Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
Gene Weingarten takes package, will only chat monthly - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Gene Weingarten takes package, will only chat monthly
Last week, Gene Weingarten announced that he was taking a package from The Post, but would continue to host Chatological Humor monthly and write his "Below the Beltway" column weakly err weekly.
Yes, I took it because I wanted to. Generously, The Post offered to hire me back, on contract, to do the same job I am doing now, whatever that is. But I'm 57, and want to start on some book and movie projects before I get even older and feebler and the DNA in my brain further deteriorates to the point that I can''t even finish my own senten
We should all be so lucky. More details:
I'm not really going anywhere. I accepted a partial contract, and will still be writing my weekly column, which Tom The Butcher, also on contract, will still be editing. Tom and I will still be working on The Post Hunt. Mostly what's different is that after July 1, I'm no longer doing big magazine stories or The Gene Pool, which is the discussion group you all tend to deride because you don't understand that the golden future of journalism is unedited ranting and gnashing by citizen journalists.
So, boo, I like chat on a weekly basis and the long magazine stories tend to be much better than the weekly column. The Gene Pool was stupid. His final weekly chat is going on right now. I'll miss stuff like this on a weekly basis:
Okay, this has been quite a few days for celebrity deaths. First Ed, then Farrah, then Michael. Just when we thought we were done with the mourning ... Billy! Still, that last one felt so ... right, like when they added "Bobby" to "Abraham, Martin and John."
I guess I am the only one who thinks Michael Jackson was essentially a shallow disco phenomenon, generously talented but mostly a product of cynically manipulated personal style and shrewd marketing, personally abhorrent in a number of significant ways related to racial identity and sexual proclivities, and not worthy of all this adulation, particularly by the media, whose hemorrhage of unquestioning accolades is suspiciously self-serving. Okay, just checking.
Hey, man, I'm unmoved by Jacko's demise too, but that's harsh, the guy was scary talented.
Radio, radio: HFS sort or returns; WJFK going sports; Don Geronimo on in Delmarva - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, June 22, 2009
Radio, radio: HFS sort or returns; WJFK going sports; Don Geronimo on in Delmarva
Cerphe has launched HFS2 on 94.7 HD2. It is a modern incarnation of the former modern rocker that died in 2005, after many years of neglect by CBS Radio. If you have a HD radio, let me know if its any good.
WJFK, another CBS radio station, might be flipping to sports according to The Post. What would that mean for Mike O'Meara Show is uncertain. I'd be annoyed if that goes away. In the end, if they don't get any of the local teams, like the Capitals and Nationals on the frequency, I don't see much point of them flipping to sports. Actually, I don't see the point anyway since sports talk has never done well as a format in this town, though an alternative to Dan Snyder's Redskins Radio (980 AM) isn't a bad idea. Personally, I can't stand most sports talk, too many idiots calling in.
Speaking of O'Meara, his former partner, Don Geronimo landed a gig in Delmarva. His new show started today on WGMD. No stream or podcasts are planned per contractual obligations with CBS Radio. He blogs and is on Twitter.
By the way, is it just me or has BIG 100.3 gotten worse since its competitor the late Classic Rock 94.7 flipped formats?
As always, if you don't want to wait for me to blog about radio, go to Dave Hughes'dcrtv.com
New newspaper Web sites: Baltimore Sun & CDT - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
New newspaper Web sites: Baltimore Sun & CDT
In the last month or so, two newspaper Web sites in my regular rotation have redesigned their front pages.
centredaily.com - The new CDT site is so...2002. After all of these years, the paper of record in State College still doesn't have a very good Web site. The new design is functional, but blocky and boring. The top navigation is useful though.
The site loads slowly though, about 5 seconds before the page becomes visible and it does not completely load until about 12 seconds have elapsed.
baltimoresun.com - The new Web site debuted last week with the "flag" showing "THE BALTIMORE SUN" prominently in the same typeface as the dead tree version. The page is full of modules with internal tabs that make finding stories about specific topics from the "print sections" possible without navigating away from the home page. That is a good thing too since the load time on this page is pretty bad -- about 9 seconds for it to start appearing in the browser and 16 seconds until all the scripts have loaded. The modules probably have something to do with the slow load time, so in the end, they are probably a mixed blessing. The page also has a little too much "trapped gray space." Overall though, not a bad design and improvement over previous efforts.
Final Marc Fisher chat - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Final Marc Fisher chat
Potomac Confidential - The Post "Join Post Metro columnist Marc Fisher on Thursday, June 4, at Noon ET for the final regular edition of Potomac Confidential, a chance to talk about the future of news-gathering, the Virginia governor's race, how the GM bankruptcy will affect Washingtonians, and lessons learned from a decade of column-writing."
There are a million stories in the naked city, someone once said, and I told 1,250 of them here, and another 1,200 on the blog. I heard from readers 250,000 times and I tried to respond to all of them. I could stay on this road for years to come, I love it so. But this path feels worn and familiar, and the challenge now is to hack out a new one.
Newspapers are in a fight to survive, desperately searching for new ways to reflect the world to an audience that is less trusting, more distracted and diffuse. For many people now, digital connections seem to trump geography as the central definition of home. But those electronic ties don't fulfill all our needs. Where we live still matters. Starting next month, I'll be putting together a group of writers whose job it will be to tell the truths of Washington in compelling and essential ways, combining traditional storytelling with new forms that involve and engage the people who live here.
Sounds like it is worth a shot. Fisher was the best Washington columnist around and I will miss his columns and chats.
Come on William, you are smarter than this. This is part of the first chapter of hockey 101, when a team is down and losing in a playoff series, the losing team typically starts a fight to "send a message." It doesnt work often, but did actually work for the Penguins in Game 6 of the series against the Flyers in the first round.
# posted by TMBC :
Monday, June 01, 2009 11:03:00 AM
TMBC's referring to my tweet. I get the "let's get everybody worked up by starting a fight" thing, but the NHL's continued coddling of the Penguins is an embarrassment.
Go Red Wings!
# posted by WFY :
Monday, June 01, 2009 12:11:00 PM
He should be suspended, but the league has already let that the Carolina guy get away with sucker punching the Bruin guy in round 2, along with letting Ovechkin get away with a knee-to-knee hit on Gonchar. Lets not act like the Penguins are the only ones to get preferential treatment.
The officiating was poor for both sides last night, so neither team has a complaint.
Its interesting how all the Flyers and Capitals fans are showing their jealousy. How's the offseason been going?
