Monthly Archives: December 2012

Saturday flashback: My memories of Bo Jackson’s Major League debut

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Below is the preview for tonight’s new 30 for 30, You Don’t Know Bo (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

I was there for Bo Jackson’s Major League debut, and it ranks among my favorite and most memorable sporting events in 30-plus years on the beat.

Special bonus question: What pitcher gave up Jackson’s first big league hit? Hint: He was a 300-game winner.

I was the White Sox beat writer for the Chicago Tribune. The team just happened to be the opponent on Sept. 2, 1986 when the Kansas City Royals called up a minor leaguer named Vincent Edward Jackson.

The hype was considerable for Jackson. When he stepped into the batting cage for the first time, I saw something I hadn’t seen before. Players from both teams stopped to watch. White Sox players, who were done with BP, actually hung around the dugout instead of going back to the clubhouse.

Jackson didn’t disappoint. He put on quite a show, launching one missile after another into the fountains at Royals Stadium. Players were in awe of the power display by Jackson.

The anticipation carried over to the game. Batting sixth, Jackson came up in the second inning to face Steve Carlton. Yes, Steve Carlton actually pitched for the White Sox late in 1986. Nearly all of his immense skills were gone, and he had become the sad image of a future Hall of Famer just trying to hang on with a team that was way out of the race. Still, every once in a while, Carlton could summon some of the old greatness. That game in Kansas City was one of the nights.

I found my game story for the Tribune. My lede went:

The 322-game winner overshadowed the Heisman Trophy winner Tuesday night. Bo Jackson made his major-league debut, but he couldn`t help the Royals overcome Steve Carlton, who led the White Sox to a 3-0 victory at Royals Stadium.

Jackson, though, was the story. His first at-bat was a stunning demonstration of his power and speed. He hit a tremendous shot estimated at 425 feet that just went foul. Then with the crowd still buzzing, he dribbled a bouncer that barely got past Russ Morman at first. Second baseman Tim Hulett gloved the ball in the hole, but Jackson easily beat the throw to first with his speed. Everyone was just amazed watching him run down the line. Jackson’s first hit was in the books off of Carlton.

Jackson went 1 for 3 on the night. Afterward, we went to the Royals lockerroom. He did his interview without a shirt.

I had just covered Walter Payton during the Bears’ Super Bowl year in 1985. I thought he had the best physique I had ever seen for an athlete.

Jackson, though, was in another category. Layers of dense muscles and massive legs. He was the closest I’ve ever seen to Superman, with the possible exception of the hip that eventually betrayed him.

“I didn`t go out there expecting to do something spectacular,“ said Jackson. “ I like the majors and I`m happy to be here.“

It was only the beginning for Jackson. Spectacular was just ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

Bo Jackson: Latest 30 for 30 focuses on athlete for the ages; Bo on the film and his legend

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This one is a natural to air after the Heisman Trophy presentation (ESPN, Saturday, 9 ET). You could get all sorts of arguments about who is the greatest Heisman winner. But if the question was, who was the greatest athlete to win the Heisman, the answer is simple: Bo Jackson.

Titled You Don’t Know Bo, the latest 30 for 30 focuses on the amazing athletic feats of Jackson and how an injury didn’t allow the story to play out in full.

Here’s a link for the preview.

Jackson, director Michael Bonfiglio and 30 for 30 executive producer John Dahl participated in a conference this week. Here are the excerpts.

Jackson on participating in the film: Well, first of all, I am very, very busy, and my first concern was that how much time was this going to take up, because I’m busy trying to handle some ‑‑ I’m busy trying to handle some business out west, trying to deal with things here and so forth and so on.  And once they told me about the time frame that they needed me, I restructured my schedule so I could allow them to have that time with me.

But as far as everything else, hey, the people that are in the film talking are the people that did all of the work.  I just one day went and sat down for an hour or so and I talked, I answered questions, and I left and went back home and did what I was doing.  So it really wasn’t that hard for me.

