Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Tuesday Vacation



Vacation plans for Tuesday:

Take Maddie to Madagascar, take me to a Rangers Doubleheader.

More great work from Juan Dominguez …The White Sox suggest cheating.


Buehrle speculated that the Rangers might have had some help on pitches.

"It depends. Are you talking about at home or on the road?" Buehrle told Chicago writers. "With the light out in center field or are you talking about something else? I don't know. They don't play too good on the road, and, here at home, every person is Babe Ruth out there. I don't know if they see pitches better at home or what. Just tip your hat to them."

No Rangers could be reached fro reaction to Buehrle's comments late Monday.
The Rangers are simply enjoying the fact that their starters have a 1.23 ERA in the first seven games of the homestand. And all but one start was by a 20-something pitcher, giving hope for next year.


Edison Volquez goes tonight. No pressure, dude. Just make us forget Koufax…

Cowboys Defense has upgraded the playmakers



OU fans enjoy Texas Monthly…

Our friend, Brooks, takes a shot at LA Sports Radio, while propping up the Ticket …Very nice…


So why has L.A. sports radio never produced substantial listenership figures - including well before the NFL departed the Los Angeles area?

The main reason is that Southland sports radio programmers have forever failed to understand that big-name guests and championship teams don't drive sports radio talk show ratings. Personalities do.

Exhibit A: Dallas hasn't had a championship in years, yet KTCK "The Ticket" dominates the local Arbitron book and the station is now an icon in the Metroplex.
The Ticket has zero play-by-play properties and rarely features big-name guests.

Instead, the station has an amazing array of hilarious (and well-prepared) hosts whose personalities transcend the sports they discuss.

The shows on The Ticket also rarely include phone calls from listeners, which are usually dull and repetitive (not to mention a fallback for ill-prepared hosts).
That's the formula, however simple, for success in the sports radio biz. It's also something I've personally experienced in nine different markets over 16 years as a sports talk radio host and programming executive.

The challenge now for L.A. sports radio programmers is to find uniquely talented individuals with a modicum of sports knowledge, and then have the patience to stick with those personalities despite initial pressure from their bean-counting, corporate overlords.

Eventually, that philosophy will produce ratings, and the accompanying revenue. The blueprint is currently successfully employed in the aforementioned markets.
Otherwise, sports talk radio will continue to tread water here in Los Angeles, and perhaps even disappear eventually - as the huge companies that run the stations search for more lucrative local formats.

Don't scoff at the notion, who would've dreamt that the NFL would have abandoned L.A. for over 10 years?


Thanks to our athletes, We don’t trust their denials anymore


The outrage just won't come. For that, as much as anything else, we should be angry at all of the athletes who have cheated, lied and been caught.

It should fill us with righteous anger when a French newspaper calls Lance Armstrong, bona fide American hero, a cheater. We should be furious when the director of the Tour de France, the event Armstrong made his for seven remarkable years, reacts to the paper's report by saying, "We were all fooled" by Armstrong.
So where is it? Where is the outrage? The sad truth is that we can't get angry for Armstrong because we simply can't trust anyone anymore.

We've heard every sort of excuse. We've seen the wide-eyed, who-me reaction of accused cheaters. We've watched superstars lie to Congress. We've heard all the carefully worded alibis and explanations. We've been told the tests were wrong, the supplements were tainted, the athlete was using some other legitimate drug and on and on and on.

If we can't simply accept Armstrong's word, blame Marion Jones and Rafael Palmeiro and Bill Romanowski and Kelli White and Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.


Michael Owen heads to Newcastle …Liverpool, who I am still not convinced wanted him back, missed the boat. I take that back, Liverpool, as in their fans, management, and players desperately wanted him back, but Rafa Benitez, who makes the decisions over there, likely never wanted him in the first place.

Rescue Me Signed for a 3rd season

RotoAuthority.com is now an approved blog…(see list on right)…

P1 Jason writes about how video games can help find the proper place to play Roy Williams

An email from Chuck, former fat guy:

What do you think about the paradox in the NFL concerning the fat guys. They can't take steroid because of unknown health risk but are allowed and encouraged to gain unhealthy weight even though we do understand the related health risk associated with obesity.