# posted by TMBC :
Monday, June 01, 2009 4:20:00 PM
I don't recall Ovechkin getting an intigator penalty and the automatic suspension that comes with it. I do recall that the NHL let the Penguins mess up the second round schedule for a Yanni concert too.
The Caps and everyone else need to realize that the NHL is like Animal Farm -- everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others. Hey, I can hear a flightless bird oinking!
RIP Harry Kalas - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
RIP Harry Kalas
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- While milling around Nationals Park yesterday, Fritz got a surprising text message from a friend that Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas had collapsed and died. As details began to emerge, we determined that the ambulance we saw on the way into Nationals Park was probably for Kalas. The Nationals had a moment of silence for Kalas just before the start of yesterday's game.
I have been a fan of Kalas for a long time, though it was from his work with NFL Films and network radio telecasts of NFL games. It seemed like whenever we would drive out to cut down a Christmas tree in the country, we'd listen to an out-of-market game on Mutual that Kalas was doing. I also enjoyed his NFL Films narration. I might have seen him doing Phillies work a few times over the years and for some reason I remember watching a Cubs vs. Phillies game that went to rain delay Kalas joined the Cubs broadcasters for some lively banter -- that's good rain delay theater if you ask me.
Lastly, my great Uncle Bill, a lifelong Philadelphian and baseball fan (originally the A's until they moved to Kansas City, then the Phillies) used to correspond with Kalas regularly. After Uncle Bill died, his family discovered these letters. Kalas later acknowledged Uncle Bill's death on air.
Kalas will be missed. I'm glad he got to call a Phillies championship live last season.
Thanks for sharing this about Kalas. I believe you have told me before of that relationship he had with your uncle, or maybe it was somebody else. Fact is Kalas seemed like family to everybody in the Philadelphia area.
I never met him but always felt like he was my uncle, or grandfather. Yesterday was very tough for me.
The Nationals should be credited for their hospitality during this tough time for the Phillies. They initially offered to post pone their home opener in the wake of Kalas' passing, but the Phillies insisted the game go on as scheduled.
A sad day for baseball, not just in Philadelphia.
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 12:49:00 PM
MASN details, but I still don't like the channel - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, April 06, 2009
MASN details, but I still don't like the channel
JIM WILLIAMS - MASN ready for Opening Day and beyond - The Wash. Examiner In a column that reads like a MASN press release, we get details about broadcast plans for this season. There is some good news:
"We have a new high home camera location on level three of Nationals Park. That means the camera is about 150 feet lower and closer to the field so fans will have a better look at the game action," Glass said. "We will also use X-Mo, a high-speed HD camera..."
Progress, yes.
Later Williams says this:
OK, I am ready for those fans out there that will simply call me an Angelos lover, but MASN is a quality regional sports network. As someone who has first-hand experience in building three of them from the ground up, I can tell you Glass, Cuddihy and their team are very well thought of in the industry. Both the Nationals and the Orioles have top talent in the booth and top-quality talent in the production trucks.
Okay, Angelos lover even if MASN is a top quality sports network, why wasn't it from day 1? The coverage over the years has been poor and anti-Washington. I'm not about to give them a pat on the back because they started figuring it out in year 5.
By the way, hope for rain for more reasons than spoiling the Orioles Opening Day:
"We are producing every Nationals and Orioles game this year in high definition," said Glass, MASN's Executive Producer, Operations Director, on what they have done during the offseason. "That way if say the Orioles' Opening Day game was rained out, then we can switch to the Nationals-Marlins game in HD."
Whoopee, maybe next year all games can be shown in HD.
Cerphe, classic rock 94.7 sign off - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Cerphe, classic rock 94.7 sign off
D.C. Radio's Last Rock Overturned - The Post This morning, I have one less radio station to listen to on my commute as 94.7 has become the third adult contemporary station in the D.C. market. Friday was Don Cerphe Colwell's final day at the microphone on 94.7 FM which was classic rock, then "world-class rock" which included current yuppie/boomer rock (Coldplay, Plant/Krauss) and some older stuff and then back to classic rock again. Of the two formats, "world-class" rock was closer to being a great station and probably could have been with a little more commitment from management.
Despite the article saying classic rock is dead in D.C. radio, it is on WBIG 100.3 FM which has billed itself as oldies, but really you can't be oldies and not play Motown. As for Cerphe, he'll be fine and may even do some specials for WJFK. I'm sure we will hear his morning counterpart, Albie Dee, somewhere too, probably on a completely different format. I wonder if we'll hear from Jonathan "Weasel" Gilbert again though. He was let go to make way for Ablie Dee.
94.7 dropping classic rock format - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, April 02, 2009
94.7 dropping classic rock format
DCRTV.com reported that WTGB 94.7 FM is dropping its classic rock format and going to adult contemporary, FRESH 94.7. Now I will have one less station to listen to on my commute. This will be particularly tough in the morning.
I liked 94.7's "world class rock" format of last year. It was flawed yes -- (can you really play New Order and Led Zepplin back-to-back?), but overall it was pretty good. Initially, the return to a straight classic rock format was not something I was too enthusiastic about because who needs to hear more .38 Special? However, it got better and for a couple of months I could count on hearing either Bruce Springsteen and/or Rush on my commutes. Perhaps that is why they had trouble attracting listeners.
Those statements did not go over too well in some quarters for understandable reasons. My take -- whatever, though it explains the initial level of coverage he provided when he took over the beat last season. It struck me as being written by someone who was cocky and probably too into himself. However, Harlan has improved and if he is doing it despite not liking his job, well that speaks well to his professionalism. He still tries to hit you over the head with snark sometimes, rather the nuisanced writing of his predecessor Barry Svrluga,who had his own Washingtonian profile in 2005 (just an image, the link died).
Harlan has already apologized on the Nationals Journal blog and I am not even going to bother parsing it out. I see Harlan's point and add that being sportswriter never had much appeal to me or at least not after I read Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn. The classic book about cover the 1952-53 Brooklyn Dodgers detailed his coverage of the team and among many insights, reveals that he tired of the extensive travel, endless season, boredom and tedium that is the beat writer's life. Kahn also noted that no matter what he did after his days on that beat, people wanted to talk about the Dodgers which frustrated him. Baseball is probably the hardest sport to cover though if you like to see your name in print, there may be no better beat -- in 2005 Svrluga led the Post for number of stories published.
