The favorite sports broadcasters bracket!

 

Vin Scully calls the 1965 World Series.
That's the criminally underrated Ray Scott behind Vin.
Ray was the anti-Gus Johnson

"Hello again, everybody..."

"Hello, friends..."

"And a very pleasant good evening to you wherever you may be..."

Joe Manniello, who has become the master of all things brackets in my life, has done it again.

Recently, I did brackets of greatest Best Pictures, and Billy Joel songs, and Beatles songs. But today (echoing "today" Lou Gehrig-style), he brings us perhaps the most fitting of them all...

THE FAVORITE SPORTS BROADCASTERS BRACKET!

Now, look, I didn't pick those in the bracket and neither did Joe. I'm told that four people did a draft of the 32 participants.

Let's dispense with a few things here:

- Gus Johnson didn't get drafted. No further comment.

- Red Barber and Mel Allen also didn't, which is largely indicative of a need for a historian in the group, but we shall not quarrel.

- Not a single Caray to be found. 

- No Ernie Harwell. 

- No Marty Glickman.

- I can keep going but you get my point (no Phil Rizzuto, Joe Garagiola, Bill White, or basically any Yankees voices...).

Lastly, and I can't stress this enough...

Who's playing to lose to Vin Scully in the final because you all know he's winning this.

We'll start in the "I Don't Believe What I Just Saw" region.

Vin/Doris Burke -- Sigh. I'm a big Doris fan, but this isn't fair. Vin.

Bob Costas/Mike Tirico -- An all-Syracuse matchup (read: sports broadcasting elitism in the non-Fordham/Arizona State/etc division). Like Tirico. Love Costas. Bob.

Jack Buck/Joe Buck -- We will see JACK tomorrow night! (This one is just mean)

Howard Cosell/Don Criqui -- Question: How well do you all know me? Don Criqui is an all-time great PBP voice. Cosell is an all-time great mouth who stepped on countless PBP announcers. As Don Imus called him, "The Great Don Criqui." Yes. Really.

Sweet 16:

Scully/Costas -- That's rough for the second round, Bob. You deserved better. Vin.

Jack Buck/Criqui -- Damn. Sorry, Don. Jack Buck.

Regional final:

Scully/Buck -- "I don't believe what I just saw" gets steamrolled by "In a year that has been improbable, the IMPOSSIBLE has happened." Except, it's not impossible. It's Vin. All day.

To the "Do You Believe In Miracles" region.

The team of John Madden-Pat Summerall against Leslie Visser (who wasn't a PBP voice anyway) -- Unfair. Pat and John.

Jim Nantz/Ian Eagle -- This will break over certain lines. I love Nantz. 

Curt Gowdy/Kevin Harlan -- I bet Harlan wins this one big. "The Cowboy" (Gowdy) was the voice of the big games when I was a kid. I'm taking Gowdy.

Al Michaels/Tony Romo -- Al is miraculous and one of the great PBPers of all time. He's also a Scully disciple. Al.

Sweet 16:

Madden-Summerall/Nantz -- Goodbye, friends. Pat and John.

Gowdy/Michaels -- Curt hit the back nine in the 70s. Al was on the front nine and is still swinging. Al's got a lot of great calls. Curt goes all the way back to Mel Allen in the 40s. But Al is Al.

Regional Final:

Madden-Summerall/Michaels -- two against one. Telestrator against sarcasm and gambling. Summerall did tennis and golf away from football and was an early sports reporter in New York. Al has done baseball, hockey, and basketball. It's tough. The edge -- slightly -- goes to Al Michaels.

That leaves us a Final Four matchup of Al Michaels against his idol Vin Scully and let's not kid ourselves, shall we? Vin.

The "Whoa Nellie!" region.

Doc Emrick/Charlie Jones -- An inspired call with Charlie Jones but he's no match here. He's been ladled away and shuffleboarded by Doc.

Verne Lundquist/Gary Thorne -- Great first-round matchup. I could go crazy with this one but the number of great calls in Uncle Verne's career is overwhelming. YES SIR!

Brent Musburger/Tim McCarver -- "You are looking live!" at two guys who weren't initially known for play-by-play, at least nationally. T-Mac became a World Series staple doing color, and Brent is Brent. I'll give the edge to Brent.

Keith Jackson/Bill Raftery -- Oh this is just wrong! First, I'm a play-by-play guy. But Raft is one of my favorites. But Keith IS college football (even if he called so many baseball games that sounded like he'd rather be anywhere else). Can I "send it in JEROME!?" No. I just can't. "Hello, Heisman!"

Sweet 16:

Doc/Verne -- I hate to say that you know how this one is going. Doc waffle boards Uncle Verne aside.

Brent/Keith -- I love hearing Brent tell stories but Keith is Keith.

Doc/Keith -- Remember, this is my bracket. It's not who I think will win. As I said, I always felt Keith was ambivalent at best when calling baseball (and he was on the "Bobby Murcer" game when Cosell allowed him to talk). But Doc changed how I viewed hockey and definitely how I called it. "WHAT CHAOS," indeed!

Lastly we head to the "OH MY!" region.

Marv Albert/Sam Rosen -- This had to be a local pick. Marv is a New York institution that became huge nationally. YES!

Howie Rose/Mike Breen -- I was going to "Put it in the books!" but then "BANG!" Mike Breen is one of my heroes. Love Howie (really, I do) but Breen is a different level. 

Kenny Albert/Gare-Keith-Ron -- Er...what? The Mets fans will whine. Kenny will understand. GKR. 

Dick Enberg/Dan Shulman -- This is so unfair to Shulman but Dr. Enberg has been one of the voices of my life, in fact even "BV" (Before Vin). The Renaissance Man himself, Dick Enberg.

Sweet 16:

Marv/Breen -- This was a setup. A tough one. Both can claim the hand of Marty Glickman as guidance. Both worked with the irascible Imus. Both are hysterically funny. Both did local sports (Breen on WFAN and Marv on Channel 4). Breen did football at one time in addition to basketball while Marv did the NFL, Knicks, and Rangers. Plus he anchored the World Series on NBC at one time. But I've met Breen and love his style. That's literally the only edge. Breen.

G-K-R/Enberg -- Dick Enberg. Next.

Breen/Enberg -- I love you, Mike. I really do. But Dick Enberg helped me love tennis from Wimbledon. He helped me get more entrenched into the NFL with Merlin Olsen. He nudged me along with college basketball. Plus he hosted the "Sports Challenge" TV show. He goes to the Final Four with Doc Emrick, Al Michaels, and Vin Scully.

I've already moved Scully into the championship.

Now it's Doc versus Dr.

I hate that it's come to this. Each man has impacted me profoundly. I never had a chance to talk to Dr. Enberg but I did talk to Doc Emrick last year. I've made it clear how both helped guide me as a broadcaster. Dick Enberg's two edges are that he has a longer impact on me and that he did more sports, though some forget all the different things Doc Emrick called.

You know how this is going to turn out anyway, and I'd love to call a draw but I can't. Dick Enberg sashays into the final by a whisker.

I told you from the beginning who would win this all along and everyone else was fighting for second place.

Vin Scully over Dick Enberg.

Which is no crime.

Oh my!

A Whole Lot of Calls

Vin Scully (you were expecting someone else?)

A broadcaster named Jack Benjamin put together a collection of over 350 play-by-play calls as he begins the process to select The Greatest Play-by-Play Calls of the Last 50 Years.

Jack has divided everything up into different sports and different categories within those sports.

While there could be criticisms for the calls being selected, Jack has allowed space for suggestions, so kudos to him.

In fact, kudos to him for this whole project, which has me bleary eyed tonight.

I'm not going to sit here and criticize his effort because, again, he worked on selecting over 350 calls, with clips of each call included.

But, if I may, my only criticism is why not go back further? Play-by-play recordings exist back to 1927 with The Long Count of Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey. Full baseball games date to 1934. By not including anything prior to 1970, we're missing on a lot.

