A mistake in judgement and an impossible list to come up with

Okay, I know all about trying to “grow an audience” or offer some kind of quirky extra to some media outlets to reach people you might not normally reach and at some level it makes entire sense.

But here’s thing:

If you’re going to do something different or off-the-wall and out of the ordinary, I think you need to make sure you aren’t going to alienate the regulars, don’t offend a segment of your viewership or readership or what have you because any gains you make could very well be offset by the losses you sustain.

That – among several other reasons – is why I can’t quite get this, a move by the CBC to basically offend serious female hockey fans with some comic take that plays to a stereotype that I’m not sure exists any more.

Look, I don’t have a vested interest in this, I really don’t give a hoot about the pucks and I’m certainly not going to play along with their basically sexist reindeer games but it seems to me this is an ill-conceived notion.

Sure, it might be funny and well written but the underlying theme that suggest some women might sit around watching hockey – or any sport – simply because the men do and isn’t it fun to look at all the cute boys and mock the idiosyncrasies of the game strikes me as rather silly.

I can see how many women would be offended by this and think less of the powers that be who promote it; I don’t think it’s politically correct of me to say that we have moved on as people from this kind of stuff.

My first reaction to hearing about it yesterday afternoon was something along the lines of “you’ve go to be kidding me, this is 2012, surely this isn’t something anyone really wants, is it?”

That hasn’t changed an awful lot; I think it’s a mistake in judgement that will offend at some level far more people than it will entertain.

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Know what made me laugh?

The report – it’s here – that Shaquille O’Neal will even get cursory consideration for the Orlando Magic general manager’s job.

I’m not doubting the veracity of the report, or Shaq’s alleged interest in returning to the franchise that he unceremoniously quit as soon as he could so many years ago.

No, who I’m doubting are his talents, his commitment and the whether this is little more that some kind of awful publicity stunt perpetrated by O’Neal, the Magic or both.

Look, Shaq was a great player, probably one of the top seven or eight centres to ever play the game. But he also lacked any kind of significant work ethic at the end, he’s got no experience and, sure, he’d probably love the job but so would I so where do I send my resume?

Publicity stunt, that’s what this is and if it isn’t, Orlando officials ought to be ashamed of themselves.

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Okay, well, this should be good, given we have a collection of Irregulars Of A Certain Vintage who will most assuredly weigh in and the young ‘uns among you might want to pay attention.

Bob Dylan – The Great Bob Dylan – turns 70 71 today and here’s an impossible task:

Best song?

Impossible, right?

Ballads, social commentary, a sneer and the tweaking of social conventions.

Can’t pick one; hell, you probably can’t pick 10 and I think I know what the computer will be playing most of the day.

I vaguely recall the moment when Dylan Went Electric but I seem to remember it being a seminal moment in the music world, he was booed and heckled and seen as some sellout.

And he went on to make some of the great music of all time.

You cannot come up with a short playlist of Dylan songs to get you through the day; you can’t find five or 10 or even maybe 20.

But if you start here

And then go here

You might be on the right track.

Whaddya think?

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TFC! TFC! TFC!

Yep, best 0-9 team in Canada for sure!

Start the season ticket drive today.

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Mail?

Slow day yesterday, please be a bit better today, thank you very much.

Click. Write. Send.

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Got to be around the middle of the third quarter of Celtics-Sixers last night – I think there’d been about a billion missed shots, fouls and turnovers in a row (the game highlights, they must have called it) – and there was only one thought on the mind:

What kind of bandages do you use to stop bleeding from the eyes?

Seriously, if that wasn’t the most sloppy playoff game I’ve seen in eons, I’ve put out of my mind the one that was. It was ugly – or as Larry Bird would say “U G L Y” and we can only hope Game 7 has some kind of compelling, well-played stretches.

Or, we can hope the see the futility of it and just flip a coin to see who wins. Do it for the East Final, too, and let us sit back and enjoy some real basketball from Texas and OKC while the other pretenders contest the B Flight.

One scary thing?

I think we’d all agree that Game 7s seldom live up to the hype, teams have a tendency to play more carefully than they normally do, the games are a slog rather than a performance and, wow, we could be in for one butt-ugly contest.

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Three games for Pittman, one for Haslem and nothing for Hansbrough?

Yeah, think the league got it right with the suspensions in the Heat-Pacers series but if they did err, I think they erred on the side of leniency.

I still say five games for Pittman would have been more appropriate; that was an egregious assault right up there with World Peace’s attack on James Harden and while a message has been sent, it could have been louder.

Now, will it have an impact on Game 6 tonight?

