Bring Back My TV

I apologize for this being a day late, life kind of got in the way. This week's topic is something I have been banging on for years...reality TV. I have called it the "decline of America" and "the beginning of the end for the US." It is a lot of crap, in my opinion, and a way for networks to save a buck and avoid the creative process. About twenty years ago, the first and probably the best reality show launched. 'Cops' gave us a look at the typical day of sheriffs in Dade County, Florida. Dealing with drunks, assaults, and domestic situations gave viewers a look at what actual cops do on a daily basis as opposed to shows about cops like 'Miami Vice' or 'Hill Street Blues', which were sensationalized for TV. 'Hill Street' and another Steven Bochco show, 'NYPD Blue' were tauted as great, cutting edge television at the time they were introduced. 'Blue' gave us nudity and graphic language despite protests about that type of material being on network TV. For my money, it ranks in the top three creative, cutting edge shows ever. The other two are 'All in the Family' and 'The Sopranos'. In 'All in the Family', Carroll O'Connor played Archie Bunker, an old school type character who'd served his country but didn't care for the liberalization of the country that he defended. His arguments with liberal son-in-law "Meathead", played by Rob Reiner are legendary television. The show also used epithets not heard before on TV. 'The Sopranos' gave us a look at a northern New Jersey mafia boss balancing his work and home life. The show was so realistic it made actual mob bosses nervous that there was a leak within the organization. The show also helped HBO get more subscribers, which would be unheard of in today's economic climate. At some point, Hollywood got away from these ideas and gave us 'So You Think You Can Dance?', 'The Bachelor', 'The Bachelorette', and 'Survivor'. Some of these shows, like 'Survivor' and 'American Idol' are actually taken from other countries' TV programming. I'll give them it saves money, not having to pay writers and actors, and a lot of Americans enjoy the failing of reality TV characters to make them feel better about their own lives, but it is short on creativity. Americans should demand more of their entertainment. Hollywood could push the envelope further from where shows like 'The Sopranos' left off. Most of the best television no longer appears on networks, but on basic and pay cable channels these days. Some of today's better offering include 'Weeds', 'Entourage', 'Saving Grace', and 'The Closer' are well written with great ensemble casts. Maybe the four networks can catch these shows and get back to writing actual TV shows rather than the reality crap they've been giving us.

On Science and Math

A funny thing happened when I returned to college in 2006. I forgot a lot of science and math knowledge I had previously. I was fairly good at these subjects but since re-enrolling in college, they have been my biggest struggles. In fact they've been my only struggles. Now I understand that chemistry and physics knowledge, I had in high school twenty years ago, was bound to disappear but I have used math pretty regularly in various careers, particularly real estate. I had to know financing options as a realtor and measurements as a real estate appraiser. These were jobs I've held this decade but skills which have significantly deteriorated. I was one of the smarter "new" agents at the time and knew finance inside and out. I thought the knowledge would help and was specifically told to learn all I could about financing a home. I had vast information on home loans but lacked the salesmanship a lot of people have. That coupled with the events of 9-11 ended my sales career. I got into the appraisal side of the business and I liked it a lot. It was still straight commission but I was rewarded for my hard work. The math in the appraisal business is mostly dimensions and square footage. I still remember an acre of land is 43,560 square feet. These subjects have not been kind to me though. The only classes I've received less than a "C" in are math and science classes. I tell my kids all the time that social studies/history is a lot of memorization. Perhaps that's where the struggles lies. Math and science are so vast with so many disciplines, it is near impossible to master all dimensions of them. For instance, a lot of geologists might struggle with biology, though there can be overlap in the two fields. Someone who knows algebra like the back of their hand may struggle with accounting, and therefore have their taxes prepared for them despite a deep knowledge of math. Hopefully, some of what I've forgotten will come back and I can survive this last year of school. Until next week, keep learning.

