Any Given Sunday x 15+ hours

DigitalSportsDesk is ready for 15+ hours of sports today

BOSTON - The terms "Any Given Sunday" will take on a new meeting today as the NFL kicks-off its normal autumn Sunday scheduled at 1:00pm (edt) but continues with live game programming until early Monday morning.  That means your loyal sports writing servants at DigitalSportsDesk.com could easily be providing 15-17 consecutive hours of sports coverage on an NFL "couch potato" assignment desk on this dreary, rainy New England day.  Heaven!

Here is the "over-the-air" tv schedule for my neck of the woods in New England.

1:00pm - New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals

4:00pm - Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

4:25pm - Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys

8:00pm - Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (kick is later than 8pm, for sure).

11:30pm - San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (special NFL Network game to allow enough time to convert the Oakland Coliseum from last night's American League Division Playoff series game until tonight's NFL game).

Of course, the pregame shows have been on since the NFL Network went on the air this morning with "Game Day First" at 7:00am (edt), but I'll shift over to the TV at about Noon to watch a combination of the main pregame shows on ESPN, CBS and Fox until the Patriots kick-it-off at Cincy at 1pm.

Interestingly, there are three games that will have my (divided) attention today with New England/Cincy at 1pm, Denver/Dallas at 4:25pm and Houston/San Francisco at 8pm. I'll enjoy the Patriots from a strict competitive aspect with AJ green the lone "fantasy football" exception. Same goes for the Denver vs. Dallas game where Wes Welker is the lone "fantasy" participant. The NFL on NBC will be a key game, as my fantasy team employs SF 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and I'll have a keen interest in his performance tonight.

The remote will be working overtime, as the MLB Divisional Playoffs heat-up with the St. Louis Cards at Pittsburgh at 4:30pm and the Atlanta Braves (don't call them Redskins or make tribal chants, please) taking on the LA Dodgers at 8pm edt. If it's pro basketball you crave, the NBA is tipping off its preseason with Global games coverage from Bilbao, Spain as the Philadelphia 76ers face Bilbao of the EuroLeague. In the WNBA - believe it or not - it's the Finals and (poor) ESPN will carry the Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Linx at 8:30pm edt. (The Twin Cities sports gods gave the Vikings a "bye" week to mark the occasion, I guess.

Motor sports fans, you've got the Hollywood Casino 400 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs while the golfers can tune into a rain soaked Presidents Cup match play tournament which gets nowhere near the buzz of the Ryder Cup.

Amazingly, there's no NHL action today to distract me, but there are three NHL ice hockey games along with a couple English Premiership futbol matches and two MLS soccer matches if you are so inclined.Tennis, you ask?  The China Open is ready.

Look here at The Blog (at) TerryLyons.com for updates throughout the day while the "Content Becomes King" at DigitalSportsDesk.com with photos, video highlights, and updates scores and stats as we post the written world throughout the day, evening, night and into the wee hours.

Enjoy!

***

Here is today's timeline, beginning with a Noon start for the NFL pre-game shows - although many, including the NFL Network have already had five HOURS of pregame chit-chat this morning.

12:00 Noon (edt) - The remote in hand, the highlight and special TLs "Garlic Roasted Potatoes" cooling in the oven, the column intro written and posted - so here we go!

The NFL Today!

12:01pm: "Hello everyone, I'm James Brown and welcome to the NFL Today," were the first words I heard as I flipped to my old friends at CBS Sports. While I enjoy ESPN and the others, I always seem to have a spot in my sports-watching heart for CBS.  JB is a pro's pro. The mix of personalities (too many people on all shows, by the way) seems best on The NFL Today with Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason,  and Bill Cowher complimenting each other quite well.

12:04pm - The first remote report, as James Brown throws in to Solomon Wilcox in Nashville, Tenn. for a report from the KC Chiefs vs Tennessee Titans game. (I learned nothing, by the way).

12:07pm - It's off to Miami for an update on the Miami Dolphins vs Baltimore Ravens game, a key early season game for sure.

12:09pm - A strong CBS Sports report on the future of Josh Freeman, the ex-Tampa Bay Bucs QB. - Key info - Detroit's All-Pro Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson will NOT play today.  Ahhh! He's on my fantasy team.  It's time to STOP writing and deal with my usual fantasy geek duties to check line-ups, active lists and other news, like the weather!

Buh-bye.  Back at Kick-off time, 1pm edt.

***

NFL Network Cameraman on the job (Getty Images)

1:00pm - Game Time ... New England at Cincinnati is the "main game."

1:01pm – It’s here! Kick-off – New England Patriots QB Tom Brady starts from his own 13-yard line after the Cincinnati Bengals kick-off  and CBS Sports covers the action. I am happy to hear the voice of my friend, Greg Gumbel.

On first set of downs, Brady is sacked. Crushed by Geno Atkins of Cincy.

Three and out.  Not good for NE but very strong for Cincy and its rough-house “D.”

1:09pm - I make my first move for ... The Kitchen and the NFL "RedZone" Sunday on my smart-phone which was charging by the kitchen counter, not far from the Roasted Potatoes, the (soon-to-be) Eggplant Parmigiana in the works and some chips.

***

1:30pm - My Verizon Red Zone is on the smartphone and it features an Instant Reply review in the Seattle vs Indianapolis Colts game. Nothing much there, but on my SONY tv screen, Cincy QB Andy Dalton threw his first career "Red Zone" interception and New England has the ball. Brady seems less-than-sharp, as he tosses one well ahead of Danny Amendola. Punt.

1:57pm - Mike Nugent of Cincy taps a 39-yard FG through the uprights and I watch the first score of the day, although my NFL RedZone has highlighted a number of interesting scoring plays, including the Indy Special Teams' runback of a blocked kick.  The Colts vs. Seahawks game - a real clunker a year or two ago - seems to be the marquee match-up today, so I'm glad I have the Red Zone.

My kitchen run turns-up a nice combo of Roast Turkey, Swiss and some Genoa Salami - not a great match with turkey, but it worked on a melted cheese/whole wheat toast hotbed, complete with Gulden's mustard.  Nice, quick break.

