started last fall, with Notre Dame football. I didn't cover them as much this year. :)
I also covered a lot of basketball games, including the Missouri Valley, Big East and NCAA Tournaments. All this game coverage is for CSTV.com, which is where I do most of my freelance writing.
* Cheri has been trying to keep the household from falling apart, and despite all our best efforts to thwart that, she succeeds. None of us function without her.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! I started writing this before 5 AM, so naturally, Mathew and Erik are already up. We never see them this early the rest of the year.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Motor City Bowl live blog
I'm trying out some new live blogging software on the Motor City Bowl. Join in where you can.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Random Thoughts
In fact, I'm covering the Chicago Challenge for CSTV.com. Follow the action on the Posting Up blog at CSTV.com.
Enough of the shameless plugs.
But when I did play, I had the Midas touch. In fantasy football though, it's the Minus touch. Everybody I draft underperforms, gets hurt, gets arrested, etc. Drew Brees struggles this year? My fault. Travis Henry's drug problems? My fault. Robbie Gould's comedown year? My fault. For the record though, Rex Grossman's problems are his own. I'm not stupid enough to draft him for a fantasy team.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Cubs go down without a fight
Here's the entire list of things the Cubs did well in the playoff series with Arizona:
Show up on time for the game.
Bat in the correct order.
That's pretty much it. It was pretty embarrassing. No hitting. Little pitching, and when a pitcher was going well, Piniella got him out as quick as he could.
At least Zambrano was rested for game four.
Better luck next year. Again.
Show up on time for the game.
Bat in the correct order.
That's pretty much it. It was pretty embarrassing. No hitting. Little pitching, and when a pitcher was going well, Piniella got him out as quick as he could.
At least Zambrano was rested for game four.
Better luck next year. Again.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Pinella botches handing the pitchers
Maybe the desert heat got to Cubs manager Lou Piniella. I don't know. I can't think of any other explanation for how badly he has mismanaged his pitchers in the first two games of this series.
In game one, his ace, Carlos Zambrano is going strong after six innings and 85 pitches and Piniella pulled him. Why? He wanted to save him for game four.
What game four? There is no game four. Not yet, anyway, and there may never be one.
This is the playoffs. You never leave anything behind for a future that is not promised to you. But that's just what Piniella did.
Before you accuse me of second-guessing, I was yelling at my television when he came out. I didn't even like the bullpen being busy. One of my pet peeves in baseball is when a manager takes out a pitcher, especially a starter, who is doing perfectly well and who is strong, for a guy, who may or may not have his best stuff that day, just because he fills some role.
Piniella's reason for taking Zambrano out was actually dumber, and it backfired. He went with Carlos Marmol, not knowing if he'd be any good or not. Sure, he had reason to have some faith. Marmol had been about as good as anybody over the last month and a half of the season, but he was a kid playing in his first playoff game, and he gagged.
By the time he had any idea where he was throwing the ball, he'd given up two runs and the Cubs were done.
In game two, Piniella had the opposite problem. He stuck with his starter too long after it was clear he had nothing.
Ted Lilly struggled badly with his control in the first inning, walking two guys. He also struck out two (both on 3-2 counts), so he managed to escape with no damage.
The second inning, after Geovany Soto had given him the lead, was a disaster. The first two guys reached on a single and a walk. After a strikeout of Ojeda and a sacrifice by Davis, he faced Chris Young. Young is the biggest power threat on the team and first base was open, but they pitched to him anyway. When the count got to 3-2, the only thing that could go wrong would be if Lilly grooved one. Throw the ball anywhere out of the strike zone - it doesn't matter. Needless to say, Lilly grooved one and it was 3-2, Arizona.
Now, Piniella knows that Lilly has so little control that he can't miss the strike zone when he needs to. Now is the time to get the bullpen up, specifically Kerry Wood and Jason Marquis, a starter who is working out of the bullpen in this series. Now is the time to send the catcher out to stall. Send the pitching coach out to stall. Give Woody time to warm up.
The reason you get those two guys up is because Wood has playoff experience and is a strikeout pitcher, so he gives you the best chance to kill a rally. Then you bring in Marquis, who, if he's effective, can give you five or six innings because he's used to starting. If he's not, you're no worse off than if you left Lilly in because you know he's not effective.
When Lilly then gives up the single to Drew, you bring in Woody with the plan to go to Marquis the next inning of if Wood tanks.
But, NOOOOO! Piniella left Lilly in to give up a triple to make it 4-2. He got out of the inning because Connor Jackson was swinging 3-0 and grounded out.
The reason you don't worry about going to your bullpen in the second inning is because you have a day off the next day. Also, it's the playoffs. You can't afford to let your starter give up seven runs in an effort to right himself like you can in the regular season.
Lilly pitched the third and got away with it because the D-Backs brain-cramped and went up hacking. A first pitch single, a double play ball and a 1-0 popup to the catcher apparently fooled Piniella into thinking Lilly was OK. He even let Lilly bat with a man on and two outs in the top of the fourth.
But, Lilly was not OK. With one on and one out (on a failed sacrifice attempt), Lilly finally managed to walk Young, except this time he wasn't trying to walk him. Stephen Drew then tripled to drive home two more to make it 6-2.