Just think of the names, like Red Barber, Mel Allen, Foster Hewitt, Ray Scott, Bill Stern, Graham McNamee, Ted Husing, and so many others.

Plus you're missing 20 years in the career of Vin Scully which, granted, we all know that's unfair anyway.

But, seriously, you're then missing on the Koufax perfect game* and the Greatest Game Ever Played and Wilt's 100 point effort and Roger Maris and Don Larsen and The Shot Heard 'round the World. I haven't even touched on the '47 World Series and the Olympics and college football, and...

*I get tired of debating the Koufax perfect game as not being a "moment." It's an inning. OK, fine. It's the finest piece/segment of sports broadcast ever, but beyond that, let's just pick it up with two balls and two strikes on Harvey Kuenn. It's still utterly magnificent in Scully's ability to set the scene, stay measured, but still get excited. It's a master class. Thus, a perfect call of a perfect moment.

As we're essentially at the 100th anniversary of play-by-play (opinions vary; baseball began on KDKA in 1921) this then eliminates the first half-century.

Instead, the oldest call is of Bobby Orr's famous Stanley Cup Finals goal in 1970. Both calls (Dan Kelly and Fred Cusick) are in consideration and both got very high marks from me.

But it's Jack's project so, as I said, criticisms end there.

The process is simple: go through each call and determine if it is:

- Definitely one of the Greatest Play-by-Play Calls
- Worthy of Consideration as one of the Greatest
- Maybe/Maybe Not one of the Greatest
- Probably Not one of the Greatest Definitely
- Not one of the Greatest

They'll then be assembled into brackets and further discussion will ensue.

I'm a tough judge (I know -- no shock). If the analyst steps on a call, it loses points, or loses out completely. That's a huge problem, especially in basketball and local football broadcasts. Some Olympics also.

If the play-by-play announcer can't keep their voice under control (hi, Gus!) well, you know how that's going to end.

Not every Doc Emrick call is "definitely great" in the hockey category, but none of them are below "worthy" (and that's considering his masterful work of Mark Messier's three-goal night in Game 6 of the 1994 conference final isn't included, when Doc called the game for the opponent -- the New Jersey Devils).

Every Vin Scully call (and there aren't that many here) is "definitely great." When you're the master, well, that's too easy.

I'm doing football right now. To that end, here's Vin calling "The Catch."

That's about as loud as Vinny ever gets.

That's the thing: a great call needs excitement but it needs all the facts also. It needs the reporting. Losing your mind doesn't tell me what happened. It certainly doesn't tell my mother, for instance. The play-by-play announcer is still supposed to be a journalist. (Remember: Report, Inform, Educate, Entertain)

Simply screaming OHMYGODHECAUGHTTHEBALLANDHITTHESHOTANDDROVEINTHEWINNINGRUNNWHILESINKINGTHEPUTTLOCKITCOCKITROCKITRESTOCKITANDITSGARGANTUAN!
...does not suffice.

But, as we told by a well-placed troll, he had to teach Jenga to blind people or some such nonsense (that is to say he doesn't remotely care about this).

So that's enough. That's my night. Hope yours has been fine.

I'm heading back to breaking all of these calls down.

Those Who Can't, Teach

I'm getting this post in under the deadline before midnight, so time is tight if I want to do a post-per-day.

I was back teaching at Connecticut School of Broadcasting this evening, where I'm the night instructor for sports reporting, play-by-pay, and so on.

It was one of the largest classes I've had in a long time -- and that stretches now some 14 years.

I worried. But I always do.

There are those who don't like sports, have no interest in sports, are intimidated by sports, or are flat-out sports haters.

There are myriad personalities to address.

I thought for sure this group might push me to the limit.

I didn't think I was reaching them.

I didn't think I inspired them.

Yet they reminded me why I love to teach.

I worked with the esteemed Andy Madison of WEBE 108, who has become a favorite to work with, as we share the same passion for war stories, music, sports, and laughter.

