I turned on the radio last Friday and caught the tail end of the argument that resulted in 3 firings at the local sports radio station. Here is an article about the firings
My immediate thoughts upon hearing Marty Tirrell dropping F-bombs and threatening Larry Cotler, was to feel bad for Larry. I don't love his show, but he seems like a legitimately nice guy. and from the portion that I heard he was trying to difuse Tirrell's anger.
Tirrell is a busker, he's playing a game, portraying himself as the wacky, edgy know-it-all, and is not smooth at it. That he burst into flames is not a surprise at all. He deserved to be fired for his tantrum, whether it was on-air or not. However, there has been other fall out from the event,
"Meanwhile, Dave Busiek, news director for KCCI-TV, said Wednesday that Tirrell’s weekly sports commentary “Mouth of the Midwest” had been canceled. He declined further comment."
If you are going to have a segment titled "Mouth of the Midwest" then you can't fire the guy for mistakes made somewhere else...you are in fact advertising he will make those mistakes.
There were 5 guys in the studio, Kahn and Cutler--work together. Kenny Miller who worked with Tirrell, and John Miller who had his own afternoon show. Who was the crazy genius that thought it would be a good idea to cram all five hosts into a morning segment?
Radio people get into the buisness because they like to hear themselves talk. Putting 5 people who like to hear themselves talk in close range is a bad and combustable idea. You could see the train wreck coming a mile off.
Clear Channel first suspended the trio of Jeff Kahn, Larry Cotler, and Mary Tirrell before firing all three, (Kenny Miller has been off air all week so it was not certain if he was suspended or not). Again, I got in on the back end of the argument, maybe the last 30 seconds. In the wake of Tirrell's explosion, JohnMiller was completely professional, ready to be on air after the commercial break. Kenny Miller was flustered, but was on-air quickly with Miller. Although, his was the offending mic, since his first spoken words were said into a dead mic.
Since Clear Channel decided to fire more than the principle offender, Tirrell--no one else was reported to have sworn--It is odd that Kahn was fired with Cotler while Miller was not flushed out with Tirrell. Was this because they fired Kahn for accidentally pressing (or not pressing) a button thus leaving the mic open. What other crime would he have commited? That seems like corporate thing to do, ignore 14 years of service, for an expeident conclusion.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
I need a title.
I'm sitting at my computer at PFI, it's 4:09 on a Friday afternoon, clouding over, and Dayton is beating WVU in the NCAA's. I'm tired. Its been a long week, a good week, although just now I have no idea what I did with it.
Sometimes I feel like I will never learn another thing, not that I am smart enough that I don't need to, full of enough sludge that I will not be able to. Other times, usually when I get among a new set of people, I feel bombarded with information. Mostly I don't think about learning at all. Right now I feel like I am on the idea freight train...and its moving fast. Which is nice.
So I thought of this analogy today while I was taking a dookie. I tried it out on my friend and she said it was a good one, so I thought I'd put it down here, while I wait for 4:30 to go get Nyssa and Leila. Its about friendship, but like any good analogy its probably analogous to other situations.
It takes place on a football field, in that in every friendship their is a point of obstruction past which you don't go (Initially I thought of this as a Sisyphean example, where friendship is like rolling a boulder up a hill, some friendship can only go so high, some obstructions are so large...the problem with the Sissy is that the boulder rolls back down). Some friendships go ten yards, some 20, some 100, whatever, and you realize that work within whatever area that 10 yards give you.
Their are all sorts of implications to this, obstructions move, whether like tectonic plates that slip or subsume, or like a line of scrimmage that matriculates up the field. And you could probably chart the process: Kelli and I started out at the 2 yard line, and then durring the slumber party we really progressed. We spent like 2 years at the 50. When she gave me herpe's I was like...you are so pushed up against the goal line.
You get the idea.
I go get the kids.
-G
Sometimes I feel like I will never learn another thing, not that I am smart enough that I don't need to, full of enough sludge that I will not be able to. Other times, usually when I get among a new set of people, I feel bombarded with information. Mostly I don't think about learning at all. Right now I feel like I am on the idea freight train...and its moving fast. Which is nice.
So I thought of this analogy today while I was taking a dookie. I tried it out on my friend and she said it was a good one, so I thought I'd put it down here, while I wait for 4:30 to go get Nyssa and Leila. Its about friendship, but like any good analogy its probably analogous to other situations.
It takes place on a football field, in that in every friendship their is a point of obstruction past which you don't go (Initially I thought of this as a Sisyphean example, where friendship is like rolling a boulder up a hill, some friendship can only go so high, some obstructions are so large...the problem with the Sissy is that the boulder rolls back down). Some friendships go ten yards, some 20, some 100, whatever, and you realize that work within whatever area that 10 yards give you.
