To everyone that's supported me over the last year and a half, I wanted to pass along that my articles, from this point forward, can be found over at SI.com. My first article on the Sports Illustrated's site was posted today after this weekend's draft, and I plan to contribute on a more frequent basis.
Many thanks to everyone here in the FOX Blog community for all the support during NGS and beyond. I'll stop by from time to time to see how everyone's doing, as I always do. In the meantime, keep in touch!
Link it over to QuickSlants.com where I'll be running a live blog on the day's tournament action and poking some fun at my own brackets along the way. Should be a good time.
Though I'm still playing with the bubble wrap and tweaking things to perfection, I'm very excited to announce the launch of QuickSlants.com. As soon as I can cure the excessive whitespace issue on the page, I think it's headed for great things.
For the last year and a half or so, the "QuickSlants.com" URL has pointed to this site; however, it will now point to a newly created page that will be the home of all Quick Slants blogging activity. I've got a couple tricks up my sleeve, as well as a few guest postings in the works from some writers you might actually recognize. And if not, please act as if you do for moral support.
Anyway, feel free to check it out. We'll be getting into the March Madness swing of things and revealing our tournament picks, and, GASP, our rationale for said picks long before Thursday's tip-off!
As we close out 2006, I just wanted to thank you all for your support. Those who have trolled the blogs for the last year know just how much has transpired, namely two Next Great Sportswriter contests. People have come and gone, but many of the originals remain.
Though I've now officially written 21 columns for FOXSports.com, my favorite piece was posted one year (and one day) ago while attempting to solidify a spot as a top 16 finalist in the first NGS contest. Ahh yes, those were stressful days that I will never ever forget. And I could think of no better way of celebrating the one year anniversary of the Quick Slants blog than re-posting a link to it. Ladies and gents...
The following is part 4 of a discussion with NGS II runner-up Bri Moore. You can email Bri at bri_moore@hotmail.com. For previous parts, please scroll down!
Ty Hildenbrandt: You'd have to ask Cashman's shrink how his real mental health is right now. If I were him, my Vicodin addiction would rival that of Brett Favre's and Dr. Gregory House's. I'm just saying that I like the way he's building this team for the future. I like the fact that he hasn't traded any of the Yanks' top prospects and that he's replenished the farm system with young, power pitching.
Call him whatever you want, but at least HE wasn't the one breaking the bank on a pitcher that may or may not translate to the Major Leagues. I think this move by the Red Sox was a little from column A, and a little from column B. There's no doubt that the Sox didn't want Matsuzaka to fall to the Yankees. And there's also no doubt that Theo understood Boston's pitching woes last season. But I think we need to look at this in terms of marketing more than anything else. Boston is looking at this as an investment in the growing Asian market, which might pay dividends in the line of merchandising. I've already seen reports that Japanese companies could buy advertising on the Green Monster. That's where the real value lies -- if you consider a bare bones price of $51-million a value.
Speaking of ludicrous, ridiculous, and mind-boggling decisions, O.J. Simpson has apparently agreed to an unrestricted interview with this network in which he will discuss "how he would have committed" the 1994 killings that he was originally accused of.
(No, I couldn't make that up if I tried.)
Here's the link to the article, you can read it for yourself. I am dumbfounded. Honestly, is O.J. THAT desperate for money that he's turned to role-playing as a source of revenue? Why would anyone ever want to do this? Doesn't it look even more su####ious when you start talking about yourself as a criminal in the third-person? He's also got a book coming out titled "If I Did It." Umm... O.J.? Earth to Juice. Umm... What's the deal here, buddy? He should go to jail for just agreeing to such a stupid idea.
I think I speak on behalf of Americans everywhere when I say that it's time for Tim Meadows to start doing O.J. skits again. It's been a solid decade since the last ones. But now the time has come.
Bri Moore: I’ve been hearing about this O.J. interview all day. And this surprises ANYONE how?
I can certainly see where Simpson would be out of money and need of the attention, seeing as how the Juice has been devotionally searching high and low at every golf course and football game he can find for the real killer.
It’s safe to say that I don’t think he’s role-playing here. A better title for his book might have been “If I Didn’t Do It.”
How do you write something hypothetically and cover it so in-depth, anyway? For example, how detailed is this thing? “If I did it, I was probably wearing a XXL blue t-shirt with a mustard stain from the hot dog I had for lunch the Tuesday before the murders.” I mean, supposedly, there’s a line in there about O.J. saying he’s covered in enormous amounts of blood.
When asked about it by the interviewer, O.J. says something to the effect of ‘Well, I think if two people were murdered, everybody would be covered in blood.’
Um, o.k. Mr. Simpson, if you’d just like to step into this jacket, please…and then turn around so we can fasten these new, fashionable straps, we’ll take you right to your room so you can watch your NFL Films highlight tape.
Can he actually GO to jail? He can’t be retried for the murders, can he? I believe we were taught that by Ashley Judd in a little film called “Double Jeopardy.”
Do you think Pete Carroll will be inviting him back to USC anytime soon? Or is Carroll giving his players the “Don’t answer any calls or take advice from O.J. Simpson, boys” speech today after practice?
Ty Hildenbrandt: You know, in one of Tim Meadows’ famous SNL skits, “Simpson” sits on the witness stand and all but admits his guilt during a fake child custody hearing. He then does a snappy little motion with his fingers and smirks after the judge says that he cannot be re-tried because of double jeopardy laws.
That’s essentially what Simpson is doing here. In the NFL, this would be an automatic 15-yard penalty and possible ejection. And I’m a little alarmed that you’re getting your legal knowledge from an Ashley Judd movie, but I believe you’re right – he’s a free man.
Is there really any doubt at this point that the Juice is a crook? Here’s what I want to know… if someone I love falls victim to a heinous crime, why on God’s green Earth would I ever want to mentally re-enact that scene? How could you possibly think to yourself, “Hey, if I were doing it, here’s how it would’ve been done…”? It’s different if we’re talking about a corporate Continuous Improvement seminar, but this is kind of a big deal. Plus, there are kids involved, which only blows my mind even more.
There is also a rumor that O.J. will quickly spend the $3.5-million that he received for writing his book in order to prevent it from being paid as restitution for the civil suit he lost to the Browns and Goldmans. Again, I’m at a loss for words.
Long are the days of the beloved Nordberg, that’s for sure.
Bri Moore: I remember those Meadows skits! Those were so funny because since he was acquitted, no one ever thought years down the road Simpson would basically admit to it.
You start picking up a lot of informal legal education from Ashley Judd films when your wife picks the movie. According to this report, we’re right—he’s as free as the sample platter at the grocery store. It mentions in this article, as you eluded too, his lawyers appear to be working it out where he won’t have to pay any of the money from the book to the victims’ families.
(Hold on, wait…what’s this POSSIBLE ejection stuff? If Albert Haynesworth can get multiple games for stomping on a player, then certainly O.J. would get a few for a double-murder, don’t you think?)
What I can’t get over is the lack of logic and reasoning behind this “idea” of a “hypothetical” tell-all. Either Simpson did it, or he has given WAY too much thought about what it would have been like; just as you said, it’s a little sick and twisted. Frankly, it only drives those who believe he did it to further convict him in their minds. Forget Nordberg, how can we ever trust Hertz rent-a-car again?
But here’s what I keep thinking, to tie this conversation back to the beginning a little bit: O.J. was the Florida State sideline reporter in that ’93 game against Notre Dame that we were talking about earlier. I have it on tape and watch it every so often to remind myself of the Irish’s last really huge win.
Anyway, that game was played in South Bend—in November. And naturally, it’s cold. So there’s the Juice on the sideline, frantically giving updates on Florida State and its players with furious hand motions. And he’s wearing black gloves. And every time I see it, I can’t help but wonder if those are the gloves…
Ty Hildenbrandt: No pun intended, but I think that glove bit regarding O.J.'s stint as a sideline reporter is a "fitting" way to transition on to another topic. There is nothing I could possibly say to top that.
So, let's wind this thing down. You came up a bit short in NGS II, but still emerged victorious in the sense that you landed a regular writing gig with The Daily Journal in Johnson County, Indiana. In a sense, you are the Clay Aiken to Brandon Vogel's Ruben Studdard, and believe me, I mean that in a completely heterosexual context.
I guess what I'd really like to know is how you were able to spin off your contest appearance into a twice-weekly writing job. I give you a whole lot of credit for making it happen -- it would've been a whole lot easier to put your head in a hole and throw in the towel. But it seems as though you used the whole experience as a source of motivation and made it work in your favor. I'm guessing there are a lot of former contestants out there who'd be interested in knowing more about how much value the NGS competition really had on the open market, including myself.
And looking back to NGS, if you had to do it over again, what would you have done differently?
Bri Moore: Honestly, that’s the first time I’ve EVER been compared to Clay Aiken, and hopefully, it will be the last. If I had to pick between Aiken and Mario Lopez in terms of reality show runner-ups, I’m going with A.C. Slater—at least he’s occasionally linked to Eva Longoria.
You know, of course I was initially disappointed I lost, but that went away fairly quickly because of two things:
First, the better writer won. Brandon was terrific and his stuff was/is really good. Plus, he’s a great guy—we had spoken several times during the final week through e-mail—and I was happy for him.
Second, I was honestly glad the contest was over. My wife and I had just welcomed our baby daughter into the fold at the end of April (on top of buying and moving into our first house) and I was as tired as Randy Moss after attempting to catch a pass. I just wanted to take a couple plays off, you know. As anyone that participated in either of the NGS contests can tell you, the pressure you place upon yourself to come up with something really, REALLY good wears you down.
As far as my writing gig at the Daily Journal and the value of the contest on the “open market”, I think that the two are related. The Journal had done a story on me during the final week after someone had heard about the contest (I grew up in the area) and they told me to keep in touch if I lost.
After a couple of weeks of decompressing, I gave them a call and they offered me a position writing a bi-weekly online column. And it’s great because it gave me a start and I have free reign over what I write about, as long as it involves national sports. On top of that, it has led me to another opportunity to write for a magazine starting in a few months. So the contest really was a springboard to bigger and better things, which is all I really wanted it to be.
And honestly, I know it sounds cliché, but I wouldn’t have done anything different if I were given a mulligan during NGS II. I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason. And I wouldn’t trade what I learned because I think it made me a better writer in the long run—and I had a lot to learn.
Keep up the good work, Ty—I really enjoy reading the columns you and Brandon have put out there.
This is Part 3 of a 4 part conversation with NGS II runner-up Bri Moore. To see parts 1 & 2, scroll down.