As for the group, those who were completely perplexed by writing sports found their voice. I've been known, in a pinch, to write their reports for them. In this case, they all made sure they did it, with one girl telling me that she wanted (paraphrasing) a nudge to get on the right path and then she would write it.

Not only did she write it, but voiced it. So did the other students.

It was one of the best groups I've dealt with. They were fun and challenging, with great voices and deliveries. Their performances were terrific.

They took the coaching and criticizing (aka "nitpicking") that Andy and I had to offer.

I taught them how to conduct interviews, and had barely scratched the surface, only brushing the top of play-by-play.

They walked out feeling entertained and that they had learned a new skill. Once they got past the notion of it being about sports, they realized it was something useful.

It was a joy, and I'm pleased that I'll be back with them again in February.

I was proud of them.

I was proud of me.

Dick Enberg (1935-2017)

From left: Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen, 1988

I woke up to the news that we lost one of our pillars of sports broadcasting.

One of my heroes in this business.

Dick Enberg has died at 82.

Oh, my indeed.

Over a nearly 60-year career, Enberg (who held a doctorate in health sciences) truly "touched 'em all" (paraphrasing one of his catch phrases).

He called eight Super Bowls, and would have called a ninth, but ceded the job to outgoing Curt Gowdy in Super Bowl XIII. Enberg chose to anchor the pre-game show instead, allowing Gowdy one last call on NBC.

It was with the Peacock Network where Enberg would make his name nationally, but prior to that, he was renowned in Los Angeles for his coverage of UCLA, as well as the Angels and Rams.

It was Enberg who called the UCLA/Houston "Game of the Century" to a national audience in 1968. That was the first time a regular season college basketball game was seen across the country.

He hosted a couple of game shows, as well as Sports Challenge, a trivia show that brought out some of the most famous athletes ever. Imagine the likes of Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio on a game show? You didn't have to. They were on Sports Challenge.

Upon his move to NBC in 1975, Enberg became among the most familiar voices in the business. The Renaissance Man truly did it all. The eight Super Bowls. The 1982 World Series. The Rose Bowl. Wimbledon (which he and Bud Collins made into appointment TV with Breakfast at Wimbledon). The French Open. The Breeders' Cup. Boxing. The US Open (and, later, The Masters on CBS). The Olympics. The NBA. College basketball.

He was absolute brilliance with Billy Packer and Al McGuire on college hoops, including the famed Magic/Bird National Championship of 1979. Here they are in 1981, calling Notre Dame/Virginia.



He even a couple of Canadian Football League Games during the 1982 NFL strike.

Here's Dr. Enberg, chatting with another broadcaster named Scully. The two retired in 2016.



For me, Enberg will always be the NFL. He'll always be a Sunday afternoon with the great Merlin Olsen -- my favorite NFL broadcasting duo. It was a big event when Dick Enberg was on, and he and Olsen were the perfect combination of broadcasting finesse.

Here are the two opening a 1988 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.


There are so many standout moments, and others will hit me as the day goes on, but here's a classic: John Elway and the Broncos on "The Drive" in 1987.



He had just started doing a podcast, and tweeted this yesterday:

From the #Beatles to David Letterman - James Cagney to George Clooney - TV Producer and Executive, Andy Friendly, has rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in entertainment. He takes us behind the scenes today on #SoundofSuccess! https://t.co/NrPPnduTEo

— Dick Enberg (@Deohmy) December 21, 2017

Oh yeah, and he was one of the broadcasters in The Naked Gun (with Mel Allen, of course).


The only way to finish this is to present you with his most famous phrase of all. Thank you, Dick Enberg, for everything. Oh, my.

Thank You, Vin

We're beginning to say our farewells in the final inning of Vin Scully's career. Tonight, the Dodgers held a ceremony to honor our hero in the fading twilight of the 67th year. We are now faced with oncoming reality of 1 A.V. (After Vin, of course).

For one thing, I won't be watching Dodgers games anymore, but I digress.