Finally, Piniella got the message and Lilly got the hook. It was two innings too late, and the Cubs are now in a two-game hole. At least Zambrano should be nice and rested for game four. Or the season opener - whichever comes first.
In game one, his ace, Carlos Zambrano is going strong after six innings and 85 pitches and Piniella pulled him. Why? He wanted to save him for game four.
What game four? There is no game four. Not yet, anyway, and there may never be one.
This is the playoffs. You never leave anything behind for a future that is not promised to you. But that's just what Piniella did.
Before you accuse me of second-guessing, I was yelling at my television when he came out. I didn't even like the bullpen being busy. One of my pet peeves in baseball is when a manager takes out a pitcher, especially a starter, who is doing perfectly well and who is strong, for a guy, who may or may not have his best stuff that day, just because he fills some role.
Piniella's reason for taking Zambrano out was actually dumber, and it backfired. He went with Carlos Marmol, not knowing if he'd be any good or not. Sure, he had reason to have some faith. Marmol had been about as good as anybody over the last month and a half of the season, but he was a kid playing in his first playoff game, and he gagged.
By the time he had any idea where he was throwing the ball, he'd given up two runs and the Cubs were done.
In game two, Piniella had the opposite problem. He stuck with his starter too long after it was clear he had nothing.
Ted Lilly struggled badly with his control in the first inning, walking two guys. He also struck out two (both on 3-2 counts), so he managed to escape with no damage.
The second inning, after Geovany Soto had given him the lead, was a disaster. The first two guys reached on a single and a walk. After a strikeout of Ojeda and a sacrifice by Davis, he faced Chris Young. Young is the biggest power threat on the team and first base was open, but they pitched to him anyway. When the count got to 3-2, the only thing that could go wrong would be if Lilly grooved one. Throw the ball anywhere out of the strike zone - it doesn't matter. Needless to say, Lilly grooved one and it was 3-2, Arizona.
Now, Piniella knows that Lilly has so little control that he can't miss the strike zone when he needs to. Now is the time to get the bullpen up, specifically Kerry Wood and Jason Marquis, a starter who is working out of the bullpen in this series. Now is the time to send the catcher out to stall. Send the pitching coach out to stall. Give Woody time to warm up.
The reason you get those two guys up is because Wood has playoff experience and is a strikeout pitcher, so he gives you the best chance to kill a rally. Then you bring in Marquis, who, if he's effective, can give you five or six innings because he's used to starting. If he's not, you're no worse off than if you left Lilly in because you know he's not effective.
When Lilly then gives up the single to Drew, you bring in Woody with the plan to go to Marquis the next inning of if Wood tanks.
But, NOOOOO! Piniella left Lilly in to give up a triple to make it 4-2. He got out of the inning because Connor Jackson was swinging 3-0 and grounded out.
The reason you don't worry about going to your bullpen in the second inning is because you have a day off the next day. Also, it's the playoffs. You can't afford to let your starter give up seven runs in an effort to right himself like you can in the regular season.
Lilly pitched the third and got away with it because the D-Backs brain-cramped and went up hacking. A first pitch single, a double play ball and a 1-0 popup to the catcher apparently fooled Piniella into thinking Lilly was OK. He even let Lilly bat with a man on and two outs in the top of the fourth.
But, Lilly was not OK. With one on and one out (on a failed sacrifice attempt), Lilly finally managed to walk Young, except this time he wasn't trying to walk him. Stephen Drew then tripled to drive home two more to make it 6-2.
Finally, Piniella got the message and Lilly got the hook. It was two innings too late, and the Cubs are now in a two-game hole. At least Zambrano should be nice and rested for game four. Or the season opener - whichever comes first.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Is this finally the year?
Now that the schedule is out and the Cubs are still on it, I feel like I can celebrate. The Cubs are in the playoffs!
Actually, when they clinched, it was more relief than excitement. How could a team with this much talent NOT win the worst division in baseball, but leave it to the Cubs to give it a great try.
Could be worse. Could be the Mets.
(pause for uproarious laughter)
Anyways, we (meaning the Cubs) have been here before. The Cubs won the division in 1984, 89 and 2003, as well as winning the wild card in 1998. All they have to show for it is one series win (the 2003 NLDS).
In 84 and 03, all the Cubs had to do was win once with three to play and blew it. Each time, something stupid happened. In 84, commissioner Peter Ueberroth took home field advantage away from the Cubs and gave it to the Padres because the Cubs couldn't play home games at night. He made some excuse about television requirements. The Cubs won the first two at home, but lost all three in SD to lose the series.
In 2003, there was the Moises Alou meltdown because he felt a fan interfered with his attempt to catch a foul ball in the stands.
I digress to report that as I write this, I'm listening to David Aldridge on TBS report about the whining that goes on in Philadelphia because the town hasn't won a major sports championship in 24 years. He's talking about all the pressure the players feel to fix that. Let me speak for Cub fans everywhere when I say, "BOO &$^@@*' HOO!"
Back to 2007. The time has come for the Cubs to make some noise. After all, the White Sox and Red Sox have ended their long championship droughts recently. Now, it's the Cubs' turn.