It may indeed; Haslem may not be particularly good most nights but without Bosh, and even without the few minutes Pittman plays each game, the Heat will have even more difficult time handling Roy Hibbert (who was never going to be a Raptor and you would have soured on him over two ho-hum seasons anyway) and David West.

So maybe that gets us another Game 7 on Saturday and we can only hope it’s played at a somewhat higher entertainment level and the Sixers-Celtics.

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Mighty Red Tigers tonight. Think good thoughts, please.

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Comments

[Lorie]

Man, I love this place! All kinds of great posts and music today (especially @Dave T (Ottawa); I didn't understand it all, but I feel smarter just having read it!) And, Doug, when you move on to manage the Magic (but really, I thought as a city you didn't even like Orlando!?) will please keep doing your blog? And @LeeZ, I know it's the wrong answer but I remember reading somewhere that Roger Maris shared the same birthplace as your Cousin Bobbie. The name of the basketball dude - or dudette - escapes me!

[LeeZ]

For those who are still struggling with the identity of the baller from Hibbing, I will give you a clue. To me, he is a DEAD RINGER for this actor from the 70s (wasn't sure I was the only one who thought that way, so I went on line, and sure enough there were dozens of people who thought the same). http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0765546/

[LeeZ]

@D-Mac: Nope, wasn't me. Although I have an EXTREMELY annoying friend who LOVES to lord it over me that he saw Springsteen way way back in the day, on his very first tour, at the Seneca College gym, just him and a few hundred other brave souls. Hey, Irregulars: how about your recollections of memorable concerts over the years? I have two: a Labour Day concert at Varsity Stadium featuring The Band, Jessie Collin Young and the Youngbloods, and CSNY. Cost? 10 smackers. Second memory: my annoying Springsteen buddy and I were in NYC and wanted to go see REM at Radio City Music Hall (Radio Free Europe tour). We were looking for scalpers. Guy comes up to us, says he and his gf couldn't make the show, and offered us his tickets at face value. Second row, dead centre. The cost? Yep, 10 smackers.

Blogger's note: If that Seneca College concert was sometime in the very early '80s (and I'm really pushing my memory here), I was at it, too. Took time off from a job in either Woodstock or Orangeville, if memory serves. And it might have been an afternoon gig

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Hoboy, @LeeZ, now you've gone and done it. Ah, the concerts, the concerts...
I’ve seen these guys live multiple times:
The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Willie Nelson, BB King, JJ Cale, Van Morrison, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton (with various groups), Steve Miller Band, Tower of Power, Traffic, Leo Kottke, Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Dr. John & The Medicine Show, Hot Tuna, Muddy Waters, J. Geils Band.
And here are ‘a few’ others I’ve seen at least once:
Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stevie Wonder, Country Joe and The Fish, Albert King, Deep Purple, Santana, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Little Richard, Grand Funk Railroad, Long John Baldry, Aerosmith, Big Brother & The Holding Co., Buddy Guy, Charlie Daniels, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jackson Browne, The Yardbirds, Chicago, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Badfinger, John Mayall, The Commodores, AC/DC, Mountain, Alabama, Chuck Berry, Johnny Winters, Ry Cooder, Howlin’ Wolf, Louden Wainwright III, Otis Rush, Mason Proffit, Billy Joel, Steppenwolf, Beach Boys, The Temptations, Tom Waits, Aerosmith, Vassar Clements, Elton John, Delanie & Bonnie, Chet Baker, Asleep at the Wheel, Three Dog Night, Jefferson Starship, Harry Nillson, Yes, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ray Charles, Canned Heat, Isley Brothers, Elvin Bishop Band, Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Poco, Rare Bird, Freddie King, Waylon Jennings, John Fogerty, Journey, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Commander Cody, Dave Brubeck, Rush, Percy Sledge, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Sly & The Family Stone, Jim Croce, Pure Prairie League, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Who, Aretha Franklin, Humble Pie, Black Oak Arkansas, Isaac Hayes, Pink Floyd, ELO, John Lee Hooker, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Sebastian, The James Gang, Pinetop Perkins, SuperTramp, The Subdudes, Cat Stevens, Dan Hicks, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Led Zeppelin, Rare Earth, Dire Straits, Jimmy Buffett, ZZ Top, Randy Newman, Peter Frampton, Joan Armatrading, George Benson, Little River Band, Edgar Winters, Bo Diddley, Neil Diamond, War, Dan Fogelberg, Jeff Beck Group, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows, Arlo Guthrie, Blue Oyster Cult, David Bowie, Loggins & Messina, Moody Blues, The Pointer Sisters, Dave Mason, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristopherson, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, David Sanborn, Merle Haggard, Marshall Tucker Band, The Band, Zappa, Captain Beefheart, James Brown, Diana Krall, The Neville Brothers, Joe Cocker, Herbie Hancock.
All but a handful of those concerts were during the 70s in the Midwest, and lord knows how many I’ve forgotten. (Remember, there were LOTS of all-day/all-night concerts happening back then.) Living those 70s like I did, between the ages of 18 and 28 – that was an absolute GIFT.
In those early 70s, it was still entirely about the music – not the light show, not the next video. It was about the jam sessions, the live shows, and the chance – relatively new, after all – for musicians to get together across distances that simply didn’t happen on bus tours. You had an instrumental handful of musicians that were taking full advantage. If you followed the movements of Eric Clapton alone during those late 60s/early 70s, you were being introduced to some incredibly interesting characters every couple of weeks. Clapton was to those times what Quincy Jones has been since the mid-80s: an arranger, dabbler, matchmaker, producer, innovator. Right up there at the same level were Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia and Leon Russell – to me, these are your Big Four from those days – though they’re on a pedestal that can be shared by several others: Dylan, George Harrison, David Crosby, Mike Bloomfield and Ry Cooder, as a major sampling.
Among others, sadly. I’ve never had the honour to see a Beatle performing live, The Eagles, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan.
Cheers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm-euFpRLMg

