4:30 Friday: News of the tragic death of the luger from Georgia (the country, not the state; sadly, you have to differentiate that more times to the average American) had begun to fill the airwaves. In Indy, the are-their-contracts-up-yet duo of Kravitz and Eddie discussed it for about 2 minutes, long enough for Eddie to claim that the Georgians were pulling out of the Olympics. Way to jump the gun on that one. Not only did they march in the opening ceremonies that night, but all but the other luger participated in their fallen countryman's honor. This just in: 1070, The Fan is now reporting that Lindsay Vonn has replaced the skin on her shin with an odorless piece of brie.
4:45 Friday: Quick switch from the fantasy reports on 1070 to Mark Patrick on 1260, who was interviewing Mike DeCourcy from the Sporting News. Texas to the Big Ten makes so much sense from a $$$ standpoint. It was an interesting conversation, until I kept thinking about it being TEXAS. Call it the mid-major homer in me, but do you see Penn State women's field hockey hopping a private charter out of Happy Valley in order to get to Austin. The geography of this hypothetical makes almost as much sense as Southern Utah and Oakland (MI) being in the same conference. Or San Diego and Dayton in a football conference. Wait a second...
Ladies and Gentlemen: Your 2011-2000-infinity Big Ten football champions: The Texas Longhorns
Can the Big Ten file suit for the Big 12 name if they technically get to 12 teams and the Big 12 falls to 11?
Will the Big Ten logo have to change so that the number 11 isn't prominent in the font? Could you imagine? You have 12 teams, your name is the number 10, and references the number 11. Thank God it's a conference based on strong academic institutions.
5:45 Friday: After a 10-mile dead zone at the Indiana-Ohio border, I pick up ESPN radio, where Freddie Coleman was hosting the Doug Gotleib show, because Doug was hosting the Colin Cowherd Show. Yep, I was confused too. When the show is the name of somebody else, do we have to still call it that when somebody else is hosting? I like Freddie. He's got good takes, and you have to admire a man in sports-talk radio who has a bit of speech problem (kind of a mumbler) because it takes stones to knock out a show.
6:45 - Called it a night in Columbus because, well, sports talk was taking a back seat for Blues hockey. Nope. That, and I had reached my stopping point.
8:30 a.m. Saturday - Up and on I-71 to Cleveland. Eric Kuselias has his own ESPN national show on Saturday mornings, which disappoints me. Not because I don't like him, but because I think his job is awesome without a scheduled slot. He is the Lenny Harris of sports broadcasting. No Mike or Mike. Boom, Kuselias. Colin Cowherd has an appearance: Wham, Kuselias.
He had a good show, but I can't remember anything of substance right now. I was tired.
9:15 a.m. Saturday - In range of Cleveland and picked up their ESPN affiliate, with their own local morning show. "Amare Stoudamire could be a Cleveland Cavalier according to new reports in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and ESPN. He is at the top of the Cavs discussions right now. Callers, we want to hear from you."
10:15 - Amare
10:45 - Amare
11:00 - New show. Guy with an opinion about Amare
11:05 - By the time I roll into the parking lot of the Wolstein Center, I have formed this opinion of Amare and a few players from the Cavs: Amare is an All-Star who plays above the rim who can shoot from 15-18 sometimes, but sometimes misses too much. He would be a good/bad fit with LeBron. He would or would not sign a long-term extension. He is the best/worst option on the trade market for him. If there was a drinking game for the mention of Amare's name, all of NE Ohio would be in rehab this morning. Oh, and JJ Hickson (the young piece likely in return) is either Jesus or the most overrated prospect since Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
After all of that, I was ready to talk
4:30 p.m. Saturday - Back in the car for the 5 hour marathon home to Indy. ESPN national feed on right now. Freddie Coleman again, this time with John Clayton. Breaking down needs of Saints and Colts (this surprisingly takes a lot less time than the Rams and Bucs). Tease: Going to talk college hoops at the top of the hour.
5:00 Saturday - Ready for my college hoops lecture, Cleveland ESPN radio goes local, leading up to minor-league hockey. What could these guys possibly discuss? Hey, did you know Amare Stoudamire might get traded to the Cavs. Fans, let's hear from you. By this point, I am hoping that the Cavs whiff on Amare and trade Hickson-Jesus and a Danny Ferry lifespan of #1 picks to the Pacers for Troy Murphy, TJ Ford and Jamaal Tinsley's Bentley.
6:15 Saturday - Hello Columbus. Thank you for dedicating yourself to ESPN national programming. NBA Draft Saturday Night coverage. Wait, you can cover that on radio? This I have to hear. To start, a gang-bang interview feature with every All-Star. Actually, it made for good radio.
7:00 Saturday - I got a 45-minute window in/around Dayton to pick up the Wright State-Green Bay game. Chris Collins has swallowed enough gravel to be the ultimate radio pbp voice. His partner, Raider legend Bob Grote. Let me preface this by saying that I love homers; the analyst of a teams radio broadcast needs to be nauseatingly in favor of that team. Grote fits that bill. Calls players by their first name. Uses the term "we." It was great. Combine that with a delivery that I can only describe as a morph between a beer-loving New Englander and everybody's favorite, Joe Kines:
Needless to say, I was thoroughly entertained until the Tom Raper Richmond Triangle left me scrambling for a sports station as I hit the Indiana border.
8:30 Saturday - Back close enough to home to get ESPN radio again, and Jim Durham calling pbp for the Skills challenges. It was artful. How can anybody professionally paint a picture of Pau Gasol and Brent Barry heaving half-court shots, or Steve Nash bounce passing a ball through a ring? JD knocked it out.
And that carried me home. Hey it was that or 100 repetitions of Tik Tok by Keisha. Given the choice, I choose Amare. I hear he might be on the Cavs radar.
Will
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