Thursday, September 4, 2014

PS Thursday

Revisiting earlier topics...

I finally got to see Keith Olbermann's special on the 25th anniversary of Pete Rose getting kicked out of baseball.

At the end, Olbermann made his argument for reinstating Rose.  He said Rose already appeared in some baseball sanctioned events because sponsors were willing to pay big bucks.  Olbermann also reasoned that those who cheated by using performing enhancing drugs did more damage to the game than Pete Rose.

Garbage.

The steroid people used their drugs before baseball started testing and made them illegal.  Yes, they did wrong, but it wasn't as bad as the things Pete Rose did.  Gambling is baseball's equivalent of homicide.

The day Pete Rose is allowed back in baseball is the day I become a soccer fan.

ABC News has returned the word "tonight" to the title of its evening news broadcast.  It's just like it started in 1978:  "World News Tonight."  I saw the reason for dropping it in 2006.  ABC management reasoned back then that it was a 24/7 product, thanks to the internet.  I'm leaning toward liking "tonight."  It gives the impression that it's a destination broadcast, something you seek out and watch.

CVS has stopped selling cigarettes a month early.  I always found it odd that stores focused on health sold cancer causing products.

I was looking over a list of network NFL broadcasting announcer assignments-- some changes, a few new names.  The game is the star, but a bad set of announcers can detract from it.  A good set of announcers can make a bad game tolerable.  Other than the top two or three teams on each network, I don't sense that a lot of compelling television is in the offing this year.

Mandalay has sold its half of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.  I wonder if the nbew bunch can turn around lackluster attendance.  There are 14 teams in the International League.  We finished 11th in attendance.

USA Today reports people are already lining up outside Apple stores for the new iPhone 6, which is still weeks away.  Really?  Priorities?  I wonder if Apple pays people to stand in line to drum up publicity and media coverage.