[Philosoraptor]

@LeeZ, there seems to be a real Rashomon quality to this event. I've heard Pete Seeger say in interviews that he attempted to "pull the plug" on Dylan's Newport set because his (Seeger's) father was at the concert and Pete was concerned for his hearing. Regardless. I love that Dylan took to the stage electric for the first time in front of a crowd that felt they had a proprietary interest in their version of Bob and he lets rip with " I ain't gonna work on Maggie's Farm no more"...

So, hoops: hammer and tong in Indy tonight?

[doug]

my fav concert memory of all time is this one....we lived in London and my mom took my younger sister and me to the CNE one year by train...I was 13 or so my sis 7, to us it was memorable as with 5 kids two hard working parents to spend a full day with my mom was and is a pleasant memory.....but what makes it all the memorable are 2 things, one I had a throbbing toothache but wouldn't dare tell anyone especially my mom as she may cancel the trip, but it was a throbber...then we were at the CNE walking around passing the grandstand, and there in lights performing that night was Ol'Blue Eyes, my mom was a huge Frank fan...as we were we by assimilation of the music being played constantly (him,James Last,Glen Miller and so on) she asks us do we we want to see Frank we say sure..as we were tired from walking around all day...she says probably no tickets left, well up she goes to the box office we get three seats in the nose bleeds...high enough to see Frank getting out of his limo backstage, and us seeing the concert and him singing all his tunes...my mom is 84 now, she still talks about that day and yes my toothache...that's my fav concert of all time, no other comes close...cheers...

[john]

David T (Ottawa) That is priceless....

[LeeZ]

@Doug (poster): would have loved to see Frank, especially in his prime.
@D-Mac: Holy crap, Batman! And I thought I had seen a lot of concerts! So you're telling me you saw John Prine but not his sidekick, Stevie Goodman? For SHAME! And you may have SEEN Loudon Wainwright III, but I interviewed the dude for my college radio station. Backstage at the El Mocambo. So there! But seriously, dude, I am in awe.

[David T (Ottawa)]

Wow. I got WAYYY more recognition for that than I thought I would (or deserved!). I can't take credit -- I'm reading "Moby Dick" for the first time right now so I just channeled Melville for a minute. Beautiful day for a patio in Ottawa - as the most interesting man in the world is known to say, "Stay thirsty, my friends."

[SheikYurbouti]

Been a while since I added my 1 cent but have to join in on the Dylan/concerts reminiscences. 1975, Rolling Thunder Review rolled into the Forum in Montreal and I hadn't been able to get a good ticket. Took a shot at scalpers row and stumbled into someone "giving away" 2 tickets, middle, 8th row, at face value!! We get to our seats and we're immediately beside Leonard Cohen (!!!!) and his 2 young gals on either arm. I can't tell you what it was like listening to a concert of Dylan and Baez (stole the show imo) beside Leonard, who had turned down offer to participate.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Sorry to have babbled on with the endless list. As a good friend said after one long look at it, "Man, you wasted some serious time in those 70s, didn't ya!"
I really didn't compile it to post it here – but I did compile it a couple of months ago... ENTIREly because of this great blog and all the great music stories and links that happen in amongst everything else (and oh yeah, the Raptors!). But the awesome musical connections here the past couple of years have sparked a lot of great memories, and I decided, heck yeah, I really should try to do an inventory. It was a great exercise, for lots of great reasons. So thanks again, Doug!
Awesome job on Louden WW III, @LeeZ! I'll share one someday about my man Pinetop Perkins... Peace. Cheers. Tunes!