2:10pm - First head nod of the day.  Oh No!

2:18pm - The Bengals try to Ice Rob Gostkowski, the NE Patriots place kicker as the Pats attempt and hit a 42-yard FG to make it 3-3 for the half (Who's got the "Under?"). After the chicanery, New England scores and leaves :08 on the clock for a possible Cincy kick-off return. Basically, a paint-drying, grass growing boring half of football, American style.

Halftime: 3-3 score, but Cincy is leading.

2:35pm - Greg Gumbel makes my point, stating that NE came out "relatively unscathed" after poor field position worked against them all during the first half.  

A few thoughts come to mind!

I MUST - just MUST make a run to Whole Foods for some delicacies and most notably to get the special chips of parmigiana cheese that will make or break my Eggplant Parm.  We'll need a few other things, too, like very good bread.

Time for a 15+ Any Given Sunday Game Break - TL style.  (I'll tune in to some sports radio, NFL channel and maybe even the Sirius XM Fantasy sports radio channel on the short trip.  Could even grab some dry firewood for the first fire in the fireplace of the season?

My errands are completed, delicacies all purchased (sauce and parmigiana for the Eggplant, nice french baguettes, some chicken and vegetable Chinese rolls, fresh guacamole and a few other items (for meatball parm hero dinner), so it's time to check all scores and stats updates.

4:00pm - New England's Brady tossed a last ditch, rain-soaked, desparation heave towards the end zone but it was tapped, knocked and eventually bobbled and grabbed before it touched the ground and Cincinnati finished up with a key American Football Conference win while NE headed back to Boston with their first loss of the season. Brady was less than sharp but some credit must go to the Bengals.

CBS Sports switched to bonus coverage of the 23-all Baltimore vs. Miami game. Marv Albert's voice filled our home like sweet jazz music.

4:10pm - Justin Tucker sent a line-drive bullet towards the goal posts and Marv pronounced it "goood" in a way that would've made Marty Glickman proud. Baltimore secures the win over Miami.

4:30pm - We join Jim Nantz and Phil Sims for the Denver at Dallas game and there is some renewed energy in the House that Jerry Jones built, so let's watch some football. Tony Romo put Dallas on the board with a TD pass to Dez Bryant to make it a game from the get-go vs. Peyton Manning and the Broncs.

5:30pm - Duty called and I went to work on a lengthy but productive conference call which linked business partners from three Los Angeles-area posts, one Houston sponsorship and marketing exec and yours truly. The time-out in the football marathon was also complemented by a nice family dinner of special Meatball Parm hero, my garlic-roasted potatoes, fresh garden vegetables from the Newton Community Farm (mainly a tomato salad) and some other wonderful delicacies. 

All the while, I've had one eye-ball on "The Shootout in Texas" between Peyton Manning and the Broncos and Tony Romo and his Cowboys.  Put up a 24-second clock for TD scoring or FG attempts, and the heck with first downs is the way I look at it.  Let's Go!

7:15pm - As the clock struck 7:15 in the east, Tony Romo completed a 79-yd completion and run after the catch to Dez Bryant and Romo became the first Cowboys QB to register a 500+ yard day. Minutes later, Romo passed for a short TD to Cole Beasley to make it 48-41 Dallas over Denver with a full 7:19 left in the 4th Quarter at Dallas. (long way to go).

7:28pm - Instead of playing Bruce Springsteen's "Trapped Again," Romo should record "Sacked Again," as the Cowboys -- in crunch-time -- allowed the Denver front line to penetrate on the blitz and sack Romo at a key point in the game. With the 2-minute warning looming, Romo ruined his 500+ yard performance by forcing a pass and having it intercepted by Denver's outside linebacker Danny Trevathan.

7:39pm - Matt Prater kicked a 28-yd field goal to give Denver a 51-48 win over 'dem Cowboys. Romo set team records, threw for more yards than Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, or Dandy Don Meredith but he'll always be remembered for the sack and the "Force" and the interception to blow this game. This could be a back-breaker for the Cowboys' 2013 season.

Time to switch to the NFL on NBC.  I've been with CBS Sports since Noon, now it's onward.

***

8:30pm - It's a little strange to think of the timing of a pregame show (NBC's NFL Sunday Night) at 8pm in much the same frame of mind as the NFL Today show I was watching earlier today, but that, indeed, is the situation as the familiar voice of Dan Patrick (I've known him since 1983) and the wise counsel of Tony Dungy together with no-nonsense commentary by Rodney Harrison prepped us for the game at hand - the Houston Texans at the SF 49ers.

I made note of Dungy's comment that he thought Frank Gore would run all over the Texans.  In the pregame, I was of the belief Texas RB Arian Foster might do the same to the 49ers "D."

Kick-off after a glimpse at 60 Minutes and a longer glimpse of Carrie Underwood (I liked Faith Hill better), brought the night-cap sessions of the NFL along as the Tex-49ers will lead into the SD Chargers and Oakland Raiders at 11:30pm. Yippee... it's just like 1pm again.

8:35pm - The 'Niners D (Tremaine Block) picked off an 18-yard Matt Schaub pass to take it back and it's 7-0 SF. Do you notice all the commentators now say, "Just like that?"  - As in, "Just like that, the 49ers lead, 7-0."

My other "pet peeve" of criticism directed towards current-day media/courtside/on-field reporters is the non-question interview when they state something like, "Talk about ... blah, blah blah." - when did the command "talk about" replace the journalistic approach of asking a pointed question of the subject being interviewed?

I can hear it now:
"Talk about how bad you looked when you threw that terribly-timed interception, Tony?"

Puh-leeze.

Oh yeah, Houston FG kicker Randy Bullock missed a 45-yard attempt.

8:55pm - SFs Frank Gore plowed into the Texans' end zone and "just like that," it's 14-0 San Francisco.

10:00pm - Let me take a walk downstairs.  Home land is on.

Ahhh, the best laid schemes of mice and men went astray as I sauntered down to the basement family room, away from the NFL action on Sunday Night Football. I wanted to spend some quality time and partake in one of my quality activities with my bride, that being the appointment viewing of "Homeland" via cable tvs "Showtime" network.

