Dissing Suzy Kolber

I'd like to start this off by saying I really enjoy Suzy Kolber's sideline work.  She's insightful and entertaining, and hey, she's kind of attractive, too.  In all honesty, you might have a shot at her as long as you don't come off as a drunken fool.

Kolber will always be remembered for dodging the unrequited love of Hall of Fame Jets QB Joe Namath, but she should get major props for chasing down Tom Brady -- who obviously did not want to do a post game interview.

Why?


Maybe he was given a gag order by Bill Belichick.  Maybe his gorgeous supermodel wife has put the clamps down on him talking to other girls.  Maybe he was trying to leave as quickly as possible so he could go home and see said supermodel wife.  No matter the case, Kolber eventually got Giselle's her man and Brady spoke.

Oh, and his leg looked fine.  Especially on those touchdown tosses to Benjamin Watson, who I will be scrambling to add to my fantasy team right away.  Brady has quietly won 18-straight regular season games.  And somewhere, Matt Cassel is hanging out in Kansas City, injured, but likely enjoying some awesome BBQ.

So, the question of the day is whether or not Brady should have stopped and given Kolber the time of day.  Trust me, I know the media can be a nusiance to some of these players -- especially when they get brainwashed by Belichick. But what's the harm of giving a sideline reporter a little bit (but not too much) of your undivided attention.

We all know Broadway Joe would have done at least that.

When It Comes To Alex Rios & Milton Bradley, Steve Stone Can't Handle The Truth

For whatever reason, former Cubs and current White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone (via @BaseballStone) has made Milton Bradley his primary target for tweets.

Without a doubt, Bradley has been a disappointment in 2009.  One season after leading the American League in OBP (.436) and OPS (.999), Bradley struggled in the first half, and if not for posting a .280/.380/429/.809 second half line, it would be a totally lost season. Part of the disappointment lies in the weight of expectations put on Bradley by GM Jim Hendry, who billed Bradley as the power-hitting left-handed bat the Cubs have been missing since the dawn of time. (Note to Hendry: billing someone who has never hit more than 22 homers or driven in more than 77 runs is a mistake.  That's like promising a Cadillac and bringing in an Oldsmobile.)

Bradley has gotten his game together, posting a .280/.380/.429/.809 line since the All-Star break.  Maybe that is why Stone hasn't tweeted about Bradley since Sept. 2.  But where is the equal opportunity "truth" teller's tweets about Alex Rios.

Rios is an adequate defender, but since debuting with the White Sox on Aug. 12, he has posted a .140/.156/.215/.371 line.  No, that is not a typo.  And yes, that is a .371 OPS.  And while Stoney spent a good chunk of this season ripping the three-year, $30 million deal signed by Bradley, not a peep has been said about the White Sox's acquisition of the remaining five years and $59.7 million guaranteed remaining on the deal.

To be fair, something Stone is clearly not doing as the "truth" teller he claims to be, the baseball sage has not peeped about Rios since Aug. 26.  He's tweeted about Bradley three times since then.  Even once mentioning how the great Casey McGehee and rookie Gordon Beckham are out performing Bradley this season.  Yet Rios seems to be getting a free pass from Stoney.

Stone earned his stripes at the end of his Cubs tenure for saying what everyone else wanted to say but didn't have the guts to.  It was easy because the 2004 Cubs were one of the most unlikeable 89-win teams in the history of Chicago baseball.  But since departing after that season, Bob Brenly has done a better job of doing what Steve Stone does than Steve Stone.

Now that's what I call "truth."

Is It Too Late To Return The NBA To NBC?

I've been underwhelmed with ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals. I'm still bothered by the fac that Jeff Van Gundy is doing games despite admitting publicly he would be cheering for his brother. Not to be outdone, one of ESPN's basketball experts happens to be Lakers part owner Magic Johnson.

Remember when the NBA on NBC was the premier sports program out there? I do. And I want it to be like that again.

The reasons are simple:

1. The broadcast team was better: Marv Albert, Matt Goukas, Bill Walton, Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, Amhad Rashad, Jim Gray, Peter Vescey. Those guys are basketball broadcasting royalty in my eyes. Hell, even Isiah Thomas didn't suck as an analyst.
   
2. The pre-game show was better: Hannah Storm hosting the pre-game show "NBA Showtime." The World Wide Leader got a steal with her doing SportsCenter Live in the morning. The only way ESPN does better is if Erin Andrews does it. But kudos to Michael Wilbon for being full of insight and analysis.
   
