Month: February 2005

TV’s Non-News Sell Outs

Granted, there’s no going back to the days of 15 minutes of local, loss-leader TV news. And nobody’s rebottling the genie of consultant-inspired window dressing and cosmetics — from set designs, catchy slogans and anchor demographics to tantalizing teases, “happy talk” chemistry and whether your weather person looks better in suspenders. It is what it is.

But isn’t it a new low that local affiliates have stooped to “covering” their networks’ cheesy reality shows as if they were, well, news? They all do it. It’s beyond the requisite, tacky promotions we’ve grown inured to over the years.

The most recent example is WFTS, ABC-28, which ran a “Desperate Housewives Look-Alike Contest.” And it didn’t stint on the video and air time – although the latter is, of course, severely limited by weather, sports, anchor blather and commercials.

But that’s show biz.

USF In The Hunt

By all the usual criteria, USF had a successful recruiting season — topped by Monticello Jefferson County quarterback Carlton Hill, who should be able to push for the starting job next year. He’s that good.

USF needed the solid recruiting class to bulk up for the Big East. Rivals.com has USF’s recruits ranked 50th in the country.

Put into context, this means that USF finished in the upper half of the Big East. It also says that the following schools are among those who finished behind USF for the class of ’05: Illinois, Northwestern, Washington State, TCU, Minnesota, Syracuse, Iowa State, Baylor, Utah, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, Kentucky, Indiana and everyone in Conference USA.

Put into further – and much more relevant — context, it takes about three years to fully determine the success of a recruiting class. Injuries, legal problems, academic failings and unfulfilled potential – for whatever reason — are the variables.

For now, however, this bunch looks good on paper – and in the game films.

Recruiting Season Reflections

‘Twas the season.

In this case, the recruiting of blue-chip, high school football seniors. It all culminated on Feb. 2, which was the official signing date for the USCs and Oklahomas to restock, reload — and remind prospects how very valued they are.

Because football in Florida is a religion second only to Southern Baptist, this is an especially big deal around here. Did USF finally land a QB worthy of a school now in the BCS Big East Conference? Did the late-arriving Urban Meyer save the recruiting class at the University of Florida? Did Florida State finish strong again? How did Miami do? And the across-the-board answers were “yes,” “yes,” “yes” and “who cares?”

But back to the players, per se.

The top prospects are lavished with the sort of homage a young faculty recruit could only fantasize about. The circus-like atmosphere is also a reminder of why some players have an attitude before they ever step onto a university campus.

They’ve often been – sometimes since middle school — the beneficiaries of “student-athlete” double standards. The recruiting process only reinforces it – and then ratchets it up. Now they’re celebrities. And a much bigger stage beckons.

Charting and handicapping who is going where is now a formidable business, with a dozen or more research services in the mix. All giving national attention to the top players. ESPN is also on the case. Statewide sports cable shows add to the buzz. The local sportswriters speculate on a daily basis about where prized recruits may wind up.

Then there are the on-campus visits. Even though some of the worst excesses have presumably ended, let’s just say that universities still can roll out the sort of red carpet that impresses 18-year-old males.

And there are the high schools, themselves. If a “student-athlete” ran for 2,000 yards or threw 40 TD passes, he will likely merit a press conference. Those with lesser stats may warrant a media availability.

“Student-students” with perfect 1,600 scores on their SATs? Congratulations during home room announcements.

Maybe.

As Alabama’s Bear Bryant once quipped: “You can’t rally ’round the math department.”

Soaring Rhetoric Grounded By Reality

For those of you who weren’t counting at home, President Bush used the word “freedom” 27 times and the word “liberty” 15 in his inaugural address. Conspicuous by their absence, however, were the words “order” and “safety.”

Such pedestrian references don’t make for soaring rhetoric. All they do is address the real-world priorities of people who fear for their lives and increasingly wax nostalgic for the bad old days when they knew the despotic rules and had more electricity. A people for whom anarchy and civil war remain too high a price for “liberation.” A people for whom “occupation” is a pig that can never be perfumed enough.

The president’s “F word” overuse also holds the U.S. hostage to hypocrisy. That’s a reflection on our pragmatic relationships with countries – such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt – that are hardly the embodiment of democratic values.

And how ironic that Bush chose to paraphrase some of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural sentiments. Most notable was the updating of “bear any burden”and “pay any price.” Recall their use as rhetorically rationalizing America’s ever-escalating involvement in Vietnam.