At my other fave hangout, this subject was brought up. I'm going to cut and paste some excepts here.

From Joe B: ESPN's mercy **** for New Orleans is in full swing. Don't get me wrong, I think it is really nice of them to do something to help out, but I wish they would tone down the pathos and just broadcast the fubu game (although that might remind every one of just how poor a record the Aints have on Monday nights).

That is currently my #1 pet peeve with all sports casts - you can't even see a golf tournament anymore without three hours of blather about some player's Great Wasting Disease, and how every player and all his friends and relatives are neck deep in tragedy. All this "queen for a day" style of sports coverage irritates me.


Kingpatzer:I've seen several commercials plugging U2 that have included words to the effect of "We're bringing music back to New Orleans."

As a jazz musician who will never be able to adequately repay the city and people of New Orleans for the musical legacy and art they have gifted to the world, allow me to tell ESPN, U2, and the NFL to kindly go screw themselves.

This whole thing is a condescending insult to the people, tradition, and heritage of New Orleans music. First, the music never left, it doesn't need to be "brought back." Plenty of musicians donated time, money, instruments, equipment, and whatever else they could to keep the music there through this entire period.

Second, New Orleans is filled with capable musicians who could have opened this event in grand style. Even if the NFL doesn't sport but a handfull of fans who can comprehend Jazz, there are plenty of great New Orleans born musicians out there. They don't need an Irish import to show them how it's done, thank you very much.


Quasar:Quite apart from Katrina, I get nauseated everytime I hear that the human tragedy du jour provides a wake-up call, informing us yet again of the need to put everything in perspective, and come to realize that it's only a game.

Of course it's only a game, you imbeciles! Don't insult my intelligence by pretending that you're doing anything except exploiting the sensational, milking pathos for profit.

Frankly, I'm sick of it too.
Joe Horn gave a beautiful post-game interview with Susie Colbert, and it was nice the way he directed the glory of the win towards the fans rather than the team....something about how the fans have been through a lot, and it's great to play for them in their home stadium again. Delivered that way, it seems earnest, and takes up all the time it needs to, and nothing more.
But this whole thing of treating the game and especially the win as some kind of consolation prize for hurricane victims cheapens both the game and the tragedy, IMO. It's very hard to feel sympathetic when you know you're being manipulated.

Your thoughts?

Yeah the game almost had a feel that it was rigged.
Even the way Vick played made me think he might be throwing the game. I know the game wasn't rigged but all the Pre Hype made it seem as though

doesn't bother me...(the katrina stuff tonight)

What I thought was interesting, was the moment were Kornheiser was going to tear apart Reggie Bush for all his college transgressions, and put the question to the booth, but the booth deflected it big time and tried to talk about how much Bush has done for the city and how that was in the past. Kornheiser was cut off before he got to the throat of the situation.

I thought that was a decisive moment for monday night football.

You can have truthful telecast or you can have a hype machine. I think there is a place for both. Don't get me wrong, but...

They brought Kornheaiser in for this type of thing, to create some contreversy and stir the pot, and yet they shut his *** right down when it counted most. He was about to create the dichotomy of the night. Comparing and contrasting both sides of Reggie Bush. It would have been a thing of journalistic beauty before it got squashed. And no doubt would have made some people cringe.

I understand the thought process, trying to keep the "dream" game alive, but I thought it was an important discussion to have since it is not in the past. The Transgressions have yet to come out. And while Bush is doing all this good, he's basically denied everything that happened in college. Which I am guessing is going to be tragic flaw of his. Whatever the truth is, I got a gut feeling Bush is at fault. And he is failing to come clean.

At any rate. Like I said. I don't mind that they tried to build this game up. Sometimes you need that. Often times a telecast can be too critical of the game ( see the nba dunk contest ) to its own detriment. But I was dissapointed they skirted the Reggie Bush situation myself.

The game call was kinda gay, I agree. What was with Joe Theisman going on and on about the slow surface? I got so sick of him. I just wanted to pretend that I was watching a normal game. I can't believe just how poorly the Falcons played. What aboult, excuse my spelling, Alge Crumpler? You know, Atlanta's TE, #83 I think? What is his deal? He sucks man. I thought he was some kind of all pro TE. He couldn't catch a cold last night .

I saw it as a celebration for the City of New Orleans.

Maybe it was exploitation to some degree but the NFL was behind the cause from the beginning. With all the work left to be done, it was a good way for people to understand the situation down there isn't anywhere close to complete and help is still needed. It also illustrated how New Orleans is back as far as a tourist city which should help generate revenue. It was much better publicity than the city could have bought.

Though I agree that area musicians could have been used, who is going to appeal to more across the U.S.? U2 and Green Day or Aaron Neville, some Zydeco or a jazz/blue band with much less following? I thought it was an excellent production which rivaled the Superbowl for entertainment.

I could have done without the sensationalism myself. The focus of the entire game call seemed not to be on the game itself but on the stage which it was played which in my opinion is just bad commentary. I am happy for New Orleans, and I'm glad they gave the city coverage for what it has been through, but once the ball was kicked off I would have liked it much better had it been more ordinary. Isn't that what New Orleans wants anyhow? A sense of normalcy?

NO WAS devastated and probably won't EVER recover economically. The big business "show-case" done about 6 months ago was a bust. None of the major companies are interested in "re-investing" in the area. The face of the city was wiped off.

I don't mind the NFL and ESPN doing something good to help re-establish some tourism or trade commerce for the area. It's for the greater good. I can sacrifice the insult to my sensibilities with their mainstream "hype" efforts.