Odd Man Out

When Jim Bouton write Ball Four back in the 70s there was an uproar from inside the baseball community. Players, coaches, ballboys and the birds that eat the popcorn scattered about the bleachers after games were all aflutter, squawking about Botuon's disrespect of the sanctity of the locker room. How dare he let people know that his teammates showered with their clothes off.

Tsk, tsk, Jim.

The reaction is still echoing almost 40 years later and the dismantling of the clubhouse commandments has become a common trend. Jose Canseco, Pete Rose, et all, have put into print what was once put into secret.

While those two characters are hardly commendable people, they are still brave enough to do what few else have done: squeal.

Matt McCarthy is kind of like their kid brother. McCarthy, who penned Odd Man Out a few years after leaving the Angels' minor league system, gave us access to the farm. He introduced us to people who, at times, can seem almost mythical, the players we watch hustle around the bags in order to exchange their OBP for stacks of hundos. We got to see Bobby Jenks at his surliest, Joe Saunders at his cock-of-the-walkyiet, and Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo at their best-friend-with-benefitiest.

The behind-the-scenes locker room scenes were memorable, as was McCarthy's arrival, first, at spring training and then in Mormon Provo.

But the rest was simply ho-hum. I liked the book, but at times it dragged, McCarthy's use of dialogue simply eh.

And then again, at other times, I was laughing out loud and quoting snippets to my wife.

While the writing was occasionally iffy, it was an overall pleasant read.

Facing Ali: 15 Fighters 15 Stories

I’m not what you would call a boxing fan. As a matter of fact, I can’t tell you the last boxing match I watched. I don’t know who the current heavy weight champion is or if once, big name boxers like Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis still fight.

But there is something I enjoy immensely about old time boxing, a time when battles were fought hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from places like the MGM Grand or Caesars Palace.

I’m talking years before George Foreman started making countertop grills and Iron Mike Tyson started biting off his opponent’s ears.

There is a great nostalgia of the golden age of boxing and it is captured perfectly in “Facing Ali: 15 Fighters 15 Stories” by Stephen Brunt.

Everyone knows who Muhammad Ali is and the story behind him. How he was once known as an Olympic gold medalist and young up-and–comer from Louisville, Kentucky, named Cassius Clay who changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam.

This book takes you through an oral history of more than a bakers dozen of some of the best fights of Ali’s career, told through the eyes of the boxers who fought against him.

This unique perspective gave observations and assertions from many of the fighters whose careers were advanced because of their bouts with Ali. It goes beyond the ring and describes what life was like before and after boxers stepped into the ring to fight what many believe is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

Some are bittersweet, rags to riches and back to rags stories. Others show how careers can take off after fighting Ali.

Oral history is one of my favorite ways to tell a story and this book does not disappoint. Brunt has mastered the art of storytelling through this genre, which is one of my personal favorites.

Allowing people to tell their unabridged side of the story and see it side-by-side with other people who witnessed the same event is one of the most honest ways of tell a story. No matter what happens, each person can see the same event from a different angle.

It’s amazing to believe how great of a story you can get when the main character of the book never utters a word (no pun intended).

I thought the book was interesting in the fact that it did not cover the Rumble in the Jungle, which to many is one of the greatest boxing matches of all time.

I also liked that the book is not overflowing with statistical information. Instead, Brunt’s visual description painted an extraordinarily vivid picture for the reader.

Mayweather Confidence

As I was browsing through ESPN's website looking for exciting news I came across a couple stories about Mayweather and his high confidence that he has for tomorrow nights game. With as many boxing fans that we discovered in class yesterday I'm sure many if not all of you will be watching it. I for one have no idea who is going to win because I have never heard of either of them. Every time I turn on the radio or even sometimes when I turn on the television the question is following me: "Who is it going to be? Mayweather or Mosley?" With as much publicity as I have heard I may even tune it for a little bit and see what its all about. But for all of you boxing fans out there who do you think it is going to be? Mayweather or Mosley?

http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/48201/floyd-mayweather-predicts-ko-vs-shane-mosley-saturday

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5149758

Second book review

My second book review is The Teammates by David Halberstam. This book chronicles the lives and friendship between four of the greatest players to put on a Boston Red Sox uniform: Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Dominic DiMaggio. This book is about more than just four baseball players from the 1940s who became friends; this is about four guys who became men together on the baseball field... and off the field.

In early October 2001, Ted Williams' health was failing severely and he was dying. His dear friend, Dominic DiMaggio and his friend, Dick Flavin, a local television personality from his hometown in Massachusetts, decided to drive 1,300 miles from Massachusetts to Florida to him Williams. Their old teammate and friend, Johnny Pesky decided to make the trip with them, Bobby Doerr, the last of the four teammates could not make the trip because of his wife's failing health.

The book is set up as a trip down memory lane for DiMaggio and Pesky as they make their way down to Florida. It starts when they all broke into the minor leagues together in the late 1930s and early 1940s. They all either spent all or most of their careers playing for the Red Sox, something you hardly see nowadays, which is what makes their bond so special and why they all became lifelong friends.

All four of these guys had Hall of Fame caliber careers for the Red Sox and were the cornerstones of those great Red Sox teams of the 1940s. Ted Williams is the last player to hit .400 for a season. But this book is about a lot more than just what these guys did on the field. They were brothers, and had a bond that over 70 years, was never broken.

They all had different roles in their collective friendship, just as they did on the field. Williams was the big brother with the demonstrative personality, always looking out for "my guys," as he called them. DiMaggio was the intellectual of the group who always kept the cool head. Pesky, the son of Croatian immigrants, always had to prove himself because of his small stature, and never disappointed. Doerr was all business, showing up and taking care of his responsibilities, both on and off the field. This became even more evident as his wife's health began to fail.

What struck me about this book was the bond the guys had, it went way beyond baseball. They were best friends; they had something that you rarely see in modern-day ballplayers. It was not just about baseball, they kept each other in their hearts because of the bond they made during their careers. They traveled across the country to be with their dying brother during his final moments. Their bond went way beyond being teammates, they were family. This is not just a sports book, it is a book about four men who grew up on the baseball field together and are there for each other, on and off the field.