What will happen to Harlan, I cannot say. I have a feeling his superiors will grumble1, fans will bombard him in his next chat and he might have a few tough days in the clubhouse. Then a few players will tell him off the record that they feel the same way about playing baseball as he does about writing about it. Oh and by the way, Harlan, while there are probably 75 or so MLB beats in American newspapers (maybe more), but I bet there are even fewer food writer beats these days.
Also, in this month's Washingtonian is "Heavy Hitters ," an article with a big photograph of Frank Howard that appears to talk about D.C. baseball sluggers.
Cosby on WTOP - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Cosby on WTOP
Cosby talks half-smokes, sports and race - WTOP Here is the story, video and audio from Bill Cosby's rambling visit to WTOP. He would not let them break for traffic and weather on the 8s.
Why wasn't Sammy Baugh above the scroll/fold on Post? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Why wasn't Sammy Baugh above the scroll/fold on Post?
The greatest Redskin of all (if not the greatest D.C. athlete ever), Sammy Baugh, died last night. For some reason, washingtonpost.com did not feature this news above the scroll as of 9:45 a.m. Their local competitors washtimes.com and dcexaminer.com both had Baugh in their carousels. On the print edition, Baugh's passing is only noted at the bottom. The front page of The Wash. Times has the news on the fold. Even the Philly Daily News had Baugh's passing noted on the back (sports) page.
Baugh made football in this town and revolutionized passing. He was also one of the greatest punters of all time and an excellent defensive back. His #33 is the only number officially retired by the Redskins. He was the only quarterback to lead the Redskins to multiple titles (1937 and 1942). I hope the Redskins honor him with a #33 patch on their uniforms for the rest of the season.
Depending on the source, Baugh may have never returned to Washington after retiring in 1952, preferring life on his Texas ranch.
WTOP sports puts Baltimore first again - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
WTOP sports puts Baltimore first again
Quick question with the Nationals and Orioles both playing at home which ballpark do you think Washington radio station WTOP had its reporter at? Was it Nationals Park? Nope, Craig Heist was reporting from Oriole Park in Baltimore. The Orioles vs. Rays game was giving top billing on tonight's sportscast above the Nationals. The reason seems pretty simple if you read Heist's bio:
I love covering my hometown team, the Orioles.
Boy, that's sweet Craig nothing like putting the city your station broadcasts from second. I might have to stop listening to anything on WTOP that does not start on the eights.
Somebody screwed up: BTN overflow channel on Comcast not working - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Somebody screwed up: BTN overflow channel on Comcast not working
ARGH! None of the Big Ten Network overflow channels are showing a picture, meaning that we cannot watch the Penn State vs. Temple game that is going on right now. I called Comcast and they are aware of it, in fact the rep said, "Penn State?" when I mentioned the game was not on.
I'm kind of annoyed that Penn State is not the regular telecast here anyway since it is about 215 miles away from here and Temple is even closer. BTN proper went with OSU vs. Troy instead. I don't believe either school is within 450 miles of here.
I will be calling Comcast's billing dept. for a refund on Monday.
The telecast finally came on with :29 left in the first half. I'm eager to get an explanation of what happened.
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:39:00 PM
We had a similar problem during the 1st game vs. Coastal Carolina. That PSU game was on the ONLY overflow channel that wasn't working. Fortunately in our area today, they had the PSU game on the main channel so there were no problems. You didn't miss anything in the first quarter. I did call Comast to complain that day and it took them most of the first half to fix the problem.
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Saturday, September 20, 2008 4:32:00 PM
Why are you staying with Comcast? Comcast could not be any worse even if they declared 'screw the customer' was their official business slogan & philosophy. Go get a dish! I did, and I am never making complaints (except when heavy storm clouds knock out reception for 10-15 minutes.
# posted by SoloVita :
Saturday, September 20, 2008 5:35:00 PM
solovita: The triple-play is a pretty good deal and they have been pretty reliable overall. I barely watch TV, so I'm not sure if getting the dish when I still need phone/internet is cost effective.
FIOS, on the other hand...
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, September 21, 2008 7:53:00 AM
i followed comcast's troubleshooting tips.
i lost all digital channels, including btn and overflow channels. i then had to wait around for a rep to come out. they said they woud be there between 12-3.
they arrived at 5. i missed the game, and wasted my afternoon.
in short, i hate comcast, and cannot switch due to not being able to have a dish on my townhouse.
# posted by jd :
Sunday, September 21, 2008 12:35:00 PMPost a Comment
WTOP's Dave Johnson: Putting Baltimore first - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, September 08, 2008
WTOP's Dave Johnson: Putting Baltimore first
This morning, WTOP sports led with the Ravens win over Cincinatti and devoted the largest part of the sportscast to Baltimore's football team. I'm pretty indifferent to the Ravens other than I am glad Baltimore got a NFL team again, even if they have to wear purple. I am not going to suggest that the NFL is not important, if the Redskins had played yesterday instead of Thursday, it would have made sense for them to lead off in sports. I will suggest though that local teams like the Nationals are more important than non-local teams like the Ravens. The Nationals came from behind and won in 14 innings yesterday (The Post) and are broadcasted by WTOP's sister station WWWT.
Even if you accept that non-local NFL games trump local MLB games, I would argue that the Ravens are not even the second most popular team in BeltwayLand. That position is probably held by the Giants with the Eagles, Jets, Steelers, possibly the Patriots and even Cowboys more popular than the Ravens, so why not focus on them if D.C. teams don't matter too much? Perhaps sports director Dave Johnson's bio offers a hint:
Before breaking into sports Johnson was a disc jockey at several stations in Baltimore. His first job was at a station that played Sinatra music and then he went on to "spin records" at rock and country stations.
A graduate of Towson University...
It is not a stretch to suggest that Johnson's colors run purple & black and orange & black instead of red, white & blue and burgundy & gold. He is even wearing Ravens colors in his photo. It is an ongoing pro-Baltimore trend that also rewards the bad behavior by anti-Washington baseball owner Peter Angelo$. Johnson should shape up and focus on the real home teams.
Dave Johnson here nice blog!!!actually we thought the rookie story (Flacco)was a neat one so we led with that...nationals got bumped because it was an nfl monday..although is still used highlights in every cast.BUT i grew up a colts fans but never made the switch to ravens..as I kid i remeber the ted williams senators..thanks again for listening
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, September 08, 2008 4:38:00 PM
Thanks for responding, though I'll note there was no mention of the Nationals in either the 6:45 or 7:15 sportscasts. They had the night off, but they are back tonight.
# posted by WFY :
Tuesday, September 09, 2008 8:08:00 AM
Post a CommentSaturday's PSU game: Overflow to the rescue! - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday's PSU game: Overflow to the rescue!
