Mueller Time--The Cold Filtered Ramblings of Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Gene Mueller

To The Last One Leaving: Please Turn Out The Lights

2007-06-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm movin' folks.

Not on the radio...just on the Web.

We're done tweaking our Newsradio 620 WTMJ home page, and I'm glad to announce that my Cold Filtered drivel is moving exclusively to this location:

http://www.620wtmj.com

Same low-priced blogs...same low-rent attitude.

Thanks for following me over to my new web home, and thanks as well to all of you who've made this read part of your daily routine. I'm incredibly flattered by the fact that people give this the time of day, and even more flabbergasted when folks write back with comments/compliments/criticism. All are truly welcome.

Please be patient--our tech folk are very, very good, but there is the chance of an occasional glitch, which will probably be my fault. Your patience is deeply appreciated.

Thanks again, and feel free to look around. My change in venue has me rubbing up against some really bright people with unique takes on the world. Visit their blogs, too. Share the love.

But remember me, too.

Anger Management 101/Instructor: Prince Fielder

2007-06-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Let the veteran be schooled.

I listened to a Chicago talk station Monday afternoon, first getting agitated, then strangely relieved. I ended up being glad I'm a Brewers fan, with heady players like Prince Fielder on my side as opposed to the Cubs who sport hotheads like Carlos Zambrano, Michael Barrett and the most recent addition to the Windy City Distemper Hall of Shame, Derrick Lee. Lee faces a suspension after what happened over the weekend, with many of today's radio listeners questioning if Lee should sit at all.

Welcome to life, as viewed thru Cubbie Blue shades.

At issue: the fight Saturday between Lee and San Diego pitcher Chris Young, triggered when a high and tight Young pitch struck Lee shoulder-level.

Let the record show, it was midway in a scoreless game. Doubtful Young was trying to hit Lee, even though hard feelings persisted after Chicago's Alfonso Soriano riled the San Diego bench by allegedly showboating after a home run the day before.

And, let it also be said that instead of dusting himself off after getting hit and trotting to first, Lee got up, walked around, took some steps toward the mound, engaged verbally with Young and then took the first swing (a pretty limp one at that, one that looks as though he really, really didn't want to connect. The video shows that had he truly wanted to get at Young in the ensuing melee, he could've, but opted to wait as "cooler heads" held him back. Muey macho).

I understand the heat of battle, and the Cubs certainly show more fight between pitches these days than they do when the game is on. Recent hot streak aside, these are some true underachievers at this point in the 2007 season.

Lee is a team leader, 31 years of age, knocking down some 13 mil a year.

Contrast his actions Saturday with those of Fielder a few weeks ago against the Pirates at Miller Park.

Fielder got dusted by Pittsburgh hurler Matt Capps May 5th. Rather than charge the mound or do something stupid, Fielder got up and trotted down to first. Capps got ejected, and later would absorb a four-game suspension.

The true revenge, though, came one day later.

Fielder homered twice, then singled and scored the winning run as Milwaukee beat the Bucs--and, as luck would have it, he plated said score as Capps was back on the mound. Again, Fielder kept his cool, letting his actions on the field dictate the terms of his vengeance. Sure, he called Capps everything but a child of God as he headed back toward the dugout, but NEVER did he make a move at the previous night's tormentor. All Capps could do...was slink back to the mound. Brewers win. Fielder gets his pound of flesh.

Perfect.

Fielder is 23. He makes a fraction of what Lee knocks down. Another sign that the bio and the paycheck aren't always the measure of a ballplayer.

Suddenly, I feel a lot better about being a Brewers fan.

It gets even better when I look at the standings.

What Did You Get for Father's Day? Hopefully, It Came With A Roll Cage...

2007-06-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Some get ties...others shirts.

A few...very few...get really fancy, powerful sports cars for Father's Day.

No matter when they get them, it seems folks who get the keys to these supercharged machines are wadding them up at a pretty incredible clip.

The trend is so severe--overmatched drivers putting high priced rides into trees, poles and other immovable objects--that there's a website out there devoted to the smoldering wreckage:

http://www.wreckedexotics.com

And, check out the article that turned us on to all this on Wisconsin's Morning News:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118186544305536109.html?mod=at_leisure_main_reviews_days_only

2007-06-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Being a Kennedy assassination buff, I'm quite used to all things grassy knoll.

We're talking Umbrella Man, Badge Man, David Ferry, secretaries named Kennedy and cars that are Lincolns and all manner of other ways for the public to refuse to accept the inevitable: that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK all by his sordid lonesome.

So, is it any surprise that the latest, greatest shared cultural experience is the subject of all kinds of off the wall theories?

We're talking "Sopranos" here.

A week since the hit HBO drama abruptly faded to black with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" chopped in mid-verse, people are still sifting clues, looking at the final scene the way one looks at the Zapruder film--frame by frame--hoping for some sort of clue from creator David Chase as to what happened to Tony and his family.

Why is it that we can't take it for what it is?

"Entertainment Weekly" lists seven theories as to what happened in the final scene, and discounts them all.

One has it that the troubling strangers who walk into the diner as the Sopranos go face-first into the onion rings are all people from past episodes, including the Cub scouts who supposedly are the same kids who witnessed Bobby's train store derailment the week before. Turns out NONE had ever been on the show before. This theory is unique in that it creates a new character, "Nicky Leotardo", who never existed.

Number two: the bells on the restaurant door ring every time someone walks in, except Meadow, meaning Tony's dead by the time she arrives. Repeat viewings prove this take wrong, too.

The third: Bobby talking in a past episode about what it's like getting whacked: "You never even hear it--everything just goes to black." Close, but no cigar: he actually says "You probably don't even hear it when it happens", with no mention of things going to black.

Theory number four: this is the only episode that ends without music (what that means, I don't know), supposedly a harbinger of death. Nice, but not so: Season two featured an episode that trailed out to the sound of Christopher breathing on a ventilator.

We're almost done, so hang with me.

Theory the Fifth: Chase shot another ending that makes it clear Tony dies. EW quotes the actor who played FBI agent Harris who says the finale was originally intended to be clearer about Tony's end, that it "went a little further. The gentleman sitting at the counter was much more mysterious, almost like he's walking to the table to shoot Tony, and then the end of the script." Fueling the fire: photos of James Gandolfini in the same scene, wearing a different shirt. A network rep says the picture was taken during rehearsals, with Gandolfini in his own clothes. And, HBO denies that Chase filmed dramatically different endings.

Number six ties into the fifth...something about Tony wearing a different shirt. Also bogus.

The seventh is too dumb to elaborate on: that Tony had a heart attack because of the onion rings.

What's interesting about the finale a week after it aired is that a lot of people who originally didn't like it are coming around. I needed a night's sleep to process it, but came to the conclusion that Chase was true to himself, didn't lapse into neat, episodic conclusions and wrap the series up with a neat little bow. Noting about "The Sopranos" was little, or neat. The ending had to be bigger than life, and more controversial than it's 85 predecessors. Chase succeeds, beyond all expectations.

The theories? The blossom like mushrooms seemingly every time something in this nation appears to be too obvious to accept at face value. JFK. RFK. Pearl Harbor. Even 9/11.

Add to that list a pop culture entry: "The Sopranos". An ending too obvious to be believed. Or accepted, by some.

Best Care In The...Where?

2007-06-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Here's what happens when a headline hits you in the face, and I'm sure many of you faced the same conundrum as you make your summer travel plans.

You go to a website that offers discount air fares, hotels and rental cars--you're presented scads of choices, you make your picks and you wait for vacation to arrive.

I was at the computer the other day, booking a trip to Baltimore where my boy and I will be based during our annual summer baseball trip.

That's when the headline came to life.

Midwest Airlines...or Air Tran?

The choice was easy for the flight out--Midwest was only a couple of bucks more, certainly not enough to be a deal-breaker.

The flight home was a different story. The price difference was, what shall we say, substantial.

I stared at the screen, double checked the numbers, looked again to make sure I had the right departure times right.

And then, I made my choice.

AirTran.

I tried to rationalize it, thinking that I could use the experience on the air, to give an honest appraisal of the differences between the hunter, and the hunted.

And, I felt really, really dirty.

Midwest IS the hometown airline. I know people that work there. I see what they do in the community, from the sponsorship of the convention center that bears it's name to the kadzillion charities where it donates trips. AirTran does business in Milwaukee, too, but I don't see them working the charity circuit nearly as much.

Does this make me a bad person, doing business with the so-called enemy? Or, does it make me a smart shopper who voted with his wallet?

And, do I now lose any right to bemoan the loss of Midwest a local entity if and when AirTran's hostile takeover succeeds?

I'm wondering what others did when faced with the same choice--or, how many of you publicly bemoan Midwest's potential acquisition while privately flying other carriers with lower fares.

I plan on bringing this issue up on the air during an upcoming edition of Wisconsin's Morning News--perhaps Friday, if time permits. We already are efforting reps from both Midwest and AirTran, plus an analyst who could give some neutral insight into how this how process works. I hope you'll be listening, and I also would love to see some feedback via the comments link.

Pardon me while I take a shower. I feel WAY dirty.

Still Buzzing, After All These Days

2007-06-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday and we're STILL talking about "The Sopranos".

I've heard it all, from people cancelling HBO out in protest over the way the show ended Sunday night to others assigning deep, philosophical meaning to each and every scene in the series finale.

I just don't think it's that complicated, and apparently, creator David Chase didn't mean anything quite so deep, either, at least not judging by the one and only interview he's given since the credits rolled.

Was it the audience getting whacked when the screen went black? Were the different characters in the final restaurant scene ready to either kill or arrest Tony?

Chase made the show's final moments some of the most tension-filled ever--we all were looking over our shoulders as the family munched it's onion rings, oblivious to what went on around them. Brilliant.

Each of the Sopranos said or did something in those final 61 minutes to let you know that they hadn't changed one iota in the whole time we'd been watching them--even A.J., who seemed to be in his own solar system, eventually found a comfortable orbit in the family's galaxy.

My only criticism of the last episode is the neat-and-clean way in which Phil Leotardo's underlings so easily agreed to meet with Tony and kick their boss to the curb. That, and the way Tony's longtime FBI nemesis suddenly became a Sopranos fan, giving the what was left of the Soprano clan Phil's location so he could be whacked. Granted, the agent had tipped Tony off to the plot against him, and there is a basis in reality to what he did, but it still came together just a little too easily for my taste.

Then again, don't some things in life do that, too? After days, weeks, months or even years of angst and agitation, don't you find sometimes that a problem just...solves itself in virtually no time, with little or any cost or effort? That is the genius of Chase, who makes his shows so lifelike. Not all story lines wrap up. People come, and go. Who amongst us has ever had an episode in our own existences wrap up neatly in 60 minutes or so, as climatic music plays and credits roll?

Think about how many times you expected something to happen in that final hour--only to be left wanting? Perfect. How often is life THAT obvious?

Be pissed about the finale, if you will. Don't write the series off just because the end left you wanting. Think. Talk. Discuss. Process. Watch it again. Enjoy it for what it was.

A show that remains top of mind, three days after the fact.

2007-06-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

We all knew them.

They were the parents who got a little too close.

No, not in a weird, somebody-call-"Dateline" kind of way but rather, the ones who wanted to hang around just a little too much when the kids were having a party.

Teens want their space--we all did as we grew up, started making our own choices, picked what music we wanted to hear, decided what t-v shows were cool. For me, it was in the '70's, with a mom who was truly one of the boys but who also knew when to back off.

And, it was well before the Internet.

Times changed, but the problem lingers. Today's kids have the web and can use the computer to exert their independence. The trouble comes when mom and/or dad want to go with them.

Take Facebook, for instance. Or, MySpace.

These bastions of teen spirit are going grayer, and the rub between parent and child over who's turf these sites are keeps growing.

Check out this story from "The New York Times" which we also discussed today on "Wisconsin's Morning News."

http://nytimes.com/2007/06/07/fashion/07Cyber.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

Who Do You Love?

2007-06-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I buy this guy's premise, but this is a solid read for area sports fans.

An OnMilwaukee.com blogger says Milwaukee, to paraphrase, pretty much ignores the Bucks while heaping unconditional love on the Brewers.

"I am constantly perplexed by the fanaticism surrounding the Milwaukee Brewers in this city," he writes. "I have never seen a more popular team at the turnstiles that underperformed, lied to fans, had a weak and conservative MLB payroll, and failed to qualify for the playoffs for 25 years? Are we baseball fans here, or just fans of drinking in a parking lot in the warm weather?"

There IS a certain charm in swilling warm Miller Lite on a hot August night while standing amid a sea of asphalt--face it, we don't need much of a reason for a party in these parts, and we squeeze in a lot of life between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

"The truth of the matter, is that the WI sports fan ignores the "Big League" approach of the Milwaukee Bucks and favors the anemic, small-time goodwill of racing sausages and nostalgia.", he says. "How can attendance have dropped at Bucks games and there is no outcry to support our NBA team here with a much needed new building, when just 6 short years ago the Bucks were a shot away from the NBA finals?"

The answer is simple: for all the good the Bucks did, they also blew some of their goodwill by putting a turnstile where the door to the coach's office used to be, and by trading away some fairly popular players (Ray Allen) with little to show for it. The Big Three went to war with a coach (George Karl) who turned on anyone in sight who took issue with his methods and motivational skills. That took a lot of the shine off that title run that ended with a soul-crushing loss in the Eastern Conference finals. And, there's a school of thought that Senator/Owner Herb Kohl should spent more time legislating and less time screwing around with his NBA holdings. As for that new building the Bucks need? Don't hang that on the fans, many of whom who'll swear allegiance to the Bucks but cuss a blue streak if asked to contribute tax dollars for a new arena. And the good Senator? Ask him about a new building and you'll get a fade-to-black-before-the-Sopranos-roll-the-final-credits silence. It's a nuclear subject that no one wants to touch because no one likes any of the answers.

He goes on: "The sad truth may be that short of winning an NBA title, the Bucks may never draw in Milwaukee. We'll be too busy posing for pictures with a man in a Chorizo suit, while Michael Redd scores 60 in a game, and Larry Harris goes out and signs multiple players away with big league money to really try to bring an NBA title to Milwaukee."

Ah, if only money were the answer. There's no doubt Kohl ponied up big dollars to bring a winner to Milwaukee and for that, he should be commended. We all remember the successes of the big-spending Yankees, but we forget the years they fell short despite payrolls that would gag an anaconda. Other teams tried buying titles, too--the Baltimore Orioles come to mind--without adding to the trophy case. If won-loss records determined fan support, the Milwaukee Admirals should be the reigning box office champs, having strung together several strong playoff runs that included an AHL title a few springs ago.

Then there's the product itself--baseball is on the uptick, and the NBA is admittedly in a bit of a funk. It's a league that relies too much on stars and too little on team play, which is one reason I've fallen away a bit. Officiating remains a joke--the star system prevails, and a pro hoop game often has the regulatory credibility of the WWF. Teams that play good pro "D" win yawns from fans, and t-v ratings slide.

And, I don't buy this premise of unconditional Brewers love over the years, either. Sure, we still celebrate 1982 as if it were yesterday, but doesn't this guy remember the empty seats that dotted brand-new Miller Park in the years after it's 2001 opening as the team swirled around the N-L toilet bowl? The arrival of Mark Attanasio and his marketing minions signaled a huge change in how the product is sold, and how the team plays. Talk unconditional love? Look at the pass the Packers get. We filled Lambeau no matter how badly the team played in the post-Lombardi days--the season ticket waiting hardly shrunk as the Pack strung together some two decades of futility.

Sorry, friend, but I'm not shedding any tears for the Bucks. The town was stoked a few years ago when Milwaukee turned the top NBA draft pick into Anthony Bogut who, in the time since, has done little to distinguish himself or make the Bucks contenders again. I think the same fire would've been lit had the Bucks done better in the lottery, and it'll be up to Larry Harris and crew to turn that number six overall choice into something that'll make fans want to buy seats again.

"The truth is," our blogger writes, "the Milwaukee Bucks will be in the playoffs and contend before the Brewers do."

Read the entire piece at:

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/blog/show/645

Fade To Black...Roll The Credits

2007-06-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

I dove for the remote.

A black screen stared back at me as I panicked, trying to find out if my cable had dumped, if I'd somehow done something to deny me of the REAL end to "The Sopranos". It had to be a technical mistake...something I'd fat-fingered as I'd set up my DVR and VHS to catch the final moments of one of t-v's best shows.

Nope.

That was it.

And, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I'd spent weeks on the air, warning that creator David Chase wasn't one to cave in to the obvious, that he wrote "The Sopranos" the way life happens: some things get resolved, others don't. It's what differentiated "The Sopranos" from everything we'd ever seen before on the small screen. Remember the season premiers that people grumbled about year after year for not being "good enough"? Or the finales that left fans wanting? The dream sequences that made no sense? It's because Chase didn't need to use the medium's usual devices to keep his audience interested--he didn't have to rely on cliffhangers and other tricks to keep us coming back. He had compelling characters and storylines to do that.

And, we returned, even if it meant waiting a year or more for a new season to start.

Think of your own life. Do any of your dramas wrap up in neat little 60 minute packages? Did all of your relationships resolve in 16 or so episodes?

Did you ever have a dream that shook you to your foundation, that stayed with you the next morning, that had nothing to do with anything that was happening in your real life?

That's the beauty of "The Sopranos". It's a tale about people doing things we couldn't imagine, but that we can all relate to. Most of us will never be involved in asbestos dumping, chasing down Russian killers, or crooked construction projects. Fewer still ever killed anyone.

Yet, we all have a messed up relative, a kid with issues, friends with needs, spouses who don't understand.

That's where "The Sopranos" clicked.

I'd predicted an open-ended final episode, one that didn't satisfy or answer all of the show's lingering questions. And, never has an audience been so riveted by a family munching onion rings.

Our stories end each night when we close our eyes. Story lines come and go, with some resuming the next day, others left hanging. People come, stay for a while, then go. Others return when we least expect it.

Will the same be true of "The Sopranos"?

Pot Banging Can Now Commence

2007-06-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

The Brewers' best move in the last three weeks may have come Sunday night, when management had the good sense not to air the game against the Rangers in Arlington up against the "Sopranos" finale on HBO.

Too bad they didn't do the same thing the night before.

Saturday night's 4-3 flame-out qualifies as the early season low-point as Milwaukee squandered a 3-0 lead in the ninth with previously infallible closer Francisco Cordero on the mound. Four times--four flippin' times--he had Texas down to it's last strike only to see a Ranger hitter some how find a way on board.

The Brewers were the darlings of baseball the first month and a half of the season, compiling a 24-10 record while making the cover of Sports Illustrated, among other things. A couple of the players even made it onto the set of the CBS soap, "The Young and the Restless" for a cameo that airs later this month.

Will that prove to be the 2007 version of "The Sweep Suit"?

Miller Park still had "that new stadium smell" as the Brewers swept the Cubs at Wrigley in mid-June, 2001. The team wore garish threads, dubbed "sweep suits", on their collective way out of the clubhouse.

They went on to lose 60 of the next 90.

What's going on now has nothing to do with sartorial choice--it has a lot to do with team breakdowns and an inability to consistently put a complete game together.

Good pitching? Expect hitters to struggle.

Plate six runs? The starters stumble, or the bullpen goes up in flames.

The first 34 games of the year featured thrilling comebacks, clutch hits, stellar starts, and bulletproof relief pitching.

No more.

Manager Ned Yost doesn't swing a bat or toss a single pitch, but he makes out the lineup card--one that is seldom the same from night to night. He seems to be in full flail these days, desperately trying to find a combination that'll click at the plate. The result? Players who don't know their roles, when they'll be playing or where they'll be in the lineup. The hiccup is now a full-blown burp that's on the verge of a purge--as the Brewers piddle away their strong start and box office goodwill.

The Rangers are the worst team in baseball, if you go by this morning's standings. This weekend's performance by the Brewers shows you can't always believe what you read.

There's a lot of season to go, for sure, and strong showings on the road in Detroit and Minnesota in the days ahead could be a sign that a young club played through a horrendous streak and is now ready to make a statement. More losses will only add to the fans' discontent. Hoping that everyone else in your division keeps losing is no strategy for success.

The rest of the N-L Central is working on that premise when it comes to the Brewers, and so far, Milwaukee is living down to expectations.

Another "Sopranos" Casualty?

2007-06-08T08:14:00.001-07:00

The job you don't want Monday morning: switchboard operator at the cable company.

I'm guessing there'll be scads of calls from HBO customers pulling the plug after "The Sopranos" finale airs Sunday night.

I thought about it.

There was a time when I couldn't have lived without HBO--the movies, "Inside The NFL", big-name boxing. Then came "Six Feet Under", "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood."

After Sunday, they'll all be gone.

I like "Entourage", and Bill Maher's "Real Time" is maddening: occasionally brilliant, sometimes uncomfortably obvious/unfunny/uncomfortable, but the pluses are still outweighing the negatives.

What is there to fill the void?

Fortunately, FX.

"Rescue Me" is back next week, and if you aren't already a fan, might I suggest you plug in a.s.a.p. Denis Leary is a New York firefighter bothered by the after-effects of 9-11, booze, a shattered marriage, a dysfunctional family, the death of a son, and the politics of the firehouse. Unbelievable television: stark, funny, poignant, gut-wrenching. Not for the faint of heart, which is a polite way of saying "stay away" if you're bothered by rough language, sex, and sophomoric humor.

Somewhere, Dorothy And Toto Are Laughing

2007-06-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm guessing the parks in Stevens Point are empty today.

It's a sunny 90 degrees or so in Central Wisconsin, but I'll bet there isn't a single kid riding a bike, playing baseball, or just plain hangin' out even though the local school district gave them an unplanned day off.

Yeah, right.

The bonus vacation comes courtesy of officials who looked at today's forecast and decided it would be best to shut the schools because of THE POSSIBILITY of severe weather later today.

As I write this, there are no warnings or watches posted in the area.

This is one of those deals where the decision will look brilliant if, indeed, a funnel flattens Stevens Point Area Senior High School. That said, administrators will be punching bags if nothing happens.

Is this the start of a trend?

We remember not to long ago when Milwaukee Public Schools closed in advance of a pending snowstorm--one that looked to be a mortal lock, but that later fizzled out. Kids who were to be home helping mom and dad shovel out were packing local theatres and malls, while administrators got roasted.

Does the Point decision mean we're destined for more unplanned days off each time the National Storm Prediction Center colors Wisconsin red, raising the prospect that severe weather might develop?

I notice Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau didn't lemming along with Point--nor did smaller districts in the region. Will those administrators be accused of subjecting students to possible danger? Or, will they be hailed as practitioners of common sense--leaving the option open to send kids home early, or even put them in the basement of the school should the weather turn bad?

Someone in our newsroom asked the question, "Does this mean we should keep kids who take the bus to and from school each day home because there's a chance they could get into an accident?"

I can't imagine how this decision must be playing out in Stevens Point homes as family routines got blown apart by the district's decision to call off class. Parents probably had to scramble to find sitters. Some moms or dads might've had to take vacation or sick days to be with kids who would otherwise be in class. After all, Central Wisconsin industry continued today despite the pending doom supposedly heading our way.

The same "potential" for severe weather hangs over our heads this morning in Milwaukee, but as I look out my window, I see sunny skies and what looks to be a warm, windy, late-spring day.

I feel like tempting fate.

I think I'll do lunch on my deck.

Is Michael Vick The Tip Of The Iceburg?

2007-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

The world no doubt knows by now about Michael Vick and the allegations that link him to a rather sizable dog fighting ring. He claims not to have taken part, but rather that he's a victim of the sleazy doings of relatives and their friends who used one of his homes for their ill-gotten gains.

I've heard sports-talk hosts say that Vick would be in less trouble if he'd done a Pacman Jones on someone--their take being that fans tolerate all manner of sick things someone might to to someone else, with zero tolerance for what a person might do to an animal.

Wednesday's New York Times ran the following piece about the prevalence of the pit bull in some NFL circles, and all but says there's a chance Vick isn't the only player with something more than a passing knowledge about the world of dog fighting.

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/sports/football/06roberts.html?ref=sports

Good Thing This Only Happens Every Two Years

2007-06-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

Seizures.

Toileting monkeys.

That's what THIS little bit o' art is triggering in London.

Olympic organizers pull part of a website featuring the new 2012 logo after some viewers reported medical issues when watching some of the footage online.

Then, there's the buying public--the folks who'll have to wear this thing on the shirts, jackets and other swag they'd buy at the 2012 games.

I've been at several games, both winter and summer. I've seen good, and I've seen bad.

London's logo: bad.

Barcelona's mascot: worse.

What the hell is Cobi? It's been 15 years since they trotted his bare ass out, and I still haven't figured it out.

Then, there's Atlanta's "Izzy", as in, "What the hell IS HE?"

I didn't get to go to the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, and after seeing the mascots I'm glad I stayed home.

Seizures? No.

Toileting monkeys? Naw.

The gag reflex? Definitely.

Gathering the finest athletes in the world every two years is a noble venture--one that renews us as a globe, as a civilization.

Maybe someone on this blue and green rock can finally come up with an Olympic logo we can all rally around without controversy. The five rings still work for me.

Or, maybe we could hand an eight year old a box of Crayolas and let 'em have at it.

They couldn't do worse.

We Travel Well...They Don't

2007-06-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

"Take back Miller Park!"

The cry is enjoined once again this week as hoards of Cubs fans snarf up the best local baseball tickets and boo the home team Brewers. Worse, Chicago seems to have a knack of doing something in Milwaukee that they don't seem to do very much of away from here:

Win games.

I was talking with a buddy of mine today who just happens to work for the local major league baseball concern--who he is doesn't matter, but what he said spoke volumes.

To paraphrase, he points out how Packers fans prided themselves on making the annual trek to Tampa to literally take over the Buccaneers' home sombrero each NFL season, turning the stadium into Lambeau South. No one derided us snowbirds--in fact, we were lauded in most circles for "travelling well"--the sports euphemism for "having nothing else to do and nowhere else to spend our cash other than the local team."

Badgers fans were legendary for filling charters destined for Las Vegas, Hawaii and other exotic ports of call to watch the beloved Big Red. If memory serves, we're renown for drinking downtown Vegas CLEAN OUT OF BEER during one such road trip. UNLV actually added seats to accommodate the legions of snow birds making the trip west.

So why, then, do we give Cubs fans such a hard time for doing what we used to do, my buddy asked.

My answer was simple: Chicago fans are jerks.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I used to be one.

Before the Brewers hopped leagues, my friends and I would make the drive to Wrigley, buy a couple of bleacher tickets ($5, if memory serves, and you could only buy them day-of-game) and build nice tans while destroying our livers with Old Style. We'd follow the Cubs to St. Louis, our passions fueled by the 1984 post-season near-miss.

Maybe it's old age, or the ravages of liquor on my memory banks but I don't remember anyone in our group being a tenth as obnoxious as today's Cubs fans are. They act like they own the place, boo the Brewers, and generally treat we locals as interlopers crashing THEIR party.

No other group earns such ire--Twins fans came here a few weeks ago without incident, and Cardinals fans dot the stands with nary a punch being thrown.

So what is it about Chicago?

Don't know.

They'll keep coming, though, because being a Cubs fan is one small part booster-dom and a heaping dose of entitlement brought on by decades of ineptitude and a feeling that "we can do what we want because we're fans of one of America's all-time sports train wrecks and, gosh, don't you just love us for being so loyal?"

No, we don't.

That said, there's only one way Chicago fans outnumber us at our own ballpark--we don't buy enough tickets, or those of us who do flip them to Cubs buyers for a price. It's supply and demand, people, and there are simply more of them buying and way too many of us selling.

Shame.

They may be crude, rude and socially unacceptable but Cubs fans are nothing if not determined. We shouldn't fuel the fire by turning our tickets into cash.

And, don't think losing with stem the Chicago demand--their fans seem to have an insatiable appetite for that, and the Cubs keep feeding them.

Until, of course, the come to Milwaukee.

...Please, Not In The Face.

2007-06-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

They're bad people, yet we care about them like family.

There are few if any redeeming qualities about the main characters on "The Sopranos" on HBO--they're in the mob, for God's sake--but that probably didn't do anything to ease the depression we felt after Sunday night's second-to-last installment.

Two of Tony's main guys got shot up--Bobby is dead, and Sil isn't buying any green bananas, if you get my drift.

Actor Steve Schirippa portrayed Bobby and tells what it was like to get the news that he'd be sleeping with the fishes before the final credits roll this weekend.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06042007/news/regionalnews/day_the_grim_reaper_came_to_my_house__actor_regionalnews_.htm

E-Street Band fixture Steve Van Zandt plays Silvio and tells the L-A Times about the end of the mob drama, as well as what'll happen to his portable hair.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-et-soprano5jun05,1,6742600.story?coll=la-celebrity-news

The Web is rife with rumors, projected endings and suspected spoilers. Indulge as you will. I, for one, am living for 8:00 Sunday night when one of the penultimate t-v shows in history calls it a career.

First, they wrap up "Six Feet Under". Then, they stick a fork in "Deadwood". Now, "The Sopranos". Sorry HBO, but the promos for "John From Cincinnati" aren't grabbing me yet, and "Big Love" never got DVR traction in the Mueller household.

I'm hoping Denis Leary still has the "Rescue Me" juice flowing on FX--his drama/comedy about the tortured NYFD souls coping with life in a post-9/11 world is gritty (code word: adult) and priceless. It may be just what you need to get over your post-Sopranos case of the prime time bends.

It returns June 13th at nine p.m. on FX. Yeah, that's cable, kids.

...And This One Needs How Many Batteries??

2007-06-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine what it's going to feel like, having a beer with one of my kids for the very first time.

There's that...line. The one that usually doesn't get crossed. The one between parent and child.

Kids separate from us over the years. The pick their own t-v shows, their own music, their own friends.

Mom and Dad suddenly fade in the rear-view mirror of hipness, becoming smaller and more insignificant as the teen years grind on.

Some parents fight this trend, though--it's that whole thing about Mom and Dad trying to be their kids' buddies, instead of their authority figure. They want to share EVERYTHING with their offspring. EVERYTHING.

Welcome to the new Tupperware party.

It's no secret that women are meeting almost every night around the country, not for the usual stitch-and-bitch sessions, but to stock up on intimate apparel, toys, rubs and lotions. A huge industry is cranking out these bashes as women shed the shackles of sexual intimidation.

And, THEY'RE BRINGING MOM ALONG!

More and more of these occasions are turning into mother/daughter bonding affairs.

Read more, courtesy of MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14061667/

A Very Public Tanning Session

2007-05-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

I like to quote the greats.

John Kennedy dropped a great one about blame right after the Bay of Pigs about success having lots of fathers and defeat being an orphan.

Krusty the Clown came up with another, while the bored "Simpsons" t-v clown was dispatching an autograph seeker hell-bent on telling a life story: "Hey, good luck with that."

It's he of the greasepaint and bulbous nose who's words fit in the case of Channel 12 morning news anchor Caroline Lyders, who is outed as one of "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks' female buds.

"Yes, Taylor and I are friends," Lyders told OnMilwaukee.com, "and as a journalist I respect your asking. But beyond that, I'd rather not comment on my personal life."

Insert clown quote here.

I respect privacy as much as the next guy. Just because someone is dating one of the biggest names in pop culture doesn't mean she has to dignify every detail, but it's naive to think that she's defused the gossip herd by asking for a little space.

I'm still waiting for my callback from Ms. Lyders' boss--all references about what's going on with Hicks were being deferred to 12's News Director as of Wednesday morning. The message light on my desk phone wasn't blinking when I got here at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

What Ms. Lyders does away from the anchor desk is certainly her business. That ends, sadly, when one is being squired by one of the most famous men in music.

There's a huge gossip beast that needs to be fed every day to satisfy we lifeless worker-bees who have nothing else to do but wonder who's lap Lindsay Lohan threw up into last night. It's a huge industry, and Hicks is one of its key cogs.

Ms. Lyders won't have to say word one about what's happening between her and Hicks because, rest assured, the rest of the world will be saying it for her.

Every move will be documented, and there'll always be a camera somewhere--Exhibit A: the Hawaiian beach shots of Hicks and the local morning news anchor that are now the wallpaper of untold Lyders' fans in Milwaukee.

I found out about the Lyders/Hicks situation without so much as lifting a finger--a buddy called and directed me to the website, where the whole sand caper was there for the world to see, just needing someone to add the caption with the names.

Ms. Lyders' own station deals in this sort of thing--coincidentally, right after the 6:00 news. It's a little venture called "Entertainment Tonight", and it does quite well in the ratings. How soon before Mary Hart and company are breathlessly reporting about "the blond in the bikini at Taylor Hicks' elbow in Hawaii"?

No one would care if Hicks worked second shift at Ladish or was doing oil changes at the local Quick Lube.

He doesn't, though. His fame means his life is an open book--the guy won't be able to go to the restroom without someone from a tabloid checking to see if he washed his hands on the way out. Or, go to the beach without someone taking pictures. Sadly, those who bask in his afterglow are doomed to the same treatment.

Hey, good luck with that.

Seranaded In The Key Of "Boooooooo!"

2007-05-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

One look at the Miller Park stands this sun-drenched Wednesday afternoon tells you one thing: the number of fans in the seats is a testimony to the power of warm weather and the good will the team earned while it set the baseball world on fire in April.

The harsh reality is that the Brewers have done nothing to merit this kind of attention since the free-fall that began when the team peaked at 24-10.

They've gone 5-14 ever since. Seven of the last eight tilts ended with "L's".

Sports Illustrated jinx?

One too many soap opera cameos?

Schoolkids sat next to businesspeople during today's matinee-turned-horror show as Atlanta tattooed Milwaukee 9-3, turning a 2-1 Brewers lead to mush with a seven-run outburst in the eighth.

Good teams win at home.

They beat the teams they should, and play even with the ones who are at their level or better.

When the pitching falters, a good team's hitters pick the squad up. The converse applies when the batters are in a funk. One part of the team saves the other's bacon.

Good teams play through bad luck, and always think their next hit will find a hole, their next pitch will induce a double play to end an opposition rally.

How much of that have you seen in the last 19 games?

The April Afterglow is wearing off, but the high standards set by the early-spring Brewers remain--the fans got downright surly this afternoon as reliever after Milwaukee reliever added more gas to a growing late-inning fire. I remember rustling in the past, and maybe the occasional boo, but the crowd today expected more, and let the Crew know it when they felt they weren't getting it.

I wonder how long it'll be before the boos end, and the disgruntled fans start showing up disguised as empty seats.

So THAT'S What She Looks Like Without That Anchor Desk In Front Of Her!

2007-05-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

First, it was Shaun Robinson and former Milwaukee Brewer Daryl Hamilton.

Now, Channel 12 may be siring another gossip grand slam: you'll probably recognize the guy in these photos as "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks. You may not recognize the woman he's frolicking with, unless you know a local morning anchorwoman a little better than the average viewer does:

http://www.splashnewsonline.com/2007/05/25/sorry-ladies-taylor-hicks-is-off-the-market/#more-12250

A source told me Tuesday night that the woman in question is Channel 12's Caroline Lyders but I can't get anyone else to fess up. I see OnMilwaukee.com is onto the caper, too.

I'm guessing it's only a a matter of time until someone in the Soul Patrol ferrets this one out.

She's Off "The View" But The Show Goes On...

2007-05-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Fueled by Sam Adams beer and a boot-kissing pal (who IS that woman?), Rosie O'Donnell speaks.

A home video Internet q-and-a with fans done Saturday is up on the Web for all to enjoy. These are the O's first public comments since her on-air flame-out with "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck Wednesday.

See it all at:

http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/05/26/no-ja-hero

You Don't Have To Watch Just Because They Tell You To...

2007-05-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Crash".

"Garden State".

"Little Miss Sunshine".

"Pieces of April".

Four of my favorite movie-going experiences of all time, and none of them created a character that ended up as a McDonald's toy.

None had a huge budget--no huge ad campaign to back 'em up.

They didn't generate lavish sequels--follow-ups that, in many cases, are only made to milk the cash cow regardless of quality.

All four are independent films, and damn good ones at that.

I used to think that people who went to the Downer or Oriental were beret-sporting elitists, too cool for pop culture and driven by some incredible need to read subtitles.

Wrong.

There's quality out there, and lots of ways to find it.

You don't have to chain yourself to the multi-plex and trudge with the masses to see "Shrek 9" or "Pirates of the Caribbean, now with 15 seconds worth of Keith Richards' cameo". Expand you mind.

Plus, the popcorn is just as good. The "Oriental" even puts some of it's candy in the fridge.

Mmmmmmm. Cold chocolate.

Here's a "Wall Street Journal" article that'll whet the appetite for the indies. And, you can leave the beret at home.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118012953063215144.html?mod=at_leisure_main_reviews_days_only

Guaranteed To Get A Reaction: GUARANTEED

2007-05-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

I dare you.

I double-dog dare you.

Read this column by Lee Iococca and NOT have a reaction.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=610753

If you're GOP born and raised with a George Bush growth chart taped to your pantry door, I guarantee your head will explode about half-way through.

There's something in here that I think EVERYONE can agree with, or argue about.

I don't offer this as a reflection of my personal leanings. Instead, I wave it in front of you to get you to do something that is sorely lacking these days: think, and talk. Rationally. Without political slant or bias. No liberal. No conservative. No imitations of your favorite talk show host. No yelling, like Rosie. No parroting what she heard at her folks' dinner table, like Elisabeth.

Use your own head. Your own sense of right and wrong.

Think...then talk.

Remember the war dead this Memorial Day, from wars long ended and the one that continues today. And, remember that being a patriot means more than making sure your flag is properly displayed.

It means plugging in, listening, talking, and reasoning with those who don't share the same view.

It's time for all of us to step away from the echo chambers we love to stick our heads into--listening to what we want to hear, what makes us comfortable, what doesn't challenge our beliefs. Stop thinking that someone who doesn't share your thought patterns is somehow less concerned, less informed. Less American.

We're already getting earfuls from those who want to be President in 2008. Let's make 'em work for it by challenging them with hard questions, demanding real answers instead of sound bites and, for Christ's sake, stop making our choices based on t-v spots. We're not buying dish soap here, people. And, this just in: POLITICAL ADS DON'T TELL THE TRUTH.

Hang your flag. Watch your race. Grill your brats. It's Memorial Day, and we deserve it.

But, sometime this weekend, read Iacocca's piece, think about what he's saying and chat it up with whoever's around.

Our country deserves it.

There's The Studio...And The Men's Room...But I Can't Find The Star Chamber!

2007-05-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

What a ride.

My first week is officially over at Newsradio 620 WTMJ and, unless I hear otherwise, I assume I'll be back Tuesday to try it again on Wisconsin's Morning News.

It's been quite the adjustment: I liken it to high school, where you stay in the same building but change teachers and classes each fall...the only difference in this case being that it's been 24 years since I moved up a grade.

I'm having a blast while learning the ropes, finding out which buttons do what, who's on which day and what features air on certain mornings. It'll be a lot easier to be creative once the scenery is a little more familiar.

Then there are the e-mails--scads of them, many from longtime listeners of both stations with honest questions, suggestions, and observations. I thank each and every one of you, and I'm trying to respond to each as time permits.

Some stick out more than others.

One that left a mark came from a long time buddy--someone I've known since high school who remains a close friend. He's brilliant, media-savvy and a huge sports fan.

He sent in a first-week critique of my performance, and also had a take on the week-long Bob Harlan series, "A Green and Golden Legacy". He pointed out that there were blemishes on the outgoing Packers C-E-O's record, and that maybe we gave Harlan the kid-glove treatment because of our station's ties to the team.

I've heard this before, and I can emphatically say that I've never been taken before the Journal Broadcast "Star Chamber" for the marching orders demanding that only milk and honey flow from the speakers when talking about our flagship squads.

I never EVER got told what to say or what to cover when I spent a year hosting "Packers GameDay" in 2002--the only criticism I got was from our program director who mentioned one housekeeping flaw in my presentation but not a word about content, direction, or opinion.

And, anyone who ever listens to the post-game call-in knows that the BEST radio comes AFTER the Packers lose. That's when things get visceral, when everyone and everything is in play for both host and caller. The team, the players and certainly the coachers are all up for, to quote an absent friend, "an ass-ectomy without a local."

Think that happens if the Packers are squatting on us?

To that end, I've never been given the speech that so many listeners think we in the media get about leaning to the left--that somehow all of us get marching orders to dump on the right and triumph all that's liberal.

Hasn't happened.

I remember when I first got to Milwaukee to do mornings at the former WQFM--I'd read the Journal and Sentinel radio/t-v columns and just naturally assume that everything had a pro-Journal spin. I just figured that anything that made the paper had been sanitized and was presumably Journal-centric.

Then I started working here, and got to see how things are from the inside. I learned how far off my original perception was.

It's always tough when you cover yourself or those you care about. You try as hard as you can to avoid conflict of interest. You want to be fair. And, admittedly, we don't always cover ourselves in glory when we...cover ourselves. But we try. We really do.

And no one tells us to do it any other way.

"The View": A Full Sensory Experience

2007-05-25T01:09:00.000-07:00

You can hear 'em...even with the volume turned almost all the way down.

The women of "The View" made new headlines this week via the shouting match pitting co-hosts Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck against each other. Panelist Joy Behar started it by prattling off a list of things she claimed made George Bush unworthy of remaining President, and, as they say, "it was on!"

Turns out you not only have to listen--you need to watch "The View" very, very carefully.

The drama wasn't over.

The argument mercifully ended, but the next guest, Alicia Silverstone, kept the tension high with a subtle diss to one of the combatants. Check it out:

http://entertainment.bodogbeat.com/alicia-silverstone-snubs-elisabeth-hasselbeck-on-the-view-91774.html

And, the drama continues on Rosie's website as a breathless midday television nation wonders if she'll be back.

http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/05/24/ask-ro/

Going Grassy Knoll About The Grassy Knoll...

2007-05-24T16:36:00.001-07:00

I have a Kennedy assassination conspiracy.

