Whitlock A Bit Too Opinionated for ESPN

I have always enjoyed reading Jason Whitlock’s opinions on sports. I would say about 86% of the time, he makes devastating sense of things inside and outside of the “industry” – for lack of a better word.

On rare occasion, I think he’s totally out his mind, but that’s inevitable when you are meshing your strong opinions with somebody else in the opinion business.

Well, my “fan appreciation” of Whitlock just hyperspaced into the “Hall of Fame” category with news that he’s been sacked from ESPN’s opinion shows like Sportswriters etc. Here’s why: he dared to criticize other Disney “cast members” at the big bad Cable Network In the Woods.

You should read his entire explanation here, but for the time being, chew on this….

I wasn’t surprised. ESPN, a terrific network, has always been hypersensitive to criticism, especially when it comes from its independent-contract employees. Over the six years I’ve worked for ESPN, I’ve received complaining phone calls from its executives almost every time I’ve written a critical word about the network.

I guess ESPN thought I would get the message and pipe down. I can’t pipe down about things I’m passionate about.

REACT: Again, good for Whitlock. Here’s a guy who could have succumbed to the appeal of TV stardom, and sold out like Woody Paige or Skip Bayless – two “writers” who you would need to cull hundreds of their columns to find one that matches the kind of thought process from Whitlock. I will miss him on TV, but will always enjoy reading his stuff elsewhere.

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Here’s a line from the AP re-cap of the Saints game that I thought might have deserved a little tweaking: “Deloatch ran over to the stands and pointed at the crowd of 70,003 as if to say, “Take that Katrina!”

Um, yeahhhh. Not sure that’s the proper analogy. Maybe an act of saying “This one’s for you, New Orleans!”

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I am always a big big fan of simple, four-word headlines in the paper. Recently, two very good ones have caught my eye.

PUNTER STABBED, BACKUP ARRESTED

And…

SIMMS HURT, SPLEEN REMOVED

Wow. They really kinda stop you in your tracks, don’t they?

The NY Post is the heavyweight champ of the catchy tabloid headline. Recently, the EEOC had ruled against Isiah Thomas in his pending sexual harassment lawsuit. Read the headline…

FEDS GET ISIAH IN KNICK KNOCK

Of course, the all-time headline (and I’m not sure it was actual, or has just become urban legend) is simply…

HEADLESS MAN, FOUND IN TOPLESS BAR

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Here’s something totally unacceptable in America, circa 2006. I recently purchased the new DirecTV hi-def DVR box from Best Buy. I was totally pumped, because the box is brand new, and very hard to get (allegedly).

Anyway, I get it home, and get it all set-up. I employ the DirecTV “triple-LNB” dish, with an over-the-air HD antennae to get my HD locals. I know the new 5-LNB dish can get HD locals without antennae, but why pay for something you get for free?

Anyhow, I plug the HR20-700s to my set, and go through all the boot-up and “acquiring satellite info” bullcrap. (PS: For as “high tech” as we are supposed to be, who the hell is programming the bootup process on these DVRs? Fired Tandy engineers from the early 80s? Sheesh).
I got into the submenus to see the “Antennae” set-up option, but strangely, it’s “ghosted” out. Huh? I click… click, click, clickclickclick! MOTHERF********!!! Why won’t it let me select that?

I call DirecTV.

First of all, the assclown doesn’t even know this box exists. Good job, DirecTV. Way to tell your employees what products are on the market. Finally, after much rude provoking by me, he reads me an internal memo. It goes something like this…

“The off-air antenna port in the HR20-700s is currently disabled, but will be turned on by software update sometime in late 2006.”

Are you F******* kidding me? Why the hell put that feature in the box, and then cripple it, only to make us wait several months for you to “turn it on.”

I would like to tell DirecTV to take a flying leap, and rip down my dish. I could if I wanted, I now have choices in terms of Digital Cable and even Fiber Optic (Verizon FiOS) but sadly they arent’ any better. And the Dish still is the only place with Sunday ticket.

Sigh.

I guess it’s the price one pays for being on the “bleeding edge” of technology.

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Finally, I wanted to thank my man Matt Murchison at ConsumerAVS.com for helping fix my rooftop HD antenna issue. (Note: This only applies to people reading this in the immediate DC/NoVA/MD area.)

Matt heard me bitch about how weak NBC’s digital signal was (constant drop outs and freezes) and was tireless in finding out what could be done. Eventually, he discovered that my old steerable antenna was no longer working with the rotors, and also that I could get a smaller, stronger antenna placed more discreetly on the roof by my dish.

He also threw a special signal amp on the line, to make sure we were further covered, and and dropped two extra lines from the dish on my roof down to the basement. Very fair price, and did great work.

I recommend those guys highly. If you need some satellite/HD help in the DC area, call them and tell ‘em Czabe sent ya!

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And Now, Your Pic O’ The Day!!

Now THAT is one dedicated Steeler fan!