So, in a pique of pique, I tracked down and debunked this "Brett Favre/Dancing With the Stars" rumor. It felt good, and not just because people seemed to like it.
If I kept sport-talk radio producers or bloggers or TV talking-heads from wasting time on it today, I have done a service to them and fans alike.
But, to be less haughty about the whole thing, it was just fun to trace it. Sourcing is a big issue in sports news -- and all news -- and this was a very clean example to showcase.
Since then, things have been a little off-the-hook with Quickish, which is why I'm not writing until now. Apologies. (On the plus side, it's been Quickish's biggest week ever -- and that's not even counting the Super Bowl.)
Now...
Ray Allen: NBA's career 3 king. When he was at UConn in '95-96, I loved Ray Allen. He was my favorite player. I can't recall why, I just really liked him. This is a great record to hold. (Unbreakable? Unlikely, but it's going to be 20 years before someone does it.)
Jerry Sloan quits: Yes, we could say "resigns," but it's quitting, right? There's no shame in that, unless you've spent some time ripping other "quitters" but don't want to rip Sloan.
And I don't. He had a Hall of Fame career. I will say that his intractability -- the source of so much success -- ultimately failed him. It's not a quality I admire as much as many others do.
Cam Newton's media workout: It did what it was meant to -- it put him in the conversation for Top 5 overall, and certainly put him at the top of the QBs list. I think he'll have a great career.
Josh Hamilton's new deal: Great move by the Rangers, and smart by Hamilton to take it. In two years, he can go cash in with the Yankees or Red Sox.
College hoops tomorrow: Ohio State at Wisconsin is the best shot any team will have of beating OSU until the Tournament. More: Baylor/Texas, Pitt/Nova, Kentucky/Vandy.
Good for Cal: Or, should I say, good for the boosters who ponied up the money to allow Cal to keep three sports it had cut. See: Boosters are not all evil.
NFL Labor: Things do NOT look good. Settle in. It's going to be long and boring and frustrating, but it is what it is.
SB Tix Snafu: The league has expanded its offer to the 2,000 fans who were delayed getting in until the game started. That's a fair thing. The deal for the 400 remains largely unsatisfactory.
Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Strat-O-Matic. I need a separate post for this, if I can manage it, because Strat was a HUGE part of my life from age 12-15.
Have a terrific weekend. If you haven't yet, please give Quickish a look today -- and we're going strong all weekend. Keep up quickly with the big topics -- just a minute or so will catch you up.
-- D.S.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
02/10 Quickie: Madness, Duke, Tix, Cam, Habs-Bruins
Since I can remember watching the NCAA Tournament obsessively -- so let's call it at least 25 years -- the ultimate frustration has been being beholden to CBS to program your games for you.
Either the game you really wanted to see wasn't in your TV "region." Or the CBS directors were too slow to change games late.
And so you went to a sports bar, which was fun, but a bit stressful. (Or you had to have a dish and buy a Tournament package.) Then March Madness Online came, and it was a revelation: You could control your own experience -- albeit grainy and a bit herky-jerky. Then MMOD came to the phone, and you could shuttle from work to home and not feel like you were missing anything.
But what they are announcing today is the true Holy Grail: Every NCAA Tournament game, shown live and in its entirety.... on regular ol' TV channels: CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
Now you are your own TV programmer -- as SI's Richard Deitsch put it. And it is amazing. Finally: You can flip from game to game -- if you're ninja enough, you can use picture-in-picture and "last channel" and zip around in every possible configuration of timing and interest.
(Equally interesting, the power shifts from CBS producers to... Twitter and Facebook, which will be your ultimate system for knowing what game is reaching its peak interest.)
It is good business for CBS and Turner -- it is a winning scenario for fans.
*****
Duke comes back from down 16 to beat UNC: Duke doesn't win that one -- at least like they did last night -- at the Dean Dome. Nevertheless, it was an impressive rally by Duke -- and a particularly good game from Kyle Singler, who only shot poorly because he used all his energy locking down Harrison Barnes. Of course, Nolan Smith was the star.
To clarify yesterday's point: It's not that every regular-season college basketball game is meaningless, per se; it's just that among the national elite, whether you win or lose a single game in the regular season has absolutely no bearing on your chances of winning six straight in late march. Obviously, it matters a lot to Duke and UNC fans who wins that game between them. But in the grand scheme of national titles? Bupkis. (EXCEPT! To the extent you want to -- or can -- glean clues for late March from individual games, which is something I do -- and regularly causes me bracket problems.)
Georgetown beats Syracuse: Rough sledding for the 'Cuse -- another statement win for the Hoyas. Perennially, I am a sucker for both on my bracket, so this is going to end badly either way.
Huge win for Rutgers over Villanova: Remember when Mike Rice nearly coached Robert Morris to a first-round NCAA Tournament upset over 'Nova? He deserved it then -- and he got it last night. From a recruiting standpoint, it was a monster moment.
(Late night: Utah State loses at Idaho. Utah State is one of those mid-majors that gets ranked but is ultimately -- and I mean "March Madness results" -- overrated. But not before sucking you into picking them to the Sweet 16. Not that I'm bitter....)
NFL Ticket Snafu: I feel bad for the 400 (and possibly additional 850) who really do feel like suing the league is the only way to get fairly treated -- yes, I'm comfortable saying that the league's offer, either option, is not as good as many in the media would spin you to believe -- but are being lumped in with the Cowboys PSL owners who just seem disgruntled and greedy.
Carmelo, Cont'd: For a second, I actually believed he might sign an extension with the Nuggets if they don't trade him -- it's a ton of money, after all. But I hope he doesn't, because he really WANTS to play for New York. He'll be miserable -- if $20M or so richer -- playing in Denver. When you're as rich as Carmelo already is, is $20M worth it? Maybe it is.
Cavs lose 26th straight: But the Wizards, winless on the road, are coming this weekend. So hope is around the corner, Cavs fans. Embrace your destiny!
NFL Draft: Cam Newton is having his "special private workout" today. It's an open question whether he even needs it; his stock is high and only going to get higher. You've seen the mock drafts that have him going no later than 10th to the Redskins; there's one that has him going No. 5 overall to the Cardinals. I think by the time we get to the draft, he is a lock for the Top 10 and will be the first QB taken.
I think the comparisons to Tebow are fair; Newton is bigger and faster and throws a bit better (but I'm not sure he has Tebow's maniacal focus). Both were absurdly productive college QBs playing week-in-week-out against the most NFL-like defenses in the country, and both will have long solid NFL careers.
OK: This Habs-Bruins insanity transcends love of a sport and gets right into "if you love sports -- period -- you love this."
-- D.S.
Either the game you really wanted to see wasn't in your TV "region." Or the CBS directors were too slow to change games late.
And so you went to a sports bar, which was fun, but a bit stressful. (Or you had to have a dish and buy a Tournament package.) Then March Madness Online came, and it was a revelation: You could control your own experience -- albeit grainy and a bit herky-jerky. Then MMOD came to the phone, and you could shuttle from work to home and not feel like you were missing anything.
But what they are announcing today is the true Holy Grail: Every NCAA Tournament game, shown live and in its entirety.... on regular ol' TV channels: CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
Now you are your own TV programmer -- as SI's Richard Deitsch put it. And it is amazing. Finally: You can flip from game to game -- if you're ninja enough, you can use picture-in-picture and "last channel" and zip around in every possible configuration of timing and interest.
(Equally interesting, the power shifts from CBS producers to... Twitter and Facebook, which will be your ultimate system for knowing what game is reaching its peak interest.)
It is good business for CBS and Turner -- it is a winning scenario for fans.
*****
Duke comes back from down 16 to beat UNC: Duke doesn't win that one -- at least like they did last night -- at the Dean Dome. Nevertheless, it was an impressive rally by Duke -- and a particularly good game from Kyle Singler, who only shot poorly because he used all his energy locking down Harrison Barnes. Of course, Nolan Smith was the star.
To clarify yesterday's point: It's not that every regular-season college basketball game is meaningless, per se; it's just that among the national elite, whether you win or lose a single game in the regular season has absolutely no bearing on your chances of winning six straight in late march. Obviously, it matters a lot to Duke and UNC fans who wins that game between them. But in the grand scheme of national titles? Bupkis. (EXCEPT! To the extent you want to -- or can -- glean clues for late March from individual games, which is something I do -- and regularly causes me bracket problems.)
Georgetown beats Syracuse: Rough sledding for the 'Cuse -- another statement win for the Hoyas. Perennially, I am a sucker for both on my bracket, so this is going to end badly either way.
Huge win for Rutgers over Villanova: Remember when Mike Rice nearly coached Robert Morris to a first-round NCAA Tournament upset over 'Nova? He deserved it then -- and he got it last night. From a recruiting standpoint, it was a monster moment.
(Late night: Utah State loses at Idaho. Utah State is one of those mid-majors that gets ranked but is ultimately -- and I mean "March Madness results" -- overrated. But not before sucking you into picking them to the Sweet 16. Not that I'm bitter....)
NFL Ticket Snafu: I feel bad for the 400 (and possibly additional 850) who really do feel like suing the league is the only way to get fairly treated -- yes, I'm comfortable saying that the league's offer, either option, is not as good as many in the media would spin you to believe -- but are being lumped in with the Cowboys PSL owners who just seem disgruntled and greedy.
Carmelo, Cont'd: For a second, I actually believed he might sign an extension with the Nuggets if they don't trade him -- it's a ton of money, after all. But I hope he doesn't, because he really WANTS to play for New York. He'll be miserable -- if $20M or so richer -- playing in Denver. When you're as rich as Carmelo already is, is $20M worth it? Maybe it is.
Cavs lose 26th straight: But the Wizards, winless on the road, are coming this weekend. So hope is around the corner, Cavs fans. Embrace your destiny!
NFL Draft: Cam Newton is having his "special private workout" today. It's an open question whether he even needs it; his stock is high and only going to get higher. You've seen the mock drafts that have him going no later than 10th to the Redskins; there's one that has him going No. 5 overall to the Cardinals. I think by the time we get to the draft, he is a lock for the Top 10 and will be the first QB taken.
I think the comparisons to Tebow are fair; Newton is bigger and faster and throws a bit better (but I'm not sure he has Tebow's maniacal focus). Both were absurdly productive college QBs playing week-in-week-out against the most NFL-like defenses in the country, and both will have long solid NFL careers.
OK: This Habs-Bruins insanity transcends love of a sport and gets right into "if you love sports -- period -- you love this."
-- D.S.
02/09 Quickie: SB Tix Snafu, Pujols, More
So, would you take "Option 1" or "Option 2?"
If you were one of the 400 fans whose Super Bowl ticket was invalidated by the league, would you take:
*Option 1: a ticket to next year's Super Bowl (which the league has said you could scalp) and $2400 cash
*or Option 2: a ticket to a future Super Bowl of your choice, plus hotel and airfare?
I'd go Option 1, get the Super Bowl ticket and sell it, then sock away that money to go to a future Super Bowl when my team is in it. With Option 2, you never know.
Then again, there's always Option 3: Sue the league. The group suing the league will likely be able to settle for more than the value of either of the league's options.
(Can the league really afford to publicly battle fans that decide to sue them? There is zero moral high ground, and the judgment will be to make it go away as fast as possible.)
*****
Albert Pujols Watch: Apparently, he's reporting to spring training a week from today, so the Cards have 8 days to make a deal with him or he will pursue free agency after the season.
I see no sign that Pujols (or Team Pujols) has thought this scenario through: Pujols will be "LeBron 2.0" -- all anyone will want to talk about, on every Cardinals trip this season, is his pending free agency. Every city. Every beat writer will have the "Would he come HERE?" angle. Everyone will play up the "Countdown to the season ending!" Cardinals fans will be their typically cheerful selves, but inside be dying a little, with every game. It's a mess.