Just as "The Sopranos" made an HBO subscription a must buy, so has "Homeland" upped the ante of Showtime, a CBS entity. Each Sunday night, sometimes after the DVR has done its duty and taped the episode, we await time when the kids have gone to bed to watch the saga of Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), Nicolas Brody (Damien Lewis) and Saul Berenson (Mandy Pantinkin) as they navigate against the baddest asses in all the world as members of the USA's Homeland Security detail.

The problem on Sunday night?

I was tired.

I went horizontal.

The rest was history.

Sorry to all, as I left the Niners and their blow-out of the Texans and Oakland's win over the San Diego Chargers to the imaginations of my readers or to their smart phone score updates.

Maybe next time.  

In Your Life, Have You Ever Seen Anything Like That?

I really enjoy The Masters.  It is... Perfect.

And, for frequent and longtime readers of this blog, this is NOT the first time nor the last you will see this clip.

There are some calls from televised sports history that always make the Top 10s.

You know them all. The Stanford Band ... to "The Giants Win the Pennant" ... Touchdown pass by Flutie ... The Kurt Gibson, "I can't believe what I just saw," ... "Do You Believe in Miracles?" ... and "Down Goes Frazier!"

There are some others.

I have one call that is often overlooked on the all-time Top 10s.  

Admittedly, the highlight is the key and in this instance, it's not only the highlight, but the circumstance and the set-up for the moment.

It's the 2005 Masters at Augusta, 16th hole.

Chris DiMarco has Tiger Woods in his sights, as he turned "Amen Corner" and birdied 14 to cut Tiger's lead - which was three at the 10th, to two, then to one after the 15th.  DiMarco was sitting pretty on 16 with his ball right in the middle of the green.  Woods hit a shot off the green against the "second cut," more or less into no-man's land on the slope.

Verne Lundquist and his CBS golf partner from 2002-06, Lanny Wadkins, set the scene and this is what happened as Verne said, "Lanny, what about this?"

Wouldn't Give Them a Nickel

Football rules in the new Big East

The football conference will pocket a grand $250,000 a game for up to 12 gridiron tilts a year, according to a posted report on CBS Sports last night.

Yippee. 

However, when you look at the 2014 basketball lineup, it's just a complete farce. The lineup of schools, which includes UConn and Cincinnati with both looking for the first train to the Krzyzewski-ville, might make Big EAST founder Dave Gavitt do a cartwheel in his grave, never mind what it'll do to Larry Brown, the new SMU hoops coach.

Please note:

Starting in 2014, the league's basketball lineup will include Connecticut, Cincinnati, Temple, South Florida, Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Tulane. The football side will include 12 teams by 2015 with the addition of Navy and Tulsa.

My viewpoint:

1. Poor Temple. Aside from the fact the "Little East" already has Philly-based Villanova, the addition of Temple to the basketball-centric new conference would've been a nice fit, to me much better than the likes of Creighton (Omaha, Nebraska) or St. Louis, (well, St. Louis!).

2. UConn is going backwards. A year or two from now, the basketball tradition of UConn will be on par with the basketball tradition at NYU. That is once great, but now - GONE. Thus, the new name - U-GONE.

3. No auto berth?

4. Where - on earth - is this conference going to play its basketball tournament and how will it possibly draw a single soul? New Orleans might be the only chance to attract fans for travel.

5. It's a total disaster.

See this CBS Sports story by football columnist Dennis Dodd which was posted last night:

The soon-to-be renamed Big East will collect $3 million per year from CBS for the network to televise up to 12 games beginning in 2014, according to industry sources.The seven-year deal in basketball will total $21 million to $22 million, and comes after the announcement of a $126 million contract with ESPN to televise football for the new league. Both deals are for seven years.

ESPN.com reported there is an out clause in the football deal for the network if the league loses two members. It is not known if the same clause exists with CBS. ESPN.com also reported that language was put in an original deal with NBC Sports Network that stated Connectiuct and Cincinnati are "next in line" to move to the ACC if that league loses any more members to the Big Ten, SEC or Big 12. The language passed to the ESPN deal when it matched NBC's offer.
Cincinnati and UConn officials have not been shy about wanting to join a higher-profile conference. The reconstituted Big East does not get an automatic berth in the upcoming playoff era beginning in 2014.

Starting in 2014, the league's basketball lineup will include Connecticut, Cincinnati,Temple, South Florida, Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Tulane. The football side will include 12 teams by 2015 with the addition of Navy and Tulsa. CBSSports.com reported on Tuesday that the addition of Tulsa was "a matter of when, not if."

The league said it will rename itself this spring. CBS will have the first selection from conference and non-conference games, including those played at neutral sites.
Half of those games will be league games.

Ahhhh!

Smokin'

Some interesting jousting from CBS Sports.com's Ken Berger  in response to Mark Cuban's recent blog and appearance on CNN.

I will post this before putting my two cents in later this week.

Cuban's viewpoint and first graph from BlogMaverick:

I’m going to make this short and sweet. In the year 2011, I’m not sure I have a need for beat writers from ESPN.com, Yahoo,  or any website for that matter to ever be in our locker room before or after a game.  I think we have finally reached a point where not only can we communicate any and all factual information from our players and team directly to our fans and customers as effectively as any big sports website, but I think we have also reached a point where our interests are no longer aligned. I think those websites have become the equivalent of paparazzi rather than reporters.

And on CNN:

***

Berger lede in today's column:

When Mark Cuban drew swift and negative reaction with plans to re-evaluate media access to the Dallas Mavericks, it came as no surprise the billionaire owner refused to back down. Nor did it serve as a revelation that Cuban further stoked the debate with the kind of sensationalism and headline-mongering he criticized in the first place.    

For full column: click HERE

Ramble On: Catching up on a few things while mad about Madoff

My Ramble On columns have been few and far between of late but with Super Sunday and all, I thought it was time to bring it back and scribble some notes and type a few things that have been on my mind.  Here it goes.

