Late Friday News and Notes

Shibam!

I OFTEN WONDER how various game crews deal with those pesky fans in the background, fans that keep their heads in frame the entire time all while making faces or waving.

I assume that a camera grip waves them off or makes mean faces. Sometimes I imagine that during a commercial break or cut away that the crew threatens the fans, "If you put your head back in this shot we're going add a graphic of an arrow pointing to you saying "This dude bangs little boys.""

Tonight during the Warriors/Jazz game Mike Tirico taught me two of his methods.

The on-air call out. "Some stooge just spilled champagne on us"

The point blank. "Yes, we see you sir, now get out of our ears."

Awesome.

I don't really like Mike Tirico for anything than college sports. I think his laid back attitude, delivery and higher voice are great for the college environment, but sound rather amateurish and less solemn for professional color commentary.

I think he gets so many gigs due to his blackness (of which he is in short supply of).

Regardless, he has provided me with a few memorable moments last year during his 10 million different jobs.

1. MNF, circa week 2 or 3, with Tony Kornheiser still learning the ropes. TK was talking about his daughter's prom and said, "I'm not sure if can do this, give a plug, but Morton's Steakhouse..." and Tirico cut him off on air and scolded him under his breath -- right then and there -- "Stop that! What are you doing?"

2. Last year with Tiger ripping through his win streak Tirico was doing some PGA time and, while talking about VJ Singh's lack of media coverage, Tirico referred to Singh as "Dude," as in, "I mean. this dude..." Dude. During golf. He called somebody else dude later that telecast. It ruled.

BARON DAVIS' DUNK was the NBA play of the year.

DIRK WINS THE MVP...more like Man Vanquished (by) Pressure.

HOW TO WIN MORE GAMES; AN IDEA. Hire a Ninja to get a seat next to the tunnel, and after the game, when the players gives high fives, do a crazy pressure point snap to the star player's hand. I mean those are million dollar hands those guys just let regular people touch. Ninjas. I'm telling you.

I HOPE THE JAZZ LOSE, based solely on the Derrick Fisher story. I'm a sappy dude and I'm happy for the guy and his family and everything. Yeah for you D-Fish and Daughter-Fish. Hell, the movie Rudy, I cry every time. Remember the Titans, sobbing. Freaking Rudy! But as of this game, one day after Derrick Fisher mumbled Ophtamaliosis (or whatever-iosis) on national TV, it's now told on TNT that his on-air action alone heroicaly saved tens-of-thousands of children from eye cancer and cured world hunger and saved the polar bears and fixed global warming. And if the Jazz keep winning it will only get worse. He'll be fixing shit we didn't even know was a problem yet.

RACE TO THE BOTTOM UPDATE:
Washington %.286
Kansas City .306
Texas / Tampa Bay / Toronto .400

Go Nats. We Believe.