stevejrogers

="metsguyinmichigan":11jy6pgu]AP reporting that he passed away. Sorry, Phils fans. That's a difficult thing to lose your treasured voice.[/quote:11jy6pgu] . SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 12:07 PM Also the voice of NFL Films, and still was at the time of his passing if I'm not mistaken. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM Dying on the job, anyway. If you've got to go. John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 12:18 PM I think I told the story before of having received a phone call from Harry one day, and in his greeting learning how he'd pronounce my name were I a member of the Phillies. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 12:22 PM One of the great voices, obviously. A very friendly and conssiderate man, based on my single encounter with him 13 years ago. I attended a baseball broadcasting panel at the Museum of Television & Radio (if you read the afterword to FAFIF, it's where I first said hello to Gary Cohen and we had our Kenny Greer moment). I went to the men's room afterwards and there was Harry, being wrangled into leaving somebody's outgoing message from the pay phone. I can still hear it: "Hi, you've reached Mike and Sue, but they're not home now..." in Harry Kalas' voice. The nerve it must have taken to request that, and the graciousness he had to fulfill the wish on the spot. He just smiled about it afterward when I told him, in so many words, wow, you just did that for somebody. I loved tuning in 1210 AM to hear him through the static every now and then over the years. Baseball is better for having had Harry Kalas announce it. Farmer Ted Apr 13 2009 12:23 PM A heavy drinker and smoker at one time. He and Richie are enjoying a cocktail right about now. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 12:25 PM The lifestyle of a baseball broadcaster has not been historically a healthy one. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 12:27 PM Richie Ashburn died in his Manhattan hotel room and I remember more than one longtime announcer saying he'd hate to go that way. There isn't a good way to, I'm guessing. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 12:28 PM Terrible loss for baseball; condolences to the Phillies family. Frayed Knot Apr 13 2009 12:31 PM ="G-Fafif":20k4zf36]Richie Ashburn died in his Manhattan hotel room.[/quote:20k4zf36] Don Drysdale too. Well not in Manhattan, but alone and in a hotel room whilst on the road. Swan Swan H Apr 13 2009 12:34 PM I guess I last heard him doing the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet for a few minutes this past February. He was clearly having a lot of fun doing the mock-serious play by play. His son Todd did radio for the Mets for a couple of years, 1992-93 according to a Wikipedia entry. I remember seeing Todd for half a second at a 'tour the stadium' deal for ticket plan holders. All I could think of to say was 'I really love your Dad's work.' I bet he never heard THAT before. He was very gracious about it. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 12:40 PM Legendary voice of both baseball and football. RIP G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 12:45 PM ="Swan Swan H":3f1zi9ng]I guess I last heard him doing the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet for a few minutes this past February.[/quote:3f1zi9ng] Now I'm really bumming. Seriously. I love the Puppy Bowl (and kitten halftime show). It seemed somehow dignified with Harry K on board. Farmer Ted Apr 13 2009 06:05 PM Ryan Howard supposedly showing his respect to Harry by taking a puff with Jayson Werth. http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ryan-howard-smoking-during-the-pre-game.jpg themetfairy Apr 13 2009 11:01 PM Wow. We heard about this during the moment of silence before the game at Citi Field. As most of you know, I live in the no man's land between New York and Philly, and we get local channels from both markets. I've been listening to Harry for the past 13+ years, and have always enjoyed listening to him. Just this past Sunday, D-Dad and I turned on the game and commented about how much we enjoy hearing that voice each summer. RIP Harry. SteveJRogers Apr 14 2009 06:40 AM ="Farmer Ted":ru7cwiip]Ryan Howard supposedly showing his respect to Harry by taking a puff with Jayson Werth. http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ryan-howard-smoking-during-the-pre-game.jpg[/quote:ru7cwiip] All the Phillies took a drag of that as a "respect" thing.

="soupcan"]Ho-ly crap. Okay - just to clarify for you alone Steve - Craig was in fact making a joke. If I do see him again Lunchy, I'll ask him your question. HA! Fair enough, sorry about that. I'll do it myself then: RMPL ROGERS!

