STARTING FIVE
Everybody Loves Raymond, but even more people love Rece. Rock solid anchor who never upstages the analysts
1. Rece is Coming….To Your Ci-TAAAAAY!
For those of us who know that college football is one of the two or three greatest things in life (also up there: furry animals and “The Joshua Tree”), some tectonically huge changes announced in Bristol late last night. Chris Fowler, the patriarch and godfather of ESPN’s College GameDay, a show that has done more to promote the brand than any other studio show for any other sport, is leaving his post so that he won’t have to board a private jet most Saturday afternoons can concentrate solely on the Saturday night telecast.
Rece Davis, long a favorite here (and in other precincts), will abandon College Football Final (the brilliant bookend to ESPN’s 16 or so hours of Saturday coverage) to take Fowler’s place.
Questions: 1) Who will now play the role of judge to Mark May and Dr. Lou, or is Dr. Lou retiring? 2) How long until Fowler’s Sundance, Kirk Herbstreit, realizes Saturdays are better when spent in just one college town and joins his good friend? 3) Isn’t this a little like Genesis realizing that it’s too much for Phil Collins to both sing and play drums, and thus telling one of the best voices of his era to “stick with the drums?”
Fowler: “I don’t want to be in the air tonight, oh, Lord…”
In other words, Fowler is excellent in his role as GameDay host, but he is pedestrian (thus far) as a play-by-play man. I understand what he wants to do –but, hey, I’m sure Seahawk punter Jon Ryan wants to throw more passes, too. The truth is that no one is better on GameDay than Fowler –though Rece will be terrific, surely– but a lot of people are better than he is in the booth right now. Rece may just be one of those people.
It’s a measure of the leverage that the industrious Fowler has at ESPN that he is able to make this happen. The truth is, and I don’t know how many people are willing to say it to him, is that ESPN’s football coverage is not as strong with him out of GameDay and in the main play-by-play chair. It’s still very strong. Simply not as strong.
2. Cadavaliers Awake
Baring injury or meteor, the Cavs will win the East. Without question. That is today’s Hot Take by me.
On January 13 Cleveland lost its sixth straight game, all (update: 5 of the 6) without LeBron James, at Phoenix, 107-100 (as if the score really matters to you; that’s the fact-checker in me coming out), to fall to 19-20 on the season.
I had watched Cleveland lose at Golden State four nights earlier and, even though they fell by 18, tweeted something like, “Cleveland is going to be just fine.” I may also have tweeted, “Just watch, the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl on a crazy play!”
Anyway, I tweeted that because I could see how the trades (for Mozgov, Smith and Shumpert) were about to make this a very deep, experienced and complete team. Cleveland has since won 12 in a row, and all by A LOT. The Cavaliers are going to win the East. I’m sure of it.
And of the players who have come aboard since Christmas, it’s not even close: Timofey Mozgov is the primary difference-maker in that lineup. He’s the dirty work dude on a team that really didn’t have one after Anderson Varejao went down. Plus, he’s an upgrade from Varejao.
3. Resilience
When you Google Image “resilience” this is what you get. When you Google Image “resiliency,” you get a photo of Bill Walton smacking his forehead with his palm in utter disgust and contempt.
If I watch a basketball game on television, particularly on ESPN, then there’s a good chance that during that broadcast I will hear a commentator –or a player in a post-game interview–use the term “resiliency.”
Merriam-Webster’s defines RESILIENCE as “the ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens.” Merriam-Webster’s defines RESILIENCY as “resilience.”
Do you get what I’m trying to say here?
And maybe it’s just that “resiliency” is 2015 for “overcoming adversity,” but still it is nails-on-a-chalkboard every time I hear it.
4. SI Swimsuit Rookies
Robyn Lawley: This is me criticizing a form of media exploitation while in the process benefiting from the very same means of exploitation, a process known as “Deadspinning.”
Don’t you love how Sports Illustrated is shrewdly turning objectification of the female form into a sport? I’m not talking about the Swimsuit issue, per se. Hey, that’s already in a menopausal state and it’s human nature (or it least masculine nature) and I’ve never had that big a problem with it (“Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly…”).
What I love is how they are trying to inveigle us into thinking of the talent as a sports team. For instance, now they present a “Rookie of the Year,” which they began doing lat year. Why stop there? Let’s get “D-Leaguers” and “Double-D Leaguers.” A “Taxi Squad.” “Most Improved.” “Most Improved without Help of a Surgeon.” “Comeback Player of the Year.” Go all the way with this.
Meanwhile, social media sites are asking if this year’s cover goes “too low?” (No; I mean, you can’t actually see Hannah Davis’ Dolores, now can you?). My answer? No, as long as any of SI‘s editors would allow their own daughter to be placed on the cover striking that pose. It’s curious that Today show placed red ribbon over bottom of the cover on Thursday.
5. “Allison, What is Internet?”
I like Brian Williams. And we’re both from Middletown, N.J. But I don’t think he survives this.
Earlier this week, the entire Brian Williams kerfuffle over helicopters in the invasion of Iraq (2003). Today, a brand new Brian Williams kerfuffle over Hurricane Katrina coverage (2005). As I tweeted a few minutes ago, we’re about 10 minutes away from learning that Allison Williams is not Brian Williams’ daughter. Or that Williams’ real name is Bison Dele.
Speaking of “Allison,” has anyone researched/reported who the “Allison” that Katie Couric refers to in that ad actually is? And did this former (I assume she’s no longer there) Today staffer get any residuals out of that ad? She certainly deserved some.