First off, forgive me if for being such a cable luddite, but I barely watch TV, especially now with Will around. I am not familiar with how everything is set up and will probably not get an HD TV for a long time. Anyway, the news about this weeks' Penn State game appears to be good:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30TH FOOTBALL GAMES
Catch your Big Ten games on COMCAST! See below for details in your area.
12:00 PM (ET) / 11:00 AM (CT) YOUNGSTOWN STATE VS. OHIO STATE: channel 257 (SD) AKRON VS. WISCONSIN *: channel 801 (SD) MAINE VS. IOWA: channel 802 (SD) WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. INDIANA *: channel 803 (SD) COASTAL CAROLINA VS. PENN STATE: channel 804 (SD)
That comes via search on the Big Ten Network gamefinder for my zip code in Alexandria, Va. I have had my skepticisms of BTN, but they do have a pretty useful Web site.
Is it just me or is it silly for Virginia to get Ohio State when the states on the northern and southern border are getting Penn State?
Nobody is listening to the Nats either - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Nobody is listening to the Nats either
From the Basement, It's No Wonder Radio Reception Is Poor - The Post Boy, this really is a lost season -- nobody is listening to the excellent Nationals radio broadcast. How unfortunate, Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are quite good too.
After the season, I plan on having a really long post about what the Nationals need to do to get the franchise where it needs to be.
Tape delay for Penn State vs. Coastal Carolina on Alexandria Comcast - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tape delay for Penn State vs. Coastal Carolina on Alexandria Comcast
The $5 a month I am spending for Big Ten Network and the sports tier entitles me to the watch or tape the Penn State vs. Coastal Carolina game 23 hours after it starts. Apparently, there are no overflow channels for the network. It looks like I will be considering another service provider after all. Given that I can't watch the game live anyway, it is not a big deal – this week. Boo Comcast though.
It was nice watching the 2002 Penn State vs. Wisconsin game last night though, even though it was played on dreadful artificial turf. They looked like they were playing on a floor, not a field. I had forgotten just how terrible those rugs were before FieldTurf/SportTurf/etc.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 8:19:00 AM
Post a CommentYesterday's NYC tabs had same frontpage headline - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Yesterday's NYC tabs had same frontpage headline
Mayor Bloomberg wanted to put wind turbines on top of buildings and bridges and that drew obvious responses. Don't worry, it is not going to happen to any of your favorite landmarks.
Thoughts on the Mike O'Meara Show - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Thoughts on the Mike O'Meara Show
Recently, a few co-workers and I had a conversation about the new Mike O'Meara Show, heard locally on WJFK 106.7. We all had the same conclusion -- it is pretty good. While the new show is not as good as the old Don & Mike Show at its peak, it still keeps me entertained and is better than what the Don & Mike Show had become. Don Geronimo was clearly unhappy being on the old show, so his retirement has been an addition via subtraction. O'Meara's show isn't dark like D&M could be and has more whimsy and tomfoolery. Sure, some of the bits are not super, but overall the lighter tone is a welcome change. Keep it up Mike!
Big11Ten Network availability search - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Big11Ten Network availability search
In case you are unsure about whether Big11Ten Network will be available were you live go to this search page and type in your zip code. That will let you know if you can get it on one of several providers (Comcast, RCN, etc.) I'm quite pleased that Arlington/Alexandria Comcast will offer it, likely on the sports tier.
Favre to Jets means 3 tabloids use same bad pun - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Favre to Jets means 3 tabloids use same bad pun
I really hoped I would not have to post anything about Brett Favre, but he got traded to the Jets, so I knew tabloids would all pretty much look the same today. The little twist is that the NY Post made "JET FAVRE" the top headline, but had a bigger focus on the anthrax story.
Oh why did he have to go to New York? The nightmare of Favre coverage may just be getting started.
Prediction -- Favre will have a season ending injury before October, rendering the whole ordeal pointless.
Seeing double, almost triple on NY tabs backpages - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, July 18, 2008
Seeing double, almost triple on NY tabs backpages
The Mets' ten wins in a row have vaulted them into first place. Even with that, I think the "First & 10" headline is not terribly strong and is kind of forced. It did not stop with the two city tabloids' back pages either.
Newsday, Long Island's paper of record, went with the identical sounding "First & Ten" headline, but used a different photograph than the other two.
The Ombudsman can't be too happy to see his Phillies in second place.
Coverage is lacking - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Coverage is lacking
Looking for a Nats story in The Post today, I found none. Now, I realize this is the All-Star break and all, but a quick survey of all other leading newspapers along the Northeast Corridor had coverage of their home teams in them. Ignoring the home team during the middle of the season is an odd choice for sports editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz to make, no? Garcia-Ruiz does have a staff article on a team from another city though, one that is owned by a someone who tried to kill the hometown team. To me, that is rewarding bad behavior, if not promoting it outright. Is this good news judgment?
Over on New York Ave. NE, despite a much smaller circulation and budget, they are committed to covering the Nationals. They also boast the best writer on the beat these days. The Dick Heller column is pretty stupid though and will not get linked.
Thanks for skipping the Heller piece. What a waste of a read this morning. He's just ranting and for someone who is so dissapointed and depressed about the outcome of this team, he sure forgot to check some of his facts.
# posted by Kristen :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:34:00 AM
Wow that Heller thing is a colossal piece of junk. Like Kristen said, some fact-checking would have been in order. But what are facts except something to get in the way of a zany zinger.
# posted by DC Optimist :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:04:00 PM
I thought the same thing when I picked up the Post Sports page today. I thought: If you're gonna skip covering the Nats, do you really have to put the Os on the front page in their place? They are due for an analysis of what's wrong with the team and what can be done to improve things going forward.
# posted by JohnDC :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:38:00 PM
I should mention Norman Chad as well, he had an awful column for The Post earlier this week too. He played the usual "won't someone please think of the children" line about schools. Perhaps being out in L.A. Chad is not aware that D.C. schools are given more money per pupil than any state. In a way, the ballpark may help improve the school system too.
I am not happy about the way things are going for the Nats any more than Heller.
BTW, Harlan said he's be having a second half preview in Friday's paper.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:44:00 PM
Why was it awful? Norman Chad has always been against using public funding to build private stadiums. He has stated in the past that the tax money could be used for any of a number of projects, not just schools. And I don't think he's wrong to state that the D.C. school system could use some improvement.
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Friday, July 18, 2008 7:19:00 AMPost a Comment
This was a Collegian editorial? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
This was a Collegian editorial?