Ty Hildenbrandt: I'm not even going to dignify this Bobby Knight controversy with a response. Something else that's been totally overblown. As I said before, it's not like he threatened Lubbock with mass murder. Let's all agree to move on.
I must say, that's the best (and only) phonetic impersonation of Keith Jackson that I've ever read. If the column-writing thing doesn't work out, you could just as easily launch a career as the Frank Caliendo of print media. Just a thought.
Again, you bring up some great points -- such as how we could have three or four "game of the century"-type matchups within a 14-month span. It's shaping up to be one hell of a century, huh? But more to the point, I agree with your assessment of the remaining one-loss teams. I think the winner of the USC/ND is in the driver's seat, assuming of course that USC takes out Cal this weekend and that ND doesn't lose to Army. Sooner or later, you'd have to think that all of Florida's mistakes would catch up and equate to a loss, whether that's against Florida State or Arkansas in the SEC Championship.
Regardless, I'm sure some controversy will crop up. The whole "time of loss" factor that we've discussed has more to do with the process than it should. Even if we had a playoff, it still would. The current system is so dependent on rankings that it's unavoidable. Hence, at the end of the season when everyone is vying for a spot in the BCS title game, it's like waiting in line at the deli with one of those paper numbers in your hand.
But enough about college football. In some of our conversations since the conclusion of NGS II, I learned that you're an avid Red Sox fan. How does it feel to know that Theo Epstein went all "Tom Hicks" on Daisuke Matsuzaka and outbid the next closest franchise by $12-million? By comparison, the margin between the Red Sox bid and Mets' bid was almost as much as what the Mariners posted to get Ichiro Suzuki ($13.1-million). Are you at all concerned with the franchise's mental state after ponying up $51-million just to talk with him? That's like giving a stripper $10,000 for a lapdance.
Bri Moore: Truthfully, there’s no way anyone could be the Frank Caliendo of print media. How would anyone phonetically do Al Pacino? “Lye-AH, Lye-AH, Ya-OR PhANTS R awn Fy-AH!”? (Don't worry, I just gave myself a sedative, so that’s the last one I promise.)
Before moving on to the Diasuke Matsuzaka situation, here’s a final thought regarding the BCS system that might help, which I never supported until recently: Drop the pre-season rankings. Seriously, just start the polls following Week 2 or 3. Because anyone starting lower than 15th in pre-season has as much chance of winning the national title as Nicole Ritchie has of gaining weight. Maybe doing away with the ridiculous pre-season rankings would eliminate the “Deli Line” theory you mentioned (which was terrific, by the way).
Speaking of food analogies, wasn’t this Matsuzaka thing a little bit like ordering a steak in the most expensive restaurant in town but not knowing how much it really cost because the place is so high class they don’t put prices on the menu?
I may not speak for all Red Sox fans, but here’s my best guess with this: We went 86-years without a taste and now that we’ve got one, we’re as thirsty as Mel Gibson in a whiskey bar. Now, I’m a little curious as to why we couldn’t pony up a little to get something at the trade deadline last year, especially after the whole "We're not the Yankees" speech, but hey, we're the same team that treated Doug Mirabelli like a Russian Imperial Easter Egg after re-acquiring him from San Diego last season.
As for the franchise’s mental state, I’m ALWAYS worried about it. It’s in your blood and after a while it just becomes a part of you. The Yankees have been overpaying players for years, so you guys deal with it a little better than us. So, if Matsuzaka is 2-5 with a 7.43 E.R.A. with two D.L. appearances come the 2007 All-Star break and we’re carrying around hyperventilation bags, just give it a little time. All I know is that this “gyro-ball” Daisuke throws is as nasty as they say.
Let me turn the tables: How does it feel, as a Yankees fan, to be out-bid? Does this have any affect on YOUR mental state? And, most importantly, can we come up with a viable nickname for this guy?
Ty Hildenbrandt: Well first off, I'm glad you brought up the gyroball, because a lot of people have no idea what it is. As of now, Matsuzaka claims that he does not throw one, but that he's trying to learn. There is, however, video evidence that he threw one in a Japanese game, so who knows what the real deal is. All I know is that if this thing catches on, and breaks upwards of three feet, without putting any undue stress on the elbow or shoulder, it could revolutionize the game. In that case, Matsuzaka is worth every penny of that $51-million posting fee.
But this move opens up doors for Yankees fans everywhere who have been pelted by Red Sox fans who claim that the Yankees "buy championships." Even if the Sox don't win it all in '07, Yankees fans can now point to this move and yell "AH HA" with joy.
As I said on my show this past week, Matsuzaka is a guy I wanted badly. I've been studying him for the better part of a year now and could probably tell you more than you ever wanted to know about him. But I am overjoyed that the Yankees didn't go beyond $30-million with their bid. This tells me that Brian Cashman's mental state is just fine, and that maybe -- just maybe -- he's seen the proverbial light and has reverted back to the rational managerial thinking that won the Yanks four championships in five years ('96, '98-'00). Could it be that the Yankees are content with taking a step backwards with their pitching in '07 to take a giant step forward in '08? Keep your eyes peeled for prospects like Philip Hughes, Humberto Sanchez (who they just got from Detroit), Tyler Clippard, and Ian Kennedy to start making an impact in the next couple years. This team could have an entirely home-grown rotation by 2009 when its new stadium is set to open.
