We're in August, so that means preseason football, pennant races heating up in baseball and enjoying the last days of summer, right?
Yes, but it also means the Little League World Series, and if you're WEEI's Big Show, you have an obligation to devote at the very least, one entire show to decrying the fact that the late stages of the tournament are televised nationally.
At least, they seem to think they do, since every year that I can remember, they've spent at least an entire talking about this, and in some cases, several days.
I don't think the LLWS should be televised simply because outside of friends and family, I don't know who is watching these games. Glenn Ordway, however, has some sort of bee in his bonnet (wow, that was a dated reference) over how showing these games on TV will somehow stunt the players' development as human beings, make other kids feel bad, or (and this was a HUGE leap) lead to cyber-bullying.
Huh?
Beyond my confusion over Ordway's concerns on this issue, is the issue itself really worthy of a four-hour discussion?
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Jim Gray managed to put himself in the news again this week, after a confrontation with Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin.
Gray claimed that Pavin had told him that Tiger Woods would be on the team as a Captain's selection, if necessary, while Pavin claimed he had never told Gray that. This led to a face-to-face confrontation in which Pavin said Gray called him "a liar” and said, “You’re going down.”
Gray showed once again that he is only about making himself the story, and inserting himself into a situation when he wants the attention. Bob Ryan, on the WEEI morning show this week, reported that it was Gray's idea to host "The Decision" on ESPN with LeBron James. He approached LeBron's people and pitched the idea to them.
Gray has several other similar events in his career, including the unforgettable on-air confrontation with Pete Rose back in 1999.
This was just the latest event in which Gray has attempted (and succeeded) in making himself the story, an unforgivable offense for an allegedly objective journalist.
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Quick Hits:
- The Bob Ryan/Bob Neumeier morning show pairing while filling in for WEEI's Dennis and Callahan wasn't perfect, but I still enjoyed most of it. A nice change of pace from the usual random pairings the station uses to fill vacation time.
- NESN Daily promotes itself as a "provocative sports news debate" and "A Show for Opinionated Sports Fans." Sigh. Isn't there enough "Opinion" and "Debate" in sports coverage already? One problem with these shows in which the hosts take different sides is that one of them usually looks very foolish.
- Does Michael Felger believe half the stuff he spouts on the air?
Tweet of the Week:
From my buddy, Aaron Schatz at Football Outsiders:
Only difference between Brady and Manning contract situations is aggressiveness of local media covering story. @greggrosenthal
Aaron Schatz
FO_ASchatz
That is absolutely a true statement. The media has swarmed the Brady contract situation, making it the top conversation of this camp on radio, TV and in print. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning sits in the exact same situation, with his owner actually saying that he would use the franchise tag on Manning if necessary, something that has not been said by the Patriots ownership.
Yet, how much have you heard about the Manning situation? Not much at all. The Boston media, as is their nature, has been many times more aggressive in making this into a story.
Links Of The Week:
WEEI, WBZ fighting for sports talk victories
The Boston Globe had a front page story on Monday morning about the sports radio battle in Boston. Shameless Self-Promotion alert -- I am quoted in the piece.
Being real just isn't worth the trouble now
Shockingly candid comments about the sports media world by a fully invested member of it, Dan Le Betard.
Sports fans are passionate, but many need a dose of perspective
Jeff Pearlman of SI.com shows that sportswriters bring out the absolute worst in people.
Bob Ryan writes about his longtime Boston Globe colleague, Jackie MacMullan, who is being honored by the Basketball Hall of fame.
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