3. The theme music is the best of all time: It's like the Monday Night Football Theme, would you dare take it away?
4. The court layout: No big NBA Trophy sticker in the middle. Keep the court looking clean, that thing is an eye sore.
5. Random thought: Better PA Announcers. Ray Clay smokes everyone out of the building, even that guy in Deeeeeetroit, Miiiiiiiiiiichigan. Too bad Clay is relegated to UIC men's basketball.
6. Fact of life: Michael Jordan on his deathbed is better than Kobe. /ducks
7. Hype factory: When MJ hits a game winning shot, it means championship. When LeBron does it, it means going to Orlando tied at one-game apiece. /ducks again.
8. The insanity: Dennis Rodman's crazy habits are much more entertaining than Lamar Odom's sweet tooth habit.
9. Actual white guys: Back then, it was cool to be an American-born white guy. Hornacek, Stockton > Hedo & Pau.

NBC, it's time to pony up and bring the NBA back to its rightful home.

Joe Buck Should Follow Madden Out The Door

With the news of John Madden's retirement from NBC, I immediately started thinking about who's next. Actually, it got me to thinking who should be next.

And that's Joe Buck.

The fact of the matter is that the young Buck (not that Young Buck) has failed to live up to his father Jack. The late, great elder Buck was not only the voice of a generation of Cardinals fans, but he was also the voice of a national audience. And no matter your team affiliation, you loved Jack Buck.

As for Joe, well, not so much.

First of all, he sounds like he is the be-all, end-all and all-knowing in football and baseball, even though he has only been doing football for a handful of years.

When he does football games, he sounds awkward and out of place, and it does not help his sound that he has been out shined by the insights of color analyst Troy Aikman. I feel as if more fans would acknowledge this if Aikman had a better play-by-play guy (Al Michaels?) or if Buck decided not to show up one day.

As for Buck's baseball coverage, that is where he should be at his best. It's in his blood. It's in his soul. He should have learned from his daddy, for if not for Jack Buck, I am unsure whether or not Joe would have his foot in the door. And maybe that is where he gets his pompous, know-it-all attitude from.

Then there's Buck and his coverage of the Grand Old Game and how he is so over-the-top he as he attempts to delikver"fair and balanced" coverage. Buck goes out of his way to make himself appeal to both sides of the equation, and it is hard to take him seriously knowing his Cardinals homerism. I say bring on the homerism ... didn't your momma ever tell you don't change for nobody? Maybe working with Tim McCarver is hindering his ability not to suck. Or maybe that's the worst broadcast combo out there.

Anyway, Buck acts like is above the game. And really, that shouldn't fly with anyone. It doesn't fly with me. Remember in July 2008 when he said he didn't care about the game he gets paid millions to call once a week.

I do ... and so does Daily Motion. Run the video:

Buck_0001
by bsap11

And as much as I like bachlorettes, I don't like to watch The Bachlorette on TV ... especially over a ball game. (Well, that probably explains why I'm single). In the end, you don't have to throw me millions to broadcast a baseball game. Heck, I might do it for free if you pay for my travel expenses.

So, Joe, see that door John Madden just walked out of? Follow him, and don't let the door hit ya on the backside on your way out.

The Official Mike Reis Appreciation Blog

College basketball's championship week is one of the best weeks in the world of sports.

I feel as if the best part of the week is listening to the audio from the winning team's radio station over the televised highlights. Yet, when DePaul beat Cincinnati, ending its imperfect Big East Conference season, I was disturbed by the play-by-play call from the Blue Demons radio network.

If I were to wake up from a coma and that was the first thing I would have listened to, I would have thought the Blue Demons won the national title. And while avoiding a winless conference season is a miracle in its own right, it didn't deserve the kind of call it received.

I shouldn't have expected more, seeing that it was the Blue Demons radio network that asked Dan Bernstein to ease on his criticism of the Catholic church when it was having its problems with its priests allegedly diddling children.

So, today, all I could think about was about how much I appreciated Mike Reis, the Voice of the Salukis.

Before you ask, no, this isn't me being a homer. And no, it's not about me kissing Mike's ass because we're both media members. This is about what makes a great sports broadcaster.

Do you know why Cubs fans loved Steve Stone? He spoke the truth. He called out the team's shortcomings on the field and in the front office. He didn't toe the company line ... he stomped on it and basically spoke the frustrations of Cubdom.

Same for Len Kasper and Bob Brenly. It's so straightforward, it's painfully pleasing. By all accounts, Brenly would have been axed by many networks moments after saying you could throw a dart in the Cubs' clubhouse and find a better defender than Alfonso Soriano. That's something this era of sports broadcasters would not approach. In fact, they fear it and would be more likely to coddle Soriano's defensive deficiencies than knock them.

And that's not the way journalists are supposed to be. Because, that's what play-by-play and color analysts are supposed to be, in principle, broadcast journalists.

That's why Reis is great. He won't give you the "homer" call of Saluki basketball. If someone's not having a good shooting night, Reis would likely say he doesn't want the ball in their hand. If there's a questionable coaching decision, Reis is the kind of broadcaster that will first-guess the choice, instead of second-guess it.

So, sports fans, appreciate guys like Reis, Kasper and Brenly. Thankfully, they'll be around for a while because most announcers like them are riding off into the sunset.