3 Nights in August (Book Review)

The writer Michael Chabon said that, "a baseball game is nothing but a great slow contraption for getting you to pay attention to the cadence of a summer day." I love baseball because of its rhythms. I love it because it's not just about what's going on on the field, it's about everything around it, too. The starts and stops and ebbs and flows and beats and pauses.

And now I've learned that I could never be a major league manager, because it would ruin the game for me.

Buzz Bissinger's 3 Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager follows St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa through a three game series in August, 2003 against the Chicago Cubs. Both teams were battling the Houston Astros for both the division title and the wild card (the Cubs eventually won the division pennant), so the intensity level was ridiculously high. But one gets the feeling that the intensity level for a manager, or at least a manager like LaRussa, is always necessarily ridiculously high. Bissinger recounts nearly every out, and in many cases, every pitch of every out, relating the toll each singular moment takes on LaRussa's constitution and psyche. While it is entirely fascinating to see just what goes into (literally) every pitch in an at-bat, in a game, in a series, in a season, the result is a world that is ruthless and draining. I do not (I should say, I no longer) envy people like LaRussa. This is just too much stress for a guy like me.

That said, Bissinger has created an engaging narrative, using just the three-game series as the backdrop for his examination of LaRussa (and the baseball manager on a larger scale, ultimately), interspersing the minute detail of game action with flashbacks to earlier in the season, to previous seasons (even back to LaRussa's beginnings with the White Sox) to see how prior events, thoughts, and mistakes shape each and every move LaRussa makes. I'm a Cubs fan, and though it's no secret what happened in 2003 (not that I remembered this particular series, but I easily could have looked it up), I still found myself pulling for Moises Alou to get a clutch hit, or for Kerry Wood to shut down the Cards. This is a testament to the foresight of Bissinger and LaRussa's decision to focus the book on one series, rather than, say, LaRussa's entire history or his general philosophy. This move allowed them to set the narrative right in the middle of high drama, and then to maneuver in and out at their leisure.

I'm not impressed, though, with Bissinger's ability as a wordsmith. He tends to rely on the same devices (repeating repeating repeating the same word or phrase again and again to add urgency), or the same terms (if I read "crooked number" ever again, I must pop a blood vessel). Once, or twice, or three times seems reasonable. 10 or 15 or 20 times shows a lack of imagination. Or laziness. I'm not sure which is worse.

More than that, Bissinger is often far too pleased with himself with his turns of phrase. His style may please some people, but little bothers me more than a writer who is obviously far too self-indulgent:

"His forkball was a hitter's temptress, slow and sweet before the bottom went to hell."

"Morris retires the side in order in the sixth, the final pitch a sweet 12-to-6 curve that Sosa misses by so much, even the Arch smiles." (Get it? Cause they're in St. Louis! And the Arch maybe looks like it's frowning!)

Ugh. Take a step back, Buzz. You're not as clever as you think you are.

Even so, I could get past that. The narrative was interesting enough, the subject was more than interesting enough, and it was delightful to read about players with the knowledge of what lay in store for them over the next six years. And, yeah, Bissinger's writing is not as irritating as I'm making it out to be.

Quick read, innovative craftsmanship, mostly enjoyable. Stressful, but mostly enjoyable.

Run Amy Run

Athletes make the best stories at times. Unfortunately it's at a time of struggle. Why is that? Perhaps it's the inspiration we feel, a human interest story, something we can relate to and through them we feel triumphant too.
This story is about Amy Palmiero-Winters, a 37-year-old mother of two with an amputated leg.
Yeah, I know, another feel good piece but it's pretty incredible.
She is the first amputee to be named to the U.S. national team. Palmiero-Winters runs 24 hour marathons, and competes in all sorts of insane endurance races, like the Western States Endurance Run, 100 miles of trail running through the Sierra Nevada (she is the third amputee to qualify). In July, she will run the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-miler in California from Death Valley to Mount Whitney — spanning three mountain ranges — in temperatures reaching 130 degrees.
Props to this lady, and the others as well, but she only has one real leg. I can run about three whole miles with my two god-given legs before I want to go home and take a cold shower to cool off.
Thanks for the inspiration Ms. Amy Pamiero-Winters. Good luck.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/track/2010-04-25-amputee-runner_N.htm

Mike Kennedy

Man, can that guy talk.

I work in radio, but I've never really held dreams of being a play-by-play guy, except that every dreams of just being able to watch baseball and talk about it for a living. But I've always been kind of intimidated by the idea that people who are really good at play-by-play probably just have some natural talent that I don't. I'm not particularly comfortable with extended extemporaneous speaking, and I never really figured that it was the sort of thing you could "learn"-- or at least learn enough to make you really, really good at it.

Kennedy didn't make me feel any more comfortable on that front. He said explicitly that he's always had an ability to form his next thoughts while he was speaking his previous thoughts, and that allows him to keep talking, talking, talking, for hours on end. It's impressive, and he's great at it. And this just confirms for me that, to some extent (and to an extent that probably makes the real difference between good and excellent) this ability is innate. That will not be me.

But I would love to sit in on one of his broadcasts, just to see the process at work. Just to see it happen. I want to see his preparation work its way to audible fruition.

Any who's listened to Kennedy for much time has been impressed by his ridiculous recall of names, dates, statistics, games, and so on. And it's not just the Shockers, his net is cast far wider. I wish we could have gotten a chance to ask him about that. Probably, we would have found out that it's just another natural talent he has. Still, I'd like to know what he has to say about it.

Nice guy, at least to a group of university students. I appreciate that he really seems to feel like this is just something he does and really likes doing, because for a lot of us, he's a huge celebrity. He's been the only voice of the Shockers for essentially my entire life, which means, for people like me, he IS the Shockers. I was glad that he didn't seem to see himself that way.

Book Review

Written by Holly Robinson Peete, “Get Your Own Damn Beer, I’m Watching The Game!” is a book written to explain football to casual fans or those who do not know much about football at all. Robinson Peete is married to former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, and writes the book obviously from a woman’s point of view.

The book is full of interesting information, including the history of the game, important players, important coaches and how American football came to be what it is today.

This book explained information to me about general rules of football that I have picked up on by watching the game casually but never really understood completely.

One of the most helpful sections that Rodney Peete wrote was an explanation on how to determine what position players are playing in by their jerseys, body builds and their position in relation to the quarterback.

I did not know that the NFL Rule Book has all jersey numbers corresponding to positions so it’s easier for referees to tell if the player is eligible to have been active in the play (quarterbacks, punters and placekickers, for instance, must wear uniform numbers between 1 and 19.)

Rodney Peete talks about being married to an NFL player like it’s a completely commonplace occurrence, dedicating a large chunk of her book (including a complete chapter) to discussing what it’s like to worry about your husband getting sacked or losing a big game.

Robinson Peete uses the book to clear the air on some of her own personal problems with her husband’s career, which definitely distracts from the point of the book.

The book is written in a very conversational tone, but is sometimes too simplistic and often the author’s jokes can be hokey.

A lot of her advice is, “the more you watch, the more you’ll pick up on.” It’s kind of no-brainer advice, but with the way the book is written it’s definitely true. If you didn’t grow up with sports knowledge, there is a lot to digest in this book.

This is definitely a book you can skim for information if you have a question during the game, but it’s definitely not a book you can ingest all in one reading.

The use of diagrams is helpful and her breakdown of the history is short and simple to read.

Overall, this book is a nice reference piece, but it could have been cut down quite a bit if Rodney Peete didn’t try to cater to her audience so much.

The book has some interesting information and might be something to keep next to me while watching season games, but it definitely isn’t something that I would casually read for fun.

Book 2 Review

One long season in professional baseball was enough for Matt McCarthy. During that season McCarthy would keep a diary which he later turned into the book "Odd Man Out, A Year On The Mound With a Minor League Misfit." McCarthy exposes the realities of locker room politics, paranoia and the dream of being in the major leagues.
McCarthy was a twenty-sixth round draft pick in the 2002 MLB draft. Listening on a different phone, McCarthy's father negotiated a deal and the next day he was signing a contract with the Anaheim Angels for a thousand dollars - the league minimum. He was on his way to climbing the relentless tower that is professional baseball.
The locker room politics was one of the more interesting topics throughout the book. Apparently teams are racially divided by race. The Dominicans, and the Americans. This being one of the first lessons learned entering training camp. The chase for the big leagues turned the team game into an individualistic mindset. Routing against a teammate was not uncommon, no one really cared about winning or losing, and everyone despised the guy who was drafted ahead of them. In the height of the steroid years, when sluggers like Bonds and McGuire were breaking records, the temptation of steroids was a struggle.
Friendships were made as the minor league life was rough, 76 games in 80 days. McCarthy was surrounded by guys who were in their sixth years in the minors and contemplating retirement and some would go on to be All Stars. Some were angry with the lies they felt they were fed, and some couldn't let go of the fact they would never make it to the league.
McCarthy gave readers the perfect insight to the character of baseball. From training camp to the end of his career, he would play one in one full season with the Angels' single A team in Provo, Utah. He logged appearances in 15 games and walked more batters than he struck out, but what he took with him was an experience some of us would envy.

Book Review

I read Pete Rose: My Prison Without Bars. I enjoy watching baseball but I wouldn't consider myself a huge baseball fan so it was nice to read a book that wasn't all about sports but more about the behind scenes.

My Prison Without Bars took me through the journey of Rose's life of gambling and how it all began. The story starts with him talking about are hard it was to say goodbye to his children as he was leaving to go to the US Penitentiary for the next five months of his life. I thought the opening chapter to this book was amazing because it gave me a reason to continue reading and to figure out just what happened to this man to make him have to be taken from his family.

The most amazing thing about this book to me was when Rose talked about how his addiction began and at such a young age. Rose talked about going to the horse races as a child with his father and his fathers friends. His love for gambling started one day when his father asked him to go place a bet on a horse. Walking up to the booth, feeling so big and important. The horse that Rose and his father had chosen ended up winning that race and the feeling that it gave Rose was the most amazing thing he had ever felt. That feeling also was what led him to the downfall in his life.

Pete Rose was an amazing baseball player holding more baseball records than any other player in history. But it was his passion and knowledge of baseball mixed with his love of gambling that has had him permanently banned from professionally playing the game ever again. After being caught gambling on baseball games Rose was asked to leave the league and never return.

The interesting thing about this story to me was that it was told by Rose. Since it was from his mouth and in his words it had a way of telling the dark side of his life without making him sound like a complete monster. It was almost a way of him admitting he was wrong and feeling bad about the things he had done. It made it seem very personally and could almost make the reader become emotionally involved in not only the story but the narrator.

Mike Kennedy

Mike Kennedy was the first person we've talked with all year for whom I had no preconceived notions. I didn't know what he'd be like or what he'd say. When I saw him at Homecoming, he just seemed like a normal guy who happened to be the "Voice of the Shockers." Talking with him only reinforced that idea, but in a good way.

Listening to him reminded me a little bit of myself, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I can imagine a lot of little sports fans turn down the volume during games and do the play-by-play themselves. I know I did when I was a little kid watching the NBA and Peter Vecsey or Mike Fratello was on the air (which was a lot). The way he talked about playing solo baseball games in his backyard was pretty cool, too. I used to do a similar thing in my backyard when I was five years old.

It's nice to know that there's somebody in the broadcasting business that seems normal. I always feel like most of the on-air people in broadcast just hide behind smiles and charisma. They don't feel like real people, and that notion was a little bit reinforced by our visit to Channel 12/CatchItKansas. I mean, Bruce Haertl and Jenn Bates seem okay, but the people I didn't recognize were the ones that I could relate to. Kennedy just seemed genuine.

As for what he does on the airwaves, it's unbelievable. He's got a lot of things to balance, and he has to do it all with an analyst by his side. That's something I think I take for granted during broadcasts, the chemistry between partners. I really liked hearing Kennedy talk about that because I've never thought about it before. You have to know when to come in, fade out, and when to use the appropriate stat/fun fact. I'm sure that it takes some time to learn your cues when working with a new/different partner.

Hearing him talk about volleyball was pretty funny, too. I guess I've never listened to a volleyball broadcast, but I imagine it would be pretty stressful to do. I thought it was interesting that Kennedy believed Lamb was wrong when told that he couldn't "call every touch like basketball." Volleyball is a sport that is so fast-paced it really needs the visual element to get a good grip on what's going on. I'm sure it's hard as a radio broadcaster to attempt to explain every point to the listening audience.

Happy Days

J.A. Happ. Please tell me you've never heard of him. No? Good.

Sadly, I know this may not be the case for everyone; if you're like me, a baseball junkie whose passion falls somewhere between nerdy and obsessy, you'll probably recognize that six-lettered name. Let me say it again: J...A...H...a...p...p. Yuck.

I don't say this just because I'm bitter, or jealous, or as delusional as a 101-year old Cub fan thinking they'll see the end of all the next years. I say yuck because the kid is a kid I grew up with, a kid who was Johnny All-Star, a kid whose dad was the cliche Little League Dad (you know him, that sad sack o'schnitzel who likes to jump up and down on the third baseline whenever a call goes against his precious chromosomal offshoot).

And now J.A "Don't call me Jay" Happ is the number four starter in the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting last year and had an ERA below three.

And I really wish I didn't know that.

Here at WSU, we have great players oozing from our annals (yes, that's two "n's") and it should be no surprise that someone like Joe Carter once two-stepped his way through our hallways. Darren Dreifort, Eric Wedge, Pat Meares. You know the list. They're Shockers; they should have played in the pros. I'm even teaching a pair of baseball players in my Business Writing class and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if their names are called on draft day.

But JA Happ was a St. Bede Bruin before he became a Northwestern Wildcat and an eventual Phillie.

Bruins, my high school's rivals, don't typically make it past the college level, especially considering that the town Happ and I grew up in has 10,000 people squeezed between its city limit signs.

I could go on and on and on but the guy, but quite frankly I'm sick of even speaking his name, let alone putting it in print.

Honestly, the area I'm from is pretty prolific in regards to its size. Three kids from my college team were drafted. Two years a go, right-hander from my alum was drafted by the Cardinals in the 11th round, while others I played against found their name pulled from the Draft hat in years past (including a kid who was taken by the Expos the year we graduated. Remember them?).

My hometown has an offensive lineman in the NFL and a few other pigskinners whose names are in the league's X-Mas Card List.

So yes, I've rubbed elbows with talent.

I've also pitched two two no-hitters, something Happ can't say.

Of course, I can't say I won a World Series ring, that I am loved by the ladies of Philly, and that I have shook hands with the president.

But so what?

I can conjugate a verb.

Take that, Jay.

Royals Bull-pin loses again!

Although I do cheer for the Kansas City Royals I find it very difficult to consider myself a fan lately. Watching last nights game I could almost predict the next move they were going to make. Greinke comes in and pitches an amazing game, then all of a sudden the coaches feel like they want to lose that game so they take him out and bring in other pitchers from the bull-pen. This is not the first game, and I can almost bet its the last game, that this has happened. Maybe its just me and my minimal sports knowledge but really don't you think the coaches have something up their sleeve that could help the Royals out on this page? I love watching baseball but these games are starting to become boring!

http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=12387297

KWho?

Last night's performance but the Shockers Baseball team was amazing. Scoring 22 runs against the Jawhawks set a record for the Shockers. I only got to watch the last couple innings but holy cow what a game. I'm sure everyone has either seen highlights or was lucky enough to be at the game so I won't bore anyone with highlights. One of the most amazing things about the game was the standing ovation that the team received after scoring nine runs in one inning. Thats the Shocker baseball team I love to watch and games like that make me proud to be a Shocker fan and even prouder to not be a Jawhawks fan (Sorry bird fans). Congrats to the baseball team for their amazing performance and keep it up!!!

Stanley Cup Playoff drama

Remember when I told everyone to be on the lookout for the NHL playoffs this year? Well, be on the lookout tonight as a #8 seed will try to take out a #1 in the first round. The #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals, led by the best player in the world are on the verge of being the victims of one of biggest upsets in NHL history.

It's been very simple for Washington, when Alexander Ovechkin has been on, they win, if not, lose; it's that simple. When Ovechkin scores goals, the Capitals are the best in hockey. The story of this series for me has been Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak. This is proof that a hot goaltender can win a series almost single-handily in the playoff. How hot has he been? Halak has stopped 90 of 92 shots he has faced in the last two games.

An even more staggering statistic for me in this series is Washington's power play. They had the #1 ranked power play in the NHL during the regular season, in this series, 1-for-30. Simply put, 1-for-30 will not get it done any league on any planet, period. If the Caps want to win the Stanley Cup, first they must win a game 7 tonight. Then they need to figure out what made them successful enough to have the #1 ranked power play in the NHL. They won't win anything unless they figure that out.

Be on the lookout tonight, it will definitely be a thrilling game 7. Excitement as only the Stanley Cup playoffs can bring.

Mike Kennedy

Mike Kennedy does an amazing job keeping up with play-by-play for Shocker sports. Just tonight I listened to him announce the WSU vs. KU game, and I can’t believe how he can follow not only what’s going on during the game, but also drop in statistics and past game histories like it’s nobody’s business.

That is multi-tasking.

I never realized how many notes were involved with announcing, but I found it interesting that he chooses to use his own set-up rather than using the information from the SID.

Like many of the speakers we have heard this semester, Kennedy said he did not enjoy anchoring on the news desk, but did enjoy the creative writing and shooting aspects of television.

As I listened to Kennedy on the radio tonight, I noticed as the Shockers had exciting points to their games his voice would pick up momentum. If he hadn’t mentioned anything about it in the class conversation (saying he had to be cognizant of his voice so it didn’t sound sleepy, and to push himself to sound resonant and exciting), I would never have noticed it.

I thought some of the best advice Kennedy gave was that if you are going to write, or announce, to be true to your personality. He said if you’re not funny, don’t force it. If you’re not good at ad libbing, don’t try to push it.


I also was interested to find out what he had to say regarding the differences between an analyst and someone who does play-by-play.

I really liked that he was honest with people and that he tries to be honest with himself in that regard.

Ya, I am pumped about it!!!

There has been much surprise and controversy regarding the Denver Broncos 1st round draft pick...but I LOVE IT! Florida's beloved quarterback, 2-time Heisman trophy winner, Tim Tebow is an official Denver Bronco. I LOVE IT!

Yes, they "blew" a very crucial draft pick, after acquiring Cleveland's Browns QB, Brady Quinn and already having Kyle Orton, but Tebow is going to do big things for Denver. I honestly think he will get moved from QB to another offensive position. Tebow is one of those rare, great players that can handle a transition. He has the speed, power and strength, and good head on his shoulders to make it in the NFL. He is a natural born leader and he can and will do good things in his NFL career.

For all the non-excited people about this move, yes, it will also raise more money in ticket sales. Tebow is a market and Denver made a wise move and choosing him.

Tim Tebow...Denver Bronco..I love it! :)

Joe Drape

Joe is the officially the first author I have ever met and what a way to start! His book has been one of my favorite sports stories and I loved it because I am from that part of Kansas and knew some of the kids he wrote about. It was neat to see that Hollywood and money haven't changed him and get his opinions and perspectives on Smith Center. He was approachable and funny and I liked that. He was a chill, down-to-earth guy and I'm glad he really enjoyed doing that story.

It was cool to hear his background and how he came to the Smith Center and the story. I liked that he gave us tips, helpful and encouraging advice, and just his overall experience in this profession. I am grateful for that and it was nice to hear. I did get kind of lost in this speech till we got further into the SC talk, could have done without a lot of his jargon, but I did appreciate the whole presentation.

The question and answer time was favorite part about the whole presentation and it was when we could really see his true personality. I hope to read more stories from him in the future.

Mike Kennedy

To my surprise, I sit by Mike Kennedy on a daily basis during baseball season and didn't even realize, and that his son was also one of my friend's and his apprentice.

I've known the business of broadcast and done some color for Cloud County Community College so I knew some of things involved in this career, but I really enjoyed hearing from Mike and what he does. It was cool to see his passion for this job and that it hasn't changed after so many years and being involved in sports as an athlete and transitioning into this field. There is a lot of work that goes into broadcasting a game, especially at this level of sports, and I admire that he still loves doing it. Who knew how much prepping and planning had to be done?! I'm glad to hear baseball is his favorite to cover because it is my favorite to cover as well and I think he is very good and his passion is shown in each broadcast.

He is good, I enjoy listening to him, and am now definitely going to appreciate hearing from him more for the rest of the season.

Good Ole Boys' Club

The day before our Monday open gym at Heights, I woke up from my nap to about a dozen texts: "Hey, you gonna be there with all those coaches tomorrow?" "Bill Self at Hts tom?" "Spit on Calipari 4 me...you will b there right?"

I didn't realize our little open gym at Heights had become national recruiting news. But, as Johnny Dawkins of Stanford would tell me later, "If you're a big-time college coach, this is the place to be tonight." Of course, the 13 D-I coaches were there to see Perry, but for everyone involved, it was quite the experience. Eric Bossi of ScoutHoops later wrote that a "murderer's row of coaches" was there. Amen to that, brother.

When I pulled into Heights, behind Gregg Marshall's silver Mercedes, I was pretty nervous. I had helped with our open gyms in the fall, but the feeling never changes. I am always nervous before I step into the gym, but once I do, I'm relaxed. And, being that I was the only unpaid assistant there, I was the only one allowed to run the open gym (per KSHSAA rules).

In the fall, our open gyms drew smaller crowds (7 at most, 3 at least) because we had four of them. But now that there were 13 of these guys (and 3 from JC's and NAIA's), it was like a good ole boys' club. Coaches were joking with each other, talking trash, and reminiscing. It was a fun scene to be a part of.

Some things I overheard or were said to me:

Frank Martin gets ribbed by Bill Self for use of the word "silly" during his halftime speech against Xavier in Sweet 16. "I didn't know 'silly' was in your vocabulary, Frank. It's not a four-letter word."

John Calipari to Bill Self on championship game: "We should've been there, man. The two most-talented teams, man. That should've been us."

Bill Self to WSU commit Evan Wessel: "You know where UNI is?" "Yeah, why?" "Well, we didn't. You better take care of 'em for me while you're at WSU."

Johnny Dawkins to me on Stanford job: "Well, I took the Stanford job because I didn't want to compete with Duke. I went as far away from Duke as possible, 3000 miles away. I mean, I still bleed blue. I don't want to recruit against those guys."

Frank Martin jokingly to MU asst. Matt Zimmerman: "Oh, you're wearin' a Mizzou logo now? It always seems like you're wearing a different logo. How about you go back out to your car, grab your UAB logo, and put that on. I'll probably like you better then."

Joe Drape

I don’t know what I expected of a New York Times reporter, but Joe Drape definitely wasn’t it. He was approachable. He was personable. He seemed way more down-to-earth than I imagined.

Drape had many interesting insights to offer to the class, but the thing that intrigued me the most was his discussions about writing his books.

The entire time I read “Our Boys” I wondered what the people in town thought about his portrayal. I wondered if he took notes to get quotes, and how that affected his writing.

It was interesting to hear that he had to duck around corners to write down information for his story, and also fascinating how he noticed part of the way into writing his book that there was something missing: Him. Amazingly, his publishers allowed him to put himself in the story, and that was one thing that made the book so intriguing.

Moving to Smith Center seems like it would be a huge leap, especially when you’re used to the hustle and bustle of New York. Drape’s anecdotes about his wife and her reactions to small-town Kansas were amusing. I imagine I’d feel the same way if I walked into town and saw literally nobody on the street.

I wonder how he feels about leaving his family behind to travel the world for stories. I wonder how much of his time is devoted to travel, and how much he gets to choose where he will go.

His insights on writing were thought-provoking. He really understands that telling a sports great story isn’t always about the sport; often it’s about the emotion, the inner turmoil, the drama.

I think it’s fantastic how he’s stayed involved with Smith Center, still keeping up with people in town and the games. It shows a writer who is truly passionate about his work.

TV panel

The panel discussion with Jim Kobbe, Bruce Haertl and Chris Frye was entertaining, if not a little depressing. The three stated at the beginning how excited they were to have their jobs, but it seems that TV news is a less-than-pleasant place to be these days.

The three all talked about how great certain aspects of the job are, but it really struck me that Haertl and Kobbe seemed so uninterested in learning Internet, social media, videos, anything. It seems like these two are so comfortable, probably because of their years of experience in the business, that they are really not too worried about losing their jobs to younger people who really know the business.

Frye struck me as a really good example for future broadcasters: He knows his stuff, he can do the one-man-band thing, he knows how hard the job is and he understands where the industry is going. He knows that as things change he is going to see some serious changes in his job, but he’s not really worried about that.

Overall, the three talked about a dilution of a product that I think the news industry as a whole is beginning to see. Content is less important than filling the segment to most news stations, and they are beginning to shy away from trying new things to keep people interested.

One thing the three all seemed to agree on is that passion will be your driving force. Haertl said it best: There is no 40 hour work week in TV. He said the job and profession will consume you (boy, that sounds great).

Overall in the sports cast, I appreciate Channel 12’s coverage more than anyone else’s. It could be just because I have an affinity for Channel 12 all around. Kake seems too hokey, and KSN just tends to bore me. KWCH is professional with good writers and good storytelling.

What’s with all the assistant basketball coaches leaving?

Assistant Coach Kerensa Barr announced that she will be leaving WSU to pursue other interests just a day after men’s basketball assistant coach Earl Grant said he would be leaving to take a similar position, at Clemson we found out today. Both played some college ball. Both had nothing negative to say about the program (not surprising, considering trashing a program is basically kissing your career goodbye in college sports).

Strangely enough The Eagle covered Grant’s new position but said nothing about Barr. The only real mention of her leaving is on GoShockers.com. I can imagine Marshall may be difficult to deal with, but I’m not sure about Adams. She is tough on her team, but she seems to be an upbeat coach who would offer lots of input.

Does both assistant coaches leaving speak to something about the WSU basketball program, or does it simply mean that both are moving on to bigger and better things? I’d say probably the latter, but I could be wrong.

I also find it to be very strange that the Eagle doesn’t cover her leaving, but has already written two stories about Grant. We all know women’s basketball doesn’t have the pull that men’s basketball does, but it still seems like a pretty big change for coaching staff. Seems like something that Suellentrop would have picked up on.

Things that make you go, “huh.”

Coincidence?

WSU Assistant Coach Earl Grant is leaving his post for a similar job at Clemson. Freshman guarde Kenny Manigualt is leaving the men’s basketball program to get “closer to home.” Both are from the Charleston area in South Carolina.

It sounds to me like maybe Grant recruited Manigualt, who spent his time on the bench this season but was one of WSU’s most promising freshman players. It will be interesting to see if Manigualt, who has so far only said he is leaving for personal reasons, will try to play ball elsewhere.

A post on Manigualt’s Facebook wall says he is transferring, but comments to his friends say he is not sure where. This doesn’t sound like he’s terribly sure he wants to be closer to home, necessarily. It sounds more to me like he doesn’t want to sit on the bench at WSU, and understands his ability to get some play time.

Someone outright asked him if he is going to Clemson with Grant, to which he replied that he is not sure where he is going. It should be interesting to see how this story unfolds.

LFL execs truly unsportsmanlike

I saw this article on Digg and I had to jump for it.

The Lingerie Football League has put two of its star players on probation — for wearing too much clothing.

The LFL features underwear-clad women playing 7-on-7 “football.”

Well, The New Times recently did an article on two of the team’s players, two of their top performers in fact, and a photo shoot of the women apparently did not agree with the LFL execs. Normally the women wear satin panties and bras for their photo shoots, but in this particular shoot they sported shoulder pads and Nike wristbands. Now they’re on probation.

Apparently these women are valued more for their modeling abilities than their athletic skills, and anything that may make them seem less like sex symbols and more like credible players is frowned upon.

Now I’m not saying that these women are by any means top athletes; they basically play touch football and are more spectacles for men’s amusement — about as much as mud wrestling — than they are treasured for their sporty natures.

But it’s still a pretty harsh punishment by league executives, and should send a clear message to the players that they are little more than money-makers and rump shakers for the league.

A quick photo search on the league will prove exactly that. The league is focused on tight ends, and not in the way football really should be.

You Had To Be There

Sports are great partly because they provide some of the greatest stories ever told. They can be tales of triumph or disappointment. Either way, they always provide excitement, drama and tons of emotion. Even more so when you can be there in person to experience it. For this post, I'd like to hear you guys stories about your favorite or most memorable sports moment or game you saw in person. I'll share mine and I'd like to hear yours!

My favorite story is from October 6, 2007. Being from a small town, I don't get to see a lot of sporting events on a major scale. Being a Kansas fan with a father and brother who are KSU fans means I rarely get to see my Jayhawks play. Not this year. This year, KU was playing in Manhattan. My family just happened to score 4 tickets. Plus, it was Harley day. Now, this Sunflower Showdown didn't particularly break any records. It didn't garner a lot of national attention and it didn't lead Sportscenter's highlights the next morning. However, the memories are numerous for me. Number one, I got to share a day in a friendly rivalry with my family since I was outnumbered. That would lead us to reason number two, the Jayhawks won 30-24. Number three, well I just plain like motorcycles so Harley day was a blast. It was a fun atmosphere being a road fan, even more so because my team got the victory. That would be my favorite sports moment I saw in person, what are yours?

Meat Market (Book 2 Review)

For my second book of the semester, I selected "Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting" by ESPN's Bruce Feldman. The book follows Ed Orgeron at his only head coaching stop at the University of Mississippi. Orgeron is known as big recruiter; he loves the chase and the excitement of this part of college football. Feldman follows Orgeron and his Ol' Miss staff for the year leading up to national signing day 2007.

This book is great on many levels. First, it's great for sports fans that are novices with recruiting processes, lingo and the like. Feldman explains all that as you get started so you're not lost as the book goes in depth. Second, this book truly is all access. Feldman went everywhere with Orgeron and it was incredible to see a guy like Orgeron open up his program for a journalist. Feldman was in all the meetings, at all the games and at all the recruiting trips. This is even more impressive when you read about the crazy hours that Orgeron keeps. Third was something that was funny to me. During the book some of the recruits discussed include Jevan Snead, Golden Tate, Joe McKnight, John Jerry and Jerrell Powe. These are all guys that were spoken about during this past week's NFL Draft, so getting into their recruiting was fun.

This book moves very fast. I like it's quick pace because it's the exact pace that Orgeron sets. You have to stay with it and read it fast to get the experience of how Orgeron moves at a thousand miles per hour. One of my favorite parts of the book is the final chapter. It counts down with the last 60 hours until signing day. Coaches are putting in their final calls to recruits and their coaches, trying to figure out whose name is going to come in on a letter of intent. Plus, it doesn't necessarily end on a happy note. The big bombshell is the disappointing hit the coaching staff takes when they are informed that Joe McKnight chose USC over Mississippi. And as college football fans know, it was Orgeron's third and final year of a very poor run at the school.

School is getting in the way of my obsession.

The other night, I watched about 20 minutes of Baseball Tonight.

For the first time this year.

I literally have not watched more than an inning of a single Major League Baseball game so far, and the first month of the season is nearly over. This is an outrage, and it cannot stand.

I blame school. Until this season, I would already be completely obsessed, looking at standings and matchups and knowing who was poised to have a breakout year. This time around, I can hardly even name the starters on ANY team, let alone all of them (yes, I used to be able to do that). But I just haven't had time for it. Which I hate.

I did notice, in those 20 minutes, that Tampa Bay looks really good. All those young kids from their World Series team a couple years ago are... still young kids. But now they're seasoned. More than that, they're exciting. I'd love to see Tampa go far this year, and I have no personal connection at all to Tampa. I just like to see such energy and talent.

Also, the Royals bullpen is terrible. Wait, everyone knew that already. Ugh, what a thing.

Honestly, that's about all I gleaned. Tampa, good; Royals, bad. I'm so ashamed. I want to know more.

Oh, yeah, and the Twins are having a good year so far. So that's fun, I've always had a little soft spot for the Twins, even if they did beat the Braves in 1991 in The Best World Series Ever™.

Sigh. Baseball, I miss you.

Joe Drape

If Drape hadn't told us that he was from Kansas City, I wouldn't have believed it. I think the New York has rubbed off on him quite a bit. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just mean his manner of speaking has a noticeable East Coast touch to it. Or maybe that's just his nature.

One thing about him that's NOT East Coast, though, is his attitude. It could be that he wouldn't behave this way on a regular day out in public, but... what a friendly guy. While it did seem like just a little bit of a gimmick to shake each and every person's hand before the class started, he still did it. He didn't have to do that. Even if it was designed entirely to win our favor (probably not, certainly in his line of work he just has to be generally good at meeting people), it still goes a long way.

I was impressed that he could talk so long without really any prompting. I've met a lot of writers, and a good number of them are writers for a reason (by which I mean, they're just... better at writing than the talking part). Drape was engaging without being tiresome, and I was perfectly happy for him to spend the first 49 minutes of the class (which he did) just talking about himself and his journey. I seriously doubt I could spend 49 minutes being interesting about anything, let alone myself. But some people have the knack for it.

The Q&A was actually slightly less interesting for me, just because it's now been quite a few weeks since we read the book (and I didn't LOVE the book to begin with), but, still, I really enjoyed hearing the tidbits that gave us a look into how he decided to shape the arc(s) of the book, and how he made the decisions to leave some things in and ignore others. That sort of thing has to be fascinating to anyone interested in writing (or storytelling in general, regardless of medium)-- how do we filter all of that information? How do we make it into a compelling narrative? I appreciated that.

Also, I want to track down that book he wrote about the jockey. How have I never heard of that guy before?

Reaction to Joe Drape

I really enjoyed having Joe Drape in class. Getting to talk with a New York Times writer about his book is pretty cool to be able to do. I also thought it was cool that he was a fellow KCMO kid.

One of the things that really struck me about Drape and his attitude toward his book was that he made no excuses. He recognizes the flaws that people see in parts of the writing. The large number of names, too many details, etc. didn't really bother him. In fact, when it was mentioned that there were so many names, he laughed about it. He acknowledged that he had heard that criticism a lot and that the original draft had even more names than that.

I definitely think that's one sign of a good writer. It's great that a guy as big-time as Drape is (a New York Times sports writer) can still take a critique from anybody. That's pretty refreshing to see.

I also liked how honest he was about the way he fell in love with the town. He was pretty blunt with his feelings for the town in the book and that carried over into his discussion with us. I also thought it was interesting that the only place in Smith Center that Drape didn't go was the town bar because he didn't want to see the underage Redmen downing cold brews.

Mike Kennedy

I want Mike Kennedy's job. Maybe not necessarily at Wichita State, but that's what I want to do with my career. Radio play by play was the big reason I chose communication as my major from day one out of high school.

Mike told the story of doing his own play by play while turning down the volume and watching games on television. You hear of that a lot and it's almost a cliche in the broadcasting business but that's because it's true. Everyone I've talked to that wants to do play by play for radio or tv for a career did that exact same thing as a kid, myself included. I've had a couple of jobs working with sports in radio, just sound board operation, but it's a lot of fun. I've been around people that do the same things as Mike for living and Mike says a lot of the same things about what it takes to work that job.

The thing I liked best about listening to Mike was his passion. A lot of our speakers have said it: You have to absolutely love what you do to work in this business. Not only did Mike say it, but you could tell. To be working as long as he has been in the business, you know he loves it. Hearing for someone who loves what he does as much as Mike Kennedy assures me that I've set the right goals for my career.

You had better not be talking camera man!

I have ironically working on this blog all week, and it all came to a head last night at Wichita Heights in the girls soccer game between Heights and Kapaun. After spending the last week doing my best to stick up for the brave men and women who officiate games, I couldn’t believe my ears last night.

Alright, now gather round. It’s story time!

From the time I arrived at Heights, the only words out of my mouth were, “I’ll take a hamburger, thanks,” at the concession stand during halftime.

So you can imagine my surprise in the middle of the second half when a linesman passed me running down the field and said, “You had better not be talking camera man! One more word and you are leaving!”

“Huh?”

“Did you say something?!”

“No.”

This exchange was followed by a smug look on his face that nonverbally said, “Just give me a reason pal. I heard what you said.”

Now, I have no way of knowing what he thought he heard me say. It was about the same time a fan in the stands behind me made a crack comparing the referee’s white beard to Santa Claus. Maybe that was it.

I don’t know.

The reason I got into sports writing is that I love competition. Every time I go to a game, I am hoping to see a close, competitive contest. And the Heights 3-2 win over Kapaun was a great game.

But believe me when I say that I really have no rooting interest in the outcome of a game as far as who wins.

The unbelievable assumption by this linesman, was not only was I going for one team over the other, but that I was emotionally invested enough to be yelling at a referee.

I tried to talk to the linesman after the game in an attempt to get to the bottom of what happened. But he bolted instantly and I didn’t get the chance.

The following is what I had been working on all week leading up to this incident. It is not something taken away from one game, but my observations over the course of three years of covering sports.

In the last three years of covering all types of sports in every season, I can count on one hand the number of outcomes that weren’t, “the ref’s fault.”

I cringe to think of the trillions of people who have spent the entire drive home furiously, red in the face, veins throbbing, blaming the result on an, “incompetent,” referee.

There comes a time when a ref owes an official explanation of a decision they have made. And believe it or not, there is a person designated to demand that explanation; the head coach.

Not the players, not the student section, not dad, not mom, especially not the camera man, and not anyone but the one and only head coach. If you are not the head coach, settle down a little bit.

One of my favorite things to see is both sides of a venue mercilessly voicing displeasure over the way a game is called. I am standing on one sideline, so I can only hear that side clearly.

But when the far side screams something at an official, the near side will scoff at how foolish those idiots over there are, right before taking a deep breath and pulling the trigger on an equally absurd statement.

Believe me. You sound exactly like those folks on the other side. You aren’t any more holy, or clever.

Take it from a truly impartial observer, you sound ridiculous when you let the ref have it. And by, “it,” I mean one of a million clichés.

One of the best ref clichés is, “Call It Both Ways.” I get what it means when you break down the English. It is a call for consistency. And because being judged as consistent is the highest praise an official can receive, to be inconsistent must be the biggest putdown.

The problem is, “Call It Both Ways,” has been used so much that it has completely lost all of its meaning. It is simply a vibrating pocket of air. The public release of this phrase should be considered as socially unacceptable as the public release of a similar pocket of air from the other end of the human body.

To give you an idea of how much brain activity that goes into, “Call It Both Ways,” I can, and will always, be able to point to this year’s 5A state championship basketball tournament in Topeka. After hearing a fan say, “Call It Both Ways,” for the 734^th time, my curiosity got the better of me. I gathered all my strength and strained to make the tremendous effort it took to shift my gaze to the scoreboard.

The call in question evened up the team fouls at 5-5.

“Call It Both Ways,” indeed.

Another of these clichés is, “How Much Are They Paying You.” This one can take many different forms, but the implication here is that one team or the other has paid off an official in order to get them to throw the game.

Because, even in these hard times, nothing is more lucrative than putting on a striped shirt and fixing high school sporting events.

Exactly how do these transactions go down? Is there a secret exchange of briefcases? Maybe it takes place in a secret mowed clearing in the middle of a wheat field. Are there codes and secret handshakes?

Perhaps there is an underground bidding war before the season starts in a bunker underneath a football field somewhere. I wonder what kinds of precautions are taken to ensure no one is tailed.

Or, are you trying to say that a coach or athletic director has slipped an official a five, 10, or even 20 dollar bill just before the game?

Just right out in the light of day?

I know you are risking your ability to ever officiate again, but here’s 10 bucks. Go get yourself a nice cheeseburger after the game.

Then there is the good old, “What Game Are You Watching.” If the referees are in possession of technology that allows them to be secretly watching TV from the inside of their glasses or contact lenses, I want it! If they are unwilling to share it with me, the least they could do is give me some score updates.

Come on guys, a little common courtesy.

They could be listening to another game on the radio through an ear bud with the wires strategically hidden underneath the striped shirts.

But that wouldn’t be watching another game at all would it. And besides, AM reception inside a gym is tough to come by.

How about keeping it simple with a, “You Have Got To Be Kidding Me.”

Ah ha ha! You should see the look on your face! I got you good! No, but really, there is no foul on the play. I was just razzing you.

Let the game be the game. If a call doesn’t go your way, it is up to the players to pick themselves up and take it out of the official’s hands.

A class I wouldn't have missed

It was hard to decide which part of today’s class was my favorite.

It could have been Bruce Haertl calling Jim Kobbe “Cobra” all today. Or the fact that 2/3 of the group said they couldn’t even turn on a camera, let alone edit video, which is pretty funny when we live in a world full of one-man-band reporters.

Either way, it was an incredibly entertaining to have three local TV sportscasters in class.

I had no desire to be one television or on radio, and I still don’t after listening to Chris Frye, Haertl and Cobra.

Obviously being on TV has its perks, mainly the paycheck. But I’d rather take my lowly wage at the reporter’s desk than get up in front of the camera or behind the mic.

On a more serious note, there was something Haertl said that really hit home to me. He said the product his news station put out was more watered down than it used to be.

Heartl and Kobbe both mentioned that their 30-something producers cared about filling space, and that the quality of the content was less important than the valuable seconds of airtime it occupied.

It wasn’t the story that mattered. It was the 1:25 seconds that is took up.

I agree with them completely. As a newspaper editor, I sometimes have that mentality. There are times when I see a story as 12 inches on page two, rather than something insightful that a reader might like.

It becomes less about the content and more about the physical space the words occupy.

I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but it does happen, apparently on more than one level and in more than one medium.

Joe Drape captures small town Kansas

It’s not everyday I enjoy reading a required book for class. Actually, it’s not everyday I read a required book for class.

But, Joe Drape’s book “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen” was an exception to the rule.

Drape, who is also a New York Times reporter, painted a perfect picture of what it’s like to play high school football in America’s Heartland.

I think the main reason I enjoyed Drape’s book so much was the fact that it had little to do with high school football (which I really don’t care all that much about) and more about small town, Kansas living.

I grew up in a small Kansas town, like Smith Center. We had an incredibly popular and successful 2A football team, like Smith Center.

Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t score a record 72 points in one quarter, or win almost every game we played, but there were a lot of similarities.

Drape’s thorough writing and attention to detail gave a flawless depiction of it was like to not only play football, but also grow up in a rural American.

Reading his book immediately brought me back to a place where things are a lot simpler and time moves a lot slower. It truly reminded me of my days in high school, where coaches strived to make young boys men, and maybe win a championship as well.

Drape’s book was a spot-on portrait of small town Kansas living.