"Horrific announcers and the baseball broadcast booth"
February 28, 2012
Nothing is worse in sports in general than a horrific, clueless, and cool-aid drinking announcer. Unfortunately they are rampant, especially in baseball (There are several exceptions). I come from an extremely lucky baseball town where we were blessed with the likes of Carey, Buck, Shannon, and even a tolerable Danny Mac and The Mad Hungarian in recent years on TV. I want to pause, and stress that my opinion of an announcer is strictly based on their professional ability and NOT their personal character or their quality as people. I have been critical of Rick Horton as a Cardinal announcer, for several reasons. I think a lot of his role replacing Al Hrabosky (whom I prefer as the alternative) was because Al was uber-critical of Albert and Yadi not running out ground balls, and blasted TLR in the process, which spurred a public media battle between both sides. Horton didn't earn the job by being better. Sunday games were on local TV for several years, and I remember being elated when I found out the the Sunday games were moved to cable, so I wouldn't have to stomach Horton and Jay Randolph. Then I found out Horton got something like 100 of Hrabosky's games, and it was as bad as I imagined. Getting players' names wrong makes me especially angry, which was a Sunday trademark, and it continued the entire next season. The general good guy, clean living, "I played mediocre enough in the Majors to know a few people" type are very popular with network execs. everwhere. I love the live look-ins on MLB Network during the season, and it is painfully obvious most teams go by the good announcer paired with bozo moniker. It is crazy. I think it is in the unwritten baseball rules that each team must have a Buck or Scully, and have a giddy, drunk, will say anything type next to him. The other solution is to have WWE wrestling style announcers (I know it sounds extreme), where one cheers for the good and the other evil, and they argue back and fourth about it. I had a Facebook discussion with a popular and well connected local sports radio analyst who was defending Horton, and his point was this, "that is the beauty of sports, you can like and listen to who you want". That is wrong, if you watch the Cardinals on FSN, you don't have a choice. You are stuck. Period. Network guys: Give us announcers with a personality that know the game, or I will be reduced to the front porch with KMOX on the radio, a chair, and one of AB's finest. Maybe I won't miss a beat, and I will save on my cable bill! Thanks for reading-Joe
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
"Well sure, someone must have put testosterone in my test sample, it happens all of the time"
February 25, 2012
It was announced Thurday that Brewers RF Ryan Braun beat his arbritration case and avoided a 50 game suspension that might have doomed the Brewers in the NL Central and buried Braun and any accolades he already had or will recieve. I was furious at first, being a Cardinals fan, that the cocky, shirt untucking Brewers star got off. I mean, honestly, whether proper protocal was follwed or not during the process, he DID fail a test. I watched his press conference, and he arrogantly blasted a "fatally flawed" testing system. I bet the MLB Labor dept. loved that. Yet, he still failed a test. His points about gaining weight, increasing speed and performance seem accurate, and his numbers are consistent. All good arguements. But the fact that someone would take a urine sample, taint it with testosterone, and submit it, is utterly assanine. I bet Manny Ramirez's agent is on the phone with Braun's agent as we speak. He should be. But before I end this rant with all negative dialogue, Braun made one good point. If you failed a drug test at a job your family depends on, and you found a person took your sample home for 48 hours before submitting it to a lab, wouldn't you try to make a case for yourself? I guess, if you think your innocent. Or would you make a case if you knew you cheated the system but knew you could get off by challenging a "fatally flawed" system? Ahh, the million dollar question. Thanks for reading-Joe
February 25, 2012
It was announced Thurday that Brewers RF Ryan Braun beat his arbritration case and avoided a 50 game suspension that might have doomed the Brewers in the NL Central and buried Braun and any accolades he already had or will recieve. I was furious at first, being a Cardinals fan, that the cocky, shirt untucking Brewers star got off. I mean, honestly, whether proper protocal was follwed or not during the process, he DID fail a test. I watched his press conference, and he arrogantly blasted a "fatally flawed" testing system. I bet the MLB Labor dept. loved that. Yet, he still failed a test. His points about gaining weight, increasing speed and performance seem accurate, and his numbers are consistent. All good arguements. But the fact that someone would take a urine sample, taint it with testosterone, and submit it, is utterly assanine. I bet Manny Ramirez's agent is on the phone with Braun's agent as we speak. He should be. But before I end this rant with all negative dialogue, Braun made one good point. If you failed a drug test at a job your family depends on, and you found a person took your sample home for 48 hours before submitting it to a lab, wouldn't you try to make a case for yourself? I guess, if you think your innocent. Or would you make a case if you knew you cheated the system but knew you could get off by challenging a "fatally flawed" system? Ahh, the million dollar question. Thanks for reading-Joe
Thursday, February 23, 2012
"Another Season-long contract conflict in St. Louis"
February 23, 2012
