Hi Friends
Here are two videos for last nights series finale of ESPN's E;50 program. First, is the story of DJ Gregory and his dream to walk every hole of every golf tournament. The second is the story of Adam Bender, an active little boy who lives with one leg.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
This week in sports
Tuesday night November 4t, 2008 we saw history being made. Did you think America would elect an African American to the White House in your lifetime? I don’t care how you voted or what political persuasion you are, Tuesday night was a historical point in our nations history. Yes I did have Goosebumps and a tear in my eye. I believe that, as President-Elect Obama said, “Yes we can” make America great again. For you that did not vote for him, all I have to say is, just give him a chance. As senator McCain said, “It’s time for the county to stand united”.
Over last weekend I did watch the 20/20 cricket match for 20 million dollars. The Stanford Superstars beat the England National Team by 10 wickets. It was as one sided as it sounds. In one sense it was good for the US Audience because the Superstars hit some very big shots that were very exciting. In other senses I think it was not good because it was very one sided and we (the America people) what to see close games. The America people also like to see national teams go head to head not just one-time teams like the Stanford Superstars. I hope ESPN will do more cricket matches, I enjoyed it and the more its on the more people will tune in.
This weekend’s big event is the finals 5 rounds of the PBR World Finals from Las Vegas. Thursday thru Saturday it’s on Versus Network at 9 P.M nightly. NBC has the final 2 rounds on Sunday from 4 to 6 P.M. Should be fun, we saw some great rides last weekend, should be more of the same this weekend.
Before the PBR Sunday on NBC, the network has its highlight package for the PARALYMPICS from China. Show is 2:30 to 4 P.M. Don’t miss it.
Talk to you all next week. Hope to have a report on all this and more. Enjoy an other crazy football weekend.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
Over last weekend I did watch the 20/20 cricket match for 20 million dollars. The Stanford Superstars beat the England National Team by 10 wickets. It was as one sided as it sounds. In one sense it was good for the US Audience because the Superstars hit some very big shots that were very exciting. In other senses I think it was not good because it was very one sided and we (the America people) what to see close games. The America people also like to see national teams go head to head not just one-time teams like the Stanford Superstars. I hope ESPN will do more cricket matches, I enjoyed it and the more its on the more people will tune in.
This weekend’s big event is the finals 5 rounds of the PBR World Finals from Las Vegas. Thursday thru Saturday it’s on Versus Network at 9 P.M nightly. NBC has the final 2 rounds on Sunday from 4 to 6 P.M. Should be fun, we saw some great rides last weekend, should be more of the same this weekend.
Before the PBR Sunday on NBC, the network has its highlight package for the PARALYMPICS from China. Show is 2:30 to 4 P.M. Don’t miss it.
Talk to you all next week. Hope to have a report on all this and more. Enjoy an other crazy football weekend.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
This week in sports
Hello Friends
October is a transitional month for sports. This month is between Baseball regular season ending and Basketball season getting starting. Yes, you have Baseball’s postseason, but it is not every night like the regular season which is 162 games over 6 months.
Last time I talked about the postseason baseball announcers so I will not go there. However, Chip Caray still has a very annoying voice and is one of the worst announcers of all time. Good to hear the solid team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver calling the World Series.
Speaking of the World Series, I think it will get better ratings than most people predict. Tampa and Philadelphia are both young and have nothing to loose, in fact, four of the first starting five pitchers in this series are under the age of 30, and there are great storylines on both side. Tampa was the worst team in the America League for the first 9 years of the franchise and Philadelphia has not won the Fall Classic since 1980. My prediction (sure to go wrong) is Philadelphia in 6 Games; their big bats and the bullpen will be the edge.