Onto your most important point, though... Matsuzaka's nickname. First off, let's leave the Hideki Irabu comparisons at the door. This guy is actually in pretty good physical condition and has a bigger arsenal of pitches to draw from. Secondly, I'll say that my natural instinct is to pull a reference from that "Mr. Baseball" movie with Tom Selleck, but I don’t know if any of the material is actually fitting, nor if anyone out there would actually recognize a "Mr. Baseball" reference. Thirdly, I'd say that my next instinct is to pull something old school "Baseball Stars" from the Nintendo gaming console, but I don't know how people would feel about me trotting out a "Japan Robins"-related reference. And fourthly, I'll just say that "D-Mat" is far too bland.
To be honest with you, I'm at a complete loss here. Shame on me
Bri Moore: Ty, I’m going to say this whole Daisuke Matsuzaka or “Gyro-sake” (hey, like you said, anything’s better than D-Mat) situation has either one of two conclusions:
A) A smokescreen to simply block the Yankees from getting another prime pitcher. Now Cashman, Steinbrenner and many fans will play this off as no big deal, but would you rather have Mussina or Matsuzaka going into next season? And thinking long-term, how nasty does a prospective rotation of Hughes, Sanchez (who’s already got a great nick-name waiting for him if he pans out), Clippard, Kennedy, and Matsuzaka look? The Yankees have never been shy about adding loads of talent when they can.
OR
B) The Red Sox simply placed more value, as it related to their team, on Matsuzaka than anyone else did. I certainly think they paid way too much money just to negotiate—it’s like someone playing $1,500 to be in the front of the line to buy a Playstation 3. But it’s as if the Red Sox finally realized that Schilling’s on his farewell tour, Beckett was a train-wreck the second half of ’06 and Papelbon had a sore arm after 65+ innings. So Theo’s thinking, “Our pitching rotation is about as stable as a drunk guy on stilts, I’ve got to do something.”
One clarification is needed: Did you just say that Brian Cashman’s mental state is just fine? He may be making good business decisions, but the man has Jeff Van Gundy Eyes because he works for “The Boss”, so his mental state is anything but “fine.”
The following is Part 2 of a 4 part discussion with Bri Moore, the runner-up of NGS II. For Part 1, click here.
Ty Hildenbrandt: Exaggeration and over-the-top coverage has always been ESPN's trademark. For example, if you were listening this morning to Mike Greenberg's reaction to Bobby Knight's love tap, you would've sworn that Knight pulled out an M-16 and went on a five block shooting spree in downtown Lubbock. So, the overhype for this rivalry game shouldn't be any different, they 'over' do everything -- from laughing on NFL Countdown to reacting anytime T.O. steps out in public. My guess is that the executives looked at this game, put their heads together, and said, "Hey, the first game of the century worked out so well... let's throw another one!" And they went with it. The only thing missing is the pinata. It's the old ESPN - ESPN2 theory. The first worked out pretty well, so... let's just try it again!
Ironically, that's what I love most about Musberger. His voice makes every situation feel more important. Keith Jackson and Pat Summerall are the same way. Some voices are just associated with big events. Musberger could call a dog show and I'd still tune in to hear his comments. "Check out that articulate pooch from Mesquite, Texas! Wow, there's that dog again!"
In all fairness to ESPN, it is partially right; Michigan - Ohio State is, at the very least, THIS MONTH'S Game of the Century. And THAT'S saying something. Who's going to win? Clearly, Ohio State -- I'm thinking in convincing fashion, too. As it stands, OSU is roughly a touchdown favorite. You'd have to go back to last season's game against Penn State (on the road, no less) to find the last time they didn't cover the spread in a big game situation. I think they're the better team here with a more explosive offense and, as you pointed out, the better coach. But I've been wrong before, just look at my predictions for this year's previous "game of the century." Yikes.
It's your loss if you're not willing to front some cash on Musberger-isms. For what it's worth, I'd put $1,000 on Brent saying "You are looking LIVE," even if it meant I'd only win a buck or two. I'm telling you, it's like free money. You could put your kids through college.
I'm glad you bring up that game in '93, because we could be looking at a similar setup here. You'll remember that game as the one where ND slayed the hated 'Noles under the leadership of Kevin McDougle and clutch defensive work of Shawn Wooden. You'll also remember that season as the one that ND gave away the very next week after being upset by Boston College on a last second field goal. Even though ND took out Florida State, it was the 'Noles that ended up with a shot for the Sears Trophy, simply because of WHEN they lost. Didn't matter that ND beat them outright, it was all about timing.
So, what happens this year if Michigan loses to Ohio State and Notre Dame takes out USC and gets some help. Does Notre Dame deserve a shot at Ohio State, even though it got drilled by Michigan earlier this season?
(Oh, and I've always been partial to the Michigan fight song, but Ohio State's is pretty solid as well. However, "Hail to the Victors" is about as overplayed as Kelly Clarkson, so I think it goes without saying that it will be trapped in my head for the remainder of the weekend.)
Bri Moore: What’s funny is when Sports Talk radio hosts hype up something and the guests come on and shoot them down—like this morning with Knight.
A couple shows hammered on the point that Bobby Knight is out-of-control following the face push last night to one of his players. Then, you hear no less than 37 people come on and say it was “no big deal” and we’re over-reacting because it’s Knight. I wonder how many of these radio guys bit off their microphones in a fit of rage upon hearing that.