I think there's a plot to keep us confused.

Is it a coincidence that new bullet evidence suggesting Lee Harvey Oswald didn't act alone comes out practically the same week that famed author/prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's mammoth work on JFK's death, "Reclaiming History", is getting critical reviews for it's thoroughness in detailing his conclusion that Oswald acted alone?

Hmmmm.

New bullet research from Texas A-and-M purports that the tests used by the 1979 House Assassinations Committee to prove that all of the fragments from the killing came from Oswald's rifle were flawed. One of the guys behind the study had a hand in helping the FBI change the way it links shooters to crimes, so it seems the work has some cred. Read the "Washington Post" story right here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051601967.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Confused?

I am.

It shouldn't be this hard to link a gun, a bullet and a crime--if the evidence in the Kennedy case is flawed despite the reams of tests that have been done in the 44 years since he died, what then of the most mundane street crimes? How many folks are doing hard time because the same lead analysis was used to send them to the jug?

Which makes me think this is a lot of bunk.

Okay, there's nothing that links the bullets to the same box Oswald used the day he decided to change history. Is there anything there to suggest a bullet from another shooter? If I'm reading this correctly, the bullets are still made for the same type of rifle Oswald used--there's just nothing to show they came from the same box or can be ID'd individually.

And, this wouldn't be the first swing-and-miss by the Assassinations Committee, which used flawed acoustical evidence to suggest a second shooter fired (and probably missed) from the famed grassy knoll. That got debunked years later, when further analysis discredited the authenticity of an audio tape of the Kennedy shooting that was used to "map" the gunshots.

Bugliosi's book weighs almost six pounds and goes into great detail about how and why Oswald acted alone--how the evidence rules out multiple shooters. It dovetails Gerald Posner's work of several years ago, "Case Closed". Add that to new computer analysis of the famed Zapruder film of the Kennedy shooting which explains, among other things, how the so-called "magic bullet" actually did what the Warren Commission concluded: that it struck both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally before JFK's fatal head shot. Conspiracy buffs rallied for years around the magic bullet, saying it was proof Oswald couldn't have squeezed off all of the rounds in the amount of time given.

Now, they have new "magic bullets" to trot out, and that can make for many, many more books and a whole lot of money for people who pose legions of questions without providing any answers or evidence to back up outlandish claims.

As someone who recently went through a very major and public job change, I was struck by how fast sensitive, private information that was known by only a few people within our company was out on the internet well before other people who had a right to know it were actually brought into the loop. The theory: even a handful of people have a hard time keeping a big secret.

What secret is larger than the assassination of a world leader? If, indeed, this was some sort of plot, even between as few as two or three people, is it fathomable that the participants would be able to keep it quiet for 44 years? And, what are the odds of the secret staying private if the number of those involved is truly as large as some of the theorists say it is?

Oswald did it.

A dark, angry soul who lived the life of a contrarian desperate to make a mark on the world, he bought a cheap rifle, used his Marine skills to squeeze off a deadly round, and got killed by another fame-seeker before he could tell his story. It's opportunity plus coincidence, all rolled into one. We can't get our arms around that, though, because the thought of a sap like Oswald killing someone like JFK makes all of usthat much more vulnerable. Such a crime HAS to be bigger than it really was.

Conceding to the facts would dry up the conspiracy industry which, at last count, was one thousand books strong and probably growing, what with this week's bullet news.

Read Posner's book, or, if you want to build your assassination mind as well as your forearms, try wading through Bugliosi's. Then, let me know what you think.

I'm guessing you'll come off the knoll.

They Scream...You Decide

2007-05-24T02:04:00.001-07:00

Wow.

As advertised today on "Wisconsin's Morning News" on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, here's the entire Rosie Vs. Elisabeth dust-up from yesterday's "View".

This stuff is better than Russert, Stephanopolous and Schieffer on Tony Soprano's peyote buttons.

...Don't You Hate It When Your Spouse Is Right?

2007-05-23T09:38:00.003-07:00

She tried to warn me.

My wife, who seems to be on the cutting edge of all that is popular on t-v, told me night after night to skip "American Idol" and instead join her on the couch to catch "Dancing With The Stars".

Truth be told, I'd rather have nails driven into my eyes than watch either--my show of choice would be the Brewers, or anything NHL--but the job requires that I know enough about reality television to be, what shall we say, dangerous?

"Idol" was the show that got the early buzz. It earned the nickname "death star" from rival networks because it destroyed everything in it's path. The others purposely scheduled away from "Idol's" weekly slots, knowing that anything sent up against Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon would turn to Nielsen flotsam and jetsam.

"Dancing", on the other hand, was the bastard stepchild--they had a hard time finding stars, settling for the likes of Billy Ray Cyrus. What it sorely lacked to me, though, was sex appeal, in the person of Stacey Keibler.

Sorry, when you come back after a season of Stacey with the likes of a John Ratzenberger or even Clyde Drexler, well, sorry, that just ain't going to cut it.

And, when one has only so much time and stomach to devote to shows one doesn't even like, a choice had to be made and I went with what appeared to be the ratings sow.

So, off to my man-cave I'd trot every Tuesday and Wednesday night to watch America whittle away at "Idol's" pile of Carrie Underwood wannabe's, while my wife stayed upstairs, watching "Dancing" and lusting after some guy named "Maxim". Sounds like a brand of condom.

I was supremely confident I'd made the right choice, based on the early ratings.

Until this week.

This is the headline that greeted America in this morning's Drudge Report:

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272613566.shtml

It's the mouse that roared.

"Idol" numbers reportedly started tumbling as the show progressed--lots of us want to see people who sing worse than we do, but when it came down to watching talented folks go for the brass ring, many went elsewhere.

Sanjaya flamed out, so that little bit of intrigue was gone--remember people debating "Idol's" cred as if they had just seen Walter Cronkite doing an Oxy Clean ad? "Idol" lost a lot of it's sex appeal when both Faux Hawk and Haley got sent home, leaving behind a crop of talented but admittedly plain singers who had a lot of chops but little in the way of flash.

Having never watched "Idol", I expected more of a Roone Arledge touch to the production--the up-close-and-personal portraits of the remaining contestants so I'd have an emotional attachment to each and maybe one that was stronger than the rest...a tie so binding that I'd actually pick up a phone and vote, thus putting some skin on the game, as gamblers are wont to say.

Never happened.

Blake seemed like Chris who seemed like the bald guy who could sing well when loud but crappy when trying to eek out a ballad. The women--though skilled--didn't peg my interest meter, either.

Then there's the reality Paula Abdul--yes, Paul Abdul made a cogent point--kept alluding to toward the end of the Tuesday night show: they're all winners, because copping the "Idol" crown really doesn't mean much any more. This is one of the rare American competitions where the fans DO CARE who came in second, or third, or ninth. Contestants get weeks to develop fan bases which get stoked during the post-Idol tours and that can also produce recording contracts, fast tracks to radio play and thus, stardom. Yes, one can become famous (Chris Doughtry) without winning and one can also fade into oblivion (Ruben Studdard) even after posing for holy pictures with the judges once the final votes are in.

Hats off to my wife, who in the past has yanked off my blinders long enough to turn me onto such gal-friendly fare as "Gilmore Girls", "Seventh Heaven" and "Grey's Anatomy." She taught me the difference between Rachel Ray and the Barefoot Contessa, and also even turned me onto the original incarnations of "The Iron Chef."

Perhaps it's time to venture out of the man-cave more often and see what she's watching in her den.

Or, maybe it's time for me to master the wonders of picture in picture--I'll use the small screen for sports, and the big one for a possible Stacey Keibler comeback special.

How Far Did Larry Harris Toss His Lucky NBA Draft Rock, Anyway?

2007-05-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

There's a dumpster somewhere in the Bradley Center, full of the Bucks' hopes and dreams.

It's probably full of the mock-ups of newspaper ads touting Milwaukee's re-emergence as an NBA power...brimming with discarded t-v and radio scripts hailing the fact that the Bucks landed the number one choice in the upcoming draft.

Then there are the ticket office phones...the ones that literally would've melted right on the desktop from the sheer volume of calls coming in from anxious fans wanting season packages, based on the hope that Greg Oden or Kevin Durant would be wearing green and red this fall.

Last night's NBA Lottery show--which amounts to watching a man in a suit open mail, as per one Internet description I read--gives Milwaukee one more reason to feel ambivalent about Secaucus, New Jersey.

It could've changed EVERYTHING: the Bucks' fortunes on the floor, it's prospects in the NBA, it's fate in the community.

General Manager Larry Harris did a fine job this morning when he joined us on Newsradio 620 WTMJ, touting the fact that Milwaukee will still get a fine athlete when the Bucks go sixth in the first round. That's not blowing smoke--it's a deep draft, but the glam is at one and two. Those are the guys who'd make a worst-to-first scenario very, very possible. They would've put the Bucks back on the local map. The finest GPS couldn't find Milwaukee on that chart after January, when injuries devastated the team.

It's not that fans don't like the Bucks. It's worse.

They feel...nothing.

Can that be turned around with a number six pick?

Doubtful.

A number one or two in the draft would've confirmed relevance upon the Bucks.

Now, it's going to have to get it the old fashioned way--they'll have to earn it.

One Is Done

2007-05-21T12:35:00.001-07:00

"You read so SLOWLY. It sounded like you tried to enunciate EVERY WORD."

"Don't you know how to say 'plethora'?"

"I don’t expect to be surprised by audio of torture on my morning wake up show. "

So much for my Newsradio 620 WTMJ honeymoon phase.

The first one is done, and the fans are speaking. Many of you were very kind in assessing my first AM morning--for that, I thank you. And, a few were willing to give me constructive criticism as I try to refine my newfound craft. Thanks as well, for that.

Some could sense that I wasn't entirely comfortable--hence the comments about my news cadence. One early riser didn't care for my "Sopranos" summary, especially the part where I played the audio of Tony kicking in a rival's teeth--twice.

Live and learn.

My pants stayed dry but my pits were soaked by the time 4:59 rolled around, and hearing the top-of-the-hour-sounder put the adrenal glands into Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant overdrive. It's pretty intimidating to be looking across the studio at John Jagler--a quintessential pro, a great newsman, and an incredible local personality. Toss in Green Bay Packers voice Wayne Larrivee and you're talking a genuine pinch-me-and-say-I'm-really-doing-this-with-these-guys moment.

And, for all of the years I sat back in the radio newsroom with the likes of Frank Richardson, Ron Irwin, Kevin Fischer, Mark Reardon, Bob Reddin, Cheri Preston and others as they prepped their WTMJ shows as I did the same for 'KTI, I never actually had to go over to their side of the hallway and execute. That happened today, and it was a real education. I hope my tentative approach didn't detract from the performance.

We've all been through the rigors of the new job--different office, new computer systems, a group of strangers who suddenly are your co-workers. I'm fortunate in that I'm still in the same building, working with friends, for the same generous company that keeps giving me chances to grow. My duties may be new, but I'm surrounded by friendlies in a building I've been able to call home for almost 25 years.

I ask for your patience as I learn the proverbial ropes. It's a big tent, this Newsradio 620 WTMJ, inviting many folks to sample it's wares each morning. Some come for news, others for sports, weather, or business. And then, there are those who want a little personality tossed in.

Once I learn what happens when, and what all these new buttons mean, and when it's safe for me to leave the studio to go to the bathroom, I'll be a much better co-worker for John, Wayne and the rest of the Wisconsin's Morning News crew.

I'll also try dabbing on a little extra deodorant until the butterflies flutter away. That should be, oh, spring of 2008.

This Year's First Round NFL Draft Pick--Future Caption Contest Exhibit

2007-05-21T01:56:00.000-07:00

Ah, weddings!

A couple exchanges vows before family and friends.

A gathering of the young and old.

And, a chance for all involved to terminally embarrass themselves.

Enter Brady Quinn.

The freshly minted Cleveland Browns quarterback got caught in costume at the recent nuptials uniting his sister, Laura, with Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk.

Good thing there's no such thing as the World Wide Web, where such photos could live on forever and ever.

D'oh!

Read A.J.'s take on his new bro-in-law in this morning's Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=608112

We Move On, After This...

2007-05-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Whew.

Never in my professional and personal life have I seen such an incredible, invigorating, sad, week. A new challenge awaits tomorrow morning, albeit minus a pair of valued co-workers.

My daughter is home, recovering after extensive oral surgery that left her mouth and hip sore, her pride a little bruised. She's on our couch again...a happier, healthier young lady who taught me many a lesson about grace when dealing with adversity.

One of the biggest ones: change often comes with pain, and almost always with a bit of uncertainty.

I'm nervous as hell heading into my new job tomorrow morning--I've been in radio since my junior year in high school (1973) and reading news since the Nixon administration. Still, the butterflies in my stomach will be the size of condors at 4:59:59 tomorrow morning when the Newsradio 620 WTMJ top of the hour sounder fires and it's show time.

Thanks to everyone--and I do mean everyone--who's written, called or commented on what's happened in the past seven days. I tried to get back to as many of you as I could, but I might've missed a couple of comments and I sincerely apologize if you didn't hear back. Between the professional turmoil and the personal upheaval, I hope you'll cut me just a little slack.

I've tried to read as much as I could about this, too--chats, blogs, links, newspaper columns. So many people with so many different takes, and more than a few conspiracy theories. There are plenty of hurt feelings, too, and it's all understandable.

This blog is a two-way street--I love the comments, good or bad. I'm flattered that so many of you came here looking for answers in recent days, and I hope you found what you were looking for. All I can give you is my honest take. I have no reason to sanitize or varnish.

Many have asked questions I can't really answer--I didn't pull any of last week's triggers, didn't put anyone into any new position, didn't show anyone out any door. I've been asked to do a job, one that I admittedly love, and I can't wait to take my hacks.

As for those answers, I refer you to my former boss, WKTI Program Director Bob Walker. He's been trying to stay out in front on all of this since the day it went down, and I commend him for facing the heat. His blog gives a concise explanation of what happened on the FM side of the building. I ask that you read it, and, if you have any more questions, be sure to contact Bob. I bet you get an answer.

http://ktipd.blogspot.com/index.html

This Won't Hurt A Bit, Mr. Mueller...

2007-05-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Scared?

You want scared?

Try listening to the radio one morning while you're talking your kid to school only to hear Charlie Sykes say that he has some "questions" for you later that day.

Welcome to Newsradio 620 WTMJ, Bucko!

I finally got into work Friday morning, for the first time since the events of earlier this week and my daughter's oral surgery. Time to move my stuff from one desk to another on the other side of the building (a cubicle with a corner window view). Time to say goodbye to FM colleagues (even though we'll still see each other in the coffee room and at the snack machines, among other places). Time to shake hands with friends on the AM side who are now co-workers striding toward the same goal.

And, time to chat on the air with Charlie.

Mr. Sykes is a kind, gracious guy with a quick wit, a massive intellect, and an interviewing technique that makes you feel as though your story is the most important, compelling one he's ever heard. I'd be honored if you'd give our conversation a listen:

http://media2.620wtmj.com/sykes/051807_Mueller_and_Sykes.mp3

The new era starts Monday morning. I'm anxious, scared, eager and worried all at once. Sleep won't come easy Sunday night, but it's a good kind of anticipation: the kind that comes with stepping into the unknown alongside such an incredible team of co-workers including John Jagler and the rest of the early crew that makes Wisconsin's Morning News what it is.

You can't believe how flattered I am to be part of it.

Perspective...

2007-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows of the professional changes involving myself and those around me. Many of you have made a reach-out either via phone or by e-mail, and I appreciate each and every one. I've tried to answer as many as I can, but there's something else going on in my life that has my attention. It's not about cleaning out one desk and moving into another, or making sure my new computer at work is up and running.

It's my kids.

My daughter came home from college last week and got wheeled into an operating room hours after I said my professional hello's and goodbye's Tuesday morning. Nothing life-threatening, but anytime your kid leaves you on a hospital cart surrounded by folks in caps and gowns, it's a little unnerving.

She underwent scheduled oral surgery--six hours worth, as we try to undo the effects of a birth condition that left her with a bunch of missing teeth. She's recovering as we speak and should be home Friday, leaving me at the blender to hone by skills at malts and smoothies until her snags are up to my pork chops on the grill again.

Then there's my son--this was to be his big week, with a couple of solos and featured parts in his spring choral concert at Marquette High. Mom and I were to be in the crowd that same night, but all he got was me in the seats as my wife stayed at my daughter's side as she came out of the recovery room. He hit every note, and never bitched a bit about not getting the full treatment.

Perspective.

Tons of things may be going on in your life and you may think you're all that and the proverbial bag of Ripples. You may see your name in headlines, you might be all excited about personal prospects and professional accolades.

What matters is your kid coming out of surgery all pink, healthy, and intact.

What matters is your child on stage, reaching personal goals and conquering fears.

In the end, you are...well, you're dad. That's the job that counts. It won't get you in the paper if you do it right, but the rewards exceed any paycheck.

That stays the same, no matter what call letters are at the top of your blog.

Goodbye...and Hello!

2007-05-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

First, a big thanks.

Thanks to everyone who came to this blog looking for something new, and finding nothing until now. I apologize, but as you can understand, it's been crazy-go-nuts for the last 24 hours or so.

Besides today's big news on the radio, my daughter is undergoing some rather involved oral surgery this afternoon at an area hospital. She's been in the O-R for six hours, and all is well, but as you can see, I've had to tend to the home fires before addressing what went on this morning. Add to that a son who has a solo in tonight's high school spring concert--he needs a cheering section, and I'm proud to provide it.

Time is at a premium, and I'd just like to say that the last hours have been the textbook definition of "mixed emotions": great joy at the honor of being given a chance to joint the legacy that is Newsradio 620 WTMJ, and sadness at the departures of two colleagues, Ken Hererra and my sidekick, Gino.

The way in which these two guys handled some really bad news is something to be admired--I don't know if I could do it as well as they did. I truly meant what I said on the air this morning about good things happening even after suffering such a setback. There were a million things I wanted to get in, but emotions made it hard to croak out even the basics during the final FM moments.

A new life awaits yours truly down the hall with an incredible ensemble--I'm humbled to be among them, and will do my best to deliver the proverbial goods. I'm TRULY stoked.

I'll be away the next few days, making milkshakes for a post-surgical daughter and trying to find out where they stash the stationery on the 'TMJ side of the building. Stay with me, folks, because the blog isn't going anywhere.

I just have to change three letters in the name.

I Don't Like Being A Headline

2007-05-16T00:57:00.000-07:00

Funny when someone in the news business BECOMES news.

I can't speak to anything that you've read in the paper or on the web in the last 18 hours or so, but things will be made clear at around 7:35 or so this morning on KTI.

Thanks for everyone's interest.

This, Too, Shall Pass. Like A Kidney Stone.

2007-05-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

I get the feeling that if Brett Favre told reporters he liked the green grass at Lambeau Field, Packers G.M. Ted Thompson would have it ripped out and replaced with blue Astro-Turf.

So it goes in Green Bay these days as Favre vents about the team's inability to land wide receiver Randy Moss. Packers nation is once again forced to ponder life without Number 4, while wondering as well if the face of the franchise will ever be able to play nice with it's general manager.

Favre is in full retreat after apparently making a trade demand right as New England swooped in and swiped Moss from the Oakland Raiders. He may be saying all the right things now that it hit the papers, but is there any doubt he actually said it?

Thompson never denied it in his limp-wristed Mother's Day response on Packers.com, saying only that he and Favre share the same goal: 2007 success.

A couple of things strike me about all this:

1) Would Randy Moss honestly turn the Packers from an 8-8 team into Super Bowl contenders?
Sure, he as skills that could make the Green Bay offense more dangerous, but there are still
gaping holes on this team that make me wonder if it could win the division, much less the
conference.

2) Did we all suddenly get amnesia as to what a horses' hand-down Moss can be? Do Packers
fans REALLY want this potential cancer in a locker room full of young impressionables?

3) Moss used to torment the Packers as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Is anyone struck
by the fact that he's doing the same now, in this tumultuous offseason, without even putting
on pads?

4) Do the ongoing retooling of the Packers and Favre's sunset years have to be mutually
exclusive? Can't Thompson tweak his roster without operating contrary to Favre? Is
Favre out of line for asking for a veteran wideout or some other sort of free agent
acquisition?

5) Isn't it time for both of these guys to man-up and go in front of a microphone to explain
this Mother's Day Mess, instead of hiding behind sugar-coated news releases and
secretaries that are paid to say, "No, I'm sorry, he's not in. May I take a message?"
Favre has a history of going away after bad games, or giving his best stuff to the national
media. Thompson's rapport with Packers Nation is, what shall we say, tepid at best, with
all the warmth that comes when a taxpayer sits down with the IRS dude for an audit.
This is a team full of citizen owners who deserve more accountability.

6) The timing of this is VERY suspect--it's keeping me from devoting 100% of my attention
to things that really count: the Brewers, "Dancing With The Stars" and the final week or so
of "American Idol".

Happy Mother's Day! Favre Wants A Trade!

2007-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

We interupt this era Brewer warm-and-fuzzies to tell you about one p.o.'d Packers quarterback.

