I think I may have found the perfect job. The title? Ombudsman. What exactly is an ombudsman, you ask? Webster's defines one as "a public official appointed to investigate a citizen's complaints against local or national government agencies that may be infringing on the rights of individuals."
In other words, a watchdog. What can be better than that? Providing critique without having to do anything? I've found my calling. At any rate, many media outlets, such as New York Times, have installed such a person.
Interestingly, ESPN has installed Don Ohlmeyer as its ombudsman. Ohlmeyer, a long-time producer of ABC's Monday Night Football, recently wrote a scorching critique of ESPN's role in Lebron's "The Decision." He writes:
"It was billed without irony as "The Decision." But for those who thought ESPN could agree to televise live LeBron James' announcement that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat -- ultimately served up with ample hype in the form of an awkward, uncomfortable, staged one-hour network special -- and still be free from public controversy, it might as well have been called "The Delusion.""
To read the rest of Ohlmeyer's rant, click here
Although the guy is known to be a close friend of OJ's and was a prick to Letterman during his final days at NBC, he's as right as rain here. ESPN is dysfunctional. Maybe this guy can knock some sense into the higher-ups over there.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
In case you forgot...
I rule the blog, the blog doesn't rule me.
Russ Salzberg is awful on these post-game wrap-ups on My9. And Ed Randall as a Yankee analyst? Terribly uninspired. Who's the suit that hired these two clowns?
Note to BHO: Time to lead.
More later. I'm pacing myself.
Russ Salzberg is awful on these post-game wrap-ups on My9. And Ed Randall as a Yankee analyst? Terribly uninspired. Who's the suit that hired these two clowns?
Note to BHO: Time to lead.
More later. I'm pacing myself.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Gaborik Hurt
It was inevitable. Like death, taxes and the cancellation of the Jay Leno Show, the Rangers' Marion Gaborik got hurt. That was the knock on Gaborik's otherwise brilliant career: that he couldn't stay healthy during a full season. And as is customary with this star-crossed franchise, the incident occurred not during a game but at practice.(Quick, someone cue up Allen Iverson's "we talkin 'bout practice?)
Gaborik suffered what's being described as a "deep laceration" after colliding with goalie Henrik Lundqvist during shooting drills. On the surface, one might say a cut is no big deal. However, skate blades are razor sharp and can do some serious damage. NHL fans will not soon forget the scene after goalie Clint Malarchuk throat was inadvertently slashed by a skate. Gruesome scene. Luckily, Gabby's cut was on his leg.
It's unclear how long Gaborik will be out. This is a big hit to the team's offense. The Great Gaborik, who managed to stay healthy all year, was putting up big numbers in his first season on Broadway: 69 points (35 goals) in 57 games. Rangers fans knew it in their hearts: It wasn't a question of if but when. Now is when.
Gaborik suffered what's being described as a "deep laceration" after colliding with goalie Henrik Lundqvist during shooting drills. On the surface, one might say a cut is no big deal. However, skate blades are razor sharp and can do some serious damage. NHL fans will not soon forget the scene after goalie Clint Malarchuk throat was inadvertently slashed by a skate. Gruesome scene. Luckily, Gabby's cut was on his leg.
It's unclear how long Gaborik will be out. This is a big hit to the team's offense. The Great Gaborik, who managed to stay healthy all year, was putting up big numbers in his first season on Broadway: 69 points (35 goals) in 57 games. Rangers fans knew it in their hearts: It wasn't a question of if but when. Now is when.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Witnessed, overheard or felt at the Super Bowl Party
CBS pregame jailhouse interview with Bill Cowher and Plaxico Burress was outrageous. Why are we giving airtime to this thug? Where's Chris Henry's 15 minutes? How about Mike Vick if you want "redemption stories?" Plax hasn't even served his time yet. Kudos to Boomer Esiason who noted, "I hope this piece serves a public service announcement as to why all athletes should stop carrying hand guns in our cities."
In the parts of the game I heard, Phil Simms was dead-on, never more than during the review for Lance Moore's 2-point conversion. "We were informed during commercial why it (the ruling on the field) could be overturned," Simms said. The call was overturned. Simms did not have to let listeners know of this inside information. He could have kept it to himself. But he didn't. Honesty counts.
I can't hit a number to save my life. Feeling my pain, Papa Gooch says to me: "Son, with my luck, if I bet that tomorrow is Monday, the world would end at 5 to midnight."
With 35 seconds left, CBS put up a ridiculous graphic informing us how many times in Super Bowl history a team has scored with two minutes remaining in the half. Two thoughts here: First, why bother? Second, if you insist on using the graphic, wouldn't viewers be best served to see the graphic with 2:00 minutes remaining? Apparently, the production truck employs the use it or lose it philosophy.
The Letterman/Oprah/Leno ad was my favorite. Kudos to NY Times' Bill Carter who chronicles how they pulled it off...
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/how-the-letterman-oprah-leno-super-bowl-ad-came-together/?hp
CBS has got to come off using Katie Couric on these big network spots. Sure, the network wants to showcase its lead anchor in its marquee event. Did Dan Rather do it? How about ol' Bob Schieffer? Leave the sports interviews to the sports guys. If you insist on using CBS people, why not let 60 Minutes Steve Kroft interview the Saints Dree Brees.
It was inevitable--and becoming tradition--that I either spill or drop something or contribute greatly in it. Invariably, the spill involves a red sauce.
Couric, again, this time with a live sitdown with BHO. Tedious and self-serving. Note to Obama: wear a suit. All presidents wear suits. You're the president. Do the math.
I will pass over, in silenc,e my rendering of the Who at halftime.
You knew the spin would begin: WFAN's Mia Harris, right after the 11:40 pm sports update, began questioning Peyton Manning's legacy bringing up his .500 record in career playoff games. What a bunch of garbage. No one should question, ehem, Peyton's place. (couldn't resist)
In the parts of the game I heard, Phil Simms was dead-on, never more than during the review for Lance Moore's 2-point conversion. "We were informed during commercial why it (the ruling on the field) could be overturned," Simms said. The call was overturned. Simms did not have to let listeners know of this inside information. He could have kept it to himself. But he didn't. Honesty counts.
I can't hit a number to save my life. Feeling my pain, Papa Gooch says to me: "Son, with my luck, if I bet that tomorrow is Monday, the world would end at 5 to midnight."
With 35 seconds left, CBS put up a ridiculous graphic informing us how many times in Super Bowl history a team has scored with two minutes remaining in the half. Two thoughts here: First, why bother? Second, if you insist on using the graphic, wouldn't viewers be best served to see the graphic with 2:00 minutes remaining? Apparently, the production truck employs the use it or lose it philosophy.