The Cubs have as good a chance as anybody in the NL playoffs to make the World Series because nobody is invincible. The most important thing for the Cubs will be for Carlos Zambrano to pitch well. When he does, he's unhittable, but when he's off, the Cubs are down 7-0 before they know it. In the series with Arizona, the Cubs have an advantage with their offense. Arizona is the only team in the playoffs without a .300 hitter, so they get by on pitching and defense.
One interesting strategy difference is that the Cubs will go with only three starters, opting to work Jason Marquis out of the bullpen. Arizona will use four starters, beginning with Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb. If the series goes five, he'll pitch that last game.
My pick is the Cubs in four. In fact, if it goes five, the Cubs are in trouble.
In the other series, I'm picking Philly in four. I think Colorado will have run out of gas just getting here.
In the AL, I'm rooting the Angels and Indians because I'm sick of the Yankees and Red Sox. You would think those were the only two teams in baseball.
I suppose if I have to pick objectively, I'd take Cleveland in four and Boston in three.
Actually, when they clinched, it was more relief than excitement. How could a team with this much talent NOT win the worst division in baseball, but leave it to the Cubs to give it a great try.
Could be worse. Could be the Mets.
(pause for uproarious laughter)
Anyways, we (meaning the Cubs) have been here before. The Cubs won the division in 1984, 89 and 2003, as well as winning the wild card in 1998. All they have to show for it is one series win (the 2003 NLDS).
In 84 and 03, all the Cubs had to do was win once with three to play and blew it. Each time, something stupid happened. In 84, commissioner Peter Ueberroth took home field advantage away from the Cubs and gave it to the Padres because the Cubs couldn't play home games at night. He made some excuse about television requirements. The Cubs won the first two at home, but lost all three in SD to lose the series.
In 2003, there was the Moises Alou meltdown because he felt a fan interfered with his attempt to catch a foul ball in the stands.
I digress to report that as I write this, I'm listening to David Aldridge on TBS report about the whining that goes on in Philadelphia because the town hasn't won a major sports championship in 24 years. He's talking about all the pressure the players feel to fix that. Let me speak for Cub fans everywhere when I say, "BOO &$^@@*' HOO!"
Back to 2007. The time has come for the Cubs to make some noise. After all, the White Sox and Red Sox have ended their long championship droughts recently. Now, it's the Cubs' turn.
The Cubs have as good a chance as anybody in the NL playoffs to make the World Series because nobody is invincible. The most important thing for the Cubs will be for Carlos Zambrano to pitch well. When he does, he's unhittable, but when he's off, the Cubs are down 7-0 before they know it. In the series with Arizona, the Cubs have an advantage with their offense. Arizona is the only team in the playoffs without a .300 hitter, so they get by on pitching and defense.
One interesting strategy difference is that the Cubs will go with only three starters, opting to work Jason Marquis out of the bullpen. Arizona will use four starters, beginning with Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb. If the series goes five, he'll pitch that last game.
My pick is the Cubs in four. In fact, if it goes five, the Cubs are in trouble.
In the other series, I'm picking Philly in four. I think Colorado will have run out of gas just getting here.
In the AL, I'm rooting the Angels and Indians because I'm sick of the Yankees and Red Sox. You would think those were the only two teams in baseball.
I suppose if I have to pick objectively, I'd take Cleveland in four and Boston in three.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Michigan-App St finally get their due
The second week of the college football season received about as much coverage in the Chicago Tribune as the first week, but it was spread out a little differently. Teddy Greenstein had a report from the Michigan-Oregon game, and the AP story from the Appalachian St-Lenoir-Rhyne game was published. Combined, the two reports took half a page, which means Michigan and App St got about four times as much coverage in the Trib the week after their meeting than they did on the week they played each other.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Speaking Engagement
For those of you in the area, I will be speaking at the Purdue Club of Chicago event on Tuesday, September 11th at 7PM at Tommy Nevin's at 3032 English Rows in Naperville.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Chicago Tribune abandons college football
I opened my Sunday Chicago Tribune looking forward to catching up on the college football action around the country and was shocked to see that the Tribune is no longer covering it in any significant way.
You used to be able to read up on the action around the Big Ten and in the top 25. No more.
You used to be able to see news and notes from around the country. No more.
What we got on Sunday was a quarter of a page on the Northwestern game, a quarter of a page on the Illinois game, a quarter of a page on the Northern Illinois game, which was played in Chicago, a page and a half on the game at the University of Chicago at South Bend, better known to most people as Notre Dame, and a page of stats and box scores. That's it.
Oh, and we got three column inches on the Appalachian St-Michigan game. That was a quickie column from Teddy Greenstein, the Trib's excellent college football writer, suggesting it was time for Lloyd Carr to retire. No game story. No quotes. Not even a wrapup from the wire on one of the biggest upsets in recent history in the sport.
That's pretty disappointing, but I suspect it's a sign of the times. With more people going to the internet to get information, papers are getting more provincial. The Trib probably feels no need to cover schools outside the state because those fans are likely getting their info in other places. I do that too, but I'm old school enough that I still open the paper first. Now, I have no reason to rush.
You used to be able to read up on the action around the Big Ten and in the top 25. No more.
You used to be able to see news and notes from around the country. No more.