="Frayed Knot":1ldkn0qc]Mets who were Padres: Gary Sheffield (although I think this was back during the Nixon administration) [/quote:1ldkn0qc] IIRC, traded during their Firestorm of 1993 to the Marlins around the time McGriff (another well traveled slugger) was sent to the Braves. sharpie Apr 13 2009 10:33 AM ]Kevin Kouzmanoff (43 points in Scrabble - Actually 38 as there is only one K so the second would have to be a blank. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:35 AM Yeah, but, how do you thread something like that around the bonus squares? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:40 AM Kouzmanoff, by the way, should totally be a Met, just like Sivierenyev, Sturnzovsky, and Kreinp�lgartner. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:43 AM Other great Metly Eastern European-sounding surnames: "Batmagadanleadoff" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 13 2009 10:47 AM ="Frayed Knot":2tjakp5g]Ex-Mets: disgruntled relievers Heath Bell (3 appearances, 3 saves, 1 hit) and Duaner Sanchez (2 hitless/1 BB IPs) [/quote:2tjakp5g] NOTE: Duaner's 2 innings include a couple of warning-track numbers to the deepest recesses of Woofer Field (including a Bengie Molina boomjob to right-center Friday night that would've plated two, but for the grace of Scott Hairston). EXTRA NOTE: El-Siddish carriage or no-- if he looks like this now, and WiiFit helped him lose 20 pounds this winter, WHAT IN THE NAME OF RICH GARCES WAS HE EATING BEFORE?-- Heath Bell does continue to kick major ass. I mean, MAJOR ass. [MLB Extra Innings contributed to this report.] batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 11:04 AM ="Edgy DC":1mymmqgq]Other great Metly Eastern European-sounding surnames: "Batmagadanleadoff"[/quote:1mymmqgq] And you may recall how Batmagadanleadoff's playing time was Bloc-ed, first by the stellar incumbent though fading Keith Hernandez, and then by the not so Iron Mike Marshall, who appeared to have drawn the Curtain over Batmagadanladoff's Met career before it got going. (groan.) GYC Apr 13 2009 11:09 AM I enjoyed this KTE. Very amusing. metirish Apr 13 2009 02:19 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 13 2009 02:29 PM KTE's are off to a hot start this season. Dave Howard on why this is not a day game. ] April 13, 2009, 4:15 PM Why Citi Field Opener is a Night Game By BEN SHPIGEL If you were wondering why the Mets didn�t open up Citi Field in cool and sunny weather this afternoon, instead of much colder temperatures tonight, Dave Howard, the team�s executive vice president for business operations, explains. The Padres, the Mets� opponent tonight, played in San Diego on Sunday and had to fly across the country for this series. They were entitled to an off day. When a draft of the schedule was released to the Mets last August or September, this game was originally scheduled for Tuesday. But they asked the Padres if they would be amenable to playing Monday to give them two chances to play the game should there be a rainout. Howard said Sandy Alderson, the Padres� former chief executive, agreed, as long as the game would be played at night. �It was important to us that people who had tickets for this game would be able to come on Monday or Tuesday,� Howard said. �Our feeling for the inaugural opener at Citi Field was that you can�t just hope that the weather�s good that day. You want to have that cushion. As it turns out, based on the forecast, tomorrow�s not looking good. Had we not moved it, I think we�d be all kicking ourselves.� Ideally, Howard said the Mets would have played their home opener in the afternoon, as they have for the last several years. But, Howard said, �we wanted to improve our odds. Given a chance to hedge against the weather, we had to take it.� seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 02:25 PM "Plus," Howard said, "ESPN gave us a shitload of money to move it to the evening. And our fans want to hear mispronunciations from Jon Miller and analysis from Steve Phillips. Besides, if we had it during the day and everyone took the day off to attend the game, it would hurt the economy." Gwreck Apr 13 2009 09:56 PM You know who else -- and I totally forgot this too -- is on the Padres this year? Cliff Floyd. themetfairy Apr 13 2009 11:08 PM Cliff received a lot of cheers when he was announced during the pre-game ceremonies tonight. Frayed Knot Apr 14 2009 08:22 AM ="sharpie"]]Kevin Kouzmanoff (43 points in Scrabble - Actually 38 as there is only one K so the second would have to be a blank. Yeah, I chose to ignore certain inconvenient facts like where you'd get the second K. Also the part about how one would get 15 letters in their rack in the first place. And, yes, before I start getting cards and letters from the Scrabble mafia, I do realize that it is theoretically possible to get dealt the proper 6 tiles (E V O U Z N) plus a blank and use them on a board with an already properly aligned row or column of _ _ _ I N K _ _ _ M A _ O F F and spell KEVINKOUZMANOFF out of it. Of course then you'd still need to deal with the fact that it's not a legal word (or at least I think it's not) Come to think of it, that would be an interesting form of Scrabble; the only words that are legal would be ones that either pertain to baseball or are ML players' names. Baseball-Reference.com would become the final arbiter for challenged words. GYC Apr 14 2009 12:06 PM That's awesome. I hope I one day will encounter the opportunity to play "KEVINKOUZMANOFF" in Scrabble.

Edgy DC wrote: Roger Craig, a big blog reader and internet message board poster. There's the theory to run with. You go. THAT was an attepmt at sarcasim, but those view points have been very purvasive. Oh sure it probably wouldn't be in any newspaper he'd pick up, but it does seem to be a common opinion that Citi Field is an exact clone of the old Dodger ballpark.