Jackson on younger generation not being as aware of him: Well, listen, my three kids are in their 20s, and it’s kind of comical.  My three kids, I think they were ‑‑ how old were they?  They were eight, six and four, and they didn’t realize that daddy was Bo Jackson until they saw daddy get thrown out of a baseball game in Chicago and I kind of lost it a little bit and threw the garbage can out on the field and bats and the bubble gum tray and so forth and so on.  So it really doesn’t bother me that people don’t know who I am.  It’s kind of nice in a way.

But no, I had my fun in the sun, as you could say, and I am happy.  I would not go back and change a thing in my life of sports.

Jackson on his thoughts about the movie: What did I think of the movie?  My wife and I sat in the kitchen and watched it on her laptop.  It was nice.  It was very, very nice.  There was only one discrepancy in the whole film, which is fine, and I’m kind of embarrassed because it has to do with the killing of the pigs, but that ditch that I jumped wasn’t 40 feet, it was more like 20 feet.  But I did jump that ditch and run home and still got busted for it.

Jackson on the toughest part of playing two sports: What was the toughest aspect of playing two sports on a high level?  Simple:  Going to the supermarket and shopping and trying not to be recognized.  That’s it.  Because I am the cook in the family, I do all the cooking.  I don’t allow my wife around sharp objects, so I do all of the cooking.  So in turn, I have to go to the grocery store because I know what I need, I know what to get and so forth and so on.  And sometimes she goes with me, and sometimes back when I was doing both sports, that got a little hectic going to the supermarket in Kansas City, going to the supermarket in Los Angeles, and that was about it.  Everything else was just fine.  I had no problems with actually both sports and so forth and so on.  It comes with the territory as far as being recognizable and noticed.

Bonfiglio on the title of the movie: I came up with the title probably in the late summer, and we had been banting about a couple of different working titles, and I sort of landed on this one in thinking about a couple of different things.  First of all, obviously it’s an acknowledgment of the Nike campaign, the Bo Knows campaign, but it’s also the idea that ‑‑ I remember I was talking to my 13‑ and 16‑year‑old cousins who are big sports fans and I was telling them that I was working on this film, and they’d never heard of Bo.  And I talked to more people, people in their early 20s, and they’d never heard of Bo.  You mentioned your wife, who’s old enough to know Bo but didn’t know who he was.  That was a very interesting thing to me, that this guy who was so incredibly famous for a brief period of time, he was one of the most recognizable names and faces in the country, people don’t know who he is.

I think that there’s an incredible enthusiasm for him by fans, but he ‑‑ I think if you know who he is, you assume everybody else does.  But in actuality, I think because he is not in any of the Halls of Fame, he’s not a record holder in very many areas, he is at risk of being forgotten a little bit, and I think that that was part of this film.  The impetus behind this is to celebrate how exciting he was and what he did to us as fans and as people and as a culture.  So to me, the title plays on a couple of different levels.

Dahl on his favorite Jackson’s highlights:  Well, there’s two that jumped out at me in the film.  One was the throw from the warning track to Harold Reynolds at the plate.  I still just can’t believe it when I see it.  And the other one was his first Major League hit.  It was just kind of a routine ball that he hit up the right side of the infield, and he didn’t just barely beat it out, he easily beat out what should have been a routine ground ball, and in those two days you definitely got a sense that there was something different about Bo Jackson.

Note: I saw that first hit, as the White Sox beat writer for the Chicago Tribune. I’ll have more on that tomorrow.

 

 

 

Emrick and McGuire: NBC Sports Network putting them to work on college hockey

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I went to the United Center in Chicago Wednesday night to see a Dave Matthews concert. Terrific show and talk about being a gamer. Matthews played on despite clearly being under the weather.

However, I was depressed by one thing I didn’t see at the UC: Ice. The floor was a floor, because the Blackhawks and hockey are on ice for now, and after what happened last night, for the forseeable future.

NBC Sports Network is trying to fill the huge gap by airing college hockey. They are using the A-team with Mike Emrick and Pierre McGuire. Friday, they’ll be on hand for Michigan State at Notre Dame.

Given Emrick’s stature, this is almost like Vin Scully being on the call for a MSU-Notre Dame baseball game.

