A few things I've been thinking about lately:
1) Is it ever a good idea for two 17-year-olds to get married? That's the position VP candidate Sarah Palin has put her daughter and her boyfriend in. Since Bristol Palin got pregnant and her mother is running for national office with the more conservative of the two major parties, Bristol and her boyfriend Levi have to get hitched (Bristol? Levi? What's up with the names of these kids in Alaska? They sound like two characters on "Dawson's Creek."), which is absolutely disgraceful. For one, there's no proof married parents ensures a healthy childhood or that unmarried parents guarantees a screwed-up upbringing for a child. Second of all, they're 17! To me, there's nothing wrong with Palin's people releasing a statement saying these two kids aren't getting married right now, but that both families would work to make sure their baby is brought up in a healthy, nurturing environment and that the marriage issue would be revisited once Bristol and Levi were at least old enough to drink. Who could argue with that?
2) I'm not a Jets fan and the seemingly endless Brett Favre unretirement coverage this summer made me want to gag. However, I had to watch Sunday's Jets-Dolphins game. No player currently in the NFL is more strongly identified with one team like Favre is with the Packers, and it was unique just to see #4 in a different uniform (I know, I know, he was drafted by the Falcons, but that's ancient history. That would be like reminding people that Roberto Clemente was originally signed by the Dodgers). Plus, like many others, I wanted to see if he still had it. And, to me, he looks about the same as he did last year; good enough to win his team games they shouldn't win, but old enough to screw games up for you. How classic was that touchdown toss on 4th-and-13? Everything from his escape from a sack to the blind endzone heave that had an equal chance of being caught for a touchdown or an interception is classic Favre. Also, I really hope someone asked him why he was in Miami last weekend and he responded with "we're playing the Dolphins, you dumbass," thus reprising one of my favorite unexpected movie moments of all-time.
3) Speaking of football, Thurday's Giants season-opener looked like the vast majority of their wins from last season; score an early touchdown to make everyone think your offense is a well-oiled machine before having several other red zone drives result in mere field goals. However, like last year, the defense was good enough to keep the opposition at bay and make the Giants' lack of red zone touchdowns a moot point. It also helped that the Redskins were absolutely horrid. Both their offensive and defensive lines got pushed around and Jason Campbell looked like something other than a good NFL quarterback. The NFC East is notoriously tough and unpredictable, but I wouldn't be surprised if Washington didn't win a single road game in the conference.
4) I spend way too much time on YouTube looking at old sports clips. However, thanks to this wonderful website (and the people who post videos on it), I was able to find one of my favorite sports lowlights: Bob Costas thinking Michael Jordan's wife was his mother during the Bulls' post-game celebration after their first championship in 1991 (it's just past the seven-minute mark). MJ was the greatest basketball player and one of the most famous people in the world at the time. So, how could you be covering the NBA and not know who his wife is? I also love Costas blaming the mistake on the fact that a) Mrs. Jordan was wearing a hat and b) that he had Champagne in his eyes. Costas has carved out a great career as an interviewer and studio host, but this was definitely not one of his finest moments.
9.09.2008
9.05.2008
Phase II
Whenever people ask me what I'm up to this time of the year, the response usually is "changing gears." Baseball season has ended for me and, now, I have to get ready for the next chapter of my year.
When you're a baseball broadcaster, you measure time through the lens of baseball season. Trying to recall the last time something happened usually involves me trying to remember who my team was playing, helping me better pinpoint the date ("The last time we went to Applebee's? I think it was after that Sunday afternoon game against Reading that took forever...so it must've been June"). As a matter of fact, I don't even use my daily planner during baseball season; just a pocket schedule ("My mother is visiting at the end of the Altoona-Erie homestand" or "I can't go that weekend because I'll be in Akron"). There are games virtually everyday, so every single off-day is cherished.
Also, I'm not just the broadcaster, but also the team's director of media relations, forcing me to juggle the two. So, I spent the vast majority of my day at the ballpark. For home games, which usually start at 7:05 p.m., I arrive by one in the afternoon, at the latest. The time before the game is spent preparing for the broadcast and dealing with any media requests or roster moves. My job requires me to work ahead as often as possible, so much of my day is spent doing just that; I've already prepared stuff on Friday's starting pitchers by Thursday afternoon. If we're getting a new player, I'll have information on him the day before he arrives. I also don't like to feel rushed before I go on the air. I like to be able to ease into the broadcast which, I feel, makes me sound better. Hence, another reason I get to the ballpark as early as I do.
Because of baseball, my lifestyle is completely different than most from April-Labor Day. I have three meals a day, but not breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually it's lunch, pre-game meal and post-game meal. If I want to meet up with my girlfriend or friends, it's almost always for lunch or a post-game meal (you need to be a really special friend -- or my mom -- for me to agree to wake up early after a night game so that we can have breakfast together). I don't spend summer days idling away at the beach or at a resort and I rarely make it to those summer barbecues (there are always games on Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day).
As a result, when baseball season ends for me, it's also the end of a lifestyle. It takes me several days to adjust to a more common routine. The first few days, I'm exhausted and I don't feel like doing much. Gradually, I ease into my new lifestyle. I start preparing to call high school football and college basketball. I make sure all of my ducks in a row so that I can substitute teach. Usually, there are bills I need to catch up on. Breakfast becomes a part of my routine again. And maybe, just maybe, I start writing on my blog more often.
