General

Wednesday Comedy Night

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On ABC. If you hadn't seen it, it's really worth watching. 7 pm- Modern Family-three families and one of the funniest gay guys you've ever seen. Usually a rerun at this time.

7:30-The Middle-Family in Indiana trying to make it in the world. Characters are great.

8:00-Modern Family-A new one

8:30-Cougar Town-Courtney Cox-She's funny and so are the characters.

Unfortunately, Barry is giving his State of the Union address tonight, so the 8-9:30 time slot is full. Modern Family comes on at 7 though, The Middle at 7:30 and Cougar Town at 9:3o. Those shows are a must watch.

Out of town this week

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I will be out of town tomorrow (Monday Jan. 11) until the following Monday (Jan. 18). Will have limited access to a computer, so will blog when I can. I'll be back up on Monday, Jan. 18 talking about NFL, basketball and recruiting. Will be on NBC-13 Friday, Jan. 15 at 11:30 talking about the book.

Have a great week.

Five For Fighting

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Great CD that  came out in the fall called Slice. I highly recommend it. Good smooth music with good lyrics, kind of a sweet sound, and a fun sound. John Ondrasik is a great songwriter and lead singer. He cut a CD for the troops overseas a year and a half ago. He's not only a great singer, he's a great American. Great listen.

The Blind Side: By Michael Lewis

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The Blind Side is an exceptional read. Lewis tells a great story of a young African American kid who is adopted by a wealthy Memphis family, literally saved from the ghetto, and nurtured by a loving father and mother and two siblings who help him become the best person he can be. It's a testament to how much influence an environment can have on a young person. There are trials on the way with his grade problems, a car accident and a brutal fight at Ole Miss, where he plays college football, but Oher is a sympathetic character. His IQ is 80, but his dad and mom figure out a way to get him through high school and help him qualify for college so he can play  college football. He is an incredible left tackle and buries people in high school games; a truly dominant player. He plays well at Ole Miss and  is now a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens. He just signed a 13 million dollar, five-year contract, so his adopted parents nurturing and belief in him made him a successful person. His recruitment by college coaches is a very interesting part of the book. Good stuff on Nick Saban.

It's also the story of the evolution of the left tackle in the NFL. The need started with the inability of the left tackle to block Lawrence Taylor. Taylor was the inspiration for bringing in players who could protect the quarterback's "Blind Side." He was described as the most dominant defensive player ever. The book opens with Taylor breaking Joe Theisman's leg and finishing his career.

It's a moving, powerful story. There are a couple of factual mistakes. Lewis writes that the 49ers defeated the Vikings in a playoff game, 38-24, on Jan. 3, 1981, when actually it was Jan. 3, 1982, which was Joe Montana and the 49ers' first Super Bowl victory year. Also, he wrote that Nashville is a six hour drive from Memphis, when, in fact, it is only three hours.

Otherwise, the book was terrific; an easy, interesting read. Maybe my favorite line in the whole book is at the end when a reporter interviews Dwight Freeney, defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, who says of Oher when he finds out he's coming into the league: "You tell Michael Oher I'll be waiting for him."

 I highly recommend it along with A Man of Character. 

Play-By-Play, color guys, studio guys- College football

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These are in no particular order; like the NFL wasn't.

 

Play-By-Play: 1. Sean McDonough-ABC/ESPN:

This may come as a surprise, but he's my favorite. Doesn't get the No.1 game usually, but gets a lot of air time with college football and basketball. Has great enthusiasm for the game and calls a perfect game. He's the son of the late former sportswriter Will McDonough of the Boston Globe. Will McDonough was a great reporter. Was the first one to break the story that Ray Perkins was leaving Alabama for the Tampa Bay Bucs. Told his son to get into broadcasting not writing. Said writing was a grind and not as fun. Both are great careers, though TV is a blast. Sean does a great job. Good sense of humor, too.

2. Brent Musburger-ABC:

Brent is a wily veteran who makes it pretty fun. He can get a little nerdly at times, like when he said in an Ohio State Fiesta Bowl game one time when they started out fast and were winning by two tds (not sure who opponent was-some team from the Pac 10): "This is a Buckeye Butt-Kicking." 