Blanket coverage becomes so over-the-top dramatic, it becomes laughable. Should we blame ourselves for that, somewhat? After all, we give the TV ratings the boost they need in these situations to make the network execs think we want MORE of the hype. Then again, as sports fans, it’s not like we’re not going to watch a big game—our best entertainment alternative is by attempting to keep a straight face as a bald Howie Mandel gravely asks “Deal, or No Deal?”
(Good point about the ESPN-ESPN 2 theory. It’s like MTV creating MTV 2 so they could actually show music videos again.)
You’re absolutely right, Musberger, Jackson, Albert, McCarver (whoops, that last one was a typo) all make the games they’re calling seem grander than all the rest. Isn’t that the best measure of an announcer? You take Musberger, I’ll take Keith Jackson, who could make a game of Clue! seem like an event: “It’s KEERNAL MUUSS-tarD, ee-NN the LYE-brary with THE LAED pie-pe!”
(By the way, you’ve now convinced me to put some cash down on the Musberger lines because of the investment potential. Just know that if I lose, I’m sending you my kids Christmas wish lists for Santa and it becomes your problem.)
I like your pick of OSU, if only from the standpoint that you threw out a good stat about them covering the spread for over a year—I like numbers. But hey, what do we know? As they say, opinions are like... well, everyone’s got one.
You bring up a terrific point—and in my opinion, one of the biggest problems with the BCS: The “Time of Loss” factor. They say it doesn’t matter when you lose anymore, but it most certainly does. Look at the Top 10 and when those teams lost (obviously unless undefeated) and the majority of the late September-early October losers are back in the top 5-7. It’s fine if the BCS wants to play it like that, but don’t lie to us and proclaim that this system erases the “Time of Loss” factor, because it doesn’t.
The “Time of Loss” factor is painful to stomach to fans because it’s the only sport where the date of a regular season loss makes any difference. The Colts could get beat twice in a row and still make the playoffs. Florida basketball could drop its conference championship to Wake Forest and still get a #1 seed based on its body of work. The Suns can start the year 1-6 and still make the playoffs. A champion is about the team that comes together to achieve their maximum potential when it counts the most, not by winning one big game in late September then resting for 45-50 days before a bowl game.
With this season, there are just too many dangerous scenarios out there to think the BCS can survive any longer. I recently wrote a column about this and called the BCS “pea-pushers” (remember those times as a kid where you moved the peas on your plate around when no one was looking to create the illusion you’d ate some?)—and that’s what’s happening with all the “tweaks” to the BCS over the years, they’re pushing peas around, hoping we don’t notice there’s nothing of substance happening to fix the problems.
Many of the possibilities will be eliminated over the coming weeks, but what if we have an undefeated Ohio State/Michigan and these choices: undefeated Rutgers, one loss Michigan/Ohio State, USC/Notre Dame and Arkansas/Florida? What then? Don’t you think we’ll find that some of it will come back to the time of the year of the loss.
Don’t you think the voters will give someone else the opportunity—unless it’s Rutgers, of course, in which case the BCS fears for it’s safety against the big, bad power schools. (Don’t get me started there. If they go undefeated in one of the BCS power conferences, why can’t they play for it? There are separate rules for the lower-tier, non-traditional football schools. Glad this system isn’t in place for the NCAA Tournament, or George Mason wouldn’t have even sniffed the Final Four, aren’t you?)
Bottom line, we know it won’t be Rutgers and it seems unlikely that Florida will win out with their schedule, and in the end, I don’t think they’ll give the Michigan/Ohio State loser another shot because this showdown is the last game of the season for both teams and this is their one chance. So that leaves you with the Notre Dame/USC winner, which will have an obvious final score of 51-50 in double OT and become the “Game of the Century, Part II”, obviously leading to “Game of the Century, Part III: Date With Destiny In The Desert” on January 7, 2007.
This week, I'll be conducting an email discussion with Bri Moore, the runner-up of NGS II (MooreSports). Bri used his contest experience to become a columnist for The Daily Journal in Johnson County, Indiana.
Ty Hildenbrandt: Well Bri, we're approaching Thanksgiving, and it would appear as though the National Championship picture is just as murky now as it was back in early September. Lots of big games still on the menu, but none more important than the one this Saturday in Columbus.
Now, anyone that's followed any college football this season understands the magnitude of this game. It's huge, gargantuan, enormous, and colossal -- name the word. We all know it's big, and certainly it deserves some degree of hype. But have we finally reached the point where the ESPN Hype Machine has outdone itself?
The reason I ask: ESPN is running a nifty little promo with the voice of Brent Musberger in the background saying something to the effect of "A century so young already has its 'Game'," implying on some level that this match-up will define college football for the next 100 years or so. My question: Umm... What the hell happened to this year's Rose Bowl? Ya know, USC vs. Texas? Leinart, Bush, and White versus Young, Young, and Young? Wasn't THAT the game of the century like 10 months ago? I'm confused. Or are we just going to start handing out "Game of the Century" tags like they're inside those automatic coupon dispensers at Wal-Mart? Either way, I could use some clarification.
