I thought this was interesting. Of the top 15 cable programs last week (Sep. 20-26), episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants held 6 of the slots, including #4 and #5. I kind of thought he had peaked about six years ago, but apparently he still has massive appeal.
1. NFL Football: New Orleans vs. San Francisco (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 10.9 million homes, 15.12 million viewers.
2. "Jersey Shore 2" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 4.33 million homes, 5.95 million viewers.
3. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), History, 3.41 million homes, 4.67 million viewers.
4. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.29 million homes, 4.73 million viewers.
5. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.28 million homes, 4.5 million viewers.
6. "ICarly," (Saturday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.24 million homes, 5.2 million viewers.
7. "Sportscenter" (Monday, 11:58 p.m.), ESPN, 3.227 million homes, 3.93 million viewers.
8. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.221 million homes, 4.59 million viewers.
9. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 3.19 million homes, 4.28 million viewers.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.13 million homes, 4.16 million viewers.
11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.117 million homes, 4.49 million viewers.
12. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.112 million homes, 4.34 million viewers.
13. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 2.81 million homes, 3.94 million viewers.
14. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Dover (Sunday, 1 p.m.), ESPN, 2.8 million homes, 3.96 million viewers.
15. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 2.76 million homes, 3.9 million viewers.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Who's To Blame?
So the number one sports story in Denver these days is Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets offered him a 3 year, $65 million contract extension back in June, which he so far has not signed. He insists that he has not requested a trade, but by refusing to sign the extension, he is saying that he is not staying in Denver beyond the 2010-11 season, so the Nuggets had better get something for him while they can lest they end up like the Cleveland Cavaliers. Carmelo has enormous leverage, because the Nuggets can't get fair compensation in a trade unless Carmelo signs the extension first - no team is going to give the Nuggets much if they are only guaranteed one year of Carmelo.
Everyone pretty much seems to agree that the motivation for Carmelo to leave town is that he wants to play in a bigger market so he can make more cash off endorsements. He also has this wife La La Vasquez, who is apparently a super famous TV star - I've never heard of her in a non-Carmelo context, so she can't be that great. Anyways, the word is that she also wants him playing somewhere other than Denver.
So everyone is kind of peeved about Carmelo dissing the great state of Colorado. As for me, I don't really care that much. It would have been nice to see him stick around and strive to obtain a John Elway-like celebrity here, but if that's not what he wants, then whatever. Basketball careers don't last that long.
The angle that no one seems to be exploring is that the Nuggets really haven't done crap to make it enticing for him to stick around, other than offering $65 million.
Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Nuggets, has seemed more concerned with owning a franchise in every sports league in the world than improving the teams he currently owns. The Nuggets have been operating under financial constraints for awhile because Stan doesn't want to pay the NBA luxury tax incurred when teams exceed the salary cap. So the Nuggets haven't been aggressive in recent years in adding the pricier talent to their roster.
"If my in-laws got rich selling cheap crap in their stores, then I can get even more rich selling cheap crap to fans, right?"
Operating on a budget is great, but if your net worth is $1.8 million and your sugar daddy is Wal-Mart, is that a valid reason? Not really, considering poor old Stan managed to scrape up enough change to buy the remaining 60% interest in the NFL's St. Louis Rams.
Also, ownership decided not to extend the contract of general manager Mark Warkentien over the summer. He was only the NBA Executive of the Year in 2009. The Nuggets have replaced him with somebody named Masai Ujiri, who I'm sure no one but the most passionate of NBA insiders had ever heard of before. And to top it all off, Stan has to turn over the car keys to his son, Josh Kroenke, as a result of his ownership of the Rams. I think Josh is younger than me.
So I can't say I totally blame Carmelo for wanting to move on. I mean, if the team owner isn't that interested in the team, why should you be?
Everyone pretty much seems to agree that the motivation for Carmelo to leave town is that he wants to play in a bigger market so he can make more cash off endorsements. He also has this wife La La Vasquez, who is apparently a super famous TV star - I've never heard of her in a non-Carmelo context, so she can't be that great. Anyways, the word is that she also wants him playing somewhere other than Denver.
