Palaver

We have been a bit lazy latelyabout adding stations to our station’s list, but a few things dumped in our mailbox recently.

First, Dan Patrick has replaced Tony Bruno on Appleton, Wisconsin radio station 1570 WSCO “The Score” according to an article in the Post Cresent Gazette . The show will run 8-11:00 am.

The Dan Patrick Show is also available in Eugene, Oregon on 1320 KSCR, an ESPN affiliate apparently. The show airs there from 9-12:00 pm.

To find a station in your area, go to DP.com, click on “Where to Tune In”, and then chose your state for a list of stations. Unfortunately at this point there are no times nor links for the stations. Or you can go to our unofficial list, by clicking on the Where to Find the DP Show tab above. The stations are listed alphabetically by city and have show air times, and links.

If you are looking for live streaming, you can stream at DP’s site as well as stream show segments by hour later in the day or get recent itunes podcast there as well now. However if you want an older podcast (to listen or download) of the Dan Patrick show, you’ll still have to go to the LA station KLAC. Their archive goes back quite a bit.

If you are a faithful reader of sports blogs, then you are probably somewhat tired of hearing about the Buzz Bissinger tirade directed at Will Leitch on last week’s Costas Now. We are too, except that there have been two recent developments worth bothering to note - one having to do with Dan Patrick.

The DP one deals with whether or not Dan was one of the panelists who congratulated Bissinger after his cable meltdown. The following is taken from Michael David Smith’s blog on AOL Fanhouse:

Bissinger doesn’t say specifically which fellow panelists agreed with him, but the other panelists on the show included many of the biggest big-shots in sports media, including Joe Buck, Mitch Albom, Dan Patrick and Mike Wilbon. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if all of them feel basically the way Bissinger feels.

While DP did talk about the show the next day on his radio show, he never said that he disagreed with Bissinger. Usually DP is willing to bring up controversial issues when it warrants it, but this was definitely a lost opportunity to help frame the discussion on radio.

The second one is Bissinger’s apology for the way he treated Deadspin’s Leitch, as well as the entire frothing at the mouth thing viewers had to watch. He apologized in several venues, but the best is in an interview with The Big Lead. Why was that the best apology? Because it was on that bastion of all evil, a blog.

The death of the horse Eight Belles after placing second in the Kentucky Derby Sunday was a topic of discussion both today and yesterday on The Dan Patrick Show. The show began with DP discussing NBC’s repeated showing of the accident that followed the race. After the initial broadcast, ESPN also showed it repeatedly. Indeed it was hard NOT to see, even if you did not want to.

Focusing on whether or not people should see the video - and Dan thinks people should - seems rather superfluous. The real question is should these horses be running at all? Some people believe the problems are due to the horses’ age (2 and 3 year olds do not have full bone development apparently) or the track surfaces. Some people - some of us at Palaver among them - think that horses should not be running at all for our entertainment. That is because the amount of money involved in professional racing means animals will be bred in a way that maximizes speed at the expense of physical aliments (think of what dog breeding has done to the hips of retrievers and you will get a taste of what we mean). And if deaths like Eight Belles and Barbaro seem rare, remember that there are thousands of horses at smaller, less well known races whose lives are cut short by injuries and the inevitable euthanasia that follows. Here is an excerpt from an article at the Baltimore Sun’s website:

Also receiving renewed attention was a study by a veterinarian named Mary Scollay, who found there are 2.03 deaths of horses per 1,000 starts on traditional dirt tracks, versus 1.47 fatalities per 1,000 starts on synthetic fields. The study comes with the usual caveats - it was based on a small sample, it’s too early to draw conclusions about the relative merits of the two tracks, etc. - and yet who knew there were that many deaths at all? A simple Web search will reveal many, horrible ones - horses’ leg bones snapping through the skin, a filly that suffered a heart attack in the home stretch and died.

Seems sort of silly to us to be arguing over track type rather than arguing over the sport of horse racing itself. We would like to see it go the way of dogfighting someday, or at the very least overhauled so that it is no longer a danger to the athletes - the horses - who compete in it.

Wild week on the DP Show. Lots of hot topics this week, thankfully not all of them being the NFL draft. Here are the weeks’ highlights:

Tuesday - (Hour 2) - Bob Costas showed up late and drops the phrase “passion bucket” as part of his excuse. They joke about what porn show follows “Costas Now” on HBO and then get into a more serious discussion on what constitutes sports news journalism versus sports tabloid journalism. It proves to be an interesting bit of foreshadowing for what later winds up a Buzz Bissinger rabid mammalian attack directed at bloggers later that night on Costa’s show. Dan is set to join Bob that evening on his show and promises to bring his Emmy.

Caleb Campbell - (Hour 3) - see our more in depth recap here.