One of my favorite all-time lines in sports happened when Brent was interviewing Mike Tyson after Tyson had knocked out Michael Spinks in the first round of a 1988 heavyweight championship fight. Tyson responded to a Musburger question about the fight with: "Burnt, I just controlled the fight from the opening bell. I wath awethome."

I need to apologize to the guys I told to go to the fight with me at Verizon Wireless. I told them it was going to be a great fight. Was a major dud. Waste of 30 bucks.

Burnt is a good play-by-play guy and adds good color to the game.

3. Verne Lundquist-CBS:

Not my favorite. Needs to lose about 60-80 pounds. Makes mistakes sometimes. He's OK.

4. Mike Patrick-ESPN:

Not one of my favorites, either. Can dork you out particularly when he said in the heat of the overtime game between Alabama and Georgia in 2007: "I wonder what Brittany is doing right now." 

5. Dave Neal-ESPN/ SEC Network:

Like Dave a lot. Think he does a great job with SEC football. Knows the teams and the players, and very interested and enthusiastic about the conference. Dave's a good one.

6. Brad Nessler-ABC/ESPN:

Pretty good. Works with a great color guy in Todd Blackledge and holds his own. Pretty good play-by-play guy, though I don't agree with all his opinions on the air.

Color analysts:

1. Todd Blackledge-ESPN:

Simply the best. Love his demeanor; seems like a great guy. Keeps it interesting and fun. Very knowledgeable and always positive. Like his "Taste of the Town" segment during games where he goes to a restaurant the night before or the day of the game in the town he's calling the game at and describes the kind of food the restaurant has. Done it at Alabama and Auburn a couple of times. I know he was at Dreamland once. Todd's awesome.

2. Kirk Herbstreit-ABC/ESPN:

Herbie is a great one, too. He's extremely knowledgeable, fun and interesting. He's all over the place. Herbie's the man.

3. Andre Ware-ESPN/SEC Network:

Thought Andre did an awesome job his first year on the SEC Network. He's knowledgeable, interesting and seems like a very nice guy. Andre's a good one.

4. Gary Danielson-CBS:

My least favorite. He's pretty knowledgeable, but his voice and his accent are annoying. He and Lundquist are the weakest team of the college football duos.

5. Bob Davie-ESPN:

He's gotten better and better over the years. I like him now. He's knowledgeable and pleasant. I like Bob.

 

Studio guys:

1. Tim Brando-CBS:

Timmy B  kind of dorks me out. He says coaches are getting fired before that happens, which I think is pretty irresponsible. He likes to be the center of attention. Timmy B is not my favorite.

2. Reece Davis-ESPN:

Reece is outstanding in my opinion. Leads Lou Holtz and Mark May well and makes them look good. He's funny and knowledgeable and not offensive. Reece is my favorite.

3. John Saunders-ABC/ESPN:

Kind of nondescript. Really doesn't add a lot of value. He's fine. Decent enabler of analysts. 

4. Charles Davis-Fox:

I really like Charles. Great analysis of games and of the BCS standings. He picked Oklahoma to edge ahead of Texas and go to the National Championship game last year before it happened. Charles is fun and interesting. Seems to love what he does.

5. Craig James-ABC/ESPN:

Craig also loves what he does. He's not always right like all of us who predict, but he has enthusiasm and passion for the game. He's good.

6. Spencer Tillman-CBS:

He's fine. I've usually got him muted. When he's analyzing, he's juking and jiving like he's playing running back. Passable.

7. Tony Barnhart-CBS:

Good writer for Atlanta Journal/Constitution. Kind of boring on TV.

8. Archie Manning-CBS:

Great guy, always knowledgeable. Maybe the best bloodlines in football ever. Love the guy. Wish he was on more. Missed the pick on SEC champ game though. Picked Florida.

9.Doug Flutie-ABC/ESPN:

Not as enthusiastic as Craig James is, but does a solid job. Great college football player, no doubt. Enjoy Doug.

10. Mark May-ESPN:

Like Mark. Think he does a fine job. Not always right, but is pleasant and knows the game fairly well for an offensive lineman.