It’s always great to hear Emrick on hockey, but it’s not the same. College hockey is a long way from the NHL. Everything, from the size of the arenas to the caliber of play, is on a much smaller scale.

Time to come back NHL. I need to see some ice at the United Center.

 

 

 

 

 

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Goren stories of The Greek: He was bigger than life; recalls $10,000 debt never collected

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Ed Goren has encountered many memorable characters during his 46 years in television. One, though, always has stood out: Dimetrios Georgios Synodinos, aka Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder.

During an interview for my recent Q/A with the longtime CBS and Fox Sports producer, Goren told a long story about The Greek. It was Goren and cohort Mike Pearl who set the wheels in motion for The Greek reinforcing his legend on CBS’ NFL Today.

Goren’s tales were so good; I figured The Greek deserved his own post. Here’s Goren recalling the man and the $10,000 debt he never collected:

*******

First meetings: I was at CBS News doing the sports element of the daily affiliate feed (in the early 70s). I had an idea for this guy, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. I thought maybe we could do something with him.

Back then, whenever there was a big sporting event, two people always called The Greek. One was Dave Anderson of The New York Times. And the other was my father, Herb Goren. He wrote Phil Rizzuto’s radio show on CBS. And if it involved politics, Jack Anderson would call him.

We went down to meet him at the Super Bowl. He had a 24-hour suite going at his hotel. There was an open bar, and everyone was there. Politicians, major executives, you name it. If you asked what his business was, he’d say he was a corporate PR guy. He really was a ‘hang guy.’ He’d go with executives to the race track. They’d say, ‘I was with The Greek.’ There are entertainment groupies, sports groupies. Those executives were Greek groupies.

What I had in mind is that Greek would do a two-minute segment that we could sell to the local stations. We couldn’t get one station to sign up. I mean, we couldn’t sell fish to hungry seals.

Months go by, and he calls us and says, ‘I’ve got a show for you.’ We tried a radio show. Pearl would go on the road with him. He’d beg him: ‘Could you find 15 minutes to do the show?’ He always was doing something else.

Take three with the Greek. He calls me and says, ‘I’ve got a great deal for us. We’re going to do a movie about a casino in Vegas.’ We’re shooting the 2nd World Series of Poker. There may have been one table. Those guys wouldn’t even let us film them. They’re thinking the IRS is going to get hold of this.

We make the film and Pearl goes to Vegas with the Greek to get the 10 grand (their fee), which was a lot of money back then. Pearl calls me and says, ‘I’ve got good news and bad news. They paid us 10 grand in cash.’ I said, ‘What’s the bad news?’ Pearl said, ‘Greek just bet it on the Gator Bowl.’ Sure enough, he loses the bet. The brilliance of Pearl and Goren, we never asked him for the money. He went to his grave owing us 10 grand.

On NFL Today: Because there’s no betting on football in this country according to the NFL, he wasn’t allowed to pick games against the spread. He had a big board and he would do check marks. He would pick who was going to win, which is a lot easier than picking against the spread.

If he had to pick against the spread, he probably would have been right 40 percent of the time. It would have blown the credibility of the segment. All in all, it was a wonderful scam we were forced into.

The people loved Greek. When I’d walk through an airport with him, I’d always fall back to see what the reaction was. He was bigger than life.

On the ending following his statements about black athletes: He didn’t have a racist bone in his body. It was played out like he was a racist bigot, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. He rounded up all these people to try to defend him. He even had Jesse Jackson. It didn’t matter. They fired him. I’m convinced he went to his grave not knowing what he did wrong.

A last word: He was something out of Guys & Dolls. He even dressed the part with that gold chain. If central casting was going to audition somebody to play a Vegas bookmaker, he would have gotten the role immediately. There never will be another like him.

 

Good news: ESPN’s McDonough will return for the bowls following brain surgery

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ESPN released its announcer lineup for the 8,478 games it will air during the bowl season. OK, it’s only 34.

I looked to see if one name was on the list: Sean McDonough.