And while I appreciate the argument that Pujols doesn't want this to be a distraction during the season, he's kidding himself if he thinks it won't be just because he doesn't want to talk about it. He owes it to the team to re-sign with them or accept a "rental" trade for the season.
*****
CBB Tonight: UNC-Duke. A great rivalry in sports, to be sure, but slightly overrated, if only because their regular-season match-ups -- even their ACC Tournament match-ups -- are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of the "national" college hoops scene: That is to say, the NCAA Tournament, which is both team's ultimate goal. (Of course, I'll be watching.)
*****
Love that 56,000 fans packed Lambeau Field to celebrate the Packers, but does this really surprise anyone? Of course they did, in those numbers.
*****
The best story from yesterday was the belated appreciation for a piece published Sunday that tried to ID the precise Cubs game that Ferris Bueller attended in his eponymous "Day Off" movie. It turns out that the scene was filmed in May '85, but the author makes a compelling argument that the game in the movie itself was supposed to be a June game.
*****
It appears we have entered the slow February post-NFL season -- but Quickish is rolling along, hitting the big topics of the day (today: Pujols and UNC-Duke, among others) and anything that breaks (like yesterday's NFL Ticket Offer). Please pop by and check it out (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
If you were one of the 400 fans whose Super Bowl ticket was invalidated by the league, would you take:
*Option 1: a ticket to next year's Super Bowl (which the league has said you could scalp) and $2400 cash
*or Option 2: a ticket to a future Super Bowl of your choice, plus hotel and airfare?
I'd go Option 1, get the Super Bowl ticket and sell it, then sock away that money to go to a future Super Bowl when my team is in it. With Option 2, you never know.
Then again, there's always Option 3: Sue the league. The group suing the league will likely be able to settle for more than the value of either of the league's options.
(Can the league really afford to publicly battle fans that decide to sue them? There is zero moral high ground, and the judgment will be to make it go away as fast as possible.)
*****
Albert Pujols Watch: Apparently, he's reporting to spring training a week from today, so the Cards have 8 days to make a deal with him or he will pursue free agency after the season.
I see no sign that Pujols (or Team Pujols) has thought this scenario through: Pujols will be "LeBron 2.0" -- all anyone will want to talk about, on every Cardinals trip this season, is his pending free agency. Every city. Every beat writer will have the "Would he come HERE?" angle. Everyone will play up the "Countdown to the season ending!" Cardinals fans will be their typically cheerful selves, but inside be dying a little, with every game. It's a mess.
And while I appreciate the argument that Pujols doesn't want this to be a distraction during the season, he's kidding himself if he thinks it won't be just because he doesn't want to talk about it. He owes it to the team to re-sign with them or accept a "rental" trade for the season.
*****
CBB Tonight: UNC-Duke. A great rivalry in sports, to be sure, but slightly overrated, if only because their regular-season match-ups -- even their ACC Tournament match-ups -- are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of the "national" college hoops scene: That is to say, the NCAA Tournament, which is both team's ultimate goal. (Of course, I'll be watching.)
*****
Love that 56,000 fans packed Lambeau Field to celebrate the Packers, but does this really surprise anyone? Of course they did, in those numbers.
*****
The best story from yesterday was the belated appreciation for a piece published Sunday that tried to ID the precise Cubs game that Ferris Bueller attended in his eponymous "Day Off" movie. It turns out that the scene was filmed in May '85, but the author makes a compelling argument that the game in the movie itself was supposed to be a June game.
*****
It appears we have entered the slow February post-NFL season -- but Quickish is rolling along, hitting the big topics of the day (today: Pujols and UNC-Duke, among others) and anything that breaks (like yesterday's NFL Ticket Offer). Please pop by and check it out (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
02/08 Quickie: SB Hangover, More
And so Super Bowl XLV was the most-watched TV show in US history. That seems appropriate.
*Love that the Lambeau celebration sold out in, like, 2 minutes. It's going to be a fun scene this afternoon. I hate this discussion, but hard to not consider Packers fans among the best in sports.
*Meanwhile, Jerry Jones didn't quite apologize for the SB ticket snafu -- more like "I'm sorry you felt bad" rather than "I'm sorry we screwed this up."
*By the way, the lasting pop-cultural memory of the Super Bowl? Like Janet Jackson 7 years ago, it might just be Christina Aguilera's Anthem screw-up. Incredible.
*Sally Jenkins has a stinging indictment of Super Bowl excess.
*Cavs lose 25th straight: That's an NBA record. 2 more losses for the US pro sports record for consecutive losses. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre!
*Carmelo to the Lakers for Bynum? If I was the Nuggets, I'd sooner do that than meddle around with the crap the Knicks are peddling. But does Carmelo even want to play in LA?
*Did you hear about this Wake Forest baseball coach who gave a kidney to one of his players yesterday? Amazing.
*And did you hear about the Baseball Prospectus writer who figured out precisely what game Ferris Bueller was at? Cubs-Braves in June '85.
More later. Visit Quickish!
-- D.S.
*Love that the Lambeau celebration sold out in, like, 2 minutes. It's going to be a fun scene this afternoon. I hate this discussion, but hard to not consider Packers fans among the best in sports.
*Meanwhile, Jerry Jones didn't quite apologize for the SB ticket snafu -- more like "I'm sorry you felt bad" rather than "I'm sorry we screwed this up."
*By the way, the lasting pop-cultural memory of the Super Bowl? Like Janet Jackson 7 years ago, it might just be Christina Aguilera's Anthem screw-up. Incredible.
*Sally Jenkins has a stinging indictment of Super Bowl excess.
*Cavs lose 25th straight: That's an NBA record. 2 more losses for the US pro sports record for consecutive losses. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre!
*Carmelo to the Lakers for Bynum? If I was the Nuggets, I'd sooner do that than meddle around with the crap the Knicks are peddling. But does Carmelo even want to play in LA?
*Did you hear about this Wake Forest baseball coach who gave a kidney to one of his players yesterday? Amazing.
*And did you hear about the Baseball Prospectus writer who figured out precisely what game Ferris Bueller was at? Cubs-Braves in June '85.
More later. Visit Quickish!
-- D.S.
Monday, February 07, 2011
02/07 Quickie: Packers, Rodgers, VW, Halftime, Xtina, Lockout, More
I wish I didn't have to do this, but want to put this front and center: Hugest apologies for the Quickish inaccessibility during the 2nd quarter last night. If you were annoyed, you cannot imagine me.
The good news is that between the pre-game and 1st quarter -- then the thrilling and fast-paced second half, Quickish was rolling. And it was the biggest day yet -- not a bad way to end the first four weeks of being live. (Was it only four weeks ago today that Quickish launched? Wow.)
But let's get to... well, everything:
*Packers win: So easy to root for them. And it wasn't as close as the score -- if the Packers WR make those dropped catches, it's a margin of victory more like 14+. Thrilled for Packers fans.
*Aaron Rodgers MVP: The epitome of easy-to-root-for. He plays what feels like effortlessly, and this title (and MVP) vaults him into rare air. Best QB in the NFL right now? Yes. (And the championship belt was THE BEST.)
*Ticket snafu: This bothered me so much. Not that the seats weren't ready, but that 400 fans were screwed over. I said this last night: The NFL should have told 400 of their execs (and their guests) to give up their seats for the fans. Let the execs watch on a TV from the remote concourse. That this simple gesture of respect didn't happen is appalling.
*The ads: You know where I stand -- I thought the Volkswagen "Force" ad was the best of the bunch. (That the Doritos "Dog" and Bud Light "Dog" spots tied for the USA Today Ad Meter title -- with VW as runner-up -- is depressing, if not particularly surprising.)
*Best of the rest: It's funny -- I didn't love the Chrysler "Imported from Detroit"/Eminem ad as much as most. I mean, it was powerful -- the voice-over, the gritty footage, the "Lose Yourself" intro music, the choir (?), Eminem. But the cars are still crappy. I wasn't the intended audience, though. The intended audience is consumers who pick between American models. And -- in that respect -- Chrysler leapfrogged GM, which went with "Our cars have Facebook!"
*Christina Aguilara: Joke. But I thought the Anthem was pre-taped. If she sang it live, I give her some credit -- but how hard is it not to know the words?
*Halftime show: Horrible. Among the worst ever. The Quickish outage was almost worth it, if only because I spent halftime catching up on posting on the site, with only half an ear -- if that -- on the show. Following the mockery on Twitter was enough.
*Packers dynasty? Just think: The team wasn't even healthy -- not just yesterday, but all season. Imagine if they can stay healthy. I have no problem installing them as the team to beat in '11...
*Lockout looms: ...if there IS an '11. There will be. Try to tune out the noise between now and March 4 (and beyond). They will settle, won't be pretty. The league will win. And fans won't care.
Did I miss something? I must have missed something. Hit up the comments with your own takes on the game, the scene, the show, the ads -- everything.
Thanks for dropping by Quickish yesterday -- be sure to come by today for all the best post-Super Bowl analysis and commentary.
-- D.S.
The good news is that between the pre-game and 1st quarter -- then the thrilling and fast-paced second half, Quickish was rolling. And it was the biggest day yet -- not a bad way to end the first four weeks of being live. (Was it only four weeks ago today that Quickish launched? Wow.)
But let's get to... well, everything:
*Packers win: So easy to root for them. And it wasn't as close as the score -- if the Packers WR make those dropped catches, it's a margin of victory more like 14+. Thrilled for Packers fans.
*Aaron Rodgers MVP: The epitome of easy-to-root-for. He plays what feels like effortlessly, and this title (and MVP) vaults him into rare air. Best QB in the NFL right now? Yes. (And the championship belt was THE BEST.)
*Ticket snafu: This bothered me so much. Not that the seats weren't ready, but that 400 fans were screwed over. I said this last night: The NFL should have told 400 of their execs (and their guests) to give up their seats for the fans. Let the execs watch on a TV from the remote concourse. That this simple gesture of respect didn't happen is appalling.
*The ads: You know where I stand -- I thought the Volkswagen "Force" ad was the best of the bunch. (That the Doritos "Dog" and Bud Light "Dog" spots tied for the USA Today Ad Meter title -- with VW as runner-up -- is depressing, if not particularly surprising.)
*Best of the rest: It's funny -- I didn't love the Chrysler "Imported from Detroit"/Eminem ad as much as most. I mean, it was powerful -- the voice-over, the gritty footage, the "Lose Yourself" intro music, the choir (?), Eminem. But the cars are still crappy. I wasn't the intended audience, though. The intended audience is consumers who pick between American models. And -- in that respect -- Chrysler leapfrogged GM, which went with "Our cars have Facebook!"
*Christina Aguilara: Joke. But I thought the Anthem was pre-taped. If she sang it live, I give her some credit -- but how hard is it not to know the words?
*Halftime show: Horrible. Among the worst ever. The Quickish outage was almost worth it, if only because I spent halftime catching up on posting on the site, with only half an ear -- if that -- on the show. Following the mockery on Twitter was enough.
*Packers dynasty? Just think: The team wasn't even healthy -- not just yesterday, but all season. Imagine if they can stay healthy. I have no problem installing them as the team to beat in '11...
*Lockout looms: ...if there IS an '11. There will be. Try to tune out the noise between now and March 4 (and beyond). They will settle, won't be pretty. The league will win. And fans won't care.
Did I miss something? I must have missed something. Hit up the comments with your own takes on the game, the scene, the show, the ads -- everything.
Thanks for dropping by Quickish yesterday -- be sure to come by today for all the best post-Super Bowl analysis and commentary.
-- D.S.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
02/06 (Super Bowl) Quickie
Last time (at least for today): Please consider yourself personally invited to check out Quickish during the Super Bowl tonight -- laptop, phone browser, iPad browser...your choice.
