Neither outstanding play Saturday night made ESPN’s Sunday morning highlights. Given the bag we’re in — the bag we’ve been shoved into — neither had a shot.
Late during Georgetown-Creighton on FS1 — Creighton had it won — Hoya Aaron Bowen went for a steal and deflected the ball out of bounds. His momentum carried him up several rows, into the Creighton crowd.
People rose to prevent Bowen from falling, to serve as his cushioned brakes before he was hurt. And when Bowen returned to the floor, the crowd, in recognition of his effort and pleased he was uninjured, applauded him.
It was at that moment those despicable headphones commercials starring Colin Kaepernick, Kevin Garnett and now Richard Sherman locked in.
In the Garnett and Kaepernick ads, the public is presented as a hateful, enraged, violent mob that must be restrained from attacking them. The headphones make them all go away.
In the new Sherman ad, the media — apparently not those who have been excusing his hideous but hideously calculated behavior — are portrayed as stupid, insensitive.
That all three pros have goaded opponents and their fans into disliking them — the “they started it” of it — doesn’t come into play.
The crowd into which Aaron Bowen hurtled, Saturday, didn’t meet the standard of those ubiquitous commercials.
Later Saturday, on NBA TV, where the Timberwolves were playing the Trail Blazers, big men Kevin Love and Robin Lopez, playing hard, collided hard. Love fell. Lopez extended a hand, helped him up. The two swapped respectful pats then continued to play hard.
Again, in a week strained and stained by absurd rationalizations and wishful explanations, this was antithetical to the sell. Respect is now a one-way street, something one demands, no reciprocity.
The inanities that followed Sherman’s wild-eyed and apparently contrived — good for his fame and fortune — post-NFC Championship behavior, naturally included the “race angle.” In pandering places, Sherman’s misanthropy was rationalized, explained, excused, defended and even applauded as a matter of race; he’s African-American.
But what does that say? We shouldn’t expect better or different from blacks?
What about the target of Sherman’s mocking, Niners WR Michael Crabtree? He’s black! Think he’d defend Sherman as a matter of shared race?
Among those who have excused or celebrated Sherman’s behavior, how many would encourage their kids to behave that way?
Before it becomes a matter of black or white, shouldn’t it stand — alone, and at the top — as a matter of wrong or right?
In Sherman’s headphone ad he’s insulted by the suggestion he’s “a thug.” But the reality of it all would leave Sherman infuriated: “How dare you suggest that I’m a thug — just because I act like one!”
Kaepernick, in a playoff game, stood in the end zone mocking the opposing QB, then kissed his biceps. Yet, he appears in his ad as an aggrieved party, a target of the insensitive uncivil.
Garnett publicly and obscenely denigrated an opponent’s wife! Still, he, too, appears in his ad as far above the crass, classless, paltry public fray.
Oh, well, just because some random acts of civility broke out Saturday, during Georgetown-Creighton then Minnesota-Portland, that’s no reason to grow hopeful.
As reader Gary Snyder suggests, Sherman, as did Erin Andrews before him, soon will appear on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”
FAN callers actually get to talk
Interesting consecutive calls to WFAN Saturday morning:
“Harry the Bus Operator” told how he and his older son once never missed an Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, and how he has never taken his much-younger son to one because ticket costs now resemble ransom notes.
Then Harry said he was on the Giants’ ticket waiting list for 15 years when he received a “Congratulations” — he was in! But that was the first PSL season. Harry said because he’s not wealthy enough to be stupid, he had to decline.
The next caller — didn’t catch his name — said he was a boxing fan until he lost access then interest as attractive fights became $60 pay-per-view numbers.
While host Richard Neer offered more sympathy than solutions, he allowed both men their plaints. Imagine if they’d called Mike Francesa, who very often makes it very clear that he’s very rich.
Tiger Woods shot 7-over, missed a new Saturday cut then bolted. On CBS, Jim Nantz explained Woods “politely declined” to be interviewed.
Given Woods hadn’t planned to miss that cut, what was his rush to leave before answering some easy, sympathetic questions? They’re the only kind TV asks him. Why pass on another opportunity to show he can be gracious?
Team Tiger is always leaving reminders that in spite of TV’s 18-year blind worship of Woods as the world’s most fabulous human, he’s not such a good guy.
The NFL called last week “Super Bowl Bye Week.” That’s right, the remaining teams advance to the Super Bowl without even playing!
One more time: Muhammad Ali does not have Parkinson’s disease. He has Parkinson’s syndrome (dementia pugilistica) — caused by blows to the head.
ESPN has announced it will present 115 hours of Super Bowl programming, just from Manhattan! OK, just let us know when it’s over.
Outside interest: Emrick’s take stellar at Stadium
Rangers-Devils: After a rare bad start — he referred to five-year-old Yankee Stadium as “venerable” — NBC’s ice-cold Doc Emrick was red-hot.
Near the open: “Two heated rivals take it outside.” Brilliant.
After one period, Patrik Elias had two goals: “Do they have good enough arms to reach the ice with a hat?” Unexpected snow: “Right now, cosmetic snow.” And as the telecast closed, he saluted Voice of the Yankees Mel Allen with “How ‘Bout That!”
As for that sun-glare delay, the NHL wouldn’t have had to worry about it had it still been with ESPN. Faceoff would have been at 8:05 p.m.
FOX’S majority purchase of YES last week was followed by the “fact” YES is freaking over diminished ratings for Yankees telecasts. It’s a concern, yes, but not that much.
YES is not NBC or Ch. 7. It’s reliant on cable and satellite subscription payments, not ratings. To that end, YES is huge — 9 million subs.
Ratings are important as they relate to gravy — ad revenue, promotion — but they’re not back-breakers.
After all, YES’ Yankees telecasts have embraced some dubious low-enders. For three seasons, the Yankees’ most visible TV sponsor was Hair Apparent Giuseppe Franco.