<![CDATA[Mike Bittner  - Blog]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:43:23 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Doesn't Feel Like January ]]>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:07:18 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2012/01/doesnt-feel-like-january.htmlWarm winter days - we touched the 60s here in St. Louis today - remind me of the funniest TV interview I ever saw. I think I was about 10 and we were likely watching KSDK-TV. The reporter was doing a story on the unseasonably warm weather and visited a local golf course. 

Reporter: So did you have to call in sick to make it out here today? 

Golfer: Maybe... 

Reporter: Is your boss going to be upset when he sees you on here? 

Golfer: Well I hope he'll be pretty excited, he'll be here in about 10 minutes.  ]]><![CDATA[Bob Forsch]]>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:33:15 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/11/bob-forsch.htmlFormer Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch died yesterday. He was 61. The timing is especially odd, considering he threw out the first pitch at Game 7, one week ago tonight. Below is a post from the STLtoday.com comments section from someone with the handle BillPilgrim. Thought it was a nice story. 

"As a 3rd grader in 1975, I had surgery to repair both of my knees. My recovery required that I wear a body cast for 2 or 3 months. Bob Forsch visited me in my hospital bed at home after a few of my classmates mentioned to him that I was unable to attend his appearance at my school. He couldn't have been a nicer guy. I will always remember that visit. I also remember that he drove a Porsche at that time. Bob Forsch drives a Porsche. He will be missed." ]]><![CDATA[DK-57]]>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:27:00 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/06/dk-57.html
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In high school, I caddied at Sunset Country Club here in St. Louis for five summers. I remember my first day on the job.

But only because it was the same day Darryl Kile died.

Kile, of course, was the ace of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. He died of a heart attack 9-years-ago today. It was a Saturday; the Cardinals were in sunny Chicago ready to take on the rival Cubs. But no game would be played at Wrigley on June 22, 2002.

It came as a shock to Cardinals fans. It was less than a week after legendary Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck died. You can probably guess who pitched the night Buck died.

It came as a shock to me, too. I got home for the golf course around lunchtime, plopped down on the couch. My mom was watching something other than the pregame show – no surprise. All of a sudden, my brother, Cory, thundered up the stairs from the basement and told us Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room.

I was 14, and it was my first real experience with sudden loss. I tried to play some tennis and go to the pool with my family that afternoon, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

In the coming years, Kile’s kids and wife could be seen at the ballpark every now and then, though I haven’t heard much about them in a while. I hope they’re doing well.

Darryl did teach me, and probably some others, an important lesson before he left too soon.

Tomorrow is not promised. 

]]><![CDATA[The Masters]]>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:16:15 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/04/the-masters.htmlI like the Masters, it’s an entertaining golf tournament, and along with Opening Day in baseball, signifies to me that winter is over.

But it’s just a golf tournament. Not a religious experience as people like Jim Nantz would have you believe. I get more and more creeped out every time I hear him say, “A tradition unlike any other” in an almost-aroused voice during a CBS promo.

It’s just a golf tournament – at a course that did not allow an African American member until 1990 and still does not allow women.

Say it with me.

It’s just a golf tournament. 

]]><![CDATA[Comments]]>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:09:32 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/03/comments.htmlI hated the comments section when I worked for a news outlet. I have said if you want to feel like the smartest person alive, read the comments on the website of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If aliens arrived, and saw only the comments section of our news sites, they would think we’re idiots.

In a word, I would describe commenters as angry. They seem to use the comments section to voice frustrations and say things they would never say “in real life.” 

Nonetheless, my friend (oh, and she’s an outstanding journalist) Sam Liss posted a link to a story in one of Patch’s sites in the Chicago area. A man was killed in an auto accident, but one of the commenters, Joan, wanted his family to know he did not die alone. It’s really worth your time to check out.

For every story like this, I have seen hundreds where commenters are racist, sexist, ect. And while they still make me shake my head, stories like this one make the comments section worth the trouble.

]]><![CDATA[No words]]>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:13:03 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/03/no-words.html Rolling Stone has released a horrific article about The Kill Team – a group of U.S. soldiers who murdered innocent Afghans and took photos boasting of their crimes. Words cannot do justice just how awful and disturbing these photos are.

As we approach a decade in Afghanistan, let’s take a moment to think about and pray for all the innocent lives lost in this troubled country.

]]><![CDATA[Cuonzo Martin]]>Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:17:35 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2011/03/cuonzo-martin.htmlThe college basketball coaching carousel took an unexpected spin today when Tennessee hired Missouri State coach Cuonzo Martin. No outlets reported this was a possibility and it certainly came as a shock. The Volunteers, of course, fired Bruce Pearl a few days ago after the NCAA has said he violated rules and lied to NCAA officials multiple times in Knoxville.

Tennessee fans are skeptical. Martin never took Missouri State to the NCAA Tournament, though they did have the best regular season record in the Missouri Valley Conference this year. Pearl, despite his lack of a moral compass, was still popular in the state. Tennessee basketball has had a great run the last few years.

I have listened to several interviews with Martin in the past couple months and he seems like a tremendous coach and person. He is a Purdue graduate. He is from East St. Louis and is a cancer survivor. He is a fighter.

He is a winner.

Tennessee need not worry. He may not have a thick resume, but sometimes you just know. I'm not going to try to top this tremendous column about Martin from Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star.

Steven Pearl, Bruce’s son, was a senior forward on his dad’s team last season. After Martin was hired today, the younger Pearl tweeted: “All I can do is laugh and say good luck sir.”

I wish I could laugh myself, but this is too ridiculous. Pearl blew up the Tennessee program with his errors and his son has the gall to laugh when they hire someone capable of cleaning up the mess. I know a son is loyal to a father, but come on.

Cuonzo Martin will clean up this mess, much like Mike Anderson did at Mizzou after Quinn Snyder.

As for Steven Pearl, he has since deleted his Twitter account and is writing on Facebook that someone hacked into his Twitter account.

Like father, like son. 

]]><![CDATA[King Felix and Ichro]]>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:18:54 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2010/11/king-felix-and-ichro.html Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners won the American League Cy Young award today as the league’s best pitcher. Good for him.

I was once about five feet away from King Felix. It was July 2009, the day after the MLB All-Star game, which was held here in St. Louis. I was leaving KMOV-TV, where I was interning, to go pick up lunch (likely Jimmy John’s or Panera). I knew at which hotel the baseball players staying, so I decided to walk by and see if there were any outside.

Sure enough, as I approach the hotel, Felix and his Mariners teammate Ichro Suzuki walk out and head for a car that will presumably take them to the airport.

Next to me were four kids, all under the age of 12, begging the players for an autograph. The pair passed the kids and got in the car.

I groaned inside. I hate to be so idealistic, and some would call me naive. Maybe they were late for the plane. And surely they get tired of being asked to sign this, sign that. I have no idea what it’s like to be a public person. But it was four kids. Not 400. It would have taken literally one minute.

So, as long I live, when ever someone brings up Ichro, a future Hall of Famer, I’ll think of what a terrific and unique hitter he was. And when they bring up King Felix, I’ll think of his electric stuff.

But I’ll also think of that day when I saw them brush past four kids, pretending they didn’t exist.

]]><![CDATA[If I were starting an NFL team...]]>Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:58:03 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2010/11/if-i-were-starting-an-nfl-team.html“If you could start an NFL team with any player, who would it be?”

I’ve always thought this was a pretty fun question for armchair GM’s like me.

So I decided to put a list together of the ten NFL players I would want to start a team with. Talent and age, of course, were the overriding factors. But so was character. And since I’m not an NFL insider, character = reputation. Only three of the players are non-QB’s, which could make the list seem boring. But this is a QB-driven league, and it’s the most important position in sports.

There are some surprises. No running backs made the list, as they tend to break down young and are easy to find. And Ben Roethlisberger did not make the list, despite the fact none of the guys on this list have a Super Bowl ring – Big Ben, of course, has two. But he has also had two sexual assault allegations levied against him, and is one more mistake away from a very long suspension. Fellow Super Bowl-winning QB’s Petyon Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees are just a bit too old to be on the list.

Without further ado…

10. Josh Freeman, 22, QB, Tampa Bay: Freeman had an average rookie season in 2009, throwing 10 TD’s and 18 interceptions. But he has been quite reliable this season and the Bucs look like they’re onto something. Freeman has 12 TD’s against just 5 interceptions this season and led the Bucs to impressive comeback victories over the Rams and Cardinals in weeks 6 and 7.

9. Dez Bryant, 22, WR, Dallas: Bryant may be just a rookie, but with 41 catches and 5 touchdowns through 9 games, he’s shown me enough to think he’s going to be the best receiver in football. I’m not scared off by any character concerns some had about Bryant coming out of Oklahoma State

8. Joe Flacco, 25, QB, Baltimore: He came from a small school (Delaware), but the ultra-calm Flacco has played like an old pro ever since his first game in the league. Still, after getting beaten by Matt Ryan on Thursday, he’s not in the same class as the QB’s listed below.

7. Ndamukong Suh, 23, DT, Detroit: Simply put, Suh’s a beast. He gets after QB’s better than any tackle since Warren Sapp and already has 6.5 sacks this season. On top of that, he’s considered to be a heck of a guy. Just don’t ask him to be your kicker.

6. Jake Long, 25, OT, Miami: A former No. 1 overall pick, Long has lived up to the hype. He’s a franchise offensive tackle who will protect Miami’s QB for years to come. Once they find one.

5. Darrelle Revis, 25, CB, New York Jets: Revis Island is a place any NFL GM wants to live near. He shuts down the best WR’s in the league, as he did two weeks ago against Detroit’s Calvin Johnson. He doesn’t have any interceptions this season - mainly because QB’s never throw in his direction.

4. Matt Ryan, 25, QB, Atlanta: A true professional since the day he was drafted, the Ryan is the opposite of Michael Vick in Atlanta. First one in, last one out. And he’s performed, making the Falcons faithful put the Vick mess behind them. Ryan has thrown for 54 TD’s in 39 career games. In his first two seasons, Ryan has led the Falcons to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in their franchise history.

3. Sam Bradford, 23, QB, St. Louis: As you can probably guess, I’ve watched all of Bradford’s games. And he is absolutely the real deal. While the Rams have had some tough losses, at 4-5 they have still won more games than the last two seasons combined. Sam the Ram has thrown 12 TD’s and has not tossed an interception in his last four games – unheard of for a rookie QB.

2. Aaron Rodgers, 26, QB, Green Bay: Rodgers has shown of patience early in his career, and it has paid off. The 49ers thought about taking him at No. 1 overall in 2005, but instead he fell to the Packers at 24. After backing up Brett Favre for three seasons, Rodgers stepped in as the starter after the 2007 season and has been outstanding, throwing for 73 touchdowns since the start of 2008. Don’t be surprised when it’s all said and done if Rodgers numbers – including Super Bowl victories – rival Favre’s.

1. Phillip Rivers, 28, QB, San Diego – Surprised? Not sure why you would be. He’s a terrific leader and a winner. Since the Chargers let Drew Brees go after the 2005 season, Rivers has thrown for 125 touchdowns and just 53 interceptions. Rivers will win a Super Bowl.

]]><![CDATA[Dez's dinner out is a PR nightmare]]>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:46:17 -0800http://www.mikebittner.com/2/post/2010/09/dezs-dinner-out-is-a-pr-nightmare.html $54,896.

No, that’s not the price of a new BMW 5 series. No, it’s not the price of my grandparent’s first house.

It’s a dinner tab.

In case you missed it, Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant was forced to buy dinner for all of his Dallas teammates. And yes, that still comes out to about $1,000 per guy. You may remember, Bryant refused to carry the pads of fellow receiver Roy Williams at training camp. Rookies typically take part in this act, but Bryant refused. To make up for it, he promised to take Williams and the rest of the offense out to dinner, but entire team showed up. Players ordered expensive meals and even bought bottles of wine to take home.

I think this a PR nightmare for the NFL, the NFL Players Association, and the Cowboys:

NFL: Even though the NFL is a TV-driven league, owners still count on fans to buy tickets. Before I heard about this story, I was considering purchasing tickets for the Rams-Seahawks on Sunday. My main motivation for the purchase would have been to help the Rams sell out the game so it would be on TV in St. Louis, and to do my part to show new Rams owner Stan Kroenke that I’m one fan committed to keeping the Rams relevant and in St. Louis for the long-haul. While I would have enjoyed the game, I thought of purchasing the ticket as an act of charity.

Man, I’m such an idiot sometimes. Charity is donating to The Salvation Army, not a professional football team. Fans that eat frozen pizzas during the week are going to think harder than ever rather it’s really worth it to shell out their hard-earned dollars to billionaire owners so they can see out-of-touch players like the Cowboys play a game.

The NFLPA: As diehard NFL fans know, there is a lot of labor uncertainty right now. Owners and players are squaring off for a fight after the season, and it’s quite possible – even likely – that the owners will lock out the players in 2011. The Players Association will want the fans on their side, but stories like this don’t help one bit. Stories like this convince the fans this is just a rerun of the 1994 baseball strike. Spoiled millionaire players vs. greedy billionaire owners. Most people don’t have the energy to pick a dog in that fight while they’re busy praying their 401(k) starts acting like its 2004.

The Cowboys: The average cost of a ticket to see the Cowboys last season was a mind-boggling $160. That’s the highest in the NFL. The prices of parking and concessions are also ridiculous. This may come as a shock to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but fans can connect the dots. They have to pay so much for a ticket so Jones can make a fortune, as well as pay his millionaire players so they can go out to $54,000 dinners.

I wonder if the NFL truly believes fans are addicted to their product. And maybe some of us are. But I think we all have lines drawn in the sand, and when they’re crossed we’ll scream we can’t take it anymore.

Finally, since this blog is the prefect pasture for my moral high-horse, I’d like to point out $54,000 can feed 1,800 children for an entire month.

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