But, know that I have watched every second of 4 of the 5 games played so far in the World Cup (I really had to ignore most of Argentina/Ivory Coast), and I greatly anticipate USA-Czech Republic on Monday almost as much as I anticipate Game 2 NBA Finals. The USA has to get at least a tie, and most likely a win to insure they will play past the pool competition.
I have a hard time not liking Brazil and Argentina in the Finals. I also like Spain and Holland, although Holland will most likely be better in 2010 with their youth. But I cheer for the USA and England, knowing that the USA has a 40% chance of making the sweet 16, and England has about a 25% chance of getting past the quarterfinals.
But trust me, The World Cup is very much on my radar. You will not hear it much on the air, because I like ratings (see today’s Morning News), but I am joining the World in HD for the next month.
Also, the Stanley Cup Finals tonight on NBC was awesome. Edmonton has hope now, and I swear games are just more exciting when played in that building. I don’t care at all if anyone in this country is watching this game, because I know that it was a truly wonderful sporting event. Man, there is a lot of sports goodness going on right now.
Finally, what a shock it was to see CoCo surrender a leadoff home run in the 8th to Manny. Rangers still win, Coco still sucks.
Weekend Links that will no doubt be ignored due to the NBA Finals if I don’t post them now:
Barry Horn with big numbers for broadcasters ..,
It is hardly surprising that Dallas-Fort Worth was the highest-rated television market in the country for the Mavericks-Heat opener. Home markets in any series in any sport are supposed to finish one-two.
And indeed, Miami-Fort Lauderdale was No. 2.
Final score: D-FW 32.8, Miami-Fort Lauderdale 24.9.
It is also hardly surprising that the Mavericks first-ever appearance in a Finals game produced a record D-FW rating for the organization.
It is, however, the magnitude of the D-FW rating that is eye popping.
The old single station record was a 19.9. That was recorded by TNT in Game 6 of the 2003 Western Conference finals in which the Mavericks were eliminated by the Spurs.
The best the Mavericks could do in the recently concluded Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns was a 19.1 for Game 5 on TNT. That means the Mavericks picked up 315,100 homes in one week.
And then, Barry dusts off the Radio scoreboard:
Readers have been clamoring for show-by-show comparisons between The Ticket and ESPN Radio for the most recent ratings period. In an effort to serve without getting too complicated, here's the shares for competing shows in the most coveted demographic for sports talk advertisers – men 25 to 54.
Time Ticket ESPN
Morning drive Dunham & Miller 9.3 Mike & Mike 3.3
Late morning Norm Hitzges 7.8 Dennis & Engel 2.4
Early afternoon BaD Radio 8.7 Dan Patrick 3.0
Afternoon drive Hard Line 9.7 Galloway & Co. 3.3
In praise of the boxer-briefs …I am so on board with this!
Skinny Fresh gets some ink in the Fort Worth Star Telegram …
I was raving about the new Skin CD, which I really like for its old school rap sound. Here is Skin’s musical project ...Check it out if you aren’t too white…
This week we played a few Mavericks songs/raps from various Myspace pages. Here they are:
Lingo …
And my favorite, Big Tuck …
Matt Hughes is cool …
World Cup flavor videos …
Scoop Jackson has lost his mind as he praises Antoine Walker ….
A good strong sent me this: Sports Illustrated looks at Dirk on Draft Day of 1998 …
DIRK NOWITZKI
6'11", 237, Würzburg, Germany
Why he's The Man: This virtually unknown European exploded onto the scene at the Nike Hoop Summit during Final Four weekend in San Antonio. He dominated the game with 33 points (6-12 FG, 2-3 3-pt. FG, 19-23 FT) and 14 rebounds in a 104-99 International Select Team victory. Initially was thought headed to college (he visited Cal and Kentucky), but instead entered the draft; wavered the last few of weeks but did not withdraw his name. Nowitzki has an extremely aggressive, versatile offensive game. He can score inside or step out and hit the three. A good ballhandler, he can take it to the hole (as evidenced by free throw total at Hoop Summit). Very polished in all facets. Will have teams ruing the day they bypassed him. Fellow German Detlef Schrempf was called the best import since the Volkswagen; Nowitzki's coach says, "Here comes the Porsche."
At best, he's the next: Keith Van Horn.
And if I'm wrong, he's: Cherokee Parks.
—A.L.
Oops! At best, he is the next KVH????
15 comments:
sports?
I'm glad to see the Mavericks are the underdogs in the majority of media reporting. For this year, the Mavs have a 3-0 lead against the Heat, and have won by an average of 19.6 points, nice work national media outlets with those predictions. I want Mavs in 5, but having it go 6 so we could have that in Dallas, would give me a 'gasm in my britches. Well, I would have 'gasms anyway, Mavs in 5.
World Cup is incredible. The very fact over a billion people will have watched some sort of World Cup action is amazing in itself. Before you die, watch a replay of Sweden and Trinidad/Tobago from today. Tie game, Swedes = Suicidal, Tobags = Pick a hole on your wife, pure greatness.
Man, the sweet clean Ticket is laying the smackdown on ESPN.