What we got on Sunday was a quarter of a page on the Northwestern game, a quarter of a page on the Illinois game, a quarter of a page on the Northern Illinois game, which was played in Chicago, a page and a half on the game at the University of Chicago at South Bend, better known to most people as Notre Dame, and a page of stats and box scores. That's it.
Oh, and we got three column inches on the Appalachian St-Michigan game. That was a quickie column from Teddy Greenstein, the Trib's excellent college football writer, suggesting it was time for Lloyd Carr to retire. No game story. No quotes. Not even a wrapup from the wire on one of the biggest upsets in recent history in the sport.
That's pretty disappointing, but I suspect it's a sign of the times. With more people going to the internet to get information, papers are getting more provincial. The Trib probably feels no need to cover schools outside the state because those fans are likely getting their info in other places. I do that too, but I'm old school enough that I still open the paper first. Now, I have no reason to rush.
Big Ten Network Review
As a Big Ten guy (Purdue '85), I was excited about the idea of a Big Ten Network. That idea came to life on August 30th when the network hit the air waves.
It began with a football preview edition of Big Ten Tonight hosted by the network's primary on-air talent, Dave Revsine, formerly of ESPN and a Northwestern grad. Revsine was joined by network analysts Gerry DiNardo, a former coach at Indiana, and former Illinois running back Howard Griffith.
The show went off without too many glitches. The worst was a technical problem during the Iowa preview, which got cut short. Revsine does a great job, of course. DiNardo adds good information, but watching him takes a little getting used to. He sits slumped and a little sideways and I find myself leaning in my chair a little when he's on. I think Griffith is new to TV because he's somewhat unpolished, but he does a decent job bringing the player's perspective. One thing he had trouble with was referring to his Illini in the first person, which is something I struggle with myself at times. 40-year habits are hard to break.
The network's biggest glitch occurred around 6 AM the next morning when it went off the air for just over an hour.
Friday night saw the debut of the Big Ten Tailgate Show, where they take a look at the games coming up the next day from the on-campus point of view. It's hosted by Mike Hall. At the open of the show, he went down the schedule of the next day's games and referred to Purdue as "Purdon't." I'm sure he thought that was clever, but Purdue people don't generally think of that as a term of endearment. Then, he threw it out to Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin for a report from the "University of Indiana." It's not U of I, but Indiana University. So, he managed to offend the fans of 18% of the schools that pay his salary in his first minute on the air. Nice start.
The show also featured two correspondents who each spent time at one of the schools and took in some of the game week atmosphere. One attended Penn St and introduced us to things like the Creamery and the Friday night pep rally. The other was at Michigan and did things like work in the food service line and hang out with the band. They had reports interspersed within the show and sometimes talked with each other and Hall. The individual reports seemed OK, but there wasn't a lot of chemistry among them when they were on together. It could have been due to some technical trouble. It looked like the remote guys had problems hearing at times.
Game day was a big winner for the Big Ten Network because it had one of the biggest upsets in recent years, and it was the main game on the network at the time. Appalachian St stunned Michigan 34-32 in Ann Arbor in a game that may not have been on a TV screen at all if not for the BTN. (Note that all games have some sort of "television" coverage to accommodate replay, but some of those broadcasts are internet-based and not over the air).
For me, it meant that I got to watch the game, but I couldn't see it live. I was covering the Notre Dame-Georgia Tech game (speaking of disastrous home openers) that day, but when I came home, I watched the replay. The crew on that game was Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis, who did a pretty good job. They were as surprised as anyone else, but never disrespected or patronized ASU.
There were a couple of funny lines from that broadcast. During the open, we had the requisite shot of Michigan entering the stadium and Brennaman was talking about how Michigan had dreams of a National Championship. Those would be quashed four hours later. Late in the game, Davis noted that this was only the second game he and Brennaman had worked together, and that the first was the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl. Brennaman then said, "I bet Jim Tressel will be really glad to see us next week." They'll be doing the Akron-Ohio St game.
Also, Big Ten fans got to watch Tressel take on his old school, which certainly wouldn't have been on outside Columbus otherwise. And Indiana fans got full coverage of not only the Hoosiers' game with Indiana St, but all of the remembrances of their late coach, Terry Hoeppner.
There have been a few other minor things, like graphics misidentifying Oregon State as the Ducks (which would not be forgivable if it were the Pac 10 Network) and Michigan tackle Jake Long as a wide receiver. I also notice that sometimes the graphics on my TV are cut off on the left side.
And then there is the whole issue of distribution. DirecTV has it (and that's how I see it). Comcast does not, and it has a big chunk of the cable rights in Big Ten country. Negotiations have been public and acrimonious, so it doesn't look like Comcast or Dish Network, the other major satellite service, will be coming on board anytime soon. I think it will become more pressing as basketball approaches because the network will have more compelling matchups in basketball season than it gets in football.
All in all, the opening weekend was a pretty decent start for the Network. I don't know how many problems brand new networks typically have in their first few days on the air, but the BTN didn't seem to have too many and nothing that isn't fixable. I think the network is going to end up being a great thing for Big Ten fans, especially when they all have access to it.
