Turning The Paige
Kiss the Beijing Olympics Goodbye When the 2008 Summer Olympic Games start this August in that wonderfully polluted Chinese capitol of Beijing, you can bet NBC will cover it in all its glory from the opening ceremonies to the close. I’m sure it will be breathtaking and memorable, especially if the US dominates the medal count and no one flunks the drug tests. With NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen and the Weather Channel carrying the Games (only kidding about Weather Channel, I think – the bids for the Landmark Communications property have not been revealed yet), there will be enough TV platforms covering the Games to give even the sorry sport of boxing a shot – even if it may be at 3 a.m. With all the hoopla and money to be made pimping, I mean exploiting, I mean shilling, I mean broadcasting the Games, I for one hope to avoid as much of the Olympics as possible. I don’t know, maybe, it has a tad to do with how the Chinese government dictates to its people how to live – or not. Remember, China is a one baby per family utopia. The little issue of Tibetan independence and the Chinese government’s crackdown on its people leaves me feeling uncomfortable to say the least. I know the American Revolution does not compare with Tibet’s attempt at self-governing, but will it take a monk or three igniting themselves to bring attention to what the Chinese government is doing? I know, in the eyes of the Chinese government, the Dali Lama is akin to Osama Bin Laden, and yet, even President Bush has met the Dali Lama, but he needs to go much further. He needs to avoid attending the Beijing Games just like he did the Hurricane Katrina games. Just give it time and the whole ugly mess will be forgotten – or at least he’ll be out of office. I know my job is to watch at least some of the Summer Games and maybe interview a writer or two, but it’s hard to watch an event like the Beijing Olympics when you need the roar of the crowd to drown out a cry for help from its people. U-S-A! ... U-S-A! ... U-S-A! ... just might do the trick especially if the Chinese government can fool, I mean hire, I mean use Stevie Wonder to lead the cheers.
Goings and Goings -- Manny, A-Rod and T.O.
This has been a week of goings and goings and goings. I’m talking A-Rod, Manny and T.O. As a Mets fan, I wanted Manny Ramirez on the team. I even thought a simple contract of $25 million a year for two years and a $10 million buyout would work. If Manny wasn’t happy in New York, he gets 10 mill to go away. If the Mets weren’t happy with Manny, they cut him a 10 mill check and ...... Read More
Comments (0)Mixed Martial Arts? I Pass
It has finally hit me that I am now officially an old fart when it comes to sports. I’m not starting to bay at the moon when the Mets lose – not yet anyway – but more and more things about sports bother me. I guess I’m what you would consider old school. I like the shorts NBA players used to wear back in the day because you could tell who was in shape and who possessed ...... Read More
Comments (2)Willie's A Goner
The malaise that is the New York Mets continues this season as a holdover from last year when the team’s monumental September collapse became the lightning rod for everything wrong with the club. “They’re too soft!” “There’s no timely hitting!” (INSERT PLAYER’S NAME) sucks!” “Willie Randolph is a …” Willie Randolph ...... Read More
Comments (0)It Should Have Been 20 Years For 'The Sports Report’
A little over 20 years ago (I think is was 1985), Black Entertainment Television started a weekly sports talk program called The Budweiser Sports Report. The show was before its time and was on the air before ESPN’s The Sports Reporters. Like the ESPN show, The Sports Report featured writers who were mainly people of color. The hour-long show launched the national television careers of ...... Read More
Comments (0)I Hate Mel Kiper, Jr.
I hate Mel Kiper, Jr. No, not like that because I’ve never met the ESPN NFL draft maven. I don’t know his religious preference. Don’t know if he’s a dog or cat person. Don’t know what mousse he uses on his hair or whatever it is on top of his head. All I know is when the NFL Draft approaches, Mel Kiper, Jr. is everywhere on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNHD, ESPN ...... Read More
Comments (0)Lose The Pitch Count!
My son Jalen is a pretty good pitcher for a nine-year-old. He can throw- a two and a four-seamer. He also has a very good change up and he’s even experimenting with the circle change favored by the New York Mets’ Johan Santana. Sweet! He throws strikes and that’s he secret of pitching regardless of the level of play. With his upcoming start, he has a pitch count of 75. W ...... Read More
Comments (0)Marion, Oh Marion
I saw a story in USA Today that rekindles bad memories about an athlete I thought was going to turn out okay. Marion Jones, the disgraced Olympic runner, now in the pokey for lying about her use of performance-enhancing drugs at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, continues to wreak havoc on everything she touches. Members of her relay teams — bronze-winning 4 x 100 and gold-winning 4 x 400 ȁ ...... Read More
Comments (0)Good Luck Donnie Walsh … You’re Gonna Need It
Covering the New York Knicks back in the day was always a fun assignment when Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and John Starks defended the paint at Madison Square Garden. Head coach Pat Riley made the team see the big picture: play as a team, win as a team. I even had the privilege of covering the Knicks during Red Holzman’s tenure when I was doing a story on former St. John&#x ...... Read More
Comments (0)Free Throws, Baby
The Saturday night before the NCAA men’s basketball championships between Memphis and Kansas I was asked if the Jayhawks had a chance and I said sure. As long as they don’t get into a running and gunning battle, slow the game down and put the Tigers on the free throw line, yes, KU would have a chance. And look what happened. If Memphis had made another lousy free throw in the la ...... Read More
Comments (0)Kiss the Beijing Olympics Goodbye
When the 2008 Summer Olympic Games start this August in that wonderfully polluted Chinese capitol of Beijing, you can bet NBC will cover it in all its glory from the opening ceremonies to the close. I’m sure it will be breathtaking and memorable, especially if the US dominates the medal count and no one flunks the drug tests. With NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen and the Weather Channel carryi ...... Read More
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