Last week the Patriots were on Monday Night Football, this got me thinking about the series’ golden days. For 36 years Monday Night Football was a staple on the ABC Television network. In 2006 Monday Night Football moved to ESPN cable. Back in the 70’s and 80’s Monday Night was must see TV. People would tune in to hear what Howard Cosell would say. That would be “water cooler” talk at the office on Tuesday. This does not happen any more, Tony Kornheiser tries but he is no Howard Cosell. In 2006 the NFL moved it network prime-time weekly game to Sunday night and the package to NBC this means that the best game is not necessarily on Monday Night. ESPN just needs to let it go. It has worn out its welcome with Monday Night Football.
This weekend is the opening three rounds of the PBR bull riding world finals in Las Vegas. Bull riding is like a car crash, you watch with one eye open. It’s great when one of the cowboys ride a bull for the full 8 seconds.
The other big event is that ESPN is broadcasting a Cricket match for the first time. The match is the England National Team against a Stanford superstar team made up of some of the best players from the rest of the world. It is the shortest version of the game with about 120 balls in play and only runs count and not how many outs you may have. Should be fun, I hope to have a full report after the match on November 2 at 2p.m. on ESPN2.
Talk to you next week.
Good night and good luck
Jamie Lazaroff
October is a transitional month for sports. This month is between Baseball regular season ending and Basketball season getting starting. Yes, you have Baseball’s postseason, but it is not every night like the regular season which is 162 games over 6 months.
Last time I talked about the postseason baseball announcers so I will not go there. However, Chip Caray still has a very annoying voice and is one of the worst announcers of all time. Good to hear the solid team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver calling the World Series.
Speaking of the World Series, I think it will get better ratings than most people predict. Tampa and Philadelphia are both young and have nothing to loose, in fact, four of the first starting five pitchers in this series are under the age of 30, and there are great storylines on both side. Tampa was the worst team in the America League for the first 9 years of the franchise and Philadelphia has not won the Fall Classic since 1980. My prediction (sure to go wrong) is Philadelphia in 6 Games; their big bats and the bullpen will be the edge.
Last week the Patriots were on Monday Night Football, this got me thinking about the series’ golden days. For 36 years Monday Night Football was a staple on the ABC Television network. In 2006 Monday Night Football moved to ESPN cable. Back in the 70’s and 80’s Monday Night was must see TV. People would tune in to hear what Howard Cosell would say. That would be “water cooler” talk at the office on Tuesday. This does not happen any more, Tony Kornheiser tries but he is no Howard Cosell. In 2006 the NFL moved it network prime-time weekly game to Sunday night and the package to NBC this means that the best game is not necessarily on Monday Night. ESPN just needs to let it go. It has worn out its welcome with Monday Night Football.
This weekend is the opening three rounds of the PBR bull riding world finals in Las Vegas. Bull riding is like a car crash, you watch with one eye open. It’s great when one of the cowboys ride a bull for the full 8 seconds.
The other big event is that ESPN is broadcasting a Cricket match for the first time. The match is the England National Team against a Stanford superstar team made up of some of the best players from the rest of the world. It is the shortest version of the game with about 120 balls in play and only runs count and not how many outs you may have. Should be fun, I hope to have a full report after the match on November 2 at 2p.m. on ESPN2.
Talk to you next week.
Good night and good luck
Jamie Lazaroff
Friday, October 10, 2008
My Take
Hello Friends
This past Sunday ESPN’s Sports Reporters program marked its 20th Anniversary. Every Sunday since October 9, 1988, millions of viewers have tuned to the sports version of the Sunday morning political discussion programs. This is one of the best sports shows each week because there is no yelling and just intelligent sport talk. Three of the most prominent journalists from newspapers and other outlets across the country are regulars on the program. As long time executive producer Joe Valerio said, “the strength of the show is our unbiased view we don’t root for teams; we root for good stories”. One of the greatest experiences of my life was back in 1996 I was invited to a tapering of the Sports Reporters by my friend Mike Lupica. I got to talk to the late great Dick Schaap and sit next to him while he did the opening of the show. I have a great photo of Lupica, Schaap, Bob Ryan and Mitch Aborn pointing up at me while am behind them. The cool thing is that Lupica, Ryan and Aborn was on the 20th Anniversary this past Sunday. I hope one day I will have one of the best seats in sports. To think the Sports Reporters have been around for 20 years, boy, I feel old.