Obviously, I'll be paying very close attention to this game, as will most college fans. But I'm interested in more than just the outcome. Whenever Brent Musberger is involved, the game takes on a new meaning. As a matter of fact, after running a Google search several years ago for the "Brent Musberger Drinking Game" and paying closer attention to his broadcasts, I've combined my observations with those of others and lobbied that Vegas should offer the following proposition bets:
Musberger's Pet Player. Every broadcast, Musberger picks at LEAST one standout player and mentions his name approximately 798 times. He's as consistent as gravity with this; does it every single game. The smart money for Saturday is on Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis. In fact, the odds of this one are so good that Vegas should consider taking the bet off the board. It's like free money. The odds are even better that ABC will show underground video footage of Laurinaitis' father and Musberger will mention that he used to be a professional wrestler. Odds 2 to 1.
The Nickname. Every so often, Musberger will invent a cheesy nickname for a player. If you're watching the game, you won't miss it; it sticks out like a sore thumb. One of the more memorable occurrences of this came back in 2003 when Musberger pegged then-Kansas State running back Derrick Sproles as "Little Tank." Odds: 8 to 1.
Hometowns. Musberger loooooooves telling the audience where players are from. He almost goes out of his way to do so. Get used to the phrase "___________, the young man out of _______, _________." Over / Under 13.5 hometown references.
"You are looking live." Brent starts every broadcast with this line. It's practically written in the Dead Sea Scrolls that he must start every broadcast with this line. Odds: 1 to 1,000.
The Phantom Touchdown. The big play potential in Saturday's game is ridiculous, especially for Ohio State. Listen closely on a long pass to Ted Ginn, Jr. If he breaks away from the pack, there's an outside chance that Musberger will shout "Touchdown!" about 30-yards before he actually crosses the goal line. Odds: 15 to 1.
So, my question to you... Who's going to win Saturday's game? And more importantly, what prop bets are you eyeing up?
Bri Moore: Ty, you’ve nailed it... we’re still facing a BCS quandary, just as we are seemingly every year in which there aren’t two clear cut, undefeated teams that deserve a shot at the title. Since someone will lose this Saturday, and there’s no way our unbiased pollsters are going to give Rutgers a shot, that means this will be the fifth time in the nine years of the BCS that at least one team has a loss in the national title game. And in not one of those years have we not had a collective nervous breakdown about who that “other” team is. You could go back to Nebraska, Florida State and Oklahoma as past one loss teams who were destroyed in the BCS title game, while the 3rd ranked team dominated their bowl game.
So, while Saturday is an enormously important game, the real battle begins after the final whistle—because the loser will already begin its campaign for a rematch in the National Championship.
I’ve seen the commercial you’re talking about and I had the same reaction. The hype machine is about to blow on all fronts—pro and college.
(And can we really handle another Peyton Manning commercial where he tries to prove he’s just a fun-loving witty guy? Someone should tell him to give up the ruse, we already know he watches game-film 24-7, probably brought home a dozen autographed footballs for his wife on their anniversary and shouts out audibles in his sleep.)
But here’s what struck me most about what you said—the “Game of the Century” talk. Isn’t it all relative? What’s wrong with Game of the Year? Why isn’t that good enough?
The first time I remember this was #1 Florida State vs. #2 Notre Dame in 1993. H-U-G-E game for the pre-BCS days. And it was great. Then, the Irish lost to Boston College the next week and Florida State got the title. So leading up to that game and then for a week after, it was the most hyped game in history. Same with Texas-USC last year.
But here’s why ESPN and the media keep cranking up the hype machine and handing out Game of the Century tags like Bob Knight hands out slaps to the face: Because if that really WAS the Game of the Century, then what do we have to look forward to? Why should we watch the runner-up Game of the Century? We’re all about being the best and want to believe we’re watching the best. This is completely normal, unless they start telling us that Northwestern-Illinois is the Game of the Century, and then we can jump straight to DEFCON 1.
Bringing up the Brent Musberger Drinking Game reminds me of his article in GQ last month. He’s one wild cat. Apparently, the way he talks during games is how he talks in real life, which means he's probably the coolest person to do a play-by-play of your life.
I love your idea about Vegas offering lines on Musberger catch phrases. But there would be so many lines out there—such as the “Pet Player”, “Folks” and “Nicknames”, “Hometowns”, “Looking Live”, “Pardner” and so on—that Vegas would be shelling out thousands of dollars to people who take the over. And don’t think for a second that Musberger wouldn’t know the lines and try to get in on the action himself.
Who’s going to win the game? Oh, wow... like any fan that has no personal, fan-related stake in a game like this, you’ve got to look at one thing: the fact that Lloyd Carr is on the sideline. He’s good for at least two losses every year. He’s been lucky Michigan has been good enough that they’ve avoided having him make any crucial, game influencing decisions, so right away, I like Ohio State. But this is the premier rivalry in college football right now, so who knows.
Unfortunately, I can’t bet on anything, Ty. I have two young children, a wife who’s already Christmas shopping and a mortgage payment. I’m lucky if I have lunch money.
But let’s talk about the real match-up in this game: the Battle of the Bands. Seriously, who do think will play their fight song more often? And how many days do you think it will take for you to get both out of your head?
This is the final installment of a four part conversation with NGS II winner Brandon Vogel. To read the rest of the dicussion, check out part 1, part 2, and part 3. Next week, I'll be having a discussion with NGS II runner-up Bri Moore, known formerly as "MooreSports."
