Category: News

  • Michigan Basketball, a Wrangle Unfolds As a Locker Videotape Unwinds

    Joe LaPointe, in the New York Times, writes, “This strange tale of a tape involves a passionate locker-room speech, finger-pointing by several television broadcasters, many misunderstandings and a motivational tactic that might backfire and motivate the wrong team.

    It started last Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Ky., after Michigan beat Virginia in the Southeast Regional final.
    Bo Schembechler, Michigan’s football coach and athletic director, spoke to the Wolverine basketball players about their next game, against the winner of the Midwest Regional final between Illinois and Syracuse.
    ”You know damn well you can win this whole thing,” Schembechler said. ”And you know what I hope? I hope you get Illinois.” Wish Comes True

    The players cheered, then Schembechler got his wish: Illinois defeated Syracuse and will face Michigan Saturday night, half an hour after the semifinal game between Duke and Seton Hall.

    Problems started when a videotape of Schembechler’s locker-room performance was broadcast Sunday afternoon on CBS.

    Jim Nantz, the studio host, introduced it by saying, ”We had a camera in the locker room and caught some of the speeches from Bo Schembechler.”

    The first problem was that the camera belonged not to CBS but to WXYZ-TV in Detroit, an ABC affiliate.

    ”It was illegality on CBS’s part” to use the tape, said Tom Griesdorn, general manager of WXYZ. ”They took it without permission. If we wanted to get real nasty, we could make things unpleasant for everyone involved.”

    Ted Shaker, executive producer for sports at CBS, saw the Schembechler clip on ESPN Saturday night and assigned aides to get permission to use it Sunday. ESPN confirmed that CBS got permission from ESPN, but admits it should not have given it. ESPN had the tape because WXYZ had transmitted it to Detroit from Kentucky through ESPN equipment. Giving Due Credit

    ”Channel 7 in Detroit was putting a hold on it, but they inadvertently forgot to tell us that,” said Mike Bogad, ESPN’s assignment-desk manager.

    Shaker said credit was given to WXYZ at the end of the CBS basketball telecast Sunday. That was about the time Bob Lipson was leaving Charleston, S.C., to fly home to Detroit after attending a bar mitzvah.
    Lipson, president of CTC Sports Inc. in West Bloomfield, Mich., produces Schembechler’s television show on WXYZ and makes videotapes Michigan uses in recruiting.
    He saw the Schembechler clip on CBS at the airport and called CBS to get permission to use it. When he landed, he learned that the tape was already his property. Under an agreement among WXYZ, CTC Sports and Schembechler, WXYZ sends a cameraman into the locker room after Michigan’s football and basketball games to tape for CTC.

    WXYZ can use portions of CTC’s tapes, but only with permission of Lipson. WXYZ did not get such permission last weekend, Lipson said.

    ”It’s our video, not WXYZ’s, not CBS’s, not ESPN’s,” Lipson said.
    Lipson said he would probably have allowed the clip to air on WXYZ, but not on ESPN or CBS. The WXYZ sports producer, John Cwikla, said today that one of Lipson’s assistants had given WXYZ permission.
    Earlier this week, Michigan’s interim head coach, Steve Fisher, said he knew the Illini coaches would use the tape to motivate their players.

    Lou Henson, the Illinois coach, said earlier this week that he had one copy of Schembechler’s locker-room speech but might need another cassette because ”we’re going to wear the first one out.””

    References:

    1. The New York Times, April 1, 1989, Joe LaPointe (PDF)

  • One of the Sports Editing Teams

    Sports has always been a fun part of broadcast news. Among many others, the following photo from the Chris Huebner retirement collection is a group that always worked well together.

    John Cwikla, Angela Tangalos, Chris Huebner and Stu Klitenic

    John Cwikla, Angela Tangalos, Chris Huebner and Stu Klitenic

  • Arizona Missed Out on the Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017, BUT…

    … if you were alive on June 16, 806, you would have seen this amazing solar event.

    Thinking back to that time in Arizona, I wonder exactly what the inhabitant’s of this future state thought.

    Solar Eclipse

  • Sebastian Gorka Remains Despite Recent Firings

    Sebastian Gorka - Congressional Letter
    Download PDF of full letter with signatures

    Amid the chatter of anti-Semitism and the white supremacist problems within the Trump administration, Sebastian Gorka remains on the tax payer’s payroll.

    In a letter to the President on May 2, 2017, members of Congress ask for the immediate dismissal of Trump’s senior White House counterterrorism advisor.

    The letter begins:

    As Members of the U.S. Congress who care deeply about fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad, we urge you to immediately dismiss senior White House counterterrorism advisor Sebastian Gorka. Based on recent revelations about Mr. Gorka’s public support for and membership in several anti-Semitic and racist groups in Hungary, he is clearly unfit to serve in any position of responsibility in your Administration. [1]

    References:

    1. Letter to President, May 2, 2017 (PDF)
    2. Wikipedia – Sebastian Gorka

     

  • Ross Reck: A Flight Attendant Shows Us Things Are Not as Bad as We Think They Are

    Southwest AirlinesKind Acts

    My daughter’s friend made the following post on Facebook. The message is so good and so timely, I felt compelled to share it with you. “When I became a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, I thought I’d be dealing with nothing but jerks, unruly passengers and so forth, but I soon came to realize, those are just the highlighted stories you hear about via the media. In reality, those types of incidents only happen every few months or even longer after having dealt with tens of thousands of good people who are also nice. I was surprised by this ratio—with how many kind acts I witness everyday I’m at work compared to the unkind acts that get reported in the media. Passengers regularly bring us thank you notes, candy and gifts. In addition, they help each other with their bags, giving up their seat without being asked for a couple or a family, buying their neighbor’s drinks, making new friends and so forth. I honestly feel like I’m seeing kind behavior MORE often lately and it makes my heart so full. I was getting a little overwhelmed with all the negativity on my Facebook feed, but after seeing so many kind acts during my recent trip for work, I was reminded that I have a major crush on this world and all the kind people in it. Let’s stop giving the hate and fear any mention or fame at all and focus on all the kind acts that are continually going on around us.”  [1]

    References:

    1. RossReck.com
    2. People Remember Acts of Kindness
    • 100% Employee Engagement Guaranteed! Newly Revised [Kindle & Paperback Editions]

      Now Available from Amazon.com for $15.99

      Kindle and Paperback Editions available from Amazon.com

      Imagine a workplace where every employee is engaged with their work … where every employee shows up each day excited about giving every bit of energy, creativity and passion to performing their job. These employees don’t need to be motivated because they already are and they channel their motivation toward creating a competitive edge for their company that can’t be easily copied. They’re constantly making innovative changes to products, services and customer experiences while providing superior levels of customer service which results in loyal customers. This means higher levels of repeat and referral business which, in turn, translates into significant increases in market share. In addition, absenteeism and turnover rates for these fully engaged employees are far below industry averages because they absolutely love what they do. This book presents a new management model that guarantees an employee engagement level of 100%. If you implement this model in your organization, every one of your employees will become engaged with their work; all working at their full potential. Think of what it would mean to the success of your business or organization if you could get all of your employees engaged with their work.

    [ABTM id=4609]