Suggestions for stellar scene setting - The Collegian I read this editorial, which is the centerpiece of any opinion page, making fun of LaVar Arrington for reopening the old Sports Cafe as the new Linebacker U. bar and wondered what the point was and the overall appropriateness of it in general. It would be one thing if it was just a bad column with a byline, but an editorial?
Well, this is what to expect these days. It's more important to be as crude and unprofessional as you possibly can (take a look at most modern MSM outlets for proof, no matter where you sit along the aisle) than it is to be truly objective and try emphasize a point.
Besides, why be critical of the Animal at all? He's trying to give back to the community as an entrepreneur. But then again, I forgot that there's something wrong with you if you try to create and run your own business. Has to do with that EEEEEEEEVIL corporate mindset.
And we have a family friend on staff at the Commu...er, Collegian. Needless to say, I'm a little disappointed, because she can do so much better.
# posted by Muha :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 5:03:00 AM
I don't get the Daily Collegian = Daily Worker arguments, but this was a pointless editorial.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:45:00 AM
Post a Commentwashingtonpost.com cutting back on chats - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, July 07, 2008
washingtonpost.com cutting back on chats
Post.com Cuts Back On Online Chats - Fishbowl DC Fewer live discussions? Chats are one of the things that really sets washingtonpost.com apart from other newspaper Web sites -- nobody has done them better. For the record, my favorite chats, in no particular order are the Nationals, Gene Weingarten, Marc Fisher and Capitals. I also check in on the Tom Sietsema, Dave Shenin and Thomas Boswell chats.
This development could be a great opportunity for washingtontimes.com to claim some chat traffic by upgrading their software to something more robust.
Just as for an athlete, the time comes when they can no longer turn on a fastball, throw a tight spiral that leads a receiver just right or hit the fall away jumper; so too for a writer the time comes when the words no longer flow like tap water, the account at the idea bank is overdrawn and the passion has faded . It's a hard thing to admit but even harder to ignore.
Big11Ten Network, Comcast seal the deal - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, June 20, 2008
Big11Ten Network, Comcast seal the deal
Comcast will carry BTN -- for now - Patriot-News More details on the Comcast-Big11Ten Network deal. Essentially, for the upcoming football and basketball seasons, BTN will be on expanded-basic cable in the Big11Ten footprint which does not include Philadelphia. In markets outside of the footprint, Comcast will offer BTN on a sports tier. After basketball season is over, Comcast may move it to the sports tier everywhere.
My suggestion to those of us outside of the footprint -- contact Comcast and request that BTN be on the sports tier. I don't mind paying a few bucks a month for more Penn State sports.
You are a little confused in the details of the BTN/Comcast deal.
You seem to have mixed up digital tier with a sports package. They are different.
We are talking about three different types of offerings.
Expanded basic - that's the analog channels offered by your cable company - they are usually the single and double digit numbers on your cable box.
Digital tier - that's all of those channels above 100 on your cable box.
Sports Package - that's a premium offering of a dozen or so specialty sports channels like the gazillion Fox Sports Net - Timbuktu etc that you pay an extra $5-$10 per month for.
Within the Big Ten market (not including Philly) for the upcoming football and basketball seasons, the BTN will be offered for free in the expanded basic tier.
With the Philly market, the BTN will be offered for free in the digital tier (NOT as a sports package).
After basketball season, with the Big Ten market, the BTN will be moved from the expanded basic tier to the digital tier. For 75% of Comcast customers that will have no effect, they will still get it free. For the other 25% they will have to upgrade to digital to still get it for free.
For Philly customers, there will be no change after the football and basketball - it will still be available for free in the digital tier.
Outside of the Big Ten market, individual cable systems will have the option of putting the BTN in the digital tier, putting it in a sports package, or not carrying it at all.
# posted by UncleLar :
Saturday, June 21, 2008 2:06:00 AM
Thanks for the clarification, UncleLar. I'm a cable Luddite who watches about three shows -- PSU, Nats and Caps.
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, June 21, 2008 8:45:00 AM
Post a CommentI (sort of) got Romenesko'ed - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Western Alexandria: Near the end of his life, Thompson was quite angry about the Bush presidency. I kind of get the feeling that he would have been very pleased by the Obama run.
Alex Gibney: I do think you're right. I suspect that Hunter would have liked Obama. He seems to capture the same kind of idealism that Hunter responded to with Robert F. Kennedy and George McGovern.
Actually, I know Thompson would have been all over the Obama campaign, but he chose to blow his head off in 2005. Back then, I said it was a "logical end to an illogical life" and while I still maintain that is true, I was not defending his decision. Suicide is a the most selfish act and had he not made that decision, he would finally have a candidate he could believe in. The joke's on him I guess, so in other words teenage suicidegonzo journalist suicide, don't do it.
Big11Ten Network, Comcast near deal? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, June 16, 2008
Big11Ten Network, Comcast near deal?
Big Ten Network, Comcast ready to call a truce - Chicago Tribune There are indications that Comcast subscribers will be able to get the Big11Ten Network in time for football season. Folks in Big11Ten Country get it as part of basic cable, while those of us out of it (which includes Philadelphia, apparently) will have to get it on a sports tier.
I will probably splurge and get the sports tier, since it is cheaper than going to a bar to watch the game. I am still not happy about the way it all went down though.
On JoePa & the media class and JoePa & the media; blogs - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, June 09, 2008
On JoePa & the media class and JoePa & the media; blogs
JoePa's media drills land him in class - Tribune-Review An article looking at the "how the media covers Joe Paterno class" is a look at how the media covers Joe Paterno. It is a good article about the man and the class. It also contains a quote that might make a few bloggers upset:
"It's impossible to tell the difference between a good blogger and a bad blogger," he said. "The media has to figure out a way to teach students about the impact of blogging on legitimate journalism."
I can't get worked about the quote, but I bet somebody does. I guess EDSBS (h/t, btw) kind of does.
As for Paterno in the media -- no one in sports controls the message as well as he does, Redskins owner Dan Snyder aspires he were 10% as good as Paterno.
Friday tabs made the same New York Climbs pun - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Friday tabs made the same New York Climbs pun
Both tabloids had the same idea for the cover -- New York Climbs in a gothic typeface similar to the old gray lady's flag (not masthead, as it is mistakenly called). I appreciate the Daily News one more because it included the definite article.