On Winning Championships

Pro hockey and basketball decided their championships this weekend and it got me thinking about winning and being part of those experiences. I was part of back to back championships in little league as a youngster and coached two championship teams in basketball. I was also an all state tennis player in New Jersey in the late 80s. The individual accolades were nice but I'd have given them up for a team title any day. We finished second three of my four years of high school. There are always different types of championship teams. There are teams that are "supposed" to win, teams that get hot at the right time, and surprise teams that come from nowhere. I've watched a lot of great teams also. The 1986 Boston Celtics are still the best basketball team I have ever seen. The 1998 Yankees are the most dominant baseball team I've seen along with the 1984 Detroit Tigers. These are teams that were supposed to win and did. I coached a basketball team, my first year, that fell into this category. As a coach, I knew it as it was happening, which I suppose is the way big time coaches experience it. By about the 5th game, I thought they could be something special. It was an "off" day for my better players and a couple of other players picked up the slack. It did wonders for their confidence to carry the team in the scoring column. We only lost two games that year, and played with a target on our backs, as the team to beat. The second basketball championship was a little sweeter. That team finished third in the regular season and got hot in the playoffs, much like the New York Giants did on their Super Bowl run in 2008. The key to that team was that my "star" player and top scorer finally bought into my defensive philosophy. When he focused his energy on defensive play as well as his scoring, that team took off and squeezed out a one point victory in the finals. I'm given too much credit for those two teams. Bill Cowher said "coaches coach and players play." This is definitely the case here. Too much credit is given at times to coaches, particularly in basketball, which is probably the most over-coached sport there is. There are strategies and motivators coaches use, but the teaching aspect is often overlooked. My goal at the beginning of each season is for each player to develop their game. My successes have been because of a defense first philosophy and because the kids have bought into what I'm selling. Until next week, keep learning.

Online School and the Art of Verbal Communication

I started taking an online course to help me graduate next May. It's interesting because you see all the ads for online schools, be it on TV or in the Inbox of your email account. They offer the convenience of classes when you want and appeal to adult learners like myself. As I have gotten into the course, I've started to learn more about some of the downside to online schools. For starters, the interactions with classmates are obviously absent. The instruction can also be absent at times. In a typical classroom, many professors lecture based on students' readings. Assignments are given and topics are debated, sometimes heatedly. Students can also compare grades on exams and papers to know where they stand. The beauty of online school is its convenience. Students can get an undergraduate degree or graduate degree online in their pajamas, if they want, but is it really higher learning? The classroom discussions and the sharing of opinions is vital to the higher learning process. Sure there are group discussions in online classes, but much like society today, you don't get to look the other people in the eye when you post discussion topics. Our technology has done a lot of damage to the art of face to face communication and I wonder how kids raised in this technological age will be able communicate in a job interview, perhaps. This will be a challenge for the future. I work on my kids constantly about verbal communication and presentation skills. I'm still trying to hone my own skills. I can be uneasy at the first basketball practice of the year and during a presentation where I'm uncomfortable with the subject matter. I must admit though, I've gotten a lot better. Until next week, keep learning.

On Money and the NCAA

Last week, I wrote a paper on escalating coaching salaries in big time college football and basketball for one of my classes. Now it's no secret I'd like to get into coaching. I don't think I'll ever make it to the highest level of college though. The paper however, made me think about money, today's economy, and where people's priorities are. Money is still a major reason for divorce in this country, right there with irreconcilable differences and infidelity. I won't lie to my two or three readers; it was a mitigating factor in my own divorce proceedings. It has become a dangerous obsession in this country and a major factor why a lot of the world doesn't care for the US. State universities are cutting back and I think they are going to have to justify coaches' salaries. Winning cures all that. Sports fans have to wonder what John Wooden or Paul "Bear" Bryant would be worth today. Even coaches with multiple national championships like Joe Paterno or Mike Krzyzewski aren't the highest paid in their sports. This trend of paying coaches, or players for that matter, based on potential has soiled people on the games. As the economic gap between the participants and the fans increases, less and less people will settle for watching the games on TV. John Calipari just signed a contract with Kentucky, making him the highest paid college basketball coach. His former school, Memphis, was named in an NCAA investigation about a player having someone take his SAT test for him. There are a couple problems with this situation. First and most important, the NCAA created this problem with the silly "one and done" rule. A player must be one year removed from high school before going into the NBA draft. Most go to college, but playing in Europe or the NBA developmental league are also options. The Memphis player in question, probably never wanted anything to do with the SATs or college for that matter. The other problem is that if it is found that Calipari had any knowledge of this, he gets a slap on the wrist while Memphis receives the brunt of the punishment. I'd like to see basketball players go three years like football players. They gain some college experience, develop maturity and have a chance to further hone their skills. Though David Stern probably won't go for it, it'd make the college and NBA games would both be better. Until next week, keep learning.