I've Got That DelPo Feeling

I'm sure all of you are confused by that title.  Understandable.  Let me explain.

Waaaaay back in 2009 at the U.S. Open, before Novak Djokovic became a prominent player, it was pretty much Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal winning major tournaments.  Early in the second week of the tournament, somewhere deep in the recesses of facebook is a status update I made predicting Juan Martin del Potro would win the U.S. Open.  He won.*

*Only player to win a major besides Fed, Nadal or Djokovic since.

To those in the know, that has become known as the DelPo feeling.  Had the same feeling about the Texas Rangers last year.  Then came Game 6.  No further discussion required.

Well, I have the DelPo feeling again............about DelPo.

Yeah, I know, the U.S. Open has not even begun, but it seems as though the stars are aligning for Del Potro to claim his second U.S. Open title.

I have really only predicted one thing correctly in my life.  See above.  But this is my official prediction.  Put here for posterity's sake.

Read more here.

Motley Crue and Kia

I'm sure you've all seen the Kia commercial featuring 80s hair metal band Motley Crue.  I'm not real sure that is marketing genius.  I mean really, when you think Kia, is 80s excess and debauchery the first thing that comes to mind?  Or how about your first thoughts after hearing the opening riffs to "Kick Start My Heart"?  Yeah, that's right, not Kia.

Now Judas Priest and Honda have gotten in on the act.  I realize these guys have got make some money.  Not really faulting them.  But somehow, it just doesn't seem to work for me.

If I hear Motorhead shilling for a Prius, I'm done.  That just might be the final straw.

Back to Normalcy - Olympics Have Concluded

Well, the 2012 London Olympic Games are in the books.  Congratulations to all the medal winners.  Condolences to all the heartbroken athletes.  We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Apparently there was some kind of major golf tournament going on over the weekend, something known as the PGA Championship?  I think some Irish guy won it.  Fitting, Great Britain has had a pretty good couple of weeks.

Rumor has it that the NFL has cranked back up with meaningless exhibition games at full price.  Somebody got kicked off a team for domestic violence.

The college football season will begin in less than three weeks and an All-American was dismissed from his team.  Some polls were put out before any games were played.  There is now a pirate bobblehead.

Some trades were made in MLB.  Some teams got better, some got worse.  Pennant races and wild card races are heating up.

Some tennis was played somewhere in Canada.  Not a great field because of the Olympics, although some Olympians made the quick turnaround.

The spectacle, the drama, the heartbreak, the inspiration, the elation, the dejection:  to interrupt the dog days of summer every four years, the Olympics are worth it.

Our next interruption in programming will occur in 2014 for the Winter Games in Sochi.  Until then we'll focus on the above stories and stories to come from the above sports.  And anything else that tickles our fancy.

Misty and Kerri: end of an era

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings won their third consecutive Olympic gold.  Here is more on the defining point.

Also, the end of an era.  Good luck to Kerri and her new partner, whoever that may be, and here's to a happy retirement for Misty.

NBC's Olympic Coverage

Richard Deitsch  of Sports Illustrated had a conversation with NBC chairman Mark Lazarus about his network's coverage of the Olympics, which has been roundly criticized.  I have offered up my criticism of the coverage in this blog.  Specifically of NBC's decision not to air marquee events live on the weekends.  Which is addressed to some extent in the article.  Also, addressed are the problems with the live streams.

Today, I am not here to criticize, but offer suggestions to improve the product.

 

Mr. Lazarus brings up some salient points in the SI.com article.  He is also paid a huge sum of money to make his company profitable.  He is right when he says that there is no way to please everyone.  My opinion is only that, my opinion.  However, I believe showing marquee events live would alleviate more problems than it might create.

First of all, it would satisfy the fans who want to (and are able to) watch the events live.  NBC has access to enough channels to offer the viewer more live events, especially the marquee events.  Since the end of the tennis semifinals, Bravo! has been sitting idly by.

Secondly, showing more events live would help somewhat in the streaming problems.  I realize that there are probably a fair amount of streaming that is done at work where a television is not available, but there surely are many who would be watching on television were it available.

Now to the sticky part of the situation, how to protect the cash prime time cow.  With this being the most streamed and social media immersed Olympics in history, the prime time coverage is still at an all time high thus far.  Maybe, just maybe, that's because more people have heard about or seen a great performance on a small screen and want to see it or see it again on television.  While showing those live as they happen on television will surely cut into some of the prime time viewing, there are more than enough people not able to view live because they have actual jobs to be at that I don't think that number would be significant.

The prime time show would definitely have to undergo some tweaking, but put into the hands of some creative and talented people it might become even more popular than ever.  Much more savvy TV people than I may have the answers, but I do have ideas, as I am sure many others do.

NBC has done a commendable job and has made some changes to accommodate the quickly changing media world.  But unless they are able to  keep up at a more advanced pace, expect the #NBCfail hashtag to continue its presence at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Olympic Thoughts 8/9/12

First of all congratulations are in order for the American soccer squad.  Great win.  And apparently Hope Solo was in goal for the match and actually made a couple of saves (I'm looking at you, Brandi Chastain).