The Letterman/Oprah/Leno ad was my favorite. Kudos to NY Times' Bill Carter who chronicles how they pulled it off...
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/how-the-letterman-oprah-leno-super-bowl-ad-came-together/?hp
CBS has got to come off using Katie Couric on these big network spots. Sure, the network wants to showcase its lead anchor in its marquee event. Did Dan Rather do it? How about ol' Bob Schieffer? Leave the sports interviews to the sports guys. If you insist on using CBS people, why not let 60 Minutes Steve Kroft interview the Saints Dree Brees.
It was inevitable--and becoming tradition--that I either spill or drop something or contribute greatly in it. Invariably, the spill involves a red sauce.
Couric, again, this time with a live sitdown with BHO. Tedious and self-serving. Note to Obama: wear a suit. All presidents wear suits. You're the president. Do the math.
I will pass over, in silenc,e my rendering of the Who at halftime.
You knew the spin would begin: WFAN's Mia Harris, right after the 11:40 pm sports update, began questioning Peyton Manning's legacy bringing up his .500 record in career playoff games. What a bunch of garbage. No one should question, ehem, Peyton's place. (couldn't resist)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Super Bowl Halftime...
I'm a fan of The Who. Always have been. I saw them in 1989 at Foxboro in the rain. Great show. John Entwistle was still alive and Daltrey was still in good voice.
But let me be clear: I in no way want to see Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey prance through 15 minutes of My Generation, Baba O'Reilly and Who Are You this Sunday. It will be painful to watch and judging by last year's Springsteen performance: tedious.
All the songs I want to hear, such as My Wife; 5:15 and Join Together, will not be played before the masses.
Given their ages, Townsend (65 this May) and Daltrey (66 in March) would be better served talking about the relative merits of BHO's health-care overhaul. I've said it here many times: the legend is always better. Long live rock...(which by the way, they won't play either.)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Spring Cleaning Comes Early For Blueshirts
Editor's note: In an effort to salvage a disappointing season, the New York Rangers traded Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins to the Calgary Flames for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. Will it work to propel the slumping team or does it amount to rearranging the Titanic's deck chairs, our author examines the trade.
By Joe D'Angelis
According to hockey maven Stan Fischler, the New York Rangers have received something for virtually nothing in return. Let me explain.
GM Glen Sather packaged expensive defensive liability Ales Kotalik (3 years $9 million) and scarce goal scorer Chris Higgins to the Calgary Flames in return acquiring forwards Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. Jokinen, 31, a powerful forward will collect plenty of assists skating on the top unit with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal, is playing out the final year of his contract; consider it an up-close audition for 2010-11.
In Prust, the Rangers surely get someone who doesn't mind dropping the gloves. This should help erase the embarassment of the Marion Gaborik fight with Daniel Carcillo. To date, Prust ranks second in the league with 18 fighting majors; one has reason to believe Slats' interest in Prust has little to do with his puck handling abilities, and that's a good thing.
This trade accomplishes several things, it frees the Rangers of Kotalik's ridiculous contact; Jokinen will surely be motivated to boost his value with production as he becomes a free agent at seasons end; and they receive that much needed enforcer Prust; it will be interesting to see how coach John Tortorella uses him perhaps skating alongside the feisty Sean Avery.
If nothing else, the Rangers made an uneventful trade that can only propel their efforts for a playoff berth, that cost them, in Fischler's words, virtually nothing.
Joe D'Angelis, a lifelong NY Rangers fan, lives in New Jersey. This is first piece for The Daily Del Franco.
By Joe D'Angelis
According to hockey maven Stan Fischler, the New York Rangers have received something for virtually nothing in return. Let me explain.
GM Glen Sather packaged expensive defensive liability Ales Kotalik (3 years $9 million) and scarce goal scorer Chris Higgins to the Calgary Flames in return acquiring forwards Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. Jokinen, 31, a powerful forward will collect plenty of assists skating on the top unit with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal, is playing out the final year of his contract; consider it an up-close audition for 2010-11.
In Prust, the Rangers surely get someone who doesn't mind dropping the gloves. This should help erase the embarassment of the Marion Gaborik fight with Daniel Carcillo. To date, Prust ranks second in the league with 18 fighting majors; one has reason to believe Slats' interest in Prust has little to do with his puck handling abilities, and that's a good thing.
This trade accomplishes several things, it frees the Rangers of Kotalik's ridiculous contact; Jokinen will surely be motivated to boost his value with production as he becomes a free agent at seasons end; and they receive that much needed enforcer Prust; it will be interesting to see how coach John Tortorella uses him perhaps skating alongside the feisty Sean Avery.
If nothing else, the Rangers made an uneventful trade that can only propel their efforts for a playoff berth, that cost them, in Fischler's words, virtually nothing.
Joe D'Angelis, a lifelong NY Rangers fan, lives in New Jersey. This is first piece for The Daily Del Franco.
Priceless Picasso Damaged
For the record, this is something which might happen to me. Here's the story from USA Today.....
An important Picasso painting accidentally damaged by a visitor last week will be repaired in time for a large exhibition of the artist's works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in April, the museum said Monday.
"The Actor," a painting from Picasso's rose period, will be restored at the museum's conservation laboratory, the Met said.
The accident has also led museum director Thomas P. Campbell to request a review of relevant policies and procedures, spokeswoman Elyse Topalian said.
The museum described the damage as an irregular 6-inch tear to the lower right-hand corner of the painting. Conservation and curatorial experts "fully expect" that the restoration "will be unobtrusive," the museum said in a statement Sunday.
The artwork is nearly 6 feet by 4 feet and depicts a standing acrobat in a pink costume and blue knee-high boots striking a pose against an abstracted backdrop.
The restoration will be done in the coming weeks, and the piece will be displayed as planned in an exhibition of 250 Picasso works drawn from the museum's collection, from April 27 to Aug. 1, the museum said.
The accident occurred in a second-floor gallery of early Picasso works when a patron participating in one of the museum's art classes lost her balance and fell on the canvas, the museum said. She was one of 14 people in the guided group.
It happened during regular visiting hours when other visitors were in the gallery. People who attend the art classes typically roam through the museum in a group stopping in front of works of interest.
"The Actor" was donated to the Met in 1952 by art patron Thelma Chrysler Foy, the elder daughter of auto magnate Walter Chrysler. The museum said it had been included in many major exhibitions of Picasso's works both in the United States and in Europe.
