Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Pre-Season
Friday
August 27, 2004
"So cool she was like jazz
On a summer's day
Music high and sweet
Then she just blew away"
-Steve Winwood "Valerie"
At the risk of sounding like I'm losing my edge, I have to admit that I've had the song "Valerie" by Steve Winwood stuck in my head the past few days. I heard it on one of the jukebox 80s/classic hits stations in town (most likely 101.5 The Point) and now I can't shake it. It's a good tune though, particularly notable when you read the lyrics.
Week three of the NFL pre-season is here. It's that time of the year where fans are really anxious for the regular season to start, but we're stuck with those two more weeks of games left. For fantasy football fans, it's time in many cases for drafts to take place (even though some position battles are still being hashed out). FFLKing.com is getting geared up for it; this is definitely the time of year for those predictions and prognostications to potentially pan out (or end up like a Ron Dayne level bust).
This past weekend my Mom asked me if I missed the TV news business. And I told her no, not at all. And I don't. The stress, the deadlines, the beast that must always be fed, the live shots, etc... I'm glad to be gone. And that doesn't even scratch the surface on horrors like the Executive Meddler, managers so atrocious as to defy belief upon description. Things like making 30 minute+ personal phone calls in the middle of breaking news and leadership skills that range from belittling to berating to a constantly changing "standard" that is retooled as often as the government line in the book 1984. It's a horrid blend of incompetence and arrogance, mixed with a splash of totalitarian vengeance. I wonder how many people will have to complain to Lane (WTSP's news director) before it finally sinks into his head on how royally he screwed up by hiring and retaining her? Or, more importantly, how many people they'll have to run out of there on a rail before they figure out that perhaps it wasn't Brian Kargus or Lou Pickney or Neal Boling or Jamie Anderson or whomever that was (and still is) "the problem" there? But I digress.
EM stuff aside, it's not something that I miss. TV news has its charm, but it's a business. And it's not one that's especially kind to itself. No thanks, I'll take ALL of my holidays, thank you very much. I've learned in life to never say never, and it's possible that I might end up back in TV someday, but for now I'm glad to be out.
|  | | The Titans have an underrated defense. |
I wore my Peyton Manning jersey to work today, and Ken Snyder (one of the guys who works in the same building as I) busted my balls a bit about having multiple loyalties to the Titans and Colts (after initially scoffing at my jersey). I told him to go screw a buckeye (in cruder terms than that) since he's an Ohio State grad, but my explanation is simple. I cheered for the Colts growing up in Nashville, since we had no team there (the Colts had moved to Indy by the time I started following the NFL closely). Peyton Manning went to the University of Tennessee, he's my favorite NFL player, and he happens to be the starting QB on my Hustlers fantasy football team. And he's on the Colts. On the flipside, Nashville has the Titans now (and Nashville will always be what I consider my "hometown", even though I do love Tampa), my parents are season ticket holders, and I've been to probably 6 or 7 Titans games in person through the years. The NFL decided to force my hand on the loyalty tip by putting the Colts and Titans in the same division last year.
So who do I cheer for? The answer is: the Tennessee Titans. Now I still pull for the Colts to do well, and I'd love to see the Titans and Colts both make the playoffs every year. But if Week 17 it's Titans vs. Colts with a playoff spot on the line, I'm pulling for Tennessee.
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