Tom Brady scores in the snow at Gillette

Why does everyone make such a big deal out of the weather for the Super Bowl, complaining like little children if there is a snow flake in the forecast?  Many of the same chronic complainers attended and AFC or NFC championship game two weeks earlier and crooned about the frozen tundra in the likes of New England, New York, Chicago, Green Bay or Pittsburgh.  So, it's great and 'real football' when the snow is falling and the stands are packed in Foxboro (one of the great games vs. Oakland, remember?) or Lambeau or Soldiers Field, but the Super Bowl HAS to be 75 degrees and sunny in Southern Cal, Florida or Arizona.  I don't get it.

***

How come Villanova is always good?  Jay Wright?  Yes, Jay Wright.

***

Congrats to St. John's on the big win vs. Duke at Madison Square Garden.  It is the first of many major building blocks that Steve Lavin will put in place to re-build the Johnnies.  The next huge step must be a St. John's run in the BIG EAST tourney, which promises to be a gauntlet of Top 20 teams for every game.

***

Big Bill Belichick

Why, on earth, would Bob Kraft throw Bill Belichick under the bus with his "New game plan" comment?  Face it,  Tom Brady had a terrible game vs. The J-E-T-S and that's why the Patriots lost.  By the way, the second the Patriots lost, every media person in Boston checked the Red Sox training camp schedule and the Celtics and Bruins dropped a notch in attention.  The coverage of a Red Sox equipment truck departing from Fenway to Florida will get mile-by-mile media attention while the Bruins scrap for relevance in the pecking order that is New England sports.

***

Why hasn't Maryland's Gary Williams been pursued by NBA teams from coast to coast? 

***

Get your cold beer

The PGA seems to be doing okay with Tiger Woods regularly buried low on the leaderboard. You've got to love the new blood golfers like Jhonny Vegas and Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey.  Even the best novelist can't make those names up.  My guess is that Tiger fires up his engines in time for the Masters.  Speaking of the Masters, the first sign of spring, for me, is a CBS Sports promo for "The Masters" and Sam Adams bringing out the Noble Pils.

***

I get sick when I read about the shenannigans being performed by the lawyers representing Bernie Madoff's victims.  Weren't we all victims?  Didn't that ponzi scheme, which broke right in the middle of the financial crisis have a negative effect on the stock market and the overall economy?  So, shouldn't I get a piece of the New York Mets?

***

Cameron Indoor Stadium = Very cool.  Pauley Pavillion = Very cool. The Palestra = Very cool. St. John's Alumni Hall/Carnesecca Arena = A dump. (But, at least the Johnnies have The Garden and they don't play in a Dunkin Donuts Arena).

***

Memo to Ad execs and brand managers of Geico, State Farm, Subway ($5 footlongs), Taco Bell.  I will never buy your product if you keep putting annoying commercials on my favorite sports programming.  In prime time, I can TIVO you away but with ads on live sports, you've got me captured.  My only recourse is to boycott your product.  And, thank God Christmas season has passed so we aren't subjected to the annoying Hyundai commercials, featuring Nataly Dawn and Pomplamoose.  Nataly, have you ever heard of overexposure?

***

New rule.  Any talk of a dynasty in professional sports must start with no fewer than five championships won in a ten year span.  Three titles does not qualify.  Here are some legit dynasties from recent times of yesteryear:  The Boston Celtics (1957-69), The New York Yankees (1936-53), the Montreal Canadians and the Chicago Bulls (1991-98).  The only college sports dynasties that I know of are Yale (1874-94) in the early days of college football and UCLA in college basketball.

***

DiPietro is Italian for "Always Hurt."

Chuck, Joe, Isiah, Lam: All Brothers in Arms... with Matt

Here is my brief, helpless post-funeral salute to my good friend, Matt Dobek.  It comes about a week and two days after I heard the terrible news which shocked us all to a 'lump-in-your-throat, stop-in-your-tracks stand still.  I felt particularly terrible as I hadn't spoken to Matt since hearing of his unfair firing by the former employer this past May. In the week that has passed since his death, I've quickly realized that none of it matters.

Not a thing. Not the firing, nor the fact that a lot of us didn't know or understand the state of mind that Matt was in during his final days. It doesn't matter, now.  He's gone and there's not a damn thing any of us can do about it. And, that is why this is so damn sad and why it'll stick with us for a long, long time.

I met Matt, appropriately, in an NBA media hospitality room at the old Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia.  For you trivia buffs, that is the same hotel in which the Legionnaire's Disease was first reported in summer of '76.  I met Matt in late May, 1983, as he was joining the Pistons right after his very first job as an SID at Wayne State University.  It was about a year after he had interned for then-Pistons PR man, Bill Kriefeldt, when the team played at the big, bad Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

Kreifeldt, too, as history would have it, was let go -- abruptly -- by the Pistons organization and had been asked to work the 1983 NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference PR rep. to assist with "beers and buses," as I used to say.  Dobek was stepping into a tough situation in Detroit.  His predecessor was well-liked and very well thought of by the small but growing corps of media that covered the NBA beat.  Matt was the new kid on the block when Menudo was king of pop and Ronald Reagan was POTUS. Dobek, as we all called him, would have to stand on his own two feet and establish himself as a good PR guy in the league that was about to take-off on a soaring, upwardly mobile ride to the bigtime.

I had been with the league office for only two years, starting as an intern from St. John's, I might add, and I was tipping-off a string of some 135 consecutive NBA Finals games.  As per usual, I enjoyed taking the new, younger PR guys aside and letting them know they had a friend and ally in the NBA league office. All of the PR assistants and a lot of the interns did a great deal of work and we, at the league office, often relied on the young PR assistants to help out when a local story merited national attention or when the likes of the coveted CBS Sports "Game of the Month" came along or the crack USA Network crew, or later ESPN, then TBS, then TNT-then ESPN (again) would be rolling into a town near them.