And while the Super Bowl is about as atypical of a sports event as it gets, it is still going to be a great demonstration of the Quickish experience (and, even more important, legitimately useful to you as you as a complementary experience as you watch on TV).
And so if you'd tell friends about Quickish and Quickish.com (at parties, on Facebook, on Twitter...your choice), I would be grateful.
Now, as for the game:
*The Pick: I'm with the majority of fans and "experts" -- I'm picking the Packers to win. On offense, I like Aaron Rodgers in perfect "dome" conditions; on defense, I think the banged-up Steelers offensive line finally falters against BJ Raji and Co. I actually don't think it will be close.
(If you aren't a fan of either team, one worthwhile rooting interest is that Brett Favre's legacy gets eroded just a bit more if Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to a title.)
*I think the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad will win "Best Super Bowl ad," in a runaway. As always, I'm hopeful that we'll see some innovative and entertaining ads, but based on the ones leaked in advance, it doesn't look promising.
*The food: As I said yesterday, the go-to snack is Doritos, per my 4-year-old's preference. But Mrs. Quickish made chili AND mac-n-cheese from scratch, and it's going to be awesome.
More on the radar:
*Well, yesterday was about as good as regular-season college hoops will EVER get for me: Northwestern beats Illinois on national TV in the afternoon, then Florida beats Kentucky on national TV in the evening.
(No, seriously: Northwestern playing on CBS, with the intro/outro music and Bill Raftery and the graphics and the great atmosphere allowed me to accurately visualize what it would be like if NU actually played in the NCAA Tournament. It was amazing. As NU is NEVER on CBS on Saturdays -- let alone during the NCAA Tournament -- this can't be understated.)
*NFL Hall of Fame Class of '11: Deion and Faulk were locks. Love that Sabol got in. I grew up a huge Bears fan in the 80s and early 90s, so Richard Dent holds a special place for me. Some very worthy folks left out, but sure to be inducted in the next year or two.
*Cavs lose 24th straight. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre. Take heart in that, Cavs fans.
*NFL Awards: Brady unanimous MVP; Vick wins Comeback Player of the Year. Vick was the more compelling story this season, but Brady was at the height of his talents.
Enjoy the game! Again: Would love if you would visit Quickish during the game (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
And while the Super Bowl is about as atypical of a sports event as it gets, it is still going to be a great demonstration of the Quickish experience (and, even more important, legitimately useful to you as you as a complementary experience as you watch on TV).
And so if you'd tell friends about Quickish and Quickish.com (at parties, on Facebook, on Twitter...your choice), I would be grateful.
Now, as for the game:
*The Pick: I'm with the majority of fans and "experts" -- I'm picking the Packers to win. On offense, I like Aaron Rodgers in perfect "dome" conditions; on defense, I think the banged-up Steelers offensive line finally falters against BJ Raji and Co. I actually don't think it will be close.
(If you aren't a fan of either team, one worthwhile rooting interest is that Brett Favre's legacy gets eroded just a bit more if Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to a title.)
*I think the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad will win "Best Super Bowl ad," in a runaway. As always, I'm hopeful that we'll see some innovative and entertaining ads, but based on the ones leaked in advance, it doesn't look promising.
*The food: As I said yesterday, the go-to snack is Doritos, per my 4-year-old's preference. But Mrs. Quickish made chili AND mac-n-cheese from scratch, and it's going to be awesome.
More on the radar:
*Well, yesterday was about as good as regular-season college hoops will EVER get for me: Northwestern beats Illinois on national TV in the afternoon, then Florida beats Kentucky on national TV in the evening.
(No, seriously: Northwestern playing on CBS, with the intro/outro music and Bill Raftery and the graphics and the great atmosphere allowed me to accurately visualize what it would be like if NU actually played in the NCAA Tournament. It was amazing. As NU is NEVER on CBS on Saturdays -- let alone during the NCAA Tournament -- this can't be understated.)
*NFL Hall of Fame Class of '11: Deion and Faulk were locks. Love that Sabol got in. I grew up a huge Bears fan in the 80s and early 90s, so Richard Dent holds a special place for me. Some very worthy folks left out, but sure to be inducted in the next year or two.
*Cavs lose 24th straight. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre. Take heart in that, Cavs fans.
*NFL Awards: Brady unanimous MVP; Vick wins Comeback Player of the Year. Vick was the more compelling story this season, but Brady was at the height of his talents.
Enjoy the game! Again: Would love if you would visit Quickish during the game (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
02/05 Saturday (Very) Quickie
For all my obsession about the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad this week, this tweet last night from Parks & Recreation's Michael Schur (aka Fire Joe Morgan's Ken Tremendous) was validating:
"That Passat ad with the kid dressed like Darth Vader is the best ad of the Super Bowl, regardless of what other ads are in the Super Bowl."
He is 100% correct. I can't believe how obsessed I am with this ad -- and I can't wait for the moment when the 100 million people who haven't seen it yet (6 million have) finally watch. (Haven't seen it? Watch it here.)
Oh, there's a game, too? Not that an injured, half-speed Maurkice Pouncey was going to make a huge difference, but that Pouncey is out makes me even more comfortable picking the Pack.
(There is this other, entirely qualitative rationale, too: Aaron Rodgers' career appears to be headed as being defined as entirely relative -- and eventually eclipsing -- Brett Favre. Winning the Super Bowl -- and playing at an insanely high level -- would be a big step.)
The NFL Commish Speaks: He says all the right things, but he's not fooling around. I think the union ultimately will have to bend to the league, because the league -- to Goodell's point -- is looking at this from a 10-year horizon, while the union is looking at it from a shorter-term perspective.
That said, it's heartening to see Pats owner Bob Kraft so vocal about wanting to get a deal done -- "it's criminal if we don't get a deal done" -- he seems to be the most reasonable person in all of this, and he probably has the clout to help make something happen.
NBA Last Night: I will never buy the Mavs in the playoffs, but they sure looked good beating the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Cavs lost their 23rd straight -- epic losing is as dramatic as epic winning, and I encourage Cleveland to keep losing, because at least it makes them interesting. And interesting is better than mediocre.
Kevin Love an All-Star: This was the right move by the NBA, although it would be terrific if they could find a way to make room for Steve Nash, who -- turning 37 on Monday (37!) -- is having one of his best years ever. He is one of the most remarkable players in NBA history. (If I had to rank my Top 3 favorite NBA players, Nash is on the list.)
College hoops today: A bit of a low-key day, except that Northwestern makes an exceedingly rare appearance on CBS nationally (except in New York City...grr) at 1 ET, then Jimmer on Versus at 4, then Florida hosting Kentucky at 9. So my day is accounted for, at least.
MLB Hot Stove: Vlad to the O's. Another player who is typically high on the "interesting" scale but doesn't necessarily translate into many more wins for the O's. (Last year, despite finishing 11th in MVP voting, only had a 2.1 WAR.) Still: Exciting-ish?
The Mets -- or, more specifically, their owners -- are so screwed. That is all.
Andy Pettitte retires: Mark it down -- he is pitching for the Yankees in 2012. If his body is willing but he simply doesn't have the "hunger" anymore, he'll get the hunger back -- especially if the Yankees miss the playoffs next season (and, without him, they very well might).
NFL Rookies of the Year: Bradford on offense and Suh on defense, and it was obvious from a few games into the season. (You could make a pretty good case for Pouncey on offense, but even if he was anchoring the O-line for the AFC champs, that's not as impressive as stepping in as a rookie QB on a terrible team and actually helping them become respectable.)
Enjoy the day. Please give Quickish a look throughout the day, if you want to keep up with the big things that are happening.
-- D.S.
"That Passat ad with the kid dressed like Darth Vader is the best ad of the Super Bowl, regardless of what other ads are in the Super Bowl."
He is 100% correct. I can't believe how obsessed I am with this ad -- and I can't wait for the moment when the 100 million people who haven't seen it yet (6 million have) finally watch. (Haven't seen it? Watch it here.)
Oh, there's a game, too? Not that an injured, half-speed Maurkice Pouncey was going to make a huge difference, but that Pouncey is out makes me even more comfortable picking the Pack.
(There is this other, entirely qualitative rationale, too: Aaron Rodgers' career appears to be headed as being defined as entirely relative -- and eventually eclipsing -- Brett Favre. Winning the Super Bowl -- and playing at an insanely high level -- would be a big step.)
The NFL Commish Speaks: He says all the right things, but he's not fooling around. I think the union ultimately will have to bend to the league, because the league -- to Goodell's point -- is looking at this from a 10-year horizon, while the union is looking at it from a shorter-term perspective.
That said, it's heartening to see Pats owner Bob Kraft so vocal about wanting to get a deal done -- "it's criminal if we don't get a deal done" -- he seems to be the most reasonable person in all of this, and he probably has the clout to help make something happen.
NBA Last Night: I will never buy the Mavs in the playoffs, but they sure looked good beating the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Cavs lost their 23rd straight -- epic losing is as dramatic as epic winning, and I encourage Cleveland to keep losing, because at least it makes them interesting. And interesting is better than mediocre.
Kevin Love an All-Star: This was the right move by the NBA, although it would be terrific if they could find a way to make room for Steve Nash, who -- turning 37 on Monday (37!) -- is having one of his best years ever. He is one of the most remarkable players in NBA history. (If I had to rank my Top 3 favorite NBA players, Nash is on the list.)
College hoops today: A bit of a low-key day, except that Northwestern makes an exceedingly rare appearance on CBS nationally (except in New York City...grr) at 1 ET, then Jimmer on Versus at 4, then Florida hosting Kentucky at 9. So my day is accounted for, at least.
MLB Hot Stove: Vlad to the O's. Another player who is typically high on the "interesting" scale but doesn't necessarily translate into many more wins for the O's. (Last year, despite finishing 11th in MVP voting, only had a 2.1 WAR.) Still: Exciting-ish?
The Mets -- or, more specifically, their owners -- are so screwed. That is all.
Andy Pettitte retires: Mark it down -- he is pitching for the Yankees in 2012. If his body is willing but he simply doesn't have the "hunger" anymore, he'll get the hunger back -- especially if the Yankees miss the playoffs next season (and, without him, they very well might).
NFL Rookies of the Year: Bradford on offense and Suh on defense, and it was obvious from a few games into the season. (You could make a pretty good case for Pouncey on offense, but even if he was anchoring the O-line for the AFC champs, that's not as impressive as stepping in as a rookie QB on a terrible team and actually helping them become respectable.)
Enjoy the day. Please give Quickish a look throughout the day, if you want to keep up with the big things that are happening.
-- D.S.
Friday, February 04, 2011
02/04 Quickie: Super Bowl Eve Eve
First, thanks to everyone who came out to Varsity Letters last night. At least 200 people were there to see 13 readers, who all blew the doors off the place. Hoping to have at least a podcast available at some point.
Now: Super Bowl. (Well, Super Bowl Eve Eve.)
*I can't remember being more muddled about a Super Bowl pick. I'm probably rooting for the Packers -- and even though I think it's easy to convince myself the Steelers are going to win, I'm picking the Pack. It's Aaron Rodgers' moment.
*The Super Bowl "Ad Bowl" winner will be the Volkswagen "Force" ad, which already has 5 million views on YouTube. (The only thing that might hold it back is that it will have lost its novelty by game-time; then again, with 110 million people watching, that's 105 million people who haven't seen it yet -- and who will be as blown away as I am.)
Haven't seen it yet? Here you go.
*Promo! If you are planning to follow real-time commentary about the game online while watching on TV -- on your laptop or phone or iPad -- please give Quickish a try. Based on the reaction to how things went during the NFL Playoffs, you'll really enjoy it. (And please tell friends!)
*Designated Super Bowl snack: My 4-year-old has expressed his preference, and it will likely rule -- Doritos. Ahh: Brand awareness.