When you're a baseball broadcaster, you measure time through the lens of baseball season. Trying to recall the last time something happened usually involves me trying to remember who my team was playing, helping me better pinpoint the date ("The last time we went to Applebee's? I think it was after that Sunday afternoon game against Reading that took forever...so it must've been June"). As a matter of fact, I don't even use my daily planner during baseball season; just a pocket schedule ("My mother is visiting at the end of the Altoona-Erie homestand" or "I can't go that weekend because I'll be in Akron"). There are games virtually everyday, so every single off-day is cherished.
Also, I'm not just the broadcaster, but also the team's director of media relations, forcing me to juggle the two. So, I spent the vast majority of my day at the ballpark. For home games, which usually start at 7:05 p.m., I arrive by one in the afternoon, at the latest. The time before the game is spent preparing for the broadcast and dealing with any media requests or roster moves. My job requires me to work ahead as often as possible, so much of my day is spent doing just that; I've already prepared stuff on Friday's starting pitchers by Thursday afternoon. If we're getting a new player, I'll have information on him the day before he arrives. I also don't like to feel rushed before I go on the air. I like to be able to ease into the broadcast which, I feel, makes me sound better. Hence, another reason I get to the ballpark as early as I do.
Because of baseball, my lifestyle is completely different than most from April-Labor Day. I have three meals a day, but not breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually it's lunch, pre-game meal and post-game meal. If I want to meet up with my girlfriend or friends, it's almost always for lunch or a post-game meal (you need to be a really special friend -- or my mom -- for me to agree to wake up early after a night game so that we can have breakfast together). I don't spend summer days idling away at the beach or at a resort and I rarely make it to those summer barbecues (there are always games on Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day).
As a result, when baseball season ends for me, it's also the end of a lifestyle. It takes me several days to adjust to a more common routine. The first few days, I'm exhausted and I don't feel like doing much. Gradually, I ease into my new lifestyle. I start preparing to call high school football and college basketball. I make sure all of my ducks in a row so that I can substitute teach. Usually, there are bills I need to catch up on. Breakfast becomes a part of my routine again. And maybe, just maybe, I start writing on my blog more often.
3.24.2008
Is It Obama Time?
Have you run into any Hillary Clinton supporters lately? If so, you must've been the same person who regularly sees UFOs.
It isn't that Clinton supporters don't exist. They're just harder to find these days. And the junior Senator from New York has no one to blame for that but herself.
At this time last year, the Democratic nomination was Hillary's to lose. Sure, Barack Obama was looming, but he didn't possess the experience or political machinery to topple her. One of my first blog entries discussed why Hillary had a decisive advantage. She was leading Obama by double digits in all of the key primary states. Since the Republicans were in disarray and President Bush's popularity was dipping by the hour, it seemed almost certain that we'd have another Clinton headed to the White House in January, 2009.
But, the tables have turned. Why? Because Hillary panicked. And it all started during her famous breakdown in New Hampshire, when she began sobbing on national television.
Well, it wasn't exactly a breakdown but, for someone whose stoicism is legendary, it might as well have been. Obama had just scored a surprising victory in Iowa a few days prior and, while talking about the rigors of campaigning, Hillary just couldn't keep a straight face any longer and started crying. At the time, many pundits said the tears showed an emotional side of Hillary that most haven't seen and, thus, could help propel her to the nomination. And she did win New Hampshire.
I know some will say I'm a sexist, callous ass for getting on Hillary for her sob-fest. After all, she is human and there's nothing wrong being emotional. But, no matter what anyone says, no one really wants a president who seems human. They want someone who seems larger than life, a Superman or Superwoman. And, all of a sudden, Hillary no longer looked like a superhero. She all of a sudden looked...well, just like the rest of us.
Meanwhile, Obama seemed to be the complete opposite. The Illinois senator is a dynamic speaker who has drawn comparisons to JFK and, as he's gained momentum, has brought out the worst in Hillary. She's been acting like a spoiled child the last few months, like she's entitled to the Presidency. There was a great article in The Atlantic a couple of months ago about how Hillary felt betrayed by Obama when he decided to run for President, especially since he once looked to her as a mentor. It's almost as if you expect Hillary to scold Obama..."this wasn't the plan! You ruined everything! If you had just listened to me, I could've gotten my way and maybe, just maybe, I'd let you have a shot at the White House in 2016."
It's all added up to make the Democrats look like a disorganized and chaotic bunch. Obama holds a lead in overall delegates but, of course, it isn't a big enough lead to convince Hillary to pull out of the race. It doesn't help that two of the bigger states Hillary's won, Michigan and Florida, had their delegates invalidated by the Democrats. At this point, Hillary needs to win decisively in every state from here on out to have a chance. And, even then, she made need the superdelegates to swing the vote her way to get the nomination. That's not happening, though. I just can't see the superdelegates going against the popular vote.
