When I became the managing editor of NNSL Media, one of the things I stopped doing out of necessity due to time constraints was Sports Talk. Some of you missed it, some of you didn’t and some of you were brave enough to take to social media, namely X (formerly Twitter) where I don’t post, and let me know how you felt. Nothing beats the keyboard tough guy.
But here we are and I’ve been thinking about it: why not bring it back? So here we go again. The rebirth of what’s been called an angry rant, the place where I’ll say what you’re thinking or where James McCarthy is so cantankerous and aggressive, I don’t know why he’s allowed to do this (yes, someone from Nunavut did write in and say that about me).
Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?
Some well-deserved cheers and tears
The Detroit Lions won a playoff game for the first time since 1991 last weekend when they beat the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-23. It was a wonderful moment for a team that has suffered through horrible coaching, terrible management and just awful performances for more than three decades.
But there was one moment that caught the eye of so many, including this writer. It was a clip of a Lions fan crying in the stands, which many thought was a lovely way to close out the game. Turns out there was much more to it, though. The fan was identified as Arron Wikaryasz, who’s a iron worker in Detroit. He spoke to a TV station in Detroit and told the story of how he and his dad never got to experience a playoff win together.
That’s because his father was killed in a car crash in 2003.
“We buried him in his Detroit Lions letter jacket, that’s how much he loved them,” said his son.
And here’s something that makes the story even better: his father was also an iron worker and helped build Ford Field, home of the Lions.
If your team is out, consider jumping on the Lions’ bandwagon. I have and I’m not ashamed to say it. My Denver Broncos sucked large this season, so why not join the Cinderella squad? And yes, Wikaryasz will be there on Sunday when the Lions host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
What did you expect?
It has to be said that people love sports promotions. No matter what it is, fans will show up to take part in whatever is on offer. So it should come as no surprise that when the University of Connecticut offered $2 Beer Night for one of its recent home games, you knew it would be gold.
It happened on Wednesday night when UConn hosted the Creighton Blue Jays at home and there were 12 oz. beers on sale for the American version of a toonie. Imagine the promotion it took to get people to come out:
“CHEAP BEER AT THE HUSKIES GAME!”
Sure enough, several people — probably frat boys looking to enjoy some swill for the cost of a box of Kraft Dinner — started lining up hours ahead of the contest. And it went down exactly the way you thought it did. Hell, 21-year-old James McCarthy would’ve shown up to partake in a contest to see how many he could hold before bursting the seal.
I saw some of the footage from the night that was. No one in that clip was in class the next day, especially when you consider someone standing behind the bleachers aimlessly kicking a gaggle of empties on the floor. And you know the UConn faithful are good and crocked when the DJ starts belting out Taylor Swift on the speakers and everyone joins en masse to sing You Belong To Me. No one under the age of 15 and female would ever sing that in public sober.
Alas, the promotion was only available until the end of the first half, which didn’t faze these kids one bit. I’m sure their parents were very proud to know the emergency food money was being spent wisely.
The only thing missing? A special appearance by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
And finally …
Good Idea: Reporters doing research on relevant subject matter.
Bad Idea: Reporters not doing research on a subject they should know off by heart.
Reporters make mistakes sometimes. It happens. But there’s no excuse for not knowing the subject matter when you enter a press conference.
We take you to a presser held by the Buccaneers in advance of their playoff match-up versus the Lions on Sunday. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was meeting with the gathered scribes to talk about what he thought was going to happen and lay out what the strategy would be. One reporter thought she would talk about the weather — it is rather chilly in the Motor City right now and it could be a factor.
Here’s what she asked him:
“Today (Monday), it’s 13 degrees (Fahrenheit) in Detroit, which doesn’t compare to some of the temperatures (inaudible). Any special plans to acclimate the team to not only endure, but perform in those kind of frigid temperatures, should you face them in Detroit?”
Bowles had the perfect answer:
“You do know we play indoors, right? They got a dome. I don’t, no, nothing planned. We’re indoors and only have to be outside for 20 seconds, getting off the bus, going under the thing. So, we’ll be okay.”
If you’ve done any research on the home of the Detroit Lions — Ford Field — you will know that it’s a domed stadium. The elements won’t be an issue.
Now, the weather was a factor in last weekend’s playoff games, such as the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins in Kansas City. That featured wind chills as low as -30 C at times. And we all saw the snow bomb which befell Buffalo ahead of their playoff contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It caused the game to be delayed a day because the clean-up took a very long time.
What have we learned here, kids? Knowledge is key, as are landmarks.
Until next time, folks …