Sure enough, McDonough is set to do two games: The Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 and Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

Those will be McDonough’s first broadcasts since undergoing surgery last Friday for superior canal dehiscence syndrome, a condition he was diagnosed with in spring of 2012.

From ESPN:

Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) is a thinning or hole in the bone that separates the inner ear from the brain. McDonough, who discussed his condition with USA Today in June, experienced several of the symptoms associated with SCDS: a loud bang with each step he took, hearing his eyeballs move, hearing his heartbeat in his left ear and more.

“I want to thank my family, friends and colleagues who were so supportive and caring through this process,” McDonough said Monday morning. “I was blown away by the phone calls, emails and texts. This has been a very emotional experience and that means more to me than I can possibly explain. It has been a rough nine months and the surgery was tough but it is great to not hear my footsteps as I walk anymore. It’s a rare condition and surgery, I was fortunate to have Dr. Lee and his amazing staff of doctors and nurses.”

Something to be thankful for during the holiday season.

Here is ESPN’s complete announcer lineup:

Bowl Championship Series

Tue, Jan 1 5 p.m. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio: Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Stanford ESPN: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Heather Cox & Tom Rinaldi Radio: Dave Pasch, Brian Griese & Jenn Brown Deportes: Georgina Ruiz Sandoval & Robert Abramowitz ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN Radio
8:30 p.m. Discover Orange Bowl: No. 15 Northern Illinois vs. No. 12 Florida State ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Matt Millen & Maria Taylor Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad Deportes: Eduardo Varela & Pablo Viruega ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN Radio
Wed, Jan 2 8:30 p.m. Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 21 Louisville vs. No. 3 Florida ESPN: Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman & Quint Kessenich Radio: Bob Wischusen, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams Deportes: Eduardo Varela & Pablo Viruega ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D
Thu, Jan 3 8:30 p.m. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 5 Kansas State ESPN: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad Deportes: Eduardo Varela & Pablo Viruega ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN Radio
Mon, Jan 7 8:30 p.m. Discover BCS National Championship: No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Alabama ESPN: Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Heather Cox & Tom Rinaldi Radio: Mike Tirico, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe & Joe Schad Deportes: Eduardo Varela & Pablo Viruega ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D

