NIGHT & WRONG: Rutgers takes the field for a Thursday night game against Louisville last season. This year, the Scarlet Knights will play three Thursday night road games — at Fresno State, at Central Florida and at Louisville. (AP)
I’m not good at math, never have been. The guys I play golf with won’t let me near the scorecard because once I have to “carry the one,” I’m lost. In high school, I scored a “See me” on math SATs.
And I’m no better at applying math to TV issues. In 1989, NBC, 42 years the worthy home of MLB’s “Game of the Week,” lost the contract to CBS. NBC’s Kevin Monaghan called with the news:
“You’re not gonna believe this, but we just lost baseball. CBS won the bidding.”
“Wow, that’s incredible. How much did CBS bid?”
“Four hundred million more than us.”
“Wow, geez. … Ah, Kevin?”
“What?”
“Is $400 million a lot or a little?”
Kevin: “I don’t know.”
And that was in 1989.
Anyway, I wanna give my TV/sports math one more shot, so try to stick with me, and circle in red all the mistakes.
Last week ESPN proudly announced that this college football season it will televise a record number of weekday games — 69 — almost all of them at night.
OK, so now let’s figure, very conservatively, that each team brings 65 players to those weekday/night games. That’s 69 games times two teams, 138 teams.
So 138 teams times 65 players equals 8,970 student-athletes. In exchange for ESPN money and TV promotion and attention, 8,970 student-athletes will be expected to forget all about school during the week — when classes are held — and instead concentrate on football. Just for one season and one TV network.
In many cases, thousands of these players will be absent from school for at least two days in order to travel, play, return to campus. Or will Arizona St. at Washington St. and Rutgers-Central Florida — Thursday nighters — be day trips?
Also consider that football players, recruited through full scholarships, are generally among the schools’ weakest students. Often enrolled — begged to enroll — despite academic achievement far below the admission standards for non-athlete students, many-to-most are among those who can least afford to miss classes.
Then there are some bands and cheerleaders. We’re looking at roughly 10,000 college students who this season will lose class time to just ESPN’s weekday football schedule in service to their schools’ chase for TV exposure and TV money.
Meanwhile, congenial third-year NCAA president Mark Emmert continues to claim that he recognizes the academic shortfall that plague D-I football and basketball, that he recognizes the need for reforms. Same NCAA song, different crooner.
As the latest reform-minded head of the NCAA, Emmert could’ve demanded that ESPN reduce or even eliminate weeknight televised games, or at least ensure that the games include only teams whose two campuses are close to each other.
But that would be a common-sense reform, one that regards colleges primarily as society enriching educational institutions. But there’s no TV money or exposure in such practicality.
Emmert might even remind folks the reason college football games were almost all played on Saturdays was because that made academic common sense for all.
And so the academic and financial fraud — our universities serving as fronts (see: federal RICO or racketeering statutes) to operate money-first sports teams — not only will persist, it will worsen. Just do the math.
Then there’s the student-athlete crime problem . . .
Sadly, this Phoenix won’t rise again
Phoenix Communications, N.J.-based former operator of MLB Productions — it sustained the presence of Mel Allen through “This Week In Baseball” — and for three decades a proving pad for broadcasters, producers, directors, tape operators, writers, editors and all hands-on TV gigs, closed Friday, having sent its last sports news satellite transmission.
Known as a friendly, nurturing place to work, Phoenix’s weekly productions and projects reflected professionalism, creativity and charm.
“By people who cared, for people who cared” is how Phoenix alum and current longtime ESPN field producer Willie Weinbaum put it.
If a company could have a funeral, Phoenix’s would be packed.
* Know why Dodgers star Matt Kemp star has been on the disabled list since July 24?
Against the Nationals, bases loaded, two out, Kemp was on third. Run on contact, right? Baseball 101.
But Kemp presumed that a high, slow grounder toward first — he didn’t consider that it would be a tough play at first — would have nothing to do with him. So he jogged on contact. Thus, the first baseman, with no play at first, threw home for the force.
Kemp, too late, turned it on, then, in an awkward semi-slide, hurt his ankle.
Nike roles on Lyin’ Braun
Nike has dropped its endorsement deal with Ryan Braun. Guess that Nike/Charles Barkley “I am not a role model” ad campaign didn’t apply to him. Nike still has an enormous deal with Kobe Bryant, the settlement he reached in the sexual assault case with that Colorado teen apparently was no big deal, nor was his 2011 referral to an NBA ref as a “f—–g f—-t.”
* With Time Warner cable’s removal of CBS and CBS’s cable networks, over the weekend, TW today will announce significant reductions in subscribers’ monthly fees. Or as Steve Allen would say, “From the movie ‘Fat Chance.’ ”
* Perhaps the most fascinating part of Tiger Woods’ spectacular 61, Friday, is that based on the Golf Channel/CBS coverage, Woods was the only player on the course. At times it was tough to tell whether he was “alone, atop the leaderboard,” or just alone.
* Holy Bernie Madoff Bobblehead Day! The Mets are doing everyone a big favor this week, selling “No Fees” tickets. In other words, you can purchase a ticket — ready? — for the face value on the ticket! Of course, that’s no comfort to those who already purchased tickets with all the nonsense tack-on, sucker-fee charges attached.
* That was ex-Mets’ radio and current Phillies’ broadcaster Tom McCarthy, Jersey guy, who called Saturday’s Braves-Phillies on Fox. Strong, pleasant voice, no attempt to dazzle with hypothetical or deep statistical additives, no check-me-out gimmickry. McCarthy let the cameras tell most of the story. Stress-free viewing!
* Saturday, bottom of the 11th, Marlon Byrd on first, one out, Daniel Murphy at bat, 3-2 count. “Would you run Byrd?” SNY’s Gary Cohen asked Keith Hernandez. “Yes,” he said, “Murph doesn’t strike out.” Next pitch, Byrd goes, Murphy swings and misses, Byrd is thrown out at second. Hernandez: “How’s that for analysis?”