Ty Hildenbrandt: Indeed, online anything is a humbling experience. As you said, the concept is perfect, but unless you’ve got the mental toughness to get drilled by a 13-year old and not feel mildly humiliated, it’s probably not a good idea. Due to a glitch in my PS2 console, my Madden game hangs every time I try to play in Franchise Mode, so if I want to play at all, my only option is online. So far, my record is 9-20 this season. Yes, that’s almost 30 games and I’m not ashamed of it. If I can get back to .500, I’ll break out the champagne and celebrate deep into the night.
You mean to tell me that you weren’t more anxious waiting for the cut-down announcements than you were during your brainstorming sessions? I don’t buy it for a second, Vogel! I remember those Sunday afternoons vividly, refreshing the judges’ blog roughly 726 times between 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET in anticipation of the announcement. (And contrary to some misinformed chatterbugs, I DO live on the East Coast.) I think my anxiety on those Sundays affected my weight, and definitely my appearance. Especially during the first contest, when the judges had virtually no say over who would advance and who wouldn’t. Thank God all that’s over with.
Brandon Vogel: Oh no, we’re breaking out the last names! I will admit that I was consistently refreshing on Selection Sundays, but let me tell you something Hildenbrandt, I still felt more pressure on the Mondays or Tuesdays after. By the time we got to Sunday it was out of my hands. Everyone had done everything they could do and all that was left was to let the chips fall where they may.
Yes, that’s a cliché but as a diehard fan of a mid-major basketball program (Creighton) I’ve grown accustomed to having my fate arbitrarily decided by others. Sundays were a breeze compared to trying to decide between a blog on Paul Shirley or Michael Barrett.
Ty Hildenbrandt: Well, we’ve traded nearly 5,300 words now about a hodgepodge of different topics, and you’ve more than established yourself as a stand up guy. But I still can’t believe that Selection Sunday wouldn’t be more nervewracking for you than any other day of the NGS week. I’m not really in a position to dispute you; I can only speak from personal experience. And I’m telling you, I could’ve been shot in the neck with a tranquilizer dart – Frank the Tank-style – and I still would’ve been biting my nails. Kudos to you for getting past that.
(Before I got any further, now might be the right time to recognize my own stupidity. Earlier in this discussion, I incorrectly identified Jeff Bridges as “Harry” from Dumb and Dumber. Obviously, I confused Jeff Bridges with Jeff Daniels, an egregious error on all counts. My deepest apologies.)
Let’s wind this thing down, Vogel. Talk to me about your upcoming columns and what you’ve learned so far in writing for FOXSports.com.
Brandon Vogel: Our conversation here already spurred one column from me, and we’ve sown a lot of other seeds (chicken sandwiches, hate mail, the difference between Jeff Bridges and Jeff Daniels) so who knows what else will sprout up.
I’m don’t have anything in the works right now, but I feel an NBA piece coming once college football breaks for the bowl season. My first ever blog here at FOX was a piece on bowl game storylines, so I’m hoping to celebrate the anniversary by tackling that subject again.
Also, every year around Christmas time my mind reverts to that of a 9-year-old boy and I get all sappy and stupid. While I’m generally skeptical of trying a holiday theme, when it comes to Christmas I’m powerless to stop it.
In closing, congrats Ty on a great year of writing. The one thing I’ve learned in writing my first few pieces is that there might be a little pressure to make your work seem “more professional” when you take it from the blog to the main page, and in a sense that’s a valid concern. However, if you try to walk the line too much, you end up sounding like the standard AP post game piece. Wherever your work appears, I think the challenge is to make it obvious that no one else could’ve have written it but you. While reading your columns, that’s always been evident. I think you’re officially my favorite Yankees fan.
See, the holiday decorations have just started to spring up and already…sappy and stupid.
This is Part 3 of a 4 part conversation with NGS II Winner Brandon Vogel. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already seen them
Ty Hildenbrandt: Wow, it’s possible you have me at a loss for words with that list. You’re right on the money with John Henry Williams. I think Luke Russert is in the hunt for this honor, but as you so aptly pointed out, only time will tell. He’d be one of those guys showing up on an Upper Deck “Future Offenders of the LOTC III” baseball card.
I’m not gonna lie, this is a tough list to crack, but here are a few you left off in no particular order:
Beau Bridges – The son of Lloyd and the brother of “Harry” from Dumb and Dumber. Check out this guy’s filmography if you’re looking for some evidence as to why he’s on my short list. His dad was a huge star. He, on the other hand, starred in the 1998 show Maximum Bob, a show that lasted a whole two months on ABC before it was canceled.
Colin Hanks – Here’s another guy that Upper Deck would put on its “Future Offenders of the LOTC III” baseball card series along with Luke Russert. Obviously, his old man is a legend in Hollywood. And unless Colin gets moving, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever be able to live up to his dad’s standards, seeing as how he’ll be 29 at the end of the month. To date, his biggest film was Orange County, a movie that was more popular because of the movie poster (with two orange slices over his eyes) than the actual film.
Lisa Marie Pressly – We here at Quick Slants do not discriminate based on age, race, or gender. Hence, Lisa Marie needs to be on this list in some capacity. To form a lame analogy to the BCS, her marriage to Michael Jackson earned her an automatic bid to appear on this list. And, her dad was the King of Pop, so there’s no conceivable way she could ever fill those shoes.