Dan Snyder buys WTEM - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Dan Snyder buys WTEM
Dan Snyder Expands Radio Empire - The Post In an effort to control the message and provide "unfiltered" coverage of the Redskins, owner Dan Snyder has purchased WTEM, the market's original sports radio station.
Since taking over the Redskins in 1999, Snyder has made a number of deals to control both the media and the message. In addition to purchasing the Triple X radio stations in late 2005, the Redskins buy time on local TV stations to air upbeat, magazine-style shows such as "Redskins Game Day" that are produced by the team.
That is a pretty tame way of putting it. Snyder comes off as incredibly petty and insecure about himself and his team. Once again, he has bought his way out of criticism, if there is even much of it on WTEM; I don't know, because I don't listen to sports radio.
One wonders how Snyder would hold up in a media market that did not provide so much favorable coverage of the team. Clearly, he doesn't see it, but I think reasonable people realize that the Redskins have traditionally been subject to coverage that is far from harsh. Can you imagine Snyder owning a team in a place like New York or Philly? He couldn't have handle it.
Snyder has faced some backlash over the years, but not enough that he hasn't been able to fill FedEx Field every Sunday. He has the luxury of a devoted fanbase and a season-ticket waiting list that has spanned generations. Moves like this though and the mediocre gameday experience is probably going to cut it into that soon. Ten years from now, he could find himself in a really tough spot, maybe five if the Redskins can't win regularly.
Lastly, I wonder if Bonneville is going to switch 3WT to sports radio. They have very little original programming now and already carry the Nats and Caps. They must be thinking about it a little bit.
I haven't listened to 980 in years so I have no idea about their Skins coverage. But it seem to me that football teams lend themselves to criticism rather easily. If your team wins, they rule! If they lose, they stink! I listen to Redskins Radio from time to time and I have heard them criticize the Skins when its deserved. But I have no idea how that compares to other media outlets.
Now if you want to talk about their lack of hockey coverage.....
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:49:00 AM
new washingtontimes.com debuts - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
new washingtontimes.com debuts
The new washingtontimes.com is here. There is a fair amount of video now and it is embeddedable. The "newscube" treatment on the front page is kind of a 3-D spin on the rotating tabs that most papers use. There are links in the cube stories to related themes (tags more or less) and other stories. That is a nice feature, but on the stories themselves, there are not related stories.
There are dozens of RSS feeds, but there is not a feed specifically for the Nationals, something I was expecting. There is a baseball feed, but I don't want to clog Google Reader with stories about other teams like the Orioles. I also don't think the "Themes" area is working as it is supposed to yet.
Overall the design seems kind of dated. The content area is barely 800 pixels wide, over 100 fewer pixels than many contemporary designs. They also appear to have migrated out of the Saxotech content management system. Right now, there are some problem with the section fronts delivering the same content every time they are refreshed. For example, I had seen a story about Ryan Zimmerman's shoulder on the Sports front, but after I read a different story and returned to the Sports front, the Zimmerman story was gone.
So far, the new washingtontimes.com is okay, but they have some bugs to work out. I will check back in several weeks and see how it has come along.
Newspaper Web site redesigns - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, May 19, 2008
Newspaper Web site redesigns
There are several redesigns to newspaper Web sites that are here or almost here.
Washington Times provides sneak preview of new Web site - The Wash. Times They have a mockup online, but I would not go as far to call it a beta site since the functionality is not there. A rotating image on the front -- something many sites started doing last year, but are starting to abandon. So far, the new washtimes.com site looks okay and I like the idea of "400,000 custom news feeds" being made available.
I have heard that the goal is for washtimes.com to become one of the top 10 sites -- not newspaper sites -- in the world. I don't see that happening.
Also, philly.com, the Web site for The Inky and Philly Daily News has taken a step back and switched the front page design for something less robust and with a terrible color palette. I had really liked the way the had it, particularly the way they gave each paper its own site with suitable designs.
Lots of journalism folks love the Philly.com redesign, but I'm not a fan either. I miss the tabs and the easy access to the sports stories near the top. I'm really looking forward to the day when newspaper sites stop re-arranging deck chairs and start doing something innovative.
Anyway, I've been reading your blog for a while and figured I was overdue to leave a comment. So, hello.
# posted by Daniel Victor :
Monday, May 19, 2008 1:17:00 PM
Oh, no, mainstream media. This blog has lost all credibility.
# posted by DJ in Hbg :
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:00:00 AM
Post a CommentTabloids have same take on Subway Series - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, May 16, 2008
Tabloids have same take on Subway Series
The Yankees are in the odd position of last place (it is a rebuilding year, though no one told Hank Steinbrenner) right now and the Mets are not as good as they were supposed to be this season. That has the two city tabloids thinking the same thing as the regular season Subway Series resumes tonight.
The Bronx Bombers won't be in last place for long and may make the playoffs yet. The Mets on the other hand, have third place written all over them.
Ron Bracken retiring - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Ron Bracken retiring
Sharing a career full of memories and personal beliefs - CDT Ron Bracken, who has been at the CDT since 1967 (the year after Joe Paterno became Penn State head coach -- JoePa outlasts another one), is retiring on June 30. The eight Sundays proceeding his retirement will feature "highlights of his career" in the CDT. A farewell tour seems a bit much, but I see something interesting, I'll post it.
Over the last few years, Bracken has struck me as getting pretty grumpy about the state of the Nittany Lions (sound like anyone you know?). He was a lot more enthusiastic about covering the program when he came to Jock Lauterer's community journalism class when I was an undergrad.
New Nats reporter for Post announced - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, May 05, 2008
New Nats reporter for Post announced
Prepare to welcome a new beat writer - Nationals Journal, washingtonpost.com Chico Harlan, previously the Penn State football reporter for the Post-Gazette, will be succeeding Barry Svrluga on The Post's Nats beat. Those are very big shoes to fill. Hopefully, Svrluga's departure from the beat means he is on the fast-track to columnist status.
Newseum opens today - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, April 11, 2008
Newseum opens today
The Newseum is now open. Admission is free today, but starting tomorrow, $20. The price seems steep, especially with the Smithsonian's free admission, but it is worth it
I thought I would round up some articles about the museum, some pro, some con. I reviewed it last week after attending a preview.
Final Don & Mike Show today - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Final Don & Mike Show today
Don Geronimo makes his return to the Don & Mike Show for one final show today at 3 p.m. on WJFK and dozens of radio stations nationwide. He is retiring (early) after over 20 years on the show with Mike O'Meara. I expect him to name names and overall be very, very bitter and selfish, but occasionally grateful.
If Mike ever wants to kill off the Charly character, now would be a great time. I hope he doesn't though.