Matt and I hit it off pretty damn nicely while he quickly earned his stripes with all of the media and NBA PR Directors, even the Kreifeldt contemporaries who gave Matt a rightful chance to prove himself.  Plus, soon afterward, Kriefeldt hooked up with the Utah Jazz and all was well in the Land of PRs. The up & coming Pistons (Isiah, Laimbeer and Kelly Tripucka) were early fodder for the likes of the Celtics, 76ers or Bucks for a year or so. But a remarkable Pistons vs. Knicks, circa 1984 fifth and deciding game of a first-round series put the soon-to-be-bad-boys on the NBA map for the rest of the decade, an impressive feat since the club was competing in the league playoffs for the first time since 1977.

As the Pistons edged their way up in the eastern standings during the year which would end with yet another Boston win in a memorable 1987 Boston Garden & Vinnie Johnson-Adrian Dantley head-bumping clash. Dobek gained the respect of Coach Chuck Daly, along with all of the players and front office types. In 1988, the two teams would meet again and I remember the battles over Memorial Day Weekend in Pontiac.  I also remember walking into the Silverdome at some ungodly hour to prepare for a 1pm holiday tip and the cleaning crew of the Dome had yet to pay a visit after Saturday night's Monster Truck-a-palooza or something. The place reeked of stale beer and garbage and Matt Dobek had to deal with it.  But, the Pistons would finally defeat the Celtics that year, winning two games at the old Boston Garden and closing it out in the last-ever NBA game at the Silverdome.  One of my favorite memories of Matt came after total pandemonium broke-out amongst 60,000 "crazy car-makers, as John Salley called them, when Detroit took the Eastern Confference Finals series in six games with a 95-90 victory over the rival Celts and it was time for some post game interviews.  

The players wanted to celebrate and were already undressing near their second-floor lockers up an awkward staircase in the bowels of the Dome, but Matt marched into the locker and started barking out orders to the tune of "Get your asses dressed again.  "Lam, I need you to do home radio; Isiah, your doing Pat O'Brien and CBS; Vinnie, I need you, too.  Mahorn, get dressed, we're opening up the locker for the media!"

My jaw dropped as I brought Isiah Thomas to a relatively quiet area to do a live postgame interview with "CBS' At the Half host O'Brien and Matt grabbed a few players and headed back to the trenches. Matt had some serious clout and he was doing his job like a pro under pressure.  Of course, later on that night, we had some downtime with friends, Pistons front office workers and their entourage when we made our way over to Giannopolous' bar in the 'burbs of Auburn Hills, MI.

As time passed by, we spent more and more time in Detroit.  From the Troy Hilton to the Somerset inn where we played some pretty mean "pop-a-shot" and a variation of the game, called "Natural Fruit Pop-a-Shot." From the Finals vs. the LA Lakers in '88 to "Back-to-Back" titles over the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers in '89 and '90.  We watched the Troy Marriott being built, brick-by-brick, thank God. From victory parades that ended with team-leader Rick Mahorn tossed to the expansion draft wolves to the 1992 Tournament of the Americas in Portland to the Barcelona Olympics to the 1993 NBA Draft where a capacity crowd cheered Michigan's Chris Webber, Matt Dobek was there and he was getting the job done - whether it be with the Pistons or assisting Coach Daly with his USA Basketball duties or assisting the league office set-up for the Draft.  Matt was there and he was damn good.

Off the court, we often found time to get a cold beer, take in a Tigers game (old Tigers Stadium) or make our way to see a horse race or two.

At Barcelona in 1992, we sat side-by-side at the Opening Ceremonies and shook our heads in wonder and amazement after Antonio Rebollo, aka "the paralympic archer," shot the arrow over the stadium wall to light the Olympic Flame.  This, of course, came after many a cerveza, resulting in a Matt Dobek sprint down Barcelona's famed Montjuic without a men's room in sight. Matt had to go and Cerveza San Miguel waits for no man.

We laughed and laughed.  And, it seems like yesterday.

I liked it better back then.

I liked it better when there were "only" 13 or 33 channels, too.

I liked it better when Connors played McEnroe at the Open,

and when "The Garden" had red seats, orange, yellow, green and blue seats.

I liked it better when Zink did the announcin' and Harry did the dancin'.

Kareem did the sky-hookin' and Earl the Pearl was spinnin' as a Baltimore Bullet.

I liked it better when there were at least two papers in every town and people actually read them.

I liked it when we went to the Old Miami near the Cass corridor.

Shelby and Corky at our sides, too.

I liked it better when Alex Sachare tossed his water on Mark Pray and the slice of lemon stuck on his sport coat like a boutonniere on the groom. (mistakenly, I might add).

I liked it better when we cruised San Antonio and Matt whipped out his cell phone at 3am to call Coach Daly, stating, "Don't worry, he'll be up."

I liked it better when Matt Dobek was alive and well and living near Auburn Hills, Michigan.

***

Here's to Matt and The Bad Boys:

BROTHERS in ARMS:

"These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms.

"Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms.

"There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones.

"Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms"    -- Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits

  ###

Fantasy Football

Labor Day eve and the end of summer. It can only mean one thing... QUAD League Fantasy Football Draft. A 10-team, 17-round draft in ONE HOUR and 15 MINUTES.
That's about :30 seconds a pick.

SAY IT AIN'T SO... Or, BETTER YET, DON'T SAY IT AT ALL...

SAY IT AIN'T SO... WHY SAY IT?

Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut, right? Not this time...


This from AP via the Huffington Post:

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty came under sharp criticism Saturday for a joke he wrote in a Dallas magazine article that suggested American soldiers would be just as likely to knock off House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid as they would Osama bin Laden. Feherty was among five Dallas residents who wrote for "D Magazine" on former President George W. Bush moving to Dallas, where the former Ryder Cup player from Northern Ireland has been living the last dozen years.

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though," Feherty wrote toward the end of his column. "Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

Feherty is among the most popular golf analysts on television for his glib humor. He writes a monthly column for Golf Magazine, and the last of the four books he has written was titled, "An Idiot for All Seasons." CBS Sports quickly distanced itself from Feherty's writing.

"We want to be clear that this column for a Dallas magazine is an unacceptable attempt at humor and is not in any way condoned, endorsed or approved by CBS Sports," spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade said.

