Given the diminishing practitioners of the art, class made a slight but near-noiseless comeback this week.
That’s one of the problems with class: It doesn’t make a lot of noise. And, easily missed, it’s not worth selling or even promoting.
For starters: David Stern. Could it have been mere coincidence that the 30-year NBA commissioner chose hyper hype-hyped Super Bowl week — officially two days before the game and midway through the NBA season — to officially pack it in? Sure, to perfectly coincide with the date on which he began.
Still, Jan. 31 was a Friday. Fridays are the days when news that newsmakers wish to minimize is released.
And with all attention on the Super Bowl, Stern, as far as my sense of senses runs, chose to pull a Lone Ranger and ride quietly off into the sunset rather than select a date that would allow him to be carried off in a gilded sedan, stopping traffic on both sides of Main Street.
Thirty years on the job, did he choose to make as little noise as possible on his own behalf?
Even if the Super Bowl was incidental to his chosen departure date, Stern will be absent from this year’s All-Star Game, Feb. 16 in New Orleans. That event and telecast otherwise surely would have provided extensive salutes to Stern, live shots of him seated in the stands.
Though this column frequently has been less than supportive of Stern’s positions — even labeling him as “smug” — his position on his retirement the last two weeks has, in the field of genuine self-noninterest, been extraordinary.
His walkout act was a grand performance of contradiction — outstanding, yet easily missed.
This week, I asked Stern to comment on his timing, including the, Jan. 31, “So long, and thanks” letter he sent to the media.
He wouldn’t bite. We swapped emails, thus I was unable to hear him or detect any nods or winks. He just couldn’t or wouldn’t offer any hard or even circumstantial evidence I was wrong — or right. Class.
Class, Act II: Reader Joe Hansell of South Amboy, N.J., has a question: Does Russell Wilson’s behavior — the way he speaks, acts, dresses, his public comportment as modest, young gentleman — hurt his standing as per modern, pop-culture appeal and marketing strategies?
Answer: Who’s Russell Wilson?
Class, Act III: You will not hear better end-of-a-close-game analysis than what Knicks radio man Brendan Brown saw and spoke on ESPN Radio-NY on Monday during the Knicks’ loss at Milwaukee.
For example: With 2:59 left, Bucks center Larry Sanders fouled out, replaced by Zaza Pachulia. Brown didn’t see that as a break for the Knicks, but one for Milwaukee. Pachulia, Brown said, had played aggressive, two-way ball as Sanders’ sub.
Two minutes later, Pachulia hit Brandon Knight with a terrific inside pass that led to a an easy layup and three-point lead. There was no “See? I told you so” reminder from Brown, just more concise, alert and applicable see-it, say-it/think-it, share-it.
Hubie’s son is good, very good. Or, as Hubie might say, “So much for genetics.”
Kay wastes no time launching misfire at Francesa
Michael Kay broke a record Monday afternoon. In the opening to his first YES show as Mike Francesa’s simulcast replacement, he struck out — on the first pitch!
In a rehearsed bit — Kay has a knack for rehearsing bits that backfire — he and sidekick Don La Greca mocked Francesa, with Kay dropping a bottle of Diet Coke into a trash can held by La Greca.
Clever, eh?
Unfortunately, those who would have found that funny were just getting out of school at the time — junior high school.
Pity that Kay would have us think he came galloping in on a white horse to rescue us from evil, when he clip-clopped in on a mule.
And though it takes a lot to make Francesa seem like a victim of classless on-air treatment, Francesa quickly blew the win by responding with his usual thin-skinned, self-smitten, I’m The King! indignation — rather than with silence or even humor.
But if it was opening day attention Kay plotted — even for the wrong reason — he won.
Anyway, that night, after just one show, YES presented “The Best of the Michael Kay Show.” At least on Tuesday night, there were two to choose from.
Ever try price-gouging without shamelessness? Ya can’t do it. To that ignoble end, the NFL’s Super Bowl price structuring reflected going market prices — the black market.
At PSL Stadium’s “Goodell’s Goodies” stands, a mere $16 could purchase an undersized cheesesteak — roughly 3-to-4 bucks a bite. A bottle of beer was $12. And with cold weather anticipated, the hot chocolate, enriched with heated water and a couple of cents worth of ingredients, went for $11.
“Hey, Dad, I need $27.” “For what?” “A hot chocolate and a sandwich.”
And the NFL, as per usual Super Bowl contract, kept every cent of profit.
With on-site parking virtually eliminated, the run-for-fun was underscored by the $51 bus ticket, up from $10 during the regular season. One trip, start to end, totaled four miles.
Oh, well, as Roger Goodell says, “It’s all about the fans.”
Big bucks to play with Woods
Tiger Woods was paid a reported $2.2 million to play a round of golf with some rich dude in Delhi, India. Hey, for another $250,000, Woods would have had a hot dog and a soda with the guy at the turn.
Renee Fleming, who beautifully sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl, is a graduate of SUNY-Potsdam. Frigid weather, for her, would not have been an issue.
Dennis Meekins, Section 204 and an Islanders tickets-holder from Day 1 (1972), passed away last week at 83. The Islanders have invited his family for a salute during Tuesday’s game against Phoenix.
Dueling quarterback show-boaters Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton have been named co-hosts of the Cartoon Network’s annual sports-for-kids awards show. Yup, as always, the worst you can do is the best you can do! To the spoilers go the spoils! Mess kids up early, often, forever! Then wonder why.
MSG’s Sam Rosen, who never says no to a good cause, was honored Wednesday for his 20-plus years support of the organization Ice Hockey In Harlem.
Oklahoma State has dismissed full scholarship student-athlete basketball player Stevie Clark after his second arrest in a month, his third disciplinary issue while at OSU. Seems OSU has a 100-percent tolerance policy.
Is there anything ESPN doesn’t rank?