UPDATE: Don skipped the bitterness. He explained that he couldn't do the show anymore because it was keeping him from moving on from the death of his wife Freida. He talked about his new life and shared war stories with each member of the cast, ending with Mike. Now he's taking some time to say a few other things before he goes out.
There are few stories in particular that I'll comment on when they published:
Local Reporting, Breaking News Virginia Tech Shootings -- washingtonpost.com was behind everybody on the story for the better part of the morning, something I documented. I suppose the lesson is being first to break the news is not as important as covering it very thoroughly.
Feature Writing Pearls before Breakfast -- Gene Weingarten finds fascinating characters and stories and makes them come to life with his writing. While this wasn't my favorite Weingarten article, I commented at the time that he had "done it again." Of course, he jokes he had "nothing to do with it" but that he "would gladly accept the award." ALSO: His first post-Pulitzerchat.
I saw Heston speak at Penn State. His topics included acting, his role as a civil rights activist, which he is was both proud and smug about, and firearms. If I recall correctly, he was presented a rifle at the end. I went, half expecting to see protesters or, even better, people in ape masks, but neither happened.
The New Newseum - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, April 04, 2008
The New Newseum
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since I am a "special friend" of the Newseum, I was able to get free preview tickets to the new museum. Erica, Fritz, dl004d (another media stuides major -- I'm not alone!) and Grand Marnier came along as well. Back when the Newseum was in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Va., I went to original Newseum, which closed in late 2001/early 2002, several times over the years. In fact, when I worked in Rosslyn I parked in a garage at the old Newseum.
The beginning starts of our visit was a little awkward.. Newseum guides recommended we start on the lower level, past the Berlin Wall and into the "holding center" to wait for the next showing of the 4D movie. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Several panels of the wall and a death tower are on display. The wall is not much more than a giant Jersey barrier with graffiti on one side, the barbed wire is all missing.
After moving on into the holding center, 4D glasses (stylish!) are given out and a video about "getting it right" is played. The 4D movie about the power of the media in America is quite good, both for the technology and the message. It is also unintentionally funny in the beginning.
From there, we took the elevator to the sixth floor. They have an outdoor observation area that details the history of Pennsylvania Ave. and provides excellent views. The view of the Capitol building would be absolutely perfect, but for the fact there are maple leaf flags all over the adjacent building, an embassy, across the corner. It is a harsh reminder of Canadian domination on American life. The sixth floor also includes digital versions of today's newspapers.
Moving down to the fifth floor we checked out the history gallery. Newspapers in clear display drawers are heavily featured as well as other artifacts from news gathering. This area is significantly bigger than the previous Newseum -- you could spend all day right there. One disappointment though - the FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD Daily News was not featured. How can you skip that if you are having a gallery of famous newspaper fronts? I skipped the books gallery - next time I'll check it out. I recall there being an exhibit about Edward R. Murrow on that floor as well.
The fourth floor features a 9/11 exhibit with a TV antenna from the World Trade Center, a time line of events and newspaper front pages. Photography is prohibited, which was fine with me. Having felt my office building shake when the Pentagon was attacked, I don't need to have reminders of that day. Also on the fourth floor was an exhibit on the First Amendment, which was quite interesting. We were reminded that burping is not covered by the First Amendment.
The third floor featured the Journalists Memorial and (if I recall correctly) the bombed out remains of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles Datsun. He was killed in the 1970s while investigating mafia. World news is also explored on this floor. I found the color-coded Press Freedom map of most interest.
Since being "On TV" was not of any interest to me, the third floor was skipped. You can do a newscast there with assorted backdrops. It did not seem very well organized.
The second floor is the Hall of News with a large screen featuring still photographs of major news events and a ticker that uses mixed-case letters instead of all capitals, which pleased dl004d. A satellite and news helicopter hang at this level.
Interactivity is a big part of the Newseum experience. There are touchscreen monitors all over the place. There is a downside to this though, the touch screens provide many opportunities to see bad news like the Challenger explosion or several different assassinations. It gets to be a bit much.
Despite spending over four hours in the Newseum, we really just skimmed it. It would probably take several days to see everything there. Also, we stopped by "The Food Section" a cafeteria with Wolfgang Puck food. The prices were high, but the quality was fairly good. On that level there is the first satellite news truck as well as a small exhibit on comics.
Overall, all were quite pleased with the new Newseum. I am sure I will go back sometime, but at $20 admission, it will probably be a while. Even at that price though, the Newseum is a good value if you can devote a day to spending in it.
"Harsh reminder of Canada's domination on American life?" Surely you jest.
# posted by CP :
Thursday, April 17, 2008 12:41:00 PM
I'm as serious as a 5 on 3 powerplay. Watch this video and see what I'm talking about.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, April 17, 2008 2:40:00 PM
Post a CommentWho hasn't admired the integrity of the Berlin Wall? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Who hasn't admired the integrity of the Berlin Wall?
WASHINGTON D.C -- I should have the Newseum write-up done tomorrow. In the meantime, ponder this message: ""In order to maintain the integrity of the Berlin Wall, please do not touch."
Only one more Don & Mike Show - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Only one more Don & Mike Show
UPDATED 04.03.2008: Also, Mike pub, O'Meara's in Manassas, has closed is only open on weekends. I never did get around to visiting it because, well, it was in Manassas. I guess I still could visit. DCRTV had incorrectly said it was closed. The economic slowdown was sighted as the reason.
DCRTV.com is reporting that Don Geronimo has "accelerated his retirement" and will only appear on the Don & Mike Show one more time, on April 11. Following that, The Mike O'Meara Show will debut on April 14 with the rest of the cast, plus former producer Beth Ann McBride.
I've listened to them on and off for the duration of the show. I'm curious what the next incarnation will be with only "one idiot." Had I not been listening them since I was a wee lad, I don't know if I would have found them at all entertaining, but with all the "history" I still tune them in.
BTW, I hope Don calls his autobiography "Honk for Cash."
Will new "Paterno" COMM class be obsolete soon? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, March 21, 2008
Will new "Paterno" COMM class be obsolete soon?
Fall COMM schedule includes JoePa class - The Collegian My college is offering a special class called COMM 497G Joe Paterno, Communications & the Media. "The class, which will explore how Paterno's relationship with the media has changed over the years, will be offered in fall 2008 and will be available to juniors and seniors"
I am sure the demand for this class will be quite high. I would want to take it. Hopefully, a student in the class will blog about it. Failing that, getting semester long subscription to Nittany Notes (with shipping included) seems the way to go.
