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.
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