Brett Favre wants to be traded, or, at least he did right after the draft.

That's the news that shattered those Mother's Day gatherings dotting the land this fair Sunday afternoon.

FoxSports NFL beat writer Jay Glazer broke the story and it's getting fleshed in with other pieces in the Journal/Sentinel (which made no mention of the trade demand--just Favre's displeasure with the team's inability to land Randy Moss).

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=604780

There's more grist for the mill in Favre's apparent organ of choice, the Biloxi Sun-Herald, which has a Favre friend on staff in the person of Al Jones. Read his Sunday piece on the situation right here:

http://www.sunherald.com/228/story/52533.html

The website ProFootballTalk.com has more, including this article that ran in the hours before the Glazer story broke:

HAS FAVRE ALREADY ASKED FOR A TRADE?

"We've received several e-mails over the past week or so suggesting that message board postings from an administrator named "DavidPHX" on Brett Favre's official web site indicate that Favre has asked for a trade. "DavidPHX" has been characterized to us by multiple readers as a long-time Favre friend.
In response to a rumor that Favre has asked to be traded in the wake of the Randy Moss mess, DavidPHX posted on May 5, "Sorry Folks but I can't deny this rumor."
Later in the day, DavidPHX elaborated: "Hypothetically let's say it was true, it is more a personal issue between someone and [Ted Thompson]. Honesty, integrity is very important to some. It is not an issue of a player demanding a certain person on the team. That person would never do this. It could be a issue that a certain person told him you give an answer [about playing in 2007] before the [Super Bowl] and I will get you help? Then that person leading him to believe that he was serious about Randy?"
Then, DavidPHX added this: "Many of the reporters in Green Bay have heard this rumor also. Problem is they fear someone to[o] much to write about it. They want a certain person to confirm and that person is way to[o] loyal and not that type of a football player to let personal issues become part of the game?"
Apparently, "that person" recently has decided to blow off some steam on this one, and it might not be long before word comes out that Favre has asked to be moved."

The site goes on to say that it's insiders have been telling them Favre doesn't care for Thompson, and opines that one or the other will be gone before the 2007 begins.

Yikes. Hope we didn't spoil your special day, Mom. And, I wonder what this story will be like when it's Dad's turn in the hammock.

Hints For The Horsehide-Challenged...

2007-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

So now we're ALL Brewers fans, huh?

That's great. Winning baseball games does that for a franchise and we who've suffered through Izzy Alcantara and Randy Ready are more that willing to share a Miller Park seat next to someone who thinks the Brewers just got to Milwaukee last month.

That said, there are some things the newbies need to know.

--The "wave" sucks. And, if you're going to do it, at least have the smarts to roll it out during a dead-spot, not when the game is about to turn. If you want to "wave", wait 'til September and go to Madison. It's a big hit at Wisconsin football games and the fact the students are so into it makes it almost cool.

Almost.

--Kill the cellphone. I don't want to hear you making post-game plans with your buddies, trying to do business during a day game, or, worst of call, trying to find out where another knot-headed pal with too many extra minutes to burn is sitting in the ballpark. If you're really that good of friends, you'd probably be sitting next to each other or at least talking out the seating arrangements ahead of time. If he wasn't worth inviting to the game in the first place, he's not worth ruining my enjoyment of the contest now.

--Lastly--never, ever say the phrase, "Boy, this game is REALLY going fast!"

I covered a handful of games in the course of my broadcast career, and had press box privileges on a few occasions. A sure way to be ostracized by veteran baseball scribes, reveal yourself as an idiot, and be shunned by anyone who knows the game is to remark how rapidly the day's/night's proceedings are moving along. It's the baseball equivalent of Nellie Connally saying to JFK, "You can't say Dallas doesn't love you, Mr. President!" as their limo rolled into Dealy Plaza in November of '63.

It's a sure way to bring the game to a screeching halt. It's usually uttered around the fourth or fifth inning when it appears that, yes, if things continue at their present clip, you'll be home in time to see "CSI". The newbie's math is dead-on, but the logic is tragically flawed.

National League games don't really start until about the fifth or sixth, after the starter's been on the bump for a while and the hitters have had a few cracks at him. Adjustments are made, the offense usually starts kicking in and the runs start piling up. With that come pitching changes, and thus, much slower proceedings. There's a reason they put the sausage race where they do--it's to keep the marginal fan in his/her seat as the process comes to a near-crawl.

Keep these simple suggestions in mind, and you'll not only enjoy the game more yourself, you'll also come off as someone who knows the difference between John Jaha and Jeffrey Leonard. You'll look like a fan who remembers the halcyon days of Bill Wegman and Dicke Thon...Jeff Cirillo's first Milwaukee tour of duty...and the local anchorwoman who Brewers outfielder Darryl Hamilton married (Shaun Robinson, who's now a big-time LA entertainment reporter).

I'll continue to publish suggestions as the season progresses--let me know if there are any I missed at mueller@wkti.com. And, let's hope the good times keep rolling this summer--newbies at the ballpark are a sure sign of baseball success.

Why Didn't I Invent This Thing??

2007-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

THIS is my summertime gift to you.

I don't cook--well, I do, but nothing fancy and very little that's really good, but it's enough to stick to the family's ribs as my wife keeps working late. She often says, "You REALLY like to cook!" I say, "No, I really have to EAT!"

That said, I take the guy's way out once things warm up and lean heavily on my grill to get me through dinnertime.

They don't allow you to leave Sheboygan until you know how to grill a brat--soak 'em, fry 'em, then finish them in beer and onions. Hamburgers, steaks and fish--can do. Turkey? Possibly the easiest thing to do over charcoal, and guys can be golden for the rest of the year if they're willing to brave a freezing deck/patio and d0 up a Freezer Eagle on the Weber come Thanksgiving Day. A cheap eat, too.

The issue for many people, though, is how to start said coals.

Back in the day, my dad used something called "white gas" which he bought in exotic places and which I always suspected was some sort of moonshine. Then again, if that were the case, he would've poured it down his cakehole instead of over charcoal.

There's lighter fluid, which is relatively efficient but leaves behind that "refinery" flavor that makes your food taste as though you cooked it on the engine block of a '66 Impala with blown gaskets.

That's where the charcoal chimney comes in.

Simple in design, brilliant in it's simplicity.

The cylinder is split roughly into thirds--the top two go to unlit charcoal. The bottom to unlit newspaper.

Light the paper, and let the magic begin.

The charcoal chimney never fails, and the coals aren't tainted by refined fossil fuels, so you get the pure taste of grilling without your brats tasting as though they got soaked with Mobil 87 octane.

Chimneys can be had almost everywhere--Weber makes their own, and I know Rokamko in West Allis has 'em in stock. Hardware stores have knockoffs. All work. Some last longer than others.

This, my friends, is my contribution to your summer. Think of me as you drop the match.

The only thing that'll make your food taste better, or your cooking time go faster, is listening to Uecker and Powell while you turn your links. And, might I suggest, a cold frosty one on the side.

Watching Less? No, Watching BETTER...

2007-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Do you know ANYONE watching LESS television?

Didn't think so.

I don't see appliance stores going dark. The lots at American and Colders seem fairly full. Same for Best Buy and Circuit City.

I don't see landfills brimming with discarded sets.

If anything, the people I know don't have enough time to see all the shows they want.

Which is exactly my point.

"Figures Show TV Viewers Decreasing" screams the "Time" magazine headline this morning. It may not be true, but it sure snags you by the orbs.

"In TV's worst spring in recent memory," the article says, " a startling number of Americans drifted away from television the past two months: More than 2.5 million fewer people were watching ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox than at the same time last year, statistics show."

Then comes the money shot: "Scariest of all for the networks, however, is the idea that many people are now making their own television schedules. The industry isn't fully equipped to keep track of them, and as a result the networks are scrambling to hold on to the nearly $8.8 billion they collected during last spring's ad-buying season."

It's not that we're watching LESS. We're just doing it when we want to, and the industry doesn't know how to measure it.

TiVo and DVR shows only get weighed into the Nielsens if they're viewed within 24 hours of airing. If not, it's as if you never wasted that hour seeing "Ugly Betty."

This ratings business isn't a perfect science. Need more proof?

Nielsen also doesn't count I-Pod or computer downloaded shows, either.

I don't doubt we all have things to do--kids' soccer, a child's school play, the siren song of the computer with endless "YouTube" downloads. There are only so many hours in the day. But most folks I know seem to work in all of the above, and then some, while still staying conversant about "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" via the new-fashioned time-shift.

The networks have unique issues, for sure: they don't have the latitude to be as adult as cable offerings. Shows cost a lot, which is why they only make a certain number, to be dolloped out only during "the sweeps" (that's why many of your faves go away for weeks at a time--and the Big Four wonder why we lose interest in "Lost" or "Heroes" after they get us hooked?). Speciality cable channels suck away those who'd rather get home repair tips, a new chili recipe, or a fresh take on a modern marvel.

The folks who should really be worried are advertisers. In the course of managing the fine art of Nielsen Meter Massage, the networks are killing their own products with momentum-crushing hiatuses that remove hot shows from the prime time grid for what feels like an entire high school semester. Numbers sink, and the Big Four aren't getting as big of a bang for their buck.

Toss in the fact we, the people, can now push a button and make entire blocks of commercials vanish and, well, it's pretty obvious that the ad industry has some 'splainin' to do.

It's a great time to be a t-v viewer. A myriad of programs on cable and satellite. Content that appeals to all tastes. High def to make shows/events come alive. The ability to time shift, so we can see what we want, when we want, as often as we care to see it. The ability to be your own editor to zap away slow parts/annoying ads.

No, it's not that we're watching less television--far from it. The power is in the hands (and remotes) of the viewers. The industry just has to figure out a way to count us. We're out there, watching.

I have an ass-groove dug deep into my couch to prove it.

Read the "Time" article right here:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1618796,00.html

I've Got "The Secret"...

2007-05-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't bought it...and probably won't.

I haven't read it...and I doubt I will.

But, like every other good American and radio talk show host, that won't stop me from having an opinion on it.

We're talking "The Secret" here--the Oprah-approved self-help tome that's become an industry onto itself. It's a book, it's a C-D, it's a floor wax, it's a dessert topping. It's raking in millions.

But, is it a scam?

I've blogged before about "The Secret"--not so much about the content, but rather the phenomenon. I've never doubted the power of Oprah--NEVER doubt the power of Oprah. And, I guess that I shouldn't be amazed that there are so many people out there, desperate for simple answers to all of their problems. That's why people living through hard times manufacture scapegoats. That's why there are shelves full of diet books, telling you that you can lose weight eating nothing but pizza and frozen custard.

I haven't ponied up for "The Secret" but I'm living it vicariously through others who have--the results, suffice to say, are mixed, with the more critical reviews tending to come from those who live outside the gravitational pull of Planet Winfrey.

The latest comes from Slate magazine. I invite you to read it, and to tell me about your own experience with "The Secret".

http://www.slate.com/id/2165746/

Thanks Again For Sticking Around...

2007-05-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Change sucks.

My inner-Milwaukeean chants that mantra over and over again--I like things the way they are, and if I don't, I don't use/touch/talk to/hang around them.

Our happy little radio chuckle hut is getting more than its share of change lately, and I want to thank those of you who've stayed with us during this long, winding journey.

We had the year-long sendoff of our beloved Bob Reitman, and then, three months later, the depature of Amy Taylor. Both deserve the lives they want: Reitman's retirement is well earned, and he left at the top of his game. Amy's choice was admittedly abrupt but impossible to challenge--who's going to argue with a mom who wants to stay home with triplets in their formulative years?

That leaves Gino and me to hold the fort, with the talented Jenna Mueller filling in. We're glad to have her, and I thank you for the comments you sent in both via this blog and on mueller@wkti.com. They're overwhelmingly positive toward Jenna, and we've relayed what you've said to her, altho the woman remains virtually IMPOSSIBLE to compliment. She dismisses almost every one of the valentines sent her way the past week--usually figuring that the writer is a relative or close friend.

No one likes their morning routines disrupted--be it someone leaving the cap off the toothpaste, burning thru all the hot water, or goofing with their a.m. radio cohorts. We've been blessed to have been a relatively steady ship for almost a quarter of a century, and we who remain thank you for your continued support.

Again, I ask that you send your thoughts to us as we work through the transition. Tell me what you like and what you think should go by writing me at mueller@wkti.com. I'll share the knowledge with my colleagues and, yes, even with management, even if you're doing a rip-job.

And, I'll pass the compliments on to Jenna, alto I'm sure she won't take kindly to them.

Rolling Out The Barrel...

2007-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, THIS will fix EVERYTHING.

The St. Louis Cardinals take beer out of their locker room in the wake of the recent death of pitcher Josh Hancock...a locker room build inside BUSCH Stadium...an ediface that honors, salutes, hails, memorializes and pours beer. Barrels of it.

Baseball and beer go together. Take it from someone who just spent the afternoon at Miller Park...MILLER, that is, named after the brewery that sits just down the street from the stadium.

It's the home of the Brewers, who are named after those who make beer. It's filled with taps and bottles and glasses and cups all brimming with the stuff, not to mention signage that encourages you to drink more of it.

And, I don't see anything wrong with that.

Beer is made for adults, and adults make choices. Some are better than others. My choice this very afternoon was Diet Pepsi, since I drove.

Josh Hancock made a bad one. A fatal one. A choice that thankfully, didn't take anyone else's life.

He did the bulk of his drinking his last night in a bar, after the game. Most of today's athletes opt for protein shakes and the weight room after the final out. Hancock opted for 12 ounce free-weights across the street.

Banning beer in clubhouses may make management feel good, by sending a sign to fans that, damn it all anyway, we're serious about our players drinking. To accomplish that, we'll treat grown men like children.

The truth is, they probably do it for liability reasons--they don't want to get sued if an employee gets crocked on premises and slams into a family of six on the way home from the park.

Clubs should extend to players the same courtesy they do their fans: you make the choice, and you're trusted to make the responsible one. If baseball was truly serious about distancing itself from alcohol, it would roll the barrels out, replace the taps with milk cartons and take the brewery names off the cornerstone.

That won't happen. And, it shouldn't.

Treat fans like adults. Players, too.

Josh Hancock got a wake-up call three days before the crash that claimed his life, when he was in an accident that authorities say was inches away from killing him. Hancock didn't get it. He made irresponsible choices, right up until the one that killed him. The team didn't intervene with dicipline or counseling when it was apparent Hancock was hitting it too hard.

He won't get another chance to make another one--others, though, shouldn't lose their opportunity because of his poor ones.

The Textbook Definition of Schadenfruede

2007-05-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Joy, from the misery of others.

That's schadenfreude--a German term immortalized in the bawdy and hilarious Broadway hit, "Avenue Q". And, it's what's washing over me like Lake Michigan waves today upon hearing the Lakers' Kobe Bryant whining for help after L.A.'s elimination from the N.B.A. playoffs.

“Do it and do it now,” he said. “Personally for me, it’s beyond frustration — three years and still being at ground zero. This summer’s a big summer. We have to see what direction we want to take as an organization and make those steps and make them now.”

My infant daughter put it best from her crib 19 years ago when she said, "wah, wah, wah".

This is the same selfish thug who got what he asked for: Shaquille O'Neal shipped out of Los Angeles because Kobe couldn't stand sharing the spotlight. There's only one ball at any N.B.A game, and Bryant isn't happy unless it's constantly in his hands being fired at the closest rim.This is the same Kobe who has the stones to cry for help when, in the final game against Phoenix, he is credited with one--count 'em, one--assist. The same Bryant who missed 17 of the 33 shots he took on the evening, including a stretch where he missed eight in a row, while going 2-8 from three-point range.

I had no ax to grind against Byrant as he became the N.B.A.'s all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips early in his career--there was no doubting his talent altho questions lingered about his head.

Then came the allegations in Colorado, the admitted infidelity and the ring that won the wife back, the O'Neal trade, the selfishness, the elbows launched in anger at foes who had the audacity to play defense against him. His unique brand of hoop that has his teammates refusing to play as one, as proven by the fact the Lakers had a mere SEVEN assists as a team in the finale. Contrast L.A. with the Suns and Steve Nash who had more assists by himself (10).

And now, Kobe is surrounded by the likes of Luke Walton, Smush Parker, and Ronnie Turiaf. No stars, just the way he wanted it.

And, no title, just the way we Bryant Bashers love it.

This could almost make me enjoy pro basketball again.

...But When THEY Do It, It's News

2007-05-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

When in doubt, do a story ripping TV news.

The latest Shepherd Express packs a column that pretty much disembowels local news--the piece by Dennis Shook can be had online:

http://shepherd-express.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-05-03&-token.story=177047.113121&-token.subpub=

In the interest of full disclosure, I work in a building with a TV station down the hall. I know many of the folks who work there, on-air and off. Some even share time with us each morning.

Are they perfect? No. Nor am I, or anyone else who ever sat at a keyboard and tried to tell someone else's story. We strive to get it right, and fell worse than you can imagine when we don't.

I even agree with some of Dennis Shook's observations, but I also understand that TV news, sad to say, is just like "American Idol", "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" in that it's success is measured ratings period to ratings period. That's the business. Deal.

Shook brings up one of the biggest, most consistently raised beefs about television news: the way it's reporters stake out victims, witnesses, and loved ones for reaction pieces on a terrible event that's just occurred in their lives. The "how do you feel" video that is often cited as the work of the lazy reporter...or, worse yet, the critics say, the interview with the relative of someone who's just lost a loved on.

Why, then, is it okay for newspaper reporters to do those same stories?

I'll tell you: you don't see the process in action.

Would we even know that the man shot at a local gas station a few weeks ago was, indeed, a much-loved and respected Waukesha area boxing coach had a reporter not asked some questions of those who knew him best?

Did anyone complain about pestering grieving relatives and friends when the story--lush with reaction and even some pictures--ran in the local paper a day or so later?

No, because the tears don't show up on newsprint, the way they do on videotape.

No, because the pain in a voice doesn't come through in a quote that's read in black and white.

The electronic media capture the face, record the voice and pump the emotion right into your living room. Yes, it's hard to watch or hear. You're in on the process as it's being done--the paper doesn't let you in on that. It can't.

The hardest assignment any reporter ever gets is the "reaction" piece--knocking on that door or picking up the phone to call someone affected by tragedy. Yet, it's part of the story--whether it's in print or on the tube--to put a "face" on those we cover. To let the world know that the guy dead at the gas station is more than just another faceless murder victim--that he had a name, a job, a life, and that his death created a void. It's how readers and viewers connect.

And, don't forget, the grieving have a right to say "no" when the phone rings and the cameras show up.

Our print brethren are in competition for eyes, too. Pick up a Milwaukee Journal or Sentinel from 20 years ago, and compare it to the one that landed on your doorstep this morning. See any difference?

Milwaukee Magazine does some pretty fine work--the most recent edition packed a compelling piece on home improvement magnate John Mennard, but you'd barely know the story was within the pages of an edition swaddled with a cover touting "25 New Restaurants." "Best Of's" catch eyes. A picture of the "Save Big Money" man probably wouldn't.

The marriage of journalism and commerce is an uncomfortable one, to say the least. In a perfect world, television news wouldn't be rated and it would run strictly as a community service.

You know what would happen then?

No television news, because there'd be no way to pay for it.

There are electronic journalistic atrocities, yes, and there are trends that make some cringe. The quest for big numbers is no justification for sloppy journalism, sensationalism or lack of conscience.

Sadly, the numbers seem to show that more and more of us are liking the skeevier side of life on the tube, the flash and the flare and the "what would Jack Bauer do" kind of stuff that gets branded as "the most local coverage."

As easy as it is to criticize, the viewers sometimes get the news they want--or at least, accept.

Life Minus Amy--Day Three

2007-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

My cellphone NEVER buzzes at 5:45 A.M.

Those who know me know where I am--working--and they don't call.

So, when I felt the dull buzz along my pant leg Monday morning I figured I knew who it was.

Amy Taylor.

On a day when most people who'd just gotten off a shift requiring ridiculously early alarm settings would be sleeping in, Amy's calling to say hi and thanks and any number of incredibly nice things about her final day at KTI.

That's the kind of woman she is and why we're happy to have had her as long as we did.

Jenna Mueller is filling in--no relation, by the by--and we're having a blast. Some of you remember her from her days as a reporter on Today's TMJ 4. Like Amy, she left when kids came along, but she'd fill in on occasion when Amy or Gino were gone. She's a natural--a local, who knows the area, blessed with a husband who doesn't mind being the butt of Jenna's on-air jabs.

Thanks to everyone who sent e-mails or who called in, wishing Amy a fond farewell or complementing Jenna for her work over the past few days.

It's been a strange stretch--what with Reitman's retirement last December and now, Amy goin' home. Change doesn't come easy, but it goes down better when you know that people you care about are happy in their new roles: Bob as a man of leisure, Amy as a full time mom. They left a rocky, unstable business of their own accord, which is something very few who do radio can say. Usually, it's crappy ratings, an ownership change, a new program director, or some focus group that determines when you're turning in your key lanyard. I salute anyone who gets out before they're gotten.