CBS Sports is not televising the PGA Tour this week at The Players Championship, and Feherty did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. "David Feherty is an insightful and sometimes humorous commentator for CBS Sports' golf coverage," the PGA Tour said in a statement. "However, his attempt at humor in this instance went over the line, and his comments were clearly inappropriate. We hope he will use better judgment in the future."

Media Matters for America demanded an apology. "Mr. Feherty's violent comments about Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are disgusting," said Eric Burns, president of the watchdog group. "Suggesting that our troops would attack the leaders of the very democracy they've sworn to sacrifice their lives for is an insult to their integrity, honor, and professionalism. CBS Sports should demand it's golf analyst apologize to our soldiers."

Feherty, a recovering alcoholic, has been part of the CBS golf team since 1997 and has been an endless stream of comedy on the air. Last week in North Carolina, he stumbled over a line of questioning until he wound up asking Tiger Woods how it felt to be the "loser" after he finished fourth at the Quail Hollow Championship. That brought laughter from the world's No. 1 player. He has gone to Iraq the last two years over Thanksgiving to meet with the troops and deliver his irreverent humor, but the experience moved him to the point that he has applied for U.S. citizenship. Feherty is involved with "Troops First Foundation," with hopes of raising $15 million for soldiers who return wounded, many of them without limbs. He created his own division -- "F Troop" -- and last year took eight soldiers to South Dakota for pheasant hunting.

"I think it was going to Iraq and being so proud of this country," he said in an interview in November. "The vast majority of Americans who haven't been outside of America don't really understand how wonderful this place is. ... And it just meant more to me, I think in the last year or so, having visited our troops abroad and spent so much time with them at home, that it will be a great honor for me to be an American." He is supportive of the 43rd president and his relocation to Dallas. "I think most of us here in Dallas would have understood if he and the former First Missus had moved someplace a little more secluded than Preston Hollow. Like Area 51, maybe, or some sandbar in the Galapagos Islands, just so they could catch their breath for a couple of years and take stock of their lives," Feherty wrote.

Tribute to Raft...

How great is this story? Here's to Bill Raftery and CBS Sports..
TL

Bill Raftery sings of onions and nylons, sweet kisses and lingerie, small change and nickel-and-dimers. The CBS and ESPN college basketball analyst’s big fellas take it to the tin and his little guys have big tickers. His puppies get set, get organized and get off the bus. He says that Chiclets must be counted and bounce passes may lead to ecstasy.

“As well as I know and respect Bill, he still surprises me,” said Verne Lundquist, Raftery’s CBS partner, “which gives us a kind of verve.”

Raftery stunned Lundquist a bit when Siena’s Ronald Moore sank the winning 3-pointer late in the second overtime against Ohio State in the first round of the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament. “Oh, onions! Double order!” he said, shouting.

“It’s the first time we ever had a double order of onions,” Lundquist said, and then noted Raftery’s verbal excursions during the first and second rounds: “We had ‘swirling lingerie,’ ‘Lauderdale in the sunshine’ and ‘a bazaar for Harper.’ ”

Raftery said the Book of Bill started as one spontaneous utterance after another, a series of quick reactions that spiced his sharp, swiftly delivered analysis.

The term bank shot just didn’t grab him. “But if a player shows a soft touch off the backboard, it’s a kiss,” he said.

Now consider his lingerie line. “To me, jockstrap is offensive,” he said. “It’s harsh. So lingerie is how I say someone was faked out of his jockstrap.”

•

Consider his onions, too. He recognizes that some view the reference as testicular, and he doesn’t deny it. But he said his were metaphorical onions. “It means something about a kid’s makeup,” he said. “I admire these kids down the stretch, the whole world on their shoulders and how they can reach back.”

When he doubled the onions for Moore, he said, “it was a reaction to him, to his size, his body weight, how tough he is, and that he proved to the world they’re more than little Siena.”

Twenty-seven years after coaching at Seton Hall, he succeeds by citing himself (Ibid., Raftery, Wm.) while occasionally spinning off new products. He hasn’t sold a line of sweet onions, endorsed Hershey’s Kisses or created a Web site.

“It’s laziness,” he said, explaining his failure to market himself.

Raftery, who will be in Boston with Lundquist on Thursday for the Xavier-Pittsburgh and Duke-Villanova games, has developed into a top-tier analyst.

“Everyone knows he’s very funny and entertaining, but they don’t credit him for being a great tactician,” Bob Mansbach, Raftery’s producer at CBS Sports, said.

And his admiration for young players — they all seem to be his children — is evident. For example, after Siena’s Kenny Hasbrouck missed one free throw, then made the second, to tie the score against Ohio State, he said: “Way to stick it. You’ve got to root for the kid.”

Probably his best-known call came 21 years ago when Pitt’s Jerome Lane obliterated the backboard on a spectacular jam.

“Send it in, Jerome!” he said, shouting.

Late this season, Lane approached Raftery before a Pitt-Connecticut game. “With a big smile,” Lundquist said, “he said, ‘Thanks for making me famous.’ ” Raftery said, “It was the cutest thing, and the psychic reward for getting to know a kid a little bit.”

Raftery, 65, and his wife, Joan, have three daughters, Kelli, Christi and Suzi; one son, Billy; and two grandchildren, Will and Alex. The children’s nicknames, bestowed by their father, are, in order: Boomer, Skinny, Boozy and Looie (for Carnesecca).

When Raftery coached at Seton Hall, from 1970 to 1982, Kelli Raftery said that misbehaving players would be punished by having to tend to the Raftery children.

“Instead of suicide drills,” she said, “we had some unusual baby sitters.”

Raftery said: “I’m sure it was a violation. I’d make them run and baby-sit.”

•

Kelli, a publicist for Sports Illustrated, said her father has not confined his phrasemaking to television. In backyard basketball games, Raftery told all four of his children to “get your puppies set” before shooting.

And if he did not like the boyfriends that his daughters brought to the house, Kelli said, “He’d say, ‘Come on, he has no onions.’ ”

Raftery could not recall going negative on the onions.

