I can understand if you tuned into the first game of the World Series last night and heard the Backstreet Boys massacre the National Anthem how you might have hit the remote and gone to another channel. That was one of the most brutal renditions of the anthem that I have ever heard – - and major sports events have been the venue for more than a few really awful renditions. Let me say five things to any and all “artists” invited to sing the National Anthem at any future sporting event:
1. The anthem has words. Stick to them.
2. The anthem has a melody. Sing the melody.
3. The anthem is a song; it is not a mini-series. It can – and should – be finished in 90 seconds.
4. Singing the anthem is an honor – - not a time for you to demonstrate your interpretation of the musical piece.
5. Sing the song; wave to the crowd; shut up; leave so the game can begin.
Here is a question for the Rays’ management who booked those clowns to sing the anthem:
Are you sure William Hung already had a gig for last night?
Having cleared my spleen of all those toxins, let me get back to the World Series game last night. If you stayed through the anthem – - or flipped back to the game by the time the first batter came to the plate – - you had to enjoy the game. The game was never “out of hand”; the tying run was always in the on-deck circle or on base for the Rays. Every pitcher threw a good game. There were excellent defensive plays including a runner thrown out at home. I do not know what element of entertaining baseball was missing last night.
Joe Buck and Tim McCarver called the game very well. To those who are spring-loaded to crush McCarver for his hyper-analytical flourishes, give the man credit for games done very well such as the one last night.
I do not like sideline reporters in football and basketball. Reporters on the field and in the stands for baseball are certainly no better. I would love for the FOX people to explain to me why – - in a one-run game in the sixth inning – - they had to break into the flow of the telecast to interview the President of Taco Bell so he might reiterate that everyone in America can have a free taco because someone stole a base earlier in the game. We already knew that; we can look forward to more promotional announcements of that fact; we do not need to hear this from the lips of the guy who runs the company as if the offer was so beneficent that no one would believe it absent this kind of imprimatur. It’s a cheap mass-produced taco dammit; it’s not anything of value.
On the other hand, now that we know that the President of Taco Bell is British, that explains why the “Mexican food” served there is so mediocre…
If FOX wants to do some “reporting” or some “analysis” beyond the game on the field, maybe they could gather information about baseball in South Florida and use it at a future date. For instance, will the Rays’ appearance in the World Series – - win or lose – - produce an attendance bump that carries over into future years? Or, will the Rays revert to playing in front of crowds that sometimes go over 20,000 but only when visiting teams draw large numbers of their Diaspora? In other words, can the Rays’ flirtation with championship baseball have a different result than the Marlins’ achievement of championship baseball in South Florida? Now that would make for a newsworthy piece…
People have been saying that this World Series will draw bad TV ratings because neither team has a national footprint. That is probably true, but the people who missed last night’s game missed a great baseball game. Some lament that the Dodgers and Red Sox did not make the Series. I do not. Can you imagine how everyone would have been incessantly bludgeoned with the “Manny returns to Boston” and the “Joe Torre returns to Boston without the Yankees” angles? The absence of pain may not be pleasure; but it sure beats the presence of pain.
Recent World Series competitions have been less than compelling – - not because of the teams involved but because of the lopsidedness of the Series. The last four World Series have produced only seventeen games – - one above the minimum. They have not been competitive; that made them less interesting than they could/should have been. If last night’s first game is any indicator, this Series might be something to focus your attention on from start to finish. If that does not make people watch, then baseball has a very serious problem on their plate.
Here is something for Phillies fans to focus on as they try to will their team to the championship:
In 1993, the Phillies lost the World Series because their closer was Mitch Williams – - known as “The Wild Thing.”
In 2008, the Phillies closer ought to be known as “The Sure Thing”.
On a totally different subject, I read that David Beckham may be put out “on loan” from the LA Galaxy to AC Milan starting in January. Some reports have it that the “loan” might be more permanent than temporary. The reason for the “loan” is that Beckham wants to stay in shape to play for England in World Cup qualifiers and presumably the World Cup tournament in 2010.
I cannot wait for the MLS marketing trolls to spin the fact that Beckham will be a part time MLS participant from now on – - assuming he can make the AC Milan squad – - into something akin to the Lone Ranger announcing at the end of every episode that his work is finished here and he needs to move on in some kind of larger quest.
David Beckham saved soccer in America; his work here is done; he will now grace some other latitude and longitude on our grateful planet with his splendor.
Finally, here is a comment from Jay Leno:
”Two housekeepers at David and Victoria Beckham’s English mansion have been arrested for allegedly stealing personal items from the couple and selling them on eBay. The thieves took hundreds of dollars of cosmetics and beauty products, and they stole some of Victoria’s stuff, too.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports…