1/04/2006
Two Thoughts on the Orange Bowl and One Way Too Long Thought About Vh1
G-rrrrrrrrrrrreat College Football match-up last night. I was thoroughly impressed (except by the kicking...that aspect of the game was craptastic at best.)
The Orange bowl will almost (almost) make up for Notre Dame's lackluster performance in the Fiesta Bowl when I think about this year's bowl games twenty years from now.
Last night, when Penn State called a timeout with 35 seconds left, the ball on the 20 yard line, and an inevitable PSU field goal coming up to seal the game for the Nittany Lions, ABC cut to the crowd, and the Florida State faithful in attendance were doing the ubiquitous "Tomahawk Chop." I sat there and thought to myself, "what the hell are they cheering for? This game's over." Two seconds later, I realized "wait a sec, that kid still has to make the field goal for the Lions to win."
Three seconds after that, wide right.
Mmmmm...sports.
Congrats to Penn State on an epic triple overtime victory. Well played.
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Welcome back, Mike Tirico.
One of the first great announcers at ESPN, he seemingly refused to toe the company's line in the mid-90's of "style over substance" (I'm looking right at you and your Mark Grudzielanek-esque lazy eye, Stu Scott) and was left to cover lower tier events like the PGA's John Deere Classic.
However, in the last week he has called the best two College Bowl games of the Bowl Season (Michigan and Nebraska's instant classic Alamo Bowl and last night's Orange Bowl) and has done so swimmingly and without lowering himself to the modern day sports journalism sea of hyperbole and instant history.
Bravo, Mike Tirico. Bravo.
Now, if Charlie Steiner can have a career resurrection, early-to-mid-90's ESPN announcers will be having Vh1's Best Year Ever in 2006.
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While I'm on the subject of Vh1, I just gotta say: "I'm done with you, Video Hits One."
We had some great days. Back in the mid 90's, I could always count on seeing a Counting Crows "Long December" or maybe Fastball's "The Way" video before I went to school in the morning. That made me happy.
And in the early Double Zero's, Vh1 Classic always provided good background noise while my Marine buddies and I got shitty off of Yuengling in our barracks rooms.
But after seeing your new lineup, with a Flava Flav dating show (shouldn't Chuck D be brought in at some point and slap the shit out of Flava...have some self respect, man) and some celebrity fat club show which makes a mockery of my childhood love of Kelly LeBrock, it's over. It's fucking over.
I don't care about celebrities.
Tom Cruise is crazy. I get it, and I don't care.
Paris Hilton is dumb. Got it. Don't give a shit.
Hillary Duff and Lionel Ritchies daughter are skinny. So-the-fuck-what.
Rachel McAdams has hairy nipples. Ummm...alright, that one is kind of interesting...ya got me.
The point is, somewhere along the way E! turned into soft core porno and Vh1 became the new gossip channel.
But, in the immortal words of Positive K, "I'm not trying to hear that see."
So that's it, Video Hits One, until you start playing cool music videos made by middle aged white people again, you are out of the rotation.
You had your chance. And you blew it.
Good day, sir.
The Orange bowl will almost (almost) make up for Notre Dame's lackluster performance in the Fiesta Bowl when I think about this year's bowl games twenty years from now.
Last night, when Penn State called a timeout with 35 seconds left, the ball on the 20 yard line, and an inevitable PSU field goal coming up to seal the game for the Nittany Lions, ABC cut to the crowd, and the Florida State faithful in attendance were doing the ubiquitous "Tomahawk Chop." I sat there and thought to myself, "what the hell are they cheering for? This game's over." Two seconds later, I realized "wait a sec, that kid still has to make the field goal for the Lions to win."
Three seconds after that, wide right.
Mmmmm...sports.
Congrats to Penn State on an epic triple overtime victory. Well played.
----------------------------------
Welcome back, Mike Tirico.
One of the first great announcers at ESPN, he seemingly refused to toe the company's line in the mid-90's of "style over substance" (I'm looking right at you and your Mark Grudzielanek-esque lazy eye, Stu Scott) and was left to cover lower tier events like the PGA's John Deere Classic.
However, in the last week he has called the best two College Bowl games of the Bowl Season (Michigan and Nebraska's instant classic Alamo Bowl and last night's Orange Bowl) and has done so swimmingly and without lowering himself to the modern day sports journalism sea of hyperbole and instant history.
Bravo, Mike Tirico. Bravo.
Now, if Charlie Steiner can have a career resurrection, early-to-mid-90's ESPN announcers will be having Vh1's Best Year Ever in 2006.
----------------------------------
While I'm on the subject of Vh1, I just gotta say: "I'm done with you, Video Hits One."
We had some great days. Back in the mid 90's, I could always count on seeing a Counting Crows "Long December" or maybe Fastball's "The Way" video before I went to school in the morning. That made me happy.
And in the early Double Zero's, Vh1 Classic always provided good background noise while my Marine buddies and I got shitty off of Yuengling in our barracks rooms.
But after seeing your new lineup, with a Flava Flav dating show (shouldn't Chuck D be brought in at some point and slap the shit out of Flava...have some self respect, man) and some celebrity fat club show which makes a mockery of my childhood love of Kelly LeBrock, it's over. It's fucking over.
I don't care about celebrities.
Tom Cruise is crazy. I get it, and I don't care.
Paris Hilton is dumb. Got it. Don't give a shit.
Hillary Duff and Lionel Ritchies daughter are skinny. So-the-fuck-what.
Rachel McAdams has hairy nipples. Ummm...alright, that one is kind of interesting...ya got me.
The point is, somewhere along the way E! turned into soft core porno and Vh1 became the new gossip channel.
But, in the immortal words of Positive K, "I'm not trying to hear that see."
So that's it, Video Hits One, until you start playing cool music videos made by middle aged white people again, you are out of the rotation.
You had your chance. And you blew it.
Good day, sir.