Meanwhile, the Republicans' dysfunction actually worked to their advantage. Since that party's conservative wing has controlled things for the last decade-plus, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee seemed to be the favorites, but they wound up splitting the conservative vote. Rudy Giuliani made the dumb mistake of ignoring the early primaries where he could've built some momentum before getting thrashed in Florida (that was typical New York City hubris on Giuliani's part, by the way. Most New Yorkers aren't fully convinced that people really live in the states between New Jersey and California) and Ron Paul is a nut. That left John McCain, who most of the Republican rank-and-file detest (remember, this is the guy who has come close to leaving the party a few times, including in 2004, when John Kerry looked at him as a possible running mate). However, McCain is the guy who gives the GOP their best chance to keep the White House. Yes, McCain is a conservative but, because he's gone against his party so often, many think he's a moderate or even a liberal, giving him a chance with voters who are on the fence.
So, what initially looked like a ho-hum election season is shaping up to be rather spicy one. But, thanks to Hillary's self-destructive behavior, it looks like Obama will be the one raising his right hand come Inauguration Day...I think.
It isn't that Clinton supporters don't exist. They're just harder to find these days. And the junior Senator from New York has no one to blame for that but herself.
At this time last year, the Democratic nomination was Hillary's to lose. Sure, Barack Obama was looming, but he didn't possess the experience or political machinery to topple her. One of my first blog entries discussed why Hillary had a decisive advantage. She was leading Obama by double digits in all of the key primary states. Since the Republicans were in disarray and President Bush's popularity was dipping by the hour, it seemed almost certain that we'd have another Clinton headed to the White House in January, 2009.
But, the tables have turned. Why? Because Hillary panicked. And it all started during her famous breakdown in New Hampshire, when she began sobbing on national television.
Well, it wasn't exactly a breakdown but, for someone whose stoicism is legendary, it might as well have been. Obama had just scored a surprising victory in Iowa a few days prior and, while talking about the rigors of campaigning, Hillary just couldn't keep a straight face any longer and started crying. At the time, many pundits said the tears showed an emotional side of Hillary that most haven't seen and, thus, could help propel her to the nomination. And she did win New Hampshire.
I know some will say I'm a sexist, callous ass for getting on Hillary for her sob-fest. After all, she is human and there's nothing wrong being emotional. But, no matter what anyone says, no one really wants a president who seems human. They want someone who seems larger than life, a Superman or Superwoman. And, all of a sudden, Hillary no longer looked like a superhero. She all of a sudden looked...well, just like the rest of us.
Meanwhile, Obama seemed to be the complete opposite. The Illinois senator is a dynamic speaker who has drawn comparisons to JFK and, as he's gained momentum, has brought out the worst in Hillary. She's been acting like a spoiled child the last few months, like she's entitled to the Presidency. There was a great article in The Atlantic a couple of months ago about how Hillary felt betrayed by Obama when he decided to run for President, especially since he once looked to her as a mentor. It's almost as if you expect Hillary to scold Obama..."this wasn't the plan! You ruined everything! If you had just listened to me, I could've gotten my way and maybe, just maybe, I'd let you have a shot at the White House in 2016."
It's all added up to make the Democrats look like a disorganized and chaotic bunch. Obama holds a lead in overall delegates but, of course, it isn't a big enough lead to convince Hillary to pull out of the race. It doesn't help that two of the bigger states Hillary's won, Michigan and Florida, had their delegates invalidated by the Democrats. At this point, Hillary needs to win decisively in every state from here on out to have a chance. And, even then, she made need the superdelegates to swing the vote her way to get the nomination. That's not happening, though. I just can't see the superdelegates going against the popular vote.
Meanwhile, the Republicans' dysfunction actually worked to their advantage. Since that party's conservative wing has controlled things for the last decade-plus, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee seemed to be the favorites, but they wound up splitting the conservative vote. Rudy Giuliani made the dumb mistake of ignoring the early primaries where he could've built some momentum before getting thrashed in Florida (that was typical New York City hubris on Giuliani's part, by the way. Most New Yorkers aren't fully convinced that people really live in the states between New Jersey and California) and Ron Paul is a nut. That left John McCain, who most of the Republican rank-and-file detest (remember, this is the guy who has come close to leaving the party a few times, including in 2004, when John Kerry looked at him as a possible running mate). However, McCain is the guy who gives the GOP their best chance to keep the White House. Yes, McCain is a conservative but, because he's gone against his party so often, many think he's a moderate or even a liberal, giving him a chance with voters who are on the fence.
So, what initially looked like a ho-hum election season is shaping up to be rather spicy one. But, thanks to Hillary's self-destructive behavior, it looks like Obama will be the one raising his right hand come Inauguration Day...I think.
2.25.2008
The New York Times Crossword: An Appreciation
I recently rediscovered an old friend and, the great thing is, even with the passage of time, little has changed between us.
The New York Times crossword puzzle.
Many may scoff at calling an inanimate object -- especially something in an imposing, sometimes stuffy newspaper -- any sort of friend. But, that's how I feel about that little 15 x 15 grid nestled in the back corner of the Old Gray Lady's Arts section...or the 21 x 21 grid situated on the last page of The Times Magazine on Sundays.
Since I was 12, when my Aunt Lloyd first brought my attention to the crossword puzzle in her local paper (she was living in South Carolina at the time), I have gone through crossword-solving spurts at various points in my life. However, I didn't discover The Times version until after I'd graduated college.
There's nothing quite like the feeling you have the day after you graduate from college. There's all this fanfare, joy and excitement on graduation day. But, the next day, reality sets in. I had no plans to attend graduate school nor did I have a job lined up, so I woke up on that Monday in May and thought "now what?"