I have enjoyed the baseball postseason this year. This is TBS second year of coverage of the major league baseball playoffs. I have rediscovered Dick Stockton; he is a great announcer and can paint a picture with words. Ron Darling is a surprise and very good. Harold Reynolds is a great in-game analyst and has great enthusiasm for the game that really comes through. At first I was turn off by the sound of Chip Caray voice but he has grown on me and Buck Martinez is very good. I have watched the studio show only once and Cal Ripken Jr. is not good. He gets very worded and you can’t understand him. I think he has a lot of information in his head and can’t get it out.
Talk to you next week.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
This past Sunday ESPN’s Sports Reporters program marked its 20th Anniversary. Every Sunday since October 9, 1988, millions of viewers have tuned to the sports version of the Sunday morning political discussion programs. This is one of the best sports shows each week because there is no yelling and just intelligent sport talk. Three of the most prominent journalists from newspapers and other outlets across the country are regulars on the program. As long time executive producer Joe Valerio said, “the strength of the show is our unbiased view we don’t root for teams; we root for good stories”. One of the greatest experiences of my life was back in 1996 I was invited to a tapering of the Sports Reporters by my friend Mike Lupica. I got to talk to the late great Dick Schaap and sit next to him while he did the opening of the show. I have a great photo of Lupica, Schaap, Bob Ryan and Mitch Aborn pointing up at me while am behind them. The cool thing is that Lupica, Ryan and Aborn was on the 20th Anniversary this past Sunday. I hope one day I will have one of the best seats in sports. To think the Sports Reporters have been around for 20 years, boy, I feel old.
I have enjoyed the baseball postseason this year. This is TBS second year of coverage of the major league baseball playoffs. I have rediscovered Dick Stockton; he is a great announcer and can paint a picture with words. Ron Darling is a surprise and very good. Harold Reynolds is a great in-game analyst and has great enthusiasm for the game that really comes through. At first I was turn off by the sound of Chip Caray voice but he has grown on me and Buck Martinez is very good. I have watched the studio show only once and Cal Ripken Jr. is not good. He gets very worded and you can’t understand him. I think he has a lot of information in his head and can’t get it out.
Talk to you next week.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
Thursday, September 25, 2008
My Take
Hello friends
This last weekend was one of the most exciting of the year. Golf’s Ryder Cup was the highlight; it is a match play event with 12 players from the United States versus 12 players from Europe. Going into the matches I was not that excited about this event because the Euros have won 5 of the last 6 matches and the USA was without Tiger Woods. I was glued to my TV all weekend. It was some of the finest golf I have ever watched. The matches were played in Kentucky and home state players Kenny Perry and J. B. Holmes played well and got the home fans into a frenzy. Boo Weekly was a welcomed surprise, he is a great golfer and can fire up the crowd like no other. The highlight was Weekly on the final day. He was filmed riding his driver "cowboy horse" style down the first fairway. I was really impressed with Anthony Kim; he is a great young player. His Sunday singles match against Sergio Garcia was the best performance for a young golfer in a long time. I see a major in this kid’s future.
The other big event this past weekend was the final game in the 85-year old “ Yankee Stadium.” As a Red Sox fan I have to say that I too felt a little nostalgic because, before every game was televised, only postseason baseball was shown and for most of the time the Yankees were playing in the Stadium. In fact according to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated 15% of all postseason and 21% of all World Series games were played at the Stadium. I also understand that Yankee Stadium hosted some of the most significant moments in America history beside baseball. Muhammad Ali fought there and Joe Louis beat Max Schmeling there in “38. The game that put the NFL on the map, the NFL Championship game in 1958, the first overtime game in NFL history was played there. Three Popes said mass there, Nelson Mandela gave his first speech, after being released form prison, there in 1990. So much history, I will miss Yankee Stadium for those moments. If those walls could talk, the stories it would tell.