Jay Paterno – See above conversation.
Jeff Bowden – For lack of better terms, he’s “Jay Paterno South.” And also, he’s the butt of this joke, which might just be the most cleverly conceived Photoshop image I’ve ever seen.
Todd Marinovich – Though not technically the son of an “icon,” we heard so much about this guy’s pedigree and, at one time, believed that he’d grow up to be the “perfect quarterback.” Now, six arrests later (four of which have come since 2000), I think it’s pretty clear that things didn’t work out for Todd. At last check, he’s promoting the legalization of marijuana and steadfastly claims that he’ll move to Holland before anyone in the U.S. tells him he can’t smoke it.
Anyway, enough of that for now. Talk to me about your newfound writing career. How did you react when it first hit you that your writing hobby would now be published on the internet and promoted to millions? To be honest, I was deathly afraid of becoming the blogging version of Ryan Leaf, flipping out at a few hecklers, and relegating myself to typing up boxscores for the local paper. Thus far, I don’t think that’s happened, but I suppose I could still go in the tank over the next couple months.
Brandon Vogel: How could I miss Beau Bridges? Jim Rome makes the Bridges-Bill Callahan comparison at least once a week!
As for the writing career, I guess my first actual gig was writing for a small, on-line newspaper while I was still in college. It was called Xpressnews.com and is now defunct (although not my fault, I don’t think) and I was the sports correspondent covering American Legion baseball and high school all-star games, the typical newbie beat. It ended when I went back to school in the fall. I begged my editor to let me do a column and, probably to her and the readers’ benefit, she continually said no. But when I attended the Nebraska – Notre Dame game in 2000 in South Bend, she actually approached me about doing a sort of reaction piece and that’s basically when everything clicked for me.
After that brief stint doing “real” journalism, and a three-year break for graduate school, I started up a site on blogspot, was doing that for about two months and then my friend and sole reader forwarded me along the NGS contest link. The FOXSports blogs provided me with my first real readers who weren’t either a) directly related to me, or b) a college classmate.
But in the moments after my first article for the main site was published, it was a mixture of elation and unease to think that anyone could just be surfing the Internet and come across something I wrote. It was definitely my Navin R. Johnson moment and I’ve been waiting for that for years.
Ty Hildenbrandt: Egregious on all counts for missing Beau Bridges. That one was on a tee and you whiffed. But then again, I never would have thought up John Henry Williams, so I’m willing to call it even.
It sounds like we both were thrown right into the mix after NGS. Personally, my only writing experiences before winning the contest were a few letters to the editor, a few witty emails to my friend Feldman, and a few months of blogging over on AOL. That’s pretty much it. Likewise, I was told about the NGS contest from a good friend, and decided to give it a whirl. I’m thoroughly convinced that my friends still don’t consider me a writer. They still think I’m the guy that plays Madden NFL Football online. (Okay, who am I kidding… I still am that guy.)
Indeed the whole “there-are-people-reading-this-that-I-don’t-know” feeling is pretty momentous. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed most about the whole experience. I realize people will say “HEY! They told him to say that!” when I bring this up, but that’s the best part about this community on FOXSports.com. Granted, it won’t take you more than five minutes to find a blogger offering critical words about the community, but you really can’t find a setup like this anywhere else. It’s a great place to gain exposure, grow as a writer, and learn how to take negative comments with a grain of salt. And believe me, that’s an important skill.
Since writing my first column back in March, I’ve been continually amazed by the intense hate mail I’ve received. I’m told this comes with the territory. At first, I was taken aback. Now, I’m almost alarmed if I don’t get any. I think it keeps me on my toes. Plus, the creativity is top notch, giving me the chance to learn new curse words everyday! Right now, I am apparently at odds with the token Irrational Drew Bledsoe Supporter, seeing as how I slammed him two columns ago. My letter bomb should be arriving anyday now, postmarked “Irvin, TX.”
The bottom line is that there will always be haters. Doesn’t matter what you write, there’s no way around it. As a normal guy, like me, thrown into the fire, did you have any Roberto Duran moments when you felt like shouting out “no mas!” and throwing in the towel? During NGS I, II, or now?
And all kidding aside, have you gone to your local McDonald’s yet and inquired about receiving free ####y Chicken Sandwiches as part of our loose affiliation with the restaurant chain?
Brandon Vogel: Madden On-line, huh? The concept of on-line video games is perfect. Play against live competition anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own couch. A few months back, I finally took the plunge and linked up the PS2 only to find that playing on-line is one of the most humbling experiences a grown man who should’ve dropped video games years ago can have. A lot of those guys are real pros, and, at least for me, trying to compete with them is like trying to take the Astrophysics category in a Jeopardy match against Stephen Hawking and the ghost of Carl Sagan.
Back to the contest, the only real “no mas” moment I had was immediately after the announcement for NGS II. I think I had written maybe three posts since the end of NGS I and I wasn’t really sure about going through it all again. For at least a few days after the contest opened, I was certain that I’d be sitting this one out.
But then I kind of took a look around and realized I was really excited about some of the major events on tap in the sporting world. Baseball had just started which meant the Cubs were theoretically still alive in the race, the NBA playoffs were forthcoming, which meant it was time to pay serious attention, and, the biggest for me, the Kentucky Derby and my first real World Cup as an avid follower. After all that, I was excited again.<