Thanks to all of you who've stayed with us through the changes. We're having nothing but fun with Jenna, on the air and when the mikes are off. We hope she feels the same, and that the listeners are liking what they hear.

No matter what--good or bad--I want you to tell me about it. Drop a comment here, or you can reach me at mueller@wkti.com.

Give Me The Damn Keyshawn!

2007-05-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

The ESPN "Breaking News" slide is still on the screen and I'm already begging Packers GM Ted Thompson to:

Grab Keyshawn Johnson!!

The Carolina Panthers cut him loose just moments ago, and I say it's time for Green Bay to give him a home before his ass completes it's first bounce off the pavement.

Call him "Randy Moss Lite".

Like Moss, Johnson can be a head case, but not nearly as severe of one. He had his battles with Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay, wrote his infamous "Give Me The Damn Ball" drivel his rookie year with the Jets, and earned the nickname "Me-Shawn" from teammates but no less than Bill Parcells hails him as one of the best players he ever coached.

And, he's got a ring.

Plus, he does what Moss could've done: be a possession receiver for Brett Favre whose Jones for an offensive weapon or two to compliment the Packers attack went largely ignored by Thompson and company, a group that consistently seems to send the message that Favre can pretty much go pee up a rope.

Donald Driver, Keyshawn Johnson, Greg Jennings, Robert Ferguson, and, when he's back (if he's back) Koren Robinson, plus the children picked up in last weekend's cattle call. That's a pretty decent gaggle of hands to snag the ball.

Then, we can start looking for someone to RUN it.

High Tides, Rising Boats and Who's Ox Gets Gored

2007-05-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

A high tide lifts all boats.

Keep that in mind while we try to figure out to do with a desert in the middle of Milwaukee's downtown.

Ponder.

Study.

Think.

Do a report.

Meanwhile, 16 acres of prime land vacated when the Park East Freeway came down sit idle while developers wait, the downtown establishment frets and Mayor Tom Barrett says...nothing.

It almost makes me wish they'd never knocked the ugly spur down in the first place.

The proposed Harley Museum was supposed to fill a spot but restrictions and prohibitively high construction costs forced the cyclemaker to move it to 6th and Canal--within earshot of downtown, but a lost opportunity for the Park East nonetheless.

The article in this morning's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel quotes Department of Development officials as saying the city shouldn't back "speculative" efforts while creating surplus space that hurts existing downtown business. It goes on to say, "The city is under pressure from some owners of existing businesses who don't want to be undercut by city-backed developments."

Remember the original Schlitz Park concept that went up in flames because existing bars and entertainment venues were so worried about what might happen to their joints? Instead of thinking about the aforementioned tide, their parochialism helped skewer the effort--triggering one good side-effect: it was the one time I can remember an emotional outburst from His Honor, the Mayor. A reconfigured Schlitz plan is getting off the ground--finally--but we lost time and tax revenue in the meantime.

With this kind of thinking, there'd be only one bank downtown...one bar on Water Street...a restaurant representing every taste, but only one because, Lord Almighty, we wouldn't want anything that might disrupt the competitive balance.

Meanwhile, 16 acres sit idle, gathering gulls instead of tax dollars.

Businesses content with the status quo do no one any good--only themselves, as they guard their bottom lines.

Then again, a city with vision creates opportunities to make sure everyone's coffers stay full. Is that new outdoor soccer stadium ever going to happen? How about a new arena? And, while we're at it, how's about a convention center built to handle major national events, instead of the one configured to fit only the mid-sized?

Our tide would seem to be in--a 16 acre opportunity.

Who's boats will rise, or will we just be happy to float where we are for a few more years?

The only ones happy then will be the gulls.

Ted Thompson: Savant or Contrarian?

2007-04-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

"Are they TRYING to piss Favre off?!?"

Those are the words of a good friend and radio colleague moments after the Green Bay Packers shocked the world by drafting Tennessee defensive lineman Justin Harrell with the 16th overall choice in this weekend's NFL Draft.

Retired QB/current ESPN analyst Steve Young echoed that emotion, figuring that the Packers needed a lot on offense and that he remembered being slighted when his old team, the Niners, went with defense on draft day even amid glowing needs on the other side of the ball.

Young's co-hort Chris Mortensen reminded everyone that there was still a lot of choosin' left to be done, and that we shouldn't forget about Randy Moss possibly getting traded to Green Bay.

Well, the choosin's done and Moss is now a New England Patriot.

How's that draft workin' out for you, Packers fans?

I, for one, won't miss Moss but DO think GM Ted Thompson needed to make some sort of dramatic move--other than trading down in the second round while leaving three pretty viable players on the board who immediately got snarfed up by the teams that followed Green Bay in the pecking order.

Fan patience with the GM was at low ebb at the start of last season, what with the whole will-Farve-retire-and-why-doesn't-Thompson-tell-him-to-come-back scenario still fresh in all of our minds. An 8-8 finish with four straight victories to close out the season made all that go away.

Now this.

Sure, Thompson picked up some bodies at running back, tight end and wideout--guys who may be the next Emmitt Smith, Tony Gonzalez and Marvin Harrison. You never know with draft picks, though. They could just as well end up being the new incarnations of Brent Fullwood, Tyrone Davis and Taco Wallace, too.

Packers fans have to trust that Thompson knows what he's doing--this past weekend's disappointment will be forgotten this summer if Harrell and his fellow greenhorns dazzle in early September. And, no matter what, there's always the Lions to break anyone's fall into the divisional abyss.

But oh, to be a fly on the wall wherever Favre was watching Saturday's proceedings. Or yesterday, as he watched the veteran wideout he supposedly coveted get dealt to another team.

If flies have ears, those suckers had to be burnin'.

Tailights...

2007-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

She's gone.

Anyone wondering what happened behind the scenes this morning as Amy Taylor did her final show just needed to have a radio on, because what you heard on the air was truly what was going down when the mikes were off.

There were the girls--Tess, Jillian and Chloe--all in matching outfits, playing in the studio and alternating laps between Amy and husband Jason.

There were tons of phone calls, wishing Amy the best as she starts a new life as a full time mom.

There were fellow employees stopping by for hugs and laughs, except, of course, for WTMJ's John Jagler who got Amy to finally break down and cry--mark the time: 8:41 , after nearly three hours of dry eyes.

And, much as I did when Reitman walked out the door for the last time in December, I had nothing but good feelings for a fellow colleague who's leaving the business on their own terms. That simply doesn't happen very often in broadcasting, where, as with baseball managers, you're hired to be fired.

Watching Amy and family walk down the hall toward their new life fills me with nothing but good thoughts for a young family heading to better places.

There's no back story--Amy's heart is truly what's drawing her away from us. I will certainly miss our daily chats, but then again, SHE'S NOT DEAD! We can still meet, talk and, without mikes around, swear like Longshoremen.

Best of luck, Amy, Jason, Tess, Jillian and Chloe. Hope you'll still listen, but I'll understand if you want to sleep in.

...as if THAT'S gonna happen with triplets.

Fathers And Daughters...Acorns and Trees

2007-04-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

This "goodbye" business is getting a bit old.

First Reitman, now Amy.

Ms. Taylor leaves us Friday morning after a bunch of years and more laughs--on the air and off--than my addled brain can retain.

You already know how I feel about Amy: smart, tough, funny, real, and truly one of a kind. And, I know where she got it from.

Amy's parents, Jack and Virginia, are living proof the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. We've had them on the air via the phone over the years, but I'd never gotten the chance to meet Dad face to face until Thursday morning when he shared an hour with us, telling stories about a daughter he obviously loves and respects.

Jack is a Chicago television and radio legend...he doesn't know it, but I was one of his most avid viewers, even though I lived well out of WGN-TV's range in the 70's.

In fact, Jack Taylor put me to bed more nights than he can imagine.

In those days, I was going to school and later cutting my radio teeth in Stevens Point--a city that had the foresight, even back then, to wire it's denizens with cable television. Point didn't have a station of it's own, and got only two signals from Wausau, so the city fathers decided it was time to seize the future and bring in the coax.

Cable brought us WGN/Chicago. That meant Jack Taylor's "Nightbeat".

I'm not sure what time it started, but I know it was on a lot of evenings/mornings when I came home from the bars. In fact, for many years, I thought Jack Taylor had three heads. I watched the one in the middle.

Jack's late night news recap told me all I needed to know about the world before I went to bed--trouble is, I usually passed out on the couch before he got to the end of the show. He would often be the last thing I'd see--telling me all that troubled our planet that day, but a reassuring presence that said all was well...that he'd be back tomorrow, when, hopefully, things went better.

I'm sure he had the same affect on untold millions of people in Chicago and wherever the cable carried 'GN. He must hear it a million times.

I didn't get to tell Jack what he meant to me today--only that I was nervous as I did the news in his presence. Today was about Amy, a dad she loves, and a father who's proud of what his daughter's done, both in the business he loves and at home she's made with her triplets.

In fact, today we didn't connect as viewer and fan. He said something that made me share his pride as a father.

At one point, he mentioned how as a parent, you share the joy and pain your kids experience. Watching him in the studio this morning, it was pretty clear he was feeling everything Amy was--the relief of knowing the job at KTI would soon be done, that the one at home would now get her full-time attention. Some sadness, sure, but also the contentment that comes with making the right choice.

What parent hasn't felt that as your child reaches a milestone, be it as small as a part in the first grade play or as big as giving the high school commencement address.

Amy's accomplishments are many. And, in a long and storied life, Amy is one of Jack's finest. I share his pride. I'm honored to have met them both.

Good luck Amy. And, thanks Jack and Virginia, for making her possible.

Getting Jiggy With It--Good For Will Smith, Bad For The Commander in Chief?

2007-04-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

President Kennedy was true to himself, right to the day he died.

He knew the power of the image, and how to massage it for his benefit.

It put him at odds with his wife, who didn't want their two kids used as photo ops--so, JFK would wait until she was out of town before inviting John-John and Caroline to the Oval Office for some frolic in front of the staff photographer.

I've read at least one account about the late president being haunted by a picture he'd once since of his predecessor, Calvin Coolidge, in a full headdress and thinking to himself that it made a Chief Executive look less than presidential to don what he deemed "silly hats" for the White House press.

And so it came to pass that, on November 22, 1963 at a breakfast in Fort Worth, Texas, JFK would be presented with a brand new hat by the local Chamber of Commerce. The crowd roared as the President, known for going without a chapeau, motioned as if he'd bust his self-imposed embargo and actually put his gift on.

He didn't, saying he'd try it on the following Monday at the White House.

That, of course, never happened. And, neither did the picture.

Enter George W. Bush.

The current leader of the free world either a) got caught up in the moment b) succumbed to his inner frat boy or c) forgot there's always a camera rolling on the President when he decided to cut a rug at a Rose Garden photo op this week about malaria awareness in Africa.

http://player.clipsyndicate.com/player/play/190/369304?cpt=8&noresize=1

Do I care that Mr. Bush chose to shake a leg? Naw. Actually, it's kinda fun to see the man who's finger is always on the button so comfortable with himself that he'd actually do such a thing. For me, it would require the downing of at least a 12 pack--as anyone who's ever seen me half shined up at a wedding will attest.

But, in this age of cellphone cameras and the Internet, those in power and who rub up against celebrity in even the most remote way have to know that their picture will be taken, that said photo can go global in a mouse-click, and that those images live on FOREVER via Google search.

President Kennedy didn't put on the cowboy hat the day he died. That was 44 years ago.

Think yesterday's video will have a shelf life beyond that?

Imagine Gilbert Brown...With Mad Hops

2007-04-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Imagine THIS guy in Green and Gold (I try to always use caps when referring to Packers colors--it's a religious thing.

Walter Thomas is billed by the New York Times

as the biggest secret of Saturday's upcoming NFL draft--big in many ways, as in size and in ability, at least up to this point, to remain off the radar.

Read the complete story right here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/sports/football/25nfl.html?em&ex=1177646400&en=acddd84a04f3f0f9&ei=5087%0A

I'm not one of those guys who locks myself in a darkened room with a computer, an industrial sized bag of Cheetos and a vat of Diet Coke pouring over mock drafts. Sure, I love the game and would love to see the Packers do SOMETHING that'll bolster their 2007 chances, what with the relatively underwhelming off-season G.M. Ted Thompson's given fans so far.

The real draft wonks, a few of whom work in our building, probably know Thomas, his story, and what was in his leavings after dinner last night.

Sorry. Those guys aren't normal. Knowledgeable? Yes. In sore need of a life? You betcha.

I'll go into Saturday's cattle call armed with that morning's paper, some ill-conceived idea of what I'd do if I were Thompson, and a self-imposed aura of detachment that'll guarantee a sense of surprise from the day's proceedings.

And, after reading the Times story, a new found interest in a very large, skilled man with some character flaws who may be on the outside, looking in. Or, the largest pro football story in recent years.

Is There A Men's Room at "The View"?

2007-04-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, Amy Taylor WON'T be replacing Rosie O'Donnell on "The View".

At least, not this week.

So who should take her place?

Rosie, I mean, not Amy.

Ms. Taylor's chair will be filled by WKTI management at a time and pace of their own determination. O'Donnell's will be taken care of by ABC, sometime after he contract expires at the end of June.

We took calls this morning about possible replacements, and there were several strong candidates including Ellen DeGeneres and Whoopi Goldberg.

And then, some surprises including, gulp, a few that pack testosterone including "Queer Eye's" Carson Kressley.

Could it work?

Is "The View" exclusively the turf of women, where men can be guests but not...hosts? If there is someone who has a set of testicles, can he only host if he's gay?

When Babs developed "The View" a decade ago, the tone was set: women talking the way they do, about the things they want to talk about, the way they want to talk about them. There was nothing like it on television.

Things changed, though. There've been knock-offs and clones and other combinations on other networks designed to cut into "The View's" crowd. Does the passing of time and the inevitable imitation mean it's time to break the mold and draw up a new game plan that includes a man?

I wouldn't have had the stones to even BROACH the concept of a man riding shotgun with Babs and Company until this morning. I didn't know if women would warm up to it. Then again, if it's the RIGHT guy, who cares?

Love her or not, Rosie brought fire to a show that was listing in the creative waters--the messy departure of Star Jones followed by Meredith Vierra's decision to wake up early on "Today" left "The View" without a quarterback. It's still very much Walters' show, but she's too penned in by her journalistic limitations to be the fire-starter. Each woman at the table has a role: Babs is the voice of reason, Elizabeth is the conservative, Joy the court-jester. Who ever takes Rosie's chair has to be the one who fears no subject, no colleague, no guest, and isn't afraid to state a case.

Is that something that only another woman can do? Or can a guy have a "View", too?

Let me know.

Hard To Watch? Yes. News? You Bet.

2007-04-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

We knew his name.

We saw what he did, when he did it, and where.

The only questioning remaining after last week's Virginia Tech massacre was why? Why would a classmate repeatedly empty guns into fellow students, stopping only when he decided to point one of his weapons at his own face and blow it off.

Even someone who's never written a news story for pay or a college grade knows the questions: who, what, when, where and why. They are the questions any reporter worth his/her salt answers every time they sit at a keyboard or crack a mike.

That's what NBC did last week--when it aired portions of the gunman's homemade media kit.

The network is getting grief in some circles. Family members, survivors and victims' friends shunned NBC in protest. Some critics said running the ramblings gave the shooter what he sought from the grave: validation.

Another publication suggested another alternative: web-only broadcast, so that only those who actively sought the ramblings could actually access them. Read their take here:

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31844

I disagree.

NBC handled the shooter's package responsibly--alerting authorities immediately upon it's arrival. It shared the contents with rivals. It edited profanity. And, it let the contents speak for themselves: we saw what investigators did after pouring through the manifesto, that this kid had plenty of anger, tons of issues, and no discernible motive other than a twisted rage for a world he saw as hopelessly tilted against him.

Making the contents an Internet-exclusive keeps the news from those who don't have computers. Granted, that number is dwindling, but it's still a significant. It would also leave NBC open to accusations of capitalizing on the tragedy by driving web traffic to it's site exclusively, then using those "hits" to attract Internet advertisers.

Paraphrasing what the killer said--without audio and video that viewers already knew existed--would leave listeners wondering what was "left out". The questions would always linger, and the conspiracy buffs, enabled by the web, would have a field day filling in the blanks.

Who, what, when, where, and why. They're the questions that are supposed to be answered, even when they're difficult to look at or hear. Let the listener and viewer decide how much they want to absorb, and at their own pace. That's why there's an on/off button on televisions and radios, as well as a channel changer.

Is This Where Don Imus Shops?

2007-04-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit my headline is a little unfair, but I thought it would get your attention.

If you're an old cuss like me, folks like Aunt Jemimah, Uncle Ben, and Funny Face were part of the accepted landscape.

Yes, racist charactures sure helped move the merch--and a lot of us never said a peep. I remember the Frito Bandito raising some hackles, and that was a fairly recent protest. In fact, a few of these folks still sit on the shelf today.

It's truly amazing how the pedulum swung in the last 40 years or so...from a time when advertisers painted with broad, stereotypical strokes to make us buy pancake mix, converted rice, corn chips, and many other products too numerous to mention.

Read more about our racist Madison Avenue past right here:

http://www.slate.com/id/2164062/nav/tap1/

A Bathroom Inspiration

2007-04-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is how baseball ga-ga I am...I keep the Brewers media guide next to the toilet.
I figure down-time is a good opportunity to buff up my horsehide I-Q.

I'm on the "Retired Numbers" page, looking at the dates when Robin Yount and Paul Molitor had their ceremonies at County Stadium. I get to the Hank Aaron part, and it says only that the club retired his 44...with no mention of any "ceremonies".

I asked a ballclub official about that--a greybeard, like me--and he says he can't remember any such event for baseball's all-time home run leader, only that then-owner Bud Selig decreed that no one would ever wear that number again as a Brewer. A good call, indeed, but one that didn't get a ballpark bash as an exclamation point.

Just thinkin' out loud here...but now that we've determined via GPS coordinates where Aaron's 755th home run ball landed July 20th, 1976, and that said spot will forever be remembered with a plaque...be it resolved that THIS would be the perfect chance to kill two birds with one proverbial baseball: observe the unveiling of the marker with an "official" number retirement ceremony. And, as the Braves mark the 50th anniversary of Milwaukee's one and only World Series win, why not tie it all together with one, big, giant bash at Miller Park? I know the Brewers are in the midst of remembering the 1982 A-L pennant winners, but what the heck? A chance to give Hank his props, as well as his surviving teammates? Not to be crass, but it also has some healthy marketing opportunities, too. I'm always thinking about movin' the merch, you know.

Hank's already said he's busy when and if Barry Bonds hits number 756, and personally, I think it's a good call. As all of baseball looked the other way during the steroids era, Aaron is the one guy who can claim the high ground and steer clear of what promises to be one of the game's more muted celebrations.

What better way to remember Hank, the Braves, and all that's right with the game by unveiling the 755 marker, remembering the 44 that hangs in Miller Park, and embracing the '57 Braves one more time with a gathering Friday night, July 20th when...why, what a coincidence! The Brewers play Bonds and the Giants that night.

THAT would be TOO PERFECT.

We Know Where It Landed--Now, Where The Hell Is It?

2007-04-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

One good thing about Barry Bonds: his imminent busting of Hank Aaron's home run record is giving a classy guy one more day in the sun.

The juxtaposition of Bonds against the former Brave and Brewer is stark--Bonds is everything Aaron ISN'T. Bonds is a living stereotype of all that's wrong with today's athlete: arrogant, aloof, a piss-poor teammate and, if the accounts in the best-selling steroids tell-all "Game of Shadows" are to be believed, a pretty rotten human being in general.

Aaron, on the other hand, is gentlemanly, humble, and dignified. This, I know, from personal experience, having had the honor of interviewing him when his book, "If I Had A Hammer", came out in the 90's. It qualifies as one of the highlights of my professional and personal existence.

And then...there's Dick Arndt.

Expect to hear alot about him in the days ahead, as Bonds edges ever closer to Aaron's 755 home runs. That's because Arndt caught the last one.

We found out this week, through GPS readings, precisely where the ball landed that July night in 1976. Arndt was there, as it landed, to gather it in.

Trouble is, Arndt worked on the County Stadium grounds crew, and the team ruled that he couldn't keep the sphere. He said he'd give it back, if he could do so personally to Aaron. The Brewers refused, Arndt got canned, and even docked the five bucks for the ball on his final paycheck.

But, he got to keep it.

This is where I come in...myself and my partner, Bob Reitman.

We'd read about Arndt and Aaron, thinking we could serve as mediators. This was well into the 80's, perhaps around the tenth anniversary of Aaron's circle-clout, if memory serves. How cool would it be if our little radio show could reunite Aaron with a ball that obviously meant so much to him?

We were able to track Ardnt down, and the drama began. We were go-betweens for the Brewers and the former grounds crew guy, working out Arndt's demands--I remember he held fast to the one about handing the ball to Aaron personally, and also wanting plane fare for himself and his family. Things started coming together and it looked as though the great reunion was about to happen.

And then, Arndt pulled the plug...literally keeping the ball and going home.