Anybody else having Michelle Wie overload? Why do I have to hear about her every day? Hey, try beating some professional WOMEN for at least ONE LPGA title before showing the world how consistently you can get your doors blown by men. The only good thing about Wie is the genius fake MIchelle Wie Gordo does, who is so cold and so beholden to ancient Chinese tradition. Today's big story is she's one behind the leaders going into the LPGA Championship. Well stop the frickin' presses! This obviously warrants BLANKET coverage on ESPN. If she can pull it off, this will be the first thing she's actually done. However, I'm betting she'll fold like a Chinese fan. Rock me? Let's run down her stunning list of accomplishments shall we? Wie has played in a total of 35 professional events: 27 LPGA Tour events, 4 PGA Tour events, 1 Nationwide Tour event, 1 Canadian Tour event, 1 Japan Golf Tour event, and 1 Asian Tour event. She has won ZERO. She has gone on to dominate the men as well with a missed cut at the '04 Sony Open, the '05 Sony Open, the '05 John Deere Classic, and again at the '06 Sony Open. That's really kick ass Michelle! Now do me a favor and go get your frickin' shinebox!
GO MAMRIT
What a great atmosphere in Edmonton. It is amazing how a game sounds and plays there. It elevates hockey to it's best, especially when you have the two best teams playing. It's amazing and those fans are awesome. That is a place I'd love to watch a game some day.
I also love the Mavs "respect" that the media is giving them. All day yesterday and Friday, all I read or heard was that the Heat played horrible and still only lost by 10. Lost seemingly in that genius expert commentary is that the Mavs played equally horribly and STILL WON by 10. Why can't people see that. And I try not to be too sensitive to that stuff. But man, it's getting bad. Now, I will say that on ESPN, of their 5 experts, three chose the Mavs. But even those three feel like the Heat played better. What I think you're seeing is that for these experts, to play well is to play offensively well. And as far as I'm concerned, the best stretch of any offensive play was by the Heat. The Mavs never really had any GREAT stretches of offense. But their defense, the non-sexy part of basketball, was far superior to the Heat but many people chalk up great defense to bad offense to the other team. So instead of it being a great Mavs defensive effort, it was bad luck that the Heat shots didn't fall and they evenually will. I hate experts.
And I have been really behind on the World Cup but I'm getting in now... I'm not a soccer fan, but I really enjoy watching the World Cup and I'm usually good for watching at least half the round-robin games and at least 2/3 of the tournament round games... Go USA!
Anybody else having Michelle Wie overload?
Well, ESPN had to find somebody to overhype since USC & Tom Brady aren't playing right now.
Congrats Sturm on beating the pants off Dye Job Patrick. The only time his show is listenable is when Olberman is on; I've avoided his show ever since they let go of Dibble. I will give the local ESPN radio credit for one thing: as bad as Dennis & Engle is, it is light years ahead of the national mid-morning guy Cowherd. That guy is friggin' horrible. He makes me want to punch babies....at least more than I already want to.
Finally, I'd like to declare that I am the next Keith Van Horn of the blogging circuit.
-JB
I'm really confused at the statement, "at best KVH". I realize KVH has been a bust, but was there EVER a point where he was good in the NBA? Is he worthy of a top 10 pick? Would you say, "at best he'll be a starter". Also, the Raef "at best"- Derrick Coleman. Dude, besides both of them being left-handed are there any similarities in the style?
98-0 next year? It could happen.
the ticket should broadcast in houston just to beat down the local sports(?) stations down here.
anyone else basing their world cup team favoritism on political ideals? i.e. pulling against the Iranian team and Terrorist team.
Come on Bob, you need to cheer for Germany. We need your help!
I don't know about Michelle Wie overload, but I'm rapidly reaching Jen Engel overload. Good God, how many columns a week is she writing for the S-T, like 15? "Hey, we have a reasonably good-looking chick writing about sports! Read it! Read it, damn you! READ IT!"
the 12:01am time is nice, Bob. I'm sure you were up typing at midnight. Today's blog has gone so well, I'm thinking a 7 day a week blog would be nice.
Can I start the rumor that Hip-Hop Paul aka "Cutty" is now the new board-op of BaD Radio.
Just a follow-up to my earlier rant about Michelle Wie and her giant Korean bag. Lost again today. Choked on the final hole. What a surprise. Is this the part where she's way too good for just the LPGA?
(sings) O-VER-RA-TED *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap*
Go make me a turkey pot pie!!!
GO MAMRIT
You do know that Michelle Wie is still only like 16, right? It's not like she's 30.
Shes not overrated you spare. She gets out of her comfort zone on a regular basis and plays pretty darned good golf against the men, and shes only 16.
Anyway, BOB!!! If those things didnt get lost in the NBA finals run, then that would make you a monumental shmuck and or ESPN employee.
So keep up the good work. Until the Mavs are done I dont want to hear anything about the Rangers or anything else...
MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS MAVS
Anybody else think that it was unstable to be seeing an ABC halftime "puff piece" being viewed by millions about a ref that once went undercover for 2 years to nail the mafia? also, doesn't his "undercover name" - Covert - take the prize for "what-were-they-thinking" lunacy? if i ever go under, i'd like to be "johnny undercover" or "joe narc."
Personally I'd want the name John Q. Wiretap.
-JB
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