Picasso painted the work in the winter of 1904-05. It marked a transition from his blue period of tattered beggars and blind musicians to his more optimistic and brighter-colored rose period of itinerant acrobats in costume.
In 2001, another Picasso was accidentally damaged during a private showing of the artist's "Le Reve." The artwork's owner, casino mogul Steve Wynn, was showing the work — a portrait of Picasso's mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, to a group of friends in Las Vegas when he inadvertently poked a thumb-size hole in the canvas with his elbow.
The accident occurred just after Wynn had negotiated a deal to sell the painting for $139 million.
Note: See? The Daily Del Franco can play cultural, too.
An important Picasso painting accidentally damaged by a visitor last week will be repaired in time for a large exhibition of the artist's works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in April, the museum said Monday.
"The Actor," a painting from Picasso's rose period, will be restored at the museum's conservation laboratory, the Met said.
The accident has also led museum director Thomas P. Campbell to request a review of relevant policies and procedures, spokeswoman Elyse Topalian said.
The museum described the damage as an irregular 6-inch tear to the lower right-hand corner of the painting. Conservation and curatorial experts "fully expect" that the restoration "will be unobtrusive," the museum said in a statement Sunday.
The artwork is nearly 6 feet by 4 feet and depicts a standing acrobat in a pink costume and blue knee-high boots striking a pose against an abstracted backdrop.
The restoration will be done in the coming weeks, and the piece will be displayed as planned in an exhibition of 250 Picasso works drawn from the museum's collection, from April 27 to Aug. 1, the museum said.
The accident occurred in a second-floor gallery of early Picasso works when a patron participating in one of the museum's art classes lost her balance and fell on the canvas, the museum said. She was one of 14 people in the guided group.
It happened during regular visiting hours when other visitors were in the gallery. People who attend the art classes typically roam through the museum in a group stopping in front of works of interest.
"The Actor" was donated to the Met in 1952 by art patron Thelma Chrysler Foy, the elder daughter of auto magnate Walter Chrysler. The museum said it had been included in many major exhibitions of Picasso's works both in the United States and in Europe.
Picasso painted the work in the winter of 1904-05. It marked a transition from his blue period of tattered beggars and blind musicians to his more optimistic and brighter-colored rose period of itinerant acrobats in costume.
In 2001, another Picasso was accidentally damaged during a private showing of the artist's "Le Reve." The artwork's owner, casino mogul Steve Wynn, was showing the work — a portrait of Picasso's mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, to a group of friends in Las Vegas when he inadvertently poked a thumb-size hole in the canvas with his elbow.
The accident occurred just after Wynn had negotiated a deal to sell the painting for $139 million.
Note: See? The Daily Del Franco can play cultural, too.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Obama Drama: President Calls Out Recent Supreme Court Decision
Did anyone else catch Obama's slam directed at the U.S. Supreme Court justices during his State Of The Union speech last night?
Obama had taken the unusual step of scolding the high court. "With all due deference to the separation of powers," he began, the court last week "reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections."
Judge Samuel Alito made a dismissive face, shook his head repeatedly and appeared to mouth the words "not true" or possibly "simply not true." A reliable conservative appointed to the court by Republican President George W. Bush, Alito was in the majority in the 5-4 ruling.
And was it only me who thought there was plenty of catcalling going on during the speech. I'm not referring to the "spontaneous applause" either. That's customary (not to mention tedious). I'm saying that parts of Obama's speech that didn't merit any reaction, got reaction and vice versa. Strange. I don't recall these outbursts happening under Reagan, Bush or Clinton. Perhaps this is further evidence of the erosion of civility in this country.
One further note: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should refrain from buying green banannas in the interim.
Obama had taken the unusual step of scolding the high court. "With all due deference to the separation of powers," he began, the court last week "reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections."
Judge Samuel Alito made a dismissive face, shook his head repeatedly and appeared to mouth the words "not true" or possibly "simply not true." A reliable conservative appointed to the court by Republican President George W. Bush, Alito was in the majority in the 5-4 ruling.
And was it only me who thought there was plenty of catcalling going on during the speech. I'm not referring to the "spontaneous applause" either. That's customary (not to mention tedious). I'm saying that parts of Obama's speech that didn't merit any reaction, got reaction and vice versa. Strange. I don't recall these outbursts happening under Reagan, Bush or Clinton. Perhaps this is further evidence of the erosion of civility in this country.
One further note: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should refrain from buying green banannas in the interim.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday Quick Hits
Tuesday Quick Hits:
For the record, Brett Favre's last three "retirement games" all ended with him throwing an interception. See Heel, Achilles.
So I was 50% correct on my Super Bowl prediction. And allow me a correction: Colts/Cowboys was Super Bowl V, not Super Bowl III (aka, Namath's guarantee). The Daily Del Franco regrets the error.
Larry Brooks, the usually reliable and on-point NY Post columnist covering the Rangers, has allowed his feud with coach John Tortorella to seep into his columns. Why do I say? Slowly, phrases such as "lost the locker room" and "players quitting on the coach" have found their way into recent columns without an attribution or even an unnamed source. Brooks should know better. Take a page from the Godfather, Larry. "It's business, not personal."
Hope For Haiti aired on so many stations Friday night, I was never so relieved to find an episode of Ice Road Truckers. And not to be Ned Negative but where is all the donations and money going? I wonder who's measuring how many pennies on the dollar actually go to the charity (in this case, Haiti).
On first blush, the Mets recent signing of Gary Mathews Jr seemed like a mistake. However, it's a steal given the Angels are eating the majority of Mathew's (awful) contract. A suspected steroid cheat, Mathews signed a big contract with the Angels following a career year before reverting back tomodest career numbers last year. At least he can go get 'em in the spacious Citi Field expanses. One of these days, a column should be devoted to the all-time worst sports contracts. Until then, Carl Pavano, Mike Hampton and Hideki Irabu can rest easy.
Alert the Arden Ave. faithful: I will be in Staten Island for the Super Bowl. Note to Mama Gooch: Start building the monuments...
For the record, Brett Favre's last three "retirement games" all ended with him throwing an interception. See Heel, Achilles.
So I was 50% correct on my Super Bowl prediction. And allow me a correction: Colts/Cowboys was Super Bowl V, not Super Bowl III (aka, Namath's guarantee). The Daily Del Franco regrets the error.
Larry Brooks, the usually reliable and on-point NY Post columnist covering the Rangers, has allowed his feud with coach John Tortorella to seep into his columns. Why do I say? Slowly, phrases such as "lost the locker room" and "players quitting on the coach" have found their way into recent columns without an attribution or even an unnamed source. Brooks should know better. Take a page from the Godfather, Larry. "It's business, not personal."