11. Lou Holtz-ESPN:

Talks kind of funny, but likeable and takes up for the coaches which I like. Lou does a good job. He and Mark are pretty funny together.

 Back tomorrow with more sports.

 

 

 

Play-by-Play, color commentators; NFL

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Wanted to give you my analysis of the football play-by-play and color guys whom I watch and listen to starting with the NFL. NFL Play-By-Play:

1. Joe Buck-Fox:

Joe is kind of a perfect guy. His calls are crisp and he works a lot of big events: the  Super Bowl when Fox has it, the World Series and the NFL playoffs. He's very professional and works well with Troy Aikman. Sometimes I disagree with his opinions, but overall, he is a polished professional.

2.Al Michaels-NBC:

The cagey veteran. "Do you believe in miracles-Yes!" will always resonate with me. Al's call of the USA's win over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics hockey gold medal game is one of the greatest calls ever. Like him on Sunday Night Football. Like Buck, I sometimes think Al goes a little negative, but overall, is one of the best.

3. Jim Nantz-CBS:

This guy makes seven mil a year. That's pretty nice. Jim does major events: the Final Four, the Masters, and the Super Bowl when it's on CBS. Jim is thorough and doesn't miss a thing. Had a sad divorce from his wife of 26 years. Like Jim's work. He can be a little too perfect at times, but he's polished and very professional, and makes the Masters and Final Four extremely exciting. Can really create drama.

4.Mike Tirico-ESPN/ABC:

Mike's very smart and doesn't miss a thing. He's a Syracuse grad, the best broadcasting school in the country. Almost too much of a perfectionist, but he's excellent overall. Great on Monday Night football and the British Open, though he does suck up to Tiger. On a play this past Monday Night where it was ruled Larry Fitzgerald did not catch a deep ball that would have resulted in a touchdown, the ESPN cameras reviewed it several times and Jon Gruden said it was a catch. Fitzgerald came down with the ball between two defenders with possession of the ball and had it until he was on the ground in the end zone, but once he hit the ground it came out, but clearly he had possession of the ball for a while even for a second on the ground. The refs should have gone against the grain and called it a catch because it was. I agreed with Gruden and thought it was a catch. Tirico used this rule that stated it was not a catch because he didn't have possession when he hit the ground. I didn't agree with Tirico's interpretation, I thought he did have possession long enough, though the refs ruled it an incomplete pass. I think Tirico and the refs missed it. 

NFL Color Commentators:

1. Cris Collinsworth-NBC:

I love Cris. He analyzes a great game and he's also fun on Sunday Night Football. Really like him better than Madden. Madden was great at dissecting a game, but he didn't have a great sense of humor. Cris is entertaining and  knows the game well. I really enjoy Sunday Night football, and Cris makes it enjoyable along with Faith Hill pregame vocals. Man, is that girl good looking or what?

2. Troy Aikman-Fox:

Like Troy a lot. Good at dissecting game and has a nice demeanor. Questions decisions by coaches and players, and I like that. Knows the game well. Good guy, good color guy.

3.Phil Simms-CBS:

Phil is outstanding. He  knows the game so well and is a tough guy; you can tell by listening to him. Really gets on players at times. He can almost be a little rough, but he's excellent.

4.Ron Jaworski-ESPN:

Jaws is a fun-loving guy who really understands the game having been a long time qb in the NFL. Like him on Monday Nights. Knows Xs and Os as well as anyone. Would like to see him add a little more color to the broadcast and get away from serious football all the time, but does a great job overall.

5. Jon Gruden-ESPN:

A Spike Bromberg look-alike, Jon is fun. Adds great knowledge to the Monday Night game. He interpreted a catch/incomplete call of a Larry Fitzgerald catch the other night as a catch. I agreed with him. The refs ruled incomplete, but I agreed with Jon. He's enthusiastic, understands the game as a former NFL coach and is very pleasant to listen to. Kind of goes against the grain which I like.

I'll hit ya back with college football play-by-play and color guys later in the day.

doing the right thing all of the time

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Tiger Woods is an example of a generation–at least some of them–who have never been told no, and thus, have no accountability. He thinks he's the show; that everything is all about him. You can call it immaturity, selfishness, but really it's a lack of integrity. When you get married, you make a vow to your wife to be faithful for life. You need to take that seriously when you say that in front of a preacher and in church. That may be his problem. He doesn't even conceive of any spirituality. I think you need some religion in your life to be a good person. I promise I'm not proselytizing about God, but most people who are good people believe in God.

