Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Mr. Baseball

Just wanted to send out a note of thanksgiving and prayers for a speedy recovery for Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker who is undergoing heart surgery soon and will be out of the booth 10 to 12 weeks.

Growing up, I remember riding in the Uecker ride for the Arts every June. I remember watching Uecker on Mr. Belvedere, and I remember sitting in my room, by myself, listening to his voice on the radio. I remember missing him during the strike, and remember him being one of the reasons I decided to come back to the game.

I think every town has that kind of connection with their radio play by play announcer. Maybe not every town, but there are a lot of older towns, with older announcers who have seemed to always be tied with the team. Its hard to imagine the gme, the team without them. In the years of the stalker, when he didn't travel to all the games and we have to have games with out him, it felt weird. I also remember being at Miller Park, by the broadcast booth that was guarded by police and you weren't allowed to linger infront of it.

Anyways, we all have those connections. And I wish him and his family and the brew crew well.

Boobs and sports

On my way back from lunch I heard an ad for the local espn radio homepage. The same girl, in her whispy voice, that does all the espn homepage ads lists all the things any true sports lover would want from a sports website. Football, hot women, scores, breaking news, hot women, interviews, hot women, etc.

I get it. Guys like the hotties. But really how important to men is it to have your sports new source also littered with scantily clad hotties?

I'm sure I'll expand on this, but actual work calls.

FeartheDeer Game 4

So last night's game in the Milwaukee/Altanta series was intensely exciting. Milwaukee kept pulling away and then Atlanta would claw their way back in. The Bradley Center was a live and jumping. Section 6, arguably one of the most engaged and dramatic fan zones was on fire. Yet, if you lived outside of the Milwaukee/Atlanta markets or don't have the NBA network, you missed it all. Why? because watching the Magic sweep the Bobcats was marquee.

Okay, I can argue till I'm blue in the face why my team is more important that anyone elses and why, despite not living in my hometown anymore I am entitled to see any game I want, but I won't - or at least I'll try really hard not to. Both games last night were important. Milwaukee tied its series, the Magic won theirs. Its the playoffs. These are not games in the middle of January. If espn, Ted Turner, and the NBA can't figure out a way to show me every game played in the middle of the season, fine. I'll accept that. But these are not regular games. These are playoffs. Championships are won and lost, momentum is gain, its "DO OR DIE!". And yet, they can't seem to find a way to nationally televise these games. Yes, there's the pretty NBA network. And yes, who wouldn't love the money that your own network would bring. Seems like every pro league has their own. And it makes sense. I have the NFL ticket and NFL network. I can watch every game, and I can get NFL and NFL games any time I want. I love it. That's the regular season. Should we have to pay more to watch play off games? No. If you're a die hard fan of a team and then game, then you probably have these channels or by this time in the season have developed a means for watching these games. But casual fans, of both teams and the league, should have the opportunity to watch a play off game.

I heard that this was the second game of the series that was not nationally televised. I spent 15 minutes last night searching for a link online to watch the game to no avail.

CBS, Espn, and Turner found a way to get us all, ALL, of the NCAA tourney games. Every game available, despite region. And yet, we can not manage a way to broadcast the NBA playoffs. FAIL.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Post 1

Hello and Welcome.

My name is Jayme. And I love sports. Football, Soccer, baseball, basketball, you name it. I'm from Wisconsin and sports is in my blood. In 1996 I memerized the entire Green Bay Packer roster, just because. In 2000, I went to USC and watched the rebirth of one of the great college programs. I bleed country pride with US Soccer and will sing Glory Glory Man United till I'm blue in the face. Mostly though I just enjoy the way sports mixes with daily life, as a means of entertainment, betting, and social commentary. I'm also a civic nerd (also memorized the U.S. presidents). I have a photographic memory and it serves me well for these purposes.

I love writing, and I love thinking and talking sports. This is my meager and amatuer attempt to share my musings on sports and the world in general with people. Hopefully some day it will grow into something respectable and sight worthy, but for now it will just be random thoughts about the world at large.

Side note: In general I am a horrible speller. I also tend to let my emotions rule my beliefs on sports, i.e. I still get angry any time I see anything related to Texas (thanks 2006 Rose Bowl) and I spent a year argueing with people why drafting anyone from Notre Dame was sure to ruin your nfl team.

Thanks.