Hope For Haiti aired on so many stations Friday night, I was never so relieved to find an episode of Ice Road Truckers. And not to be Ned Negative but where is all the donations and money going? I wonder who's measuring how many pennies on the dollar actually go to the charity (in this case, Haiti).
On first blush, the Mets recent signing of Gary Mathews Jr seemed like a mistake. However, it's a steal given the Angels are eating the majority of Mathew's (awful) contract. A suspected steroid cheat, Mathews signed a big contract with the Angels following a career year before reverting back tomodest career numbers last year. At least he can go get 'em in the spacious Citi Field expanses. One of these days, a column should be devoted to the all-time worst sports contracts. Until then, Carl Pavano, Mike Hampton and Hideki Irabu can rest easy.
Alert the Arden Ave. faithful: I will be in Staten Island for the Super Bowl. Note to Mama Gooch: Start building the monuments...
Conan's Classy Last Words
Conan's Classy Last Words...
Those expecting a tear-jearker for Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show were likely disappointed. Though the show didn't rival Carson's 1992 tear-jerker ("I bid you a very fond good night.") , it was heartfelt. I loved all the bits (Steve Carell doing an exit interview, Tom Hanks, beluga caviar sprayed on a Picasso) save for Will Ferrell's forced bit at the end. Was it me or did the bit seem like a ripoff of Jim Carrey's "Jim Morrison" impersonation at the Video Music Awards?
At 12:20 am, Conan's final words were these:
"There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC," he said. "To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: Between my time at 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Late Night' show and my brief run here on the 'Tonight Show,' I have worked with NBC for over 20 years. . . . This company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."
"All I ask of you, especially young people . . . is one thing. Please don't be cynical," O'Brien said. "I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."
Neil Young sang it best: Long may you run. Long may you run.
Those expecting a tear-jearker for Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show were likely disappointed. Though the show didn't rival Carson's 1992 tear-jerker ("I bid you a very fond good night.") , it was heartfelt. I loved all the bits (Steve Carell doing an exit interview, Tom Hanks, beluga caviar sprayed on a Picasso) save for Will Ferrell's forced bit at the end. Was it me or did the bit seem like a ripoff of Jim Carrey's "Jim Morrison" impersonation at the Video Music Awards?
At 12:20 am, Conan's final words were these:
"There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC," he said. "To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: Between my time at 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Late Night' show and my brief run here on the 'Tonight Show,' I have worked with NBC for over 20 years. . . . This company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."
"All I ask of you, especially young people . . . is one thing. Please don't be cynical," O'Brien said. "I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."
Neil Young sang it best: Long may you run. Long may you run.
Friday, January 22, 2010
What I've Learned Friday....
It’s sick out there and getting sicker……
Like it or not the National Enquirer deserves kudos for its coverage of the John Edwards scandal. By now everyone knows the story of the former presidential candidate denied fathering a child with a campaign staffer. Yesterday, in a desperate attempt to tell his own story before an upcoming book, Edwards admitted to it. So the Enquirer is vindicated. Two years ago, during the presidential campaign, the Enquirer went where the mainstream press would not go, and are now basking in legitimacy. But does such reportage merit a Pulitzer? Let’s relax. After all, isn’t this is the same publication running breathless headlines of aliens and Big Foot sightings?
Perhaps the best zinger during the whole late night fiasco came courtesy of Jay Leno, who after weeks of taking David Letterman’s jabs, fired back this salvo…”Letterman’s talking about me again. He’s really killing me. (Turning to bandleader Kevin Eubanks) Hey Kev, do you know how to make Letterman ignore you? Marry him.” Ba-zing.
And as Conan winds down the Tonight Show tonight, over the last few days he introduced new comedy bits "that aren't so much funny as they are expensive," "The good news is, until NBC yanks us off the air, we can pretty much do whatever we want," O'Brien told the audience. "And here's the beautiful part: We do whatever we want, and they have to pay for it.
That included rolling out a Bugatti Veyron, the world's most expensive car, onto the stage, decorated as a mouse with the original recording of the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction playing in the background. He said the bit cost $1.5 million. Last night's expensive skit included 2009 Kentucky Derby winner "Mine That Bird" wearing a mink Snuggie and watching restricted NFL Superbowl footage. Total cost: $4.8 million.
On WPLR 99.1’s Chaz & AJ mornings show, a CNN reporter covering the aftermath in Haiti called covering 9/11 the highlight of her career. You can tell she was shaken by the death and devastation around her. Then, on the air, she said this. “I thought 9/11 was the highlight of my career, I had my live shot and everything….” After prodding by Chaz, the reporter realized her gaffe and tried to explain. Too late. The damage had been done. The reporter was suitably blasted by unforgiving callers.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower or depraved or depressing, let me offer this: The estate of Michael Jackson is objecting to a claim by Jackson’s father, Joe, that would give him an estimated $15,000 per month. In filings, the elder Jackson listed his expenses as follows: $1,200 a month on rent for his Las Vegas home; $2,500 to eat out; $1,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacations; $2,000 on air travel and $3,000 on hotels.
Note to Joe Jackson: Really? $2500 to eat out? Dominoes won’t do every now and then?
Like it or not the National Enquirer deserves kudos for its coverage of the John Edwards scandal. By now everyone knows the story of the former presidential candidate denied fathering a child with a campaign staffer. Yesterday, in a desperate attempt to tell his own story before an upcoming book, Edwards admitted to it. So the Enquirer is vindicated. Two years ago, during the presidential campaign, the Enquirer went where the mainstream press would not go, and are now basking in legitimacy. But does such reportage merit a Pulitzer? Let’s relax. After all, isn’t this is the same publication running breathless headlines of aliens and Big Foot sightings?
Perhaps the best zinger during the whole late night fiasco came courtesy of Jay Leno, who after weeks of taking David Letterman’s jabs, fired back this salvo…”Letterman’s talking about me again. He’s really killing me. (Turning to bandleader Kevin Eubanks) Hey Kev, do you know how to make Letterman ignore you? Marry him.” Ba-zing.
And as Conan winds down the Tonight Show tonight, over the last few days he introduced new comedy bits "that aren't so much funny as they are expensive," "The good news is, until NBC yanks us off the air, we can pretty much do whatever we want," O'Brien told the audience. "And here's the beautiful part: We do whatever we want, and they have to pay for it.