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings captured their third consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball.  In the process, losing only one set.  Remarkable end to a remarkable run for those two.  There is something magical about witnessing greatness.  And that is what they have provided the past eight years and more.  Now Misty has retired, playing the last match of her career in London.  Kerri says she will continue with another partner, setting her sights on the next Olympic Games in Brazil.  Good for Kerri, but know it will never be the same.

Now, to the Lolo Jones saga.  People in the media, social media and around the water cooler ripping her.  For what?  Four years ago, she was on her way to gold before hitting the second to last hurdle.  Hurdles are an unforgiving mistress.  She has the American record in the event, world titles, etc.  She took advantage of all that and maximized her marketing potential. No sins there.  She finished fourth in the London Olympics.  After having back surgery and working her ass off to get back to elite status.  Her story should be celebrated.

If you want to get mad at someone, blame the media.  The media has been complicit in building her up, I guess just to make it easy to tear her down, so it seems. In fact, the journalistic excrement that was linked in my previous post elicited an apology of sorts from that newspaper's public editor.  Time to give it a rest.

How fast could Usain Bolt be in the 200 if he actually ran 200 meters?  Never have I seen him finish a race that he was leading;.  But really, what a talent.  And what a joy to watch.  Someone actually having fun during competition.  If he really wanted to, could he break the 19 second barrier?  We may never know.

Olympic Thoughts 8/7/2012 - Great Performances, Journalistic Vitriol

First of all, let's celebrate the outstanding performances that have come from these Olympics.  Too many times we look to tear down instead of build up.  More on that later.

If anyone missed the women's beach (sand, as I call it.  Not an actual beach in sight.) volleyball semifinals between  the United States and China, then you missed one of the most phenomenal plays I have ever seen.  Down 19-18 in the second set, the American team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings pulled off the point of the match.  After a spike the Chinese team, the Americans were scrambling just to get the ball up.  After Misty's second touch towards the net with her back to the net, Kerri went down to her knees and somehow dug the ball out of the sand, hit it over the net for a kill, all the while avoiding the net and ending up under it.  I wish I had a video to post, because words do not do it justice.

If the Americans do not win that point, China is now serving at game point, up two.  While no one can say what would have happened at that point, chances are the Chinese team wins the second set and the match goes to a decisive third set where anything could happen.

Congratulations to the women's 100 meter hurdlers.  The gold medalist, Australia's Sally Pearson, set a new Olympic record in the final.  She was followed by Americans Dawn Harper for silver and Kellie Wells for bronze.  American Lolo Jones finished just off the podium in fourth.  Jones, as many of you many know, was headed for gold four years ago until hitting the second to last hurdle, derailing her.  Then, fought through injury to barely qualify for these Olympics.

The only reason I bring up Lolo Jones as a fourth place finisher goes back to my opening paragraph and this vitriolic tripe written by Jere Longman in the New York Times.  I think Jennifer Floyd Engel has a much better perspective here.

For all the dudes out there, I leave you with this of Romanian gymnast Catalina Ponor.........

Olympics Tennis

The Olympics tennis competition is over.

Now what?

Five questions that will be answered over the next couple of months.

Olympic Thoughts 8/6/2012 - Gymnastics, 400 meters

The usual darlings of Team USA during summer Olympics competition, women's gymnastics, has proved a bit unlikable at the 2012 London Games.

Except for Gabby Douglas, the US women's gymnastics team has come across as dour, pouty, distant and (excuse the language) bitchy little divas. Of course I don't know any of them personally, but just what has come across the television has not been flattering.

OK, I realize that the past four years of theirs lives have been geared towards this one moment.  I cannot possibly understand what that is like.  But for the love of  God and country, you're an Olympian.  Act like one.  Yes, you're disappointed.  Yes, you screwed up.  But remember, this is the Olympics.  You are not only representing yourself, but your country.  Show some pride.

More Missy Franklin, less McKayla Maroney.

Now, really.  Not one male from the United States of America is good enough to make the finals of the 400 meters?  In this great country of ours, we don't have one guy who can beat a double amputee?*  Disgraceful.  In an event where the Americans have swept the medals in the past, not to put one person even in the finals is, to quote The Princess Bride, inconceivable.

*Oscar Pistorius, double amputee from South Africa provided the quote of the games so far:  "I grew up not thinking I had a disability.  I grew up thinking I had different shoes."

Olympic Track Cycling

Huge caveat right up front:  I do NOT understand the intricacies of track cycling.  After watching the finals of the men's "sprint", it confuses me to no end.

This is a 300 meter raced billed as a sprint.  So, the cyclists get to the starting line, propped up by their, what, coach? official propper-upper? handler? - I don't know, really immaterial.  The race starts and both riders take off at.........a snail's pace?

Yes, I understand there is strategy involved, but I don't understand why a competitor has not figured out that he/she could take off like a bat out of hell and just beat anyone to the finish just because they are faster.  I don't know, maybe it's against the rules.  It would be like the 100 meters in track starting out with everyone walking, then at some point someone takes off and dares the rest to catch him/her.

I love seeing all the under-the-radar sports that get coverage during the Olympic Games.  Some I just don't understand.  This is one.