Once I realized I could lay in bed all day, but that I probably shouldn't, I went out and bought two newspapers -- The New York Daily News and The Times -- and scanned the want ads. I did this everyday for about a month, which is how long it took me to find work. Once I was done looking at the ads, I would do the crosswords. The Daily News had two crosswords (one of which was embedded in the classifieds section), but I quickly became more enthralled with the one in The Times.
You don't have to do many crosswords to realize that several words and phrases pop up over and over again. Many of these words and phrases, while real, are rarely found outside of crosswords. Stuff like oleo, ogee or ess. Then there are names that crossword constructors like to pepper you with, people like Eli Wallach, Ehud Barak and Elie Wiesel, people I may have never heard of if it weren't for crosswords. After a while, such fill becomes trite and boring. It's almost as if the crosswords become too easy because of all the common fill. That's how I started to feel about the crosswords in The Daily News. However, I never felt that way about the ones in The Times.
Sure, The Times has its share of common crossword fill, but not as much as the competition. Also, that common fill is more likely to be clued in creative ways. For example, a run-of-the-mill crossword would clue "oleo" as "Butter substitute" or "Toast spread" whereas The Times might have something like "You should get the knife before you use it?" (question marks in crossword clues signal puns). With cleverly-constructed clues, even the easiest words can be difficult to get. The the biggest criticism of The Times crossword is the obscure and pedantic references. Those don't bother me because I like learning new things. Thanks to crosswords, I've learned more about everything from the islands that compose the state of Hawaii to the stars that make up Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. I'd rather have trouble finishing a crossword that teaches me a thing or two than breeze through a crossword in which I don't learn a thing.
Much of my renewed interest in crosswords can be attributed to Rex Parker. Rex Parker is a pseudonym for one of my girlfriend's graduate school professors who blogs everyday about The Times crossword. When my girlfriend first told me about this blog, I started reading it even without having done the crossword, because I found it insightful and entertaining. After a week, I was jonesing to get back to crosswording. So, about a month and a half ago, I purchased a one-year subscription for The Times crossword and I've been doing them everyday since.
Right now, I can complete Monday-Wednesday puzzles unassisted (the puzzles generally get harder as the week progresses). I usually can fill at least 95% of Thursday's puzzle without having to look anything up. Friday and Saturday are downright hard for me; it usually takes me a while to complete even half of those and I eventually wind up having to look up several items on Wikipedia or in the dictionary before I can finish. I usually do better on Sunday than I do on the rest of the weekend puzzles. What makes Sunday hard has more to do with the puzzle's sheer size than the complexity of the clues.
With each passing week, I find myself improving incrementally. My long-term goal is to get through every puzzle unassisted. I'm still a long way off but, in the meantime, I'm enjoying the education.
The New York Times crossword puzzle.
Many may scoff at calling an inanimate object -- especially something in an imposing, sometimes stuffy newspaper -- any sort of friend. But, that's how I feel about that little 15 x 15 grid nestled in the back corner of the Old Gray Lady's Arts section...or the 21 x 21 grid situated on the last page of The Times Magazine on Sundays.
Since I was 12, when my Aunt Lloyd first brought my attention to the crossword puzzle in her local paper (she was living in South Carolina at the time), I have gone through crossword-solving spurts at various points in my life. However, I didn't discover The Times version until after I'd graduated college.
There's nothing quite like the feeling you have the day after you graduate from college. There's all this fanfare, joy and excitement on graduation day. But, the next day, reality sets in. I had no plans to attend graduate school nor did I have a job lined up, so I woke up on that Monday in May and thought "now what?"
Once I realized I could lay in bed all day, but that I probably shouldn't, I went out and bought two newspapers -- The New York Daily News and The Times -- and scanned the want ads. I did this everyday for about a month, which is how long it took me to find work. Once I was done looking at the ads, I would do the crosswords. The Daily News had two crosswords (one of which was embedded in the classifieds section), but I quickly became more enthralled with the one in The Times.
You don't have to do many crosswords to realize that several words and phrases pop up over and over again. Many of these words and phrases, while real, are rarely found outside of crosswords. Stuff like oleo, ogee or ess. Then there are names that crossword constructors like to pepper you with, people like Eli Wallach, Ehud Barak and Elie Wiesel, people I may have never heard of if it weren't for crosswords. After a while, such fill becomes trite and boring. It's almost as if the crosswords become too easy because of all the common fill. That's how I started to feel about the crosswords in The Daily News. However, I never felt that way about the ones in The Times.
Sure, The Times has its share of common crossword fill, but not as much as the competition. Also, that common fill is more likely to be clued in creative ways. For example, a run-of-the-mill crossword would clue "oleo" as "Butter substitute" or "Toast spread" whereas The Times might have something like "You should get the knife before you use it?" (question marks in crossword clues signal puns). With cleverly-constructed clues, even the easiest words can be difficult to get. The the biggest criticism of The Times crossword is the obscure and pedantic references. Those don't bother me because I like learning new things. Thanks to crosswords, I've learned more about everything from the islands that compose the state of Hawaii to the stars that make up Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. I'd rather have trouble finishing a crossword that teaches me a thing or two than breeze through a crossword in which I don't learn a thing.
Much of my renewed interest in crosswords can be attributed to Rex Parker. Rex Parker is a pseudonym for one of my girlfriend's graduate school professors who blogs everyday about The Times crossword. When my girlfriend first told me about this blog, I started reading it even without having done the crossword, because I found it insightful and entertaining. After a week, I was jonesing to get back to crosswording. So, about a month and a half ago, I purchased a one-year subscription for The Times crossword and I've been doing them everyday since.
Right now, I can complete Monday-Wednesday puzzles unassisted (the puzzles generally get harder as the week progresses). I usually can fill at least 95% of Thursday's puzzle without having to look anything up. Friday and Saturday are downright hard for me; it usually takes me a while to complete even half of those and I eventually wind up having to look up several items on Wikipedia or in the dictionary before I can finish. I usually do better on Sunday than I do on the rest of the weekend puzzles. What makes Sunday hard has more to do with the puzzle's sheer size than the complexity of the clues.
With each passing week, I find myself improving incrementally. My long-term goal is to get through every puzzle unassisted. I'm still a long way off but, in the meantime, I'm enjoying the education.
2.22.2008
The Doctor Is In
YouTube is a wonderful thing. Even better are the people who post videos on YouTube, especially those who uncover gems like the one you see above. It's the entire bottom of the first inning of 19-year-old Dwight Gooden's Major League debut from the Houston Astrodome on April 7th, 1984. I'll take stuff like this over crap like "Chocolate Rain" or overweight women dancing to "The Thong Song" anyday.
Gooden and Darryl Strawberry are two big reasons why I became a Mets fan. However, since I was a youngster in the 80s (I was two months shy of my fifth birthday when Doc made his debut), I couldn't really appreciate their brilliance when they were at their peak. By the time I could appreciate them, they were both waging very public battles with drug and alcohol addiction instead of punching their tickets to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
What I love about this clip (besides the fact that I just love old sports clips) is the simplicity. If someone of Doc's ilk were coming up now, there would be tremendous fanfare. However, broadcasters Ralph Kiner and Tim McCarver kept things simple. They told you the facts, which gave you enough of an idea of how good this guy could be (after all, 300 Ks in 191 innings is pretty darn impressive, even if it is at A ball). They mentioned how rare it is for a teenager to pitch for the Mets, but there was no hyperbole, no unnecessary hype. The attitude seemed to be "yeah, this guy is pretty good, we believe he could turn into something special, but let's watch things unfold before we get too excited about him." Too bad journalists in general, and sports journalists in particular, aren't going back to those hyperbole-less days anytime soon.
A few random tidbits:
-- From about 1983 through 1986, the Mets often wore the royal blue jerseys on the road with the gray pants. I always liked that look and would love to see the Mets go back to it. However they, like many other Major League clubs, are sold on black as the alternate jersey color. At least royal blue is one of the Mets' primary colors.
-- Of the Mets on the field to start this game, only Keith Hernandez and George Foster didn't come up through the Mets' farm system. How times have changed.
-- Classic Tim McCarver at 1:31. He indirectly calls Astros leadoff man Bill Doran "foolish" for swinging at Gooden's second pitch even though he has yet to throw a strike. I agree with McCarver, but it's amusing in hindsight, knowing how disliked he is by many for his biting and hair-trigger opinions. Tim, by the way, was in his fifth year as a broadcaster (second year with the Mets after three years with the Phillies) and one year away from his first taste of national exposure (he worked the 1985 ALCS for ABC). Although, at the time, cable systems all over the country carried WOR, as it was then known.
-- Gooden throws his first Major League curveball at 3:38. Holy cow!
-- It's easy to forget how good a broadcaster Ralph Kiner was once upon a time. That's why it's so tough for me to hear him now on the rare occasions when the Mets bring him into the booth.
-- You will never see another top minor league prospect throw 191 innings in a season, especially not in his first full pro season, as Gooden did in 1983. You have to throw a lot of pitches to strike out 300 guys and today's baseball higher-ups would probably cringe if they saw Gooden's pitch counts during some of those starts...assuming pitch counts were kept back then, which they probably weren't. Even with all the off-the-field issues Dwight had, he was still a workhorse on the mound and didn't have arm problems until 1989, when he missed more than half the season. But, he came back in 1990 and won 19 games.
-- My girlfriend will kill me for telling people this but, when I showed her the video, her first words were "Dwight Gooden is black?!" No, she isn't a huge baseball fan, why do you ask? I love you honey.
-- Gooden allowed a run over five innings for the win.
Here's another Gooden gem...
This video is from June 5th, 1987, when Gooden made his first start of the season after undergoing drug rehab for the first time (it's the WWOR broadcast open and the top of the first inning from Shea Stadium). Again, you see plenty of evidence of a simpler time.
For one, nowhere in this clip do you hear the words "drugs" or "rehab" mentioned. Kiner and McCarver allude to Gooden's problems, but never state them explicitly. Of course, you could argue that almost everyone watching this broadcast when it originally aired was very well aware why Dwight's season was beginning in June. But, that's something you would never see announcers do now, even on a local broadcast.