Additional Postseason Games

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Sat, Dec 15 1 p.m. Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Nevada vs. Arizona ESPN: Bob Wischusen, Danny Kanell & Kaylee Hartung Radio: Mark Neely, Ray Bentley & Marty Cesario ESPN, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D
4:30 p.m. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Toledo vs. No. 22 Utah State ESPN: Tom Hart, Mike Bellotti & Quint Kessenich Radio: Rich Cellini, Tom Ramsey & Shelley Smith ESPN & ESPN Radio
Thu, Dec 20 8 p.m. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. San Diego State ESPN: Carter Blackburn, Rod Gilmore & Jemele Hill Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad ESPN, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D
Fri, Dec 21 7:30 p.m. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg: Central Florida vs. Ball State ESPN: Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Desmond Howard & Cara Capuano Radio: Dave Lamont, Matt Stinchcomb & Allison Williams ESPN & ESPN Radio
Sat, Dec 22 Noon R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette ESPN: Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway & Quint Kessenich Radio: Marc Kestecher, Dan Hawkins & Ian Fitzsimmons ESPN & ESPN Radio
3:30 p.m. MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: Washington vs. No. 19 Boise State Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Tom Rinaldi ESPN
Mon, Dec 24 8 p.m. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State vs. SMU ESPN: Carter Blackburn, Kelly Stouffer & Kaylee Hartung Radio: Marc Kestecher & Pete Najarian ESPN & ESPN Radio
Wed, Dec 26 7:30 p.m. Little Caesars Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan Mark Neely, Ray Bentley & Jemele Hill ESPN
Thu, Dec 27 3 p.m. Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: No. 24 San Jose State vs. Bowling Green Bob Wischusen, Danny Kanell & Quint Kessenich ESPN
6:30 p.m. Belk Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Duke Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham & Jeannine Edwards ESPN
9:45 p.m. Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Baylor vs. No. 17 UCLA ESPN: Dave Pasch, Brian Griese & Jenn Brown Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad ESPN, ESPN Radio & ESPN 3D
Fri, Dec 28 2 p.m. AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe Dave Lamont, Kelly Stouffer & Cara Capuano ESPN
5:30 p.m. Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Matt Millen & Maria Taylor Radio: Adam Amin, Tom Luginbill & Brett McMurphy ESPN & ESPN Radio
9 p.m. Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Minnesota vs. Texas Tech ESPN: Mark Jones, Brock Huard & Jessica Mendoza Radio: Tom Hart, John Congemi & Niki Noto ESPN & ESPN Radio
Sat, Dec 29 11:45 a.m. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Air Force ESPN: Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway & Lewis Johnson Radio: Eamon McAnaney, David Diaz-Infante & Paul Carcaterra ESPN & ESPN Radio
3:15 p.m. New Era Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia vs. Syracuse ESPN: Chris Fowler, Jesse Palmer & Tom Rinaldi Radio: Marc Kestecher, Jack Ford & C.J. Papa ESPN & ESPN Radio
4 p.m. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy vs. Arizona State Dave Pasch, Brian Griese & Jenn Brown ESPN2
6:45 p.m. Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 23 Texas vs. No. 13 Oregon State ESPN: Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman & Quint Kessenich Radio: Mark Neely, Ray Bentley & Kaylee Hartung ESPN & ESPN Radio
10:15 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU vs. Michigan State ESPN: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge & Holly Rowe Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie & Joe Schad ESPN & ESPN Radio
Mon, Dec 31 Noon Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: NC State vs. Vanderbilt Carter Blackburn, Rod Gilmore & Jemele Hill ESPN
3:30 p.m. AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs. Tulsa ESPN: Mark Jones, Brock Huard & Jessica Mendoza Radio: Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway & Lewis Johnson ESPN & ESPN Radio
7:30 p.m. Chick-fil-A Bowl: No. 8 LSU vs. No. 14 Clemson ESPN: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham & Jeannine Edwards Radio: Dave Neal, Andre Ware & Cara Capuano ESPN & ESPN Radio
Tue, Jan 1 Noon TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs. No. 20 Northwestern Bob Wischusen, Danny Kanell & Allison Williams ESPN2
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Purdue vs. Oklahoma State Clay Matvick, Matt Stinchcomb & Kaylee Hartung ESPNU
1 p.m. Capital One Bowl: No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 16 Nebraska ABC: Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack & Samantha Steele Radio: Dave Lamont, Kelly Stouffer & Brett McMurphy ABC & ESPN Radio
Outback Bowl: No. 10 South Carolina vs. No. 18 Michigan ESPN: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden & Shannon Spake Radio: Carter Blackburn, John Congemi & Jemele Hill ESPN & ESPN Radio
Fri, Jan 4 7 p.m. AT&T Cotton Bowl: No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Oklahoma Brad Sham, Ed Cunningham & Ian Fitzsimmons ESPN Radio
Sat, Jan 5 1 p.m. BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss ESPN: Eamon McAnaney, David Diaz-Infante & Paul Carcaterra Radio: Dave Lamont, Kelly Stouffer & Allison Williams ESPN & ESPN Radio
Sun, Jan 6 9 p.m. GoDaddy.com Bowl: No. 25 Kent State vs. Arkansas State Mark Jones, Brock Huard & Jessica Mendoza

 

Paul Hagen: Philadelphia Daily News baseball writer receives Hall of Fame nod

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Congratulations to Paul Hagen, one of the good guys. He is this year’s winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, an honor handed out “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.”

I knew Paul back when he was working in Dallas covering the Texas Rangers. The bulk of his career has been in Philadelphia, where he joined the Daily News in 1987.

From Philly.com:

“I don’t think you ever really know how you’re being perceived,” Hagen said. “So when something like this happens, that your peers thought enough of you to vote you an award like this, it’s overwhelming, it really is.”

Hagen, who has been writing about baseball for 40 years, including more than a quarter century in Philadelphia, received 269 votes from eligible BBWAA voters. The next closest candidate received 87 votes.

