San Francisco 8, Los Angeles 9
The euphoric scenes at Chavez Ravine after Milton Bradley’s liner went under Jason Ellison’s glove made for great TV ; perhaps not as hot as Kirk Gibson taking Dennis Eckersley over the wall, but we didn’t have nearly as many shots of grown men screaming into cell phones back then. Though I would’ve liked to have seen that, too.
For SF closer Armando Benitez, his disasterous 9th inning was akin to a flashback to his final season in a Mets uniform. For LA starter Jeff Weaver, his first 3 innings were like a flashback to his entire tenure in pinstripes.
While watching other people do chores today, I was bouncing back and forth between Vin Scully’s call of the game on Fox Sports LA and Charley Steiner’s play-by-play on the radio. One of these men is a genuine artist, the other somewhat competent by simian standards. Would you like to guess which was which?
When Whitey Herzog declared the NL East race over and done in June of 1986, his capitulation seemed premature at the time, if not some sort of motivational tool for his Cardinals. He was, of course, right as rain, as the Mets ran away with the division. I’m no Whitey (heck, I’m not even Bob Gamere), but if the Florida Marlins starers (A.J. Burnett, shown above) continue humbling the opposition the way they have in the season’s first week, Bobby Cox or Willie Randolph might be waving a white flag way too soon.
Steiner! You son of a gun!
I know I was young — probably 12-15 during the glory days — but I actually remember liking ESPN once, and even liking Charley Steiner as a SportsCenter host. In fact, I think I actually liked most of the guys who have become the most embarrassing meatballs in the overstuffed hero that is ESPN’s celebrity anchor roster. Dan Patrick’s head looks like a prosciutto now, but I remember enjoying his hosting and interviews. Steiner, who had some funny moments, is now the Ari Fleischer of sports broadcasting: po-faced flack for hire, spinning like crazy for whoever’s picking up the check. Keith Olbermann… I guess is apparently still okay, although I can’t say I’ve ever checked out his show on whatever NBC cable farm team is currently employing him. Kilborn I won’t even talk about: he’s an icon to a whole generation of turbo-charged, Red Bull-soaked buttheads, and I (think I) always disliked him. But when you see the grotesque spectacle that is ESPN today — a new anchor stock that’s basically a bunch of deadpan former team-managers from Big East schools, propped up periodically by cameos the ghastly Stuart Scott (Jeff Johnson nails it: he “needs to stop talking like an eight year old white kid”) and Chris Berman, bellowing like a boozy Smith and Wollensky patron displeased with the rare-ness of his steak — it makes me wonder. It makes me wonder about long parenthetical clauses, but it also makes me wonder this: could that network, which has spawned so many of the most annoying and annoying omnipresent shouters in sports, have ever been any good?
Exceptions to the rant: Jon Miller and Joe Morgan (who are still brilliant: as good as any I’ve heard since the Gary Thorne/Steve Zabriskie/Ralph Kiner murderer’s row of early days WWOR Mets broadcasts), Bill Walton (who is the _____ (inaccessible band you like) of NBA broadcasting) and Harold Reynolds.
“could that network, which has spawned so many of the most annoying and annoying omnipresent shouters in sports, have ever been any good?”
Well, yeah. I mean, assuming you’re actually watching the games and the highlights and not buying into the fucking personality parade, ESPN is an invaluable source of info and entertainment. That much of the on-air talent is clearly auditioning for something else at one point or another is a huge bummer, but what are the televised alternatives? Tom Arnold? Van Earl Wright?
I don’t think ESPN is a total wasteland. The recent acquisition of Fred Hickman brings the all-too rare touch of restraint to Sportscenter. For something approaching (ahem) journalism, you can do a lot worse than Bob Ley and Jeremy Schapp. That bit Kenny Mayne did s a few weeks ago where he tried badgering various Yankees into talking about how they “hate the Red Sox with every fiber of your being” was actually funny. As long as they employ Peter Gammons and Tim Kurkjian, the baseball highlights show isn’t without merit.
I really like Jon Miller but don’t share your high opinion of Joe Morgan as a commentator. And all of the bands I like are accessable. How else could I hear them?