Remote Patrol
TCM
ALL MONTH, BITCHES!
In 1927, the first year of Oscar, The Jazz Singer, the first talkie, did not win Best Picture but instead won “Outstanding Technical Effects”
I’ll be Jesse and you be Beca: “You need a movie education…a moviecation.” This month Turner Classic Movies gives you, “27 Days of Oscar,” in which each nigh you can watch films that were nominated for “Best Picture.” And not ALL of them suck! Really. Besides, what else are you going to do in February? Go outside and play pickle ball?!? Tonight: Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind.
Oh, and if you happen to see that TCM is airing a little doc titled And The Oscar Goes To, I highly recommend that you stop everything and watch. It was on last night and it was delicious.
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A few things –
1st, you tweeted that this post was not “as sucky as usual”. Is this your attempt at demonstrating “RESILIENCY”? Ahhh, don’t you just love the sound of fingernails on the chalkboard in the morning, I mean, afternoon?
2- I like Rece & I like Fowler & although I don’t find the latter quite as lacking as you in the PBP dept, I do agree he is perfect on Game Day. WHY mess with a great thing?! And if Herbie goes, FoxSports would FINALLY have a chance on Sat mornings during CFB season.
3 – Based on your previous mentions, I thought you liked the Bulls or Hawks in the Finals? Are you NOW saying you like the “Cadavaliers” just because you are a fan of ‘The Walking Dead’ or do you really mean it?
4- And COME ON, no mention of LeBron’s stellar play since his “return”? Hell, MacArthur & the Terminator didn’t have better “returns”! Plus, would it kill you to show Sweet Pea in a photo? (And not even a giggle from my ‘knock-knock’ joke?)
5- And finally, you mention your appreciation of “furry animals” a few days after your show of solidarity with the cheek-chomping groundhog. A few words about groundhogs – they are not innocent, loveable, “live & let live” creatures. Oh noooo. They dig holes in fields which are responsible for countless tractor accidents & human injuries/deaths. (Farming is one of the very most dangerous occupations on earth (possibly the universe too) & I’m blaming your furry friends as contributors). Anyhoo, I have a personal Groundhog Day story for you. One day, back in high school, I got off the bus at the farm & after the bus turned around at the end of our lane, I looked up to see a groundhog sitting in the middle of the train track (a trunk line of the B&O Railroad used to go through our property & over our lane), staring straight at me. This was unusual – most groundhogs scurry off immediately when a human is close by. I walked a bit closer, expecting him to run. He did not. He kept staring at me with those beady, little evil eyes. I figured something was wrong, so I planned to walk about 20 feet away & the cross over the track there. Well, Mr Groundhog starts dragging himself down the track towards me. Still staring. Not good – must mean he’s either injured or rabid. Very dangerous for humans (ME) who come into contact. I then walk quickly back the other way & he drag-runs himself back my direction. Still staring. This little dance went on a few more times – to the right, drag, to the left, drag, to the right, drag, etc. etc. THEN, he suddenly starts to come towards me, over the track. STILL staring. I throw my books on the ground & take off down the road. I eventually climb over some of our field’s fences about a 1/4 mile away & run up our hill to the house/barn looking for my Dad to tell him about the menacing/injured/rabid (& ‘evil’) varmint. We hop in the truck to go down the lane & he’s gone. He left my books though. 😉 I used to walk down our lane between our house & my Aunt’s at night after 10 PM every night & never used a flashlight as I was never afraid. Well, I was scared sh*tless that day. And ticked too as my family thought it was HILARIOUS! 🙂
One more thing – do you have a phobia or superstition about the # “16”? Like those hotels with no 13th floors? Your previous entry lists two #”15″s. Also, I had no idea ‘Uncle Tony’ was buds with Simmons!
To answer a few of your questions, Susie:
Groundhogs do not burrow holes in order to mess with tractors. They do so to survive. I imagine they were here first.
I’d originally written 15 items, and added a 16th today.
Susie,
Some humans take guns and hunt animals for joy (not for survival — i.e. food –but for joy).
How’d we act if we were paraded around in front of weapons? We just call it revolution. Animals always get the short stick. Poor fellas.
For the record MH, pickleball is actually one word. We have submitted it for inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary, to insure pickleball doesn’t appear as a typo going forward. The best part? You can actually experience wuthering heights, or feel like your game has gone with the wind without even turning on the TV. 🙂
I want to expand on the Swimsuit D-Leaguers with full-scale transactions. What better than a late-January roster cutdown that shows a model designated for assignment? Outrighted to Scranton, as they say? If they need arbitration at any point, I can help.
I’m with you, GA. I could see there being an “Uber Squad.” I could picture a difficult model being involved in a Sign-and-Tirade deal. What if a team is Tankini’ing for a higher draft pick? How about a “Sun-and-Done” system? Help!
Well, unless you’ve had a conversation with a groundhog or can mind-meld with them like Mr Spock, I wouldn’t state WHAT their intenti0ns are if I were you. And I don’t know if groundhogs are indigenous to western MD or not. I also don’t know if the groundhogs “trespassing” on our farm the last 50 years go back as far as MY ancestors on the property – since the Civil War. If you are secretly Dr Doolittle, maybe you can come for a visit, chat them up & we’ll find out. (Based on my decades on nonverbal communication with them, I wouldn’t believe a WORD they say. Possums are more truthful!). 😉
Anyhoo, your “16TH” item on the previous post appears as “15”; i.e. there are TWO “15” items.