That included rolling out a Bugatti Veyron, the world's most expensive car, onto the stage, decorated as a mouse with the original recording of the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction playing in the background. He said the bit cost $1.5 million. Last night's expensive skit included 2009 Kentucky Derby winner "Mine That Bird" wearing a mink Snuggie and watching restricted NFL Superbowl footage. Total cost: $4.8 million.
On WPLR 99.1’s Chaz & AJ mornings show, a CNN reporter covering the aftermath in Haiti called covering 9/11 the highlight of her career. You can tell she was shaken by the death and devastation around her. Then, on the air, she said this. “I thought 9/11 was the highlight of my career, I had my live shot and everything….” After prodding by Chaz, the reporter realized her gaffe and tried to explain. Too late. The damage had been done. The reporter was suitably blasted by unforgiving callers.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower or depraved or depressing, let me offer this: The estate of Michael Jackson is objecting to a claim by Jackson’s father, Joe, that would give him an estimated $15,000 per month. In filings, the elder Jackson listed his expenses as follows: $1,200 a month on rent for his Las Vegas home; $2,500 to eat out; $1,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacations; $2,000 on air travel and $3,000 on hotels.
Note to Joe Jackson: Really? $2500 to eat out? Dominoes won’t do every now and then?
Monday, January 18, 2010
Leno Addresses Late Night Fiasco
On last night's Jay Leno Show, Jay used the post monologue segment to weigh in on the late night fiasco. Leno explained to the viewing audience his side of the story going back to the 2004 decision to give the Tonight Show to Conan. His candor was admirable and seemed genuinely concerned with the well-being of 175 people who work with him. More important, he acknowledged his low ratings. "Look, where I come from, when you don't get the ratings, you are humbled."
Leno also explained that he didn't want to do the half-hour show at 11:35 (Leading to Conan's Tonight Show) He followed with this:
"I asked NBC if I could get out of my contract and they said no...and that I was too big an asset to lose. How big an asset can I be if you fired me twice?" Great line.
Leno went on to say that he holds no animosity against O'Brien, but threw this zinger David Letterman's way: "Remember the good ol days when the biggest thing was figuring out which intern the host was nailing??
Leno also explained that he didn't want to do the half-hour show at 11:35 (Leading to Conan's Tonight Show) He followed with this:
"I asked NBC if I could get out of my contract and they said no...and that I was too big an asset to lose. How big an asset can I be if you fired me twice?" Great line.
Leno went on to say that he holds no animosity against O'Brien, but threw this zinger David Letterman's way: "Remember the good ol days when the biggest thing was figuring out which intern the host was nailing??
Friday, January 15, 2010
What I've Learned Friday
What a strange week.
10.) It has come to this: Local Fox news anchors took to wearing yellow neckties to promote the Simpson's 20th anniversary special. Can you imagine being in the marketing meeting touting this ridiculous concept?
9.) Word has it that Tiger Woods is donating money toward Haiti earthquake relief. I don't care if it's $3 or $300 million, this comes off as hollow ploy to rehabilitate Eldrick as corporate good guy. More proof that this stooge has learned nothing from his public flogging.
8.) Brittle Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran elects to have off-season surgery. No biggie, right? Only Carlos not only doesn't use the team surgeon he neglects to tell Mets brass. Is it only me or does anyone else think that NBC executives are now also running the Mets?
7.) A rising tide lifts all boats. The Great Late Night Fiasco of 2010 has made everyone with a monlogue and couch relevant and funny. CBS' Letterman has never been wittier or more vindicated. O'Brien, Leno, Dave and Kimmel are daily must-watches.
6.) Among the most chilling information to emerge from the Haiti coverage: Scientists peg the chances of a Category 7 earthquake hitting southern Caifornia in the next 30 years at 99.7%. Yet, strangely, everyone is concerned with this being Simon Cowell's last season on Idol.
5.) Al Roker describing the lodging conditions on NBC's Today show--including showing viewers where "Anne Curry slept last night." Who cares about Anne Curry or where she sleeps. There are people dying in the streets in Haiti yet Roker hijacks airtime to tell us about sleeping arrangements. He should be FIRED for this...Unreal.
4.) Based on public comments, I get the feeling if people knew, or could separate, the character Jerry Seinfeld from the real-life Jerry Seinfeld, his popularity might suffer. His comment about NBC's handling of Leno/Conan was ill-timed. "What did the network do to Conan," Seinfeld says. "{When the ratings suffer} "It's on you." Don't look for Seinfeld at the O'Brien family picnic. When Michael Richards issued his "I'm not a racist" mea culpa on Lettermana few years back, Jerry shamed the crowd, who laughing nervously, didn't know if it was a gag. "It's not funny," said Seinfeld.
3.) After some mergers & acquisitions, Triple AAA ain't the same friendly, do-gooding organization you remember. That's all I'll say.
2.) Lock-it up: Feb. 7, in a rematch of Super Bowl III, is Cowboys-Colts.
1.) One year later, the Miracle on the Hudson is more remarkable in every sense of the word. And thankfully, pilot Sully has, pardon the pun, remained grounded. Maybe heroes can exist.
10.) It has come to this: Local Fox news anchors took to wearing yellow neckties to promote the Simpson's 20th anniversary special. Can you imagine being in the marketing meeting touting this ridiculous concept?
9.) Word has it that Tiger Woods is donating money toward Haiti earthquake relief. I don't care if it's $3 or $300 million, this comes off as hollow ploy to rehabilitate Eldrick as corporate good guy. More proof that this stooge has learned nothing from his public flogging.
8.) Brittle Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran elects to have off-season surgery. No biggie, right? Only Carlos not only doesn't use the team surgeon he neglects to tell Mets brass. Is it only me or does anyone else think that NBC executives are now also running the Mets?
7.) A rising tide lifts all boats. The Great Late Night Fiasco of 2010 has made everyone with a monlogue and couch relevant and funny. CBS' Letterman has never been wittier or more vindicated. O'Brien, Leno, Dave and Kimmel are daily must-watches.
6.) Among the most chilling information to emerge from the Haiti coverage: Scientists peg the chances of a Category 7 earthquake hitting southern Caifornia in the next 30 years at 99.7%. Yet, strangely, everyone is concerned with this being Simon Cowell's last season on Idol.
5.) Al Roker describing the lodging conditions on NBC's Today show--including showing viewers where "Anne Curry slept last night." Who cares about Anne Curry or where she sleeps. There are people dying in the streets in Haiti yet Roker hijacks airtime to tell us about sleeping arrangements. He should be FIRED for this...Unreal.
