Letters to the Editor
bee1000
Published Letters: 10 Editor's Choice: 1
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Howard is worth my $12.95
[Read the article: Howard's world]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And if he isn't fighting, and if fewer people are listening, will the world beyond his superfans continue to care about what he does?
I, for one, hope not. Leave Howard alone and let us fans enjoy the show and his channels in peace!
Is the show worth $13 a month? To fans, yes. I can imagine paying $13 a month just so I can fill my mornings with all the folks on the show.
To occassional listeners? Yes - remember, Sirius isn't just 2 channels of Howard Stern, there is plenty of commercial-free music, too. Lamentably, the music channels are poorly programmed, but they're still better than all but one of the local, terrestrial stations I used to listen to. Add in the NFL, NPR/PRI/BBC and satellite-only features like song/artist seek, and $13 is not too much to ask.
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Sadly, one season short of syndication
[Read the article: Series wrap-up: "Everwood"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In a way, it's a blessing for a show to end a little sooner than fans want, especially one like Everwood that would have been on the verge of jumping the shark if it continued. After all, any show that begins with characters in high school is forced to strap on the water skis when it comes time for everyone to graduate. So while you may mourn now, just remember the gawdawful seasons of 90210 after the kids went to college, and I'm sure you'll cheer up quickly.
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Answering the off-topic questions
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Why, when the quarterback "spikes" the ball to stop the clock - how is that NOT intentional grounding?"
It is either a written exception in the rulebook, or just an accepted unwritten rule. Since we're talking about the NFL, I assume it's in the book that a quarterback can spike the ball to stop the clock, probably with some sort of caveats that it has to be done between the tackles and while the QB is not being pursued by a defender.
"Also, in the preseason game with Indy and St. Louis (I'm a Rams fan), when Indy pulled an onside kick to start the game and they recovered thus getting posession, am I wrong to say that the receiving team is supposed to touch the ball first before Indy is able to recover?"
That rule only applies to punting, not to kick-offs. A kick-off is a live ball as soon as it is kicked, and can be recovered by either team. However, the kicking team cannot recover the ball until it either (a) travels at least 10 yards, or (b) is touched by the receiving team.
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Baseball on TV is getting worse everywhere
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I've noticed this on my local cable channel's coverage, as well as TBS's coverage, but it started with Fox: They have way too many cameras and use them to show as little of the game as possible. Gone are the days when the director would stick to the centerfield camera between pitches, allowing us to see the catcher's signs and set-up, and the pitcher's entire wind-up.
Nowadays we get endless close-ups of fans, the batter, the manager, the pitcher (in the last game they were zooming in so far the pitcher's face couldn't fit on the screen), etc. We eventually get back to the centerfield camera--but not until after the pitcher has already started his wind-up.
Add in the terrible sound mixing (thanks again, Fox) with the pumped up crowd mics, and the way-too-serious announcers and baseball is all but unwatchable now.
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Obama's mark is terrible
[Read the article: May the best logo win]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There was a great analysis of the Bush and Kerry logos in 2004, stating that Kerry's logo made him look weak and elitist compared to Bush - a crucial error in that election.
Now Obama is making the same mistake. His logo looks like something an oil conglomerate would use for a public-relations advertising campaign in Harper's.
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A Democrat didn't really say this, did she?
[Read the article: Obama and Clinton fizzle in Philly]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"I am absolutely committed to not raising a single tax on middle-class Americans, people making less than $250,000 a year."
I must have missed something. I thought this article concerned a debate between the Democratic candidates, not beings from a parallel universe where people making $249,999.99 a year were considered to be in the middle class.
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Surprised ESPN is coverng Euro 2008
[Read the article: ESPN's dishonest tap-dance]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't think ESPN should be ashamed of doing the same thing. I can't imagine Euro ratings and ad revenue would justify sending people to Europe. I'm not surprised ESPN's crew isn't at the match, I'm surpised they are providing so much coverage of the tournament at all.
To answer another poster's semi-question: Yes, Speed's F1 broadcasts are done from a studio in the US. With Peter Windsor being at the track, I don't think they miss much by watching it on TV in conjunction with timing/scoring screens as opposed to being at the track watching it on TV in conjunction with timing/scoring screens.
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Nader is right
[Read the article: Is Ralph Nader losing it?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American."
This is exactly correct in the sense that Obama is just another Democratic politician. He may make a better speech, but he's just another cog in the same machine as the rest of them.
Like Tiger Woods, being black just makes Obama a lot more interesting. If Woods were a super-talented white golfer, he wouldn't be attracting nearly as many new fans to golf. And if Obama looked like John Kerry, Hillary would have gotten the nomination.
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Watch early, avoid NBC
[Read the article: That moment]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The secret to getting the most out of the Olympics (as a viewer, that is) is to stay away from NBC and the supposed glamour events. Look to MSNBC, USA, heck even the Korean channel, where the sports are more interesting and infrequently interrupted by ads and overblown special features. Who needs NBC's coverage of synchronized diving when team handball is on in Korean?