Hagen got a standing ovation when he was announced as this year’s recipient before the BBWAA’s Tuesday morning meeting in Nashville, where Major League Baseball’s winter meetings are being held this week.

“A consummate pro,” said St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Rick Hummel, who received the Spink Award in 2006. “He always seems to have a smile on his face . . . And he has the neatest notes – you can actually read them. I don’t think many of us can say that.”

Hummel laughed.

“I’ve never gone to a Hall of Fame induction when I wasn’t covering one,” Hummel said. “But I’ll be going this year [to see Hagen].”

Posted in MLB

Barkley on Costas show: I feel safer with a gun

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Bob Costas’ NBC Sports Network vehicle has been struggling to get a foothold in the market. However, he might have found a ratings-grabber for tonight’s show: Charles Barkley and guns.

Fresh off his controversial commentary last Sunday, Costas tackles the gun issue on the latest version of Costas Tonight (Thursday, NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m. ET )

Barkley and John McEnroe join Costas for a roundtable discussion. Now, there’s a roundtable.

Barkley, a massive man who is more than capable of protecting himself physically, says he feels safer with a gun. Question: Do you feel safer with Barkley carrying a gun?

Here are excerpts from their conversation:

Barkley: “I think, especially in the black culture, it’s a crime culture. We, as black people, and I always say we, we don’t have respect for each other. We got more black men in prison than we do in college, and crime in our neighborhoods is running rampant. I know everybody reacts when something like the (Jovan) Belcher thing happens (in Kansas City) but being black, this is something you deal with all the time, and it’s just sad. I’m a guy and I carry a gun. I carry a gun.

“I carried a gun in my car, every year of my life since I was 20 – never had to use it… I just feel safer with it because we have jocks who get robbed all the time, road rage and things like that. I feel a sense of peace when I have it with me, but it would take extreme circumstances for me to even touch it.”

McEnroe: “I feel safer without it. I’ve got to say I think that there are just so many bad things that could happen. That’s why someone like Mayor Bloomberg in New York City, where I live, has advocated, I think rightly so, that we get as many guns as possible off the streets. There are too many scenarios…that would make it that much easier to pick up a gun and do something.”

Costas: “Some people misunderstood when I pointed to what Jason Whitlock had said about a gun culture (in Sunday Night Football halftime essay). They thought I was laying everything at the feet of that. Domestic violence is part of it; the possible effect that football itself has on many of its participants is part of it. Drugs and alcohol could be part of it. And I didn’t say anything specifically about gun control legislation or the second amendment. I don’t want to repeal the second amendment. I think we should have responsible gun control but that wouldn’t prohibit somebody from carrying a gun.”

Sorry Northern Illinois: ESPN gets stuck with lemons with Orange, Sugar and Rose Bowls

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If I’m ESPN and I just paid billions of dollars to secure the rights to the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls, I can’t be pleased with what I got this year.

With the exception of the title game, the biggies lineup has to be the worst in recent memory. And I’m not just talking about Northern Illinois here:

Orange Bowl: NIU vs. Florida State.

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Louisville.

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Stanford.

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Oregon.

It’s almost as if the Notre Dame-Alabama title game is so good, the BCS said we have to balance things off with some uninspiring games. Only K-State-Oregon rates as a truly marquee match up. The others? Forget about it.

Wisconsin has five losses, and just saw its coach bolt. But the Badgers are playing in Pasadena thanks to Ohio State being ineligible for a bowl. Louisville? Somebody has to put an end to this idea that the Big East champion deserves a BCS bid.

And Northern Illinois? Listen, the Huskies are a great story and had a great season. But they barely register in my backyard in Chicago. And the Huskies coach also departed to take over North Carolina State, hardly a football hotbed. Let’s just say it will be the first and only time the Wolfpack job will be considered a step up for a BCS coach.

Will the country really tune in to watch the Huskies play in the Orange Bowl? ESPN definitely will push the Goliath angle. But after a full helping of games on Jan. 1, by the time the Orange Bowl rolls around in the evening, America might take a pass on watching a MAC team.

