A personal gripe of mine here, but when will sports interviewers start asking intelligent questions of sports figures (coaches, players, etc)? You know, questions that don't illicit a "Duh" response from the person being interviewed.
For instance, last week the University of Kentucky released its basketball coach after a few dismal seasons. A reported actually asked what his biggest regret was. The response? "That we didn't win more games."
Well DUH!!
If UK had actually won more games, the coach wouldn't be out of a job. A real no brainer.
In every sport you hear stupid questions followed by even dumber responses. In basketball you'll hear the question, "Why didn't you win tonight?" A typical response, "We just didn't make the shots."
DUH!
In football you'd hear a running back asked "What was the difference in your poor game today?" You'll hear "I just didn't run well."
DUH!
In baseball a reporter will ask a losing pitcher why he didn't win after giving up say five or six runs. The response, "I wasn't pitching well."
DUH!
My point is that sports media, so rampantly hungry for any kind of a story will go to ridiculouness in order to attempt to have something new and resfreshing for fans to read, only to regurgitate obviousness ad infinitum.
It would really be nice to read a sports interview that wasn't chock full of "Duh's." But then, maybe the untalented sports writers wouldn't be able to actually ask intelligent questions that don't have unintelligent answers.
One can only dream...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Like Saying Goodbye To A Friend
On Tuesday, March 17th, 2009, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (better known locally simply as 'The PI')will print its final paper edition after a long 146 year run.
I grew up in the Seattle area, and I had looked at the PI every morning for decades. Its sports stats were top-notch, its reporting was first rate, and it employed a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Editorial Cartoonist. It was a phenomenal paper.
So, as it goes into the sunset (as I'm sure many other newspapers will also go), I can't help but to feel like I'm saying goodbye to a friend...one I have personally grown with over my 46 years.
I know, I know,...sappy; and somewhat ridiculous. But when you lose something that has literally been a part of your entire life, one does become nostalgic; reminicing over seemingly trivial things that don't really have much meaning.
And so here I am, losing a friend. I will miss the Seattle Post Intelligencer. It really was the phenomenal newspaper I make it out to be.
I grew up in the Seattle area, and I had looked at the PI every morning for decades. Its sports stats were top-notch, its reporting was first rate, and it employed a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Editorial Cartoonist. It was a phenomenal paper.
So, as it goes into the sunset (as I'm sure many other newspapers will also go), I can't help but to feel like I'm saying goodbye to a friend...one I have personally grown with over my 46 years.
I know, I know,...sappy; and somewhat ridiculous. But when you lose something that has literally been a part of your entire life, one does become nostalgic; reminicing over seemingly trivial things that don't really have much meaning.
And so here I am, losing a friend. I will miss the Seattle Post Intelligencer. It really was the phenomenal newspaper I make it out to be.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Out of Touch?
$174,000. That is what each of our Congressional Delegates are now paid every year. This year's cost of living increase was $4,700, a roughly 02.76% increase.
Let's see, last year I took a roughly 33% pay CUT just to stay employed. This also came hand in hand with increased hours, and a dramatic increase in physical effort each day on the job as labor costs also took a huge hit.
Right now, approximately 8.1% of working Americans are unemployed; and that number is growing with each passing day. Millions of households are in financial crisis, adults and children are going hungry, and Congress takes ANOTHER raise.
$174,000.
As time goes on, it is increasingly evident that our Leaders in DC are seriously out of touch with the citizens they claim to represent. Republican or Democrat, or Independent; it doesn't matter. These men and women are seemingly turning a blind eye to the realities of the "average" American household.
In my blog entitled "Who Will Feed America's Hungry?" I alluded that while billion dollar aid packages are being sent overseas, our Congress ignores the rampant hunger problem here in the US. This same problem has since been amplified many-fold as our national (and world) economy sinks to depths nearing depression-level weakness.
Amidst the terrible financial crisis gripping this country, our elected Representatives and Senators take a $4,700 pay raise, and now must try and get by on a mere $174,000.
I don't know about any of you reading this blog, but I'd love to see my Congressmen and women live for a year on what I'm currently making. Maybe then they'll realize that feeding their family, paying their bills, and living without health insurance on a fraction of what they make is more common than they currently think, and is a real and wide-spread problem that must be addressed.
Somehow, I truly doubt that many of our officials really care much about the difficulties many, many American households are having just to live at a subsistance level, let alone being able to move forward.
$174,000. Must be tough to subsist on that.