It began with a football preview edition of Big Ten Tonight hosted by the network's primary on-air talent, Dave Revsine, formerly of ESPN and a Northwestern grad. Revsine was joined by network analysts Gerry DiNardo, a former coach at Indiana, and former Illinois running back Howard Griffith.
The show went off without too many glitches. The worst was a technical problem during the Iowa preview, which got cut short. Revsine does a great job, of course. DiNardo adds good information, but watching him takes a little getting used to. He sits slumped and a little sideways and I find myself leaning in my chair a little when he's on. I think Griffith is new to TV because he's somewhat unpolished, but he does a decent job bringing the player's perspective. One thing he had trouble with was referring to his Illini in the first person, which is something I struggle with myself at times. 40-year habits are hard to break.
The network's biggest glitch occurred around 6 AM the next morning when it went off the air for just over an hour.
Friday night saw the debut of the Big Ten Tailgate Show, where they take a look at the games coming up the next day from the on-campus point of view. It's hosted by Mike Hall. At the open of the show, he went down the schedule of the next day's games and referred to Purdue as "Purdon't." I'm sure he thought that was clever, but Purdue people don't generally think of that as a term of endearment. Then, he threw it out to Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin for a report from the "University of Indiana." It's not U of I, but Indiana University. So, he managed to offend the fans of 18% of the schools that pay his salary in his first minute on the air. Nice start.
The show also featured two correspondents who each spent time at one of the schools and took in some of the game week atmosphere. One attended Penn St and introduced us to things like the Creamery and the Friday night pep rally. The other was at Michigan and did things like work in the food service line and hang out with the band. They had reports interspersed within the show and sometimes talked with each other and Hall. The individual reports seemed OK, but there wasn't a lot of chemistry among them when they were on together. It could have been due to some technical trouble. It looked like the remote guys had problems hearing at times.
Game day was a big winner for the Big Ten Network because it had one of the biggest upsets in recent years, and it was the main game on the network at the time. Appalachian St stunned Michigan 34-32 in Ann Arbor in a game that may not have been on a TV screen at all if not for the BTN. (Note that all games have some sort of "television" coverage to accommodate replay, but some of those broadcasts are internet-based and not over the air).
For me, it meant that I got to watch the game, but I couldn't see it live. I was covering the Notre Dame-Georgia Tech game (speaking of disastrous home openers) that day, but when I came home, I watched the replay. The crew on that game was Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis, who did a pretty good job. They were as surprised as anyone else, but never disrespected or patronized ASU.
There were a couple of funny lines from that broadcast. During the open, we had the requisite shot of Michigan entering the stadium and Brennaman was talking about how Michigan had dreams of a National Championship. Those would be quashed four hours later. Late in the game, Davis noted that this was only the second game he and Brennaman had worked together, and that the first was the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl. Brennaman then said, "I bet Jim Tressel will be really glad to see us next week." They'll be doing the Akron-Ohio St game.
Also, Big Ten fans got to watch Tressel take on his old school, which certainly wouldn't have been on outside Columbus otherwise. And Indiana fans got full coverage of not only the Hoosiers' game with Indiana St, but all of the remembrances of their late coach, Terry Hoeppner.
There have been a few other minor things, like graphics misidentifying Oregon State as the Ducks (which would not be forgivable if it were the Pac 10 Network) and Michigan tackle Jake Long as a wide receiver. I also notice that sometimes the graphics on my TV are cut off on the left side.
And then there is the whole issue of distribution. DirecTV has it (and that's how I see it). Comcast does not, and it has a big chunk of the cable rights in Big Ten country. Negotiations have been public and acrimonious, so it doesn't look like Comcast or Dish Network, the other major satellite service, will be coming on board anytime soon. I think it will become more pressing as basketball approaches because the network will have more compelling matchups in basketball season than it gets in football.
All in all, the opening weekend was a pretty decent start for the Network. I don't know how many problems brand new networks typically have in their first few days on the air, but the BTN didn't seem to have too many and nothing that isn't fixable. I think the network is going to end up being a great thing for Big Ten fans, especially when they all have access to it.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Have I missed anything?
I was really hoping to be able to update this space more often this spring and summer, but things have conspired against me. The biggest of which was a major family medical emergency, which I'll write a lot more about if I have more time. Things are getting better there.
The good thing about all this is that I have missed the Keystone Kubs annual slide into oblivion. I've only watched maybe 5 innings of baseball since the last time I posted anything here. On April 25th, the day of my last post, the Cubs were 5 games back of Milwaukee after beating them. Today, they're 7 1/2 back after losing their 10th in 12 games. The Cubs have gone two weeks without beating anyone but themselves and they're only 7 1/2 back of the Brewers and one game out of second place. Man, does this division stink. Five of the six worst teams in the NL (based on current record) are in the Central. There are only five teams in the other divisions in baseball with a worse record than the second-place Pirates. It does give me some pleasure to see that the Yankees are on that list. Has Steinbrenner's head exploded yet?
