Low-Definition: Where's The Puck?!

The Red Sox played their 17th game of the season last night, beating the Yankees 7-5. OK, so that's enough about the Sox.

Moving right along to things that really matter right now, let's talk about the Bruins convincing 5-1 victory against the Canadiens last night. The win forced a game 6 back at the Garden on Saturday night.

The Bs exploded for 4 goals in the 3rd period yesterday, none of which I was actually able to see because, thanks to a fantastic programming decision by NESN, the B's were featured on CN8 (NESN Plus) in low-definition.

Why the Red Sox received preferential treatment on a day the Bruins faced elimination I will never know?! I have said it once and I will say it again, no sport benefits more from a beautiful crystal clear high-definition picture than hockey does. No other sport, period.

I will tell you this, if tomorrow's Bs game is not in high-def I am going to flip my shit. Seriously, I will do something crazy, like throw my fist through a window or eat a salad. Yeah, I mean business.

The Bruins are playing phenomenal hockey, and I have talked to plenty of non-traditional hockey fans who have been glued to the TV for the Bs opening round series against the Canadiens. Guess what? They're hooked!

I will tell you another thing though, these guys won't stay hooked for long if they keep tuning into games in which they can't even find the freaking puck!

I am done ranting, for now. NESN, you better own up and do the right thing.

The future of my lettuce-free diet depends on it.

I gotta get me one of these!

I gotta get me one of these!
Originally uploaded by sk8mama

As most of you know, I hate NASCAR.

BUT if they raced around in motor La-Z-Boy's, I wouldn't just watch, I WOULD SIGN UP!

First Annual Mikey Awards: Coming in Spring 2009

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April 10, 2008 1:19 PM - AJ said...

Mike - EEI has the Whiney's for best call-ins...any chance you'll start an annual award for the best comments on this blog?

Per my avid fan's suggestion, I would like to officially announce the first annual Mikey Awards, which will award readers for the best comments on this blog. On the one-year anniversary of this blog's inauguration, Wednesday March 30, 2009, I will invite the authors of the top twelve comments over the past year to attend the first annual Mikey's.

Finalists will be invited to my house (Man Town, Methuen) for a steak tip eating extravaganza next spring. In addition to the twelve chosen finalists, there will also be four "wild card" entries selected by the Mike From Methuen readers in a fan vote after the new year. The final field of 16 will compete in a beer drinking decathlon to determine a winner.

Beginning now, all comments on this blog will be entered for the 2009 Mikey's.

Let the games begin.

NASCAR Sucks, Even More Than The Yankees

Top of the ninth inning, three balls, 2 strikes, two outs. Jonathan Papelbon is pitching to Robinson Cano. After a couple foul balls, Fox suddenly changes its feed…to NASCAR. Are you serious?

I went into a frantic state. I began scanning the channels to no avail. Finally, my son’s friend called him up and informed us the game was moved to FX. Well, it was too late. We had missed the last pitch.

After a two hour and 11 minute delay, all I wanted to do was watch Papelbon close the freaking game, but once again FOX managed to screw things up. Apparently they told viewers the game had been moved to FX shortly after the switch to NASCAR, but don’t you think it would have been much more helpful if they had alerted viewers BEFORE they switched feeds?

I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m pretty sure someone messed up pretty bad.

Who watches NASCAR anyway? Was missing the start of that race really a big deal? Aren’t they just going to end up hitting that same check point a few hundred more times throughout the race? They drive in circles, right?

I don’t know about you, but once they go around one time I pretty much get the gist of what’s going on.

Middle America, I hope you’re happy.

Bruins Trump Red Sox in High-Definition War

Remember this? I know we would all rather forget, but it did happen. The ball did go through Bill Buckner's legs. The Red Sox did lose the game. As a result, the Sox did go on to lose the SERIES. (Wikipedia didn't forget.)

I have since forgiven Bill Buckner for his careless error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, as have most members of Red Sox Nation. Here is where I draw the line though; having him throw out the first pitch on opening day at Fenway Park. Yes, you heard me right. In case you missed it. Mr. 5-hole himself was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch today.

I won't dwell on this any longer, I promise. In fact, I have much more important things to discuss than a baseball game in early April. We Bostonians have some playoff basketball and playoff hockey to prepare for.

Since there has been plenty of coverage surrounding the NBA's best team this year, the Boston Celtics, allow me to jump right into what I feel is the most important sporting event taking place this week. I'll give you a hint. It's not the NCAA women's basketball championship.

If you're a die hard Boston sports fan, you've been sweating with anticipation over the pending announcement by NESN as to what they will do about the major scheduling conflict taking place this Thursday night. What is this conflict, you ask? Shame on you.

The Red Sox play there third home game of the season against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park (whoopedydoo), while up in Canada the Boston Bruins will be taking on the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As many of you know, only one of these games can be televised in high-definition television (HDTV). Well, guess what? NESN has announced the Bruins game will be broadcast in HDTV on Thursday, while the Sox came can be found on CN8. HA!

This makes since for two reasons: (1) Hockey looks incredible in high-def and you can actually follow the puck (low-def just doesn't cut it); and (2) as I have previously hinted, who really cares about an early April Red Sox game?

The bottom line is the Bruins are playing in their first playoff series since 2004. Everyone knows playoff hockey is much more intense than the regular season. In fact, Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton will be so jacked up for this series they may decide to fight each other right off the opening face off. Now, that would throw the intimidation factor right in the Bruins' favor.

The Bruins may have lost all 8 games to the Canadiens this year, but you heard it hear first: the Bruins will win in 6. You mark my words.