Thanks, Former fat guy
Chuck


P1 Jim writes this:


I got a giggle out of this and so might you.

I was working at the FC Dallas vs. Chivas USA soccer game Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park. During the game, the announcer directed everyone’s attention to the large screens to welcome the groups and special guests. At the bottom of the list after a few screens, Pizza Hut Park welcomed the Rex Kwan Do Dojo. I’m sure someone was sitting back with their arms crossed in front of them and a big smile on their face. I wasn’t even a part of it and I laughed my arse off.


Check out this amazing soccer video Here …and then tell me soccer sucks.

Speaking of soccer, had big fun at the FC Dallas tournament at Castle Hills yesterday. Thanks to Jeff Busch, FCD management dude, who has a great golf game and carried us around the course. Our group was Jeff, The great Drew Moor and me. Drew is pretty good at golf, too, and maybe my new favorite FCD player man. He is a good dude. Not sure he is good enough to pass Bobby Rhine in the good dude category, but he is on his way.

By the way, for the first time in my very mediocre golf career, I won a "closest to the pin" on #7. I rule.



Not sure why mini-Grubes is shooting out of Dan’s Speedo, but…

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Rafael the Snake, when are those Congressional hearings where he was going to tell the "real" story???

Anonymous said...

Celina's district schedule:
Argyle
Callisburg
Aubrey
Prosper
S&S Con.

Come on Bob, pick a team who actually plays someone in District.

I'm going to pick a new High School team to follow too. How abouit......South Lake Carroll...are they any good?

Bob = On the Bandwagon

Go Bearcats and Dragons.

Anonymous said...

Was that Harry Kewell in the video. Wish he would do that without getting injured and maybe Liverpool have got something.

Too bad. I really wanted Owen back in Red, but Rafa wouldn't play him if they did get him back. This also makes Owen look good in Liverpool supporters, that at least he tried.

At Newcastle he will get first team every game.

Anonymous said...

I'm with AttnyDan, Bob should pick one team in every classification, with an emphasis on "perennial loser" teams.

Celina has won state or gotten close for the last 10 years. That's seems awfully convenient for a yankee like Bob.

I hate the P1, I hate stay-at-home vacations, and I HATE fair weather fans.

Anonymous said...

Go with the Malakoff Tigers for a 2A football team.

Anonymous said...

Sturminator said on yesterdays Blog, "Of course, the fact that this is a item of interest is really shocking. Anyway, Go Bobcats."

You've lived here long enough to know the High School Football is King in Texas. You may have severely underestimated the response you will receive.

Prepare for bumper stickers, spirit buttons, homecoming mums (for Sallye and your daughter), face paint and pep rallies.

Welcome to Texas!! You can stay, but Big Mac has to go.

Anonymous said...

Checked out the clip, MLS soccer still sucks.

Sunderland goes from dominating the Championship to becoming the whipping boy of the Premiership...as a newb to the distinctions of the two leagues, allow me to say, "Damn."

Anonymous said...

Sorry Bob, soccer still sucks. The thing that you didn't see in that video is a goal, that's why soccer sucks.

Anonymous said...

I don't particularly like the skill videos because it's not a big deal to do a step-over a ton of times and get nowhere. If you want to see some good soccer videos, check out www.zlatanmovie.tk and check out the series made by some guy about zlatan ibrahimovich (one of the top 5 strikers in europe imo)

Sturminator said...

On Feb 17th, I wrote in this blog the following: I watched a documentary last night that I really enjoyed. It is called Power, Passion, and Glory: The Real Story of Texas Football Madness …Or, the story of Celina 2002. Man, I am not into high school football at all (I recognize it is great, but I don’t have the time), but now I am rethinking that stance. It was a really well done film, and I now consider Celina my team, and I am quite curious about what became of those players, and what Celina has done since then. So, if you are a Bobcats know-it-all, send me an email, and maybe buy the film no matter what team you might like…

There you have it. the whole story, and the fact that Celina is good is kind of a given since they had a documentary made about them. Remember that great documentary about the 2-8 team? Me, neither.

Go Bobcats

Neil Payne said...

