Commentary is right on the mark

If you watch television sportscasts, you know that the emphasis is on comedy and not on sports (thank you ESPN for that).
That said, I find myself watching Vic Lombardi on Channel 4 more often than not. Yes, there's some humor. But it doesn't come at the expense of scores, highlights and issues.
He raised an issue about why the Avalanche attendance is down last night. His feeling is the product is not up to usual standards (a real good reason not to shell out what little extra money we have) and the economy is in the tank (good reason No. 2 not to shell out what little extra money we have).
Even when the economy wasn't in the dumper, the Avalanche ticket prices were something this side of outrageous. Most of the tickets (particularly downstairs) were sold to large corporations, groups that could treat an evening with the Avs as a business expense.
It's true of most professional sports, and it leaves the average fan outside looking in.
But there is a good side ... 90 percent of the games are on home television ... another reason that the Avs and other teams are shooting themselves in the foot.

The 10 and six rule

For those with nothing to do Sunday morning, we direct you to NBC's pregame Super Bowl coverage.
It starts at 10 a.m. Mountain time and features 10 talking heads – sportscasters, ex-coaches, Fred the maintenance man.
On the other hand, the weather in Denver is supposed to be in the low 50s during the day Sunday, so perhaps a nice walk around the block will prevent one's derreiere from growing roots through to the floor.
Besides, six minutes of Keith Olbermann (one of the aforementioned blabber heads) is enough to send me outside for a walk in a raging blizzard.

Scorer's remorse - 2

Word came this morning that the coach of that Dallas prep team that beat an opponent 100-0 was fired over the weekend.
The coach didn't think he did anything wrong, and he objected to the athletic director's (read his boss') stance on what happened during that game.
To repeat, there is no place in the world of prep athletics for something like this. The coach may be better off finding work somewhere else. It won't be in prep athletics, though.

Scorers' remorse?

100-0.
That was the score of a girls prep basketball in Dallas the other night. One of the winning team members – not the head coach, unfortunately – expressed her dislike for running up the score to that extent.
Good her for. The school apologized (eventually) for running up the score. But no one from the school – including the head coach – has offered an excuse for what happened.
In my mind, there's no excuse to score that many points against a team that obviously isn't of your caliber. It's not a question about what we say about winning and losing at this age level. It's a question of the need to win 100-0. And I'm not sure that's necessary.

Refs didn't cost the Nuggets

I have news for the fans of the Denver Nuggets.
Despite a serious amount of on-air abuse last night, referee Bennett Salvatore did not cost the Denver Nuggets a win in Houston yesterday.
Look at two missed free throws later in the fourth quarter, a missed layup and who knows what else happened beforehand.
Was the charging call controversial? Yes. Questionable? Perhaps. Does it get old listening to everyone blame the officials for the Nuggets' problems. Absolutely.

Food for thought – part 2

Courtesy of an invitation that came to our managing editor and colleague, Kevin Denke:
"My meals will be less watery after I win the Lottery."
And with that, have a great weekend.

Time out for sports, time in for music

It isn't all sports here at Under the Seats. We've been known to talk politics, television, some culture.
And some music.
The other night, I heard the pep band at Rocky Mountain High School play "Jump in the Line," a calypso dance tune by Harry Belafonte from the 1950s. They did a wonderful job with their rendition. And for veterans of prep sporting events, it was a treat to hear something else besides, "Nah nah, hey hey," "Tequila" and "Rock and Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter.
Among the many things my parents taught my brothers and I was an appreciation for all sorts of music. I thoroughly enjoy listening to Harry Belafonte sing just about anything, especially calypso tunes.
More importantly, I hope those kids in the band continue their study of music and learn for themselves that music in any form is a lifelong joy.
Thanks Mom and Dad. There's at least one lesson that didn't fall on deaf ears.

Parental behavior gone amok?

Parental behavior at prep sporting events has been a problem for several years.
It may have gone over the line in Fort Lupton.
In today's issue of the Fort Lupton Press, former football coach Mike Muedeking singles out select parents' behavior (including coarse language directed at his wife and two small children) as one of the reasons he chose not to come back to the sidelines in 2009.
Disagreeing with a coach or a coaching decision is a time-honored part of any sport. But when the disagreement stoops to a level that coaches don't want to return to do something they love, that is very disturbing.
How about some thoughts? Am I missing something here?
The floor is open ....

Oh please

Dick Vitale, the motormouth basketball announcer, was in town the other night to Dipsy Doo and Diaper Dandy his way through a televised NBA game.
That's why I went somewhere else.
Very few announcers are that good to upstage the event they are covering. Vitale doesn't come close to making that list. But don't tell Channel 9 that. The highlight package was all Vitale, all the time.
Denver's ear drums will never be the same.

Was open to any and all

Former NFL player Bill Romanowski wanted a chance to be the Broncos head coach.
It's a moot point now. Denver hired Jason McDaniels of New England instead.
Romo knows the game, no question about that.
But one thing the Broncos needed to do is repair some of the PR problems from the Mike Shanahan era. Romanowski was not an angel under the best of circumstances.
If nothing else, McDaniels gives Denver a clean slate from which to work. But unlike the CBS outlet here, I'm not quite ready to compare him to Shanahan's once-genius offensive mind.

Two football coaches won't be back

Brighton and Fort Lupton are looking for new football coaches.
BHS' Tom Ritter will not be back in 2009. Mike Muedeking resigned after two years in charge of the Bluedevils' fortunes.
Let me know what you think.

Sports and finances

Did you chuckle when you heard that the porn industry, the world's oldest profession (and the one that introduced the author to the word "concubine") is in need of a financial assist ($5 billion) in these troubled economic times?
I'd like some financial assistance, too, though not for practicing porn. I don't think I can go beat on the New York Yankees' door. After all, they provide a subsidy for the rest of the major leagues. I can't ask the Rockies. They can't afford Matt Holliday, so they certainly can't afford to help out a 50-year-old dude who can't stay out of divots on football fields.
The Nuggets can't help. The Avs are paying Joe Sakic an inordinate amount of money so he can stick his hand in the front end of a snow thrower.
I guess my financial assistance will be found in the loose change in parking lots, hubcaps and pants pockets.
That nice Quansett hut on the corner? I'll take it. Do I get heat? Central air?

Rocky Mountain rumble

Fact: The Utah attorney general thinks the Bowl Championship Series may be in violation of antitrust laws.
Fact 2: Utah U. hasn't been invited to a BCS game on a consistent basis the past few years, despite a pretty decent record.
Thought: Is someone running for re-election?

Happy New Year