*Will Maurkice Pouncey play? I'll say no (but you never know).
More non-Super Bowl news:
*Andy Pettitte retires: Great pitcher. Big game pitcher. 5 rings. Yankee all-timer who should have his number retired. Hall of Famer? No.
*Pro Football Hall of Fame vote: Deion is a lock. Marshall Faulk is a lock. Then it gets contentious. My personal campaign is for NFL Films' Ed Sabol. Few non-players should be in the Hall of Fame. Sabol is one of them, without question.
*LeBron destroys the Magic: That'll teach Dwight Howard to mock LeBron before the game.
*Spurs tip Lakers: It's not even the All-Star break yet. Count me among the folks who think the Lakers will be fine in the playoffs.
*NBA All-Star reserves: I can't believe Kevin Love was left off the West team. (Steve Nash either.) Ridiculous snubs.
*DeSean Jackson takes on bullying. You have to be heartless not to be moved by Jackson on the View yesterday helping a bullied kid. (The kid's reaction when Jackson comes out? Oh my god.)
*College hoops: A loss at Oregon State late last night effectively ends any Washington bandwagon that was left.
*Thanks for giving Quickish a look today -- and for telling your friends, colleagues, etc. Again: The Super Bowl should be a ton of fun -- hope you'll join me there for some of it.
-- D.S.
Now: Super Bowl. (Well, Super Bowl Eve Eve.)
*I can't remember being more muddled about a Super Bowl pick. I'm probably rooting for the Packers -- and even though I think it's easy to convince myself the Steelers are going to win, I'm picking the Pack. It's Aaron Rodgers' moment.
*The Super Bowl "Ad Bowl" winner will be the Volkswagen "Force" ad, which already has 5 million views on YouTube. (The only thing that might hold it back is that it will have lost its novelty by game-time; then again, with 110 million people watching, that's 105 million people who haven't seen it yet -- and who will be as blown away as I am.)
Haven't seen it yet? Here you go.
*Promo! If you are planning to follow real-time commentary about the game online while watching on TV -- on your laptop or phone or iPad -- please give Quickish a try. Based on the reaction to how things went during the NFL Playoffs, you'll really enjoy it. (And please tell friends!)
*Designated Super Bowl snack: My 4-year-old has expressed his preference, and it will likely rule -- Doritos. Ahh: Brand awareness.
*Will Maurkice Pouncey play? I'll say no (but you never know).
More non-Super Bowl news:
*Andy Pettitte retires: Great pitcher. Big game pitcher. 5 rings. Yankee all-timer who should have his number retired. Hall of Famer? No.
*Pro Football Hall of Fame vote: Deion is a lock. Marshall Faulk is a lock. Then it gets contentious. My personal campaign is for NFL Films' Ed Sabol. Few non-players should be in the Hall of Fame. Sabol is one of them, without question.
*LeBron destroys the Magic: That'll teach Dwight Howard to mock LeBron before the game.
*Spurs tip Lakers: It's not even the All-Star break yet. Count me among the folks who think the Lakers will be fine in the playoffs.
*NBA All-Star reserves: I can't believe Kevin Love was left off the West team. (Steve Nash either.) Ridiculous snubs.
*DeSean Jackson takes on bullying. You have to be heartless not to be moved by Jackson on the View yesterday helping a bullied kid. (The kid's reaction when Jackson comes out? Oh my god.)
*College hoops: A loss at Oregon State late last night effectively ends any Washington bandwagon that was left.
*Thanks for giving Quickish a look today -- and for telling your friends, colleagues, etc. Again: The Super Bowl should be a ton of fun -- hope you'll join me there for some of it.
-- D.S.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
02/03 Quickie: Excess
For the next few days, I am going to remind you not just to check out Quickish (daily! or even more often!) and not just to tell all your friends (many!)...
...But also to be sure to drop by Quickish during the Super Bowl (laptop, phone, iPad, whatever!) on Sunday for what I think is going to be the best complementary experience of the game you'll find online. After two rounds of playoffs with Quickish, I feel good about making that claim. (And, again, please tell friends. Your referral is the most key thing here.)
As the kids say: Legggooo....
*If nothing else, I am not Justin Bieber sitting courtside at last night's Knicks game getting booed at MSG when my face is on the Jumbotron.
However! If you live in NYC and you'd like to publicly mock me, join me and more than a dozen far-more-qualified writers at the Varsity Letters 5th Anniversary extravaganza tonight.
*National Signing Day: So who was the "champ?" Rivals picked Alabama. Scout picked Auburn. ESPN picked FSU. CBSSports picked... Notre Dame. (Ha!) If I had to pick the class I was most impressed by, it would be FSU (and you know it pains me to say that.)
*The real champ was that running back from Georgia who brought the baby bulldog onto national TV to make his announcement. I cannot begrudge the kids making a big deal out of this.
*Debunked: Those ridiculous rumors that Syracuse hoops players were point-shaving. That's about as brutal of a rumor as you could start in sports.
(I'm perennially in the tank for Syracuse in March, but I can't help think that their frustration over the rumors helped them get off the schneid and beat UConn at UConn. Bandwagon!)
*Big Ben was caught by TMZ drinking at a bar on Tuesday night and singing "Piano Man." I just can't buy this is as a "thing." Maybe it's managed expectations about Roethlisberger, but in an absolute sense, players drinking and having fun early in Super Bowl week just isn't an issue.
*Super Bowl Meme of the Day: GM Ted Thompson jettisoning Brett Favre -- despite howls from Packers fans -- set the table for this Super Bowl run and the several to follow. Anyone who dislikes Favre (so many of us!) should be thrilled to give Thompson all the credit in the world. And here's some real talk: Rodgers is better now than Favre ever was, even during Favre's MVP years. (And Rodgers is only getting better.)
*Video of the Night: How can you not love a hockey goaliefight?
*More CBB: Michigan State got destroyed by 20 at Iowa, a terrible team. I only mention this otherwise inconsequential game because -- and I full 'fess up to this -- Michigan State was my preseason pick to win the national title. Oh good gracious. Worst pick ever? Worst pick ever.
*NBA: Cavs lose 22nd straight. Ouch. On the plus side, Kevin Durant had 43 in a Thunder win over the Hornets -- and Blake Griffin continued to provide a new jaw-dropping highlight with every new game.
*NFL Awards: Bill Belichick named NFL Coach of the Year. I'm a huge Belichick fan -- ironic, given that I hate the Pats and all Boston sports (except man-crush Theo) -- but my vote would have gone to Tampa's Raheem Morris, who did more with a worse team than Belichick could ever have dreamed of when he was under the age of 40.
*This is the best TV ad of the past year, and if it debuted during the Super Bowl -- rather than on YouTube -- it would have been a top contender for "Best Super Bowl Ad."
*So many good reads on Quickish yesterday -- with even more coming today. Please give it a try.
-- D.S.
...But also to be sure to drop by Quickish during the Super Bowl (laptop, phone, iPad, whatever!) on Sunday for what I think is going to be the best complementary experience of the game you'll find online. After two rounds of playoffs with Quickish, I feel good about making that claim. (And, again, please tell friends. Your referral is the most key thing here.)
As the kids say: Legggooo....
*If nothing else, I am not Justin Bieber sitting courtside at last night's Knicks game getting booed at MSG when my face is on the Jumbotron.
However! If you live in NYC and you'd like to publicly mock me, join me and more than a dozen far-more-qualified writers at the Varsity Letters 5th Anniversary extravaganza tonight.
*National Signing Day: So who was the "champ?" Rivals picked Alabama. Scout picked Auburn. ESPN picked FSU. CBSSports picked... Notre Dame. (Ha!) If I had to pick the class I was most impressed by, it would be FSU (and you know it pains me to say that.)
*The real champ was that running back from Georgia who brought the baby bulldog onto national TV to make his announcement. I cannot begrudge the kids making a big deal out of this.
*Debunked: Those ridiculous rumors that Syracuse hoops players were point-shaving. That's about as brutal of a rumor as you could start in sports.
(I'm perennially in the tank for Syracuse in March, but I can't help think that their frustration over the rumors helped them get off the schneid and beat UConn at UConn. Bandwagon!)
*Big Ben was caught by TMZ drinking at a bar on Tuesday night and singing "Piano Man." I just can't buy this is as a "thing." Maybe it's managed expectations about Roethlisberger, but in an absolute sense, players drinking and having fun early in Super Bowl week just isn't an issue.
*Super Bowl Meme of the Day: GM Ted Thompson jettisoning Brett Favre -- despite howls from Packers fans -- set the table for this Super Bowl run and the several to follow. Anyone who dislikes Favre (so many of us!) should be thrilled to give Thompson all the credit in the world. And here's some real talk: Rodgers is better now than Favre ever was, even during Favre's MVP years. (And Rodgers is only getting better.)
*Video of the Night: How can you not love a hockey goaliefight?
*More CBB: Michigan State got destroyed by 20 at Iowa, a terrible team. I only mention this otherwise inconsequential game because -- and I full 'fess up to this -- Michigan State was my preseason pick to win the national title. Oh good gracious. Worst pick ever? Worst pick ever.
*NBA: Cavs lose 22nd straight. Ouch. On the plus side, Kevin Durant had 43 in a Thunder win over the Hornets -- and Blake Griffin continued to provide a new jaw-dropping highlight with every new game.
*NFL Awards: Bill Belichick named NFL Coach of the Year. I'm a huge Belichick fan -- ironic, given that I hate the Pats and all Boston sports (except man-crush Theo) -- but my vote would have gone to Tampa's Raheem Morris, who did more with a worse team than Belichick could ever have dreamed of when he was under the age of 40.
*This is the best TV ad of the past year, and if it debuted during the Super Bowl -- rather than on YouTube -- it would have been a top contender for "Best Super Bowl Ad."
*So many good reads on Quickish yesterday -- with even more coming today. Please give it a try.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
02/02 Quickie: NSD, Super Bowl, More
Today is "National Signing Day" -- or "NSD" -- the day that college football recruits (I'm sorry, or is that "high school seniors") can formally send their Letter of Intent (or LOI) to schools.
If you love college football, it's a big day. (If you love college football recruiting -- and it's far more than a cottage industry -- it is the biggest day of the year.)
The funny thing is that most recruits have already committed somewhere, so the only drama is whether they flip-flop their choice (always iffy!) or where the handful of uncommitted players go.
Even that one is no guarantee -- this year, the nation's top recruit (DE Jadeveon Clowney) will delay his decision by two weeks, until his birthday (Feb. 14) and having the stage to himself.
I happen to like NSD for the same reason fans like the NFL or NBA or MLB or NHL Draft: It's about hope. Hope that these players (or one of them) will bring your team Ws down the line.
That's up to the coaches and the college environment and the opportunities they get given the depth ahead of them. But for today, it's just optimism of what COULD be.
****
Super Bowl Media Day wrap: The most substantial thing that happened was James Harrison blitzing the NFL for his mid-season fine. Good for him for speaking his mind.
Is Maurkice Pouncey really "75 percent" to play in the Super Bowl? (1) I don't believe that, and (2) how effective could he possibly be?
Tom Brady wins AP Offensive Player of the Year: You don't say!
Rays introduce Manny and Johnny: The Rays were already going to be good; this just makes them more entertaining.
CBB: I try not to put too much stock in any single win or loss, but I'm going to have trouble not filing away Kentucky losing to Ole Miss, when it comes to picking brackets in a few weeks.
NBA: Justin Bieber is playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game. That makes him bigger than Blake Griffin, who I hope will play in both the Rookie-Soph game and the adult version. (I presume he'll only play in the real-deal ASG -- frankly, he should be starting for Yao.)
Finally, it's Groundhog Day, which has come to symbolize nothing if not a day to appreciate the brilliance of the eponymous movie.
