Bob Costas is fast becoming a living icon…much in the way that Jim McKay was….(Wide World of Sports) and even John Camaron Swazy…who did those wonderful “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking – Timex ads! Millions of the sports crazed stayed up way passed midnight, night after night after night……culminating with the fantastic USA-Spain Basketball final. Whew, it was pretty scary in the fourth quarter…..could have gone either way. David Stern was freaking out until Kobe got hot and the US of A got the Olympic Gold. The Chinese put together Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the ages! Glad these people invented fireworks and knew how to handle them properly.
A couple of things that were interesting: The Tibet protesters…..got thrown in jail but when the IOC complained….the Chinese authorities released them immediately. How about the Eminent Domain that the Chinese used to get rid of their “slums”. Some of those old ladies had been living in there houses for 50 years…..but in order to get the “Birds Nest” built….they had to get rid of about 2000 local residents. As you may have heard….they will be tearing down everything and building mixed used office and residential buildings now that the Olympics are over. They didn’t even have to broach the Kelo decision. It was strictly for the good of the country….and by jolly they did a supurb job. The terrible boxing judging…..can’t be laid on the Chinese……the Olympic Committee will have to do something about both the judging of Boxing and the Gymnastics. Pay-offs and Fraud and Wrong Doing were rampant.
At any rate, we love Bob Costas, Jim Lampley and even Cris Collinsworth, the football guy. NBC just seemed to have it together. It was bothersome that sometimes they got stuck covering endless boxing or ping pong or killer badmitten. The track and field is always fun to watch and we love Dwight Stones’ coverage. He seems to always know the inside stuff about each of the athletes. Matt Lauer and the Today crew also did a great job. They made it fun and there is very little reason to complain about the 2008 Summer Olympics! The hand-off to London was well done and the Brits are going to have to pull out all the stops to nearly equal the efforts of the Chinese. It is also interesting to note that the Brits will be building all their Olympic facilities using Eminent Domain……and getting rid of most of their Muslim slums on the East Side of London. They also are going to shock the visitors with their dedication to the Reason Foundantion – Robert Poole school of Congestion Pricing which will cost each visitor a pretty penny to get from venue to venue.
In the meantime, Michelle Obama did a great job in Denver tonight and without a doubt…..with Obama in the White House….we will be enjoying the best music in years. The Democratic Convention reminds us the Grammys! The Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and all the great music makes this the most watchable Political Convention in years! It is funny to note…..that all the various pundits are all downer on the Democratic Convention. We have to admit that the first few speakers were pretty boring and stiff cardboard. It is also wonderful to see Joe Biden’s beautiful wife, along with Joe….seating through long jazz rifts and boring speeches! They are troopers! We love Joe Biden as the Vice President……..the first time in memory we have approved of the VP choice. Except for Cheney of course! We love Dick Cheney!
Finally, Misty-May Traner will be on “Dancing with the Stars” this year along with Kim Kardasian……wow! Major ratings for that show! As far as the rest of the Democratic Convention is concerned……Hillary tomorrow night…then Bill the following night….then Obama on Thursday! The Music will be great!
Can’t wait to see what McCain chooses for his music…..50 cent or Shaun Puppy Combs? Can’t wait to see who McCain chooses for his VP……Satchel Page? Too bad Bob Costas isn’t available!
Ahh! The return of the toxic twins! What is this post actually about?
‘Bob Costas is fast becoming a living icon…much in the way that Jim McKay was….(Wide World of Sports) and even John Camaron Swazy…who did those wonderful “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking – Timex ads!‘
… and in the first sentence, you’ve blown it already. To wit:
You call Bob Costas a living legend but don’t feel the need to inform your audience who he is, and yet, by your estimation, he is ‘becoming a living icon,’ approaching the level of fame attained by two people who you did feel the need to inform people about.
Do you see the issue here? If you have to tell us who the latter two men are, how are they more legendary than Costas?
BUZZ! Wrong answer. Please try again.
SMS
*”Google it…if you don’t understand!”
Yesterday – is too deep to explain all the details….NOW however is always cool.
Ron. Why are you bringing up eminent domain? We saw vast areas during our travel where, for the good of the country, many were displaced. However, they now have property rights in China. I am not so sure we can make the same claim here.
SMS.
Ron and I have an advantage of you. It’s called our advancing age. Just as Sean and I can talk endlessly about New York area baseball stars before your time, Ron’s post is very similar.
At times it is difficult to compare high profile people when their claim to fame was decades apart.
In addition to being the spokesperson for Timex watches when we were younger, John Cameron Swayze was host of an NBC news program over 50 years ago.