Let's see, last year I took a roughly 33% pay CUT just to stay employed. This also came hand in hand with increased hours, and a dramatic increase in physical effort each day on the job as labor costs also took a huge hit.
Right now, approximately 8.1% of working Americans are unemployed; and that number is growing with each passing day. Millions of households are in financial crisis, adults and children are going hungry, and Congress takes ANOTHER raise.
$174,000.
As time goes on, it is increasingly evident that our Leaders in DC are seriously out of touch with the citizens they claim to represent. Republican or Democrat, or Independent; it doesn't matter. These men and women are seemingly turning a blind eye to the realities of the "average" American household.
In my blog entitled "Who Will Feed America's Hungry?" I alluded that while billion dollar aid packages are being sent overseas, our Congress ignores the rampant hunger problem here in the US. This same problem has since been amplified many-fold as our national (and world) economy sinks to depths nearing depression-level weakness.
Amidst the terrible financial crisis gripping this country, our elected Representatives and Senators take a $4,700 pay raise, and now must try and get by on a mere $174,000.
I don't know about any of you reading this blog, but I'd love to see my Congressmen and women live for a year on what I'm currently making. Maybe then they'll realize that feeding their family, paying their bills, and living without health insurance on a fraction of what they make is more common than they currently think, and is a real and wide-spread problem that must be addressed.
Somehow, I truly doubt that many of our officials really care much about the difficulties many, many American households are having just to live at a subsistance level, let alone being able to move forward.
$174,000. Must be tough to subsist on that.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Fox News Shows Its True Colors
I read recently that Fox News was actually trying to portray itself as a more balanced news organization that leaned less towards a Republican slanted bandwagon out to get any Democrat or Democratic ideology it found was in conflict with anything Republican.
I happened to tune into Fox News today and caught an interview that Neil Cavuto was conducting. He had a guest interviewee on who is an economist (the guy actually looked like a stereotypical economist).
Cavuto's question on which the entire interview was based was, "Is the stock market giving President Obama a vote of No Confidence?"
As the economist was introduced to the question and began his response, it was immediately evident that Neil Cavuto was not interested in fact. Every time his guest began to talk about prevailing market conditions and outlook based on fundamentals, Cavuto would interrupt, and loudly, blatantly try to get the economist to say that President Obama was to blame for the nose dive our economy has taken.
The economist, clearly seeing where this interview was being steered, stuck to his guns and continued to elaborate on economic factors and how the new Administration was in no way responsible for the near-depression level economy. In actuality, he went on, the Bush Administration was at the heart of any and all blame for the financial sickness of our country.
Three times Neil Cavuto interrupted his guest, and three times his guest would not be bullied. Finally, after NOT getting the economist to agree on his hypothesis, Cavutio rudely stopped the interview and went on to other things. The economist graciously said "Thank You for allowing me to be here." Cavuto even dismissed THAT offering.
It was highly evident that Fox News has not changed one bit. The purpose of the interview was only to place blame for the economy on a President that has been in office for just six weeks; and a DEMOCRATIC President at that.
This Republican propoganda machine fronting as a legitimate news agency really needs to examine its intentions here. It stood by a President that devastated our economy and our public lands; ran up $7.5TRILLION of National debt; performed an ecological firesale for the sole benefit of his friends in the big energy companies; eliminated many of the vital social services for Americans living (and working) at or below the poverty level; turned a blind eye towards the off-shoring of millions of American jobs--the list just goes on and on.
Where was fox News to tell us about these things, and shove down our throats that the President was destroying the country? ...
...oh, wait. Bush was a Republican! Silly me to forget that little fact. A Conservative slag rag will staunchly defend its own, even when its own are destroying this country. But heaven forbid if a Democrat takes office. Then they cry out to us all for 'heads to roll.'
Simply put, Fox News disgusts me. They are neither fair, nor balanced, and show time and again that they have neither interest nor inclination to be so.
I happened to tune into Fox News today and caught an interview that Neil Cavuto was conducting. He had a guest interviewee on who is an economist (the guy actually looked like a stereotypical economist).
Cavuto's question on which the entire interview was based was, "Is the stock market giving President Obama a vote of No Confidence?"
As the economist was introduced to the question and began his response, it was immediately evident that Neil Cavuto was not interested in fact. Every time his guest began to talk about prevailing market conditions and outlook based on fundamentals, Cavuto would interrupt, and loudly, blatantly try to get the economist to say that President Obama was to blame for the nose dive our economy has taken.