So everyone is kind of peeved about Carmelo dissing the great state of Colorado. As for me, I don't really care that much. It would have been nice to see him stick around and strive to obtain a John Elway-like celebrity here, but if that's not what he wants, then whatever. Basketball careers don't last that long.
The angle that no one seems to be exploring is that the Nuggets really haven't done crap to make it enticing for him to stick around, other than offering $65 million.
Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Nuggets, has seemed more concerned with owning a franchise in every sports league in the world than improving the teams he currently owns. The Nuggets have been operating under financial constraints for awhile because Stan doesn't want to pay the NBA luxury tax incurred when teams exceed the salary cap. So the Nuggets haven't been aggressive in recent years in adding the pricier talent to their roster.
"If my in-laws got rich selling cheap crap in their stores, then I can get even more rich selling cheap crap to fans, right?"
Operating on a budget is great, but if your net worth is $1.8 million and your sugar daddy is Wal-Mart, is that a valid reason? Not really, considering poor old Stan managed to scrape up enough change to buy the remaining 60% interest in the NFL's St. Louis Rams.
Also, ownership decided not to extend the contract of general manager Mark Warkentien over the summer. He was only the NBA Executive of the Year in 2009. The Nuggets have replaced him with somebody named Masai Ujiri, who I'm sure no one but the most passionate of NBA insiders had ever heard of before. And to top it all off, Stan has to turn over the car keys to his son, Josh Kroenke, as a result of his ownership of the Rams. I think Josh is younger than me.
So I can't say I totally blame Carmelo for wanting to move on. I mean, if the team owner isn't that interested in the team, why should you be?
Friday, September 24, 2010
My Top 10 Songs of the Nineties #10
So I recently offered my critique of VH1's Top 100 Songs of the Nineties. And it wouldn't really be fair to criticize unless I could come up with a list of my own, right?
I won't be listing of my top 100, but I will do my top 10. And they may not necessarily be what I think were the ten best songs of the nineties. These will be the songs, which sort of defined the nineties for me personally. If any of them were erased from existence, the Nineties would not be quite the same for me.
First up - Whitney Houston's performance of our National Anthem prior to Super Bowl 25 in Tampa, Florida in January 1991 at the height of Gulf War tensions. I just watched it twice, and it still holds up. It's impossible to watch or listen without experiencing a little emotion. I think it remains as the standard by which all other performances of The Star-Spangled Banner are judged. Absolutely a perfect 10.
And it's not cheaters to put this as #10 on my list - if I remember right, this was actually released as a single, although I have no idea if it landed anywhere on the Billboard charts.
Also, Whitney Houston was recently ranked by VH1 at number 60 on the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. My reaction was this: There's no way. She has to be in the top 25.
PS I'm apparently too lame to be able to embed stuff in my blog so you can actually watch it, but here's the link for now.
I won't be listing of my top 100, but I will do my top 10. And they may not necessarily be what I think were the ten best songs of the nineties. These will be the songs, which sort of defined the nineties for me personally. If any of them were erased from existence, the Nineties would not be quite the same for me.
First up - Whitney Houston's performance of our National Anthem prior to Super Bowl 25 in Tampa, Florida in January 1991 at the height of Gulf War tensions. I just watched it twice, and it still holds up. It's impossible to watch or listen without experiencing a little emotion. I think it remains as the standard by which all other performances of The Star-Spangled Banner are judged. Absolutely a perfect 10.
And it's not cheaters to put this as #10 on my list - if I remember right, this was actually released as a single, although I have no idea if it landed anywhere on the Billboard charts.
Also, Whitney Houston was recently ranked by VH1 at number 60 on the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. My reaction was this: There's no way. She has to be in the top 25.