The Curse of Dick?

Via Awful Announcing

First of all, do you see anything wrong with this picture?

I'm not sure when that billboard was put together, but that guy's no Nostradamus.

There is no playoff baseball in Gotham City. Plenty of time for the N.Y. media to salivate over Brett Favre's six touchdown passes and the New York Giants' hot start.

Anyway, this AA post brings more bad news to Chicago Cubs fans hoping that 2008 is indeed the year they can celebrate something more than an NL Central Division title.

Not only do the Cubs have to overcome the Los Angeles Dodgers of Chavez Ravine. Not only do the Cubs have to overcome black cats, billy goats, Bartmen and 100 years of ineptitude. They also have overcome the Curse of Dick Stockton.

God, I hate him. He's terrible.

Remember Adolpho Ramirez?

The Cubs were 0-3 when Stockton was behind the mic of FOX's MLB Game of the Week. They were also swept in last year's NLDS with Stockton (again) rockin' the mic, this time for TBS.

And to make matters worse, last year, after the Cubs were knocked out, he called three straight NFL games featuring the Chicago Bears.

The Bears lost each game.

Why couldn't I be treated to a Chip Caray "SWUNG ON AND BELTED!" call?

Hell, I would rather hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver pontificate instead of Dick Stockton.

Thankfully, I'll be in Chicago for Game 1. As for the rest of the games, take full advantage of the mute button and find a radio powerful enough to catch 810 AM in southern Illinois and listen to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo.

Since I'll be in the house for Game 1, maybe I should just take things into my own hands.

Or maybe the Cubs will make this look silly and beat the Dodgers fair and square.

I like my chances.

Brenneman vs. Cubs II

While the Cubs were swinging and missing during most of the series against the Cincinnati Reds, announcer Thom Brenneman landed a cheap shot.

I have it on good authority that one of those Brenneman folk (and his sidekick Chris Welch) followed in his daddy's footsteps and basically implied (without any substance, mind you) that Cubs catcher Geovany Soto has used performance enhancing drugs.

Courtesy of Hire Jim Essian!

"THOM: You look at his career numbers, I’m talking about his minor league numbers, he just came to the majors for the first time this season. And you wonder, you know, where did all of this offense all of a sudden come from Geovany Soto?…You look at his minor league numbers, .260 one year, .269, .242, .271, .253…he had never hit more than nine home runs in a minor league season..NINE, until last year when he hit TWENTY-SIX in Triple-A Iowa and hit .353. Now all of a sudden, in his first full-year in the major leagues, granted it’s only a month and a week, but he’s hitting almost .340 and leads the Cubs in runs batted in with 24.

CHRIS: I don’t mean this in a bad way, but before steroid testing, you see a blip in the radar like that you say, well..

THOM: Right…

CHRIS: …one of the possibilities might be he’s juicing, but obviously that’s not the case anymore, everyone’s tested. And you know that doesn’t happen very much with baseball players because usually, whether it’s at the minor league level or the major league level, by the time you’re 28 or so…I’m not sure how old Soto is…he’s only 25, you reach a certain plateau of productivity. You pretty much stay within range. Maybe now that he’s getting closer to the prime of his career…around…he’s 25, so it’ll be a couple years until he’s in that…but maybe he’s reaching a new plateau.

THOM: Well another guy that was similar to that was Sammy Sosa…now people can accuse Sosa of “did he do this or did he do that”. To my knowledge he’s never been tested in a positive way for any kind of steroids, whether people believe or not he did is an entirely different question.

But the point being, that Sosa was one of those guys coming up through the White Sox organization who never hit many home runs, then all of a sudden got to the big leagues and started knocking the cover off the ball."

Oh no he didn't!

The first thing that came to my mind (and it's not because I'm a jealous Cubs fan) was Albert Pujols coming from nowhere to destroy the league, and the only comments we can get about him are from jealous Cubs fans who take shots at what Pujols' real age is and take notice that he's under the guidance of a manager whose players have been known to be (at least allegedly) BALCO'd Up!

But this isn't about Albert.

If this was Red Sox/Yankees and a broadcaster threw something like that out, it would have been the top story on ESPN. Heck, they made a big deal out of Gary Thorne's allegation that Curt Schilling's bloody sock was just a scam.

Instead, the World Wide Leader sweeps it under the rug. And to be honest, it's not that big of a deal.

Unless Brenneman takes a glance at Brandon Phillips.

The slugging second baseman only posted six home runs in 462 at bats during his time as a Cleveland Indian.

Two years later, as a Red, he's parlayed that into a 30-30 campaign in 2007 and is currently raking on my fantasy team as I attempt to capture the crown.

I'd say those numbers came out of nowhere, wouldn't you?

Let this be a lesson to Thom, who I consider to be one of the best play-by-play announcers in sports.

Don't think you can throw outrageous claims to the public without someone noticing and picking you apart.

Have a wonderful day!

-LMed