Broadcasters keep forgetting their audiences aren’t stupid
One wonders if anything would be different if 21st century sports TV execs discovered that were not nearly as stupid as they figure we must be.
In the second quarter of Saturdays Ravens-Texans playoff game, Houstons Steven Sims returned a punt 67 yards for a TD. But when he reached the 10, he suddenly placed the ball in his right hand, extended both arms and showboated into the end zone with both arms pumping. ESPN surely has a stat that could have noted that Sims lose the ball before he scored probability doubled.
But needlessly risking historic infamy has become so common most watching had often before seen premature allabout-me demonstrations lead to fumbles, touchbacks and eventual loss of games Id surmise that most football-savvy Americans said to themselves or right out loud:
What was that idiot thinking?
Then, Why dont head coaches on Day 1 demand that such perilous self-smitten conduct never befall their team or players? Why hasnt every head coach at every level demanded that such all downside TV-inspired stupidity be the acts of other teams, not his?
8Steven Sims returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown against the Ravens. AP
8Steven Sims’s touchdown featured a risk when he showboated near the end zone. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConESPNs Joe Buck and Troy Aikman called the game for the country. Know what they said about Sims couldnt-miss-it selfish and risky business? Nothing. Naturally.
Saturday on Fox, there was 6:18 left in the fourth quarter when the Packers, leading 21-17, missed a field goal that would have made it 24-17.
With 51 seconds left, the Niners up 24-21, play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt hit a national audience with this:
Think about this: If he Anders Carlson hadnt missed that field goal, the game would be tied.
No! No! And no! Burkhardt should have thought about this before asking us to think about this: Every play after that missed field goal changed every play that followed. Had Carlson not missed, the next play would have been a kickoff. And theres no knowing what would have happened from there.
8Kevin Burkhardt, pictured in November, called the Packers-49ers game Saturday. Getty ImagesAnd to think Greg Olsen, Burkhardts partner who never shuts up, didnt say a word to refute Burkhardts predestined, mystical fact. Its well worth repeating: There are no two moments in time that are exactly alike. None!
The lunacy has never been more widespread. Wednesday morning ESPN held a lengthy, four-person debate that included Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo batting around the question, who theyd prefer at QB, Mahomes or Lamar?
Given that it made no difference what they thought Lamar Jacksons Ravens would play Patrick Mahomes Chiefs, Sunday, regardless why not debate their own favorite colors, the time of day or whether they prefer lightly starched collars to no starch?
Keep up with the most important sports news
Sign up for Starting Lineup for the biggest stories.
Thanks for signing up
Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address.
By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Never miss a story.
Check out more newslettersAnd Smith has regularly and comically proven that he knows as much about football as the standard sister-in-law.
And while the worst actors who attended the weeks games made for another vulgar fans versus player hassle inactive Bills WR Gabe Davis versus a presumably drunk Bills fan another dangerous ESPN analysts-approved court storming, and the cruel booing of late Bulls GM Jerry Krauses 80-year-old infirmed and hurt-to-tears widow by Bulls fans TV remains tethered to its mindless plan to encourage in-house louts to do their worst while breeding more.
ESPN/ABCs coverage of Texans-Ravens was loaded with repetitively thoughtless shots of Ravens fans dressed for excess, providing them the continuing inspiration to act like lunatics while affirming the decisions of well-comported fans to stay home.
And the visiting Chiefs were continuously the targets of snowballs and/or ice balls by Buffalo fans as seen on CBS. The only one who seemed to miss it was CBSs Sgt. Schultz, Jim Nantz.
But as long as they remain convinced that were too stupid to know any better our option is to watch and listen with our eyes and ears closed.
8Bills fans threw snowballs at Patrick Mahomes after the Chiefs’ win Sunday. Getty Images
8Jim Nantz appeared to miss the Bills fans throwing snowballs at Chiefs players Sunday. AP## Tim Brando on the ball
Sportscaster of the Week: Foxs Tim Brando, 67 years-old sharp. Late in Saturdays Marquette-St. Johns game, Marquette was up one with 4.3 seconds left when Brando noted that visiting coach Shaka Smart decided not to guard the full-court in-bounder.
Yikes! Why allow an unimpeded up-court look and pass in order to create a single two-on-one defense?
It was an especially significant strategy given that Rick Pitino was coaching St. Johns. In 1992 as the coach of Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament East Regional, Pitino infamously chose not to guard the in-bound pass that led to Grant Hill hitting center Christian Laettner with a 70-foot pass, allowing Laettner to make a buzzer-beater to give Duke a 104-103 win, and soon the national championship.
8Tim Brando, pictured in 2018, added the proper context to Shaka Smart’s strategy during the Marquette-St. John’s game. AP
8Shaka Smart opted to not guard the full-court in-bounder in the final seconds of Marquette’s game against St. John’s. APAnd as I was about to pop my pacemaker, Brando, bless our hearts, brought it up.
Anyway, Saturday, St, Johns got a foolishly good look to win it at the buzzer, but missed.
Innocent act by Michael Kay doesn’t fly
Department of Corrections (and additions). Sunday, I mistakenly smacked around Michael Kay for his dissolute Would Ya Wednesday segment asking The Michael Kay Show teammates Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, which theyd prefer, Great sex with Craig Carton or mediocre sex with Halle Berry?
Turns out, as Kay made clear on social media, he did not ask that question. And for that I apologize.
However Kay portrayed himself as an innocent victim of a fabricated quote when that was hardly the case.
Phil Mushnick was absolutely wrong. Anyone who listened to that segment knows I never said that. I guess one of his sycophants who report to him got it wrong because Phil is too fine a reporter to whiff this embarrassingly. And that was that.
Yet, in swapped texts, Kay didnt deny that question was asked but he refused to name the speaker. (It was Rosenberg.) But Kays self-implied total innocence is dishonest.
As per the segments transcript, Kay began by warning his sports show audience that what will follow will be tinged with sexual content thus inappropriate for kids in his ESPN Radio/YES simulcast audience.
Kay the Innocent then asks: Would you rather have the best sex of your life for one night only or mediocre sex every day for the rest of your life?
8Michael Kay is pictured during the 2019 Yankees season. APRosenberg and La Greca then ask Kay to make the question more specific, to which Kay says, Would you rather sleep with someone you hate, but the sex is off the charts, or someone extremely hot but the sex is terrible.
Rosenberg: So you are saying, would I rather have sex with Craig Carton but its fantastic sex or sex with Halle Berry, but its mediocre at best?
Thus Kays selectively dishonest social media response to which he claimed total innocence as the victim of a fabricated defamation was dishonest.
After all, he did not shoot the gun, he was just in charge of the firing squad. Not noted in his response was that the asinine juvenile question was asked on his show, on his watch, after his content warning and his full encouragement.
Imagine, given the naughty-little-boy content of his Would Ya Wednesday segment, Kay found my error to be embarrassingly inexcusable. Apparently, neither of us embarrass very easily.
How many decks are used in poker?
In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).
What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?
The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.
What is the best WPT Global bonus code?
Use the WPT Global bonus code WPT777 when registering to get a 100% deposit bonus up to $1200 plus a $100 No Deposit poker bonus.