4.) Based on public comments, I get the feeling if people knew, or could separate, the character Jerry Seinfeld from the real-life Jerry Seinfeld, his popularity might suffer. His comment about NBC's handling of Leno/Conan was ill-timed. "What did the network do to Conan," Seinfeld says. "{When the ratings suffer} "It's on you." Don't look for Seinfeld at the O'Brien family picnic. When Michael Richards issued his "I'm not a racist" mea culpa on Lettermana few years back, Jerry shamed the crowd, who laughing nervously, didn't know if it was a gag. "It's not funny," said Seinfeld.
3.) After some mergers & acquisitions, Triple AAA ain't the same friendly, do-gooding organization you remember. That's all I'll say.
2.) Lock-it up: Feb. 7, in a rematch of Super Bowl III, is Cowboys-Colts.
1.) One year later, the Miracle on the Hudson is more remarkable in every sense of the word. And thankfully, pilot Sully has, pardon the pun, remained grounded. Maybe heroes can exist.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Last Night's Comments On The Great Late Night Fiasco (1-13-10)
It's getting ugly. How much time passes before NBC – which is getting clobbered -- says enough is enough. Here are last night’s zingers….
Tonight, ABCs Jimmy Kimmel, who did his entire show the other night in a bad Leno chin and wig, guests on Leno at 10. Should be fun (and slightly awkward.)
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Hi, I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’ve been practicing the phrase, “Who ordered the mochaccino grande?”
Hosting “The Tonight Show” has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me – and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too.
According to a new TV Guide poll, 83 percent of voters want me to stay at 11:35. When he heard this poll number, President Obama asked, “How can I get NBC to screw me over?”
I’m getting a lot of support out there, especially from an online group calling themselves “Team Conan.” It’s very exciting—it’s the first time in my life I’ve been on a team where I wasn’t picked last.
Last night, the new season of “American Idol” started on the FOX Network and it was watched by an audience of 30 million people. When they heard that, NBC executives said “That’s not true, there’s no such thing as an audience of 30 million people.”
The Jay Leno Show
Good news from Afghanistan -- critics of the war have stopped referring to it as "another Vietnam." they are not calling it that anymore. The bad news -- they're now calling it "another nbc."
Welcome to nbc. America's most dysfunctional tv family. Thank you very much.
You thought the Gosselins were screwed up. Oh my god.
Nobody knows what is going on. Conan O’Brien, understandable, is very upset. He had a statement in the paper yesterday. Conan said nbc has only gave him seven months to make his show work. When i heard that…seven months! How did he get that deal? We only got four! Who’s his agent? Get me that guy. I’ll take seven.
All the late night host are having great fun with this debacle. Last night Jimmy Kimmel did his show dressed up as me. Show that clip. I was going to come out dressed as Jimmy Kimmel…put jimmy’s picture up there. But I realized I do not have enough black shoe polish here at NBC to get my hair that dark.
Late Show with David Letterman
“Okay, all right settle down, CBS hasn’t fired me yet.”
“Cold outside, isn’t it lousy cold outside today? Whoo! You know, they say, from the weather bureau, they say it’s caused by an arctic chill between Jay and Conan.”
“Did you hear about this? Yesterday, Conan O’Brien – it’s so, so confusing, ladies and gentlemen. And Jay Leno used to be on at 11:30, then they moved him to 10, then Conan O’Brien was on at 11:30, now they want him to go on at 12:05 and then they want to put Jay from 10 to 11:30, and Carson Daly now’s got to get a show in Mexico or something. He don’t know what to do…It’ll make you dizzy. So Conan O’Brien says yesterday, ‘Well, I’m not doing the ‘Tonight Show’ at 12:05,’ and you think about it, well, he’s right. ‘The Tonight Show,’ that would, you know, that’s the next day. It’s not really – it’s like ‘The Day After’ or, what it used to be, ‘The Tomorrow Show. So he said, ‘Forget it, I’m not doing the show at 12:05. Well, NBC went back to him, and they decided to sweeten the deal – they offered him 12:04.”
“And now, the buzz is that Conan may leave NBC to start a show of his own at another network, and I thought, ‘Where’d he get an idea like that?’”
“And the whole idea of this was NBC wanted to get a thing going whereby they wouldn’t make the same mistake they made when Johnny quit and retired, that there were a lot of bad feelings. They wanted to avoid causing more bad feelings – well, mission accomplished.”
“I miss Johnny Carson – I mean, by God, when Johhny quit, he quit.”
“And my mom, bless her heart, she’s so confused – last night, she actually watched me.”
“Oh, now this was good: last night on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel did the entire show as Jay Leno…Jimmy Kimmel was so convincing as Leno, today, NBC canceled him.”
Tonight, ABCs Jimmy Kimmel, who did his entire show the other night in a bad Leno chin and wig, guests on Leno at 10. Should be fun (and slightly awkward.)
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Hi, I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’ve been practicing the phrase, “Who ordered the mochaccino grande?”
Hosting “The Tonight Show” has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me – and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too.
According to a new TV Guide poll, 83 percent of voters want me to stay at 11:35. When he heard this poll number, President Obama asked, “How can I get NBC to screw me over?”
I’m getting a lot of support out there, especially from an online group calling themselves “Team Conan.” It’s very exciting—it’s the first time in my life I’ve been on a team where I wasn’t picked last.
Last night, the new season of “American Idol” started on the FOX Network and it was watched by an audience of 30 million people. When they heard that, NBC executives said “That’s not true, there’s no such thing as an audience of 30 million people.”
The Jay Leno Show
Good news from Afghanistan -- critics of the war have stopped referring to it as "another Vietnam." they are not calling it that anymore. The bad news -- they're now calling it "another nbc."
Welcome to nbc. America's most dysfunctional tv family. Thank you very much.
You thought the Gosselins were screwed up. Oh my god.
Nobody knows what is going on. Conan O’Brien, understandable, is very upset. He had a statement in the paper yesterday. Conan said nbc has only gave him seven months to make his show work. When i heard that…seven months! How did he get that deal? We only got four! Who’s his agent? Get me that guy. I’ll take seven.
All the late night host are having great fun with this debacle. Last night Jimmy Kimmel did his show dressed up as me. Show that clip. I was going to come out dressed as Jimmy Kimmel…put jimmy’s picture up there. But I realized I do not have enough black shoe polish here at NBC to get my hair that dark.
Late Show with David Letterman
“Okay, all right settle down, CBS hasn’t fired me yet.”
“Cold outside, isn’t it lousy cold outside today? Whoo! You know, they say, from the weather bureau, they say it’s caused by an arctic chill between Jay and Conan.”