Well, I'm sure there are only a handful that would find the Fisher over Seaver thing appropriate, but it would still be more than would find Craig an appropriate choice.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Rogers... Well I mean come on, who the hell thinks the Mets should have trotted out Roger Craig out there instead of Seaver? Unless Soup clarifies and says Craig was kidding around, I'm sticking with my assertion that Craig has a massive ego and wants one more go round in the spotlight, one that isn't as deserved as he may think. Hell, more people would find it more appropriate to trot out Jack Fisher tonight than Craig, or even Seaver!

metirish wrote: ="SteveJRogers"]metirish wrote: ="G-Fafif"]If a Met stepped up in Sept. '07 and '08 like Irish stepped up here, we'd be sorting through our great variety of playoff t-shirts right now. Instead unknown kids in far flung places all over the third world are wearing them. Heh! I forget how long ago it was, or where it was, but I saw an article where two guys (I'll assume they weren't actual Pats fans) found out that the caps that were to be worn by the Pats were to include "Perfect Season" or 19-0 or something like that. Well anyway, I forget how they ended up where the NFL sent the aforementioned merchandise, but they found it, went down there, and were able to pick up said 19-0 caps. Jeez that was nice of the two rich white( I'll assume they were white) guys to fly to some piss poor country so they can get the 19 -0 caps..... HA! For some reason I think a missionary deal was involved with them being there though.

="soupcan"]I'm in California right now and I met Roger Craig yesterday (he and my dad golf at the same club). Funny guy. We talked about the Citi Field opener tonight and he acted as if he were insulted and confused as to why the Mets asked Seaver rather than himself to throw out the first pitch. Perhaps he read way too many bloggers and internet message board posters opine about how Citi Field was too much of a Brooklyn Dodger shrine. Never mind the fact that he never did pitch in Shea Stadium as a Met, and the Seaver connection is much, much, MUCH more stronger, and we are talking about ballparks, not the franchise history (to say nothing about the fact that Seaver IS the Mets Franchise). Sounds like a bitter old man who wishes he was still in some form of spotlight.

="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

="TransMonk":323a1z3p] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:323a1z3p] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:33 AM I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ex6emip]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ex6emip] But you shave with Gillette Foamy. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM WOW, Steve. I'm blown away by that comment. For someone who has posted many posts on the evils of how "the media" dupes the general public into believing one thing or another, you certainly seem to be drinking the O'Reilly koolaid. I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:37 AM ="G-Fafif":130o63x3]="batmagadanleadoff":130o63x3]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:130o63x3] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:130o63x3] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas? G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:40 AM Francesa by himself is not all powerful. It is that we invest his views or words with our anger/annoyance that makes him a bigger deal than he is. So for five hours a day he is presumptuous and dismissive of the Mets. Then he leaves. And with him goes his nonsense. It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:41 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]="G-Fafif":3288zbut]="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3288zbut] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3288zbut] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3288zbut] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?) batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":2o4o9ruz]It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.[/quote:2o4o9ruz] You've got to blow hard to pump up that blowhard. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

="SteveJRogers":1ttjiboo]="bmfc1":1ttjiboo]Francesa is the Bill O'Reilly of sports talk radio. I don't mean that as a complement.[/quote:1ttjiboo] Bill at least puts in the legwork that Francesa does not, and will gladly put the opposition on. Oh it gets into shouting matches, but he doesn't handwave opposing opinions and treat the opposition as beneath him. I'd respect O'Reilly as an authority on the things he speaks about more than I do Francesa.[/quote:1ttjiboo] A much apt comparison would be Keith Olbermann who's schtick is exactly what Francesa's is. "I'm better and smarter than you, and I will mock you only because I think, no, I KNOW I'm right and you are wrong! And I am going to do as little research as possible, because I got millions in the bank, and I am in an un-fireable position." That is so not how O'Reilly operates. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:16 AM ="SteveJRogers":3cgd8jcz]I'd respect O'Reilly as an authority on the things he speaks about...[/quote:3cgd8jcz] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:24 AM ="TransMonk":323a1z3p] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:323a1z3p] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:33 AM I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ex6emip]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ex6emip] But you shave with Gillette Foamy. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM WOW, Steve. I'm blown away by that comment. For someone who has posted many posts on the evils of how "the media" dupes the general public into believing one thing or another, you certainly seem to be drinking the O'Reilly koolaid. I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:37 AM ="G-Fafif":130o63x3]="batmagadanleadoff":130o63x3]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:130o63x3] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:130o63x3] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas? G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:40 AM Francesa by himself is not all powerful. It is that we invest his views or words with our anger/annoyance that makes him a bigger deal than he is. So for five hours a day he is presumptuous and dismissive of the Mets. Then he leaves. And with him goes his nonsense. It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:41 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]="G-Fafif":3288zbut]="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3288zbut] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3288zbut] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3288zbut] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?) batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":2o4o9ruz]It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.[/quote:2o4o9ruz] You've got to blow hard to pump up that blowhard. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

