Emails in on Madden & World Series
The new emails are in, and the subjects are John Madden, World Series start times, Sam Bradford and the Thunder.
Shannon wrote about the retirement of John Madden. “I give up John Madden and get Cris Collinsworth? I feel like I should throw in a sideline reporter to even this out. My conscience is tugging on me. That’s a heckuva of a trade for a sports fan.”
Let’s all hail Madden for knowing when to hang it up.
Josh, who is in his 20s, commented on my preference for Pat Summerall: “He’s the voice of Sports Stars of Tomorrow. He’s overrated. I’ve always thought he was, even growing up. He’s good but not the greatest. The greatest announcer, television and radio, is Marv Albert. I know he’s had his personal issues, but he’s gold for both football and basketball.”
Comparing Pat Summerall of 1996 with the Pat Summerall of 1975 is like comparing the Willie Mays of 1973 with the Willie Mays of 1957.
Chris wrote about the World Series: “I usually find your columns insightful and educational, but today’s missed the mark for me. Personally, I like having the games at odd times because it doesn’t interfere as much with the programs I want to watch that might otherwise be pre-empted by baseball. I used to be one of the bleary-eyed back in the day, watching whenever I had to, even to the point of sneaking around to get past my mom, but I cannot stand to watch baseball any more. Baseball turned me off long ago, and every time I start to think I might want to try it again, something new comes up to disgust me with the idea.”
Uh, you really haven’t been paying attention, have you. Baseball does pre-empt all those shows. The pre-game starts as prime time hits. The problem is the length of games.
Joel: “I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on the World Series. Too late, and too long! I am waiting for the day when baseball players look like baseball players again. These days they pull their pant legs down to the ankle and they look like they’re wearing pajamas. In my view, real baseball players wear knickers and long socks.”
I don’t care what they wear, as long as they play faster.
Don: “You had some really interesting baseball data. I was quite a baseball fan in junior high and high school. However, my interest has waned the past several years for several reasons. World Series time was quite exciting for us as kids. We would sneak our transistor radios into class, play hooky or fake an illness to listen each fall. Finally, most of our teachers just gave up and let us bring them out in the open, but we had better have our homework in on time or out went the radios. Baseball dominated the American psyche in a way that can scarcely be imagined now.”
What’s harder on a kid? Trying to watch the World Series during school or trying to watch the World Series two hours after bedtime?
Ed: “I never have understood why the powers that be thought the playoff games and World Series had to be played at nighttime.”
Hey, don’t get me wrong. The World Series HAS to be played at nighttime. Playing strictly day games prevents millions of fans from watching. But you can play an occasional day game, and you can play the night games earlier and quicker.
Tim wrote about my column from a couple of weeks ago that coaches don’t honor contracts: “Excellent. The basketball/football rope-a-dope college coach shuffle has subsided till it reappears next at the end of football season. To me, the culprit in this disgraceful money dance is the NCAA. The NCAA monitors its members’ athletic programs intensely to insure the athletics and coaches abide by rules concerning recruiting, benefits, and gratuities, that might be offered players. Stiff penalties are given to schools who break these rules. The NCAA should have a strict policy regarding coaches. Once on contract with a college for a given number of years, the coach must stay with that school for the contracted years. If a coach wants to quit, that is his choice. However, he would be prohibited from coaching at another NCAA school for the number of years remaining on his contract. This is similiar to college athletes who must sit out a year if they elect to change schools. As to the college, if it wants to fire a head coach, it can do so. However, his replacement must come from one of the assistant coaches, for the number of years remaining on the head coach’s contract. The assistant coach, now interim head coach, position cannot be filled till the head coach position is eligible to be hired.”
I don’t think we need any kind of extra rules. Just follow contracts. If you want to fire a coach, you have to pay him off, just like now. But coaches can’t jump contracts. Just follow the rules of law.
Greg wrote about my Sam Bradford column: “Isn’t it a wonderful problem to have a gentlemanly, considerate superstar among our ranks? I wonder how you measure the value of Sam’s example as a training aid to parents of younger kids about subjects such as going to school, paying attention, making your grades and achieving the right way? Immeasurable is the answer, but this affect is definitely present.”
I don’t know how much it helps to have a guy like Bradford walking around. But it can’t hurt.
Barb wrote about her beloved Thunder: “The inaugural season is over. No tears this time since the team is ours and will be coming back. I see potential all around and I expect we will see progress with our team next season. How much progress is the unknown but exciting factor. I see the potential in new players Krstic, Shefolosha, Weaver, D.J. White and Shaun Livingston. I think a really big, really huge, really GIGANTIC mistake Presti can make at this time is letting Earl Watson go. Team spirit and energy seemed to drop when Earl got his very public pink slip. But he’s the consummate professional. Westbrook will be a sophomore point guard. They want Weaver to train at point guard and they already know how well Livingston can be at the point. The problem is Livingston. Will his knee hold up for a whole season? His knee is totally repaired and repaired things don’t hold up as well as things that haven’t been repaired.”
Watson is gone just as soon as the Thunder can swing a deal for him. Which might be next February.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment