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.

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth Tiger?

Can anyone tell me what Tiger Woods shot yesterday in the third round of The Masters?

Anyone? Anyone?

Probably not, but I bet you can tell me every detail about his highly documented outburst at Augusta yesterday.

After teeing off on the sixth hole, Woods blurted out “Tiger Woods, you suck god dammit,” on live television after he hit an unfavorable shot.

Easy Tiger, there’s no need to talk in the third person.

If you haven’t seen the 15-second clip, you must hate golf. ESPN has probably shown the clip 50 times and I bet you can find it on every major newspaper Web site.

Woods’ potty mouth was the most talked about aspect of the third day of the tournament. This is nothing new here. He’s always been known for this.

Woods, who is trying to be on his best behavior, said in a press conference on Monday he would “tone down his negative outbursts.”

Who cares?

It’s not like he went all Happy Gilmore on us, dropping f-bombs like a drunken sailor. You could probably hear more vulgar language at a Christian rock concert.

Everyone knew he’d steal the spotlight at this years Masters, whether he won or lost. His return was going to be a spectacle, there was no doubt about it. The PGA needed Woods back and the astronomical amounts of money he generates. But this is not the type of attention the PGA was wanting.

The fans and the media are ruining The Masters by not letting this die. Everyone knows who Tiger Woods is and what he apparently likes to do when he’s not winning championships. That doesn’t matter. What matters is who's wearing the green jacket on Sunday. Let all the other stuff rest.

Boo the Fans Not the Team

Wichita Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz landed in some hot water during basketball season with Wichita State head basketball coach Gregg Marshall about a column Lutz had wrote criticizing the WSU basketball team.

Lutz had called a loss to Bradley in the previous week “the worst loss in Shocker history,” given the current situation WSU was in when they were beaten.

The Shockers were a bubble team and on the verge of possibly creeping their way into the Top 25, until the loss to the Braves.

Lutz was blinded-sided by Marshall in a press conference with a barrage of comments about how columns, like the one he wrote, promotes bad sportsmanship.

Even though the Shockers won the game the night of the press conference, some boos were heard in the stands. The booing was minimal, completely inappropriate, and hardly Lutz’s fault.

First off all, I don’t condone booing, and according to the column Lutz wrote about his tiff with Marshall that night, neither does he. But, it seems to be a trend at Wichita-area sporting events.

If Marshall thinks only Shocker fans boo, then he’s never been to a Thunder game. Or better yet, an area high school basketball game.

I’m a longtime fan of the Thunder and I try to hit as many home games as I can. You are guaranteed to here booing, and name-calling, and more booing.

Thunder fans are actually applauded for being obnoxious, with a banner hanging from the rafters of INTRUST Bank Arena for the most obnoxious fans in the CHL.

Earlier this year I was covering an Andover/Augusta high school basketball game and the fans (both parents and students) were booing for various reasons.

Really? At a high school game?

Marshall had no reason to make Lutz the scapegoat for the downfall of his team. As you can see, Wichita fans will boo at anything. Just ask a high school referee.

It's About Time For Another John Calipari Scandal

Now that March Madness is over and Duke is basking in the undeserved glory of being National Champion after one of the easiest trips through the NCAA Tournament in the history of basketball, it’s time move on to what all college basketball fans want to know.

What’s going to be the next John Calipari scandal?

Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen. It’s only a matter of time before they uncover that John Wall has yet to step foot inside a college classroom or that DeMarcus Cousins has a nice Rolex watch that perfectly compliments his Ranger Rover.

It’s not a far stretch, just look at Calipari’s track record.

The University of Massachusetts, a Final Four team coached by Calipari, had its tournament accomplishments taken away and was forced to pay back $151,617 in revenue after Marcus Camby developed a love for jewelry and hookers.

And most recently in 2008, under his tenure as head coach of Memphis, it was uncovered that freshman standout Derrick Rose didn’t even take the required SAT test to get into college.

Once again, another one of Calipari’s Final Four team’s tournament appearances was scratched from the books and more than $500,000 in revenue had to be paid back.

That’s not the only head-scratching incident at Memphis under Calipari. In 2005, there was a break-in at an apartment that housed several members of the basketball team.

Items on the police report that came up missing included $6,000 worth of shoes, $2,150 in throwback jerseys and $3,600 in fake fur coats.

Really? Those broke college kids must have donated a lot of plasma and mowed every alumnus’s lawn in town.

Having your record continually erased obviously doesn’t affect Calipari or the way he does business. The NCAA needs to quite slapping this guy on wrist it take some serious action.

Yes, he’s a good coach, but he’s destroying the integrity of the game one slimy, under-the-table deal at a time.

KWCH was a nice change of pace

Visiting KWCH Channel 12 was a nice breath of fresh air.

I’ll admit I’m a little bias because I work there, but it was great to see a place that was upbeat and not so gloomy.

Maybe it’s because the station had a fresh coat of paint and more TV’s than a Best Buy. Or maybe it’s because the reporters, photographers and producers aren’t constantly worried about losing their jobs.

I understand they aren’t immune to the cuts other members of the media are going through, but the atmosphere is definitely brighter than some of the other places we have visited.

We know journalism jobs are scarce and that the money isn’t great and the hours are long. It was nice that they didn’t focus on that.

Instead, they focused on the important aspect students want to know, like what it’s like to work in broadcast news.

If you’re a journalism nerd/news junkie like myself, seeing a news station is exciting. Seeing the behind the scenes action and how everything is put together to make a newscast was interesting.

I also like online sports site, catchitkansas.com. I think it’s a good idea and it definitely fills a marketable niche.

I cover high school sports for another local paper and I use the Web site constantly to keep up on statistics and scores. Its design makes it easy navigate and find what you’re looking for.

The people behind the scenes do an innovative job of combining different forms of media (print, photography and video) into one site.

They have some big-time advertisers, so it must be popular.

Xavier Henry's Time At KU Will Be Forgotten

I’m a little disappointed in Xavier Henry.

The KU freshman had the talent to make his mark among the best in the program. Jayhawk fans could have mentioned him among other greats like Paul Pierce, Kirk Hinrick and Danny Manning.

Then again, he also has the talent to be a millionaire.

When he first committed to Kansas, it was obvious that he was a one-and-done kid. His time in Lawrence would be a brief stop on the way to the lavish, over-the-top world that is the NBA.

Yes, Henry is a top-tier player and easily one of the best freshman in the country, but he didn’t stand out like most had thought.

Instead of being a human highlight reel like some of the other insanely talented freshman that will soon be entering the NBA draft, he filled a supporting role on a team that was bursting at the seams with talent.

With a team as successful as KU, it takes a lot for a player to withstand the test of time. Within a few years, no one will remember his tenure as a Jayhawk. He probably won’t either.

At the same time, I don’t blame him. Although he probably doesn’t have the problems your average college student has, he doesn’t get to enjoy the type of Jay-Z lifestyle that comes with an NBA paycheck yet.

He’ll soon have a walk-in closet bigger than the dorm room he lives in now.

From one college student to another, I probably wouldn’t postpone winning the lottery either.

The Perks of Being a Sports Writer

I’m sitting through my first trip to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Saint Louis.

It’s not just my first tournament as a sports writer, but my first tournament period.

I’ve never wanted to be a sports writer. I like watching sports, but I’ve never enjoyed covering them. Who wants to go to a game when you can’t drink $7 beers, be rowdy and root for the home team?

But covering sporting events like this has its perks. The staff takes great care of you, you have access to almost anywhere you want and the universities athletic departments make it easy to get a hold of any statistic or interview you are looking for. Did I mention you have the best seats in the house?

Yes, sports writers seem like a dime-a-dozen, and there is the idea that only sports nuts make great sports writers.

I believe that’s a little inaccurate. Although having a general interest in whatever you write about will have an impact on your final product, you don’t have to be crazy about sports to be a great sports writer.

I do enjoy college basketball, but I would never consider myself anything more that the casual observer. I do, however, use the same skills I would when covering any other non-sporting event. You interview both sides of the story and deliver it in an accurate and unbiased way.

Plus, sporting events like the MVC Tournament bring out the passion in people, whether that be players, coaches or fans.

It’s hard not to get excited when you work in the company of 22,612 screaming fans.

Basketball's Next Doogie Howser

Kids grow up so fast these days.

One minute they’re 14, shooting hoops in the driveway after school. Before you know it, they’re being offered scholarships to Division I universities.

Unless of course you’re Jahil Okafor, then you’re doing both.

Okafor was recently offered a scholarship to play basketball at DePaul University in 2014.

Problem is, Okafor hasn’t even passed eighth grade yet.

At 6’7, and according to his doctor, on track to be 7’3 by the time he’s fully grown, Okafor is obviously built for career in basketball.

But does that make him ripe for college recruitment?

According to the Blue Demons’ head coach Tracy Webster, yes. Webster was the coach that gave Okafor the formal offer, which the family declined, because, well, he’s 14.

But I don’t applaud his family yet. They may have turned down one offer, but I can already the dollar signs in their eyes.

Soon, Duke will call. And North Carolina. And the NBA.

His parents are currently shopping around for a high school in the Chicago area. More than likely, they will choose a school known for its basketball program, not its academic recognition, which at the prep level is ridiculous.

The same will likely happen in college, if Okafor even goes.

As for Webster, I understand recruitment is a vital part of any college program, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. When you are slumming around at junior high basketball games looking for the next big thing, you’ve gone to far.

Would You Trust Your Life Savings With Lenny Dykstra?

Whatever happened to the old Lenny Dykstra- the one that Mets and Phillies fans adored? Not the one that can’t stop getting sued.

Over the past few years, the con artist formally known as nails traded in his cleats and baseball bat for $25K watches and private jets.

Long after his retirement from professional baseball and shortly before the stock market took a nosedive, Dykstra began making serious money as an investor. And this isn’t pocket change we’re talking about. At his financial peak, some say his net worth hovered around $60 million.

Mad Money host and former hedge fund manager Jim Cramer even praised Nails and coined him the “Stock Guru.”

Dykstra developed quite the reputation as an investment master/high roller, being photographed in front of his $18.5 million mansion with a Rolls Royce Phantom in the driveway.

Then the bottom fell out on ol’ Nails. His biggest venture, The Players Club, a magazine geared toward ultra-wealthy professional athletes, folded in less than a year.

Apparently he sunk a ton of money into the magazine and developed a bad habit of not paying his debts in the process. Now, Dykstra owes everyone from his business partners to his mother money. (He charged a $23,000 chartered flight on his mother‘s credit card and never paid her back)

That doesn’t sound like good money management to me. But if you have money to burn you can subscribe to Dykstra’s new company Nails On The Numbers. For only $1,000 a year, you can get “expert advice” from a man who’s been sued 24 times in less than two years.

Just don’t lend him and money.

VYPE finds niche with high school sports coverage

Very few things scare me as much as finding a job after I graduate. Work is scarce for soon-to-be college graduates, especially if you decide to venture into the field of journalism.

Tom Witherspoon, the one and only editor VYPE magazine of has ever had, helped ease those notions with his visit to class last week.

Witherspoon believes niche publications, like VYPE, will remain popular as print journalism continues to deteriorate. These narrowly focused publications will continue to provide jobs for writers long after the bigger publications disappear.

Niche publications are more popular than ever. You can find magazines and Web sites on everything from motorcycles to cooking to tattoos.

VYPE found its success covering high school athletics, which is popular in this area.

The high school sports market is big and there are plenty of opportunities for freelance growth with the expansion of the online market.

“It’s a larger demographic than you would think,” Witherspoon said.

You may think that no one reads a magazine whose content is filled with high schools kids from small towns, but that’s not true.

VYPE and its competitors like Catch It Kansas employ plenty of writers and bring in a lot of money from local advertisers.

Its one Achilles heel is the long shelf life. The stories in VYPE could be five weeks old by the time it’s pulled off the shelf.

The publication must focus on in-depth features and good photography instead of box scores and statistics to keep from getting stale.

Commercials Take Valor Away From Super Bowl

Everyone says they watch the commercials as much as the actual football game come Super Bowl Sunday. Well, that may not be an exaggeration.

As the big day draws near and the media blitz picks up more steam than the Chiefs defense could all season, little is being said about the football game itself. Instead, the commercials are grabbing all the glory. Some for good. Some for bad.

One that has snagged a lot of criticism is the pro-life ad featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Besides Tebow possibly being one of the greatest college quarterbacks in our generation and the fact the 30-second spot is being aired during the biggest football game of the year, this commercial has nothing to do with the sport.

But because it's about a controversial topic, like abortion, it has grabbed headlines all over the media. This includes such sports outlets as ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

For once, the Super Bowl has the two highest ranked teams battling head-to-head in what some say might be one of the greatest offensive scoring Super Bowls of all time. Yet, the public doesn't care.

It's sad that good football has to take a backseat to bad marketing.