PS I'm apparently too lame to be able to embed stuff in my blog so you can actually watch it, but here's the link for now.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Survivor Twist I
I'm sort of a big Survivor fan. What I mean is that I'm sure there are bigger fans. I didn't jump into Survivor until season 2. I took off seasons 5 and 7, and then the first Survivor All-Stars lured me back for season 8. I took off season 14, but then jumped back in for 15 and 16. After season 16, I decided I was quitting Survivor. That lasted three seasons, but when I heard that season 20 was going to be another All-Stars edition called "Heroes vs. Villans", I could not resist.
My point is that CBS can lose me as a viewer at any point - they have to keep me intrigued. And so far I'm on board for season 21, maybe because they are tempting me with something I've wanted for awhile - the first nationally recognized celebrity to appear on Survivor - former college and NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson.
A full-blown Celebrity Survivor is one of the things I most want to see on television. I'm not sure why they haven't gone there before. It could be that Survivor pretty much has created its own line of celebrities - Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Richard Hatch, Boston Rob & Amber, and so on. It could also be that Jeff Probst is the real star of the show and his ego wouldn't be able to handle anyone outshining his presence.
We'd need a few athletes. I would love to see Barry Bonds play Survivor. The combination of his steroid-tainted past and his sourpuss attitude would be ratings gold. Since Allen Iverson is having trouble finding work in the NBA, he would definitely be available.
"No practice on the island? I'm so in!"
We'd need some blasts from the past, such as Bo Jackson. After winning his first immunity challenges, he could yell, "Bo knows Survivor!"
Also, I'd like to see Martina Navratilova and Mary Lou Retton. Can you imagine those two out in the jungle with A.I., trying to work out the details of an alliance? American Idol be danged, Survivor would be back at the top of the ratings.
The Rod Blagojevich appearance on Celebrity Apprentice worked so well, I'd like to see if Survivor could get a scandalized politican of their own, such as John Edwards or Eliot Spitzer.
The only problem would be coming up with an incentive. Some of these celebs could probably use a $1 million prize, others probably are rich enough. Would they play for charity? Then the problem is if you could come up with enough celebrities who were philantrophic and entertaining at the same time.
Anyways, it's fun to think about. Who would you add?
My point is that CBS can lose me as a viewer at any point - they have to keep me intrigued. And so far I'm on board for season 21, maybe because they are tempting me with something I've wanted for awhile - the first nationally recognized celebrity to appear on Survivor - former college and NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson.
A full-blown Celebrity Survivor is one of the things I most want to see on television. I'm not sure why they haven't gone there before. It could be that Survivor pretty much has created its own line of celebrities - Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Richard Hatch, Boston Rob & Amber, and so on. It could also be that Jeff Probst is the real star of the show and his ego wouldn't be able to handle anyone outshining his presence.
We'd need a few athletes. I would love to see Barry Bonds play Survivor. The combination of his steroid-tainted past and his sourpuss attitude would be ratings gold. Since Allen Iverson is having trouble finding work in the NBA, he would definitely be available.
"No practice on the island? I'm so in!"
We'd need some blasts from the past, such as Bo Jackson. After winning his first immunity challenges, he could yell, "Bo knows Survivor!"
Also, I'd like to see Martina Navratilova and Mary Lou Retton. Can you imagine those two out in the jungle with A.I., trying to work out the details of an alliance? American Idol be danged, Survivor would be back at the top of the ratings.
To top off the athlete sector, I'd add a former Olympian, such as Summer Sanders or Nancy Kerrigan.
I'd add Rachael Ray, to see what kind of dishes she can whip up on the island. And we would need either MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice, take your pick. I don't think you could or should do it without Paris Hilton.
Dr. Phil. Definitely. I'm not watching it if he's not on. Also, Bob Vila seems like an obvious choice. Would they get rid of him as soon as the shelter was built?
I'd add Rachael Ray, to see what kind of dishes she can whip up on the island. And we would need either MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice, take your pick. I don't think you could or should do it without Paris Hilton.
Dr. Phil. Definitely. I'm not watching it if he's not on. Also, Bob Vila seems like an obvious choice. Would they get rid of him as soon as the shelter was built?
"Oh, sure, I'll build a shelter. But I'm building an alliance first."