He's been everything. Mentor to too many broadcasters to count (that's me raising my hand). He's been friend to fans everywhere -- most of whom will never so much as be in the same room as him. He's been dad to those who have lost. Or grandfather. Or uncle.

We think he belongs to us, and we're not entirely wrong. From Brooklyn to Los Angeles and the transistor radios, he's been a part of the world of the Dodgers.

We nearly brought him back to New York in 1965 as a replacement for Mel Allen, but we were able to hear him on each of the major networks at one point or another. He showed up on NBC for a few World Series before becoming the lead baseball voice in the 1980s.

He was on CBS for golf (including the Masters). Check out this funkalicious bit from 1978.



He also did tennis on CBS (yes, tennis). Of course, he called football, including a little something called "The Catch." Incidentally, he's brilliant (duh) and has the great Hank Stram alongside of him.



It all turned out well, but his road nearly changed. If CBS didn't pair Pat Summerall with John Madden, it would have been Vin. Oh my indeed. But we were the lucky ones, and Vinny moved onto NBC.

The icon and legend grew.

Vin and I were once in the same ballpark. It was Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium in 1983, and wouldn't you know it - I found video of the opening of that broadcast!


Yes, young Rob was in there, in the right field seats, for Bobby Murcer's first Old Timer's Day (my first also), and for the Yankees and Rangers to meet in the regular game.

We didn't meet that day, though I did take a picture of the booth (yup, even then).

Joe Garagiola, Vin, Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer, Bobby Murcer, John Gordon, and Bill White (RA photo).

Anyway, at this point I don't ever expect to meet him or interview him, but I am grateful to him. Grateful for everything he has taught me. In a time when we need heroes (however insignificant), this red-headed kid originally from The Bronx and then Washington Heights taught me the most about sculpting the narrative of a whole lot of sporting events for listeners and viewers.

But there's more to Vin.

He hosted a game show in the 1970s. Yes. A game show.


There was also a talk show. And later, on ABC (this was in the 90s) he was back to doing golf.

Oh wait. Did I mention the Tournament of Roses Parade?



Of course the top calls are being ranked. Shall we rank the work Oscar Wilde or Emily Dickinson or Stephen King? I suppose that's what we do. Most are going to say number one is the Kirk Gibson home run, and I don't blame them.



Oh it's brilliant, of course. Heck, the back story is that Scully himself unknowingly propelled Gibson to hit because the latter heard the former say that Gibson wouldn't play. There are a litany of great lines in it "Not a bad opening act," "You talk about a roll of the dice," and the best of all: "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened."

I love it. But for me, technically, it's simply not the best ever.

That, of course, is saved for "Twenty-nine thousand and a million butterflies."



"You can almost taste the pressure."

I've explained it to students. It's been reprinted verbatim. It's not a single moment like the Miacle on Ice or the The Shot Heard Round the World. But it is everything. It's perfect. Vin and Sandy - forever intertwined in that regard.

Oh my there are others. Hank Aaron's 715th. Fernando's no-hitter. The Twins walking off against the Braves in 1991. Larsen in '56. The comments following September 11th. Mookie Wilson in '86.

Countless moments -- big and small. The narration of a brawl or an argument with an umpire. The little moments of watching children in the stands. The meticulous preparation and the use of such things like explaining Socrates (the philosopher) while Socrates (Brito, the Diamondback) was at home plate.

Yet sometimes it's the brilliant subtlety, where nothing needs to be said. Until tonight, I've never heard his call of Joe Carter's World Series-winner in 1993.


"Home run!" Then silence. Wonderful.

Perhaps my favorite, past Koufax, is the last out of the 1996 World Series. The crowd noise. The utterly insane euphoria. Vin's inner-child saying "Is this something? I mean do you loooooove baseball? There's not a thing the Yankees can do. They can't the quarterback kneel down on the ground. They can't freeze the ball. Sooner or later, they've gotta throw it."

That's on my collection of highlights that I put on my archive page several years ago. That's how we'll finish here. Thanks, Vin.