="bmfc1":3bj6liwp]Francesa is the Bill O'Reilly of sports talk radio. I don't mean that as a complement.[/quote:3bj6liwp] Bill at least puts in the legwork that Francesa does not, and will gladly put the opposition on. Oh it gets into shouting matches, but he doesn't handwave opposing opinions and treat the opposition as beneath him. I'd respect O'Reilly as an authority on the things he speaks about more than I do Francesa. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:06 AM ="SteveJRogers":1ttjiboo]="bmfc1":1ttjiboo]Francesa is the Bill O'Reilly of sports talk radio. I don't mean that as a complement.[/quote:1ttjiboo] Bill at least puts in the legwork that Francesa does not, and will gladly put the opposition on. Oh it gets into shouting matches, but he doesn't handwave opposing opinions and treat the opposition as beneath him. I'd respect O'Reilly as an authority on the things he speaks about more than I do Francesa.[/quote:1ttjiboo] A much apt comparison would be Keith Olbermann who's schtick is exactly what Francesa's is. "I'm better and smarter than you, and I will mock you only because I think, no, I KNOW I'm right and you are wrong! And I am going to do as little research as possible, because I got millions in the bank, and I am in an un-fireable position." That is so not how O'Reilly operates. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:16 AM ="SteveJRogers":3cgd8jcz]I'd respect O'Reilly as an authority on the things he speaks about...[/quote:3cgd8jcz] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:24 AM ="TransMonk":323a1z3p] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:323a1z3p] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:33 AM I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ex6emip]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ex6emip] But you shave with Gillette Foamy. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:35 AM WOW, Steve. I'm blown away by that comment. For someone who has posted many posts on the evils of how "the media" dupes the general public into believing one thing or another, you certainly seem to be drinking the O'Reilly koolaid. I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:37 AM ="G-Fafif":130o63x3]="batmagadanleadoff":130o63x3]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:130o63x3] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:130o63x3] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas? G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:40 AM Francesa by himself is not all powerful. It is that we invest his views or words with our anger/annoyance that makes him a bigger deal than he is. So for five hours a day he is presumptuous and dismissive of the Mets. Then he leaves. And with him goes his nonsense. It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:41 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]="G-Fafif":3288zbut]="batmagadanleadoff":3288zbut]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3288zbut] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3288zbut] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3288zbut] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?) batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":2o4o9ruz]It's a tough sell to myself sometimes, but I (any of us) only make(s) him bigger by pumping up his balloon. And that takes enough hot air as it is.[/quote:2o4o9ruz] You've got to blow hard to pump up that blowhard. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:43 AM ="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]="G-Fafif":3dj8h2g0]="batmagadanleadoff":3dj8h2g0]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] But you shave with Gillette Foamy.[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I was going to get around to quizzing the forum on who the partial head (lower right avatar) belongs to. Any ideas?[/quote:3dj8h2g0] There can only be three of those heads in Mets history, unless it's Harrelson's. (Boisclair?)[/quote:3dj8h2g0] I'm apt to guess Kranepool. SteveJRogers Apr 13 2009 09:47 AM ="TransMonk":20ythqx8]I don't need to be spoon fed opinion by talking heads. I'll check in every once in a while to see how much bullshit they are attempting to shovel. I've heard enough of O'Reilly to form my personal opinion that he is a moron and no more informative than a bag of hair. Weak.[/quote:20ythqx8] My point is more that he comes from an investigative journalistic background, being on Inside Edition. Granted he doesn't have Shepard Smith's job or anything, nor did I say I'd put him IN the same category as Shepard Smith. My point was that it is easier to accept the "facts" that O'Reilly brings forth in his opinions, disagree or agree, since he does his homework, then it is on the other two ego-maniacs. Both of whom THINK they are journalists, but in realtiy they are nothing more than talking heads. TransMonk Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM Star Jones used to be on Inside Edition. Geraldo Rivera has an investigative journalist background. Everyone you see on cable news has an agenda whether it is hidden or not. I had always thought you understood this. Bill O'Reilly tailors his facts to support an agenda and/or increase his ratings. Either way, he is an entertainer and not a journalist. Just like Olbermann and Francesa. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 09:55 AM ="SteveJRogers":j0sdws7b]I'm apt to guess Kranepool.[/quote:j0sdws7b] That we can see. BML's asking about the partial head. batmagadanleadoff Apr 13 2009 10:05 AM The partial head is no longer partial. <--------- TransMonk Apr 13 2009 10:06 AM Looks like a folded Bobby V. G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 10:07 AM Dreamy McMet? Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 10:12 AM Kirk Radomski. seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 10:14 AM We should all change our avatars to be different photos of Bobby Valentine. MFS62 Apr 13 2009 11:17 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1ylrscgv]I'm a fanatical Met fan and I never, ever, ever listen to Mike Francesca.[/quote:1ylrscgv] And it could get worse. I read in one of the NYpapers last week that Max Kellerman might be Francessa'a new sidekick. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/13995936 If you don't know his work, Max is a very knowledgeable boxing guy, and a virulent Yankees fan. He used to taunt Mets fans on his ESPN radio show. Batmagadan, if this happens it will be just one more reason not to listen. Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 11:40 AM Kellerman is OK in my book. He's learned in the language of the intelligent fan, and it might be interesting to see how much old-school, counting-stat ignorance he could take from his idiotic co-host before a fight breaks out. OlerudOwned Apr 13 2009 11:49 AM Bill O'Reilly does some fantastic[/url:3byf6op8] reporting[/url:3byf6op8]. Between this and the Roger Craig thing, geez. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 12:09 PM ="SteveJRogers":3k5gyx3b]="TransMonk":3k5gyx3b] Someone who respects what any of these blowhards (Francesa, O'Reilly, Olbermann) say as an authority on anything other than entertainment and shock value needs to re-evaluate their views on reality.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] O'Reilly is more of a reporter than Francesa (actually he has been getting better since loosing the Dog) and Olbermann ever were. Maybe you should watch instead of getting your info from haters on message boards and whatnot.[/quote:3k5gyx3b] Yes, that is correct. Stevie Jeets just told someone to spend less time on message boards. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 07:17 PM For years I've been thinking that all I have to do is not listen to Francesa. And for years I've listened to Francesa because when I'm driving home from work, I would like to be entertained by listening to something that has something to do with baseball. For years I've despised Francesa but I was entertained because the Mike and the Mad Dog thing could be diverting, if not illuminating. Now that Francesa sits there alone in profoundly boring isolation, I am out of patience and this has led me to wonder if it was possible for WFAN to figure out that there would be a market for a thoughtful, fair, partisan pro-Mets radio host in the afternoon, somebody in the mold of Gary Cohen or Howie Rose. Unfair partisan programming can be fun when it's done with flair, style, and intelligence, and when you essentially agree with the host, which is why I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann, even though I acknowledge that he's an entertainer and not a journalist. I've listened to O'Reilly a few times and I think that he could actually learn some things from Francesa when it comes to manipulating difficult concepts, collecting and evaluating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Still, fair, analytical partisan programming is, to me, even more entertaining than partisan noise. Isn't there somebody out there they could hire who could give us on talk radio something like what we get from the Mets broadcasters? Dana Brand Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 07:45 PM Welcome back, professor. metirish Apr 13 2009 08:38 PM I would urge you to call Francesa Dana but he would only hang up on you so don't. metsfanbook Apr 13 2009 09:14 PM I fantasize about calling Francesa and saying that I'm a long-time listener but not a fan. Hell, I have been listening to him ever since he replaced Pete Franklin twenty years ago. If I'm not a fan, how do I explain this? Like Greg says, WFAN is like Lojack. Benjamin Grimm Apr 14 2009 06:25 AM I quit WFAN four years ago, and never looked back. There's so much better stuff on the radio. For your own individual sanity, I urge you to stop listening. Edgy DC Apr 14 2009 07:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 14 2009 07:57 AM That's the thing. After a certain amount of time away, if you stumble back in, your thinking is, "How did I ever tolerate this insanity/" It's like coming back home to a fucked up family after a time away. You acknowledge and tolerate, and may even laugh in a detached way at some of their fucked-up antics, but you know you can never allow that to be part of your life again, and you can actually feel the pain leaving your body as you decompress afterwards. metsguyinmichigan Apr 14 2009 07:51 AM That's a neat blog, professor. I'll check back often and I'm looking forward to the book.

