Medi-acrity
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 18:49
If you watch the media carefully, they have abdicated their responsibility as watch dogs of the powers that lord over our existence–the government, the corporation, the “league.”
Today’s media, save for the occasional Olberman, or “watch blog”, have assumed the position of cheerleader for whoever signs their pay check.
Rewind your TIVO of Super Bowl 43. How many shots of the crowd, during the game, do you see? My son brought this up after the Steelers pulled ahead 20-7. He theorized it was because the league, namely head honcho, Roger Goodell, was determined not to show the world what was, by several anecdotal accounts, a sea of Terrible Towels.
Wow, Roger, is more of a prick than I gave him credit for. (And I think he’s a huge prick with balls as big as pumpkins.)
First, he steps on one of the most loyal, free spending, international fan bases in the world by denying them some prime time exposure. Truth be told, I can understand, even accept, the need for the league to minimize even the appearance of partiality. But no shots of Steeler fans? Disgraceful.
Oh, and Roger, don’t think I didn’t notice the audio being muted when the Steelers scored or when the refs made a call against them.
Second–here’s where Roger’s pumpkin balls show themselves–along with his uncreative moronic, marketing toadies, Roger comes up with “The Trophy Towel”. What insensitive leeches. They blatantly spit in the face of the Steeler Nation by not showing their Terrible Towels, then have the brass pumpkins to rip off that most famous symbol of fandom in American sports.
The Terrible Towel was the brainchild of brilliant, lovable and raspy-voiced sportscaster, Myron Cope. The proceeds go to the Allegheny Valley School, which currently operates more than 120 facilities and programs across Pennsylvania helping individuals with developmental disabilities, where Myron’s son has spent his entire life.
The NFL’s and Roger Goodell’s unconscienable corporate manipulation has infringed upon a man’s selfless and beautiful legacy–not to mention his copyright.
Roger, don’t you know all those who have disrespected the towel have been cursed?
Ask T’J. and Ocho Cinco how “the changing of the guard” went after they stomped the Towel.
More recently ask Keith Bullock and Lendale White how they fared in this year’s AFC championship game. Oh, that’s right, Baltimore played in that game. GO RAVENS!
YOU ARE HEREBY OFFICIALLY CURSED ROGER GOODELL.
Oh, Rog, I almost forgot! Phoenix’s mayor and that fierce looking Cardinal mascot were wiping their armpits with a Terrible Towel.
Beware, the Steeler Nation retrieved those defaced items.
It may take a millennium, but every Steeler fan will someday, by special courier, be given the opportunity to embrace that holy terry cloth and sniff the remnants of the Red Bird’s body odor…
Yo, Roger, let me clue you in on something…
It smells like victory.
Adam
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I nominate Roger Goodell for this year's Player Hater of the Year. Hate, Hate, Hate, Hate!!! Why hide the fan support all NFL teams hope to reach? It makes no sense. It's more corporate bull flop!
Nate Barlow
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Regardless of his mistakes, I do have some sympathy for Goodell. He has impossible shoes to fill.
he hate me
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
hey oliver stone, that's quite a conspiracy theory. one can only guess how many pabst were consumed before you conjured up this up. it's probable the only thing you'll be smelling is your own BS.
Dan
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Pabst? I think you mean Iron City!
Gairzo
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Who the hell drinks Pabst, anymore? Sam Adams, baby.
No conspiracy theory; be fair to the issue.
The challenge was to review the Tivo of the Super Bowl. I caught the second half last night on the NFL network replay. Not one crowd shot.
That ain’t theory, that’s an undebatable fact.
There has to be a reason not to show an enthusiastic 90+% Steeler crowd. Compare it to the way last year’s game was covered
Why don’t you get your beak outta your bong and provide us paranoid folk an explanation of what that reason might be?
I love the smell of beat down in the morning…(Wait for it)…
Yes… it does , indeed, smell like victory.
Gairzo
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Nate, you're killin' me. Since Goodell took ove,r he destroyed tapes showing the Patriots had been cheating for years. He fines employees for speaking out against incompetent officiating. He dictates to the network how to cover the Super Bowl; he rips off a Pittsburgh original.
All in the name of corporate credibility.
Even if it were the Cowboys or another team with a national fan base, the issue would be just as important–the fans pay the player's salary. When the league so blatantly steps on perhaps its most loyal group of fans, contempt is warranted against the NFL.
Will you be sympathetic when in 2010 the NFL goes into an uncapped year and the the Krafts and Jones' of the league triple payrolls and possibly create the same minor league feeder system MLB has?
To be fair, I believe Goodell has the best interest of the league at heart, but us fans needed to know the extent to which the Patriots or anyone else benefitted from cheating. Fans who spend a couple hundred a year on the Direc TV feed have earned the right to expect their fans to be featured should their team earn a Super Bowl berth.
We're forgetting not being allowed to say "Super Bowl" on the radio.
This monopoly the league enjoys, to infringe upon free speech rights is outrageous and the man behind it isn't deserving of sympathy/.
Gairzo
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Actually, Sam Adams has a Pittsburgh Brewery, same one used to brew "Iron".
Love Pittsburgh, But "Iron City" is one of the worst tasting beers ever to pass my lips.
Nate Barlow
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I don't condone or approve of a lot of his actions, I just feel that coming into this job, he was screwed no matter what he did. From that standpoint, and that standpoint alone, I do feel sympathy for him.
I felt the same way going into the election–whoever won had a huge mess on his hands with which to deal, regardless of how well he dealt with it.
Payroll escalation in the manner that baseball has seen and that destroys the competitive balance would be a bad thing. But what do you have against a minor league system? More players get to play at some level, more teams across the country at varying levels. Right now college football serves as a minor league system, and we all know what a farce the amateur nature of college football and basketball is–either the schools are cheating and paying the players, or the schools get rich off players who often don't receive a real education in return.
Nate Barlow
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Agreed! Love the city, don't miss the IC.
Gairzo
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Oh, we agree on the value of a minor league system to any league and on how the college game operate as a defacto minor league for pro sports.
The current make-up in MLB is that, what, 60-70% of the league serves as a feeder system for the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets, Cubbies, and Chi Sox.
Yes, I know Tampa Bay, Oakland, Minnesota have all had recent success that poorly managed teams like the Pirates can learn from. But, let's face it, if the Yankees or other 200+ payroll team doesn't make the post season, it's usually because of disastrous chemistry, or a ton of injuries–it's never because they don't have the best talent or half-billion dollar cable contracts.
Look at former Pirate players who justifiably left the team for much greener diamonds. Small market MLB teams serve as a feeder system to teams who can pay an average player 8 million a year–guaranteed for four years.
Nate Barlow
says:
February 5th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Something definitely needs to be done for competitive balance in baseball. I miss the Pirates great play of the early 90s. Think how bad things would be if good management wasn't enough to make small-market teams competitive at all.
Unfortunately, a prolonged lack of said strong management might be what it takes to finally change things.