Bud Collins

Dick Enberg and Bud Collins, 1982. Photo by Art Seitz/NBC/NBCU

The news broke yesterday that Bud Collins -- as strong a voice in the media as tennis has ever had -- died at the age of 86.

Ah, the memories of watching Breakfast at Wimbledon on NBC with Dick Enberg and Bud. Dick's "Oh my!" combined with Bud's encyclopedic knowledge, good guy rapport, and sense of humor (not to mention the trademark pans), made for some appointment TV through the 80s and 90s.

Tennis is weaker today. Certainly sadder. Oh the sport will be just fine, but something was lost for me. Heck, something was lost for me when Enberg and Collins split up.

I met Mr. Collins in the late 90s, when I was at Flushing Meadows. Yes, do not be fooled by the fact I was in the shadow of Shea Stadium. Heck, the Beatles played there, as did the Yankees in 1974 and 1975.

Anyway, I was there having won tickets to watch the Imus in the Morning show at the US Open. Bud, a frequent guest of the I-Man, was there with his wife, Anita. I was able to say hello to both of them at one point, as they left the court on which the show was being broadcast from. They were both very gracious and kind to spend the briefest of moments saying hello.

Truly, it was a passing thing.

Thanks, Bud. I hope more people read up on what an important man you were for sports, tennis, and media.

Onto 2014

Well...not quite, but any chance to post anything related to Calvin and Hobbes is OK with me.

So here we are. Another New Year's Eve.

For those celebrating, many blessings to you. For those choosing to lay low or not celebrate at all, you have my regards.

Personally, due to circumstances somewhat beyond my control, I'm at the homestead. Sean is with me tonight. My niece Stephanie is as well. We're all keeping an eye on Mom, who is getting stronger every day.

Lisa has to work tomorrow. So...bottom line...just lay low.

2013 was quite a year, wasn't it? And yet, can't we say that about every year? That's why this whole thing has always been so specious to me.

I saw triumphs - remarkable moments of happiness. I stepped back into the work world in a big way. A year ago tonight. I felt tremendous despair. I wasn't working full-time, and felt like my world was teetering. I also spent New Year's Eve almost entirely alone, save for my friend Brian and his kids on Skype.

But I found work at the Wilton Bulletin, and The Press Box soldiered on, and along came the Sound Tigers, and Hersam Acorn Radio, and Connecticut School of Broadcasting, and Wilton Continuing Education, and...

Sheesh. Be careful what you wish for.

But there was also sadness. Just in the past few days I've heard far too much to break a heart.

We saw it all, as usual. Boston ran the gamut of emotions, from the terror of the Marathon to the exultation of the Red Sox.

2013 was a lot of things. There was a bit of a renaissance for Mr. Huey Lewis. We made our way to Cape Cod, only for a few days. A long trip to both Virginia Beach, and Washington, DC. We passed through Richmond.

We didn't nearly travel enough.

The Yankees? Meh. The Steelers? Same. Rangers...Knicks...etc...

Of course, sports gave us thrills (Alabama/Auburn, LeBron, Wimbledon, etc). That's why we stay with them. They piss me off a lot, but it's still a big part of my life.

We will treasure Mariano Rivera. A true all-time great as a player and a man. We will remember 2013 for him.

I'm sorry, for those who have been loyal, that Exit 55 saw such a significant drop in material this year.  The output that I presented was by far the lowest full year since 2008. I can't say 2014 will be any better, but I'm not sure it will be any worse. As I've alluded to, there are big changes on the way.

I think I can speak on behalf of Lisa and Sean when I say that we wish you all a pleasant start to 2014. We hope that it brings you health and happiness, just as we hope for the same for ourselves.

(And, just as a PS, Vin Scully is the Grand Marshall of tomorrow's Rose Bowl Parade. Happy that I could help with that info.)

Lists - We Love Them

It's fairly well-known around Exit 55burgh* that I'm a fan of lists. They, as always, make for good discussion and blood-pressure raising. So it was that Carrie passed along a list of lists that were in email she received.