Paterno has been invited to speak to it, but the invitation has not yet been accepted.
Of course, the big question is how long will such a class be timely? There was another article (Post-Gazette) quoting anonymous trustees about Paterno's contract status. Nothing has changed and no real information is available yet.
I think the best case scenario would be a three-year contract extension with Paterno retiring after one or two years. That may not happen though.
Big11Ten Network progress in Pennsylvania - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Big11Ten Network progress in Pennsylvania
David Jones of the Patriot-Newsreports on his blog that things are looking up for Pennsylvania cable subscribers who want to see Big11Ten Network. A deal is close for that will allow many Comcast subscribers will get it on expanded basic tier, except for the Philadelphia area which will have to pay extra.
This doesn't help me, but I know Penn Staters in the Keystone State will be pleased.
Will there be a Terrible Towel on his coffin? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Will there be a Terrible Towel on his coffin?
Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope dies at 79 - Post-Gazette The Maryland Bureau Chief tipped me off that Cope who was "so bad, he's good" as a long-time Steelers broadcaster died today at age 79. He was credited with inventing the Terrible Towel.
I remember on Thanksgiving Sunday we were driving back from seeing family friends in Michigan and we found a Steelers game. We agreed the broadcasters were awful. Later, through the magic of NFL Films, I became more familiar with his work and became a fan of him. Not a Steelers fan though (except for Super Bowl XL).
Myron will be missed, although listening to him 2002-04 was a little painful because he clearly was in decline (no jokes that he was "always" painful to listen to). But yes, I am among those "yinzers" that would turn down the TV broadcast and turn up Myron. He loved the team and really brought the game to life. And of course, I found him entertaining and funny!
I was sad he wasn't on-board during the Super Bowl XL campaign, but at least he was alive to see it. I will finish up by saying: DOUBLE YOI!!!
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:27:00 PM
For me, listening to Myron was like repeatedly smashing a brick into the back of my head. But I understand he was pretty much a god of broadcasting, kinda like Mel Allen was. Of course, the Steelers never fired Myron, did they?
# posted by Brad Stratton :
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:47:00 PM
TMBC: I read somewhere that listening to the radio coverage while watching the game was a "unique Pittsburgh tradition." Um, no. Redskins fans used to "turn the TV down and the radio up" to listen to Sonny, Sam and Frank. Buffalo fans did it too and I'll bet Colts fans did for Chuck Thompson and Raider fans for Bill King.
Brad: Allen was fired by the sponsor, Ballantine Ale. Back in the day, sponsors bought the broadcast rights and decided who would call the games.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:50:00 PM
WFY: I don't claim that it is a Pittsburgh-only tradition. But I've heard Sonny and Sam, and they are not nearly the "unique" radio personalities that Myron was. I think every town probably has one or two announcers that fans swear is the best, so we are probably no different with our admiration of Myron. I just know that none of the others made up a song with lyrics such as: "Deck the Broncos there just Yoncos....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA."
Brad, No, the Steelers never fired Myron. He and his buddy (Joe Gordon?) had an agreement that when Joe told Myron he was "slipping", Myron would resign. Joe gave him the word during the summer of 2005. I think the Steelers knew it was coming a few years ahead of time, which is why they expanded to a 3 man booth a few years earlier.
# posted by TMBC :
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7:08:00 PMPost a Comment
A tale of two newsrooms - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Friday, February 15, 2008
A tale of two newsrooms
One Mission, Two Newsrooms - CityPaper A river runs through the struggle for the future of the Washington Post. The Post and washingtonpost.com are two separate newsrooms, separated by over three miles, five Metro stops, the Potomac River and a state line. Not surprisingly, the two cultures sometimes have trouble working together and yet, washingtonpost.com is one of the best five newspaper Web sites in the country. When you consider that in many ways, washingtonpost.com is still Web 1.0, that is even more impressive. Integration between the two, while seemingly an obvious decision, is likely being held back because of the Washington Post Co.'s preference for Web employees that are not part of the newspaper guild. Virginia, a "right-to-work" state, provides that option, while The District does not.
Potomac vs. Chesapeake - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Potomac vs. Chesapeake
With Virginia, The District and Maryland all having primaries on the same Tuesday, I have heard a few different ways to describe this event. Some media outlets are calling it "Potomac Primary" after the river that separates the two states and the District while other outlets are calling it the "Chesapeake Primary" after the bay that both states, but not the District, share.
Here is a very informal survey of what media outlets are calling the day:
Potomac Primary The Post The Wash. Times The Sun Times-Dispatch Post-Gazette WTTG USA Today Post-Gazette CNN FOX News Reuters The Times NPR CBS News NBC News Agence France-Presse
Chesapeake Primary WTOP WUSA WJLA
It isn't even close, it just may seem that way because of broadcast using Chesapeake. According to Google News (at 7:30 p.m. last night), Chesapeake Primary has "about 310" results, while a search for "Potomac Primary" returns "about 695."
Neither the Associated Press or The (Annapolis) Capital seem to be using either term.
Tabs use the same headline in slightly different ways - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, February 04, 2008
Tabs use the same headline in slightly different ways
I had expected at least one of the tabloids would have gone with "WE WIN." The Daily News cover shown was a wrap-around; there were two regular covers today too. The NY Post's back cover is shown.
The right team won and restored order to the New York vs. Boston rivalry; take note Yankees. It has been fun being on the Giants bandwagon.
Nobody outside of the Northeast cares? - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Monday, January 28, 2008
Nobody outside of the Northeast cares?
I've overheard or read that nobody outside of the Northeast is going to care about this Super Bowl. Riiiight. Like nobody outside of Illinois and Indiana cared about last year's Super Bowl. It is the Super Bowl, people care. Either way, about 40 million people live within the "footprint" of those two teams. That is something like 13% of the entire U.S. population. Throw in expatriates (no pun intended) and there are probably at least 50 million people who live, lived or are only a generation away from living in the Northeast. I expect higher ratings for this year's game.
By the way, memo to the NY Post -- calling the Giants "America's team" is silly, even if it is sort of true for a day.
If I were Bill Belichek, I'd put that tabloid in every player's locker this week.
Check out this recent comic - William World News - William F. Yurasko's blog
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Check out this recent comic
Gene Weingarten (interview), arbiter of humor, picks a comic of the week during his Tuesday Chatological Humor discussions. His most recent pick was quite clever, irreverent, funny, and depressing all at once.
Washington Post, Gene Weingarten
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