This week’s event I’m looking forward to is the first Presidential debate on Friday or as CNN is calling it “debate night in America.” Should be fun.
Talk to you next time as baseballs postseason gets going.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
This last weekend was one of the most exciting of the year. Golf’s Ryder Cup was the highlight; it is a match play event with 12 players from the United States versus 12 players from Europe. Going into the matches I was not that excited about this event because the Euros have won 5 of the last 6 matches and the USA was without Tiger Woods. I was glued to my TV all weekend. It was some of the finest golf I have ever watched. The matches were played in Kentucky and home state players Kenny Perry and J. B. Holmes played well and got the home fans into a frenzy. Boo Weekly was a welcomed surprise, he is a great golfer and can fire up the crowd like no other. The highlight was Weekly on the final day. He was filmed riding his driver "cowboy horse" style down the first fairway. I was really impressed with Anthony Kim; he is a great young player. His Sunday singles match against Sergio Garcia was the best performance for a young golfer in a long time. I see a major in this kid’s future.
The other big event this past weekend was the final game in the 85-year old “ Yankee Stadium.” As a Red Sox fan I have to say that I too felt a little nostalgic because, before every game was televised, only postseason baseball was shown and for most of the time the Yankees were playing in the Stadium. In fact according to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated 15% of all postseason and 21% of all World Series games were played at the Stadium. I also understand that Yankee Stadium hosted some of the most significant moments in America history beside baseball. Muhammad Ali fought there and Joe Louis beat Max Schmeling there in “38. The game that put the NFL on the map, the NFL Championship game in 1958, the first overtime game in NFL history was played there. Three Popes said mass there, Nelson Mandela gave his first speech, after being released form prison, there in 1990. So much history, I will miss Yankee Stadium for those moments. If those walls could talk, the stories it would tell.
This week’s event I’m looking forward to is the first Presidential debate on Friday or as CNN is calling it “debate night in America.” Should be fun.
Talk to you next time as baseballs postseason gets going.
Good night and good luck.
Jamie Lazaroff
Saturday, September 20, 2008
An Inspiration for all of us
Here is a video from former CNNer Daryn Kagan about D.J. Gregory, how is walking every PGA tour event this year. Oh by the way, D.J. has cerbral palsy.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Saturday, September 13, 2008
This week in sports
MRHi folks, sorry I have not written in a while, I have been preoccupied with the political conventions. There are two things you should never talk about, religion and politics, so I will not tell you my persuasions.
The fall is the best time in sports, baseball is in the home stretch and getting ready for the post season, and football is starting up, also you know basketball season will be upon us soon.
I can’t believe I missed week one of the NFL season! I was on the golf course for my Special Olympics tournament. One of our playing partners got a text message about Tom Brady going down and leaving the game with a injured knee. When I don’t watch, something big always seems to happen. I feel bad for Brady and the Patriots; this season will be an up hill battle now without the league MVP and 3-time Super Bowl champion. My big question is Matt Cassel; Sunday’s game versus the Jets will be his first start since high school. In college he backed up two Heisman Trophy winners in Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at Southern California (USC) and spent the past three years as the back up for Brady in New England. I think they will be fine; they still have the best coach in the league in Bill Belichick. As wrestling announcer Jim Ross says, “Business is about to pick up.” Just made the NFL season a little more interesting.
One of the most awesome things I have ever experienced is going to Fenway Park to see a Red Sox game. I have been to a few games over the years but on Labor Day Monday I got two tickets from my cousin Carley, you remember, she is my triathlon cousin. The seats were two rows up from the field and just by the visitor’s dugout. I even caught a foul ball, just amazing. Thanks again Carley and thanks to her daughter Ella for wining the tickets.