-- D.S.
If you love college football, it's a big day. (If you love college football recruiting -- and it's far more than a cottage industry -- it is the biggest day of the year.)
The funny thing is that most recruits have already committed somewhere, so the only drama is whether they flip-flop their choice (always iffy!) or where the handful of uncommitted players go.
Even that one is no guarantee -- this year, the nation's top recruit (DE Jadeveon Clowney) will delay his decision by two weeks, until his birthday (Feb. 14) and having the stage to himself.
I happen to like NSD for the same reason fans like the NFL or NBA or MLB or NHL Draft: It's about hope. Hope that these players (or one of them) will bring your team Ws down the line.
That's up to the coaches and the college environment and the opportunities they get given the depth ahead of them. But for today, it's just optimism of what COULD be.
****
Super Bowl Media Day wrap: The most substantial thing that happened was James Harrison blitzing the NFL for his mid-season fine. Good for him for speaking his mind.
Is Maurkice Pouncey really "75 percent" to play in the Super Bowl? (1) I don't believe that, and (2) how effective could he possibly be?
Tom Brady wins AP Offensive Player of the Year: You don't say!
Rays introduce Manny and Johnny: The Rays were already going to be good; this just makes them more entertaining.
CBB: I try not to put too much stock in any single win or loss, but I'm going to have trouble not filing away Kentucky losing to Ole Miss, when it comes to picking brackets in a few weeks.
NBA: Justin Bieber is playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game. That makes him bigger than Blake Griffin, who I hope will play in both the Rookie-Soph game and the adult version. (I presume he'll only play in the real-deal ASG -- frankly, he should be starting for Yao.)
Finally, it's Groundhog Day, which has come to symbolize nothing if not a day to appreciate the brilliance of the eponymous movie.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
02/01 Quickie: Media Daze
Media Day is awful. I would have written that had I gotten the Quickie today ready in time, but I can say it with a bit more authority now that the day is over.
Quickish had fairly intensive coverage -- but only good stuff! But largely, the day was awful.
Winners: James Harrison for his forthright discussion of his fine earlier this season; Brett Keisel's beard; Ines Sainz, who was a worldwide trending topic. (Really?)
Losers: People looking for anything more than platitudes. At least it was light on buffoonery.
Otherwise, I would highly recommend giving Quickish a look today from, say, 2:15 p.m. ET onward, when I was able to unleash great read after great read, none of which having to do with Media Day.
Much much more tomorrow. I'm starting a new system to make sure this is up and out in the early morning, as usual. Today just got away from me. Apologies.
(And congrats to my friend Rob Neyer for his new gig at SB Nation. I'm long on the record as being a huge fan of that company; it's another savvy move.)
-- D.S.
Quickish had fairly intensive coverage -- but only good stuff! But largely, the day was awful.
Winners: James Harrison for his forthright discussion of his fine earlier this season; Brett Keisel's beard; Ines Sainz, who was a worldwide trending topic. (Really?)
Losers: People looking for anything more than platitudes. At least it was light on buffoonery.
Otherwise, I would highly recommend giving Quickish a look today from, say, 2:15 p.m. ET onward, when I was able to unleash great read after great read, none of which having to do with Media Day.
Much much more tomorrow. I'm starting a new system to make sure this is up and out in the early morning, as usual. Today just got away from me. Apologies.
(And congrats to my friend Rob Neyer for his new gig at SB Nation. I'm long on the record as being a huge fan of that company; it's another savvy move.)
-- D.S.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Rob Neyer Leaving ESPN.com: An Appreciation
I met Rob Neyer in 1996 in Seattle, joining him at an amazing company called Starwave, which was charged with creating and producing what was then called ESPNet.SportsZone.com. (Really.)
Unless someone can prove otherwise, Neyer was the Web's first full-time online sports columnist. And there is a good chance he was the first full-time online columnist for ANY mainstream news company.
Rob was (and remains) a pioneer in not simply statistics in baseball media, but the application of those stats in talking about baseball.
And his contributions -- not to mention his longevity on the ESPN.com platform, basically for its entire existence -- is why it's such a big deal that he announced today he is leaving ESPN.com.
There is a strong argument to be made -- one that I personally believe in (and I'm not alone) -- that Rob has done more to popularize the understanding of baseball statistics by baseball fans than any writer in baseball history, including Michael Lewis.
(I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Rob receives the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, because he has already earned it.)
I will leave it to someone else to quantify Rob's accomplishments by trying to figure out how many readers he has reached over his 15-year career at ESPN.com -- or qualify Rob's impact by figuring out how many baseball writers today found him an inspiration:
Not only can you make a living writing about sports on the Web, but you can be really, really good at it.
At ESPN.com, Rob combined accessible voice with smart writing. He wrote columns, did mailbags with readers, participated in marathon chats (at one point holding the ESPN.com chat-marathon record) and applied his style to his most recent project, the SweetSpot blog. (To say nothing of his amazing books, a totally different subject, but part of the whole Neyer story.)
I'll echo something I wrote about Peter King last week -- and Rob preceded King by at least two years. It can't be understated that back in 1996, people were just trying to figure out how to write for this new medium. Many were doing a lousy job at it, mostly applying what they knew from other mediums -- like newspapers -- and simply plopping in the same everything.
(This is the place where Rob would insist -- and I would concur -- that we pay tribute to Rob's longtime editor at ESPN.com, certainly during those formative, influential years of the late-90s, David Schoenfield. Without David's leadership and vision and collusion and sense of revolution as an editor, Rob wouldn't have had nearly the impact he did. Same goes for longtime ESPN.com publisher Geoff Reiss, who originally had the vision to hire Rob and give him that unprecedented role as sports' first full-time online writer/columnist. I count both David and Geoff as close friends and marvel at their impact, here and elsewhere.)
But perhaps because he didn't come from a newspaper or traditional media background, Neyer could allow his style and voice to flow more naturally. He was (and is) made for this medium, and the medium is better off for his contributions in its early formative years.
(I still have a copy of a column Rob wrote for me about college basketball -- I was ESPN.com's college hoops editor -- and it always made the coverage better to have Rob's contribution, almost always ideas he came up with on his own, noodling at his desk.)
Don't know what's next for Rob, but as he might describe it: 15 years creates a lot of data to draw conclusions, and it is easy to predict his continued success.
And it is easy to thank him for his 15 wonderful years at ESPN.com. In a medium as fleeting as online, it is perhaps the highest compliment to pay: Rob Neyer has mattered.
-- D.S.
Unless someone can prove otherwise, Neyer was the Web's first full-time online sports columnist. And there is a good chance he was the first full-time online columnist for ANY mainstream news company.
Rob was (and remains) a pioneer in not simply statistics in baseball media, but the application of those stats in talking about baseball.
And his contributions -- not to mention his longevity on the ESPN.com platform, basically for its entire existence -- is why it's such a big deal that he announced today he is leaving ESPN.com.
There is a strong argument to be made -- one that I personally believe in (and I'm not alone) -- that Rob has done more to popularize the understanding of baseball statistics by baseball fans than any writer in baseball history, including Michael Lewis.
(I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Rob receives the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, because he has already earned it.)
I will leave it to someone else to quantify Rob's accomplishments by trying to figure out how many readers he has reached over his 15-year career at ESPN.com -- or qualify Rob's impact by figuring out how many baseball writers today found him an inspiration:
Not only can you make a living writing about sports on the Web, but you can be really, really good at it.
At ESPN.com, Rob combined accessible voice with smart writing. He wrote columns, did mailbags with readers, participated in marathon chats (at one point holding the ESPN.com chat-marathon record) and applied his style to his most recent project, the SweetSpot blog. (To say nothing of his amazing books, a totally different subject, but part of the whole Neyer story.)
I'll echo something I wrote about Peter King last week -- and Rob preceded King by at least two years. It can't be understated that back in 1996, people were just trying to figure out how to write for this new medium. Many were doing a lousy job at it, mostly applying what they knew from other mediums -- like newspapers -- and simply plopping in the same everything.
(This is the place where Rob would insist -- and I would concur -- that we pay tribute to Rob's longtime editor at ESPN.com, certainly during those formative, influential years of the late-90s, David Schoenfield. Without David's leadership and vision and collusion and sense of revolution as an editor, Rob wouldn't have had nearly the impact he did. Same goes for longtime ESPN.com publisher Geoff Reiss, who originally had the vision to hire Rob and give him that unprecedented role as sports' first full-time online writer/columnist. I count both David and Geoff as close friends and marvel at their impact, here and elsewhere.)
But perhaps because he didn't come from a newspaper or traditional media background, Neyer could allow his style and voice to flow more naturally. He was (and is) made for this medium, and the medium is better off for his contributions in its early formative years.
(I still have a copy of a column Rob wrote for me about college basketball -- I was ESPN.com's college hoops editor -- and it always made the coverage better to have Rob's contribution, almost always ideas he came up with on his own, noodling at his desk.)
Don't know what's next for Rob, but as he might describe it: 15 years creates a lot of data to draw conclusions, and it is easy to predict his continued success.
And it is easy to thank him for his 15 wonderful years at ESPN.com. In a medium as fleeting as online, it is perhaps the highest compliment to pay: Rob Neyer has mattered.
-- D.S.
01/31 Quickie: Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Kobe, Duke, NHL ASG and More
It's Super Bowl Week -- prepare for the over-saturation now.
Frankly, it's a week that makes Quickish all the more valuable -- cutting through the noise and clutter to bring you only the really good stuff to help you keep up. Please pop by today -- and all week, culminating with the Super Bowl in-game stream, which should be amazing.
*Mock the Pro Bowl all you want (and you did), the game had a ton of viewers. (But the game itself was unwatchable; it's like a Zen koan.)
*Celtics thump Lakers in LA: Not for lack of Kobe scoring, but for a serious lack of defensive effort by the defending champs.
*Oh, and then there was KG telling a Lakers ball-boy he had as much of a chance as "Bin Laden" of getting an autograph from him. Sometimes KG's dickishness is cool; mostly, it's not.
*Duke gets throttled in NYC: One of those games Duke-haters love to watch -- you'd think I would like the close calls more than the beat-downs, but nope: I love the beat-downs more. Of course, it means nothing in the grand scheme of what matters -- the NCAA Tournament. (Remember Duke getting crushed by Georgetown this time last year?)
Duke is still the team to beat; that said, they can't possibly repeat the gift-wrapped bracket path they had a year ago. That, more than anything we saw yesterday, is the biggest impediment to repeating. (Continuing not to have Kyrie Irving hurts too.)
*More CBB: So who's Number 1? Ohio State? OK, but let's file away the fact that a Northwestern team that slowed the pace of the game to a crawl -- but, more important, had absolutely no interior presence (literally: NU has the worst center in major-conference basketball) -- and nearly knocked them off. That's no resume-builder. And yet I can't believe in Texas -- at least not as a team to win six straight in late March, which is all that counts. What this weekend did, more than anything, was preclude you from feeling particularly good about ANY team's chances of winning it all.
*More NBA: Heat close out Thunder in OKC. I think we just saw the birth of a new (and not-fake) NBA rivalry. They may only play twice a year -- and never meet in the Finals (let's give it 3 years or so) -- but there's an obvious enmity. I mean, the normally staid Kevin Durant was inspired to call Chris Bosh "fake-tough," which is hardly controversial. Let's be real: Did anyone think Bosh WAS tough?
*NHL All-Star Game: Personally, I loved the "pick-sides" format, and the game was a goal-scoring frenzy. As a non-fan (I realized this weekend it's not fair to call me a "casual NHL fan" anymore), I tuned in a few times while watching other games, which is all the NHL can ask for from non-fans. (They won't want/need me anyway; they need the ASG to bolster support among the faithful, which I think it did.)
*Super Bowl mania: There was plenty of Gator gear for my kids when they were born, but if the folks in the nursery at the hospital wrapped either of them in a Yankees towel (like they do in Pittsburgh), I would have gone mildly ballistic.
*So many awesome reads on Quickish from this weekend. Head over and scroll down, hit the "More" button a few times and in less than 3 minutes, you'll get a ton of interesting perspectives and a slew of great reads for later.
-- D.S.
Frankly, it's a week that makes Quickish all the more valuable -- cutting through the noise and clutter to bring you only the really good stuff to help you keep up. Please pop by today -- and all week, culminating with the Super Bowl in-game stream, which should be amazing.
*Mock the Pro Bowl all you want (and you did), the game had a ton of viewers. (But the game itself was unwatchable; it's like a Zen koan.)
*Celtics thump Lakers in LA: Not for lack of Kobe scoring, but for a serious lack of defensive effort by the defending champs.
*Oh, and then there was KG telling a Lakers ball-boy he had as much of a chance as "Bin Laden" of getting an autograph from him. Sometimes KG's dickishness is cool; mostly, it's not.
*Duke gets throttled in NYC: One of those games Duke-haters love to watch -- you'd think I would like the close calls more than the beat-downs, but nope: I love the beat-downs more. Of course, it means nothing in the grand scheme of what matters -- the NCAA Tournament. (Remember Duke getting crushed by Georgetown this time last year?)
Duke is still the team to beat; that said, they can't possibly repeat the gift-wrapped bracket path they had a year ago. That, more than anything we saw yesterday, is the biggest impediment to repeating. (Continuing not to have Kyrie Irving hurts too.)
*More CBB: So who's Number 1? Ohio State? OK, but let's file away the fact that a Northwestern team that slowed the pace of the game to a crawl -- but, more important, had absolutely no interior presence (literally: NU has the worst center in major-conference basketball) -- and nearly knocked them off. That's no resume-builder. And yet I can't believe in Texas -- at least not as a team to win six straight in late March, which is all that counts. What this weekend did, more than anything, was preclude you from feeling particularly good about ANY team's chances of winning it all.
*More NBA: Heat close out Thunder in OKC. I think we just saw the birth of a new (and not-fake) NBA rivalry. They may only play twice a year -- and never meet in the Finals (let's give it 3 years or so) -- but there's an obvious enmity. I mean, the normally staid Kevin Durant was inspired to call Chris Bosh "fake-tough," which is hardly controversial. Let's be real: Did anyone think Bosh WAS tough?
*NHL All-Star Game: Personally, I loved the "pick-sides" format, and the game was a goal-scoring frenzy. As a non-fan (I realized this weekend it's not fair to call me a "casual NHL fan" anymore), I tuned in a few times while watching other games, which is all the NHL can ask for from non-fans. (They won't want/need me anyway; they need the ASG to bolster support among the faithful, which I think it did.)
*Super Bowl mania: There was plenty of Gator gear for my kids when they were born, but if the folks in the nursery at the hospital wrapped either of them in a Yankees towel (like they do in Pittsburgh), I would have gone mildly ballistic.
*So many awesome reads on Quickish from this weekend. Head over and scroll down, hit the "More" button a few times and in less than 3 minutes, you'll get a ton of interesting perspectives and a slew of great reads for later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
01/30 (Very) Quickie
So close: I thought Northwestern (without star John Shurna) was going to lose at home to No. 1 Ohio State by 30. That they came within a single basket should be a moral victory; it sure didn't feel that way.
The lesson of yesterday's college hoops slate -- from Ohio State to the slew of upsets (too many to count) -- is that any assumptions you're making already about the bracket are wrong.
If Ohio State can get taken to the final second by Northwestern, a better team that runs at a slow pace with even a nominal presence inside (NU has none) can knock them off.
If BYU plays D like they did against New Mexico in the final 10 minutes of the game -- and UNM was playing at home and on fire, but still -- it doesn't matter how prolific Jimmer is.
UConn? They lost at home to Louisville. Villanova? Lost to Georgetown. Pitt? Nearly lost to Rutgers. Wisconsin? Lost to Penn State. Vandy and Florida? Don't get me started.
The point is that your bracket is effed already -- and you don't even know it.
****
On the one hand, this Rodgers-disses-the-Packers-on-the-IR story is overblown -- it's the first "scandal" of Super Bowl week, so folks are jumping on it. On the other hand, what was Rodgers thinking? He knew what he was saying, and I'm just not sure why he said it.
****
*The Senior Bowl really suffered for lack of a super-duper-star like Tim Tebow.
*The Pro Bowl will similarly get little attention.
*I think folks are missing a big piece of this Pujols story: So if the Cards don't sign him by the start of spring training, he's going to play the entire season with the idea he's leaving hanging over the heads of him, the team and the Cards fans? Has he thought this position through? It will dominate every. single. series. he plays. In a post-"Decision" world -- and like it or not, that's where we are -- this will be framed as LeBron 2.0. Cards fans are super-nice, but this should stretch the limits of their patience.
*Great NBA day today: Heat-Thunder (LeBron vs. Durant), then Lakers-Celtics. As it relates to top contenders, I think the NBA regular season is right up there with college hoops and the NHL as the most inconsequential in sports, but some games are absolutely must-see, and these are two of them (and on an otherwise slow day in sports -- great programming by the NBA).
*Yes, it IS a slow weekend in sports, but Quickish is hopping -- I think you'll be astounded at the depth of quick-hit content that has been collected there from yesterday and rolling along all day today. Give it a quick glance to keep up.
-- D.S.
The lesson of yesterday's college hoops slate -- from Ohio State to the slew of upsets (too many to count) -- is that any assumptions you're making already about the bracket are wrong.
If Ohio State can get taken to the final second by Northwestern, a better team that runs at a slow pace with even a nominal presence inside (NU has none) can knock them off.
If BYU plays D like they did against New Mexico in the final 10 minutes of the game -- and UNM was playing at home and on fire, but still -- it doesn't matter how prolific Jimmer is.
UConn? They lost at home to Louisville. Villanova? Lost to Georgetown. Pitt? Nearly lost to Rutgers. Wisconsin? Lost to Penn State. Vandy and Florida? Don't get me started.
The point is that your bracket is effed already -- and you don't even know it.
****
On the one hand, this Rodgers-disses-the-Packers-on-the-IR story is overblown -- it's the first "scandal" of Super Bowl week, so folks are jumping on it. On the other hand, what was Rodgers thinking? He knew what he was saying, and I'm just not sure why he said it.
****
*The Senior Bowl really suffered for lack of a super-duper-star like Tim Tebow.
*The Pro Bowl will similarly get little attention.
*I think folks are missing a big piece of this Pujols story: So if the Cards don't sign him by the start of spring training, he's going to play the entire season with the idea he's leaving hanging over the heads of him, the team and the Cards fans? Has he thought this position through? It will dominate every. single. series. he plays. In a post-"Decision" world -- and like it or not, that's where we are -- this will be framed as LeBron 2.0. Cards fans are super-nice, but this should stretch the limits of their patience.
*Great NBA day today: Heat-Thunder (LeBron vs. Durant), then Lakers-Celtics. As it relates to top contenders, I think the NBA regular season is right up there with college hoops and the NHL as the most inconsequential in sports, but some games are absolutely must-see, and these are two of them (and on an otherwise slow day in sports -- great programming by the NBA).
*Yes, it IS a slow weekend in sports, but Quickish is hopping -- I think you'll be astounded at the depth of quick-hit content that has been collected there from yesterday and rolling along all day today. Give it a quick glance to keep up.
-- D.S.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
01/29 (Very) Quickie
So I actually watched the entire NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft last night, and mostly, it showed me how far the sport had drifted from my attention.
But as for the draft itself, I thought its reality came about as much to matching the promise of its premise as the league could have hoped for.
The Sedins were split (in the event's biggest drama). The Staals stayed together. Alexander Ovechkin was NOT a 1st-round pick. Phil Kessel was the last player selected, and the visual of him sitting by himself, sheepishly, was every bit as interesting as we thought it would be. (Schadenfreudishly, Ovie even was caught taking a picture of lonely Kessel.) For his trouble, Kessel got $20K for charity and a new Honda -- not a bad consolation prize.
It remains an experiment worth trying in the NBA and NFL.
****
College hoops today: Jimmer's not on TV, so we're reduced to tracking his scoring on an online scoreboard. Otherwise, G'town-Nova tips things off at noon and the day winds up with its headliner, Mizzou at Texas.
Clijsters wins Aussie Open: Go moms!
Is this the slowest sports weekend of the winter in sports? Has to be one of them, right? There's still the NHL All-Star Game, the NFL Draft Senior Bowl. That's OK.
It makes it all the more cool that Quickish is zipping away -- the pace of real-time talk in places like Twitter might be slower, but there are a ton of good stories to recommend. Check back throughout the day to keep up. So many good things published yesterday, if you didn't drop by.
-- D.S.
But as for the draft itself, I thought its reality came about as much to matching the promise of its premise as the league could have hoped for.
The Sedins were split (in the event's biggest drama). The Staals stayed together. Alexander Ovechkin was NOT a 1st-round pick. Phil Kessel was the last player selected, and the visual of him sitting by himself, sheepishly, was every bit as interesting as we thought it would be. (Schadenfreudishly, Ovie even was caught taking a picture of lonely Kessel.) For his trouble, Kessel got $20K for charity and a new Honda -- not a bad consolation prize.
It remains an experiment worth trying in the NBA and NFL.
****
College hoops today: Jimmer's not on TV, so we're reduced to tracking his scoring on an online scoreboard. Otherwise, G'town-Nova tips things off at noon and the day winds up with its headliner, Mizzou at Texas.
Clijsters wins Aussie Open: Go moms!
Is this the slowest sports weekend of the winter in sports? Has to be one of them, right? There's still the NHL All-Star Game, the NFL Draft Senior Bowl. That's OK.
It makes it all the more cool that Quickish is zipping away -- the pace of real-time talk in places like Twitter might be slower, but there are a ton of good stories to recommend. Check back throughout the day to keep up. So many good things published yesterday, if you didn't drop by.
-- D.S.
Friday, January 28, 2011
1/28 Quickie: NHL, Knicks, Fisher, Morgan, More
Kudos to the NHL, which is launching the 2nd-most innovative thing the league has ever done (and one of the more innovative ideas in large-league sports in recent years):
Tonight, the NHL's All-Star captains are "picking sides," just like you did when playing in the schoolyard (or community rink) as a kid. There will be a first pick. More interestingly, there will be a LAST pick. (And that the NHL didn't sugar-coat this is to their massive credit.)
All in all, it's enough to make a casual (even a "non-") NHL fan tune in to watch, and you can only hope that the NBA and NFL follow suit. It's a phenomenal idea.
*****
NFL: Titans part ways with Jeff Fisher, previously the longest-tenured coach in football. Better for him to leave now than have a lame-duck year, THEN get exit.
NBA: Knicks beat Heat. The game had a playoff intensity, right down to Tracy Morgan making news before the game with his Sarah Palin thing. (Yeesh. Live, it was insane to see.)
But about the Knicks: Amare is obviously the most popular player on the team, but rookie Landry Fields can't be far behind. NBA draftniks haven't whiffed on a player so badly in a while.
NFL Labor: It's not that Antonio Cromartie is "going Crogue." It's that the union is freaking out in dealing with him, extending to Matt Hasselbeck's ill-advised Twitter confrontation.
Let's be more clear: Hasselbeck was a moron to engage Cromartie on Twitter. Cro couldn't care less what he says; Hasselbeck cares a great deal what you think about him.
And so when Cro smacked Hasselbeck back, and Hasselbeck returned a weak volley of "Heh heh, just kidding. So sorry!" the QB looked like a chump.