Adding insult to the injury, Arndt would show up at an Aaron autograph show where the all-time home run king would unknowingly sign the very ball he wanted so badly, boosting the value of Arndt's questionable gain.

Arndt later sold the ball, and gave a portion of the take to charity. Suffice to say, he got a handsome return on his five-dollar investment.

The ball is now with a deep-pocketed fan, instead of Aaron who thinks it should be in the Hall of Fame. That, of course, speaks volumes about the kind of guy Aaron is: he respects the game, and thinks it's artifacts should be available for all to see, instead of gathering dust in someone's safe-deposit box.

The best seats in the house go to the folks with the deep pockets. Collectors and card freaks turn our childhood memories into investments. Guys who luck into the game's artifacts turn their good fortune into momentary fame and seven-figure portfolios. That's how time changed our game.

What stays the same?

Our untainted memories of days gone by, and the eternal class of one of baseball's true elite: Hank Aaron. For every Bonds story you read in the weeks ahead, keep the Hammer in mind, especially if you need a reminder of what's right about the game. And, remember this story when the plaque goes up in the Miller Park parking lot, showing where Aaron's final swat came down.

Want to read a different take on Arndt? Check out this blog:

http://www.whatsyourmotto.com/Blogs/2006/05/10/Homerun/

My Journal/Sentinel buddy, Tom Haudricourt, gives a detailed account of Aaron's swat, the ball, Arndt and all that followed:

http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/brew/aug99/scrap28082799.asp

When The "News Cycle" Stops Spinning...

2007-04-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Anna Nicole.

Imus.

And, now, Virginia Tech.

Each of the above stories knocked the usual newsroom planets out of alignment at the various cable current events channels, some more so than other.

The death of the Guess jeans model/well-married widow got WAY more attention among the legitimate media than it deserved, while the Don Imus flame-out gave us all a chance to debate race, respect and the culture of mean--things that I think don't get enough serious consideration until someone like a shock jock of politician self-immolates in front of a mike.

Virginia Tech? How can you NOT cover it? React to it? Put faces on it's victims? Ask about the ongoing trend of violence at school and the workplace?

There are some who say enough is enough--some at my daughter's college campus complained that all of the attention could inspire copycat situations in which another disaffected loner looking to make a statement ammo's up and unloads on the innocent.

It may--but then, what inspired THIS event? And, what should the media do with such stories?

Many newsrooms don't report suicides or bomb threats, the thinking being that the publicity could inspire someone else to follow suit. It's a policy I agree with (unless the incident causes some sort of incidental inconvenience for the greater general public, but that has to be looked at case by case).

That rule cannot apply to mass slaughter.

Yes, an unstable person could see the coverage and be inspired to follow suit. Then again, as history shows, these kind of people can be set off by the most innocuous slight: spurned affections, an insult, or some other "injustice", real or perceived.

What the media--in particular, the cable channels--need to do is remember that there are other news events still happening amid colossal tragedy. Huge, breaking stories deserve wall-to-wall attention. Swimming in ill-conceived sidebars just so there's something to show between somber music bumpers serves no purpose, other than to give the viewer reason to complain that the story is being beaten to death for ratings. Toward that end, local stations should keep looking for the angles that can tie a distant community to a huge event: the kid from town who saw/heard/actually witnessed what happened at Virginia Tech that fateful day strikes me as news. Talking to someone who graduated from the school years ago and wasn't even there at the time? That's a stretch that serves no function.

The media serve a powerful purpose at times like this--informing, comforting, and giving folks a shared experience to which they can react, recoil, recover, and repair. They can enlighten us as to what to look in each other--so that maybe, just maybe, someone intervenes before we live through another one of these nightmares.

Ever End Up Being The Only Guy Not Laughing At A Joke?

2007-04-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

You need to know a couple of things before I go on:

1) It's two a.m. as a write this. I just woke up, and it takes a LOT to make me laugh.

2) I'm apparently the ONLY person who doesn't think EVERYTHING Will Ferrell does is the

funniest thing every created.

That said, here's this week's "Internet Video of the Year"--a two minute vignette that's gone "viral": web-speak for something so hot, it generates million of hits. This particular one is probably at the two-million mark as of this writing, and certain to go even nuttier now that it's gotten home-page coverage from this morning's "Los Angeles Times." Comments? Universally fawning--everyone I read raved about it.

I didn't laugh once.

Not even a smile.

Watch, and tell me what you think.

WARNING: It contains some language that might bother you. Don't say I didn't warn you. Oh, by the way: it'll come from a two year old child.

Here it is:

http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=3efbc24c7d2583be6925

And, here's the back-story, as told in this morning's "Times".

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-ferrell17apr17,0,912059.story?coll=la-home-headlines

A Father, His Son, And Their Connection To History

2007-04-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

It was a turkey club sandwich and a bowl of clam chowder that brought me and Ron Rabinovitz together. And now, I don't want to stop talking to him.

It was lunchtime Friday, and I knew the cupboard at home was bare. I had an itch for a turkey club and a bowl of chowder plus the companionship that comes from being alone with a newspaper. I found both at an eatery on my side of town, ordering up my grub and grabbing a copy of USA Today.

There, on page one of the sports section, was Ron.

He's not an athlete, or an agent, or an owner. We share two things: a hometown (Sheboygan) and a passion for baseball.

Ron, though, is so much more.

Ron was a childhood pen-pal of the legendary Jackie Robinson--a relationship that sprouted over the years, lasting until Robinson's death in 1972. Here's the story, as told to USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-04-12-robinson-letters_N.htm?csp=34

I was lucky enough to be co-hosting a sports talk show on our sister station, WTMJ, Sunday morning with my newsbud, John Jagler. I figured Ron would make a good guest, and gave him a cold-call Saturday night to see if he would take part.

We ended up talking for about 20 minutes--about Sheboygan, our childhoods, and baseball. I could've gone an hour with him but had to be on my way. Plus, I didn't want to leave the interview "on the phone"--I wanted there to be something fresh and new to talk about on the air.

No worries.

Ron proved to be one of the best guests I've ever had a chance to talk to--it doesn't matter if you don't know a baseball from a tuna can, because his story is so compelling. It speaks of a time gone by, when athletes connected with fans, and, sadly, when old prejudices still had to be fought. It speaks volumes of both Jackie Robinson and of Ron's father, David, who gave his boy the ultimate life lesson.

Listen in to our chat as it aired April 15, 2007: the 60th anniversary of Robinson's first big-league game.

http://podcast.wkti.com/DesktopModules/Orizonti_NukeNews/getLink.aspx?pid=22&tid=837&newsid=13368

Choosing To Be Like Mike...Instead of Jackie

2007-04-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine sports without color.

The green grass. The blue sky. The white ice. The uniforms.

The men and women in them.

It's hard to believe there was a time when pro baseball was a white country club where minorities were welcome to watch and serve, but not play. To put it into a perspective I could understand, blacks were in the game just ten years...ten years...when I was born in 1957.

Unbelievable.

As we remember Jackie Robinson on this, the 60th anniversary of his entrance into the majors, the debate isn't about opportunities for blacks and other minorities in pro baseball. The question now: why aren't more African-Americans playing it?

People with larger brains than me have a variety of takes--one of the best of which is in this morning's Washington Post. Columnist Michael Wilbon talks to an MLB exec who says it might have alot to do with...ready for this? Nike.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18104228/

Here's a quote that leaps from Wilbon's page: "It's a generational sport," Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations, said. "Your dad or your granddad or uncle explained all the nuances to you, the game within a game, how to fill out a scorecard. . . . The game was passed down. Well, we've lost a generation of teachers because of all the new interests."

New interests, yes, and I venture to say the collapse of the traditional family. How many African American kids are growing up in homes with no fathers, no male influences? How many have no one to play catch with...hit fly balls to...watch a game on t.v. with?

Jackie Robinson could only open the door--he can't shove people through it. As the 60th anniversary of his breaking of the color barrier arrives, I choose to celebrate the fact that Major League Baseball is now more colorful than ever, with people of all colors and from many nations playing the game at it's highest level. And, that the opportunity to join them remains for all.

And Then, There Were Two...

2007-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

I wonder what Reitman's doing?

Just kidding.

Bob is enjoying a well-deserved life after radio, and soon another one of my partners, Amy Taylor, will be joining him.

Amy announced yesterday that she's leaving WKTI to become a full-time mom, wife and daughter. She has triplets, a husband and parents that all need tending to, and I salute her for doing what she believes is best for all concerned.

And, I hope others will understand, too. We've all felt the tug--male and female alike. When you're working, you feel as though you should be tending to the family. When you're home, you're thinking about the job.

I've known people of both genders who got grief for choosing family over office--I'm guessing the folks dishing it out weren't secure enough in their own choices to be happy for someone who might've made a different call. Or, maybe they're just plain jealous. I think life is best lived letting others make their choices, with others extending the same courtesy to us.

I can only speak for myself when I say I couldn't be happier for Amy as she prepares for life after broadcasting. She's a colossal journalist, a great radio companion, and a close personal friend. I'll miss what we shared on the air, and I'll also long for those chats we had when the mikes were off and we matched notes on news, life, kids, food, and anything else we'd put in our cross hairs.

People talk, and I'm sure there's plenty of chatter out there about what's going to happen next at the radio station--trust me, NO ONE loves to gossip more than people in the broadcasting business. There are three ways to spread a rumor: telephone, telegraph and tell-a-radio person.

Those coming here today looking for some sort of insight into the future will go away wanting. This isn't the time to talk about "the next Amy Taylor". I choose to use the next two weeks to savor what is one of the more uniquely talented, smart, funny, informed radio personalities to ever grace Milwaukee television and radio. And, to celebrate the brave choice Amy made in leaving a lucrative career to handle life's most important jobs: wife, mother and daughter.

Bloated Athletes And Anemic Ethics

2007-04-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Bud Selig gets his hair cut once a week--so there's no doubt he'll look neat and clean when he poses with Barry Bonds after the San Francisco slugger strokes career home run number 756 sometime this summer.

What, you say...Mr. Selig won't be there?

He ought to be. Selig had a lot to do with the history Bonds is on the cusp of making (as I write this, he just jacked number 736 in Pittsburgh). Selig, the players union, fans and the media had better be ready to take ownership of this questionable achievement since all played a part in letting it happen.

Bonds is thoroughly unlikeable as a player, teammate or man. The best-selling book "Game of Shadows" pretty much confirms this, detailing Bonds' "alleged" use of steroids as well as his deficiencies as a human being. Aside from the perennial chip on the shoulder that he sports, he is the poster child for the jock-entitlement mentality that most of us project onto athletes without ever really getting to know them. Bonds makes that puppet come to life.

Conventional wisdom is that Selig doesn't want to be caught in photos or on film shaking the slugger's hand, only to find out later on that the juicing allegations are true. Then, it becomes the modern sports version of "Dewey Beats Truman", the photo-equivalent of Milli Vanilli: fraudulent, wrong, phony, engineered.

Trouble is, baseball was only too eager to embrace Bonds and other alleged users when it needed them in the days after the 1994 strike.

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa thrilled us all as they fought to bust Roger Maris' mark, starting a horsehide renaissance that continues today.

No one asked any questions as their puffy, bloated caricatures swatted spheres monstrous distances and shattered all manner of records because, after all, "chicks dig the long ball."

The media fell in lockstep, too--failing to ask the tough questions, doing features instead about juiced balls. Only one--S-I's Rick Reilly--had the stones to confront Sosa at his locker, pleading with him to submit to a urine test on the spot to put the whispered allegations to rest. It made for a great column in his magazine, but it almost cost Reilly his teeth.

Fans and front offices all turned the other way, too: next time the Cardinals are in Milwaukee, be sure to ask the St. Louis faithful what happened to the McGwire jerseys they used to sport.

And then there's Bud--true, he's presided over a crackdown on both steroids and amphetamines, a belated set of moves that won't change the set of tainted records that now dot baseball's books. Selig and the player's union went along for the ride in the 90's when it was convenient for both to look the other way. Now, it's time to reap what's been sown.

Sack up, Bud, and take it like a man--one of the game's most cherished records is about to fall, and Bonds won't be breaking it alone. Failing to show up convicts Bonds of something the courts have yet to find him guilty of. And, don't offer up the bull about the commissioner being a no-show when Aaron hit number 715: Bowie Kuhn's colossal gaffe is nothing to emulate. It was a tragedy in '74 and the ultimate diss to a man who deserved much better for all he went through in shattering the mark.

Can't you just hear the photographers now?

"One more, Mr. Selig--only this time, shake Barry's hand without gagging."

Does He Have Matching Shoes For His New Pink Slips?

2007-04-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

I guess we won't have Don Imus to kick around anymore--at least, until he's on the bird.

CBS completes his emasculation by firing him this afternoon--MSNBC cut him loose earlier this week, meaning that, as of now, he no longer has a national platform.

I'm guessing it's just a matter of time until he inks a satellite deal, allowing him to operate untethered to a global audience. That's one way around those messy F.C.C. regs and all those ears, waiting for you to step on your own you-know-what.

It's working well for Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, and any other number of performers who are now free to do what they want in front of a mike. You get to hear it, if you're willing to pay.

You can scroll down and read my previous takes on the I-man--in a word, I wish he would've come back so the free market could've decided his fate: listeners, guests, advertisers. The latter already voted with their feet, fleeing Imus as if her were...what, radioactive?

I've also broken bad on the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, who also made verbal missteps in the past yet somehow seem to be given credibility as the unelected leaders of the maltreated and racially oppressed.

I've scoured the wires, reading all I could on the Imus situation while trying to find someone who was saying something that I haven't heard/seen anywhere else. Then, a buddy sent me the following, written by K.C. columnist Jason Whitlock. I think he is, as the British say, "spot on" on several fronts.

Read it, and weigh in.

http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html

Mirror, Mirror, Not On The Wall But In Don Imus' Hands

2007-04-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Do you like what you see?

Don Imus held a mirror up in America's collective face, and I'm guessing it makes a lot of us want to turn away.

MSNBC execs, in announcing their decision to can Imus' simulcasts after what the talk host said about the Rutgers women's basketball team, say it wasn't this latest incident that prompted the move, but rather a pattern of such behavior.

Why, then, didn't the plug get pulled sooner? Did it take a sponsorship stampede way from the I-man to give the network a conscience? To ask what MSNBC employees thought about their colleague?

What about the millions who worked their way toward Imus every morning? His numbers were strong, and he apparently was gaining on CNN in terms of a.m. audience. They must've liked what they heard--the "pattern" must've been pretty palatable (in the interest of full disclosure, yours truly listened to I-Tunes Imus podcasts each day on the way into work--they featured only his interviews, and I never remember hearing anything even remotely approaching what happened last week).

Where were the "professionally pissed", the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson before this? Did they only show up after the latest Imus contretemps started getting national media traction? Why aren't they going after rappers and fellow African Americans who demean and degrade women in rap videos and lyrics? After all, where did the word "ho" come from, anyway? Listen to Sharpton's explanation in this column--you can see the video itself via a link at the end of it:

http://newsbusters.org/node/11990

I wonder what would've happened to Imus had he been given the chance to return to MSNBC. Do you think his audience would've come back? Would it have grown even larger, spurred on by a "what-will-he-say-next" mindset? How about his guests, which included A-list politicians and network news types--would they have wanted to be associated with such an infamous host? And, what about the sponsors? Would those who fled this week have returned after the hub-bub died down and the ratings spiked up?

I guess the I-man couldn't hold the mirror up long enough for us to look at that.

This Just In: The Midwest Isn't Built For April Baseball

2007-04-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

It's one of my favorite all-time sayings.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result."

Enter Major League Baseball.

It keeps trying to convince Mother Nature that baseball can be played throughout North America in the month of April. This month, and many of the April's preceding it, proved otherwise.

Milwaukee is benefiting from the brutally harsh spring, snagging a bonus Indians/Angels series from snow-socked Cleveland this week. Good thing Miller Park has a lid, though, as our temps linger in the 40's with a foot of snow due in Southeast Wisconsin Wednesday.

Northern U.S. fans continue to shiver--those in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and other places don football duds for the boys of summer.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Seattle, Anaheim, Arizona, L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Arlington, Houston, Miami, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Toronto and Tampa Bay should all start their seasons at home--they're either warm, or domed. You might have to roll the dice at a few other venues, but the remedy is right in front of Commissioner Bud Selig's face.

Then again, he's been known to have his head turned on occasion when that happens.

"We do the best we can," Commissioner Bud Selig told MLB.com Monday night as the Diamondbacks opened their home schedule against the Reds after four frigid games against the Nationals at RFK Stadium. "We try to squeeze 162 games into a 182-day season. And it's very difficult. You try to make little changes, but you can't please everybody."

He's not alone.

"If somebody can predict weather for me 18 months in advance we'd be happy to do it another way," added Katy Feeney, Major League Baseball's senior vice president of scheduling and club relations, when reached in New York on Monday. "But nobody has been able to do that."

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, Kathy, and predict that the weather in Wisconsin next April will SUCK. May's not a mortal lock for sunshine and 80 degrees, either. June? Hit-and-miss. And, I can remember ordering hot freakin' chocolate at a 4th of July game at County Stadium.

The warm-weather D-Rays opened this year in frosty Yankee Stadium, and the dome-home Twins were on the road, too. Why?

Money.

"The warm weather teams don't want to be heavily home in April and May, either," she said. "They want their June, July and August dates (after school lets out), too. Plus, if you go by that logic, would you have any of the Florida teams or the eastern teams at home during hurricane season? And that's June through September."

Yeah, and we have tornadoes here in the Midwest, so by that logic, we should do April through September games in someone's basement.

Feeney says MLB tried the warm-weather angle a few season ago--only to run into unseasonably cold weather in late April. The game adopted the you-can't-win-for-losing mantra, and went back to it's old, cold ways.

Fix it, Commissioner. You insist baseball is in a fan-friendly renaissance--do the game's constituency a solid by making sure we don't have to dress like we're shoveling snow. We'll be doing that later today, getting a foot of it out of our driveways in time to watch tonight's Indians/Angels game under the Miller Park dome...while our Brewers play on the road in Florida.

Does that make ANY sense? Or, is it the definition of insanity?

Let The People Decide

2007-04-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

What does a Milwaukee morning radio host listen to on the way into work?

This one chooses Don Imus.

His podcasts kept me company the past few months, including this morning when I heard him apologize for his "nappy headed ho's" crack, aimed at the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

There's no sorrying-away what Imus said, although he tried, anywhere that'll have him. His latest happened on this morning's "Today" show. Click on the link, then head for the video portion of the MSNBC website.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

He talks about "context" and good works for sick kids and friends who are black and how he picks on everyone and....it...all...falls...short. What he said was wrong and now he's getting a two-week corporate sitdown. Some want him gone, others want stronger sanctions, and a few are probably comfortable with what he got. There might even be folks who think it's nothing.

Who should be offended?

The women of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, who are the targets of the comments in question.

Who should decide the fate of Don Imus?

Me. You. Everyone else with a radio or television that receives the Imus program. All come with dials and buttons that determine stations. You run those controls. You also decide what stays and goes.

Not the professionally pissed, like the Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson. Both had their brushes with the ill-said, and they got forgiven. It's not up to them to be upset for ANYONE. Their outrage only seems to manifest itself when the target is large, famous, and obvious. I hope they save some of their anger for the more subtle forms of racism people of all colors endure every day....actions that don't get "Today" live-shots but are facts of life for way too many. Of course, fighting THAT won't get you a half-hour of prime morning television.

It's very easy for the self-righteous to leap onto the "he should be fired" bandwagon--they'll tell you that if you don't agree, well, then, you must endorse racist speech. Not so. You endorse it only if such talk continues, and if you keep consuming it without challenge.

Trust me, nothing--NOTHING--speaks to a broadcaster like low ratings and the lost revenue that comes with them. If enough Imus fans are truly upset, and if his guests (who include tons of Beltway A-listers and network t-v heavies) agree by putting the I-man on the pay-no-mind list, he'll go away. Ignoring the obnoxious, the distasteful and the untalented is the best possible way to make the offending party vanish from the public airwaves.

You're free to say whatever you want in this country--realizing, of course, that comments come with consequences. Imus dodged tons of bullets in his 40 years on the air, and this could be the one that fells him. I've enjoyed having him ride shotgun with me the past couple of months, and I'll probably give him another listen if/when he comes back. I want to see if he truly changes his act, how he'll carry himself on the air, and who's going to still want to play with him after what happened.

As someone who's had his share of on-air gaffes, I'm thankful for the second-chances I've gotten from various station managers during my career. But ultimately, it's the listeners who get to decide your fate.

So should it be with Don Imus.

Sanjaya Gets Me to Cry "Uncle"

2007-04-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

My "Surrender Sanjaya" push isn't getting any traction.

None.

Nada.

Zip.

In fact, as incredible as it seems, Sanjaya is getting sympathy, if not momentum. Haters might even beat their swords into plowshares after reading the following piece.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18014242/page/2/

I don't hear the talent, but I DO agree that the judges created Sanjaya, and that they're now stuck with him. And, I also don't think legions of "Idol" haters are beating their phone fingers bloody trying to discredit the show at the behest of Howard Stern and other evildoers. There are better things to do. Video games and sleeping come to mind.