Update from my last blog about the Paralympics. NBC will have a 90-minute special featuring athletes and highlights of the games at 2:30pm Eastern time on October 13th. NBC figures that what it does this year, both online and on television, can help them gauge the demand for more coverage in the 2010 Vancouver and 2012 London Paralympics games. “I don’t think it has yet been proven that there’s an audience that will support live television in this marketplace,” network Olympics president Gary Zenkel said. “That’s what we hope to assess over our multiplatform coverage this year.” Please watch the October 13th telecast and show NBC that there is an audience for the Paralympics in the USA.
This week in Sports
The big event this weekend is the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP for the MotoGP motorcycle series. The race will be on NBC Sports, Sunday, September 14th from 3 to 4 p.m. (ET). The broadcast team for the event will include veteran motorcycle racing play-by-play announcers Ralph Sheheen and Robbie Floyd, and color commentary by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz.
The other big event this week is the Dew tour (action sports) in Salt Lake City for the Toyota Challenge. NBC has coverage Saturday September 13th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday September 14th from 4 to 6 p.m. Freestyle motocross is back on tour and it should be as crazy as ever. One of the highlights of the Olympic games, BMX is an event this week in Utah.
The big college football game this weekend is Ohio St. at USC. This game maybe a preview of the National Championship game in January. It’s on at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Talk to you next week.
Jamie Lazaroff
The fall is the best time in sports, baseball is in the home stretch and getting ready for the post season, and football is starting up, also you know basketball season will be upon us soon.
I can’t believe I missed week one of the NFL season! I was on the golf course for my Special Olympics tournament. One of our playing partners got a text message about Tom Brady going down and leaving the game with a injured knee. When I don’t watch, something big always seems to happen. I feel bad for Brady and the Patriots; this season will be an up hill battle now without the league MVP and 3-time Super Bowl champion. My big question is Matt Cassel; Sunday’s game versus the Jets will be his first start since high school. In college he backed up two Heisman Trophy winners in Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at Southern California (USC) and spent the past three years as the back up for Brady in New England. I think they will be fine; they still have the best coach in the league in Bill Belichick. As wrestling announcer Jim Ross says, “Business is about to pick up.” Just made the NFL season a little more interesting.
One of the most awesome things I have ever experienced is going to Fenway Park to see a Red Sox game. I have been to a few games over the years but on Labor Day Monday I got two tickets from my cousin Carley, you remember, she is my triathlon cousin. The seats were two rows up from the field and just by the visitor’s dugout. I even caught a foul ball, just amazing. Thanks again Carley and thanks to her daughter Ella for wining the tickets.
Update from my last blog about the Paralympics. NBC will have a 90-minute special featuring athletes and highlights of the games at 2:30pm Eastern time on October 13th. NBC figures that what it does this year, both online and on television, can help them gauge the demand for more coverage in the 2010 Vancouver and 2012 London Paralympics games. “I don’t think it has yet been proven that there’s an audience that will support live television in this marketplace,” network Olympics president Gary Zenkel said. “That’s what we hope to assess over our multiplatform coverage this year.” Please watch the October 13th telecast and show NBC that there is an audience for the Paralympics in the USA.
This week in Sports
The big event this weekend is the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP for the MotoGP motorcycle series. The race will be on NBC Sports, Sunday, September 14th from 3 to 4 p.m. (ET). The broadcast team for the event will include veteran motorcycle racing play-by-play announcers Ralph Sheheen and Robbie Floyd, and color commentary by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz.
The other big event this week is the Dew tour (action sports) in Salt Lake City for the Toyota Challenge. NBC has coverage Saturday September 13th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday September 14th from 4 to 6 p.m. Freestyle motocross is back on tour and it should be as crazy as ever. One of the highlights of the Olympic games, BMX is an event this week in Utah.
The big college football game this weekend is Ohio St. at USC. This game maybe a preview of the National Championship game in January. It’s on at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Talk to you next week.
Jamie Lazaroff
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