General

Press Coverage: Twas the Weekend Before Christmas

Dec 21, 2009, 3:46 PM UTC

And now a poem from Dan Levy.

â†µ
â†µTwas the weekend before Christmas, in the National Football League, â†µ
â†µSnow fell in the East, adding lots of intrigue.â†µ
â†µThe writers in Philly were all getting setâ†µ
â†µFor same ol’ stories of Santa we likely would getâ†µâ†µFans throwing snowballs at jolly Saint Nickâ†µ
â†µHas become hacky sportswriters’ favorite trick. â†µ
â†µIt happens each year when the tide turns to yule,â†µ
â†µAnd makes those who use the meme seem like a fool.â†µ

â†µâ†µSee the story of pelting Santa with snow, â†µ
â†µIs something that Philly fans obviously know.â†µ
â†µFather Christmas it wasn’t, just a drunken replacementâ†µ
â†µYet still remains fodder for those who write in their basement. â†µ

â†µâ†µIt’s become an indictment on all of the cityâ†µ
â†µFrom snowballs to batteries, it surely ain’t pretty.â†µ
â†µSo clearly sportswriters in Philly might fretâ†µ
â†µThat anger from national pundits they’ll getâ†µ

â†µâ†µIn the fourth quarter, Sunday, when the game was a routâ†µ
â†µSome drunk Eagles fans just began to act out.â†µ
â†µIt was just a few fans in the stands at the Lincâ†µ
â†µWho threw snowballs that could’ve landed them straight in the clink.â†µ

â†µâ†µThey tossed them with glee, they tossed them in fun,â†µ
â†µBut the ones at San Fran fans could not be undone. â†µ
â†µNor those toward the field, aimed at the officials, â†µ
â†µTill the PA man said ceasing would be beneficial.â†µ

â†µâ†µA small part of the game, with some comments from Moose, â†µ
â†µBut nothing that harmful, or as offensive as Goose.â†µ
â†µA blip on the radar in a big win for the Birds, â†µ
â†µYet two local scribes expected many harsh words.â†µ

â†µâ†µJohn Gonzalez in the Inqy sensed the tone of the press,â†µ
â†µAnd suspected the national lot will obsess.â†µ
â†µRich Hoffman wrote the same in Philly’s Daily News,â†µ
â†µPenning a column that assumed boorish reviews.â†µ

â†µâ†µOn Twitter, on Google on all cyber space, â†µ
â†µThere hasn’t been much about a Philly disgrace. â†µ
â†µSure the occasional â†µYouTube clip for good measure, â†µ
â†µThat ends up on sites like Deadspin and With Leather.â†µ

â†µâ†µNot much of the ire the locals expected.â†µ
â†µBut perhaps TV pundits who think they’re respected,â†µ
â†µThe Mariotti and Bayless of the sports talking field,â†µ
â†µWith fake indignation, those opinions they’ll wield. â†µ

â†µâ†µWe’ll all chuckle at them for causing a stir,â†µ
â†µTo an isolated incident gone in a blur.â†µ
â†µAnd it wasn’t just Philly who wasn’t so nice, â†µ
â†µTake Jets fans toward Falcons QB Matty Ice.â†µ

â†µâ†µAs the snowballs fell harmlessly down to the floor,â†µ
â†µRyan hit Tony Gonzalez for the game-winning score. â†µ
â†µBefore, during or after, not a word of fan blame,â†µ
â†µTo be fair, Dick Stockton thought that score tied the game!â†µ

â†µâ†µHe had his hands full, and they were not filled with snow.â†µ
â†µFor that moment the telecast had reached a new low. â†µ
â†µBut Stockton corrected the score with contrition. â†µ
â†µKudos to him for the quick recognition.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe snow was the story, throughout the whole day,â†µ
â†µImpacting fans and the press more than quality of play.â†µ
â†µDreams of national voices ripping fans with delight?â†µ
â†µSeems to be nothing more ... than a big snowball fight. â†µ

â†µ

â†µPeople Are Ready For Some Footballâ†µ
â†µRemember when being on cable used to hurt programs? Not anymore, and not if your program is the NFL. Last Monday's MNF game between the 49ers and Cardinals – not exactly a national-caliber match-up for most football fans – earned a 9.6 rating and won the night in all key male demographics, as well as all people 18-34. This was on all networks, not just cable.â†µ

