No Show? No Trouble!

 

I thought I was going to do "Doubleheader" today but there was a miscommunication.

So I got a quiet hour before starting a video depo at 5 p.m.

The good news is I couldn't offend anyone or get in trouble.

I stayed quiet.

The risk of doing a talk show or having a social media "presence" is that people will get offended when taking certain stands.

Of course, one of my favorite things is tweaking a certain subsection of a certain fanbase. But, in that process, those two or three legitimate, true fans (I'M KIDDING) get upset.

All in the name of a joke. Keep in mind I'm also a fan of one of the most easily tweaked teams. I'd offer the Yankees and Steelers are two teams that are frequently mocked -- especially the Bombers, of course.

Getting that serious about it can often be embarrassing, especially when discussing it with people who aren't familiar with sports being life and death.

Sports isn't life or death. And, yet, well, careers and, as such, lives can sometimes be on the line.

The other topic of discussion recently was on Joey Zanaboni, play-by-play broadcaster for the Fredericksburg Nationals (aka "the FredNats").

Full disclosure: His style isn't mine. That's putting it mildly. Yet despite what he thinks, his style isn't exactly all that original either.

So with the season off and running, I saw a few highlights featuring his manufactured, social media-friendly calls.

I decided to play them on yesterday's "Doubleheader." Sometimes I just want to hear what people think and I didn't offer any judgment of my own. I also retweeted one last night.

The feedback was almost universally negative.

Our good friend Harold asked about Mike Lange. If you don't know, Lange has been the voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins for 46 years. He was known for excitable descriptions, punctuated on goals and other big moments in which he'd reach for some off-the-wall expression.

The one I remember was "Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, get me the brandy" after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

I could also explain Dizzy Dean and Bob Prince and Rosey Rowswell and Phil Rizzuto and Harry Caray and others but I've made my point.

It's his schtick and it's worked to the point that FredNats sought him out for the gig. More power to him, I guess.

It wouldn't be something I'd ever teach my students.

But it tells me a lot about the state of the biz. Twentysomething and calls that will get social media clicks?

GOLD, JERRY! GOLD!

Just the mere fact that I'm writing about it here is nirvana. I get it.

Simply being a good game-caller isn't as important. Now, this is a broad brush I'm painting with. I think my style is still popular and appreciated by many.

But it's the clicks, as if fans will run to buy tickets.

I really did try to approach this topic delicately yesterday on the air and on social media delicately but, again, someone can always get offended.

Regardless, the whole exercise was enlightening.

Simply reporting isn't enough sometimes.

Quality, as we've said many times, doesn't matter.

I wish them all well.

Like a weathered grandmother in a Miley Cyrus t-shirt and a feather boa at an all-you-can-eat truck stop buffet.

(Ugh)