Holy (Fleeting Expletive)!

Alright, I've got a lot to talk about and I'm gonna whip through it all as quickly as I can (which if you know me means you'll be reading for a while)...

The Supreme Court of the United States (I'm in total Comm Law finals mode so I have to make sure I write that correctly) ruled yesterday on the "fleeting expletives" case between Fox and the FCC. Just to recap, the FCC cited Fox (but didn't fine them) for a couple of Billboard Music Awards broadcasts where Cher and Nicole Richie dropped F-bombs. Fox appealed, saying that FCC enforcement of its indecency rules is arbitrary and capricious; in other words, they enforce when they feel like it. Which is completely true. When handing down its rulings for these and the Bono "f---ing brilliant" line at the Golden Globes, the FCC said that any future incidents like this "may well lead to the commencement of license revocation proceedings." This, of course, came right after the Janet Jackson incident at the Super Bowl, when the FCC responded to such an outrageous (and completely unavoidable) situation... by fining radio stations like crazy. No, that's not "arbitrary and capricious"...

The FCC says showing "Saving Private Ryan" unedited is fine due to historical and artistic merit, but somebody randomly slipping up and forgetting decorum is enough to cause possible license revocation? And yes, I know that stations and networks can just fix this with a delay system... but dump buttons malfunction, as I can tell you from experience. No system is fool-proof. Anyway, the FCC had to put its enforcement of other such cases on hold while waiting for the SCOTUS to rule on this.

And the end result... the Supreme Court punted. Oh, they did issue a ruling, that the FCC policy was okay under the Administrative Procedure Act, but the larger First Amendment issue here was sent back to the appeals court for clarification. Which of course means that when the appeals court does that, it'll get appealed right BACK to the Supreme Court. So nothing really was accomplished here. Meanwhile, every TV station in Philadelphia continues to stress out over the possibility that the FCC ultimately wins and these stations get fined out the ying-yang for letting Chase Utley's "World F---ing Champions" line get out on live TV last fall.

And speaking of Pennsylvania... the other huge story of the day yesterday was Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to switch parties and bolt the GOP. He'd finally had enough of the constant attacks from right-wingers any time he strayed from conservative dogma. When he and Maine Sens. Collins and Snowe voted for the Obama stimulus plan, talk radio when crazy. Right-wing action groups promptly promised to run right-wingers against all three in primaries. Apparently, Sen. Specter decided that this was the last straw, and that if he was going to go down, it wasn't going to be because of his failure to be a full-time ideologue. While I think he should have taken the Jim Jeffords route and gone Independent instead, I don't blame him for doing what he did. He was my senator for 3 years when I lived in PA, and I always liked him better than that self-righteous Rick Santorum.

See, the reason is because I LIKE independent thinkers. I'm a proud moderate and I am really getting SICK of this ideological purge of the Republican Party that has been going on for years but has really ramped up since the last elections. The party leaders (no, not Michael Steele... Rush Limbaugh and his ilk) seem to think that because we ran a moderate (McCain) and lost, we need to get rid of anyone who disagrees at all with conservatives. I will say it once again... if we had run a right-winger against Obama, Obama would have won by a Reagan-like, 49-state landslide. These people really think that kicking all moderates out will somehow help them in the end, when all it is doing is putting the Republican Party on the verge of insignificance. For all the talk about liberal attempts to silence dissent in this country, the fact that GOP bigwigs won't allow dissent in THEIR OWN PARTY is hypocrisy of the highest order.

This is NOT what people went out and had tea parties over a couple weeks ago. They were protesting Democrats AND Republicans, they were saying nobody represents us because everyone is so concerned with scoring political points. Right-wingers care as much about politics and power as left-wingers do, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course, the participants in these protests were lampooned as tools of rich Republicans or worse, but that's another issue for another time. The point is a lot of us in this country think that most elected officials think that politics is more important than finding solutions, and this is just one more example. Many are angling for a third-party that actually cares about what the people want, and if that party could come about before 2012, I think what we might end up with is the REPUBLICANS as the 3rd-place party. I am a dues-paying member of the RNC, and I really think that the only thing that keeps me in the party is the closed primary system that wouldn't allow me to have a say in the presidential nomination process if I bolted. That's kinda sad, actually...

Oh, and speaking of sad... this whole swine flu panic is RIDICULOUS. A local school district has shut down until Monday because a student has swine flu. All high school sports in Texas are canceled. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that tonight kids all over Central New York are thinking up credible "I may have swine flu" stories so they can shut their schools down for several days. Hell, maybe I can get out of having to finish my thesis if I tell someone at SU that I have a third cousin I've never met who had a bad coughing fit last night. Folks, SETTLE DOWN! It's getting to the point where people are going to freak if someone next to them starts coughing. Until I see true evidence to the contrary, this is just SARS and bird flu all over again. It'll all be over in a couple weeks and won't end up being a big deal. 36,000 people die each year from regular flu in the U.S. and nobody bats an eyelash. Do you really think that closing whole school districts is going to do anything? Not unless you confine every kid in the district to their home for the weekend. Seriously people, CHILL OUT!

OK, I'm done... there, that wasn't so bad, was it?

The Future of Television?

I recently got to attend a symposium that celebrated the work of Fred Silverman. If you're not familiar with that name, he was a head of programming first at CBS, then ABC, then NBC in the 1970s and early 80s. You pretty much have him to thank for such legendary TV shows as All in the Family, M*A*S*H*, Laverne & Shirley, Roots, Love Boat, and Hill Street Blues. A collection of A-list TV execs and producers were all there to pay tribute and to discuss the current state of television.

A lot of people, however, didn't want to talk about where we are but rather where we are headed. A lot of people in the media are rather jittery these days about what things will be like in 5-10 years because of the onrush of new technology and the Internet changing everything. It's already made newspapers go belly-up left and right, and broadcast industry types are scared that they will be the next to go, or that the model that we've known since TV began in the 1940s will be turned completely upside down.

Well, there are some things about what you might call "traditional TV" that can be saved. For one thing, there's the sitcom. The family sitcom kinda got away from us the last several years. After "Married With Children", the template turned into dumbass dad with voluptuous, ditzy wife and disrespectful kids. One notable exception, "8 Simple Rules", was tragically derailed when John Ritter died. After cranking out one too many of these shows, the genre was believed to have run its course. It's pretty sad when you look at the sitcom landscape right now and you have to say that the "model" family sitcom is "According to Jim", just because it's been on for 10 years and honestly, can you think of another one right now?

The attempts to fix this aren't going well, either. "Surviving Suburbia" looks like a good show from the ads; it's Bob Saget being more like stand-up Bob Saget instead of "Full House" Bob Saget. However, I can't really watch the show since it's on Monday nights at 9:30, opposite "Heroes" and "24". Yeah, I could watch it online, but it's the end of the semester, and my time is limited as it is. If we could come up with a return to good family sitcoms, it would probably be well-received. There has to be an anti-"According to Jim" out there somewhere, in the head of some writer or comedian, just waiting to be made into a pilot.

There are other new developments that have changed things, of course, the primary one being the DVR (which may well be the greatest invention in the history of mankind). Because people like me record shows and can't catch up on them for weeks on end, the networks don't know immediately if they have a hit on their hands. What do you do then? I've already had issues with networks canceling shows after just a few weeks because they didn't get the instant buzz they'd hoped for (unless of course the show deserved it... "Bionic Woman", anyone?) As we see ourselves having less and less free time, we catch fewer and fewer shows that we want to see. I already have that problem with movies. And they don't do reruns anymore because the networks figure that if the show is a hit and you miss any of it, you'll buy the whole season on DVD to catch up. But when we're in a recession and nobody has any money to buy said DVDs, what do you do?

And then of course, there's the online situation. We can watch shows online now whenever we want, and in most cases with minimal commercial interruption, which is much appreciated. Even now, however, there are people working on ways to make TV on the Internet even more attractive. One thing that was brought up recently was how we haven't found a way to do Internet on a regular TV. Actually, we did... it was called NetTV and it never really caught on. Too far ahead of its time, perhaps. Anyway, I saw a presentation of an idea to integrate viewer-chosen content into a show. Kind of a "choose your own adventure" kind of thing. Want to follow your favorite character when they leave a scene? Click and you can do it. Now there are tons of Internet companies starting up everyday who want to try to do this sort of thing, but if someone came along who had a viable model, I'd invest in that company in a heartbeat.

So everything is changing, and ultimately what we're heading for is everyone choosing what they want to see and purveyors of mass media being unable to appeal to common tastes anymore. At least, that's the fear. I think there will always be ways for people to come together over things. Hell, look at all the hubbub over Susan Boyle on "Britain's Got Talent". So it is possible for a show to get buzz and viewers. I do agree with Fred Silverman that the people who decide what comes out to the public need to exercise better judgment and perhaps not be so reliant on consultants and such. I can tell you that music radio's decline started around 1980 when stations decided to switch from using music surveys that actually told then what the people wanted to consultants telling them what the people wanted. Same problem with TV. Actually think about what people like to see and give it to them, rather than cranking out more stupid reality shows (which Silverman said he hated... drawing a nice slow-building applause from the assemblage) and the 10th knock-off of something that was original when it first came out but has now been run into the ground.

On the other hand, it may just be that it's like I've been saying for years... there aren't any original ideas left. I hope that's not true...

OK, completely off-topic... this has been a pet peeve of mine and I finally have to get it out there. Why the hell don't they put up signs at construction sites saying what they are building? Especially when you can see it from the highway. I can't imagine how many accidents are caused because someone is driving along, sees a rather large building being put up, stares at it wondering, "Hmmm, I wonder what that's going to be.... AHHHHHHH!" (*CRASH*)

We have no problems putting up billboards on the highway so it's not even like you could say a sign would distract drivers. Not knowing distracts us more. Just give us one less thing to think about while we're illegally talking on our cell phones or texting or eating or putting on makeup or any of the other hundred things we do while driving that makes us dangers to everyone else on the road...

Live From Federal Government Field

The 2009 baseball season has begun... unless you're in Boston. So I guess there's still time for me to get a season preview in, since everyone hasn't started yet.

Of course my baseball preview begins with the Mets, because they're my team. Since Omar Minaya finally took the advice from me (and thousands of other Mets fans) and blew up the bullpen, things look much better at the outset. Based on the results today, so far so good. Johan Santana has to leave the game in the 6th inning with a 2-1 lead. Last year in a situation like this, I would be digging my nails into the barcalounger agonizing over the 11 runners we had left on base to this point and waiting for the inevitable bullpen implosion that would cost us the game. Instead, today we get 3 1/3 scoreless innings from Shawn Green, J.J. Putz, and Francisco Rodriguez. 1-0. Life is good.

Now if this happens much more often than it did last year, we'll be all set. Offensively, the Mets have the weapons. The latest addition to the roster does not make me happy, however. Just before the season began, Omar went out and signed notorious crybaby and alleged steroid user Gary Sheffield. Oh wait, that's right, he was duped by Greg Anderson and BALCO, just like Barry Bonds was... riiiiiiiight. So in exchange for getting to see Sheff hit his milestone 500th home run, we have to deal with an entire season of him complaining about not getting enough playing time and how he's better than Ryan Church and Daniel Murphy. New York sportswriters are salivating over all the back page mayhem they can stir up with this guy in the clubhouse. If we don't make the playoffs this year, I blame him.

The true highlight of the Mets 2009 season is of course the new stadium, Citi Field. Or as we probably should call it, Federal Government Field or Taxpayer Field... as it's our tax dollars that are paying Citi's bills these days, including that $400 million naming rights deal that is pretty much paying the salaries of Johan, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and everyone else in orange and blue these days. No use in complaining about it, I guess, although I can see why the fans of the 29 other clubs might gripe. I have my tickets for a game at the new ballpark at the end of May. Can't wait.

Now you may not have been able to concentrate on the previous couple of paragraphs because you had to put up with the gales of laughter from all the Phillies fans who are reading this. I know I've never heard the end of it since the Phillies won it all last October as the primary beneficiary of the 2nd straight September collapse by my Amazins. This is why I am petrified of predicting that the Mets will win the NL East. Because I really DON'T NEED TO BE WRONG IN EMBARRASSING FASHION FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW!!!

So I'm picking the Phillies to win the division. Choke on that, cheese steakers.

The Mets will win the wild card, but the Phillies continue to be motivated by some demented hatred of us (especially Jose Reyes), so they're not going anywhere and I can't ignore the fact that they're just as good as last year. So as much as I appreciate K-Rod (he hates to be called that, btw) injecting himself in the rivalry and saying that the Mets are the team to beat... he's wrong. The Phillies are, until they are beaten.

Now that I'm done eating crow, here's how the rest of the NL East will shake out. Atlanta got Derek Lowe and they're trying to reload from the farm system, while Florida held a mini-fire sale and jettisoned several key players from last year. That makes it easier... Atlanta 3rd, Marlins 4th. Washington will finish in last again... but at least I'll get to see if they're heading anywhere in the future because their top prospects now play in Syracuse. That is, if I ever go to a Chiefs game.

Elsewhere in the NL... the Cubs have to be the favorites in the Central, as the Brewers slip a notch after losing both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency (although with Sheets injured - as usual - it's not like he would have helped anyway). The Cardinals could be a factor if Chris Carpenter returns to 2006 form and their bullpen can right itself. The rest of the division is just watching. The NL West comes down to one question: will Manny be Manny, or will Manny "be Manny"? As in will he play hard, put up typical numbers, make his teammates better and lead them into October, or will he tune out, age rapidly before our eyes, and become Joe Torre's problem child? Arizona will be there looking to capitalize if it's the latter. The Giants have good pitching led by Tim Lincecum (btw, love the video game commercial with his digital double singing Wang Chung in the car) and they could contend if they ever get someone who can hit more than 20 homers in a season in that lineup.

Over in the American League, all the attention is of course on the Yankees. They have an even-bigger, even-fancier, even more expensive new playground to move into this year. I never got to see a game in the original Yankee Stadium and I'm not really in much of a hurry to see a game at the new one... certainly not for the prices they're asking Joe Six-Pack to fork over for tickets. But I guess you have to get your money to overpay free agents somewhere. So CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixiera are now Yanks, and that makes the Yankees the most overhyped 3rd-place team in baseball. Because that's where they finished last year (as predicted by yours truly), and that's where they're gonna finish again this year. The last time we saw CC facing American League hitters, he was a Cleveland Indian with a losing record and an inflated ERA in the first half of 2008. Today's game in Baltimore proved that little has changed. Burnett has a history of arm problems (Carl Pavano, anyone?), and Teixiera has never played for a contender for longer than a couple months and strikes me as being the perfect complement to A-Roid at the corners of the infield. They both put up great stats, but only when it doesn't matter.

Boston and Tampa Bay will duke it out for the AL East title (when they finally get started). Tampa can only get better as their young stars mature, plus they still have David Price waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Boston has a solid lineup, solid rotation, and Jonathan Papelbon Irish-jigging all over opposing batters in the 9th inning. It should be an exciting pennant race, although the loser may well get the wild card so maybe it won't be THAT exciting. Toronto has had the pieces for a while but they've never been able to get it all working at once. They had the bats in '07 but no pitching; last year, they developed a lot of good young arms to go with Roy Halladay and the now-departed Burnett, but the bats fell asleep. If they could get it all to work at the same time, it could make for much excitement north of the border and apoplectic Bronx Bomber fans watching a $200-million, 4th-place team. Baltimore... is Baltimore. They play in a division with 4 good-to-awesome teams, and there's not much they can do to improve their situation when top players won't sign with them (see Teixiera).

The AL Central is wide open. Everyone has a shot at this division... well, except for the Royals of course. The White Sox are solid, Minnesota has great young arms and Justin Morneau powering the offense (although losing Joe Mauer for a while hurts), and Detroit and Cleveland both have good teams that need some players to have bounce-back years. The AL West may as well be the Angels and everyone else. Nobody's going to beat Los Angeles, not with the team Mike Scioscia is piloting. Texas is the closest competitor, but they always seem to struggle pitching-wise. Oakland and Seattle have a lot of work to do.

There's your regular season... I'll hold off on predicting what will happen in October, since any kind of wild Mets-related forecasting would just invite me to more ridicule. See, I can be humble... but all of you down in Philadelphia had better hope that my inability to pick an NL East winner lately doesn't continue...