It's not so far off from the way the union looks when its players all tweet out bleats of solidarity whenever Cro tees off through Twitter. It's beneath them.
(For gosh sakes: Just give Cro some cash under the table to stop. Is it really that hard?)
The union gets some back with the new Esquire piece detailing some serious institutional injury issues among NFL players -- nothing you don't already presume, but it's always stark to see the numbers.
NFL Draft: The Senior Bowl is tomorrow. It's just not the same without the Tim Tebow insanity of last year.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek released it's Top 100 most business-influential athletes list, and Peyton was No. 1. LeBron wasn't in the Top 10 and Tim Tebow wasn't among the Top 100, so it's very hard to take the list seriously.
Must-read: Yesterday's amazing essay on Deadspin by contributor Katie Baker about her life in the late-90s as an online "puck tease." One of the best sports stories you'll read all year.
There's a ton more on Quickish, so drop by to catch up on yesterday, keep up during the day and stay on top of everything throughout the weekend. It takes about 30 seconds per visit to catch up, with plenty more to read through links (but only if you want).
Otherwise, have a great weekend! (But, sincerely: Please check out Quickish. And, in advance of a big push next week, please tell a few friends today about it. It would really help.)
-- D.S.
Tonight, the NHL's All-Star captains are "picking sides," just like you did when playing in the schoolyard (or community rink) as a kid. There will be a first pick. More interestingly, there will be a LAST pick. (And that the NHL didn't sugar-coat this is to their massive credit.)
All in all, it's enough to make a casual (even a "non-") NHL fan tune in to watch, and you can only hope that the NBA and NFL follow suit. It's a phenomenal idea.
*****
NFL: Titans part ways with Jeff Fisher, previously the longest-tenured coach in football. Better for him to leave now than have a lame-duck year, THEN get exit.
NBA: Knicks beat Heat. The game had a playoff intensity, right down to Tracy Morgan making news before the game with his Sarah Palin thing. (Yeesh. Live, it was insane to see.)
But about the Knicks: Amare is obviously the most popular player on the team, but rookie Landry Fields can't be far behind. NBA draftniks haven't whiffed on a player so badly in a while.
NFL Labor: It's not that Antonio Cromartie is "going Crogue." It's that the union is freaking out in dealing with him, extending to Matt Hasselbeck's ill-advised Twitter confrontation.
Let's be more clear: Hasselbeck was a moron to engage Cromartie on Twitter. Cro couldn't care less what he says; Hasselbeck cares a great deal what you think about him.
And so when Cro smacked Hasselbeck back, and Hasselbeck returned a weak volley of "Heh heh, just kidding. So sorry!" the QB looked like a chump.
It's not so far off from the way the union looks when its players all tweet out bleats of solidarity whenever Cro tees off through Twitter. It's beneath them.
(For gosh sakes: Just give Cro some cash under the table to stop. Is it really that hard?)
The union gets some back with the new Esquire piece detailing some serious institutional injury issues among NFL players -- nothing you don't already presume, but it's always stark to see the numbers.
NFL Draft: The Senior Bowl is tomorrow. It's just not the same without the Tim Tebow insanity of last year.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek released it's Top 100 most business-influential athletes list, and Peyton was No. 1. LeBron wasn't in the Top 10 and Tim Tebow wasn't among the Top 100, so it's very hard to take the list seriously.
Must-read: Yesterday's amazing essay on Deadspin by contributor Katie Baker about her life in the late-90s as an online "puck tease." One of the best sports stories you'll read all year.
There's a ton more on Quickish, so drop by to catch up on yesterday, keep up during the day and stay on top of everything throughout the weekend. It takes about 30 seconds per visit to catch up, with plenty more to read through links (but only if you want).
Otherwise, have a great weekend! (But, sincerely: Please check out Quickish. And, in advance of a big push next week, please tell a few friends today about it. It would really help.)
-- D.S.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
01/27: We Got Jimmered
Jimmer Fredette has picked his spot nicely.
During the slow mid-week before the week before the Super Bowl, Jimmer -- BYU's superstar scoring guard -- went from object of obsession for the college hoops intelligentsia to...
Full-blown sports rock star.
In the biggest game of his season last night -- hard enough to catch on TV (CBS College Sports, which had even me looking for an illicit internet video feed) that it almost felt more interesting, like watching Prince at a small club rather than an arena -- Jimmer had 43 in a W.
And it felt... quiet. Not just quiet: Easy. As quiet as 43 can be in an arena packed with rabid fans. Just look at this photo -- it was taken not by a pro, but by Jags LB Kirk Morrison, who was just there to watch the game.
We have had smaller-school college hoops phenoms recently -- Stephen Curry, Adam Morrison -- but Jimmer is the first real one of the Twitter Era, where buzz can elevate "CBS College Sports" to a Twitter Trending Topic (to be replaced by "Jimmer," undoubtedly).
His NBA future? He is expected to be a 1st-round pick, and like super college scorers who are presumably odd NBA fits before him -- like Curry and JJ Redick -- his stock will go up and he will go in the Top 10. Someone will do it.
His NCAA Tournament future? Curry made it deep into the second weekend. I'm not sure Fredette will get that far, but it sure would be good for the sport and the event if he did. San Diego State is no joke; that was a Sweet 16-quality win (if benefiting from home cooking).
But those are for another time. For now, it's just Jimmer the Rock Star, the big story of the day.
****
More on the radar:
Li Na is going to take over the world: When you become an instant sensation with a billion fans in China, you tend to move the needle. This showed up on Quickish this morning -- more fans could watch the Aussie Open women's final than the Super Bowl... by a lot.
Federer KO'ed: He's just not the same anymore. Hope you enjoyed his dominance while it lasted.
Kevin Durant is the Jimmer of the NBA: Kidding. Kevin Durant is just awesome, with 47 and 18 in an OT win over the T'wolves (Kevin Love wasn't bad either: 31 and 21. Sheesh.)
Tonight: LeBron and the Heat at Madison Square Garden. I think they beat the Knicks by 20, even without Chris Bosh. These Knicks could barely shake off the Wizards on Monday.
NFL union civil war? I'm dubbing it "Going Crogue," because Antonio Cromartie has been spouting off in ways that undermine the union's cause, so the union -- in a bit of a panic -- asked some members to tweet out their support. It came across as somewhat desperate; you're so afraid of a single player? Doesn't say much for the strength of your hand.
More later
-- D.S.
During the slow mid-week before the week before the Super Bowl, Jimmer -- BYU's superstar scoring guard -- went from object of obsession for the college hoops intelligentsia to...
Full-blown sports rock star.
In the biggest game of his season last night -- hard enough to catch on TV (CBS College Sports, which had even me looking for an illicit internet video feed) that it almost felt more interesting, like watching Prince at a small club rather than an arena -- Jimmer had 43 in a W.
And it felt... quiet. Not just quiet: Easy. As quiet as 43 can be in an arena packed with rabid fans. Just look at this photo -- it was taken not by a pro, but by Jags LB Kirk Morrison, who was just there to watch the game.
We have had smaller-school college hoops phenoms recently -- Stephen Curry, Adam Morrison -- but Jimmer is the first real one of the Twitter Era, where buzz can elevate "CBS College Sports" to a Twitter Trending Topic (to be replaced by "Jimmer," undoubtedly).
His NBA future? He is expected to be a 1st-round pick, and like super college scorers who are presumably odd NBA fits before him -- like Curry and JJ Redick -- his stock will go up and he will go in the Top 10. Someone will do it.
His NCAA Tournament future? Curry made it deep into the second weekend. I'm not sure Fredette will get that far, but it sure would be good for the sport and the event if he did. San Diego State is no joke; that was a Sweet 16-quality win (if benefiting from home cooking).
But those are for another time. For now, it's just Jimmer the Rock Star, the big story of the day.
****
More on the radar:
Li Na is going to take over the world: When you become an instant sensation with a billion fans in China, you tend to move the needle. This showed up on Quickish this morning -- more fans could watch the Aussie Open women's final than the Super Bowl... by a lot.
Federer KO'ed: He's just not the same anymore. Hope you enjoyed his dominance while it lasted.
Kevin Durant is the Jimmer of the NBA: Kidding. Kevin Durant is just awesome, with 47 and 18 in an OT win over the T'wolves (Kevin Love wasn't bad either: 31 and 21. Sheesh.)
Tonight: LeBron and the Heat at Madison Square Garden. I think they beat the Knicks by 20, even without Chris Bosh. These Knicks could barely shake off the Wizards on Monday.
NFL union civil war? I'm dubbing it "Going Crogue," because Antonio Cromartie has been spouting off in ways that undermine the union's cause, so the union -- in a bit of a panic -- asked some members to tweet out their support. It came across as somewhat desperate; you're so afraid of a single player? Doesn't say much for the strength of your hand.
More later
-- D.S.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
01/26 Quickie: Let's Get Quicker
I'm realizing that I'm hitting on only the really big topics here, when on Quickish, there seems to be a lot more going on -- and a lot more I want to cover in a Quickie column. So today is going to be fast(er) and (not quite) furious....
*Ohio State throttles Purdue: Oh, OSU is No. 1, clearly. But in college hoops, that is completely meaningless. Unless the Buckeyes win the national title, the season is a failure.
*Tonight: San Diego State at BYU, one of the best college hoops games of the regular season. SDSU is unbeaten; BYU is once-beaten and features the nation's most must-see player, Jimmer Fredette. Shame this game is shunted off to CBS College Sports.
*Dozen Iowa football players get sick after offseason workout: How many things have to go wrong before the Iowa administration finally fires Kirk Ferentz? Apparently, it's unlimited.
*Brian Cashman says Derek Jeter will eventually have to play the outfield: But this is a non-issue. I'm sure Jeter will insist on remaining at shortstop. (Frankly, everyone knows he should have moved over to 2B when A-Rod got to NY, and it was the antithesis of being the "captain" to not do what was best for the team. Then again, where would Cano play?)
*CFB: UConn booster wants his money back. I love this story. First of all, it's the guy's right to take his money back, for any reason. Second, let's not be naive: The biggest booster of a school's football program SHOULD have a say -- or at least he should be given the chance to have a say. It's a business, and this is an investor, whether we call them that or not. Third: Let's not argue the guy doesn't have a point -- Paul Pasqualoni was a TERRIBLE hire. Fourth: Don't think the top-money booster doesn't matter to a program? Let's see how UConn does without his money. (Robert Burton: You are welcome to join the angel syndicate for Quickish.)
*Herschel Walker back in NFL? Who doubts that, if given carries in an actual game, he couldn't be productive -- probably very productive? He is one of the most unique athletes in the history of sports. Totally doable.
*Rankings: Top 25 Coolest Athletes Ever? I'm a sucker for superlative rankings, so GQ got me. Hard to top Ali as the coolest of coolest. Nice to see at least one new-ish athlete on the list, Tim Lincecum. Can't help but think they're missing a few (including anyone pre-1950's).
*State of the Union address: The big/only sports crossover was when President Obama said we needed to celebrate the Science Fair winner as much as we do the Super Bowl winner. We already do: No Super Bowl winner is more celebrated that Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg or the Google guys, who are the "science" equivalent of Super Bowl winners.
*Great reads: The Slate sports folks are crushing it the past few weeks, and their columns the past two days have been absolutely phenomenal. Find them here.
*Book Club: "Scorecasting," which is like "Freakonomics" for sports. Great early reviews.
*Media: What did you think of that Peter King post yesterday? He actually acknowledged on Twitter that he remembered me (not that that was something I was going for). From last night's HBO report about him, I do wish they had changed one thing: They said his column gets "3 million hits" a week. Ugh. Page-view totals are worthless, particularly when you cynically chop up columns into as many pages as possible (Not King's fault, but SI.com chops his into 6 pages. So if you assume all users click through all 6 pages -- a terrible assumption, btw -- he only really has about 500,000 readers a week. That's still a really huge number. But, just for comparison's sake, the Daily Quickie -- publishing 5x as frequently, obviously -- did about 500,000 unique users a week, on average.)