And just as his analysis frequently gives him the last word before a commercial break, he has sneaked in last-second wedding-day counsel to Suzi’s and Christi’s husbands.

His wedding-day advice to Christi’s husband, Nick Wood — “She’s yours, shoes and all” — emanated from the “shoe fetish she’s had since she was a little girl — like Imelda.”

Raftery’s own predilection, and an enduring part of his on-air persona, is to deride his success as a coach even if his 154-141 record at Seton Hall is far from shameful.

But, he said: “When I was supposed to be good, I wasn’t good enough. I’m not John Wooden.”

His more successful successor at Seton Hall, P. J. Carlesimo, figures in family lore, which is replete with tales about the white-haired Raftery.

“P. J. was scouting Seton Hall one day when he was coaching Wagner,” Kelli Raftery said. “My dad was so excited that he won that he left my mother there and had to call someone at the school to ask P. J. to bring my mom to the restaurant.”

Herbie's March Madness...

BOSTON -- Getting ready for a little March Madness? Well, so is CBS Sports and writer Alex Weprin who did this feature on my former NBAE colleague Steve Herbst, teh VP/GM of the CBS College Sports Network.

I remember the day when "Herbie" started as an intern from UMass. GodSpeed to Steve Herbst. Enjoy the Tournament.

Read on, please


CBS College Sports' Herbst expands network's distribution, HD plans

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable

Steve Herbst, the executive VP and general manager of CBS College Sports Network, barely had time to take off his cap and gown before entering the business world. Given the opportunity to intern at the National Basketball Association, he moved to New York the day after he received his diploma in sports management from the University of Massachusetts.

“It took all of one day between graduation and starting the internship,” Herbst says. “I was the intern that never left.”

He wound up staying at the NBA for nearly 20 years, rising to the position of senior VP of broadcasting and general manager of NBA TV, before moving to CBS College Sports last year. “That is something that both [NBA Commissioner] David Stern and I were very proud of, the fact that he worked his way up,” recalls NBA deputy commissioner and COO Adam Silver.

His first job at the NBA was to log games, before moving into production as a production assistant and later associate producer for the NBC series NBA Inside Stuff. Moving up through the production ranks, Herbst saw an opportunity in early 1999, when the league announced plans for NBA TV; the network was on the air by November.

“There was not a lot of lead time, but it was very exciting,” Herbst says. “I threw my hat in the ring immediately.”

Herbst, who was instrumental in NBA TV's launch, would eventually head up programming for the network and later add general manager duties. “We literally started sketching what the screen would look like; it was as basic as that, a real labor of love,” he says.

In 2008, Turner and the NBA struck a deal that would move the network's operations to Turner headquarters in Atlanta. Herbst decided that he wanted to stay in New York and see what other opportunities he could take on. “Almost immediately, it became clear I wanted to stay in television, stay in the cable network business,” he says.

He would get that chance. As it happened, CBS College Sports was looking for a new leader for the network.

Silver knew CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus well (“We are both Duke grads,” he says), and got in touch with the CBS executive about Herbst. “[I told him] that here was an incredible person that happened to be available, and who I thought had the perfect experience to run this network,” Silver says.

McManus and CBS CEO Les Moonves met with Herbst and were quickly impressed. “We agreed he was the perfect candidate for the job,” McManus says. “He had experience in a lot of different areas; you can't say that about a lot of executives.”

Herbst joined CBS College Sports as executive VP and general manager in June 2008. “The NBA was a terrific training ground for everything you could possibly want on the management side,” Herbst says. “I took those lessons with me to the great brand that is CBS.”

Since Herbst joined CBS College Sports, distribution of the network has grown to more than 30 million homes, with more deals on the way. Herbst plans to dramatically increase the network's high-definition programming output in 2009. He is also working to build brand recognition among fans and those in the industry. An important part of that effort will be the network's coverage of the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness.

“For those three weeks, that is what everyone talks about,” he says. “And now for me, at a professional level to be able to work in that environment, is really exciting.”

His enthusiasm for the sports he covers is part of the reason he was chosen for the job, according to McManus. “[He] is dedicated and passionate, and I don't use those words often,” McManus says. “He wants this channel to succeed.”

And that passion extends outside the office; Herbst serves as a coach for his son's basketball team and his daughter's soccer team. As he puts it: “Anything I can do that is involved in sports, whether playing, watching or coaching, I try to get myself involved.”

Tiger at the 2005 Masters ...

In honor of the great Tiger Woods and The Masters golf tournament, I give you a clip from CBS Sports' coverage of the 2005 Masters from Augusta National.

I remember watching this as it happened and screaming at the television in joy. In NYC, there's a coolness of the apartment dwellers watching a big sporting event. As I screamed loudly, golf fans watching in other apartments in the surrounding blocks were doing the same. With all the windows opened on a beautiful spring afternoon, the screams of joy carried throughout the cityscape. It was terrific.

The call by Verne Lundquist is one of the greatest in television sports history. Verne also had the call on Jack Nicklaus' putt on the 17th when he went eagle-birdie-birdie to set up his win at the 1986 Masters but his call of Tiger's shot makes the shot all the more fun to watch over and over again. I have watched this clip a dozen times while making this entry for the blog and smile the same smile every time I see it.

So, without further ado ... here is Tiger, the greatest golfer of all-time with his best shot:

Assorted Housekeeping Items for terrylyons.com blog

As so many of you know, there's been an incredible amount of activity in the life and times of TL and the family. Thankfully, nearly all of the activity has been great.

This blog entry is a brief compilation of some thoughts that I have had along the way.

1. Health - Thankfully, health or failing health has not been a factor for me or my family in the past year. In the immediate family, my Mom has been doing quite well since surgery to ease the pain of spinal stenosis and that was performed back in January, '07.

A few of my good friends and other family members have had some serious health issues to deal with during that period of time. They know who they are and they know they have my love and full support.

Health is so often overlooked and taken for granted in our lives. I am here to preach to thank your lucky stars and thank God for your health. It is everything.