Spring Training is in full swing down in Jupiter, and there is a lot to be excited about! New arrivals, returning veterans, a new skipper, and promising young talent help soothe the sting of King Albert leaving for sunny Hollywood. And, just we begin to put the Albert saga behind us, Cardinal Nation is greeted with another high-profile player and his agent taking a page out of the Dan Lozano playbook. Deadlines on sides making offers and discussing a deal, the "no hometown discount" tag line, and "it is up to my agent" quote ring out from the Cardinals locker room down in Jupiter. Albert and the Cards knew what the plans were from the beginning. Lozano wanted the biggest deal possible for his slugger, and Cards made the safe move avoiding a long term deal for an aging-yet-still dominant player. But here is why Yadi is a different animal: He is almost unreplaceable, extremely durable, has no serious injury history, and the Cards have no backup plan in waiting (Bernie Miklasz touched on this today on 101 ESPN) as they did when Molina came up behind Matheny. Yadi changes every game he plays defensively, handles a pitching staff better than anyone in the league, and had a nice .300 plus year with 14 homers at the plate. Yadi also won't cost the Cards 250 million, and they have a lot of room coming off of the payroll next year. I was pleased the Cards didn't cave to the Pujols/Lozano camp, but this is different. Enough deadlines, talks, no talks, etc., Mo' just needs to get this deal done! No excuses! Thaks for reading-Joe
February 23, 2012
Spring Training is in full swing down in Jupiter, and there is a lot to be excited about! New arrivals, returning veterans, a new skipper, and promising young talent help soothe the sting of King Albert leaving for sunny Hollywood. And, just we begin to put the Albert saga behind us, Cardinal Nation is greeted with another high-profile player and his agent taking a page out of the Dan Lozano playbook. Deadlines on sides making offers and discussing a deal, the "no hometown discount" tag line, and "it is up to my agent" quote ring out from the Cardinals locker room down in Jupiter. Albert and the Cards knew what the plans were from the beginning. Lozano wanted the biggest deal possible for his slugger, and Cards made the safe move avoiding a long term deal for an aging-yet-still dominant player. But here is why Yadi is a different animal: He is almost unreplaceable, extremely durable, has no serious injury history, and the Cards have no backup plan in waiting (Bernie Miklasz touched on this today on 101 ESPN) as they did when Molina came up behind Matheny. Yadi changes every game he plays defensively, handles a pitching staff better than anyone in the league, and had a nice .300 plus year with 14 homers at the plate. Yadi also won't cost the Cards 250 million, and they have a lot of room coming off of the payroll next year. I was pleased the Cards didn't cave to the Pujols/Lozano camp, but this is different. Enough deadlines, talks, no talks, etc., Mo' just needs to get this deal done! No excuses! Thaks for reading-Joe
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
THE MOST BORING TWO "SPORTS" WEEKS OF THE YEAR
February 21, 2012
The last two weeks in February drive me nuts every year. I am an avid baseball/college basketball fan, so there is a lot on the horizon for March. But the last two weeks in February are boring, for several reasons. Spring Training has just started, which is exciting, but nothing is really brewing until games start being played, and most of the trades/free agent moves are complete. The NCAA men's college basketball conference schedule is winding down, you really know "who is who" as far as what teams are good or not, and the conference tournaments don't start for another two weeks. The playoff races haven't really gone into full swing in the NHL and NBA, so exicitement is minimal there for me as well. The NFL Pro-Days and Draft circus are still a few weeks away. It makes for boring TV and sports media all around. This time of year might be the worst gap in sports excitement all year, period. What's the solution? Sharpen up on your fantasy baseball draft knowledge, and get out your dummy NCAA Tourney bracket and start thinking. Go out and throw around the softball and get your equipment in order (if that's your thing). Spend some valuble time with the significant other, before you disappear into March Madness and the start of the baseball season. I can just imagine in three weeks all will be different, which is welcome. Thanks for reading-Joe
February 21, 2012
The last two weeks in February drive me nuts every year. I am an avid baseball/college basketball fan, so there is a lot on the horizon for March. But the last two weeks in February are boring, for several reasons. Spring Training has just started, which is exciting, but nothing is really brewing until games start being played, and most of the trades/free agent moves are complete. The NCAA men's college basketball conference schedule is winding down, you really know "who is who" as far as what teams are good or not, and the conference tournaments don't start for another two weeks. The playoff races haven't really gone into full swing in the NHL and NBA, so exicitement is minimal there for me as well. The NFL Pro-Days and Draft circus are still a few weeks away. It makes for boring TV and sports media all around. This time of year might be the worst gap in sports excitement all year, period. What's the solution? Sharpen up on your fantasy baseball draft knowledge, and get out your dummy NCAA Tourney bracket and start thinking. Go out and throw around the softball and get your equipment in order (if that's your thing). Spend some valuble time with the significant other, before you disappear into March Madness and the start of the baseball season. I can just imagine in three weeks all will be different, which is welcome. Thanks for reading-Joe
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