Posted by fUnHoUsE on June 19, 2009 at 17:44:16:
Winners and losers: Webio, Sosa, Buck, ESPN, Cubs
Posted by Ed Sherman
at 6/19/2009 5:33 AM CDT on Chicago Business
Wrapping up the week.
Loser: Webio. I've been a journalist for 28 years, and I have to say the whole Chicagosportswebio affair might be the most bizarre story I have ever encountered. I feel terrible for people who joined Webio in good faith and with high hopes only to have their careers severely derailed.
I was talking to George Ofman the other day, and he said it is the first time in 36 years that he doesn't have a job. "It's a strange feeling," he said.
You hope it all works out for people like Mr. Ofman, Chet Coppock, Jesse Rogers and the other Webio staffers. They deserved better.
Loser. Hindsight. A lot of people are saying Mike North should have done a background check on David Hernandez. Really? When was the last time you did a background check on somebody?
Mr. North didn't have any reason to question whether Mr. Hernandez was running a legitimate business. And he wasn't alone. Comcast SportsNet brought in, and so did former Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter. The White Sox and Bears also did business with him.
It is easy to say Mr. North should have known. The reality is most of us would have done the same thing.
Winner. Matt Weber and Tim Doyle. Their sports talk radio debuts were short-lived. However, they each showed they have considerable potential as fresh, young voices on the scene. I would expect they will get other opportunities soon.
Winner. Chet Coppock. Always in my book.
Loser. Cubs. Now comes word that Tribune Co. is reopening talks with another potential ownership group in the wake to the deal with Ricketts family not being finished yet. Sam Zell and company obviously are trying to put the squeeze on the Ricketts family, but it is the Cubs that are feeling the pinch. It looks like the state of limbo at Wrigley Field is going to continue with no end in sight.
Loser. Sammy Sosa. Turns out he had the really extra special Flintstones vitamins. Milton Bradley now has a better chance of the Cubs retiring No. 21 in his honor.
Winner. Jack McDowell. Everyone needs to bookmark Mr. McDowell's blog at chicagonow.com. He is writing terrific stuff, including his take on the latest steroid issue involving Mr. Sosa. On Lou Piniella's wish that everyone would just move on, Mr. McDowell wrote, "Too bad that just cannot and will not happen."
Loser. Chicago taxpayers. I'm a big Olympic proponent, but only if the financial terms don't burden the taxpayers. Wednesday, Mayor Richard M. Daley caved in to a demand by the International Olympic Committee and guaranteed the city of Chicago would cover all expenses for the 2016 Games. Regardless of what the organizers say, these things almost always go over budget. The taxpayers could be on the hook for a lot of money.
Loser. Joe Buck. He had the misfortune of inviting Artie Lange to participate in a panel on his new HBO show Monday. Mr. Lange, a comedian who is a regular on Howard Stern's show, launched into a profanity-filled diatribe about a variety of subjects, including Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson's relationship. It was so bad HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg issued an apology. Don't expect Mr. Lange will be asked to make a return appearance.
Winner. ESPN. It landed exclusive rights to the Rose Bowl, beginning with the 2011 game. Now the cable giant has rights to all the BCS games.
Winner/loser. Matt Millen. I can't make up my mind on how I feel about Mr. Millen. This week, it was announced Mr. Millen will be the game analyst for the NFL Network. That's great because he is terrific in that role. However, he still has a credibility problem with me after what transpired with the Lions.
Loser. Jim Hyler. The official for the United States Golf Association was asked about the lack of U.S. Opens in the Midwest. In that context, it was mentioned that Oakmont outside of Pittsburgh hosted the 2007 Open and down again for 2016.
Did Mr. Hyler consider Pittsburgh to be part of the Midwest?
"Oakmont is sort of Midwest, sort of East Coast. So it's certainly not East-East Coast," Mr. Hyler said.
Get your geography straight, Mr. Hyler. Pittsburgh is not Midwest.
Winner. Michael Phelps. He announced a deal to endorse H20 Audio's line of waterproof headphones and accessories. The deal marks Phelps' "first endorsement" since a photograph of him using a marijuana pipe surfaced in February.
Loser. Michigan. There is a report that former Michigan State coach George Perles is considering a run for governor. If that happens, Michigan voters should talk to Minnesota about the Jesse Ventura experience.