The planet won't stop spinning on it's axis if Sanjaya wins. Or, even if he cracks the top five. He probably is a shoe-in for a record deal already, simply because he's cute and can kinda carry a tune. And, as the father of a soon-to-be 17 year old, I'm all in favor of any teenager having a paying job.

So, I guess I'll put a bullet in my "Surrender Sanjaya" push. Instead, I'll devote my energies to a more noble cause: continuing the "Idol" candidacy of Haley Scarnato.

Because she's a great singer, of course.

Thanks For Coming...Now, Go Home!

2007-04-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

He cheered every base hit as if it had driven in the winning run in Game Seven of the World Series.

The Cub fan, and his buddy, sat one section over from mine in the club boxes at Miller Park Saturday afternoon. He wasn't being profane, but he wanted EVERYONE to see that he was reveling in his Cub-dom, miles from the Friendly Confines. He was guilty only of being excited, and very, very much at home. He, like every other Cub fan this weekend, acted as if as if MY ballpark were HIS.

And, many of them were doing it from some of the best seats in the house.

It happens at Lambeau, too, and it royally cheeses me off. It's obvious that Brewers and Packers season ticket holders are selling their seats to the enemy, no doubt at a handsome profit. There are Brewers season ticket holders who buy Cubs dates with absolutely NO intention of using them--instead, they flip 'em on E-Bay for obscene prices, which the Chicago jugheads are more than willing to pay. Think how much you can shave off the cost of a Brewers partial season ticket plan if you sell your Milwaukee soul along with the Cubs portion of your slate.

That's the only reason why I'm watching the Easter Sunday Brewers game and seeing a lard-assed Cubs fan sitting in the front row of the field boxes between the dugouts--I'd bet my kids that those chairs are occupied by Brewers season ticket holders the rest of the year.

It explains why you see Urlacher jerseys 10 rows up on the 50 yard line in Green Bay, too. Yes, even Packers fans can be bought. Purple and gold, blue and orange: they all pay green, and to some loyal "fans", it's a temptation too good to refuse. Shame, shame.

The Brewers tried to "take back Miller Park" a season ago, with middling results. Face it, folks, Cubs fans are more plentiful and far more motivated than Brewers backers are when it comes to securing ducats. Even though Milwaukee fans bought up a million chairs before the season's first pitch, there seems to be no thwarting the Illinois hoards.

Then again, we don't have to help them by taking their cash.

No honorable Brewers/Packers fan should sell their tickets to the opposition. It's sacrilege. Prostitution. Treason. Aiding the enemy. If Cub fans want to come here, let 'em sit in the nosebleeds after we've gotten our first swipe at seats.

It'd be a good first step toward taking back Miller Park--and keeping Cubs fans from tossing our own home runs back onto the field the way they did Sunday.

Our next mission: making sure we take at least two of three the next time they come to town.

Things The Easter Bunny Can't Deliver

2007-04-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Who says nothing good comes out of Chicago?

Some Brewers fans who got stuck next to Windy City blowhard Cubs backers at Miller Park this Easter weekend are probably wishing for a fence to be installed along the Illinois/Wisconsin border---the same kind they're talking about that'll shock those evil boat-jumping carp from vaulting into Lake Michigan.

Then again, there's Regina Bakala and Georgia Thompson, who both had life-altering changes handed to them in Chicago courtrooms the past few days. They probably have better things to say about our Big Shouldered neighbors.

Bakala and her husband, David, got the news this week that they can stay in the United States after living for years amid the threat of imminent deportation. Their struggle to flee oppression and possible death in their native Congo is rife with the kind of drama and legal courtroom wrangling you'd see on "Law and Order", only these weren't actors--these were REAL PEOPLE who wanted to start a new life in a new land.

Why this country makes it so hard for people like the Bakalas to do that is the stuff for other people's blogs--folks with a rudimentary understanding of immigration law. Honest, hard-working citizens who made the effort to do the right thing shouldn't be punished because legal t's weren't dotted and i's crossed.

The Bakalas no doubt have plenty to be thankful for, including the moment of clarity that came in that Chicago federal courtroom as the clouds cleared and common sense prevailed. They also are no doubt grateful for one Sister Josephe Marie Flynn and her band of activists at St. Mary's Catholic Faith Community in Hales Corners who tirelessly worked on the behalf of the Bakalas--raising funds and spirits when both needed to be. In the interest of full disclosure, St. Mary's is my parish and I'm damn proud of those who worked so hard on the Bakala's behalf.

Then there's Georgia Thompson--the former State of Wisconsin staffer who, in the words of one Federal Appeals Court judge in Chicago, got left holding the sack.

Thompson, too, is home for Easter, after getting sprung by the court a few days ago--a relatively unprecedented move according to legal observers.

Thompson got convicted of two felony counts in connection with the awarding of a state travel contract to a Milwaukee area company--one that lavished money onto Jim Doyle and his gubernatorial campaign. Doyle got cash, the company got the contract, and Thompson got 18 months in the pokey.

That, my friends, is the textbook definition of "the sack."

And, even though she's free, Thompson's a financial mess, having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on her legal defense. Her job? Gone, although there's talk of her returning with back-pay. Reputation? Well, acquittal helps, but life may never be the same.

It was hard listening to Doyle talk about Thompson being used as a political football in the hours after the federal court's decision--mostly because he didn't say squat when the case first broke. Following her conviction in June, Thompson resigned from her state job. The Wisconsin State Journal reports, "At the time, Doyle said, "I have zero tolerance for ethical lapses in government. When public servants abuse the public's trust, they forfeit their rights to continue in the state's employ." Within hours of the reversal, the Governor apparently discovered that he had grown a set of stones in the time Thompson sat in stir, calling what happened "a terrible injustice" that turned Thompson into "a political football" which he blamed in large part on "sensationalized media reports and partisan attacks."

Want THIS guy in your foxhole?

Republicans, who wanted something...anything...to stick to Doyle during his re-election battle with Mark Green, got their chance to do the "See,-we-TOLD-you-so!" happy-dance when Thompson got sent away. They also turned her into the subject of many a Green campaign ad.

So, you say you want a career in state government?

Two women, both home for Easter, both thankful in their own ways for the turns of events this Holy Week.

Even though it's Easter and not Thanksgiving, let us use the holiday to hope for more friends like the ones that stuck by the Bakalas, fewer like those who tossed Thompson under the proverbial bus, and more court decisions like the ones out of Chicago that are letting two women get on with their lives.

Rosie On The Grassy Knoll: Hip Prophet, or Crazy-Go-Nuts?

2007-04-05T12:33:00.002-07:00

The recent blog about Rosie O'Donnell's 9-11 conspiracy theory generated a couple of links, one that details the seemier side of WTC 7's collapse:

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/cutter.html

...and, another with the Popular Mechanics analysis:

Read, digest, balance, and please let me know what you think.

Is Anyone Sitting In That Seat?

2007-04-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

He gets the best seat in the house...free.

He doesn't have to worry about traffic.

For some reason, President Bush has yet to execute a key duty of his office--the tossing out of the ceremonial first pitch of the 2007 baseball season.

The hometown Washington Nationals were at R-F-K this week opening against the Florida Marlins, yet the Commander in Chief was a no-show.

The Baltimore Orioles are close by--at least to someone with helicopter access. Oh, wait--they're not home until next week. Maybe the President can do a belated first-pitch at Camden Yards.

Then again, maybe the President isn't in a baseball frame of mind--or at least, in a mood to enjoy the national past time amongst we, the unwashed.

Ticketmaster doesn't ask if you're Republican or Democrat, meaning Mr. Bush stands the risk of being exposed to a bipartisan crowd if he decides to take in a fray. And, me thinks that with approval ratings like Wisconsin temperatures this week (in the low 30's), there's a good chance he could get HIS BRAINS BOOED OUT.

He's not the first Chief Exec to bail--Bill Clinton missed his last four Opening Days, which came at the height of Monica-gate and impeachment. Ronald Reagan only did three in eight years, although he had a pretty good excuse in 1981 being on the D-L with a gunshot wound to the chest and all.

Nixon? Skipped '71 and '72 as anti-war sentiment hit a fever-pitch (get it?) and also took a pass in '74 as Watergate entered it's final innings.

Lyndon Johnson threw out his last ceremonial pitch in 1967...he was lame-duckin' by the time baseball returned to the nation's capitol in '68, having just announced his decision not to seek another term the month before.

Maybe Mr. Bush is just too darn busy to pull himself away from the massive burdens of his office to fling a sphere, down a dog, and sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

The President is workin' it this week, chiding Congress about it's Iraq war funding measures, telling Senators and Representatives that they shouldn't be taking time off when our troops need the cash included in those bills. He said it's no time for Congress to be on spring break.

He then got ready to head to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, for the Easter holiday.

The President still has a chance to get his obligation in--the Astros open their home slate this weekend in Houston, while the Rangers are in Arlington.

Why do I think he'll be watching on the tube?

Going Grassy Knoll

2007-04-04T13:58:00.001-07:00

Is this getting any traction?

You might've heard Rosie O'Donnell's recent rant about World Trade Center Building Seven being the target of a conspiracy--that there's no way such a building could've dropped the way it did that day.

Who's behind such a plot, and for what reason? The Rose doesn't say.

Apparently, though, if you say something loudly enough and suggest that anyone who disagrees is a dolt, you go unchallenged, at least on "The View".

The only conspiracy I'm buying into for now is the one that has O'Donnell making sure she didn't bring up such a topic on a day when Barbara Walters was at the desk.

I'd love to hear what you think, and if anyone can point me to something that tells me more about this theory, I'd love to see it...I'll post what I get.

Only Funny If You Saw the Movie...

2007-04-04T13:47:00.001-07:00

I haven't seen a gladiator movie since, well, the late '60's when I'd be at my counsin's house on a late Sunday afternoon and Channel 6 would run all the classics. My taste for such atrophied with age.
Until "300".
It's the kind of movie I never would've caught on my own, but my 16 year old son insisted we catch it (plus, he needed a parent to get under the ratings fence).
Glad I did.
It's bloody, violent, over the top, to be sure, but also very easy on the eyes with a compelling story based in fact. It's some really good movie making, and a lot of the country apparently agrees--my showing was packed and the film knocked down tens of millions in staying in the top five for several weekends.
All that said, the above fictional "300" trailer is hilarious--only if you saw the movie itself. Enjoy.

What's Wrong With A Little Kiss Between "Friends"?

2007-04-03T01:40:00.001-07:00

Admitting you have a problem--isn't that one of the 12 steps?

I'm addicted to one of the seemiest, most tawdry shows on television--FX's "Dirt", starring former "Friend" Courtney Cox. Seeing her play against type drew me to the show: Cox plays a kick-ass tabloid editor who says naughty words, plays with plastic, battery-operated toys and, in the season finale, KISSES JENNIFER ANISTON. I post the video here, as a public service.

Okay, it wasn't all that--Cox downplayed the scene in pre-show interviews, which I think was a huge tactical mistake.

I can't earnestly suggest you make "Dirt" a part of your life, certainly not the way I've pushed our radio crowd toward another FX offering, Denis Leary's "Rescue Me" which returns in June. "Dirt" is packed with pretty people doing tawdry, sometimes hard-to-watch things but it does have one of the tube's most compelling characters in paperazzi Don Konkey--a photog battling demons 24/7. The portrayal is gripping, and impossible to ignore. Actor Ian Hart deserves serious Emmy consideration.

I pestered people here at work about "Dirt" to the point of distraction--mostly because I couldn't believe what I was seeing and wanted to confirm it through other eyes. I found few takers, and finally became the subject of an on-air intervention, the message of which boiled down to: "Enough with the 'Dirt' already. You're watching. We aren't. Deal."

We'll find out if there are enough like-thinkers to bring "Dirt" back next year. If not, we have our memories, and select YouTube clips like the one above, to keep us warm.

See? He Likes To Laugh, Just Like Real People Do!

2007-04-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

Karl Rove proved that he, like any other guy in a tux at a wedding, can act a fool while dressed to the nine's the other night when he displayed his inner street during the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

Some love the man affectionately dubbed "Bush's Brain". Others see him as the poster child for all that ails the Administration.

Comedy Centrals Jon Stewart disassembles the Rove Rap:

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml

Clean Clothes, Road Map, Lipitor: Ready For The Annual Baseball Trip!

2007-04-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Baseball is runs, hits, errors.

It's E.R.A.'s, B.A.'s and S.B.'s.

In my house, it's also Erie, Pennsylvania, fried bologna sandwiches and Niagara Falls.

I devote a large portion of my life and income to America's past time--I worship Major League Baseball, own a Brewers 20 game season ticket package, possess all manner of jerseys/hats/memorabilia, and spend HOURS managing a fantasy team that brings me much aggravation and zero satisfaction.

This is the time of the year when those of us who love the game are to make our predictions, pick World Seiries winners and bloviate about what the home team's done to make itself a contender/blow it's chances before the first pitch.

The seasons blend together, but one part always stands out: the annual baseball road trip.

My son and I have yet to draw out this year's plan, but we will soon match schedules with maps and come up with an itinerary that'll take us to points unknown, seeing places that aren't traditional tourist spots, eating food no nutritionist would recommend, and having the time of our lives.

A hot dog tastes just as good on a cool, summer night in Batavia, New York as it does at Miller Park, and the story about how we got there is the relish that gives it an irreplaceable flavor. I'll never forget a sunset in Lexington, Kentucky--not because of the way a certain double play got turned as day was becoming night, but rather for the way my son sat in silhouette against the sky, scorebook in hand, as I got us a fresh round of grub.

The people we've seen--Charleston, West Virginia's "Toast Man" who plugs his Sunbeam in amongst the box seats and cooks up loaves of Wonder Bread, to be flung to fans each time the hometown team's pitcher strikes out an opposing batter (amid cries of, "You Are Toast!").

The Buffalo, New York beertender who makes his rounds ala Dan Akroyd, talking as if there's absolutely NOTHING unusual about wearing a Conehead while slingin' suds.

The food? Everything from Louisville, Kentucky's famous "Brown Hotel Sandwich"...

...to the infamous Primanti sandwich of Pittsburgh which mates meat, fries and cole slaw between two pieces of bread--it's to die for. Then, there's the night in Covington, Kentucky when Dad decided that THIS was the evening my son needed to experience the splendor that is White Castle--he and are trotting with bag of burgers in hand in the dark of night so we could get back to the hotel in time to watch the remake of "Dawn of the Dead."

Nashville is Jack's Barbecue--a national landmark with a genuine ambiance, intoxicating aroma, and a sauce that lingers for hours after the last bone hits the paper plate.

We've done our share of landmarks: the arch of St. Louis, the Falls of Niagara and a few life-altering visits to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during which I saw my boy go from a kid who liked a few songs on the radio to an affectionado of Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, the Kinks and others. Getting your kid to LIVE history is far better than trying to inflict it on them at home with a dry book or documentary.

Other wonders we've witnessed include the world's largest baseball bat outside the Louisville Slugger plant, and the globe's largest heads, which almost invariably plant themselves in the seat in front of me, no matter what the evening or where the ballpark.

Or, the Wally World moment we shared in Cincinnati, when he and I hit what was to be one of our ultimate destinations: a world class suburban amusement park where we'd kill the day while waiting for that night's Reds' game...only to find out that, on the last full week of August, Ohio kids GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND THE G-----N PARK WAS CLOSED!

I'll never try convincing anyone of baseball's virtues--I'm not an apostle of the game, only someone who loves and defends it at every turn. I believe you either "get" baseball, or don't. But there's nothing to "get" about travel, laughter, good food, time shared and stories that'll be told, retold and no doubt embellished as I edge closer to the nursing home and my son gets a family of his own...one that'll hopefully develop traditions onto itself, some of which I hope contain at least a smidgen of horsehide.

Do We Get A Receipt, Just In Case This Doesn't Work Out?

2007-03-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's quiet...too quiet.

Then again, that's the way it usually is when it comes to Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and radical, earth-shattering, roster-altering change.

Green Bay is a team entering the upcoming draft with gaping holes at running back, fullback and tight end, not to mention the shadow of a possible Randy Moss acquisition looming over the franchise.

Thompson slapped a gag order on his Lambeau minions, as if doing so will quell the buzz. He can't quiet the din in state bars and anywhere else fans gather...can't end the debate about whether Randy would be a good thing or bad.

More fans than I thought possible--many of whom know more about football than I ever will--are all for such a trade. And, it would seem to be a good thing from an Oakland Raider standpoint, too: they could save the millions being lavished on Moss while adding a front line receiver with their top pick.

I wrote not long ago that it made too much sense for the Raiders NOT to deal Randy to Green Bay--Brett Favre supposedly wants him, and he'd come at a relatively low price (presumably backup QB/fan-convicted flop Aaron Rodgers).

Careful what you wish for, Packers fans: read this column from out west and see if THIS is the kind of guy you want snapping locker room towels with a young, impressionable, up-and-coming team. You may understand while a deal for Moss hasn't been done--with Thompson, or any other NFL G-M.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_5545981

The Most Powerful 30 Seconds On T-V Each Week

2007-03-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

Want to see the most powerful 30 seconds or so on television?

It doesn't involve amateur singers waiting to see if they last another week on "Idol", or has-been actors hoping for another week of relevance on "Dancing With The Stars."

It's certainly not the NCAA tournament--not this March with one-and-two seeds dominating and drama in short supply.

Its not on "The Great Race" or "Grey's" or "Ugly Betty".

It happens every Sunday morning, between 10:20 and 10:30 CST on ABC.

It comes after George Stephanopolous trots the usual talking heads through his ABC studio for another edition of "This Week"...a fine show, no doubt, with the weekly roundtable one of my must-see's.

What comes after never fails to generate a tear.

It's simple.

It's quiet.

It's sad.

It's the weekly list of names of men and women killed in Middle East fighting.

Sons and daughters, listed in simple white font on a black screen amid downcast music. Names, ranks, hometowns.

Nothing is said.

Nothing has to be.

Making it sadder is the fact that this is about the only national exposure these noble souls will get. News of military deaths, even in this age of media saturation, is scatter-shot. Your government doesn't want you to see their caskets when they arrive stateside. About the only time we put a name and a face to the death toll is if the soldier comes from our hometown, when the story's made local and personal.

The list is also powerful for what it DOESN'T include--the names of the scores that are wounded, maimed and forever changed by combat, both physically and mentally. Until the Walter Reed scandal, those brave contributors remained largely under the national radar.

Out of sight. Out of mind.

Rosie O'Donnell struck a chord Monday morning on "The View", pointing out the national angst and tooth-gnashing that came after some house pets died from tainted store-bought food, while virtually nothing was said about the 23 service people killed in Iraq last week.

The paraphrased response from her fellow panelists: the pet story is new. The Iraq story is old...sad, but old.

Sad, indeed.

Surrender, Sanjaya

2007-03-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

He has every right to be there.

He's done nothing wrong.

And, that's why he should go.

Sanjaya Malakar, the heavily-maned but lightly-talented "American Idol" contestant, should fall on the proverbial sword and remove himself from the competition before he goes from curiosity to curse.

Some could say he's already cost talented singers their shot--is there any doubt that those who previously walked the plank, including Chris Sligh Wednesday night, forgot more about music than Sanjaya knows?

Things will only grow uglier for him as he survives and the capable are sent to the gallows. Little girls may like him, and those who want to impose their will on the popularity contest that is "Idol" may want to see if they can tip the show over on it's own absurdities, which is all the more reason for the boy to do the man's thing....and quit.

A burst of self-awareness--a news conference in which he admits "I'm not worthy" would defuse the Idol detractors, give the show a credibility boost, and guarantee Sanjaya a spot in American folk lore as someone too modest to confuse notoriety with talent--a rare trait these days where celebrity isn't always commiserate with accomplishment.

Sanjaya could then go back to his regular life--with a voice coach and an agent that could teach him a few things about how to carry himself (lose the faux-hawk, find a barber, and forget the smart-ass attitude you flipped Simon's way the other night--modesty is the best policy).

He could return in a few months a new creation: confident, street-wise, and more talented, with a resume that would lead off with the fact that he abdictated his unwanted role of Idol punchline to pursue a career of his choosing and at a level he's able to sustain.

Sanjaya has a choice--being 2007's William Hung, or being 2008's future megastar. He has the look, plus a modicum of talent. Add maturity plus modesty, and who knows? Others went much farther, with far less.

A Man Dies...A City Shouldn't, Too

2007-03-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Get back on the bike.

That's what I did the other day, after an inattentive driver almost turned me into 200 pounds of Flight for Life ballast at a suburban intersection.

It was Saturday--warm, bright, and packing the first true weekend taste of spring.

I'd ridden all the way from Whitnall Park to Miller Park and was within three blocks of home when it happened.

I'm at a stop sign as Mr. Head Up His Ass approaches at high speed to my right before deciding (without signalling) to turn in front of me--actually, turn right INTO me, since he cut the corner so short I thought he'd clip my stop sign first before obliterating me and my ride. He looked up at the last moment, swerved, and narrowly missed me. My wide-eyed fear morphed into open-mouth, full-lung profanity which, I'm sure, he didn't hear. I went home, amazed at how fast the body can go from producing endorphins to adrenaline, and, as evidenced by my bike shorts, urine.

