SB Nation User Blog: Picky

My thoughts on Kravitz.

Picky — Sat, 16 May 2009 05:46:25 -0000

Yesterday Bob Kravitz (sports journalist extraordinaire for the Indianapolis Star) opened wide and stuck both feet in his mouth by calling out bloggers for not using their real names. He says that bloggers are not reliable and are, in fact, “weenies” for hiding behind nom de plumes. This got me thinking. I have never been to journalism school. I took English in college, as well as some creative writing courses. Sometimes I write great stuff that makes people laugh, and sometimes I have trouble stringing a sentence together. This is why I don’t get paid for my writing. Perhaps someday I might write a book, but it would not be something I write overnight. But I digress.

If I remember correctly, newspapers began with the invention of the printing press, and during Revolutionary War times, newspapers were printed in people’s houses and were not the big corporate entities like we have today. The papers that did well did so because their writing was good and their facts were reliable. People bought those papers instead of the ones that were bad and untrustworthy. This is how competition works.

When a newspaper fails, it does so for one of several minor reasons, but the main reason is almost always the same thing: the readers went elsewhere for their information. I used to subscribe to the Des Moines Register, even when I didn’t agree with their slant on things, because it was the only game in town if I wanted information that didn’t come off the local TV news. This was back in the 80’s and early 90’s.

When I moved to Indianapolis, I got the Indy Star. I enjoyed the Star, but eventually it came down to the fact that I am a busy person, and I never had time to read the Star. I do have time to read 18to88.com, Stampedeblue.com, Bleedcubbieblue.com, foxnews.com, directorblue.blogspot.com and several others, for my sources of information. I also wander past indystar.com from time to time to see if there’s any local news that’s interesting. Since I’m not from here, most of the news doesn’t affect me.

I still get the Star, but just on Sundays. Why? Because the $1.50 per week is worth it, given the several dollars in coupons I get. If they stopped carrying coupons, I would cancel even that subscription. Why is it that I don’t subscribe to the daily paper? The same reason that I don’t pay for natural gas: I don’t need it. My house isn’t set up for it, and I never use it. If I got a bill in the mail from the gas company, I would not pay it, since they don’t provide a service for me.

My final point goes back to the idea of competition I brought up in paragraph two. If the Indianapolis Star (and Bob Kravitz) go under and cease operations, it will be because people have stopped using them as the credible, reliable, first line news source that they are supposed to be. Newspapers were great fifty years ago. They were great thirty years ago, but I don’t know how relevant a news outlet can be when they only produce one edition every 24 hours. News sites on the internet can update minute by minute. Fifty years ago, people read the newspaper to find out what happened yesterday. If you pick up a newspaper today, you will find out what happened. Yesterday. You can go to any news website (or turn on CNN or Fox News Channel) and find out what is happening RIGHT NOW.

Do I find it ironic that I am writing this article about something that happened yesterday? Yes. But I am writing it now, and you are reading it now.

Some Past Draft Stats: Please Pioli, draft a QB!!!

Picky — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:01:58 -0000

I am holding back my judgment on the Matt Cassel trade. It's possible that Matt Cassel has great potential, and could be an untapped asset to the organization like Kurt Warner was for the Rams (and now Cardinals). But I also see it as possibly just setting us up for two more years of mediocrity. I think we should STILL draft a QB with the #3 pick, and if Peterson was still in charge, I would be certain that we won't. But we might now that Pioli is here. All I know is that I have been looking back at our past drafts, and we haven’t drafted a franchise QB (a’la Manning, Manning, Culver, etc) since 1983 (Todd Blackledge), and he was the only QB we have EVER drafted with our first draft pick in each year.

Also, the last time we picked this high in the draft (#3 or higher) was in 1988 when we had the #2 overall pick. What will we do with it this time?

While I was researching our first draft picks in each year, I compiled some interesting stats: In the 39 drafts that have taken place since the merger in 1970 we have picked the following:

Defense:
DT: 4
DE:4
LB: 3
DB: 3
NT: 1

Offense:
WR: 4
RB: 6
OT: 5
TE: 5
G: 3
QB: 1

Total picks: 39
Total defensive picks: 15
Total offensive picks: 24
Total "offensive weapon" picks: 16
Total "lineman" picks: 17
Total QB picks: 1

Please, let's draft a QB and train him for a few years while Cassel has his shot. If Cassel turns out to be the 2nd coming of Brady or Montana, or Warner, then great, we have a QB to trade. If he stinks up Arrowhead, then we shuck him (or keep him as a backup) and play Stafford (or Pat White, or whoever we would draft). Those are my thoughts.

NFL fines Freeney $20,000 for postgame comments about officials

Picky — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:06:17 -0000

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e044e3&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

"The NFL has fined Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney $20,000 for comments he made after last Saturday's 23-17 overtime loss at San Diego. The league announced the fine Friday.In a postgame interview with Yahoo! Sports, Freeney used two expletives in criticizing the officiating at the end of the game. The Colts were called for three defensive penalties on the Chargers' winning drive in overtime."

Did he get fined for using expletives or for criticizing the officiating? Because I know a lot of people who woule owe some big buck about that game if we all got held to that standard.

Antoine?

Picky — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:53:15 -0000

So Antoine Bethea. No doubt, a great player. Awesome, in fact. But how do you pronounce his name?

Last year, it seemed to me like everyone was pronouncing it "buh-THAY-uh". This year, most of the announcers are calling him "buh-THAY" and removing the "uh" at the end. Does anybody know how HE prefers his name to be pronounced? I don't want to scream at the idiot announcers for something that I have wrong. I want to be right in my estimation that Tony Kornheiser is an idiot. Anyone? Anyone?