It isn’t just me. ESPN’s very own Mark Schlabach ranked all the bowl games. While he had the Fiesta Bowl second, he had the other big money BCS bowl games lower on the list; Sugar was sixth; Rose seventh; and Orange eighth. And you can make the argument that the Capital One Bowl, featuring Georgia-Nebraska, should be slotted higher than ninth.

Meanwhile, Schlabach ranked the Oklahoma-Texas A&M match-up in the Cotton Bowl third. Cotton Bowl officials have to be doing handsprings with likely Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Fox also is thrilled with the prospect of a primetime game on Jan. 4.

And Fox gets that game at a fraction of the price ESPN shelled out for the BCS bowls.

Don’t think that is going unnoticed by ESPN. While ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit got roasted for expressing his outrage over NIU’s bid over the air, privately the executives were grumbling just as loud in the suites in Bristol. Two of your BCS teams, NIU and Louisville, never appeared on national television on a Saturday this year.

Given its considerable investment, you could be sure ESPN will push college football officials for a system that guarantees the big-money bowl games also are the best games. It also would be a nice thing to do for fans.

That’s not asking too much, is it?

 

 

 

Tom Cheek: Late Blue Jays announcer wins top Hall of Fame honor

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Tom Cheek is this year’s winner of the Ford Frick Award. The annual award is recognition for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, the long-time Toronto Blue Jays announcer passed away in 2005. However, he had a long and distinguished career and still is remembered fondly in Toronto and throughout baseball.

His biggest call: Joe Carter’s World Series winning homer in 1993: “Touch ’em all Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.”

Here’s the release from the Hall:

Cheek becomes the second Frick Award winner whose career came primarily with a Canadian team, following Dave Van Horne’s selection as the Frick Award winner in 2011. Van Horne spent parts of four decades broadcasting Montreal Expos games.

“Tom Cheek was the voice of summer for generations of baseball fans in Canada and beyond,” said Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson. “He helped a nation understand the elements of the game and swoon for the summer excitement that the expansion franchise brought a hockey-crazed nation starting in the late 1970s. He then authored the vocal narrative of a team that evolved into one of the most consistent clubs of the 1980s and 1990s. We are thrilled to celebrate Tom’s legacy with baseball broadcasting’s highest honor.”

Born June 13, 1939 – one day after the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors in Cooperstown – in Pensacola, Fla., Cheek was raised in a Navy family and joined the armed forces himself in 1957, serving in the Air Force until discharged in 1960. Cheek’s father, also named Tom, was a World War II hero who served as a fighter pilot in the Battle of Midway in 1942.

After continuing his education at SUNY Plattsburgh and the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston, Cheek worked as a disc jockey in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and as sports director for a group of three stations in Burlington, Vt., calling University of Vermont sports for several years.

In 1974, Cheek began work as a backup announcer to Van Horne on Expos broadcasts. Then in 1976 at the age of 37, he landed the job as the radio voice of the expansion Blue Jays. Paired first with Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn and later with Jerry Howarth starting in 1981, Cheek’s rich baritone voice and his passionate-yet-lighthearted approach to his job dazzled fans eager to embrace Toronto’s new role as an American League outpost.

His call of Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1993 Fall Classic – “Touch ’em all Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.” – quickly became embedded in the sports conscious of Blue Jays fans around the globe.

Cheek called every regular season and postseason Blue Jays game from the franchise’s birth on April 7, 1977 through June 2, 2004. The next day, Cheek took the first of two days off to attend the funeral of his father. But upon his return, Cheek sensed he was not right physically when he was unable to retain information he had read only minutes earlier. On June 13, 2004 – his 65th birthday – Cheek underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, but some of the tumor was unreachable.

A little more than a year later, Cheek passed away on Oct. 9, 2005.

Cheek was inducted into the Blue Jays Level of Excellence in 2005. That same year, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame established the Tom Cheek Media Leadership Award, with Cheek being honored with the first award.

Cheek will be honored at the Hall of Fame’s Awards Presentation on Saturday, July 27 in Cooperstown, along with 2013 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Paul Hagen.