â†µâ†µIn fact, football crushes on cable, as MNF telecasts have the 14 biggest cable audiences among households and viewers in 2009. No wonder NFLN wants to put more games on their air. People love football, no matter what channel it’s on. In fact, per a report this weekend, the Cowboys-Saints game was the most-watched game in the history of NFL Network, with an average of 10.5 million viewers, not including over-the-air broadcasts in the Dallas and New Orleans markets. The Colts-Jags game on Thursday night was the second-most watched game in the history of the network, with an average of 6.2 million viewers. Thursday Night Football has increased 57-percent in the ratings from last season (including Saturday’s game), not including OTA stations. â†µ

â†µâ†µExpect football seven days a week by the end of next decade.â†µ

â†µâ†µAdam Schefter: Full Service Tweeterâ†µ
â†µAdam Schefter must be a busy fellow on Sundays during the NFL season, covering he entire league with up-to-the-minute injury news and talking with every team to get their list of which players are active and inactive before anyone else can. It must be rather daunting work. But not so daunting he can’t keep an eye on the rest of popular culture, as, at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, Schefter posted this on Twitter:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥RT @GossipCop: BREAKING BREAKING - Brittany Murphy reportedly dead - http://bit.ly/8GN9J6â†µâ†µI’m not sure which is more fun to imagine ... Schefter – who has proven himself as one of the absolute best in the business – taking time out of his NFL Sunday to tweet out Brittany Murphy’s death, or the fact that Schefter is one of 11,000 or so followers of the Twitter feed “Gossip Cop.” Maybe he was just doing research for his Monday guest-hosting gig on Mike and Mike. â†µâ†µJim Calhoun in a Media Tussle?â†µ
â†µESPN’s Andy Katz reported over the weekend that Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun was getting a new multi-year contract. The AP, in essence scooped on the story, ran a reply – with confirmation from UConn SID Kyle Muncy that no deal had been finalized. Some sites led their report with the headline: UConn Denies ESPN.com Report Regarding New Deal for Calhoun (read the link address for original headline).â†µ

â†µâ†µFollowing the AP story, ESPN updated their copy to include the note about Muncy’s denial, but that ‘sources’ indicated the deal was agreed upon and a five-year deal with a raise from his current $1.6 million salary will be announced soon. â†µ

â†µâ†µCalhoun stepped in, telling the AP: â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“It’s right on the horizon, but once again, I haven’t signed anything,” the 67-year-old Calhoun said. “Maybe somebody else has. My wife signs all of my checks, maybe she did that.”â†µâ†µThe headline has since been updated to “Calhoun says new contract on the horizon.” So take that ESPN – you were wrong! UConn totally DENIED your report. Until today when the announcement is made and they’ll totally verify it. â†µâ†µWell this is a Tragic Storyâ†µ
â†µThis isn’t exactly filled with holiday cheer. The Charlotte Observer has the horrifying story about Jon Robinson, the Charlotte-area media personality and former Carolina Panthers stadium announcer: â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“I was lying the whole time and the crazy thing is people loved me for it. What I really wanted to say is, ‘I shot heroin last night and smoked crack and watched eight hours of pornos.’â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“I’m a fraud.”â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µIt’s a harrowing tale of a man who was abused during his childhood, which led to him abusing drugs basically ever since, including time while playing basketball at the University of Maryland in the early 80s, and while holding countless jobs in sports media. Robinson calls himself ‘skid row’ and says that he’s not looking for sympathy or pity. Or money. He was just tired of living a lie. â†µâ†µThis is a lot for a guy to get off his chest and, indeed, a cautionary tale. The article is adeptly weaved by Mark Washburn, so much so that you almost forget it’s about a real-life guy who is out of options and about to check himself into a homeless shelter. Or maybe that’s what we can’t forget. â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“I’m not going to promise I’m going to get clean. That’s not the happy ending here. I don’t think there is a happy ending to this deal.”â†µâ†µLet’s hope he’s wrong.â†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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