Thursday - (Hour 2) - Jake Peavy comes on to explain for the eleven gazillionth time that it was dirt and tobacco on his hands and not pine tar (though right now the Padres should be willing to use whatever they can get). They talk a bit about “mound mannerisms” and Peavy explains that while he is the most laid back guy off the mound, he becomes very competitive when pitching. They also talk about Maddux and his practical jokes. Apparently never, ever shower with Greg unless you liked to be peed on (someone get us some brain bleach, please).

General Talk about throughout the show about a Sports illustrated survey that asked fans to rank many different aspects of their ballpark including the baseball IQs of varying baseball team fan bases. Yankees were ranked number 3 and Red Sox number 2. Somehow this seems beyond the normally highly unscientific, but frequently amusing, nature of online surveys. We get the hospitality rating bit but how on earth can you judge intelligence by asking people to rate those around you? Indeed, being very smart may cause you to have a higher intelligence standard which may mean the fan base rated lowest is highest. Okay - lets just say these ratings don’t mean much in that category and leave it at that.

(Hour 2) - Chis Russo, the Mad Dog in “Mike and The Mad Dog” NYC radio show comes on to reaffirm the stereotype of New Yorkers talking really fast. He also tells DP that Shea Stadium “is lousy” and “the park stinks”. Yes, and that is why it is being rebuilt. He likes Yankee Stadium - also being rebuilt - better because of the history there but thinks Dodger Stadium is the best one out there and Dan concurs. They talk a bit about Costas Now on which he was attacked (figuaritiviely we’ll assume) by Mike Strahan (page 2 of the link is where most of the talk radio piece can be found). With the stuff that went on that night between Buzz Bissinger and Will Leitch as well, Costas might just want to go more to a “cage match” set up rather than the “town hall” bit he bills it as.

It’s Dan Patrick’s turn for Deadspin’s Media Approval Rating vote. He’s way out front in the approval category, but it still never hurts to pop over and vote ‘yes’. Let your little voice be heard, you know?

BTW, the picture of Dan Patrick with sauce on his face that Deapsin mentions in the voting piece that they are looking for, is from this ad for Fridays:

On a completely separate note - the answer to the ‘Just My Type’ question for this week is Ryan Leaf. That’s a one off for you. Now stop googling it people and start buying the magazine!

A lot of people are searching the internet - and a few are winding up here - for some sort of video of the ‘blogging segment’ of HBO Sports’ Costa Now.

ETA: Okay folks, Deadspin now has the video up.

Seems, as Dan Patrick descibed it today on the Dan Patrick Show, it somehow “got ugly”. We don’t have HBO, so we haven’t actually seen the 90 minutes special ourselves, so instead we will simply recap what DP said on today’s show about the segment as well as send you to Deadspin, since Will Leitch was part of the panel and not unsurprisingly has something further to say. From all accounts it sounds like Buzz Bissinger came out with a chip on his shoulder ready to take on the blogging world. Good luck with that fella.

Dan began his blogging commentary today by joking about bloggers with the old stereotypical jokes about “their mother’s basement” and “watching porn” (at Palaver we tend to blog on a low porn, low basement budget). Then he moved into discussing the blogging segment of Costas Now. Seems author Buzz Bissinger “went toe to toe” with Will Leitch who runs Deadspin. This somehow all culminated with leading Costas to “drop the f-bomb” (that alone might have been worth the price of HBO). Dan wonders if blogs aren’t the same thing as Entertainment Tonight, and he sees the two mediums as “old media” versus “new media”. He also chastises blog readers, saying it is supply and demand and that “you” are at fault for reading these sites. DP also wonders if bloggers “cover sports” or “comment on” sports. Our experience is there is a lot of both out there.

Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci joins Dan in the second hour and tells DP that people are getting lazy and are starting to put everyone “under the same umbrella”. He reminds people that there are a lot of different type of blogs out there. They talk about the Clemens situation a bit and Verducci says that it does deal with legal issues and therefore qualifies as a legitimate news story for bloggers. He adds that a story like that fits the instantaneous blogging word well because it also lends itself to commentary.

BTW, just for some background information, you should know that Costas has had some unkind words for bloggers before this which makes you wonder if perhaps this was a bit of a set up inviting a ready to rumble Bissinger to meet with Leitch. A bit if a trap maybe?

And one final note to both Costas and Bissinger - it’s a big sandbox guys, there’s room for everyone to play.

A very interesting discussion and interview today on the Dan Patrick show. Army (West Point) football player Caleb Campbell was chosen in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. According to fairly new Army rules, Campbell can go play professional football instead of serve as an active duty officer. At a time of war this unique situation becomes especially meaningful, as many of his classmates will find themselves leading platoons in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout the show DP seemed to be wavering on whether this was the right move on the part of either the Army or Campbell, with callers coming off generally in favor of Campbell playing football. When Campbell himself showed in hour three, he seemed to sway Dan to his way if thinking. Campbell explained that he feels he can do more good for the Army in this capacity than he can offer as a second lieutenant in Iraq. And not just as advertising either, but also as an inspiration to the troops. He also said he may to go back into he Army when his football career is over and tells Dan quite frankly that his “orders are to play football”. The Army does indeed seem to be capitalizing on this.