* Which is an exit past that city where James Harrison did something so bad in last night's win over the Browns that even I can't defend. I mean, come on man! This leading with your helmet thing is just bad!

GQ presents the 25 LEAST Influential People Alive! Heck even Bono made this list. Personally I think Chuck Schumer should be on here...oh wait, he inspires me to have near-heart attacks every time I hear him on the radio because some poor reporter needs a friggin sound byte.

Here's The Worst Sentence of 2011, courtesy of The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. You mean it didn't involve the Kardahsian's?

My son would probably enjoy seeing the Ten Weirdest Life-forms of 2011 from National Geographic. Apparently Tim Tebow is not one of them. Oooohhh...bad?

US News and World Reports presents America's Meanest Airlines! No. Shock. Here. Alec Baldwin certainly won't be surprised.

For you book lovers, we have the Best Science Books (Confessions of a Science Librarian), Top Five Book Club Picks (NPR), and the Ten Best Books of 2011 (New York Times).

I've heard The Art of Fielding is fantastic, by the way. Just in case you don't know, I'm sort of, you know, a baseball fan. Even if this isn't really a baseball book - and yet, it is. Just sayin'.

For some reason, Forbes gives us Thailand's 40 Richest. Since I doubt you'll ever see that sentence again here, I had to write it. It's just too funny.

Travel+Leisure presents the World's Best Hotels for 2011. I'm going to be realistic here with y'all. I stayed in the US Grant Hotel in San Diego back in January. I'm fairly certain it was in my top-10, if not top-5 of my lifetime. If things break correctly, I'm going to Charleston in January, and I suspect that hotel may also be in that group. In short, I don't normally stay in the top places. I like nice hotels - but within reason. The Hyatt Place that Carrie and I recently stayed at in Bethlehem, PA was quite cool. Yes...Bethlehem, PA. Via Priceline. Sweet.

So this list - of hotels in Tanzania, South Africa, and other places that aren't exactly on the ol' radar - didn't quite hold it for me. That said, the places are quite interesting.

The 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011 from BuzzFeed. Simply awesome.

I'm just giving you a small sample of the many lists out there. Here are a few more:

Auto Correct is often my biggest enemy. Damn You Auto Correct presents the 25 funniest.

From Pitchfork comes the 25 Worst Album Covers (NSFW). Yep.

Busted Coverage selected the 70 Most Memorable Sports Moments (in photo form).

Courtesy of Draft Magazine comes America's 100 Best Beer Bars. Drink up!

List and Grades gives us the Ten Worst TV Shows.

Well I think we've got the idea here. There's a list for everyone.

And when all else fails, we need more COWBELL! The 12 Most Toptastic Cowbell Rock n' Roll Songs! Even The Beatles made this list, so it's ALL GOOD.

Tennis, Of Course, Always Makes Me Think of Bad Fan Behavior

I heard about this earlier today. Thanks to the NY1's morning anchor, the dry-witted Pat Kiernan for posting a link to YouTube that shows the fude at the US Open!

Consider this a Rule 55. Haven't done one in a while. So there you go.

One Other Thing...

Regarding the Posada thing, with a personal story.

A few years ago, I was playing in a softball tournament and I was catching. For the record, I hate catching. Or should I say: my KNEES hate catching.

Anyway, an opposing player (and a real jackass. Sorry, I've said it), came around third to score. I came out from behind the plate - like a catcher does - and said jackass decided to throw a shoulder into me. Never apologized, never said a word. I thought about putting him through a wall, but didn't.

Look - I get it. Just as with Serena Williams, Jorge Posada, and this ass, I'm an emotional, hard-nosed player. But there's a point where a line gets crossed. The foot fault called on Serena was bush-league, but Serena can't threaten a judge. Posada was annoyed that he was thrown behind, but he needs to have a long memory and let it go.

And this softball jackass was and is simply a jerk. But when I saw what happened last night in New York, it reminded me of that play several years ago.

Posada was dead wrong.