Last night drove it home. I’m apparently an old fuddy duddy.
My knees have been telling me that for a few years, but it was never so obvious than when surfing between channels during the 10 o’clock newscasts, I scanned the late night TV show guest lists.
Looked like some of that AI-produced imagery that I see on my social media. Bizarre is an inadequate description.
The actress H.E.R.
W.H.O? I saw THE actress, Sandra Bullock, on with Fallon earlier this week. This ain’t her.
The singer LISA.
I moaned when I saw LISA listed. Long ago I was told if you text or write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS it might reflect emphasis (which I hope is true, as someone who occasionally – see above – will do that) but moreso it indicates anger. I am not angry that I have no idea who LISA is or what she sings. Give me Kelly Clarkson or Lady Gaga, Beyonce’ or our very own Lainey Wilson.
The actor Common.
Is he acting like a common man? Is that the schtick? I wouldn’t book a common actor as a guest on a TV show and I surely won’t watch him. A night earlier, Kimmel hosted Stephen Colbert, and shaved Colbert’s beard after his pal collected seven Emmys Monday to punctuate his forced exit from network TV.
I assume these oddly named characters are accomplished performers. I didn’t waste my time. They were motivation to turn to Scott Van Pelt and what is about the last vestige of the ESPN we once loved, his nightly SportsCenter show.
I’m no fan of so much that ESPN airs or how they do it. What used to be a network with sports substance is now serving up content that centers on studio hosts screaming and scheming. As far as the quality of event coverage, it’s eroding. Recent example: a consummate pro, Karl Ravech, ushered out of the used-to-be-Worldwide Leader’s stable of on-air talent in a decision that had nothing to do with talent or excellence, but as in canning Colbert, had everything to do with cost-cutting.
Despite what a lot of conservatives believe, it wasn’t Colbert’s political angle that got him. It was CBS’s aversion to big budget late night programming. Or, for that matter, a great Sunday evening newsmagazine, considering what was done to 60 Minutes in the offseason.
It’s all about money, just as the interest rate moved up, and if you didn’t notice, gas prices zoomed up by a half-dollar or so in the last couple days.
Get a Tiger filling up the tank. LSU’s got a football player payroll well over $40 million, before incentives. Next year they’re saying it’s sailing over $60 million.
Then toss in coaching salaries. If Lane Kiffin is playing by the rules and there’s only a 25 percent or less chance that Sam Leavitt’s banged up shoulder won’t keep him out of Saturday night’s showdown with Ole Miss, then the magician known as Charlie Weis Jr., the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, will earn that $2.5 million annual salary.
But we all know Lane Kiffin plays … for keeps. Gotta be gamesmanship, right?
Most of us are fascinated to watch the Portal King’s return to Oxford, where he made the turn from babyface to heel almost as fast as Hulk Hogan.
There aren’t many worse breakups. Brad Pitt is on the list twice, with Jennifer Anniston, and Angelina Jolie. Kanye and Kim? Affleck and Lopez (twice!).
George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin – five times the Yankee owner fired the Yankee manager.
The Colts and Baltimore. Tommy Tuberville and Texas Tech. Belichick and the Patriots. Belichick and Jordon Hudson (inevitably).
Kim Mulkey and Louisiana Tech, or at least, longtime Tech president Dan Reneau. She loves Ruston. Loves many people at Tech. Is immensely proud of her time playing and assistant coaching there. But will not take her team to play at her alma mater because she got left at the altar when Leon Barmore called it a career, and Reneau would not give her a fifth year on a head coaching contract.
Sometime sooner than too late, Kim’s going to put that to rest. The Ole Miss folks are never, ever, ever exchanging pleasantries with Lane Kiffin.
See if there’s even a handshake, let alone a brief conversation in pregame warmups between Kiffin and his former defensive coordinator, now the Rebels’ head man, Hammond native Pete Golding.
If there is, would that be a sign to the Ole Miss crowd to keep the peace? Or should Golding not be sportsmanlike, for his own sake, because it would it further tick them off?
I’ll rely on Van Pelt to let me know. Whatever happens, it’s going to be great to have it in the rearview mirror.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
