Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Stating the REALLY Obvious: Mike & Mike In The Morning Is Really Annoying
Again, I feel like I'm just pissing in the wind here, but...Mike Greenberg is really, really annoying.
This morning he breathlessly threw out the hyperbole:
"Alex Rodriguez is having the best start to a season in the history of baseball."
Jesus Christ. How can you be just months from completely throwing this guy under the bus to hero-worshipping him? Especially when it is ultimately leading to the Yankees having an 8-10 record and 4 games back from first (sitting in fourth place, half a game in front of Tampa Bay)?
Not only that, but can we really say this is the best start to a season ever? I mean, I'm sure ol' Greeny poured over hours of web time on Baseball Prospectus and everything, but I'm guessing that there have been similar starts. Hell, here are some in very recent history. I'll have a little guessing game...I left out the games played and home runs here because it would be obvious:
Any guesses? Would you say, looking at these stats (in order to see them better, click on the picture and you can actually read the numbers), that one line is the "best start in the history of baseball?" Of course you wouldn't. You wouldn't because, dear Heavy Souler, you are one of sound judgement and rational opinion-making.
So, have you decided who applies to what line? Like I said, these stat lines are from recent history. And when I say recent history, I mean the years 2005, 2006, and 2007. The players are Derrek Lee (2005), Albert Pujols (2006), and A-Rod (2007).
How could you possibly suggest that the greatest start in the history of Major League Baseball--keep in mind, that spans over 131 years--could be incredibly similar to the best starts of the past two years? If it were the best start in the history of baseball, A-Rod's numbers would be about 20% better in virtually every category over the best starts of the past two years. In fact, I would argue that--unless A-Rod stays as hot or gets hotter over the next six games remaining in April--Albert Pujols had the all-around better month. And Derrek Lee's 2005 start could certainly be favorably compared, especially in the "pure hitter" sense.
Again, to people like Mike Greenberg and the majority of those at ESPN, all that matters is the East Coast, and in baseball, that just means Boston and New York. As long as a player hits a bunch of home runs in the month of April and they have a "B" or a "NY" on their hat, it translates into "the greatest start in baseball history."
It is utterly ridiculous, and beyond me that these guys NEVER get called out on stuff like this by ANYONE that joins them on the air. In the era of instant gratification and the need to have up-to-the-minute news five minutes ago, these type of people get a free pass. Well, not anymore, fuckers! Heavy Soul is on your ass!
This morning he breathlessly threw out the hyperbole:
"Alex Rodriguez is having the best start to a season in the history of baseball."
Jesus Christ. How can you be just months from completely throwing this guy under the bus to hero-worshipping him? Especially when it is ultimately leading to the Yankees having an 8-10 record and 4 games back from first (sitting in fourth place, half a game in front of Tampa Bay)?
Not only that, but can we really say this is the best start to a season ever? I mean, I'm sure ol' Greeny poured over hours of web time on Baseball Prospectus and everything, but I'm guessing that there have been similar starts. Hell, here are some in very recent history. I'll have a little guessing game...I left out the games played and home runs here because it would be obvious:
Any guesses? Would you say, looking at these stats (in order to see them better, click on the picture and you can actually read the numbers), that one line is the "best start in the history of baseball?" Of course you wouldn't. You wouldn't because, dear Heavy Souler, you are one of sound judgement and rational opinion-making.
So, have you decided who applies to what line? Like I said, these stat lines are from recent history. And when I say recent history, I mean the years 2005, 2006, and 2007. The players are Derrek Lee (2005), Albert Pujols (2006), and A-Rod (2007).
How could you possibly suggest that the greatest start in the history of Major League Baseball--keep in mind, that spans over 131 years--could be incredibly similar to the best starts of the past two years? If it were the best start in the history of baseball, A-Rod's numbers would be about 20% better in virtually every category over the best starts of the past two years. In fact, I would argue that--unless A-Rod stays as hot or gets hotter over the next six games remaining in April--Albert Pujols had the all-around better month. And Derrek Lee's 2005 start could certainly be favorably compared, especially in the "pure hitter" sense.
Again, to people like Mike Greenberg and the majority of those at ESPN, all that matters is the East Coast, and in baseball, that just means Boston and New York. As long as a player hits a bunch of home runs in the month of April and they have a "B" or a "NY" on their hat, it translates into "the greatest start in baseball history."
It is utterly ridiculous, and beyond me that these guys NEVER get called out on stuff like this by ANYONE that joins them on the air. In the era of instant gratification and the need to have up-to-the-minute news five minutes ago, these type of people get a free pass. Well, not anymore, fuckers! Heavy Soul is on your ass!
Labels: Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Annoying, baseball, Chicago Cubs, Derrek Lee, Douche Bags, ESPN, Mike and Mike in the Morning, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Statistics, Sucking
Monday, April 23, 2007
Stating The Obvious: SportsCenter Is Very Annoying
Let's see...it is April 23rd. 22 days into the baseball season. A regular-season matchup couldn't be that important, could it? I mean, you've got the NBA and NHL playoffs. The NFL Draft is coming up this weekend (although I do not have any idea as to how you could possibly cover it anymore).
You're a producer and/or writer for ESPN's SportsCenter. You ask yourself, "hey, what should we lead off with on the show today?" What's your answer?
"I've got it! 9 straight minutes--from the top until the first commercial break--on the Yankees/Red Sox series this weekend!"
Really? That's your answer? After you covered it ad nauseum all weekend, not to mention roughly 1/3 of the SportsCenter that aired last night/this morning? We still need an uninterrupted 9 minutes of this? And you're already showing commercial teasers for more repeats of this series for later in THIS SHOW?
I understand that the Red Sox and Yankees are the biggest rivalry in baseball. It is home to the two most popular teams in the sport. But does it really merit obnoxious coverage three weeks into the 162 game baseball season? In particular when the NBA playoffs have gotten off to such a underdog-themed start?
No, none of this matters. What matters is that ESPN does not believe that sports exist outside of the northeast corner of the United States (unless USC is playing football, and...well, that's about it).
I am not even sure why I'm even typing these thoughts out--it is an obvious complaint, and has been talked and written about as much as this series as been covered on this episode of SportsCenter. But sometimes when you can't take it anymore, you just can't take it anymore.
You're a producer and/or writer for ESPN's SportsCenter. You ask yourself, "hey, what should we lead off with on the show today?" What's your answer?
"I've got it! 9 straight minutes--from the top until the first commercial break--on the Yankees/Red Sox series this weekend!"
Really? That's your answer? After you covered it ad nauseum all weekend, not to mention roughly 1/3 of the SportsCenter that aired last night/this morning? We still need an uninterrupted 9 minutes of this? And you're already showing commercial teasers for more repeats of this series for later in THIS SHOW?
I understand that the Red Sox and Yankees are the biggest rivalry in baseball. It is home to the two most popular teams in the sport. But does it really merit obnoxious coverage three weeks into the 162 game baseball season? In particular when the NBA playoffs have gotten off to such a underdog-themed start?
No, none of this matters. What matters is that ESPN does not believe that sports exist outside of the northeast corner of the United States (unless USC is playing football, and...well, that's about it).
I am not even sure why I'm even typing these thoughts out--it is an obvious complaint, and has been talked and written about as much as this series as been covered on this episode of SportsCenter. But sometimes when you can't take it anymore, you just can't take it anymore.
Labels: Bad Ideas, ESPN, idiots, SportsCenter, Sucking
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