metirish wrote: ="G-Fafif"]If a Met stepped up in Sept. '07 and '08 like Irish stepped up here, we'd be sorting through our great variety of playoff t-shirts right now. Instead unknown kids in far flung places all over the third world are wearing them. Heh! I forget how long ago it was, or where it was, but I saw an article where two guys (I'll assume they weren't actual Pats fans) found out that the caps that were to be worn by the Pats were to include "Perfect Season" or 19-0 or something like that. Well anyway, I forget how they ended up where the NFL sent the aforementioned merchandise, but they found it, went down there, and were able to pick up said 19-0 caps.

Mike Pelfrey is to be Citi Field's Jack Fisher. Lets hope there is no Tony Conigliaro in Pelfrey's future three years from now!

] After Shea Stadium closed and everything you could think of went on sale, Ryan knew exactly what she wanted: the sign that hung on the leftfield wall next to the retired numbers that said in big, bold letters: SHEA. These days, it sits in the gym room of her Manhasset home, awaiting a permanent spot. NICE! Though small boo that they had to go through the MeiGrey folks for it. And I still find it odd that they sold the old retired number signs, but apparently made completely identical ones to hang in Citi Field! Uh, why not just change things up for the new place? Granted the only other things I can think of off hand is something like my avatar (They do it at the Oakland place), or those outfield wall murals (yeah I know, what about all the ad space) some places have, but it is more of a feeling of "new place, why not do some new things." IIRC, Seaver got his 41 as well. No idea what happened to 42, 37 (does Stengel have any descendants still alive at the present time? He was not represented during the Yankee Stadium closing.) and 14 though. ]and she's eager to see where the Mets' Hall of Fame busts are situated. Her father was inducted in 1983. So am I! And yet I've still haven't gotten a straight answer on even IF there is to be a Mets HOF display in Citi Field.