Check out the huge ovation Gooden receives when he takes the field (about the 3:00 mark). I disagree with McCarver's assessment of the ovation being "controversial" because, back then, I doubt it was. Nowadays, he would've gotten a mixed reception, at best. But, the mentality back then was completely different. Keep in mind that athletes publicly admitting to a drug problem was still very new, so fans didn't have a cynical attitude about such things 21 years ago. Even though I was a youngster at the time, I remember the attitude of Mets fans being very forgiving and encouraging toward Dwight. They wanted him to succeed. There was still so much hope that Dwight had turned the corner and would continue as the Mets' heir apparent to Tom Seaver. Note that the theme from "Welcome Back Kotter" is playing on the Shea Stadium PA while Dwight is warming up.
A few random tidbits:
-- That Budweiser commercial in the open (2:03) has not aged well.
-- What's up with that shirt McCarver's wearing? White with bright red stripes!? Yuck!
-- How amusing in hindsight is it to see Barry Bonds as a skinny leadoff hitter? He was in his second Major League season and was still prone to high fastballs, as you see at 6:37. However, there were a lot of hitters who had trouble laying off that great Gooden fastball upstairs.
-- Dwight allowed a run over 6 2/3 innings for the win. He won 15 games in '87 despite missing the season's first two months.
2.04.2008
They Definitely Are Giants
Sunday, January 28th, 2001 was one of the worst days of my life.
That was the date of the New York Giants' last Super Bowl appearance before yesterday. Any day your team makes it to a Super Bowl should be a good one, especially when their appearance in the Big Game is as improbable as the Giants' appearance that year. Then-head coach Jim Fassel, after back-to-back losses early in the year, "guaranteed" the Giants would make the playoffs. Big Blue responded by winning 11 of their next 12, earning them a date with the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.
At the time, I was a senior at Syracuse. I had an awful head cold that limited my voice to a whisper. I watched the Super Bowl at a bar downtown with some buddies of mine but, I was feeling so badly, I didn't even drink. I knew the Ravens were good, but the Giants had more weapons and the game, I felt, should at least be competitive. No dice. The Ravens won 34-7 and, frankly, it wasn't even that close. I left early with my buddies so we could get back in time to catch the season premiere of Survivor.
Yesterday, I started getting jumpy about an hour and a half before kickoff. I rushed my girlfriend out of the house so we could get to a Super Bowl party on time. We actually had oodles of time, but I didn't want to chance missing a minute of the action. We got there just as Jordin Sparks began her rendition of the National Anthem. I grabbed a beer and took my seat. I was ready.
And so were the Giants.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been maligned for much of his tenure for his, at times, questionable play-calling. However, he had the perfect game plan for that opening drive against Patriots -- run the ball and control the clock. I wasn't thrilled when the longest drive in Super Bowl history ended with only three points, but it was a step in the right direction. I didn't even panic when the Patriots marched in for a touchdown on their first offensive series of the game. Once again, I liked what the Giants were doing -- they were willing to allow the Patriots' receivers to get the ball, but they were intent on limiting the yards after the catch and preventing the big gains. They made sure a safety went over to help on Randy Moss when he went deep. And, they got to quarterback Tom Brady early and often. It was the perfect storm.
I was still happy going into the fourth quarter, even with the Patriots still ahead 7-3. The Giants needed a low-scoring, defensive slugfest. Even with as good as their offense has been all season, the Giants were a team that set the tempo with defense, something few but the most ardent followers of the team realized. Besides, no team was going to win a shootout with the most prolific offense in NFL history.
I clapped excitedly when Eli Manning found David Tyree (Syracuse!) for a touchdown, putting the Giants ahead 10-7. But, I knew the Patriots would respond. They always do. So, when Moss took advantage of a slip by cornerback Sam Madison and scored a TD for a 14-10 Patriots lead, I wasn't surprised. However, I knew the Giants still had over 2 1/2 minutes and all of their timeouts, giving them one more chance.
And I believed in Eli Manning.
I know what a lot of you are thinking. How could you believe in Eli Manning? He's been such a disappointment, blah, blah, blah. If you listened to all of the so-called experts, that's what you would think. But, that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Since the 2004 NFL Draft, when Eli declared he didn't want to play for the Chargers and forced a trade to the Giants, he's had a bulls-eye on his back. In part because of his draft manuever, in part because his brother Peyton and father Archie had success as NFL quarterbacks and in part because he plays in the New York City pressure-cooker, Eli has always carried the weight of unrealistic expectations. But, while Eli has struggled with consistency (like any other young quarterback), he has shown an ability to rise to the occasion late in close games when his team needs him. Super Bowl XLII proved to be no different.
Eli really showed his moxie on a third-and-five play, when he eluded a sack and heaved the ball downfield, allowing Tyree to make one of the greatest catches ever. It's a play we're destined to see for years to come, like Montana-to-Clark, or the Buckner error, or Christian Laetner's turnaround jumper. After that, the ensuing game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress seemed inevitable.
Sure, Brady got the ball back with about a half-minute left and a chance to drive for a game-tying field goal, but there was no way the Giants defense, this team's backbone all season, was going to relent now. And they didn't.
Then came Tom Coughlin's victory Gatorade bath. Then came the confetti.
And that's why Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 will go down as one of the best days of my life.
That was the date of the New York Giants' last Super Bowl appearance before yesterday. Any day your team makes it to a Super Bowl should be a good one, especially when their appearance in the Big Game is as improbable as the Giants' appearance that year. Then-head coach Jim Fassel, after back-to-back losses early in the year, "guaranteed" the Giants would make the playoffs. Big Blue responded by winning 11 of their next 12, earning them a date with the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.