Their are all sorts of implications to this, obstructions move, whether like tectonic plates that slip or subsume, or like a line of scrimmage that matriculates up the field. And you could probably chart the process: Kelli and I started out at the 2 yard line, and then durring the slumber party we really progressed. We spent like 2 years at the 50. When she gave me herpe's I was like...you are so pushed up against the goal line.
You get the idea.
I go get the kids.
-G
Monday, March 16, 2009
Seashells and balloons
Last night I had a funnysweet time with Nyssa. Last week I had the worst moment of my parenting life so far, which is I guess an example of how lucky I've got it. But it was still terrible in its way, in that one thing is many things. One failure is many.
The short story is that Nyssa has developed a fear of mascots (and men in general...which is a different topic) and we were out at a theme restaurant, Nyssa, Leila and I, with friends and she saw a mascot. Where as moments before she was a social and excited as I've seen her, after a brief and very distant mascot sighting, she was shy and clingy and unwilling to have fun. I tried every tactic I could to re-assure her the mascot was gone and would not come back. i had staff explain it was gone to her. But there was nothing I could do. While i was trying to get her to settle back into having fun, I was positive and supportive and gentle. I was understanding and I tried to explain what was happening while not forcing her into uncomfortable situations (remember this is the short version) But eventually the only option that remained was to leave, to go home.
After she refused to let me set her down in the parking lot, after she was still frightened when removed from the area, I was overwhelmed with sadness. To an extent I've not really recovered a week later.
I know that she is 2. I know 2 is not forever or everything. I know 30-50% of all kids her age hate mascots. I know that I did everything I could and did it well. I know that although in trying to show her the "danger" had passed I made it worse, made her feel as though I would bring her to the spot of danger, the showing her what happened to the mascot was the right choice. I know I was a good dad, I performed my duties admirably. And all of that adds on to how sad I feel, because I failed. I failed to comfort her, because it was not possible to comfort her. I failed to keep her safe, because she perceived danger.
The forecast today calls for mid-60's. When I went outside this morning it was about 38 degrees, I wore a tee-shirt and was comfortable. I was comfortable because a part of me expected the afternoons warmth. If the forecast had been for snow I would have worn a jacket and hat. It still would have been 38 degrees, but a tee-shirt in snow would have left me cold.
I fail Nyssa constantly, (and Katy and Leila and even AnnieandMacy) its what happens when you love someone, its just an unimportant fact. You fail and you move on. What got me about the mascot fiasco, gets me, is that I did everything right, everysingledetail, and I still failed her, failed to protect her. It seems like a small thing, like my response is out sized to what happened, but it is not. you gotta trust me, its not. And I am not even taking the next step, that if I can't protect her from a mascot, how can I protect her from "real" bogeymen? Like death or illness or insurance agencies.
If you don't get it by now, I can't explain it better.
Last night Nyssa and I completed a puzzle together...The NCAA Tournament Bracket puzzle. It was a little like my father and I when I was in college. I would read the teams and Nyssa would pick. "Memphis or To Be determined" was the first match up, and i was worried when she picked TBD. It was the only pick that I actively talked her out of. All I wanted was for her to be able to beat Phil's mom, and Nyssa's National Champion is a reasonable pick, so we'll see.
Nyssa was diligent if occasionally disinterested. But I was a proud poppa. If you'd like to compete against Nyssa (and I) drop me an email and I'll invite you into my espn group, "The Magic Al's".
Named after my good friend Al McGuire. My good friend in the sense that everything I know about basketball, not much, you?, I learned from listening to him on Saturday mornings. I watched a lot of basketball as a kid, so obviously I must have heard other announcers, but I don't remember anything any of them said, except for Al.
He was smart, succinct, and funny. He started my affection for Marquette basketball, who have a fair draw, a fair chance to make a run to the second weekend, and for the game itself. this story from Wikipedia, is probably apocryphal, but also a perfect snapshot into Al's character.
"After college, McGuire played in the NBA, first with the New York Knicks (1951–53) and then with the Baltimore Bullets (1954). While with the Knicks, he once famously pleaded with his coach for playing time, with this guarantee: "I can stop (Bob) Cousy." Inserted into the lineup, McGuire proceeded to foul Cousy on his next six trips down the court."
McGuire, for me is like a favorite book. You read it and loved it and in part forgot about it, but when reminded can open to any page and be reminded and informed by it all over again. That is what happened to me, when looking for a name for my bracket group, I thought if I was going to name it after him I'd need a quote, and reading through a selection I remembered what an easy symbol of greatness he was.
The short story is that Nyssa has developed a fear of mascots (and men in general...which is a different topic) and we were out at a theme restaurant, Nyssa, Leila and I, with friends and she saw a mascot. Where as moments before she was a social and excited as I've seen her, after a brief and very distant mascot sighting, she was shy and clingy and unwilling to have fun. I tried every tactic I could to re-assure her the mascot was gone and would not come back. i had staff explain it was gone to her. But there was nothing I could do. While i was trying to get her to settle back into having fun, I was positive and supportive and gentle. I was understanding and I tried to explain what was happening while not forcing her into uncomfortable situations (remember this is the short version) But eventually the only option that remained was to leave, to go home.
After she refused to let me set her down in the parking lot, after she was still frightened when removed from the area, I was overwhelmed with sadness. To an extent I've not really recovered a week later.
I know that she is 2. I know 2 is not forever or everything. I know 30-50% of all kids her age hate mascots. I know that I did everything I could and did it well. I know that although in trying to show her the "danger" had passed I made it worse, made her feel as though I would bring her to the spot of danger, the showing her what happened to the mascot was the right choice. I know I was a good dad, I performed my duties admirably. And all of that adds on to how sad I feel, because I failed. I failed to comfort her, because it was not possible to comfort her. I failed to keep her safe, because she perceived danger.
The forecast today calls for mid-60's. When I went outside this morning it was about 38 degrees, I wore a tee-shirt and was comfortable. I was comfortable because a part of me expected the afternoons warmth. If the forecast had been for snow I would have worn a jacket and hat. It still would have been 38 degrees, but a tee-shirt in snow would have left me cold.
I fail Nyssa constantly, (and Katy and Leila and even AnnieandMacy) its what happens when you love someone, its just an unimportant fact. You fail and you move on. What got me about the mascot fiasco, gets me, is that I did everything right, everysingledetail, and I still failed her, failed to protect her. It seems like a small thing, like my response is out sized to what happened, but it is not. you gotta trust me, its not. And I am not even taking the next step, that if I can't protect her from a mascot, how can I protect her from "real" bogeymen? Like death or illness or insurance agencies.
If you don't get it by now, I can't explain it better.
Last night Nyssa and I completed a puzzle together...The NCAA Tournament Bracket puzzle. It was a little like my father and I when I was in college. I would read the teams and Nyssa would pick. "Memphis or To Be determined" was the first match up, and i was worried when she picked TBD. It was the only pick that I actively talked her out of. All I wanted was for her to be able to beat Phil's mom, and Nyssa's National Champion is a reasonable pick, so we'll see.
Nyssa was diligent if occasionally disinterested. But I was a proud poppa. If you'd like to compete against Nyssa (and I) drop me an email and I'll invite you into my espn group, "The Magic Al's".
Named after my good friend Al McGuire. My good friend in the sense that everything I know about basketball, not much, you?, I learned from listening to him on Saturday mornings. I watched a lot of basketball as a kid, so obviously I must have heard other announcers, but I don't remember anything any of them said, except for Al.
He was smart, succinct, and funny. He started my affection for Marquette basketball, who have a fair draw, a fair chance to make a run to the second weekend, and for the game itself. this story from Wikipedia, is probably apocryphal, but also a perfect snapshot into Al's character.
"After college, McGuire played in the NBA, first with the New York Knicks (1951–53) and then with the Baltimore Bullets (1954). While with the Knicks, he once famously pleaded with his coach for playing time, with this guarantee: "I can stop (Bob) Cousy." Inserted into the lineup, McGuire proceeded to foul Cousy on his next six trips down the court."
McGuire, for me is like a favorite book. You read it and loved it and in part forgot about it, but when reminded can open to any page and be reminded and informed by it all over again. That is what happened to me, when looking for a name for my bracket group, I thought if I was going to name it after him I'd need a quote, and reading through a selection I remembered what an easy symbol of greatness he was.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
I love Marquette basketball
Sitting at home sick and watching the Warriors in the Big East tournament. They sucked tail pipe in the 1st half, bad shooting flat footed defense they were pushed around by an aggressive 'Nova team. 2nd half they returned to Marquette, dribble--dish basketball.
I am really surprised at how much Marquette has missed Dominic James. I always thought he was a little bit of a chucker, prone to bad long 3's. But apparently he was the glue that held the team together and drove the team as well. Without him, Marquette is a streak team, sometimes they find themselves and play their games, but for long periods of time they scuffle and end up with bad shots.
The end of the game was unbelievable suckatage. Mcneal is getting bodied all around, takes it to the rim and is met by 3 guys. How is there no foul called on McNeal's dribble drive?
then 'Nova hits a bunny lay up at the horn, after McNeal falls asleep. How much disapointment can this team take?
I'll tell you what if they can handle some more, what Marquette needs is practice, not to play games. They need to build on the players that are currently playing.
I am really surprised at how much Marquette has missed Dominic James. I always thought he was a little bit of a chucker, prone to bad long 3's. But apparently he was the glue that held the team together and drove the team as well. Without him, Marquette is a streak team, sometimes they find themselves and play their games, but for long periods of time they scuffle and end up with bad shots.