The next day dawned, just as bright and beautiful, and I rode again, never giving the incident another thought. Stop riding, just because of one idiot? A single, random act of negligence? No. I'm taking the streets back. I belong here as much as the dopes do.

So it should be at Sherman and Capitol.

Much is read and said after last week's murder of Waukesha boxing coach Scott Huggins at the Citgo station at that Milwaukee corner. The Journal/Sentinel's Mike Nichols suggested the slaying of the suburban man by a would-be robber in broad daylight might be a "nail in the coffin" for Milwaukee. His colleague, Eugene Kane, suggested that random violence is a part of life daily in areas of the city, and that it took the slaying of a white guy to shine a light on that.

So, I figured it was time to get back on the bike again. Take the streets back.

I went there to top off the tank the other morning after work, figuring I belong there as much as the dopes do.

Stop living? Just because of a one idiot? A single, random act of violence?

Nails may get driven, but I'm not going to help hold the hammer.

There was nothing extraordinary at the pumps where Huggins died, save a single bouquet taped at one island where his Jeep supposedly stood as his killer approached. "Happy Valentines Day", it read.

The gas flowed, the tank closed, the money changed hands inside as the sign on the cash register told me to "Have A Blessed Day."

And then, unlike Huggins, I drove home.

Chances are, the same will happen to you.

If we let random fear rule our lives, we keep losing parts of our city that need our support, be it with a tank of gas, a dinner purchase, or some other simple act of commerce that keeps a store open, a family fed, a neighborhood vital. Driving through because of fear only accelerates the urban decay and the proiiferation of the unlawful element that's trying to dictate where we can go, and when.

Bluntly put--you can die anywhere. A north side gas station. A Whitnall Park area intersection. Your own backyard.

That's not being morbid. It's real. And, to allow that fear to rule your life would mean we'd be pounding all sorts of nails in constructing all manner of coffins around town.

I already know too many people who won't go to various parts of the city--including downtown Milwaukee--based on fear reinforced by what they see on the news and read in the paper. Does that mean you hit the roughest streets as night hits it's darkest wearing a suit made of $100 bills? No, there's still a time for being street smart.

There's also a time to get back on the bike, Milwaukee. This is one of 'em.

Have A Blessed Day.

Here's the link to a Nichols' piece that ran after Huggins murder:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=581983

...and another to Eugene Kane's:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=582223

Maybe I Should Just Ride My Big Wheel In The Driveway...

2007-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

I got yelled at by an old man today.

He was 70. He told me so.

It happened along a stretch of Milwaukee County's Oak Leaf bike trial in Franklin. I had met my nemesis earlier, under more friendly auspices, as he and I went in opposite directions this bright, sunny, unseasonably warm afternoon.

He stood out in my mind for several reasons--first, it was obvious that, despite his age, he was spry enough to still be active. Good for you, I thought. I hope I'm able to do what you're doing when I reach your stage in life.

He was also one of the few who acknowledged my presence--one of my biggest bugaboos about the trail is the general lack of friendliness among fellow users. I say "hi" or bob my head to everyone I encounter, not looking for a dinner invite or a hot, passionate kiss. Just a little common courtesy. Civility.

A few bob back.

Some smile.

More than plenty treat you like a ghost.

Others give you looks that suggest, "Go away, creep", "No speak English" or "One more word, and I'm going for the mace."

So it was a pleasant surprise when I noticed my old friend again, after I'd completed my loop and started heading home. He was 30 or 40 yards ahead of me when I recognized him, baseball cap perched jauntily on his head, legs pumping steadily.

I clicked my gears once or twice as I do when I approach someone, and then passed on the left.

"Arr, Arr, Arr, aaaaaa...ight!" is what I thought I heard him say, his voice trailing off in the distance.

Hmmm. That sounded like something more than hello, I thought.

I slowed. He kept jawing. It became obvious he no longer wanted to be my friend.

"Let people know when you pass," he cried. "You almost hit me!"

Truth is, it wasn't close...not by a damn side, even though he wasn't nearly as far to the right of the path as he could've been. My other bugaboo--people who act as if their name is "Oak Leaf Bike Trail" and they own all that is in front of them, as well as on both sides.

"f you stay to the right, you won't have to worry about getting hit," I shot back, thinking that would be the end of it.

I was well ahead of him by now, but he wasn't done. I could hear him barking away, obviously pissed and wanting to engage.

I stopped, got off my bike, and said, "What the hell is your problem?"

As he rolled by, he told me, "I'm 70 years old and I've been riding 15."

"That's great. I'm happy for you. I hope you ride for a long time," I said.

He replied, "If you hit me, it's a felony!"

I assume he meant hitting him on the path while riding. I sure as hell wasn't going to slug the old timer, altho running the grumpy old bastard off the road was starting to sound like a community service.

Then, I had to ask.

"By the way, do YOU have a horn?"

"Beep Beep" he said, and kept rolling by.

"Nice," I said, getting back on my bike.

By now he was ahead, so, inevitably, I had to pass him again.

"Here I come," I yelled, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm passing you on the left. Do you hear me?!?"

And pass him, I did, as he kept muttering away.

I completed the ride, feeling small and stupid for engaging, and wondering just what the rule was. I NEVER had ANYONE say ANYTHING to me when passing me on the trial--the same guy went by me three times that very afternoon, saying "hi" each time as he left me in his dust in his best Tour de France spandex.

I got home, hopped off the bike and hit "the Google" for "bike path etiquette." Every page, from every part of the country, even our very own Milwaukee County, said the same thing.

My 70 year old antagonist was right.

Those doing the passing are to say "on your left" well in advance of the people they're about to leave in their wake. Give them time to move, or even slow, so you can complete your pass faster.

Mea culpa, my elderly friend. You may be grumpy, but you were right. I was wrong. I'm officially schooled in the ways of the road.

And, still way embarrassed.

Peter Griffin, Meet Tony Soprano

2007-03-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

The only thing these two guys have in common is Sunday night.

Sure, Peter Griffin and Tony Soprano both are dealing with kids, wives, middle age, friends with quirks, and everything else mid-lifers cope with. Both star in edgy, prime time shows.

That's it.

Well, except for one thing: Tony owes Peter his name.

The recent "Vanity Fair" stokes "The Soprano" fires with a huge article on it's creator, David Chase--how the show got spurned by virtually everyone except HBO. It tells how Chase picked the cast, James Gandolfini's struggles with memorization, the weird dream sequences that make no sense to viewers (they aren't supposed to, Chase says, because that's how dreams are in real life).

And, it tells of Chase's struggle to brand his creation.

HBO finally ordered 13 episodes, just as Chase's contracts with his chosen castmembers were to expire, but the wrangling wasn't over, "Vanity Fair" says: Chase wanted to call the series 'The Sopranos' after some kids in his high school. "But HBO had a problem with that," he explains. "They thought people will say, 'It's about opera,' " which proved true. "They had people generating lists of alternate titles, page after page after page: "New Jersey Blood", this terrible s--t. They wanted to call it "Family Man." Steven Van Zandt (who plays Tony's consigliore) said, 'This is insane! Are they outta their f---n' minds?!' Then a series went on the air called "Family Guy", and that was the end of that. So they said, 'All right, use "The Sopranos."

Nine episodes of what is arguable the best, most real television drama remain, the first of which airs April 8th.

Randy Moss: Friend Or Foe? Guess What He'll Be If He Comes

2007-03-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

All that's left to decide is what number he'll wear.

After a weekend or so of sports talk exposure, including a bit of hosting with folks who know a damn side more about pigskin than I do, I've reached the sad conclusion that Randy Moss will be a Green Bay Packer soon.

The Raiders want him gone and they reportedly want only backup QB Aaron Rodgers in return, if you listen to the fine folks at ProFootballTalk.com.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

Moss and Brett Favre have the same agent, as does a potential first round Raider draft choice who, coincidentally, is a wide receiver, Calvin Johnson. The Packers slapped a gag order on all Moss talk, but didn't do what could've ultimately ended all the scuttlebutt: say that there's not going to be a deal for him.

I'm guessing Favre's back because he likes where the team's at and because G-M Ted Thompson promised Number Four pretty much whatever he wants in what appears to be his final Green Bay campaign. Moss could be Favre's final indulgence--a wideout who can stretch the field and open things up for Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and other potential targets.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the risk--but but then again, the guy supposedly trying to get Moss to Green Bay will no doubt have his number hanging in the Lambeau Ring of Honor. I will not be accorded similar accolades.

And, something tells me Moss won't be, either.

Hey, Hey, LBJ--How Many Aides Peed Outside Your Tent Today?

2007-03-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

1974.

Teenage acne left me with a face you could hear.

Heredity blessed me with a helmet of hair.

And, my elders left me a President I was ashamed of.

These were the high holy days of Watergate, and a nation that had so many other things to work on was distracted by a constitutional crisis involving hush money, blackmail, tapes and executive privilege.

Fast forward 33 years.

It's 2007 and a nation with so many things to do is instead distracted by a looming constitutional face-off involving "executive privilege" which, to me, is a tool that's used by Presidents to either cover up something a) illegal or b) embarrassing.

The mandate George W. Bush claimed in 2004 is squandered amid approval ratings in the low 30's--the lingering war didn't help, nor did Katrina, Scooter Libby, and now, the firing of federal judges for what appear to be political motives.

President Bush dolled out jobs to unqualified buddies like former FEMA head Michael Brown and longtime pal Alberto Gonzalez who's stay as Attorney General is very much in doubt. Bush, like Nixon three decades ago, is surrounded by a cadre of like-thinkers and yes-people who are valued more for loyalty than gray matter.

Many of us go to Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" for laughs, but he had a great moment of clarity the other night with former U-N Ambassador John Bolton. Stewart cited Abraham Lincoln as an example of a chief executive who filled his cabinet with political foes and direct competitors in hopes of finding great ideas and building a consensus.

Bolton said, no, not so.

So, the next night, Stewart run up historian Doris Kearns Goodwin who wrote a bestselling book on just that very treatise. She assured Stewart that his take, indeed, was right--that Lincoln built a team of rivals that eventually worked to save the union.

Maybe our current President should take a ride to Barnes and Noble, pull out the family credit card and buy himself the Lincoln story. Or, he should maybe heed the advice Ms. Goodwin offered at the end of her chat with Stewart, when she remembered her old boss, Lyndon Johnson. LBJ had a crude but pithy take on the concept of surrounding yourself with friendlies vs. having some foes amongst on the staff:

"I'd rather have my enemies in my tent, pissing out, than on the outside, pissing in."

See the Stewart/Goodwin chat here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=84111&ml_collection=&amp;ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fjon_stewart%2Findex.jhtml%3FplayVideo%3D84111%26rsspartner%3DrssFeedfetcherGoogle&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true

14:59...14:58...14:57...

2007-03-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Lazy.

Liberally biased.

There's no doubt the conventional media get the snot kicked out of them on a daily basis, but give credit where credit's due to the L-A Times which scores the scoop of the week, telling us who the now-famous "Crying Kid" was at "American Idol" Tuesday night.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-showtracker-idol-sp,0,376446.special

Caper cracked. I smell Pulitzer.

BTW, we're about two months and a day from the actual crowing of this year's "Idol" champ.

What'll She Do When They Cancel "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip"?

2007-03-21T11:14:00.001-07:00

Genocide in Darfur.

Civil war threatening U.S. troops in Iraq.

A terror mastermind still at large.

AIDS.

The guinea worm.

And THIS is what she chooses to go on a HUNGER STRIKE FOR?!?!?!?

A Formula So Easy...Even Cavemen Can Do It

2007-03-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Claymation--it's not just for Davey and Goliath any more.

That's what I thought when I first saw "The California Raisins" doing a Motown groove while touting the virtues of dried up grapes in early 90's television spots. The technology seemed so cutting edge, the concept so refreshing, it made me want to go out and buy a box of Sun-Maids and spend the rest of the day in the bathroom.

The Dancing Raisins became, to quote Ron Burgundy, "a big deal."

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/19845

Now come "The Cavemen"...a popular ad about to make the jump to television series.

I love the 'tude, the tone, the evolution of the spots, which are supposed to make me call for a car insurance quote but so far only got me to laugh--a lot. There's now talk of a regular series for the Neanderthals, which I think sounds like a stretch. Lemme take a swipe at the plotline: overweight suburban knuckle-dragger outkicks his coverage and marries really hot wife who sires several smart-ass kids who end up getting the show's funniest lines. Add over-reacting studio audience that ooh's and ahh's at all the right spots, especially when someone says something REALLY saucy. The meter pegs at all sexual innuendos. A safe home is secured in the Nielsen top 20 and no one has to work again once the syndication deal's cut.

It's so easy...even a Caveman could write it.

Read about the evolution of the ads on Slate at:

http://www.slate.com/id/2162149/

Where Are They Now? Terry Tate, Office Linebacker

2007-03-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Where did you go, Terry Tate?

There are still people taking the last cup of coffee without putting on a new pot.

There are still co-workers taking office supplies home.

And you were there, to make sure they got their just deserts.

I thought the Office Linebacker ads were some of the greatest ever aired--they got the ultimate compliment at work, where we'd gather around someone's terminal to watch the long versions of the spots, laughing uncontrollably even though we knew what was coming.

And just like that, they were gone.

I thought Reebok struck gold with number 56, and figured he'd be part of the landscape for years, but, then again, I thought the Miller Lite "Man Law" spots were destined to a long haul, too. Then, the marketing people pulled the plug, saying that while they were entertaining, they weren't moving enough "merch". Lord knows I did my part.

Then again, maybe that's why Reebok yanked Terry Tate. I remember laughing a helluva lot at the Office Linebacker's exploits, even looking for one of his jerseys to buy on the web.

I don't remember buying any Reeboks.

Read more about what happened to the man who brought Terry Tate to life , including the fact he might've been a Green Bay Packer, at:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/movies/bal-to.rasta19feb19,0,7687597.story?coll=bal-artslife-movies

And, here's the best of Terry, as per YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzToNo7A-94

So, How Did YOU Sleep Last Night?

2007-03-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Steven Avery's lawyers say Theresa Halbach's killer is still out there.

Most of Milwaukee apparently doesn't agree.

As I drive to work this morning at around two a.m., just eight hours or so since a jury found Avery guilty in connection with Halbach's slaying, I'm seeing nothing but dark houses in my suburban cul de sac. More of the same as I head toward I-43 for the ride into town. Nothing but lights out in almost every home that lines the interstate, and in the neighborhoods beyond.

It would seem my little chunk of southeast Wisconsin, just an hour and change from the spot where Ms. Halbach's final, horrible moments played out, is sleeping quite comfortably this morning, believing justice is done and a murderer is behind bars. No one is peeking through their curtains, shotgun in hand, waiting for the same monster to show up on their doorstep.

I wonder, too, how others are sleeping. Those I can't see...didn't drive past.

I wonder if Avery's defense team is resting well. I hold nothing against them for doing their jobs as officers of the court--they are charged with trying to get the best possible outcome for their client. But did they have to do it by sliming Manitowoc County authorities? By drumming up the conspiracy/frame-up theory that was the centerpiece of their argument for Avery's innocence? By calling into question the integrity of law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for us every day--without offering even the slightest SHRED of evidence to prove their far-fetched hypothesis?

How, indeed, did THEY sleep?

And, you have to wonder what it's like in a certain Manitowoc County jail cell--the one where Avery is being held, pending sentencing. How does one rest after being accused, then convicted, of such a heinous crime? When your life's prospects include nothing but a future filled with jail cells and appeals? Does he dream of another Courtroom Hail Mary? It happened once, when judicial advocates found the DNA evidence that sprung him from prison on a sexual assault rap after 18 years. It would seem that's only a dream, too, since the same technology that freed him not so long ago helped seal his fate in the Halbach case Sunday night.

And, allowed those in these parts to get a good night's sleep this morning.

Pitchy, Bitchy and Impossible To Ignore

2007-03-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've never seen a whole season.

I've never voted for a contestant.

Professional obligations force me to digest each and every "American Idol", and, while I don't think it's making me a better person or pushing me toward joining Jimmy Carter in curing guinea worm, I'm much more cognizant of one of the great pop culture phenomenons of our era.

"Idol" creates stars--not just the ones who win, but those who show that they have chops. It, and the web, are recreating how hit artists are made. No longer do singers have to sign their souls away to heartless record companies who'll treat them like meat and crush their creative spirits. Look at the charts for any format if you need proof.

"Idol" redid the prime-time television gird. It's called "The Death Star" in polite conversation among the opposing networks, and things far more profane when they chat privately. NBC, CBS and ABC have to steer their best shows clear of "Idol" nights because, no matter what they put up against it, Simon Cowell and company beat it down. Badly.

My biggest surprise in my first mandated season of "Idol" viewing? I'm ashamed to admit it, but...it's....Ryan Seacrest. I'd wrongly convicted him of being a lightweight. He knows his role, plays it smart, stays out of the way and makes his few moments shine. His high-water mark: his interview of "Idol" alum Kelly Pickler and the way the tried to get her to fess up about her obviously augmented chest.

I find Simon's takes dead-on, and I find him less rude than Randy Jackson who lost me with his mid-song titterings during the early episodes. He adds virtually nothing, but looks like Howard Cosell when put next to lighter-than-air Paula Abdul. It's too easy to rip her...almost as easy as it is to hit "mute" when she talks.

I don't care who wins this year, although I do have my favorites. None of them are men, unless you count Sanjaya's hair. It should get it's own show. Everything beneath it should've gone home months ago.

There's a lot of other television I'd like to be watching the two or three nights that "Idol's" on, but I really haven't regretted my time spent with the hottest show since, well, I don't know. The early auditions grew tiring, but the producers do a good job of spreading out the drama. I no longer feel as though they're stringing viewers out for 59 minutes of fluff to get to a minute's worth of decision-making.

"Lost" lost me amid red herrings, dead ends, a flood of new characters I don't care about, and a chronic inability to over-hype and under-deliver. I never got on the "CSI" or "Law and Order" bandwagons, and "Desperate Housewives" couldn't keep building on all of the undeserved goodwill it garnered after it's inaugural season. It takes a lot to keep a prime time juggernaut going for two, three, four seasons. Whatever "Idol" did to maintain it's momentum should be emulated by networks everywhere. Then again, I don't even think THEY know--otherwise, they might've balled it up by now.

I found a great take on "Idol" on "Slate" this morning. Enjoy.

http://www.slate.com/id/2158332/entry/2162038?nav=tap3

Cosmetic Changes and Meaningless Wins

2007-03-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yep, it was ALL ME.

I bag on the Bucks (see my blog of a few days ago--the one sotted with dead venison), say they're dead to me and POW! Heads roll. Wins happen.

Nice guy Terry Stotts walks the plank, replaced by assistant Larry Krystkowiak. Why did the switch happen now? There are different schools of thought.

Salt Lake City papers say the University of Utah was about to pitch big time woo to Krystkowiak, leaving one to think Milwaukee G-M Larry Harris felt the need to act now, before his top candidate got snarfed up.

Harris admits to WTMJ's Bill Michaels tonight that he was going to fire Stotts at the end of the season anyway, and concedes there was a bit of a Utah factor in the timing. He also denies the allegation that Andrew Bogut wanted Stotts gone, and, that since Krystowiak was Bogut's tutor, Bogut won the locker room tussle.

And, Harris says Monday night's debilitating loss to the Raptors played a part, too. It was after that game that Stotts, in a break with tradition, ripped his team for a lack of effort.

That was the game that broke my Bucks' back for this season, and I'm not sure the ascension of Krystowiak will stoke my fires again. There's more to this mess than the firing of a single coach can fix.

A former Milwaukeean who know writes for NBA.com has a take on the situation:

http://www.nba.com/features/peterson_070315.html

Rob Pederson alludes to the infrequency of Bucks' coaching changes the first two decades of the team's existence--and the rapidity of them now. George Karl came, saw, almost conquered, then flamed out. Terry Porter had Harris' arm around him one minute, Harris' foot in his can the next. Terry Stotts' stay ran shorter than most car leases.

Firing coaches is so typical, so band-aid. A change now probably does the team more harm, at least in terms of the lottery. Every win from here on out only costs the team ping-pong balls--it won't bring the Bucks any closer to the postseason. That ship sailed.

The time to make this switch was November, when there was still some season to salvage--if the injuries had still happened, then Krystkowiak (or whoever else got the gig) would've gotten a freebie: a season to implement systems, check the bench and plan for a brighter 2007-2008.

Harris' handling of the Porter dismissal has a lot of the faithful wondering about the legitimacy of his word--would YOU want a Larry vote-of-confidence? The way that who scenario played out--firing a coach without having your top candidate in the fold--is a stain this franchise has yet to wipe away.

Thursday night's win over the Spurs is a good start for the Krystkowiak era. The rest of this season is about pride. Bucks fans are a patient lot and thought there'd be a postseason to celebrate this spring. Then again, Terry Stotts probably thought he'd be having his Easter ham in Milwaukee, too.