Enjoy the game Thursday. You know, the one in HD.

Attention Bob Lobel: I Have a Book for You

Please excuse my recent absence. My duties as safety committee chairman at UPS have superseded my blogging responsibilities the past couple days.

Anyway, lots I want to talk about. First of all, Bob Lobel "retired" from WBZ-TV. Woah, that's crazy. Add in the fact that Joyce Kulhawik and Scott Wahle also left WBZ, and I'd be awfully scared if I was a high-earning news anchor in television right now. These cutbacks are not a good sign.

From my inside sources at the Globe, I also heard that Jackie MacMullan is accepting a buyout. Who does she think she is, Sam Cassell? But seriously, this is yet another troubling sign for those high-earning professionals working on the more "traditional" side of media.

My advice to all of the aforementioned individuals, pick up a copy of Guide to Internet Job Searching (seen above). I hate to be mean, but you're going to need it. (Does anyone else find it sadly ironic that the very medium--the Internet--which forced these people out of jobs will likely provide the best means for them finding new jobs? That sucks.)

This is not a good trend, but we all should have seen it coming. An entire generation of young adults get most, if not all, of their news from the Internet. My daughter comes home from school, goes directly to the computer and "surfs" all night. My son comes home from work everyday, goes directly to the computer and does exactly the same thing. "You guys have to get in here and see this dunk by Rondo," I tell them. "Dad, I already saw it. I'm on ESPN.com right now," answers my son.

Jeeze, tough crowd.

[Side note: My son does PR and I honestly can't tell you what the hell that means. Every time he tries to explain to me what he does for a living, all I can think about is all the reasons Pete Rose (the most famous professional athlete I can think of with the initials P.R.) should be in the Hall of Fame. From what little I picked up from my son though, something tells me the folks in his profession could have helped Pete back in the day. Then again, who knows.]

Back to the discussion at hand. The same thing hold true for television that holds true for print journalism. Why watch the 6 o'clock cable news when you can watch 5:27, 5:31, 5:36, 5:40, 5:46, 5:49, 5:52, 5:56, 5:57, 5:58 and 5:59 news on the Internet? This may be a bit dramatic, but you get my point, right? The 6 o'clock news doesn't stand a chance anymore. Viewers are down. Less viewers lead to lower ratings. Lower ratings lead to less advertising dollars. Less advertising dollars lead to decreased revenue. And with decreased revenue comes job reductions, lay offs and buyouts.

It's science.

I'll leave you with this. In case you did not click through previously, Wikipedia already updated its Bob Lobel entry to read "a former sportscaster for WBZ-TV in Boston..."

Need I say anymore?

Skanky Dirty Scumbag

Right now you're probably questioning some things. First, what does "skanky dirty scumbag" have to do with a sports blog? Second, why can't my wife look like either of these two women? I can't help you with the second one (unless you're loaded, you probably can't afford steroids and breast augmentation for your wife). However, I will offer some insight as to why this blog post is so absurdly titled.
Allow me to enlighten you, if you will.

This morning WEEI's Dennis and Callahan actually decided to discuss sports. If you missed it, I don't blame you. I, of all people, understand they've been discussing far to much politics lately.

Anyway, D & C were interviewing Curt Schilling this morning when they decided to bring up Jose Canseco within the context of his continued steroid allegations. I can't recall the entire response Curt then gave, but I will tell you that somewhere within his rant he called Canseco a "skanky dirty scumbag."

Skanky dirty scumbag? Come on Curt, really?

I don't get it. Mr. Bloody Sock himself, the guy who helped lead the 86-year cursed Red Sox to two World Series titles in four years, has stumped to the level of calling someone (even if it is Canseco) a skanky...dirty...scumbag. Seriously? I thought Curt was classier than that.

Even A-Rod took the high road when Canseco alleged that he put him in touch with steroid distributors, as well as suggesting A-Rod attempted to have (in Borat's words) "sexy time" with Canseco's wife on numerous occasions.

(Side note: Does anyone else find it odd that Canseco continues to protect Roger Clemens? There could only be two logical explanations for this: (1) Canseco was allowed one hour of sexy time with Clemens' wife; or (2) Canseco promised to keep Roger "clear" in his upcoming book if he invested in Canseco's movie project. Just a thought.)

Shifting back to Curt: is anyone actually surprised with his actions? I'm not. Curt's downfall has always been his big mouth. Sure I love and respect everything he's done for the Red Sox organization (as far as wins and charities are concerned), but I sure won't miss senseless comments like this one.

Why does it piss me off so much? The same reason you should be pissed too: because the rest of the country is watching (or in this case, listening). We sports fans get associated with the actions of our marque players, coaches, etc. Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots "cheated," so we're all cheaters (or at least supporters of it). Curt Schilling calls Jose Canseco a skanky dirty scumbag and BOOM "there go those Boston a-holes again talking a mean, disrespectful, classless game."

Canseco was on the radio in Seattle today. OF COURSE they caught wind of Schilling's comments and OF COURSE Canseco responded. When they told Canseco what Curt had said, which included Curt saying Canseco was "acting like a five year-old," Canseco responded by questioning Curt's class and calling him...get this...a "one year-old" and "pathetic"(There is more, but I really have had enough of this story already).

Congratulations Curt! You have officially involved yourself in a conversation you should have never been a part of in the first place, and, even if only for a brief amount of time, you have stooped to the level of one of the skankiest...dirtiest...scumbags in the country. A skanky dirty scumbag, if you will.

The problem is: we all knew Canseco was a scumbag.

There was no need to remind us.