But, I digress. So, the good news for the Cubs is that they aren't so far gone that they can't still win the division. The bad news is their ace pitcher is a better hitter, and especially a better boxer, than he is a pitcher, and the bullpen is only a relief to the opposition. Also, the outfielders catch fly balls like their gloves are made of flubber, and love the cutoff man too much to hit him. And finally, the Cubs must still be giving away free beer in the dugout because baserunners will do anything, no matter how stupid, to get back there as fast as they can. Alfonso Soriano has been picked off of first base three times that I know of - and I missed almost the entire month of May. The latest dumb play came yesterday, when a the would-be tying run got caught stealing at third in the eighth inning with no outs. The baserunning has been so bad that good baserunning would be news.
Has Lou Pinella's head exploded yet?
The good thing about all this is that I have missed the Keystone Kubs annual slide into oblivion. I've only watched maybe 5 innings of baseball since the last time I posted anything here. On April 25th, the day of my last post, the Cubs were 5 games back of Milwaukee after beating them. Today, they're 7 1/2 back after losing their 10th in 12 games. The Cubs have gone two weeks without beating anyone but themselves and they're only 7 1/2 back of the Brewers and one game out of second place. Man, does this division stink. Five of the six worst teams in the NL (based on current record) are in the Central. There are only five teams in the other divisions in baseball with a worse record than the second-place Pirates. It does give me some pleasure to see that the Yankees are on that list. Has Steinbrenner's head exploded yet?
But, I digress. So, the good news for the Cubs is that they aren't so far gone that they can't still win the division. The bad news is their ace pitcher is a better hitter, and especially a better boxer, than he is a pitcher, and the bullpen is only a relief to the opposition. Also, the outfielders catch fly balls like their gloves are made of flubber, and love the cutoff man too much to hit him. And finally, the Cubs must still be giving away free beer in the dugout because baserunners will do anything, no matter how stupid, to get back there as fast as they can. Alfonso Soriano has been picked off of first base three times that I know of - and I missed almost the entire month of May. The latest dumb play came yesterday, when a the would-be tying run got caught stealing at third in the eighth inning with no outs. The baserunning has been so bad that good baserunning would be news.
Has Lou Pinella's head exploded yet?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
This is why the Cubs are the Cubs
The first Cub batter in today's game had the kind of thing happen to him that only happens to the Cubs. Ryan Theriot swung and hit the ball and it bounced initially behind the plate. The ball spun into fair territory as Theriot was starting toward first and bringing his bat back toward the plate in the motion of tossing it aside. While doing that, the ball hit his bat and rolled into foul territory. The umps called him out. That's the correct call, even though Theriot wasn't trying to hit the ball again.
The other day, the Cubs' Ronny Cedeno was called out trying to steal second on ball four because he overslid the base and was tagged after that. The walk only gives the runner second base and anything after that, he's on his own.
These kinds of things don't happen to other teams. Only the Cubs. That's how you go 100 years without winning a World Series.
The other day, the Cubs' Ronny Cedeno was called out trying to steal second on ball four because he overslid the base and was tagged after that. The walk only gives the runner second base and anything after that, he's on his own.
These kinds of things don't happen to other teams. Only the Cubs. That's how you go 100 years without winning a World Series.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Was that really necessary?
The day after the unfortunate tragedy of the shootings at Virginia Tech, a package shows up in the mailroom at NBC News containing a video "manifesto" (more like inane ramblings) from the lunatic who shot up the school. Naturally, they did what any news organization would do, which is play it into the ground without any regard for the feelings of those directly affected by the incident.
Soon, every news station was running it with the NBC News logo on it - as if it took some great reporting to get the scoop. That's an interesting image to associate with your brand. I can see the new marketing slogan now. "NBC News - the preferred network of homicidal maniacs." But, I digress.
My papers the next day ran a picture from the video. The Chicago Tribune went the relatively tasteful (meaning still revolting) route by printing a picture of the killer posing with his guns pointed at an angle away from the camera. The NW Indiana Times ran the picture of him with his gun pointed right at the camera. Right on the front page. Good Morning, NW Indiana! I had to throw away both front pages to keep them from my kids. That's not an image they need to see. For that matter, that's not an image I need to see.
I understand that the video is part of the story and it can't be ignored, but it also doesn't have to be rammed down our throats. Technology is such today that NBC News didn't have to run it at all. They could have summarized it and directed viewers to the NBC News website to see the video if they felt so inclined. The papers didn't have to print such provocative pictures from the video. We get the idea without the sensationalism.
Spare us, but more importantly, spare those directly affected.
Soon, every news station was running it with the NBC News logo on it - as if it took some great reporting to get the scoop. That's an interesting image to associate with your brand. I can see the new marketing slogan now. "NBC News - the preferred network of homicidal maniacs." But, I digress.
My papers the next day ran a picture from the video. The Chicago Tribune went the relatively tasteful (meaning still revolting) route by printing a picture of the killer posing with his guns pointed at an angle away from the camera. The NW Indiana Times ran the picture of him with his gun pointed right at the camera. Right on the front page. Good Morning, NW Indiana! I had to throw away both front pages to keep them from my kids. That's not an image they need to see. For that matter, that's not an image I need to see.
I understand that the video is part of the story and it can't be ignored, but it also doesn't have to be rammed down our throats. Technology is such today that NBC News didn't have to run it at all. They could have summarized it and directed viewers to the NBC News website to see the video if they felt so inclined. The papers didn't have to print such provocative pictures from the video. We get the idea without the sensationalism.