Newsflash: Warren Sapp makes sense!

Picky — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:23:09 -0000

Who knew it could happen? Warren Sapp has said some really dumb things, and has generally shown himself to be not a very nice person over the years. But today he got it right.

Al Davis needs to go. I don't know how you fire an owner, but someone in the NFL needs to step up and tell this man to go take a flying leap. He has ruined this team and has poisoned the NFL with his actions.

Don't get me wrong, as a Colts fan, I dislike the Raiders. As a Chiefs fan, I detest the Raiders. As a human being, I wish they would just go away. But there are legitimate athletes on that team who want to play to win, and Al Davis isn't letting them.

Ticket Profiteers

Picky — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:22:41 -0000

I saw my first-ever, live NFL game on December 18th, 2006: Colts vs Bengals, MNF. I went home that night and put my name on the waiting list. That spring (after the Super Bowl), I was notified that I wouldn't be getting any seats. They did have some single seats available, however. I thought, well, one seat is better than none. I grabbed one on the upper level, as close to the 50 yard line as I could get. I sat on the 20 yard line all last season.

So this year, I understood that there were gong to be an additional 5000 seats available in the new stadium, and I, as a season ticket holder, would get my seat request filled before anybody on the waiting list. Hoo-ray! There's no way I won't get my extra seat now, I thought.

Then I get a letter this spring that tells me, "Due to the continually high renewal rates and increased demand for season tickets, we were not able to fulfill your request at this time." This makes me mad. Am I mad at the Colts? Naah. I'm mad because I know for a fact that people buy season tickets for the express purpose of selling them for 2-3x face value. I know of a guy who lives in California and has two seats. My friend sits next to these two seats. He told me that in the 12 years he has been going to Colts games, those seats have always been filled by people who bought their tickets on stubhub.com. The guy hasn't sat there in 12 years!

I am sure that some of the seats purchased were done so for new people in families that want to go to the games. I have no probem with that. If you were a season ticket holder longer than me, and you want to take your kids now, or whatever, fine. What ticks me off is the people that are buying tickets just so they can profit.

Dare I say we should imitate the Patriots in this area: prohibit season ticket holders from selling their tickets for greater than face value? If the Colts did that, the people buying tickets just for profit would give up their seats. There would be two benefits to this change:

1. More Colts fans would be able to come to the games

2. Fewer tickets would be sold on stubhub.com, etc. to fans of the opposing team.

Maybe then I could take my son to a game without paying $200 for a $64 seat.

The Onion: covering all things sports, and hockey too...

Picky — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:23:40 -0000

ok, this is hilarious. you have to see this video.

The Onion (satire website) breaks news that a NHL player makes it to the big leagues:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nhl_star_called_up_to_big_leagues

I got this on the extra mustard section of Sports Illustrated. That's usually a good source for funny stuff. Boy do I hate the 75 word limit on this posting a new entry stuff. Really, really, really, really, really hate it.

It's Pollak!

Picky — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:18:59 -0000

I don't know why this is bugging me so much, but people keep misspelling his last name. I guess it's because I have a hard last name that starts with P and people put a K in it when there is only supposed to be a C. Yeah. That must be it.

The man's name is Mike Pollak. Not Pollack.

From www.colts.com:

Colts Select Offensive Lineman Mike Pollak of Arizona State in Second Round
INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts waited more than five and a half hours to make their first selection of the 2008 NFL Draft.
When they got a chance to pick, they went offensive line.

The Colts, after not having a first-round draft selection for the first time in four years, made their first selection around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, taking center Mike Pollak of Arizona State with the No.

28 selection of the second round, the 59th selection overall.

Pollak, in a conference call with Indianapolis media shortly after his selection, said Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy told him shortly after his selection he will get a chance to compete for a starting position at offensive guard.

Pollak (6-feet-3, 293 pounds) started 13 games at center each of the past two seasons. He was an All-Pac 10 selection as a senior and a second-team selection as a junior.

The kow-towing continues

Picky — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:24:58 -0000

OK, so I'm watching the NFL Network coverage of the schedule release. They are of course talking about how hard the Steelers' and Colts' schedules are, and how easy the Patriots schedule is.

But what is Adam Schefter going on and on about? The Patriots undefeated record!

That's right....in the eyes of certain people, the Patriots are STILL undefeated (in the regular season). Adam takes great joy in pointing out that December 2006 was the last time the Patsies lost a regular season game. 19 games long, their streak is! What's more, Mr. Schefter has written off the first four teams the Pats play, saying that they are going to have at least 23 straight regular season wins.

When will the fawning stop? They choked, already! I would love it if the Chiefs shellacked them (I know, not going to happen, but it's a nice dream) in their home/season opener!

Sightings

Picky — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:20:21 -0000

Sitting here tonight, I turned on the NFL network (sorry to those of you who haven't switched to Direct TV yet), and what do I see? A replay of the 1994 Bears/Vikings game (the "Cris Carter" OT catch game).

Del Rio wearing pads and tackling someone! He's wearing purple! He's on defense!

A few minutes later, they cut to the Viking's booth...look! It's Tony Dungy, the Vikings defensive coordinator. Aaah!

Dungy was Del Rio's boss? What kind of Bizarro world is this? How is it that Dungy is such a class act, and Del Rio is such a tool? Did he learn nothing from Dungy? I guess that just shows that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't teach Del Rio JACK about football.