The economist, clearly seeing where this interview was being steered, stuck to his guns and continued to elaborate on economic factors and how the new Administration was in no way responsible for the near-depression level economy. In actuality, he went on, the Bush Administration was at the heart of any and all blame for the financial sickness of our country.
Three times Neil Cavuto interrupted his guest, and three times his guest would not be bullied. Finally, after NOT getting the economist to agree on his hypothesis, Cavutio rudely stopped the interview and went on to other things. The economist graciously said "Thank You for allowing me to be here." Cavuto even dismissed THAT offering.
It was highly evident that Fox News has not changed one bit. The purpose of the interview was only to place blame for the economy on a President that has been in office for just six weeks; and a DEMOCRATIC President at that.
This Republican propoganda machine fronting as a legitimate news agency really needs to examine its intentions here. It stood by a President that devastated our economy and our public lands; ran up $7.5TRILLION of National debt; performed an ecological firesale for the sole benefit of his friends in the big energy companies; eliminated many of the vital social services for Americans living (and working) at or below the poverty level; turned a blind eye towards the off-shoring of millions of American jobs--the list just goes on and on.
Where was fox News to tell us about these things, and shove down our throats that the President was destroying the country? ...
...oh, wait. Bush was a Republican! Silly me to forget that little fact. A Conservative slag rag will staunchly defend its own, even when its own are destroying this country. But heaven forbid if a Democrat takes office. Then they cry out to us all for 'heads to roll.'
Simply put, Fox News disgusts me. They are neither fair, nor balanced, and show time and again that they have neither interest nor inclination to be so.
Monday, March 2, 2009
When Money Isn't Everything
Finally, a pro football player with his priorities in line.
Over the past week we've been reading how Albert Haynesworth signed a $100 Million dollar contract with the Washington Redskins ($45M of which is guaranteed!). We see more signings around the league that show pro players are more interested in the almighty dollar than and getting more of it than the next guy. And here I was, all prepared to write a nasty blog about their greed, self-serving, and lack of caring about who ultimately pays their salaries...the fans.
Today, I read an article that made me stop and rethink my blog. I came across the news that shows me that at least one pro player (football, that is) actually has his priorities in line.
The same Washington Redskins that signed Haynesworth to that ludicrous contract today released Defensive End Jason Taylor because he wouldn't commit to a mandatory 3-a-week workout at the teams' training facility for eight of the thirteen off-season weeks. He loses $8.5M in salary, and must now look for work with another team.
But he doesn't mind. His priorities, and his integrity are both intact. Mr. Taylor's excuse for saying "No thanks?" He wanted to spend the off-season with his wife and kids.
Hooray for Jason Taylor! Hooray!!!
The man had spent most of the past year away from his family due to football and appearances, and wanted to be with his family. Instead of caving in to the demands of an uncaring employer, Mr. Taylor stuck to what he knew to be right, keeping his integrity intact, and earning greater respect and love from his family.
Jason Taylor sacrificed much to be with his family; but the price he would pay in his personal life had he chosen otherwise would have been far greater.
THANK YOU Jason Taylor...you have made a fan out of me, and have earned my admiration and respect as well.
Over the past week we've been reading how Albert Haynesworth signed a $100 Million dollar contract with the Washington Redskins ($45M of which is guaranteed!). We see more signings around the league that show pro players are more interested in the almighty dollar than and getting more of it than the next guy. And here I was, all prepared to write a nasty blog about their greed, self-serving, and lack of caring about who ultimately pays their salaries...the fans.
Today, I read an article that made me stop and rethink my blog. I came across the news that shows me that at least one pro player (football, that is) actually has his priorities in line.
The same Washington Redskins that signed Haynesworth to that ludicrous contract today released Defensive End Jason Taylor because he wouldn't commit to a mandatory 3-a-week workout at the teams' training facility for eight of the thirteen off-season weeks. He loses $8.5M in salary, and must now look for work with another team.
But he doesn't mind. His priorities, and his integrity are both intact. Mr. Taylor's excuse for saying "No thanks?" He wanted to spend the off-season with his wife and kids.
Hooray for Jason Taylor! Hooray!!!
The man had spent most of the past year away from his family due to football and appearances, and wanted to be with his family. Instead of caving in to the demands of an uncaring employer, Mr. Taylor stuck to what he knew to be right, keeping his integrity intact, and earning greater respect and love from his family.
Jason Taylor sacrificed much to be with his family; but the price he would pay in his personal life had he chosen otherwise would have been far greater.
THANK YOU Jason Taylor...you have made a fan out of me, and have earned my admiration and respect as well.
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