We didn't start the fire? (dodges rotten vegetables from the anti-Billy Joel crowd around here)

Whats with the Announcer Troika? Not that I'm complaining of course.

="batmagadanleadoff":2kcy2w6i]="SteveJRogers":2kcy2w6i] Does this blogger like any athletic competitions? Because generally speaking, all such sports really don't require "an I.Q." as she puts in.[/quote:2kcy2w6i] Chess. Chess requires some I.Q. You left out Chess. Chess.[/quote:2kcy2w6i] Chess is an ATHLETIC competition? Brain exercise sure, but athletic? DocTee Apr 11 2009 08:59 PM Sailing, too. I have a running feud with the sailing coach at my school, who refers to her team as "athletes." I usually quote George Carlin, about sailing being a way to get from point A to point B, and that if sailing constitutes sport, so does riding the bus. Edgy DC Apr 12 2009 12:05 AM I think most sports started out as competitions in getting from point A to point b. Frayed Knot Apr 12 2009 07:19 AM Non baseball fans seem to have an awful lot of problems with the amount of attention that baseball gets. They're quick to spout off to anyone who'll listen that it's no longer deserving of the moniker "national past-time" and yet seem stunned that there are many who continue to attend, watch, talk, and yes, even write about it - and apparently do all that willingly. RealityChuck Apr 13 2009 08:08 AM Re: Gasp! Baseball is Boring ]Laura Axelrod . . . When she was 22 years old, she graduated from New York University�s Tisch School of the Arts with an MFA in Dramatic Writing. She also received her BFA in Dramatic Writing, and was awarded the John L. Golden Award for Playwright with Most Potential, and the Rod Marriott Senior Playwriting Award that same year. When she was 22? Wow. How many people get an MFA by 22? Probably in the low hundreds of thousands. And with all those awards, I'm sure she's had many plays produced. Many many. Many. Any? This wins some soft of award for straining for relevance. John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 08:12 AM You guys all busted on her but she's making nice now by buying books about the Mets G-Fafif Apr 13 2009 08:27 AM If anybody could move her from "I hate baseball, it's boring and requires no intelligence" to "I'm willing to have my mind changed," it's Prof. Brand.

]Hitting a ball with a stick does not require an I.Q. I used to watch kids play stickball in the street when I lived in Brooklyn. Maybe that's a clich�, That ranks up there with yahoos calling up sports radio during "Should Piazza move to first debates" who spewed comments like "How hard is it to play 1st? Mo Vaughn did it!" But more importantly, "Hell I way 350, and I play for my local beer league softball team. Glove in one hand, beer in the other, I'm like Hernandez out there!" Does this blogger like any athletic competitions? Because generally speaking, all such sports really don't require "an I.Q." as she puts in. Especially if she uses an example that kids can do them! ]What did DiMaggio do to keep her interest exactly? Well, he DID do Marilyn!

No problemo.