Spare us, but more importantly, spare those directly affected.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
It's snowing in Chicago...
and that can mean only one thing - it's opening day at Wrigley Field (technically, that was yesterday, but I messed up posting this, so it's a day late). Wrigley is the place where hope springs eternal, before landing awkwardly and breaking its neck.
The Cubs have hope this season, if only because they are in the worst division in baseball. They could just as easily finish 5th as 1st. Maybe only a few games will separate those teams.
They added Alfonso Soriano to the lineup, which means they have a better chance of out-scoring their pitching. It's a pretty imposing lineup with Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez in it, but the Cubs probably can't afford too much DL time from any of their regular players because other than Cliff Floyd, there's not much behind them.
Mark Prior and Kerry Wood went from having a rotation built around them to having rotator cuffs rebuilt (along with the rest of their arms) and neither will see the mound for the Cubs this season. Now the Cubs are trying to find help for Carlos Zambrano. Lefty Rich Hill looks pretty promising. At least he's throwing strikes. Ted Lilly will be pretty reliable too after coming over from Toronto. The Cubs may end up going as far as Cardinal reject Jason Marquis and still-recovering Wade Miller can take them as 4th and 5th starters.
The Cubs bullpen didn't get much help in the offseason. Ryan Dempster is still the closer, and the setup guys are still Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry. Eyre has given up five runs in his two appearances and Howry has already coughed up two games, so the starters better have some endurance.
The biggest new face for the Cubs is manager Lou Pinella, and his presence guarantees that the Cubs will be entertaining, if not good. Maybe more entertaining if they're bad, although I'll take boring and good if being boring is what it takes to be good. I would expect the Cubs to be more fundamentally sound this year, although there have already been some boneheaded plays. Pinella will be less tolerant of that stuff than Dusty Baker was.
The other big piece of news with the Cubs probably won't actually take place until after the season, but the team is going to be sold. That came about because their parent company, the Tribune, is being sold to gazillionaire Sam Zell. It doesn't look like Wrigley Field will be sold with the team though, which could make negotiations for the Cubs interesting.
Time for the bold prediction: If the Cubs stay healthy (relatively speaking), I think they'll win the division, although like I said, that's not really much of an accomplishment this year. After that, anything can happen. With the Cubs, that's usually bad.
The Cubs have hope this season, if only because they are in the worst division in baseball. They could just as easily finish 5th as 1st. Maybe only a few games will separate those teams.
They added Alfonso Soriano to the lineup, which means they have a better chance of out-scoring their pitching. It's a pretty imposing lineup with Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez in it, but the Cubs probably can't afford too much DL time from any of their regular players because other than Cliff Floyd, there's not much behind them.
Mark Prior and Kerry Wood went from having a rotation built around them to having rotator cuffs rebuilt (along with the rest of their arms) and neither will see the mound for the Cubs this season. Now the Cubs are trying to find help for Carlos Zambrano. Lefty Rich Hill looks pretty promising. At least he's throwing strikes. Ted Lilly will be pretty reliable too after coming over from Toronto. The Cubs may end up going as far as Cardinal reject Jason Marquis and still-recovering Wade Miller can take them as 4th and 5th starters.
The Cubs bullpen didn't get much help in the offseason. Ryan Dempster is still the closer, and the setup guys are still Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry. Eyre has given up five runs in his two appearances and Howry has already coughed up two games, so the starters better have some endurance.
The biggest new face for the Cubs is manager Lou Pinella, and his presence guarantees that the Cubs will be entertaining, if not good. Maybe more entertaining if they're bad, although I'll take boring and good if being boring is what it takes to be good. I would expect the Cubs to be more fundamentally sound this year, although there have already been some boneheaded plays. Pinella will be less tolerant of that stuff than Dusty Baker was.
The other big piece of news with the Cubs probably won't actually take place until after the season, but the team is going to be sold. That came about because their parent company, the Tribune, is being sold to gazillionaire Sam Zell. It doesn't look like Wrigley Field will be sold with the team though, which could make negotiations for the Cubs interesting.
Time for the bold prediction: If the Cubs stay healthy (relatively speaking), I think they'll win the division, although like I said, that's not really much of an accomplishment this year. After that, anything can happen. With the Cubs, that's usually bad.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Diary from Atlanta
I'm in Atlanta covering the Final Four (TM) for CSTV.com. You can follow it all on the Hangtime Blog at CSTV.com.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
It's been a while
I've been overwhelmingly busy this basketball season, so I haven't been able to write for quite a while. For example, it's time to congratulate the Colts on their Super Bowl win over the Bears. It was a much deserved win and I'm happy for my second favorite city, Indianapolis.
I've been very busy not just doing my own site, but doing a lot of writing for CSTV.com. You can see my coverage from the Big East and Missouri Valley tournaments, as well as from the NCAAs in Chicago this weekend, St. Louis and Atlanta coming up, on the Hangtime Blog at CSTV.com.
Hopefully, I can write more when hoops season ends.
I've been very busy not just doing my own site, but doing a lot of writing for CSTV.com. You can see my coverage from the Big East and Missouri Valley tournaments, as well as from the NCAAs in Chicago this weekend, St. Louis and Atlanta coming up, on the Hangtime Blog at CSTV.com.