While we do see the marketing value of Mr. Campbell’s and the Army’s decision, we are a bit concerned about the military making the same mistake colleges do. Trumpeting the “marketing value” of their football programs, they soon find themselves losing sight of their real purpose - education . We can see that happening to the military academies at the beginning, and then eventually the military services themselves - none of which were created to win football games. They have a much bigger role to play in this nation.

If you have HBO, you can catch Dan Patrick Tuesday night on a special live edition of “Costas Now”. It will air live on from 10:00 to 11:30 p.m Eastern Time and feature a “town hall” style format with video interviews and “a panel of high-profile sports personalities” (we assume DP will be one of those). The show will be an extended 90 minute deal but Dan is slated for “segment three” according to the episode guide on Costas’ show’s site.

Lot of commissioner talk this week, from interviews with David Stern and Roger Goodell to a poll questions asking which sport’s commissioner you would prefer to be (Dan aimed low and chose the NHL).

Here are a few of the week’s highlight (which you can now access as a podcast):

Monday - (Hour 2) - Dan mentions that his family went to see a bullfight in Spain, without Dan along, and that his wife and daughters were horrified when they started killing the bull. We are definiteley on the side of both Dan’s family and the bull on this one. Disgusting sport. Seton mentions that no sport should ever be allowed that you would get arrested for if you did it in your own backyard. Word.

(Hour 2) - Danica Patrick comes by and Dan does a much better interview with her than Letterman does later in the week (Letterman also interviewed Keith Olbermann the same night) .They discuss the odd phenomenon occurring that detractors are claiming she won only through strategy. DP asks her if she is interested in doing “Dancing With the Starts” but she demurs, claiming she is too competitive in nature and would dance with a scowl on her face (we would actually prefer that over the saccharine smiles planted on most contestants).

Wednesday - (Hour 1) - John Smoltz comes on to talk about who text messaged him after his 3000th strikeout and why he didn’t use the phrase ‘Passion Bucket’ after he promised he would. Hard hitting sports journalism at work. They also discussed Greg Maddux’s sense of humor and how he is far more intellectual than the goofy dumb guy he plays in interviews. For proof, Smoltz offers that Maddux sticks pieces of gum on ceilings so he can watch when it falls on people’s heads. Oh, and he puts buggers in rental cars (it’s this kind of thinking that makes believe that Smoltz really did iron his shirt while on, despite his protests).

Thursday - (Hour 3) - David Stern - for our full recap of the palavering commish, see Thursday’s post.

Friday - (Hour 2) - Roger Goodell- The NFL Commissioner was actually pretty humorous saying that he preps for the draft by using a pronunciation guide. DP asks him who his “Dali Lama is” but he won’t fess up any one name. He does say he looks for “a variety of perspectives” when making decisions but then “closes the door” and “tries to do what’s right”. They talk a bit about Pacman Jones (we are way tired of hearing people use the word “behave” when talking about Pacman, as if he is a child not as a misogynistic thug). And of course they conclude with a discussion of “tapegate” and why the NFL destroyed the tapes.

(Hour 3) - Rich Eisen joins DP and together they cohost most of the last hour before Eisen has to go prepare for the NFL Draft. We like Eisen’s low key, but mildly humorous radio manner. DP even gets him to read that extremely odd Snapper mower ad that has DP usually pitching the spokesman (Brett Favre) rather than the mower it self. Surrealism in advertising. They interview Jake Long - the NFL’s expected number one pick, as well as Chris Long (Howie Long’s son) together.

(Hour 3) - Ryan Leaf - The NFL’s biggest disappointment comes on the show to give advice to the draftees. We don’t really understand this, but as DP had him on last year too we think it might be some sort of tradition thing. Also, he apparently has Colts jersey with his name and number on it that Dan is going to auction off for charity.

Finally, the Dan Patrick Show website has iTune podcasts available for both the day’s segments as well as the interviews. Now you can live stream or download. There is still not much of an archive as they only go back a few weeks (for a longer archive, check out KLAC), but it’s still a wonderful improvement.

You can try out the new podcast system with today’s excellent interview of NBA Commissioner David Stern (hour 3) or in the interviews section. Dan pressed him to say which teams he would like to see in the finals but he would not bite. They tussled back and forth a bit but Stern won that battle (sending Dan to look up the compliment of ‘perspicacity’ as soon as the commissioner left). They then moved onto what Stern called “the art form of flopping”. Stern said he would love to be able to fine or suspend floppers or introduce a yellow card system like they have done in soccer, but the competition committee wouldn’t hear of it.

While we do think sports in general is run by too many old, white males, we can’t help but love David Stern. There is something amazingly refreshing and charming in this particular erudite commish (and not just because he called the interview “no palaver redux”). Bart Giamatti would be pleased with this man (yes, we know he was baseball. Don’t write). Go listen for yourselves.