“Did you hear about this? Yesterday, Conan O’Brien – it’s so, so confusing, ladies and gentlemen. And Jay Leno used to be on at 11:30, then they moved him to 10, then Conan O’Brien was on at 11:30, now they want him to go on at 12:05 and then they want to put Jay from 10 to 11:30, and Carson Daly now’s got to get a show in Mexico or something. He don’t know what to do…It’ll make you dizzy. So Conan O’Brien says yesterday, ‘Well, I’m not doing the ‘Tonight Show’ at 12:05,’ and you think about it, well, he’s right. ‘The Tonight Show,’ that would, you know, that’s the next day. It’s not really – it’s like ‘The Day After’ or, what it used to be, ‘The Tomorrow Show. So he said, ‘Forget it, I’m not doing the show at 12:05. Well, NBC went back to him, and they decided to sweeten the deal – they offered him 12:04.”
“And now, the buzz is that Conan may leave NBC to start a show of his own at another network, and I thought, ‘Where’d he get an idea like that?’”
“And the whole idea of this was NBC wanted to get a thing going whereby they wouldn’t make the same mistake they made when Johnny quit and retired, that there were a lot of bad feelings. They wanted to avoid causing more bad feelings – well, mission accomplished.”
“I miss Johnny Carson – I mean, by God, when Johhny quit, he quit.”
“And my mom, bless her heart, she’s so confused – last night, she actually watched me.”
“Oh, now this was good: last night on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel did the entire show as Jay Leno…Jimmy Kimmel was so convincing as Leno, today, NBC canceled him.”
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
O'Brien Says No To 12:05
Conan O'Brien says he will not do "The Tonight Show" if it airs at 12:05 a.m. He released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
Conan and Dave Jump On Leno
Following yesterday's announcement that NBC had cancelled the Jay Leno Show at 10:00 --and moving him back into his old late night slot--the gloves came off. On last night's Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Late Show with David Letterman, large portions of the opening monologue were devoted to the news. Typically, you wouldn't hear so much inside baseball about networks and programming on these shows--that's why it was so great to hear the airing of network dirty laundry--at Leno's expense.
In a perfect world, NBC would love to re-install Jay Leno back into his old 11:35 slot and move the start of the Tonight Show back one half hour to 12:05. Good for Jay, bad for Conan. Late Night With Jimmy Fallon would also move back on the schedule.
Conan O'Brien greeted his audience with this quip: "Settle down, everyone. If you keep this up, you won't hear a joke until 12:05." O'Brien, whom everyone predicts will jump to his own show on FOX, was good at portraying the jilted lover. In a skit, O'Brien wondered if NBC will keep him, "If he adds 10 pounds of chin."
David Letterman, who hates Leno, also got into the act. Letterman, playing the role of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," also devoted chunks of his opening monologue to the debacle over at NBC. Reacting to NBC's lineup changes, Letterman quipped: "Don't worry about Jay, he'll land on his chin." Dave even made his old employer the subject of last night's Top Ten, "Top 10 Signs Of Trouble At NBC"
Is it only me or does this Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien thing strike you as an episode of 30 Rock being played out in real life? Only Tina Fey's fictional executives seem smarter.
In a perfect world, NBC would love to re-install Jay Leno back into his old 11:35 slot and move the start of the Tonight Show back one half hour to 12:05. Good for Jay, bad for Conan. Late Night With Jimmy Fallon would also move back on the schedule.
Conan O'Brien greeted his audience with this quip: "Settle down, everyone. If you keep this up, you won't hear a joke until 12:05." O'Brien, whom everyone predicts will jump to his own show on FOX, was good at portraying the jilted lover. In a skit, O'Brien wondered if NBC will keep him, "If he adds 10 pounds of chin."
David Letterman, who hates Leno, also got into the act. Letterman, playing the role of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," also devoted chunks of his opening monologue to the debacle over at NBC. Reacting to NBC's lineup changes, Letterman quipped: "Don't worry about Jay, he'll land on his chin." Dave even made his old employer the subject of last night's Top Ten, "Top 10 Signs Of Trouble At NBC"
Is it only me or does this Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien thing strike you as an episode of 30 Rock being played out in real life? Only Tina Fey's fictional executives seem smarter.
Friday, January 8, 2010
NBC 's Late Night Fiasco...
Jay Leno's low ratings are causing NBC big trouble. And finally, it seems that the network is bowing to serious pressure from station affiliates. NBC says its retooling its late-night lineup, Leno's show is going on hiatus until after NBC's coverage of the Olympics.
Another scenario under discussion is to give the 10 p.m. hour back to the stations for news while shifting the rest of the late-night lineup. NBC affiliates could have the 10 o’clock hour, followed by Leno at 11 p.m. and "The Tonight Show" host Conan O’Brien at midnight.
Yet another option would be to cut Leno’s show to a half-hour so that the affiliates could run their news at 10 p.m. and Leno could air from 11 p.m. to 11:30pm -- the rest of the lineup would remain unchanged.
NBC maintains that Leno’s show, which has appeared each weeknight at 10 p.m. since last fall, is generating ratings that are in line with what it guaranteed advertisers. But the show has proven to be a dismal lead-in for the late local news .
NBC affiliate stations have become more vocal in expressing their displeasure, especially after the November sweeps came back and showed huge declines for a number of stations at the 11 p.m. hour.
By trying to keep all of its late-night stars happy, NBC has made none happy. Conan O'Brien has to be upset here. There's no easy solution for NBC. Does it cut ties with Jay and admits it made a huge mistake? Or does it tinker with its flagship Tonight Show, moving it to midnight? Very strange.
As Leno (and Letterman and Conan) have stated previously: NBC stands for "Never Believe Your Contract."
What a mess.
Another scenario under discussion is to give the 10 p.m. hour back to the stations for news while shifting the rest of the late-night lineup. NBC affiliates could have the 10 o’clock hour, followed by Leno at 11 p.m. and "The Tonight Show" host Conan O’Brien at midnight.
Yet another option would be to cut Leno’s show to a half-hour so that the affiliates could run their news at 10 p.m. and Leno could air from 11 p.m. to 11:30pm -- the rest of the lineup would remain unchanged.
NBC maintains that Leno’s show, which has appeared each weeknight at 10 p.m. since last fall, is generating ratings that are in line with what it guaranteed advertisers. But the show has proven to be a dismal lead-in for the late local news .
NBC affiliate stations have become more vocal in expressing their displeasure, especially after the November sweeps came back and showed huge declines for a number of stations at the 11 p.m. hour.