Let's throw in former Miss California Carrie Prejean. And since he doesn't seem busy, do you think we could get Billy Joel? If he's not busy on some other reality show, David Hasselhoff seems game for whatever comes up.
And I don't know if she would do it, but I think we also would need former First Lady Laura Bush.
And I don't know if she would do it, but I think we also would need former First Lady Laura Bush.
"You know you've been waiting to see me rock a bikini on a desert island."
The Rod Blagojevich appearance on Celebrity Apprentice worked so well, I'd like to see if Survivor could get a scandalized politican of their own, such as John Edwards or Eliot Spitzer.
The only problem would be coming up with an incentive. Some of these celebs could probably use a $1 million prize, others probably are rich enough. Would they play for charity? Then the problem is if you could come up with enough celebrities who were philantrophic and entertaining at the same time.
Anyways, it's fun to think about. Who would you add?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Most Boring NFL Preview
I'm not that excited for football season. I don't want to play fantasy football. Maybe it's because I can't imagine that the Broncos are going to be any good. I mean, I usually always look at the world through orange-colored glasses. But this year? It just seems like too many injuries already. I have the Broncos pegged for a 7-9 record. But what do I know? They'll probably start 7-0.
As for the NFL, I am already so sick of hearing about how awesome the following teams are going to be this year: Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Cowboys, Packers. Plus a lot of people think the Chiefs will be good.
No one is talking about the Colts. Give me the Colts in the AFC. They'll probably go 14-2.
In the NFC, everyone was talking about how great the Vikings were going to be if only Brett Favre would come back for one more season. And then he did come back, and now everyone is all, yeah, I don't think the Vikings will be as good this year. So give me the Vikings in the NFC.
Colts win the Super Bowl.
As for the NFL, I am already so sick of hearing about how awesome the following teams are going to be this year: Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Cowboys, Packers. Plus a lot of people think the Chiefs will be good.
No one is talking about the Colts. Give me the Colts in the AFC. They'll probably go 14-2.
In the NFC, everyone was talking about how great the Vikings were going to be if only Brett Favre would come back for one more season. And then he did come back, and now everyone is all, yeah, I don't think the Vikings will be as good this year. So give me the Vikings in the NFC.
Colts win the Super Bowl.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Count This Down
You may know that I am a BIG fan of countdown shows.
Recently VHI re-aired the five-hour "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's". I am so thankful for DVRs.
It was unclear what the criteria was for determining inclusion in this list. It was clear that an artist could not have more than one song in the top 100.
They made a point to fill us in on what a lot of these long-forgotten musicians have been doing since they hit it big - and it seems that almost all of them recently put out a CD or are working on a CD or are touring (probably for free). The one noteable exception was the guys from Kris Kross, who were the little kid rappers who wore their clothes backwards. Remember them? VH1 was all, yeah, no one has heard from these guys since 1996. We don't know where they are or what they're doing.
But that's not the main point of this article. The main point is to mention a few of the glaring exceptions.
1. Everything I Do (I Do it For You) by Bryan Adams - I can't believe this didn't make the cut. So maybe it's not a masterpiece, but if the criteria was "Popularity Among rural Coloradan teenageers in 1992" - this is the #1 song on the list, Nirvana be danged.
2. Nothing by Boyz II Men was on the list. I wasn't necessarily a big fan, so I don't have a recommendation as to which of their songs should be on the list. But how can you make a 5-hour production on music in the nineties and not mention these harmonizing wizards? It's even a bigger slap in the face when you consider that Color Me Badd, which was pretty much a poor man's version of Boys II Men, had a song in the top 40 of this list.
3. No Aerosmith? I guess that's not a huge surprise considering they didn't have any gigantic hits. But it seems like VH1 wouldn't have wanted to miss a chance to talk about the iconic videos starring a pre-Clueless Alicia Silverstone. Aerosmith's album Get A Grip was quite popular when I was a senior in high school, but again, I kind of doubt VH1 asked anyone from the Valley their opinion on the top songs of the nineties.