2. Support System - There is no way to go through life on your own. It is imperative to plug into your family and friends for some type of support, even if it is just to bounce some ideas and vent now and then. Again, I thank you all for providing me with the best support system anyone could ever seek out and for it coming so naturally.

3. Fun, rest and mental health - Directly connected to the two items above, I thrive in life when I know I have a reward on the horizon. A pair of Clapton tickets, tickets to a play or Lincoln Center with my family, even some dreaded St. John's vs. Marquette tickets (for Wed night), provide a bit of an outlet and a goal. I find it to be very important. To that end, we got the kids (and yours truly) a Wii. Lots of fun as we broke it open yesterday. Tori beat me like a drum when she bowled a 216 (lefty, as opposed to her natural righty) this morning, and that is an indication of things to come.

As written before, the Jimmy V mantra of, "Laugh, Think, Cry," is not a bad way to live a day. The cry might mean, "Vent, talk with friends, let go a little."

I offer a bit of a mantra myself: (with its root being credited to RFK)

Some people say, "It is what it is."
I say, "It is what I dream it can become."

Now, some other housekeeping items:

THE BLOG - This blog will remain in action as I transition up to Elevate Communications. The 'good folks at Elevate' are encouraging me to continue to do the blog and they are considering linking it to Elevatecom.com which is fine with me. I don't plan to change the content of the style, unless it is to improve the blog and improve my writing.

Overall in this blog since its start, I have avoided the temptation to 'rip' people or organizations. At times, I will offer some constructive criticism and a suggestion or two, but that is always done in the spirit of a positive suggestion and for progress, not for 'evil ways.'

COVERT - As regular terrylyons.com blog readers have witnessed over the past few months, the story of Bob Delaney, as told in Covert, My Years Infiltrating the Mob, has become a huge part of my life. The book saw its debut on February 4, 2008 and we went on a HUGE book launch and tour to promote the title. That required events in: DC, Trenton, NJ, NYC, Bristol, CT, Phila, Boston, Toronto, New Orleans and Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla.

The tour will continue with dozens of media appearances (TV and Radio, mostly) as well as continuing exposure via media opportunities that were met in the first week or so, but taped for future use.

Among the major media outlet exposures have been: ESPN, ESPN.com, ESPN2 and ESPN News, Bloomberg, ABC-TV, MSG Network, NPR & NPR.com, Barnes and Noble.com, CNN/Sports Illustrated.com and Sports Illustrated Magazine, ESPN Magazine, and hundreds of radio stations and newspaper columns and articles.

Upcoming, will be a full feature on CNN Sports & CNN Headline News, plus Comcast SportsNet and a slew of others.

I will continue to be very involved with Covert, especially in our pursuit for the best motion picture or TV series deal. There has been a TON of interest on that front and the conclusion of the WGA strike will move the process along with hopes of a deal to come in the next few months, as the book continues to enjoy success.

Sterling Publishing has been making plans to release Covert in Audio Book form and they have already released the title in digital format. The obvious paperback release will be in the works soon.

Delaney is happily returning to his regular schedule of officiating NBA games. I can tell that he relishes that fact and enjoys the peace and routine of his regular life between the four lines of an NBA basketball court. Bob is a very dedicated referee and NBA fans everywhere should applaud him for his service to law enforcement in the '70s and '80s and for his great work as a ref from '87 to the present day. He has deep respect for his fellow referees and his former colleagues in law enforcement everywhere.

MOVING - We will be packing and storing and driving and moving and ... blah. I hate moving. Find it very stressful.

NCAA - One quick note or recommendation (to see if you are still reading). I highly recommend that yu sign up for the NCAA March Madness On Demand on CBS Sportsline. Click on the headline above for a direct link.

PLEASE - I encourage you - the readers - to email some suggestions on the things you like for this blog, or some things you might want to see more - or less. Only one nasty reader 'teed up' the Covert content, but I will discard that criticism like a JOKER left in the deck.

Ramble on (III) ...

A few short Rambles for the week of Nov. 5 ...

The pot called the kettle black when the New England Patriots claimed that the Indianapolis Colts were cheating by pumping artificial crowd noise into the Hoosier Dome, aka the RCA Dome.

The NFL got into the act and defended the Colts, stating that CBS Sports had informed the NFL of an audio glitch that originated in the trucks. See statement by Colts by clicking above.

Think that NE front office should investigate the facts before going to an NFL security rep?

The miscommunication made it to the front page of the paper of record.

###

Bruce Arena and the MLS' Red Bulls, formerly known as the Metrostars, parted company two days after the RBs were eliminated in the first round of the MLS playoffs. Bruce, we hardly knew ye.

###

The 851st soldier died in Iraq yesterday, marking the deadliest year since 849 military troopers died in 2004.

###

The Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers this week proved that there are only three teams in the NFL this year. Four, if you count the Dallas Cowboys who lost 48-27 to NE earlier this year.

###

When was the last time a Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks was a big match-up? Maybe in 1971 when Lew Alcindor (Kareem) played against Elvin Hayes? Well, this week it's Yao vs. Yi for the battle of the ages in China. Tune in Friday. Does KAJ vs Elvin Hayes seem like a long time ago? Nah, just think? Bob Lanier was a rookie that season.

###

Coming this Sunday? Bruce Springsteen at Washington DC's Verizon Center. Should be fun. Stay tuned for some ramblin' on that.

###
As of Monday, Dick Versace was the lone Democrat to file for central Illinois' 18th Congressional seat which was vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Ray Lahood. Previously filing for the GOP nomination were state Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria, businessman Jim McConoughey and John Morris, a former Peoria City Council member. The former NBA and Bradley U coach has a legit shot. And, he might get elected, too.

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Dennis Miller on Versus is not funny. How do I know? The trailer on the web site isn't funny so how can the show be funny? Plus, we are sick of Dennis Miller. Didn't we say that to ABC on the whole MNF fiasco? Sports Unfiltered? No thanks.

And, how does that show see the light of day while all the other Late Night comedy shows are off air with the strike? Speaking of the strike...

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I hope the writer for this blog doesn't honor the Hollywood Writer's str