Hopefully, I can write more when hoops season ends.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Maybe she was saying "foooooood"
I'm in the Indy area this week helping out my mother-in-law as she recovers from surgery. As you might imagine, this part of the country is overwhelmed with Colts fever as they get ready to watch them get beat by the Bears 31-28 in the Super Bowl. In the spirit of the event, I've been wearing my Bears jersey around here this week.
Late last night, I went to the local Meijer (the Official Superstore of the Colts) to pick up some stuff. While I was looking at something on the end of one of the aisles, I heard this loud howling sound. I wasn't paying too much attention to it, but when it didn't stop, I glanced up to see that it was coming from some lady about 50 feet from me who was booing me and waving her arms with the thumbs down sign.
I suppose I should be grateful she didn't use any of her other fingers.
Fortunately, I'm not a sensitive guy. I'm used to getting booed. I umpired baseball for 16 years and reffed basketball for 8, so that's part of the job. I get "booed" for my bracket predictions, the RPI and BCS pretty routinely. I even get booed at home sometimes (you call that washing dishes??! BOO!). But getting booed in the grocery store is a new one.
Late last night, I went to the local Meijer (the Official Superstore of the Colts) to pick up some stuff. While I was looking at something on the end of one of the aisles, I heard this loud howling sound. I wasn't paying too much attention to it, but when it didn't stop, I glanced up to see that it was coming from some lady about 50 feet from me who was booing me and waving her arms with the thumbs down sign.
I suppose I should be grateful she didn't use any of her other fingers.
Fortunately, I'm not a sensitive guy. I'm used to getting booed. I umpired baseball for 16 years and reffed basketball for 8, so that's part of the job. I get "booed" for my bracket predictions, the RPI and BCS pretty routinely. I even get booed at home sometimes (you call that washing dishes??! BOO!). But getting booed in the grocery store is a new one.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Have you seen Wade Steffey?
Wade Steffey, a freshman at Purdue, has disappeared after a party on campus last weekend. Here's the story from the Purdue web site, with a picture of Steffey. Anyone with info should call Purdue Police at 765-494-8221.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
NFL Playoff QB Quiz
A. Tom Brady
B. Drew Brees
C. Peyton Manning
D. Rex Grossman
Sing along now: "One of these things doesn't belong here. One of these things just isn't the same..."
I suppose if you can win a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer, you can win with anybody, but still, it's hard to like the Bears chances.
B. Drew Brees
C. Peyton Manning
D. Rex Grossman
Sing along now: "One of these things doesn't belong here. One of these things just isn't the same..."
I suppose if you can win a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer, you can win with anybody, but still, it's hard to like the Bears chances.
Friday, January 12, 2007
NFL Playoffs
OK, here's my playoff picks. I skipped the first round because I was otherwise distracted.
AFC
Chargers over Patriots - New England is now a fading dynasty. They're dangerous to be sure, but the Chargers are too strong.
Colts over Ravens - Who were those guys playing defense for the Colts last week and where have they been all year? I'll be shocked if the Indy D is as good this week, but I think the Colts will score enough to win.
Chargers over Colts - LT runs wild. He'll set a playoff record for rushing yards. He'll score 4 times. San Diego goes to the Super Bowl.
NFC
Bears over Seahawks - It won't be as big as the last meeting (37-6 in week 4), but the Bears defense will shut the Seahawks down once again. Rex Grossman will prevent the Bears from reaching the Super Bowl, but this won't be the week that happens.
Saints over Eagles - New Orleans will go as far as Brees, Bush and McAlister take them, and that could be a long way. The Eagles have done well without McNabb, but the ride ends here.
Saints over Bears - Brees is the one QB best equipped to attack the Bears pressure defense because he's decisive and accurate. He'll also have a lot of short fields because here is where bad Rex shows up.
Super Bowl
Saints over Chargers - If you can have a Cinderella story in professional sports, it would be the New Orleans Saints. Each team scores in the 30s. Brees leads a 2-minute drill for the win.
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
AFC
Chargers over Patriots - New England is now a fading dynasty. They're dangerous to be sure, but the Chargers are too strong.
Colts over Ravens - Who were those guys playing defense for the Colts last week and where have they been all year? I'll be shocked if the Indy D is as good this week, but I think the Colts will score enough to win.
Chargers over Colts - LT runs wild. He'll set a playoff record for rushing yards. He'll score 4 times. San Diego goes to the Super Bowl.
NFC
Bears over Seahawks - It won't be as big as the last meeting (37-6 in week 4), but the Bears defense will shut the Seahawks down once again. Rex Grossman will prevent the Bears from reaching the Super Bowl, but this won't be the week that happens.
Saints over Eagles - New Orleans will go as far as Brees, Bush and McAlister take them, and that could be a long way. The Eagles have done well without McNabb, but the ride ends here.
Saints over Bears - Brees is the one QB best equipped to attack the Bears pressure defense because he's decisive and accurate. He'll also have a lot of short fields because here is where bad Rex shows up.
Super Bowl
Saints over Chargers - If you can have a Cinderella story in professional sports, it would be the New Orleans Saints. Each team scores in the 30s. Brees leads a 2-minute drill for the win.
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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