Cheek was chosen from a list of 10 finalists selected in October, featuring three fan selections from an online vote and seven broadcasters chosen by a research committee from the Cooperstown-based museum. The final ballot contained a mix of pioneers and current-day broadcasters: Ken Coleman, Jacques Doucet, John Gordon, Bill King, Graham McNamee, Eric Nadel, Eduardo Ortega, Mike Shannon, Dewayne Staats and Cheek. Doucet, Gordon, Nadel, Ortega, Shannon and Staats were the living candidates. In September and October, a total of 34,283 votes were cast in the Museum’s online fan poll for inclusion on the final 10-name ballot, with Cheek, King and Doucet as the top three fan poll selections.

The 21-member electorate, comprised of the 16 living Frick Award recipients and five broadcast historians/columnists, includes Frick honorees Marty Brennaman, Jerry Coleman, Gene Elston, Joe Garagiola, Jaime Jarrin, Milo Hamilton, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, 2012 Frick Award winner Tim McCarver, Jon Miller, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Lon Simmons, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff, and historians/columnists Bob Costas (NBC), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Stan Isaacs (formerly of NY Newsday), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian).

 

FORD C. FRICK AWARD RECIPIENTS

1978 Mel Allen 1990 By Saam 2003 Bob Uecker
Red Barber 1991 Joe Garagiola 2004 Lon Simmons
1979 Bob Elson 1992 Milo Hamilton 2005 Jerry Coleman
1980 Russ Hodges 1993 Chuck Thompson 2006 Gene Elston
1981 Ernie Harwell 1994 Bob Murphy 2007 Denny Matthews
1982 Vin Scully 1995 Bob Wolff 2008 Dave Niehaus
1983 Jack Brickhouse 1996 Herb Carneal 2009 Tony Kubek
1984 Curt Gowdy 1997 Jimmy Dudley 2010 Jon Miller
1985 Buck Canel 1998 Jaime Jarrin 2011 Dave Van Horne
1986 Bob Prince 1999 Arch McDonald 2012 Tim McCarver
1987 Jack Buck 2000 Marty Brennaman 2013 Tom Cheek
1988 Lindsey Nelson 2001 Felo Ramirez
1989 Harry Caray 2002 Harry Kalas

 

Posted in MLB

Lipsyte weighs in on Costas: ‘Shill becomes a journalist’

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I was set to let the furor over Bob Costas’ anti-gun commentary runs it course. However, I have to make note of a Robert Lipsyte column on the subject.

Writing for Slate, the former New York Times columnist discusses their relationship and the impact of Costas’ actions on Sunday night.

First about the part of labeling Costas “a shill”:

Since 1993, Costas and I have been in an uneasy relationship of mutual regard and disagreement, each waiting for the other to fulfill unreasonable expectations. He wants me to be more open to the joy of sports. I want him to take advantage of his pulpit and be more of a journalist.

And to the point:

In our almost 20 years of dialogue, Costas has been most bothered by my use of the word shill to describe how he promotes sporting events. As I’ve written before, be believes that he drops in “enough commentary and insights in games” to be thought of as a journalist, and that he does it “not to throw fire bombs but to help hold the mainstream to account,” separating him from commentators on the Internet.

Calling Costas a shill is a bit extreme. Yes, there is a promotional element for the sports he covers. It comes with the territory. However, Costas has used to platform for frank critiques on many important issues. If only there were more like him.

Which brings us to Sunday’s commentary. Lipsyte writes:

Yet as more evidence piles up that repeated head traumas, however slight, can lead to disorientation and aggressive behavior, not to mention dementia and early death, the possible connection to Belcher becomes one worth exploring. I hope Costas will follow up his quick, bold stroke with such explorations. He has the intelligence and the platform.

Costas is gingerly stretching his reach. Last July, on the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacre, as the Israeli team marched into the Olympic Stadium, he pointed out that the International Olympic Committee had refused requests for a moment of silence during the parade. He then fell quiet for 12 seconds, a rebuke to an NBC financial partner.

And he concludes:

While by the standards of contemporary journalism, it was distanced and measured, by the ground-floor bar of sports broadcasting, it was Murrow during the blitz.