By trying to keep all of its late-night stars happy, NBC has made none happy. Conan O'Brien has to be upset here. There's no easy solution for NBC. Does it cut ties with Jay and admits it made a huge mistake? Or does it tinker with its flagship Tonight Show, moving it to midnight? Very strange.
As Leno (and Letterman and Conan) have stated previously: NBC stands for "Never Believe Your Contract."
What a mess.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Big Unit Retires...
His nickname is the Big Unit, but a more apt name for Randy Johnson could have been Freak of Nature. A lefty, Johnson stood 6 feet 10 inches tall. Yankee fans will not soon forget how the Unit twice came out of the bullpen in 1995 (for Seattle) and 2001(for Arizona) to slam the door shut on the Yankees. A few years later, an aging Randy Johnson eventually came to the Yankees winning 34 games in two seasons. However, as his 5.00 ERA shows, the Unit was more the beneficiary of a good offense than a shut down, strikeout artist the team wanted.
Johnson is a legitimate Hall-of-Famer and probably one of the last to win 300 games in our generation. He not only authored a perfect game at age 40, he helped Seattle reach the playoffs in 1995 by going an amazing 18 and 2.
I like Johnson not because of his baseball ability but because he's one of the few people to have worse acne than former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega. Is it only me or does anyone else get the feeling that if the Unit were not pitching he'd be starring in a Cops episode from Seattle.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
I'm back in 2010
So 2010 is here. With apologies to SI's Peter King, here are some things I think I think.
For starters, some people have chastised me for not updating the blog on a more regular basis. I have one rule: I rule the blog, the blog doesn't rule me. The blogosphere doesn't need one more voice railing about Tiger. Although I raised more than eyebrow when I saw the comments of golfer Jesper Parnevik, the guy who introduced Elin to Tiger. "We thought Tiger was a better guy...The next time she should hit him with a 3-Iron."
10.) Now that Copenhagen has come and gone, I wonder: Are we passed the point of no-return for climate change? Scientists a lot smarter than I say that at the current rate, Minnesota will have the climate of Texas sooner than we think.
9.) From the 'legend is always better' file: The return of Bret Hart to the WWE last night revealed the years have not been kind to the Excellence of Execution. It's doubtful Hart could even be a mid-carder now.
8.) The Dallas Cowboys, although playing at home playoff game against Philly Saturday night, look to be in trouble. It's 2007 all over again. Remember? Dallas beat the Giants twice during the regular season but lost as the Giants began their Super Bowl run.
7.) Not that I watched all the coverage but thankfully I missed perennial camera hog Dick Clark on New Year's Eve...Just because he owns the show, doesn't give Clark the right to creep people out. It's New Year's Eve for God's sake, no one wants to see him warble out one more missive to keep some dopey streak alive. Hopefully someone close to Clark has spelled it out for him.
6.) Me in my element: Grand Central Station on 1/2/10...I did about 60 seconds of improv comedy and made about 20 women laugh while waiting in line for the toilet. As my friend Tommy would say, "the fire still burns."
5.) The baseball network is the best thing to happen to television since the founding of ESPN in 1979.
4.) Don't look now, but among other things, your credit card company is looking to charge you an inactivity fee if you don't use your plastic often enough. Priceless. Where's the outrage from Sens. Chris Dodd and Charles Schumer? Exactly.
3.) Not that I'm counting but it seems the BHO Administration is on a Bush-like slump...Between the embarrasing gaffes, security leaks and misintelligence, you wonder who's pulling the strings over there. Time for the Messiah to step up. Campaign's over dude. Quit the interviews and speeches. Time to govern.
2.) Does it make me a bad person to chalk up the death of Bengals wide receiver/All-Pro thug Chris Henry as thinning of the herd? The Man Upstairs has a way of evening the teams, doesn't he? Besides being an arch criminal, Henry was an unreliable fantasy player....
1.) Between the Winter Classic and the Olympics, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has all the momentum to market the NHL...What makes me think he'll bungle it like Fredo Corleone?
Lastly...Let's cut the shit: It's pronounced 'Twenty-Ten'. Can we get on with it now?
For starters, some people have chastised me for not updating the blog on a more regular basis. I have one rule: I rule the blog, the blog doesn't rule me. The blogosphere doesn't need one more voice railing about Tiger. Although I raised more than eyebrow when I saw the comments of golfer Jesper Parnevik, the guy who introduced Elin to Tiger. "We thought Tiger was a better guy...The next time she should hit him with a 3-Iron."
10.) Now that Copenhagen has come and gone, I wonder: Are we passed the point of no-return for climate change? Scientists a lot smarter than I say that at the current rate, Minnesota will have the climate of Texas sooner than we think.
9.) From the 'legend is always better' file: The return of Bret Hart to the WWE last night revealed the years have not been kind to the Excellence of Execution. It's doubtful Hart could even be a mid-carder now.
8.) The Dallas Cowboys, although playing at home playoff game against Philly Saturday night, look to be in trouble. It's 2007 all over again. Remember? Dallas beat the Giants twice during the regular season but lost as the Giants began their Super Bowl run.
7.) Not that I watched all the coverage but thankfully I missed perennial camera hog Dick Clark on New Year's Eve...Just because he owns the show, doesn't give Clark the right to creep people out. It's New Year's Eve for God's sake, no one wants to see him warble out one more missive to keep some dopey streak alive. Hopefully someone close to Clark has spelled it out for him.
6.) Me in my element: Grand Central Station on 1/2/10...I did about 60 seconds of improv comedy and made about 20 women laugh while waiting in line for the toilet. As my friend Tommy would say, "the fire still burns."
5.) The baseball network is the best thing to happen to television since the founding of ESPN in 1979.
4.) Don't look now, but among other things, your credit card company is looking to charge you an inactivity fee if you don't use your plastic often enough. Priceless. Where's the outrage from Sens. Chris Dodd and Charles Schumer? Exactly.
3.) Not that I'm counting but it seems the BHO Administration is on a Bush-like slump...Between the embarrasing gaffes, security leaks and misintelligence, you wonder who's pulling the strings over there. Time for the Messiah to step up. Campaign's over dude. Quit the interviews and speeches. Time to govern.
2.) Does it make me a bad person to chalk up the death of Bengals wide receiver/All-Pro thug Chris Henry as thinning of the herd? The Man Upstairs has a way of evening the teams, doesn't he? Besides being an arch criminal, Henry was an unreliable fantasy player....
1.) Between the Winter Classic and the Olympics, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has all the momentum to market the NHL...What makes me think he'll bungle it like Fredo Corleone?
Lastly...Let's cut the shit: It's pronounced 'Twenty-Ten'. Can we get on with it now?
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