Bob isn't just some guy in the next cubicle.

Anonymous said...

Guess bob has some illegitimate latin kids. otherwise not sure why he is going to see the spanish version of Madagascar.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see Owen back in the EPL. Newcastle might be able to shake some things up now. It's too bad he couldn't be back as a Red.

Anonymous said...

SPORTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Anonymous said...

I would GLADLY trade soccer talk for High School Football talk.

Since no one on the Ticket has this market cornered, maybe Bob could become the guru of all things Windthorst, Olney, Omaha Paul Pewitt, etc.

Anonymous said...

BOB
WHERE IS MY EFFIN BLOG TODAY??
THIS IS ME YELLING CAUSE I AM HUNGOVER AND I GOT NO BLOG!!
YOU CANT JUST TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME AND EXPECT ME TO WORK OR FORCE ME READ TY WALKERS WEAK BLOG. OR HAVE MY WORK COMPUTER CRASH TRYING TO READ GORDON KEITHS PORNO BLOG.
YOU GOT 15 MINUTES BOB.

P.O.'ED MIKE

Anonymous said...

Ok Bob, I understand that you don't get paid for this blog, but you've gotten us all hooked and now you're cutting us off.

In return, I'm going to start a thread about your favorite subject, church talk.

You've admitted to running the board at church and you went to Liberty, which means you must be baptist? But Sallye is hispanic, so does that mean your catholic? However, you only have 2 kids, not enough to fill a "Cheby", so I'm confused.

Go, whatever mascot Grapvine is!!

Gravypan said...

FBM,

That would be the Mustangs.

Anonymous said...

Fin to Spurs. I love it. The Mavs will never win a championship as long as Cuban owns the team and Donnie is running it. I wouldn't have said this a couple of years ago but many things have gone on behind the scenes where many players/employess have absolutely no respect for the way Cuban works, including Dirk.

Anonymous said...

You mean giving the team pep talks on its way to timeouts is an inappropriate way for an owner to act?

Anonymous said...

I love it too. Nothing makes Mark gag more than watching the Spurs hoist yet another championship trophy, plus next time he'll get the bonus of seeing Fin and Nick joining in on the fun at his expense as well. Priceless.

Anonymous said...

Robert,

I have no problem with Mark Cuban when the camera is on because he's smart and would never do anything to jeopardize his relationship with the media. I'm talking behind the scenes. If you knew what I know, you wouldn't be singing the same tune. You would have him 20 rungs below Hicks. At least Hicks has class. Do you think any owner would text message Finley to tell him that he was going to be released? Not even after face to face meeting after he BS'd Fin for 3 days in Cancun during Big Al's wedding telling him that Fin wasn't going anywhere. Fin's too smart for that. Why do you think Fin chose the Spurs? He want's to win a ring and stick it to Cuban. Once Cuban is done with you, he'll kick you to the curb. If he does this to the former face of the franchise what do you think Cuban does to employees in the Sales department, his joke of a HR department, people like you and me?

Anonymous said...

How in the hell did the P1 WAC get an interview with jackie christie ?
I guess turley really is a good producer

Anonymous said...

http://www.petitiononline.com/outhicks/

Everyone please sign the Out with Tom Hicks petition....

Much appretiated...

Anonymous said...

Really classy Cuban... (from DMN)

"I wish Mike all the best off the court,’’ Cuban said. "As always, I hope the Spurs lose 82 games."

I hope Fin and the Spurs stick it to em good...

Anonymous said...

Mark in L.C.,
There is no doubt that Cuban does shady things behind the scenes. All owners do.
By the way, I wouldn't say Tom Hicks has class.

Anonymous said...

Mark in LC sound bitter at Cubes about something. Ex-employee?

Anonymous said...

This summer, BaD goes on vacation and the Rangers lose 11 of 12, Kenny explodes and steroid testing starts taking it's first victims.

This week, BaD Radio goes on vacation and a category 5 hurricane wipes out the Gulf Coast.

Bob doesn't blog yesterday or today (so far) and looters start shooting at rescue helicopters, people begin to starve,looting is rampant and Finley signs with a division rival.

Coincedence?