="GYC":18ovp8dh]If anyone wants a KTE on the Phillies, feel free to take some. I don't want to seem like I'm being an ass by hogging them or something.[/quote:18ovp8dh] I'll take the Phucking Phillies. Gwreck Apr 10 2009 10:39 AM Steve -- howsabout we give you the @PHI series and we give GYC the vs. PHI series? MGIM -- you already signed up for Tampa. Did you want something else in addition? (We have a few open spots -- Houston, a Cubs series) or if you wanted a series or two for some NL east opponents, that could be arranged too). SteveJRogers Apr 10 2009 11:51 AM No problemo. duan Apr 11 2009 01:48 PM ="metirish":unfrmjri]="duan":unfrmjri]can I do St LOUIS. I promise to do it as long as the mrs doesn't go into labour 5 days earlyl[/quote:unfrmjri] Congrats to you both , certainly we will understand if the KTE is late or if we are informed that it's been written from The Rotunda Hospital...[/quote:unfrmjri] well it'll be the coombe but that's the general picture! Fman99 Apr 18 2009 08:51 PM Can an admin sticky this thread? I almost missed my assignment... TheOldMole Apr 20 2009 01:52 AM Pencil me in for whatever. Frayed Knot Apr 27 2009 07:37 AM Looks like at Wrigley dates in late August plus both Houston series (there in late July and the season ender at Citi) are the only ones still unclaimed. Mole? Lunchbucket? Kong76 May 03 2009 05:43 PM Is this going to be a sticky for the whole season? Edgy DC May 03 2009 05:56 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 03 2009 06:27 PM How about we leave it up until the last four series are claimed? Kong76 May 03 2009 06:21 PM Just being a pita, the KTE's have been excellent this year. OlerudOwned May 04 2009 09:20 AM I'll have something up close to gametime. I've got finals to work around. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 05 2009 12:42 PM As I'm a touch absent-minded, I wouldn't mind seeing this as a season-long sticky. Am I in the minority? themetfairy May 05 2009 02:35 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":1zwd8yrh]As I'm a touch absent-minded, I wouldn't mind seeing this as a season-long sticky. Am I in the minority?[/quote:1zwd8yrh] I'd be cool with that. Kong76 May 05 2009 06:21 PM I think the KTE police can just remind people. It's a long season for one thing to dominate the top of the main forum. Are there teams left? I'll even take one to make it go away. Kong76 May 05 2009 06:26 PM I'll take the two Houston series, that leaves the at Wrigley series. (assuming FK was correct a number of posts back) I volunteer to be the KTE police. C'mon, at Wrigley, posters should be jumping from buildings to do the at Wrigley KTE! Swan Swan H May 05 2009 06:35 PM I'll take the @Wrigley series. It will give me a change to mock the preposterous items Chicagoans call snack food, plus there is a chance that Edmonds might re-sign with them and I can shit on his smug grimace a bit. Kong76 May 05 2009 06:39 PM Thanks Swan Swan H May 05 2009 06:42 PM I'll probably sneak the Cubs in there as well. Edgy DC May 11 2009 07:24 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 11 2009 07:40 AM Ollie Owned, any Brave New Updates? Looks like all our series are covered unless anyone wants to give an All Star preview. I'll unsticky. DateOpponentKTE AuthorApr 6-9@ CINGwreckApr 10-12@ FLAseawolf17Apr 13-16SDFrayed KnotApr 17-19MILTransMonkApr 21-23@ STLFman99Apr 24-26WASEdgy DCApr 27-29FLAseawolf17May 1-3@ PHISteveJRogersMay 4-5@ ATLOlerudOwnedMay 6-7PHIGYCMay 8-10PITG-FafifMay 11-13ATLOlerudOwnedMay 14-17@ SFLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrMay 18-20@ LADsharpieMay 22-24@ BOSGwreckMay 25-27WASEdgy DCMay 29-31FLAseawolf17Jun 1-4@ PITG-FafifJun 5-7@ WASbmfc1Jun 9-11PHIGYCJun 12-14@ NYYFrayed KnotJun 16-18@ BALGwreckJun 19-21TBmetsguyinmichiganJun 22-25STLduanJun 26-28NYYFman99Jun 29-Jul 1@ MILTransMonkJul 3-5@ PHISteveJRogersJul 7-9LADSharpieJul 10-12CINNymr83Jul 13-15ASBseawolf17Jul 16-19@ ATLOlerudOwnedJul 20-22@ WASbmfc1Jul 24-26@ HOUKong76Jul 27-30COLsmg58Jul 31-Aug 3ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 4-5STLduanAug 6-9@ SDFrayed KnotAug 10-12@ ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 14-17SF DocTeeAug 18-20ATLOlerudOwnedAug 21-24PHIGYCAug 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Aug 28-30@ CHCSwan Swan HSep 1-3@ COLsmg58Sep 4-6CHCFman99Sep 8-10FLAseawolf17Sep 11-13@ PHISteveJRogersSep 15-17@ ATLOlerudOwnedSep 18-20WASEdgy DCSep 21-23ATLOlerudOwnedSep 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Sep 28-30@ WASbmfc1Oct 2-4HOUKong76 seawolf17 May 11 2009 07:30 AM I don't have any series in the middle there. I'll take the ASG. Edgy DC May 11 2009 07:40 AM Egg-celent. Frayed Knot May 14 2009 10:55 AM LWFS, Sharpie, and GWreck up for the road trip Frayed Knot May 25 2009 12:51 PM Edgy & Seawolf up for the homestand GFaFiF & bmfc1 on deck Edgy DC Jun 01 2009 02:11 PM G-FaFiF, I hope your arm is loose because the phone is ringing. Frayed Knot Jun 09 2009 02:32 PM Frayed Knot (ooh, that's me. I almost forgot I took this one) plus GWreck & MGiMichigan need to kick their KTEs in gear for the upcoming series against the bastardized-DH league opponents. Swan Swan H Jun 12 2009 01:51 PM This thread may not be sticky-worthy, but maybe it should be moved to the KTE Archive for easier findage. SteveJRogers Jun 22 2009 03:35 PM Going to be a bit tied up with several issues around that time, so the Independence Day Weekend series is up for grabs. So to the Phillies, I must say SteveJRogers Jun 29 2009 10:16 AM Bump, see last post on previous page. Benjamin Grimm Jul 07 2009 01:57 PM Do we still need KTE's, or is it sufficient to say that they're the team that will score runs, while the Mets are the team that won't? metirish Jul 07 2009 02:36 PM Seo is probably busy doing a Mets KTE over at Dodgers Blues fan forum. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 07 2009 02:42 PM I think the tough one is tonight's game v Kershaw. I'm looking for Nick Evans to provide the big stick we need. Tomorrow we deal with Kuroda and the return of Ollie Perez (sorry haters, way better than Redding even when Redding's good, then we get Livan against the beatable if ornery Randy Wolf. Yes, I see a sweep. TransMonk Jul 07 2009 03:03 PM Didn't you say that about Milwaukee? sharpie Jul 07 2009 03:23 PM Just back from outta town driving my daughter to Virginia. No KTE but as Ben said, we don't need them. Everything from my first Dodger KTE applies except that Manny Ramirez is back, they are still winning and their sweep of the Mets was the beginning of the end of The Era of Good Feeling (at least with respect to the notion that we could get along without our star players). Vic Sage Jul 07 2009 03:39 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":x80ct4uk]I think the tough one is tonight's game v Kershaw. I'm looking for Nick Evans to provide the big stick we need. Tomorrow we deal with Kuroda and the return of Ollie Perez (sorry haters, way better than Redding even when Redding's good, then we get Livan against the beatable if ornery Randy Wolf. Yes, I see a sweep.[/quote:x80ct4uk] Jonny, yer a bright light in the dark night of my Metsian soul. Fman99 Jul 07 2009 07:28 PM ="Vic Sage":iucjv01f]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":iucjv01f]I think the tough one is tonight's game v Kershaw. I'm looking for Nick Evans to provide the big stick we need. Tomorrow we deal with Kuroda and the return of Ollie Perez (sorry haters, way better than Redding even when Redding's good, then we get Livan against the beatable if ornery Randy Wolf. Yes, I see a sweep.[/quote:iucjv01f] Jonny, yer a bright light in the dark night of my Metsian soul.[/quote:iucjv01f] Wow. I tried to conjure up some optimism but all I could muster was another alcohol-themed beverage. Edgy DC Jul 15 2009 01:23 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 16 2009 08:24 AM OlerudOwned, how about them Braves? I hear they have a new outfield. seawolf17 Jul 15 2009 01:36 PM Right, but we know all about him already. We should call Jeff Francoeur and ask him to do a special guest KTE. Edgy DC Jul 15 2009 01:41 PM You, by the way, never turned in your KTASE essay. Frayed Knot Jul 16 2009 07:51 AM 2nd Half Assignments DateOpponentKTE AuthorJul 16-19@ ATLOlerudOwnedJul 20-22@ WASbmfc1Jul 24-26@ HOUKong76Jul 27-30COLsmg58Jul 31-Aug 3ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 4-5STLduanAug 6-9@ SDFrayed KnotAug 10-12@ ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 14-17SF DocTeeAug 18-20ATLOlerudOwnedAug 21-24PHIGYCAug 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Aug 28-30@ CHCSwan Swan HSep 1-3@ COLsmg58Sep 4-6CHCFman99Sep 8-10FLAseawolf17Sep 11-13@ PHISteveJRogersSep 15-17@ ATLOlerudOwnedSep 18-20WASEdgy DCSep 21-23ATLOlerudOwnedSep 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Sep 28-30@ WASbmfc1Oct 2-4HOUKong76 Kong76 Jul 22 2009 05:53 PM If anyone wants to pinch hit in Houston for me, feel free. If I don't see anything by late morning, I'll whip up something during lunch if I can. My time during the weekdays is pretty stretched lately. Rockin' Doc Jul 22 2009 10:14 PM We have seen the enemy and it is us. Kong76 Jul 23 2009 04:07 AM For some reason I was thinking there was a Thursday game ... cool, more time to procrastinate! smg58 Jul 23 2009 11:35 AM I won't get the Rockies post up before Monday, but I should have it up by this time Monday afternoon. Edgy DC Jul 31 2009 10:54 AM LindsayWagnerFasterStronger, you're up. Edgy DC Aug 04 2009 02:54 PM DocTee, do you hear me?

="Rockin' Doc"]I love Schaefer's slogan, "Schaefer the beer to have when you're having more than one". That would never fly into today's ("Please drink responsibly") age of marketing.* *Please do not misinterpret this post as advocating reckless and irresponsible drinking. I fully endorse moderation and the use of designated drivers by those that choose to consume alcoholic beverages. This post was merely made to point out how dramatically advertising slogans have changed in this age of litigation and political correctness. Hell, they're slogan WAS changed during the last few years of existence. From the day I started listening to the Mets in 1986, to the last time they air radio ads the line was "Schaefer the beer to have when you're out to have some fun!"

Santana 4 Murphy 2 Church 2 Rodriguez 1 Putz 1

OlerudOwned wrote: EDIT: I'm Rico Brogna, who I recall breaking Maris's home run record with in Triple Play 95 for Sega Genesis as a tot. Heard he's a good fit! But you are now Carlos Baerga, who was not a good fit as a Met!