His only focus is himself, not his wife, maybe his kids occasionally, but 95 percent of the time it's about him.. My uncle told me one time that he had a football coach at Ramsay High School here in Bham who, "tried to do the right thing all the time." Now that's refreshing. Tiger Woods and other people his age need to hear that. But it may fall on deaf ears. They have all the answers and it's not the way to live.

A Man of Character

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If you're in town and looking for the book in a bookstore, please go to Little Professor in Homewood or Milestone Books in Vestavia Hills. Both have plenty in stock. Will have book in Books A Million and Barnes and Noble in Jan for sure; maybe BAM before Christmas. Will keep you posted. Thanks a bunch.

Tiger Woods, one last time

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I can't forgive the guy. Even when he excels on the golf course–if that happens again–I can't forget what he's done to his wife. It's shameful. The guy had the world by the horns, and he couldn't handle it. Hanging around Michael Jordan didn't help, but he made his own decisions. He's just not the guy I thought he was. I don't think he can ever win back the public's appreciation of his golf skills after what he's done.  I've always thought he was arrogant, didn't like the cussing on the course and the bad sportsmanship. But he was so good and seemed pretty gracious in victory that I was coming around. But that's in the past. I think the guy is a massive jerk and will never win back fans,  no matter what he does on the golf course. He's just a pig in my mind. Another spoiled athlete who can't handle success.

A Man of Character

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If you haven't gotten a copy, A Man of Character would be a great gift idea for Christmas. I really appreciate everyone who has supported it so far. To purchase, go to my website at: www.davidhwhitejr.com or call Booksurge at 1-866-308-6235, option 6. Thanks a lot.

Tiger-again

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My wife reads the New York Post and keeps me informed of all of Tiger's escapades. Apparently this morning about 2:30 a.m. a middle aged woman went from Tiger's house to the hospital. Elin's mother is in town, so it could have been her. I love this comment by a poster on the website.  

WHEN does this guy and his family sleep? It seems 2:30 is the time for action at the house of the Woods. Shouldn't he be REM'ng during that time?

Live like you were dying

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I was coming home from work and just heard the song, LIve Like You Were Dying, by Tim McGraw. What a classic. "Finally read the good book, then I took a good, long hard look, at what I'd do if I could do it all again." Powerful. About his dad, Tug, the great relief pitcher for the Mets and world champion Phillies, I think in '73, who succumbed to cancer in his early 40's. It's the story of  how he did all the things he hadn't done in his life at the end of his life. He lived life to the fullest in his waning months.

It just reminds me that this is the only life we have and we need to live it to the fullest, be all that we can be for our wives, our children and ourselves. That song kind of brought it home again.

Where's integrity?

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The latest Tiger Woods' stories are not good. He apparently had more affairs and they were very deplorable. That's why I ask this question: where is integrity? Can't these famous sports figures just be good people? Rick Pitino, Kobe Bryant and now Tiger Woods can't seem to handle success. The luxuries of money and fame aren't enough; they just want more and they don't know the meaning of the word loyalty .

Peyton Manning can handle it. Roger Staubach and Bill Bradley, though they didn't make near the money that athletes make today, certainly could.They've carved out successful careers after sports. They stayed grounded. Peyton seems like he'll always stay grounded.

Maybe it's just the simple difference between good people and bad people. There are people who were raised with values and there are others who weren't.

There's still a lot good in sports, though some of these guys try to tarnish it with their immature  behavior. Hopefully younger athletes will learn from this and act right.

Tiger Woods

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You thought this guy, even if he didn't have the ethics to be a loyal husband, would be smart enough not to do something like this. When he was hanging out a lot with Michael Jordan, a serial affair guy, I was a little suspicious. Well, he just proved a high-powered athlete, probably the highest powered of all time, can't handle fame and fortune very well. His affairs are becoming well documented in papers today.

He just couldn't  control himself. It's really too bad for him, his wife and kids especially, and sports.