At the time, I was a senior at Syracuse. I had an awful head cold that limited my voice to a whisper. I watched the Super Bowl at a bar downtown with some buddies of mine but, I was feeling so badly, I didn't even drink. I knew the Ravens were good, but the Giants had more weapons and the game, I felt, should at least be competitive. No dice. The Ravens won 34-7 and, frankly, it wasn't even that close. I left early with my buddies so we could get back in time to catch the season premiere of Survivor.
Yesterday, I started getting jumpy about an hour and a half before kickoff. I rushed my girlfriend out of the house so we could get to a Super Bowl party on time. We actually had oodles of time, but I didn't want to chance missing a minute of the action. We got there just as Jordin Sparks began her rendition of the National Anthem. I grabbed a beer and took my seat. I was ready.
And so were the Giants.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been maligned for much of his tenure for his, at times, questionable play-calling. However, he had the perfect game plan for that opening drive against Patriots -- run the ball and control the clock. I wasn't thrilled when the longest drive in Super Bowl history ended with only three points, but it was a step in the right direction. I didn't even panic when the Patriots marched in for a touchdown on their first offensive series of the game. Once again, I liked what the Giants were doing -- they were willing to allow the Patriots' receivers to get the ball, but they were intent on limiting the yards after the catch and preventing the big gains. They made sure a safety went over to help on Randy Moss when he went deep. And, they got to quarterback Tom Brady early and often. It was the perfect storm.
I was still happy going into the fourth quarter, even with the Patriots still ahead 7-3. The Giants needed a low-scoring, defensive slugfest. Even with as good as their offense has been all season, the Giants were a team that set the tempo with defense, something few but the most ardent followers of the team realized. Besides, no team was going to win a shootout with the most prolific offense in NFL history.
I clapped excitedly when Eli Manning found David Tyree (Syracuse!) for a touchdown, putting the Giants ahead 10-7. But, I knew the Patriots would respond. They always do. So, when Moss took advantage of a slip by cornerback Sam Madison and scored a TD for a 14-10 Patriots lead, I wasn't surprised. However, I knew the Giants still had over 2 1/2 minutes and all of their timeouts, giving them one more chance.
And I believed in Eli Manning.
I know what a lot of you are thinking. How could you believe in Eli Manning? He's been such a disappointment, blah, blah, blah. If you listened to all of the so-called experts, that's what you would think. But, that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Since the 2004 NFL Draft, when Eli declared he didn't want to play for the Chargers and forced a trade to the Giants, he's had a bulls-eye on his back. In part because of his draft manuever, in part because his brother Peyton and father Archie had success as NFL quarterbacks and in part because he plays in the New York City pressure-cooker, Eli has always carried the weight of unrealistic expectations. But, while Eli has struggled with consistency (like any other young quarterback), he has shown an ability to rise to the occasion late in close games when his team needs him. Super Bowl XLII proved to be no different.
Eli really showed his moxie on a third-and-five play, when he eluded a sack and heaved the ball downfield, allowing Tyree to make one of the greatest catches ever. It's a play we're destined to see for years to come, like Montana-to-Clark, or the Buckner error, or Christian Laetner's turnaround jumper. After that, the ensuing game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress seemed inevitable.
Sure, Brady got the ball back with about a half-minute left and a chance to drive for a game-tying field goal, but there was no way the Giants defense, this team's backbone all season, was going to relent now. And they didn't.
Then came Tom Coughlin's victory Gatorade bath. Then came the confetti.
And that's why Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 will go down as one of the best days of my life.
1.24.2008
What It Means To Be A Fan
You don't become a sportscaster unless you're a sports fan. However, once you put on that headset and start broadcasting games for a living, you cease to be a true fan, especially as you move up the ranks.
Don't let us sportscasters fool you; no matter how much some of us scream, holler and root for the team we cover, we're not fans. We may still have rooting interests, but our relationship with sports and the athletes who play them is different from yours.
The last three seasons, I have been fortunate enough to call games for the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, a team I have followed for about as long as I can remember. It's been pretty neat to be able to steal a glimpse into the inner workings of the Mets' farm system. That glimpse has changed my views of the Mets in particular and Major League Baseball in general.
Mind you, I'm not trying to brag. I recognize that, while I may be closer than most to The Show, I'm still quite far away. Nevertheless, my job has given me a chance to learn things about athletes and coaches that not even the most avid, most informed fan could ever learn. This perspective changes how you follow the game. More than anything, it makes you more of a fan of the game as opposed to a fan of any one team.
For example, I find myself rooting more for specific individuals than for teams. A former manager is now a coach with Baltimore so, whenever the Orioles are successful, I think of him. Several players I've covered are with the Florida Marlins and, even if they do damage against the Mets, I'm happy for them. This principle applies even for opposing players. During my time in Binghamton, I've also seen Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Verlander and Asdrubal Cabrera, all of whom I root for at the Major League level as well.
I also call women's college basketball which has also changed my view of college sports, albeit to a lesser extent. I still root mostly for my alma mater Syracuse but, more than ever before, I root for great players and well-coached teams.
However, things are different when it comes to the New York Giants.
Life is funny sometimes. Growing up, my interest in the Giants ranked a distant third out of the three pro sports teams I followed, behind the Mets and Knicks (while I followed college basketball and football growing up, I didn't really have a favorite team until I enrolled at Syracuse).
The tide began to turn in 1997 when I started college. Without a television, let alone cable, in my dorm room, it became harder to keep up with the Mets and Knicks. I was also pretty busy doing college-student things so, even if I had a television, it would've been difficult to follow those teams anyway. However, most of the Giants games were aired on local channels in Syracuse and Sunday was the one day I was usually idle, so I was able to follow Big Blue with ease. I just had to make sure I got to the television in the common area on my floor early enough.
The conversion was complete during my two-year stay in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My interest in the Mets and Knicks continued to wane, but I was at a bar every week to watch the Giants. Moving to Binghamton and working for one of their affiliates renewed my interest in the Mets who, like the Knicks, I can now watch on television. However, I'm so busy with work that I miss the vast majority of those team's games. But, I rarely miss the Giants' exploits.
That's part of the reason the Giants' run to the Super Bowl has been so special for me. I've seen at least part of every game but one this season (I missed their unfortunate shellacking at the hands of the Vikings). With each passing week, as the wins continued to pile up, my passion for them grew. I found myself on the edge of my seat when Eli Manning led the troops into the red zone and, when an enemy offense is knocking on the doorstep, I start wringing my hands, hoping for a timely turnover or demoralizing sack.
When Lawrence Tynes' field goal sailed through the uprights in overtime against the Packers last week and sent the Giants to the Super Bowl, it brought me a level of joy I've never felt for a sports team. I was running, jumping and screaming in my apartment, nearly hitting my head on the ceiling. Within a few minutes, I was hoarse. Even once I settled down, I was so excited, I barely heard any of the Giants' celebratory post-game remarks. I don't really remember the Halas Trophy presentation.
What I will always remember is how this year's Giants team reminded me what it's like to be a fan again. And as much as I love working as a sportscaster, it's positively delightful to be back on the other side of the fence, at least for a little while.
Don't let us sportscasters fool you; no matter how much some of us scream, holler and root for the team we cover, we're not fans. We may still have rooting interests, but our relationship with sports and the athletes who play them is different from yours.
The last three seasons, I have been fortunate enough to call games for the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, a team I have followed for about as long as I can remember. It's been pretty neat to be able to steal a glimpse into the inner workings of the Mets' farm system. That glimpse has changed my views of the Mets in particular and Major League Baseball in general.
Mind you, I'm not trying to brag. I recognize that, while I may be closer than most to The Show, I'm still quite far away. Nevertheless, my job has given me a chance to learn things about athletes and coaches that not even the most avid, most informed fan could ever learn. This perspective changes how you follow the game. More than anything, it makes you more of a fan of the game as opposed to a fan of any one team.
For example, I find myself rooting more for specific individuals than for teams. A former manager is now a coach with Baltimore so, whenever the Orioles are successful, I think of him. Several players I've covered are with the Florida Marlins and, even if they do damage against the Mets, I'm happy for them. This principle applies even for opposing players. During my time in Binghamton, I've also seen Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Verlander and Asdrubal Cabrera, all of whom I root for at the Major League level as well.
I also call women's college basketball which has also changed my view of college sports, albeit to a lesser extent. I still root mostly for my alma mater Syracuse but, more than ever before, I root for great players and well-coached teams.
However, things are different when it comes to the New York Giants.
Life is funny sometimes. Growing up, my interest in the Giants ranked a distant third out of the three pro sports teams I followed, behind the Mets and Knicks (while I followed college basketball and football growing up, I didn't really have a favorite team until I enrolled at Syracuse).
The tide began to turn in 1997 when I started college. Without a television, let alone cable, in my dorm room, it became harder to keep up with the Mets and Knicks. I was also pretty busy doing college-student things so, even if I had a television, it would've been difficult to follow those teams anyway. However, most of the Giants games were aired on local channels in Syracuse and Sunday was the one day I was usually idle, so I was able to follow Big Blue with ease. I just had to make sure I got to the television in the common area on my floor early enough.
The conversion was complete during my two-year stay in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My interest in the Mets and Knicks continued to wane, but I was at a bar every week to watch the Giants. Moving to Binghamton and working for one of their affiliates renewed my interest in the Mets who, like the Knicks, I can now watch on television. However, I'm so busy with work that I miss the vast majority of those team's games. But, I rarely miss the Giants' exploits.
That's part of the reason the Giants' run to the Super Bowl has been so special for me. I've seen at least part of every game but one this season (I missed their unfortunate shellacking at the hands of the Vikings). With each passing week, as the wins continued to pile up, my passion for them grew. I found myself on the edge of my seat when Eli Manning led the troops into the red zone and, when an enemy offense is knocking on the doorstep, I start wringing my hands, hoping for a timely turnover or demoralizing sack.
When Lawrence Tynes' field goal sailed through the uprights in overtime against the Packers last week and sent the Giants to the Super Bowl, it brought me a level of joy I've never felt for a sports team. I was running, jumping and screaming in my apartment, nearly hitting my head on the ceiling. Within a few minutes, I was hoarse. Even once I settled down, I was so excited, I barely heard any of the Giants' celebratory post-game remarks. I don't really remember the Halas Trophy presentation.
What I will always remember is how this year's Giants team reminded me what it's like to be a fan again. And as much as I love working as a sportscaster, it's positively delightful to be back on the other side of the fence, at least for a little while.
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