The end of the game was unbelievable suckatage. Mcneal is getting bodied all around, takes it to the rim and is met by 3 guys. How is there no foul called on McNeal's dribble drive?
then 'Nova hits a bunny lay up at the horn, after McNeal falls asleep. How much disapointment can this team take?
I'll tell you what if they can handle some more, what Marquette needs is practice, not to play games. They need to build on the players that are currently playing.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Big basketball night...And I'm watching the Cubs in Vegas
Two of my favorite basketball teams this year are playing tonight, Northwestern (up 9 with 3:30 to play) and Marquette (down 3 in the 1st half…I’m fully going to watch NU and catch th Warriors in the 2nd half). Northwestern probably wont be in the tournament, but if they were they would be a team no one would want to play. Like Princeton in the 90’s, but more athletic and battle tested. They beat #7 Michigan State, #17 Minnesota, and have a chance to beat #20 Purdue. Plus they blew a game against Illinois. Which showed up their Achilles heel. They do not handle the ball well enough to survive athletic pressure in close games.
Cobel picks up his dribble at the top of the key, looks and looks, and drains a long 2.
People nationally have been ripping the Big Ten, looking at 40 point totals, and thinking the Big Ten is no good. What they are forgetting was the Big Tens pre-conference record. It seems to me a case where The Big Ten Pounds each other into submission, but I think come tournament time they will do pretty well. Purdue, I like their coach, I do not think will do as well they’ve seemed over rated all season long.
NU misses the front end of a 1-1. Just terrible. Up 3 with 32 seconds, Purdue misses the front end of 2, hits the second. NU up 2.
Long pass to half court, Cobel volly’s it forwards to a teammate who lays it in.
My wife wants to take the dogs and kids on a walk. 14.2 seconds!
My daughter wants to sit on my lap! “No. no.no.no.no.no.no” “Yes.yes.yes.yes.yes.” 13.8 seconds. NU up 6.
Purdue nails a three from the corner, NU up 3.
Thompson bounces in his first FT, NU up 4. Up 5.
Final score NU 64 Purdue 61.
Over to Marquette.
Brandon Burke huge hanging high off the glass prayer for a chance at a 3 point play to tie the game with 18min to go. Whoops, wide open 3 for Pitt. McNeal ties it. Mathews cost to cost, finishes with left hand and a chance for the old fashioned 3. A great minute of Marquette basketball. It looks like they might pull off the upset.
But McNeal takes 2 bad three’s and Marquette gets three happy. They’ve done this in the last two games as well, gone cold from three, and given up big runs by other teams. Tonights run is dismal, back breaking. In the blink of an eye Pitt is up by 15 and the game is over.
I want to make a case for Northwestern as a tournament team, they are 9-9 in the Big Ten, have wins over Florida State, Minn, MSU, Purdue, OSU, At least 4 and probably all of those teams are gonna Dance. I know, in that way you just know things, that if in the tourney, they'd win at least one game.
Cobel picks up his dribble at the top of the key, looks and looks, and drains a long 2.
People nationally have been ripping the Big Ten, looking at 40 point totals, and thinking the Big Ten is no good. What they are forgetting was the Big Tens pre-conference record. It seems to me a case where The Big Ten Pounds each other into submission, but I think come tournament time they will do pretty well. Purdue, I like their coach, I do not think will do as well they’ve seemed over rated all season long.
NU misses the front end of a 1-1. Just terrible. Up 3 with 32 seconds, Purdue misses the front end of 2, hits the second. NU up 2.
Long pass to half court, Cobel volly’s it forwards to a teammate who lays it in.
My wife wants to take the dogs and kids on a walk. 14.2 seconds!
My daughter wants to sit on my lap! “No. no.no.no.no.no.no” “Yes.yes.yes.yes.yes.” 13.8 seconds. NU up 6.
Purdue nails a three from the corner, NU up 3.
Thompson bounces in his first FT, NU up 4. Up 5.
Final score NU 64 Purdue 61.
Over to Marquette.
Brandon Burke huge hanging high off the glass prayer for a chance at a 3 point play to tie the game with 18min to go. Whoops, wide open 3 for Pitt. McNeal ties it. Mathews cost to cost, finishes with left hand and a chance for the old fashioned 3. A great minute of Marquette basketball. It looks like they might pull off the upset.
But McNeal takes 2 bad three’s and Marquette gets three happy. They’ve done this in the last two games as well, gone cold from three, and given up big runs by other teams. Tonights run is dismal, back breaking. In the blink of an eye Pitt is up by 15 and the game is over.
I want to make a case for Northwestern as a tournament team, they are 9-9 in the Big Ten, have wins over Florida State, Minn, MSU, Purdue, OSU, At least 4 and probably all of those teams are gonna Dance. I know, in that way you just know things, that if in the tourney, they'd win at least one game.
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