Jim McKay, also deceased, was the host of the Wide World of Sports. They represented a different generation using different technology to reach their audience. This was long befroe Al Gore invented the Internet.
Bob Costas is here and now. While I won’t take a position on comparing the three we must consider when they were on the stage and perhaps let their accomplishments and recognition stand alone.
SMS Challenge. Who was the better NBA point guard. “Magic” Johnson of the Lakers or Bob Cousy of the Celtics?
PS: Bob Cousy is in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Bottom line. Time will determine how great Bob Costas is as a sports reporter.
Larry –
I’m from Boston… so Cousy all the way! And I’ve been to the Hall. Cousy is featured very prominently there as a pioneer of his game.
Before my time, right? ‘Legendary’ is an adjective that describes someone or something that is classic, transcending the passage of time and fashion, but not necessarily being old. Using that definition I’d vote for Costas every time… and of course Cosell.
SMS
Larry and SMS,
Magic Johnson!!!!!
*grumble* Damn Laker fans. Why do they call them the Lakers anyway? See any lakes around here?!
SMS
PS: I know, I know. They came from Minnesota. Notice that the best things in the LA area come from the east? 😛
SMS,
I am about as far from a Laker fan as you can be. I loathe them.
I am however a Magic Johnson fan. He was the total package. In my mind he is the greatest player to ever play the game.
Sean –
Oh PLEASE! Larry Bird’s nickname is ‘legend.’ You know: ‘Larry Legend?’ On the other hand, ‘Magic’ is a pretty sweet nickname too.
My personal favs in no particular order:
Bird
Johnson
Cousy
Walton
Barkley
Erving
Chamberlain.
SMS
SMS,
Hated Larry Bird when he played, but boy could he play. I still think he is the all-time clutch player. If I needed to make a game winning shot and could pick any player ever to take it, it would be the “Hick from French Lick”.
That being said if I had to pick one player to start my franchise with it would be Magic Johnson.
My faves:
Magic
Jerry West
Walt Frazier
Lou Hudson
Rasheed Wallace
Sean –
I particularly liked Bird because he was a great team player. He raised the bar on strategy in basketball and made everyone play better. *ponder*
SMS
SMS,
Magic was the ultimate team player who made everyone around him better. I guess you could say he was the “Anti-Kobe”.
He gave up individual numbers in order to see the team succeed. He put the team ahead of all else and I agree Larry Bird did too.
Ron, Sean and SMS.
As a New York Knicks fan I grew up detesting the Boston Celtics more than the Lakers whom we did not play as often so I can be fair and balanced in this non emotional comment.
Wikipedia. “In his 13-year, 924-game NBA career, Cousy finished with 16,960 points, 4,786 rebounds and 6,955 assists, translating to averages of 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. He was regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA, winning eight of the first 11 assist titles in the league, all of them en bloc, and had a highly successful career, winning six NBA titles, one MVP award, 13 All-Star and 12 All-NBA First and Second Team call-ups and two All-Star MVP awards. With his eye-catching dribbling and unorthodox passing, Cousy popularized modern guard play and raised the profile of the Boston Celtics and the entire NBA. His fast-paced playing style was later emulated by the likes of Pete Maravich and Magic Johnson.”
Magic “Johnson is considered one of the most successful players in the history of the game. In 905 NBA games, he scored 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds and 10,141 assists, translating to career averages of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game. Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24), holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21), and has the most playoff assists (2,346). He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127).
Johnson’s career achievements include five NBA championships, three Most Valuable Player Awards, and three Finals Most Valuable Player Awards.”
The bottom line. Cousy ended his career having won six NBA titles while Magic ended with five. Their overall records were very close.
SMS. Did you ever see Bob Cousy or Magic play? Having Inglewood Forum tickets when Magic was a player I did see him in action. That is why there are multiple players in the Hall of Fame representing the same position.
PS: Magic is seven inches taller than Bob.
Larry,
A 6′ 9″ point guard was unheard of before Magic wasn’t it? It was a thing of beauty to watch him run the court.
As a kid growing up I loved the Knicks of the 1970’s. Clyde Frazier, Pearl Monroe and company were some of my earliest heroes.
Larry –
‘SMS. Did you ever see Bob Cousy or Magic play?’
Are you kidding? How old do you think I am? Of course I’ve watched them play!
Of course, I’m too young to have seen Cousy play live, but my dad was a huge basketball fan when I was a child and he watched Larry and Magic religiously. In fact, I think he still has the entirety of the 1986 Celtics playoff games and championship on VHS.
SMS
Sean.
I am glad that we share the same love of the game.
Let’s not discuss last night’s Angel when I sat in the upper deck and watched us get three hits in the first inning only to have two picked off and come away with a big fat zero.