*Happy 50th birthday, Wayne Gretzky: "Skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been."
After a few weeks of struggling with the Quickie post because I was juggling Quickish launch stuff, I feel like I got the groove back today. Speaking of which, visit Quickish now, pop by throughout the day, and tell your friends.
-- D.S.
*Ohio State throttles Purdue: Oh, OSU is No. 1, clearly. But in college hoops, that is completely meaningless. Unless the Buckeyes win the national title, the season is a failure.
*Tonight: San Diego State at BYU, one of the best college hoops games of the regular season. SDSU is unbeaten; BYU is once-beaten and features the nation's most must-see player, Jimmer Fredette. Shame this game is shunted off to CBS College Sports.
*Dozen Iowa football players get sick after offseason workout: How many things have to go wrong before the Iowa administration finally fires Kirk Ferentz? Apparently, it's unlimited.
*Brian Cashman says Derek Jeter will eventually have to play the outfield: But this is a non-issue. I'm sure Jeter will insist on remaining at shortstop. (Frankly, everyone knows he should have moved over to 2B when A-Rod got to NY, and it was the antithesis of being the "captain" to not do what was best for the team. Then again, where would Cano play?)
*CFB: UConn booster wants his money back. I love this story. First of all, it's the guy's right to take his money back, for any reason. Second, let's not be naive: The biggest booster of a school's football program SHOULD have a say -- or at least he should be given the chance to have a say. It's a business, and this is an investor, whether we call them that or not. Third: Let's not argue the guy doesn't have a point -- Paul Pasqualoni was a TERRIBLE hire. Fourth: Don't think the top-money booster doesn't matter to a program? Let's see how UConn does without his money. (Robert Burton: You are welcome to join the angel syndicate for Quickish.)
*Herschel Walker back in NFL? Who doubts that, if given carries in an actual game, he couldn't be productive -- probably very productive? He is one of the most unique athletes in the history of sports. Totally doable.
*Rankings: Top 25 Coolest Athletes Ever? I'm a sucker for superlative rankings, so GQ got me. Hard to top Ali as the coolest of coolest. Nice to see at least one new-ish athlete on the list, Tim Lincecum. Can't help but think they're missing a few (including anyone pre-1950's).
*State of the Union address: The big/only sports crossover was when President Obama said we needed to celebrate the Science Fair winner as much as we do the Super Bowl winner. We already do: No Super Bowl winner is more celebrated that Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg or the Google guys, who are the "science" equivalent of Super Bowl winners.
*Great reads: The Slate sports folks are crushing it the past few weeks, and their columns the past two days have been absolutely phenomenal. Find them here.
*Book Club: "Scorecasting," which is like "Freakonomics" for sports. Great early reviews.
*Media: What did you think of that Peter King post yesterday? He actually acknowledged on Twitter that he remembered me (not that that was something I was going for). From last night's HBO report about him, I do wish they had changed one thing: They said his column gets "3 million hits" a week. Ugh. Page-view totals are worthless, particularly when you cynically chop up columns into as many pages as possible (Not King's fault, but SI.com chops his into 6 pages. So if you assume all users click through all 6 pages -- a terrible assumption, btw -- he only really has about 500,000 readers a week. That's still a really huge number. But, just for comparison's sake, the Daily Quickie -- publishing 5x as frequently, obviously -- did about 500,000 unique users a week, on average.)
*Happy 50th birthday, Wayne Gretzky: "Skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been."
After a few weeks of struggling with the Quickie post because I was juggling Quickish launch stuff, I feel like I got the groove back today. Speaking of which, visit Quickish now, pop by throughout the day, and tell your friends.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
On Peter King's MMQB
HBO "Real Sports" will profile Peter King tonight, with a specific focus on King's popular "Monday Morning Quarterback" column. Taking a second out from keeping up Quickish (what? you haven't tried it yet? please do!) I'd like to add a bit of context...
Peter King will not remember me*, but between 1998 and 1999 I was his “editor” at SI.com (nee CNNSI.com) and was responsible, along with my boss, for back-reading what was then the 2nd year of King’s online column “Monday Morning Quarterback.”
King, to his credit, understood intuitively the voice and pace and essential populism of what makes great online content -- particularly impressive in 1998, when most mainstream media’s interest in the Web ranged from ignorance to hostility.
Taking enthusiastically to the opportunities of the web format, King did four things very right with MMQB:
(1) He wrote naturally. It was like you were sitting on a barstool (or, more in King’s wheelhouse, airline seat next to him). This was a dramatic departure from the heavily edited, depersonalized pieces you normally saw in Sports Illustrated and elsewhere in mainstream sports media.
(2) He wrote at whatever length he wanted, but wisely deployed tons of formatting. Some people took to the online format because they could write at whatever lengths they wanted, but King’s word count never felt gratuitous, in part because the column was parsed into natural sections: Some kind of lead, lists and rankings, personal stories. It was long, but easy to consume.
(3) He provided a combination of insider details that were manna for football fans and simply weren’t found online at the time... and insider details about his life. It’s a point of contention throughout the history of MMQB between the folks who just want the football and can’t stand the stories about King’s take on coffee or travel or baseball or his daughters’ sports teams -- and those who absolutely love that stuff. If you hate it, you can skip over it; however, I would contend that it was the personal details as much as the football ones that drove the column’s success.
(4) It was a “franchise,” right down to its name: Every Monday morning, you’d get the column. It was built on King’s brand, yes, but also on a programming schedule that readers could easily follow (Mondays also not coincidentally also the biggest traffic day of the week in online sports media).
And MMQB was successful -- SI.com’s most popular content then and now. Along with Jimmy Traina’s Hot Clicks, it is the signature piece of programming for SI.com, and MMQB is one of the most recognizable and popular pieces of sports content on the Web. There is an argument to be made -- successfully -- that it is the single-most popular and successful programming “franchise” in online sports (which I’ll distinguish from a writer’s overall popularity, which Bill Simmons claims by a wide margin).
As someone who has been around online sports media since 1995, I’ve seen a lot and have a long institutional memory. To oversimplify, what King did was groundbreaking. Specifically:
*WHO was doing it (traditional and widely respected sports reporter);
*WHERE he was going it (venerable Sports Illustrated);
*HOW he was doing it (formatted, fan-friendly, franchised, near-real-time deadline);
*WHY he was doing it, which is not to be understated (unquestionably, it raised his profile -- far more than any work he ever did in SI’s magazine and almost certainly contributed to the overall popularity that got him the NFL Sunday Night TV gig).
In fact, the HBO segment tonight is specifically pegged off of King’s success with the “MMQB” column.
(It is worth noting that this is not some one-trick element in King's philosophy. He is among the most active mainstream sportswriters on Twitter -- with nearly half a million followers -- and spends a good chunk of his Twitter time responding to readers, both folks with questions and ones with complaints. He has shown as much of a facility with the new platform as the old one, and it begs the quiestion of whether King qualifies as one of the few talents in online sports media whose popularity could support his own stand-alone brand -- and the list is very short. I'm not suggesting he would or should try; like Simmons and ESPN, there is little-to-no upside to leaving the larger company.)
I don’t think Peter would argue if I said that, starting more than a decade ago, he became an online sportswriter who happened to write for a magazine and appear on TV.
Please be sure to visit Quickish, Dan's newly launched company, offering real-time quick-hit recommendations about the biggest topics in sports news.
* - OK, he remembers.
-- D.S.
Peter King will not remember me*, but between 1998 and 1999 I was his “editor” at SI.com (nee CNNSI.com) and was responsible, along with my boss, for back-reading what was then the 2nd year of King’s online column “Monday Morning Quarterback.”
King, to his credit, understood intuitively the voice and pace and essential populism of what makes great online content -- particularly impressive in 1998, when most mainstream media’s interest in the Web ranged from ignorance to hostility.
Taking enthusiastically to the opportunities of the web format, King did four things very right with MMQB:
(1) He wrote naturally. It was like you were sitting on a barstool (or, more in King’s wheelhouse, airline seat next to him). This was a dramatic departure from the heavily edited, depersonalized pieces you normally saw in Sports Illustrated and elsewhere in mainstream sports media.
(2) He wrote at whatever length he wanted, but wisely deployed tons of formatting. Some people took to the online format because they could write at whatever lengths they wanted, but King’s word count never felt gratuitous, in part because the column was parsed into natural sections: Some kind of lead, lists and rankings, personal stories. It was long, but easy to consume.
(3) He provided a combination of insider details that were manna for football fans and simply weren’t found online at the time... and insider details about his life. It’s a point of contention throughout the history of MMQB between the folks who just want the football and can’t stand the stories about King’s take on coffee or travel or baseball or his daughters’ sports teams -- and those who absolutely love that stuff. If you hate it, you can skip over it; however, I would contend that it was the personal details as much as the football ones that drove the column’s success.
(4) It was a “franchise,” right down to its name: Every Monday morning, you’d get the column. It was built on King’s brand, yes, but also on a programming schedule that readers could easily follow (Mondays also not coincidentally also the biggest traffic day of the week in online sports media).
And MMQB was successful -- SI.com’s most popular content then and now. Along with Jimmy Traina’s Hot Clicks, it is the signature piece of programming for SI.com, and MMQB is one of the most recognizable and popular pieces of sports content on the Web. There is an argument to be made -- successfully -- that it is the single-most popular and successful programming “franchise” in online sports (which I’ll distinguish from a writer’s overall popularity, which Bill Simmons claims by a wide margin).
As someone who has been around online sports media since 1995, I’ve seen a lot and have a long institutional memory. To oversimplify, what King did was groundbreaking. Specifically:
*WHO was doing it (traditional and widely respected sports reporter);
*WHERE he was going it (venerable Sports Illustrated);
*HOW he was doing it (formatted, fan-friendly, franchised, near-real-time deadline);
*WHY he was doing it, which is not to be understated (unquestionably, it raised his profile -- far more than any work he ever did in SI’s magazine and almost certainly contributed to the overall popularity that got him the NFL Sunday Night TV gig).
In fact, the HBO segment tonight is specifically pegged off of King’s success with the “MMQB” column.
(It is worth noting that this is not some one-trick element in King's philosophy. He is among the most active mainstream sportswriters on Twitter -- with nearly half a million followers -- and spends a good chunk of his Twitter time responding to readers, both folks with questions and ones with complaints. He has shown as much of a facility with the new platform as the old one, and it begs the quiestion of whether King qualifies as one of the few talents in online sports media whose popularity could support his own stand-alone brand -- and the list is very short. I'm not suggesting he would or should try; like Simmons and ESPN, there is little-to-no upside to leaving the larger company.)
I don’t think Peter would argue if I said that, starting more than a decade ago, he became an online sportswriter who happened to write for a magazine and appear on TV.
Please be sure to visit Quickish, Dan's newly launched company, offering real-time quick-hit recommendations about the biggest topics in sports news.
* - OK, he remembers.
-- D.S.
State of the Sports Union: Your Turn
Today's theme is "State of the Sports Union" and I want you to have your say...on Quickish.
Just Tweet out your quick take on the state of the sports union, using the hashtag #quickish.
If you're not on Twitter, shoot an email to tips[at]quickish[dot]com.
I'll post as many as I can on Quickish throughout the day. Thanks!
--- Dan
Just Tweet out your quick take on the state of the sports union, using the hashtag #quickish.
If you're not on Twitter, shoot an email to tips[at]quickish[dot]com.
I'll post as many as I can on Quickish throughout the day. Thanks!
--- Dan
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