4. Don't Speak by No Doubt. How does this not make it?
5. Michael Bolton. I don't know if VH1 is being entirely honest with themselves. Or maybe they made a conscious decision to exclude the entire genre of easy listening.
6. Amy Grant. It seems like revisionist history or selective memory. People make fun of Amy Grant now, but in 1992, everyone loved Amy Grant. I loved Amy Grant. You loved Amy Grant. Don't deny it. And yes, that was my Amy Grant VHS tape. Baby, baby. . .
7. Okay, I was sort of kidding on those last two. But how about this one: neither "More Than Words" by Extreme or "To Be With You" by Mr. Big made the list. The whole acoustic bad-boy heartbreak genre really needed some representation in the top 100.
8. If the criteria is "Most Popular Among Rural Coloradan Youth Dance DJs" I really think "Joyride" by Roxette makes it. Also, both the long and short version of "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You" are in there as well.
9. BTW, file that last one under "kidding".
10. Rules are rules, but it seems like a travesty that Mariah Carey is limited to one song in the top 100. Realistically, she would have at least three.
I guess that's all for now and I better save this before Blogger loses it. But I think there will be a Part II discussing specifically the top 10 of this list.
Recently VHI re-aired the five-hour "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's". I am so thankful for DVRs.
It was unclear what the criteria was for determining inclusion in this list. It was clear that an artist could not have more than one song in the top 100.
They made a point to fill us in on what a lot of these long-forgotten musicians have been doing since they hit it big - and it seems that almost all of them recently put out a CD or are working on a CD or are touring (probably for free). The one noteable exception was the guys from Kris Kross, who were the little kid rappers who wore their clothes backwards. Remember them? VH1 was all, yeah, no one has heard from these guys since 1996. We don't know where they are or what they're doing.
But that's not the main point of this article. The main point is to mention a few of the glaring exceptions.
1. Everything I Do (I Do it For You) by Bryan Adams - I can't believe this didn't make the cut. So maybe it's not a masterpiece, but if the criteria was "Popularity Among rural Coloradan teenageers in 1992" - this is the #1 song on the list, Nirvana be danged.
2. Nothing by Boyz II Men was on the list. I wasn't necessarily a big fan, so I don't have a recommendation as to which of their songs should be on the list. But how can you make a 5-hour production on music in the nineties and not mention these harmonizing wizards? It's even a bigger slap in the face when you consider that Color Me Badd, which was pretty much a poor man's version of Boys II Men, had a song in the top 40 of this list.
3. No Aerosmith? I guess that's not a huge surprise considering they didn't have any gigantic hits. But it seems like VH1 wouldn't have wanted to miss a chance to talk about the iconic videos starring a pre-Clueless Alicia Silverstone. Aerosmith's album Get A Grip was quite popular when I was a senior in high school, but again, I kind of doubt VH1 asked anyone from the Valley their opinion on the top songs of the nineties.
4. Don't Speak by No Doubt. How does this not make it?
5. Michael Bolton. I don't know if VH1 is being entirely honest with themselves. Or maybe they made a conscious decision to exclude the entire genre of easy listening.
6. Amy Grant. It seems like revisionist history or selective memory. People make fun of Amy Grant now, but in 1992, everyone loved Amy Grant. I loved Amy Grant. You loved Amy Grant. Don't deny it. And yes, that was my Amy Grant VHS tape. Baby, baby. . .
7. Okay, I was sort of kidding on those last two. But how about this one: neither "More Than Words" by Extreme or "To Be With You" by Mr. Big made the list. The whole acoustic bad-boy heartbreak genre really needed some representation in the top 100.
8. If the criteria is "Most Popular Among Rural Coloradan Youth Dance DJs" I really think "Joyride" by Roxette makes it. Also, both the long and short version of "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You" are in there as well.
9. BTW, file that last one under "kidding".
10. Rules are rules, but it seems like a travesty that Mariah Carey is limited to one song in the top 100. Realistically, she would have at least three.
I guess that's all for now and I better save this before Blogger loses it. But I think there will be a Part II discussing specifically the top 10 of this list.
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