NBC Sports: The Hipster of American Sports Networks. A Calvin Early Morning Musing

Believe it or not, MLS rarely gets respect from ESPN or Fox. I know, I know, with how often they show games and cover highlights, very hard to swallow that fact. ESPN is more concerned with Tebow Time while comparing Tim with Lebron than covering the Superdraft on the main channel. Fox was always too concerned about showing the abysmal Fox Soccer Report in stunning standard definition while ignoring MLS outside of actual games played(they even show Australian A-League highlights while no MLS highlight show was broadcast). That all changes March 11th in Frisco, Texas, when NBC Sports Network broadcasts their first MLS game. Coverage can only improve from there.

Do you remember the Outdoor Life Network, or OLN for short? Not many outside of the diehard hunters and fishers do. Average channel but a genre that many others, including ESPN, covered quite well in the 90's. 1999 rolls around and, in a bizarre fashion, OLN bid and won the rights to the Tour De France, cycling's biggest event. I'm fairly certain that cycling is the exact opposite of hunting, although they are both held outdoors. By tossing their programming up in the air with picking up those rights, they changed for the better and never looked back. They proceeded to pick up the rights to Survivor reruns, marathons, the Iditarod, sailing, and auto racing.

As a hockey fan myself, the 2004-05 season was and is still the only major sporting season to be eradicated by a owner's lockout. The league looked towards an uncertain future coming back in 05-06, with two(at the time separate, now one contract. Companies merged, long story, go watch 30 Rock for that info) new TV contracts with NBC and OLN. The NHL was so messed up from the lockout that they didn't get the usual up front fee from NBC, instead simply sharing ad revenue. ESPN wanted to do the same deal but Comcast, owners of OLN and the Philadelphia Flyers wanted to change things up, offered the NHL 2 years, $130 million with a third network option year. The game began, the competitor to ESPN title that Fox Sports Net failed to raise as a national network had fallen to the former hunting channel, and they weren't finished.

OLN's name brand was changed to the questionable Versus in late 2006 along with a renewal of the NHL rights in 2007 and leading to the massive $2 billion 10 year renewal in 2011. They also attempted to bid for rights to MLB and NFL games but lost out(still rumored to be getting the NFL Network Thursday night games for 2012 though, watch for that). NHL shared the lack of spotlight role at ESPN before and alongside MLS, virtually ignored while NBA and MLB seasons overlapped and NFL coverage dominating all. NHL were the big boys at Versus, highlight shows, dedicated coverage, and helping broadcast nearly all playoff games. NBC picked up the rest but we're slow with the uptake, only picking up coverage after New Year's. Then 2008 happened, then NBC suddenly helped the NHL take over a holiday.

Bowl season had abandoned New Year's Day, only 3-4 minor bowls played. Somewhere in a room full of rich guys in 07, the Winter Classic was cooked up. The game has now been played 5 times along with the 2nd Heritage Classic last year. People love hockey outside in it's original home. Football and baseball venues completely filled up, huge TV audiences, clearly the league's big event for the year. The true rebirth of the sport and this, along with NFL rights in 2006, made NBC look like smart bastards at last.

NBC put on their glassless Ray-ban frames and cardigan sweater for MLS rights bidding in 2011 along with a handful of USMNT games to broadcast on both their networks. They also announced the rebranding of Versus to the NBC Sports Network, the battle of Fort Sumter in sports TV. The World Wide Leader vs The Old Duck Hunting Channel war had begun.

NBC also loves to mess around with cameras and the internet. Go watch a Sunday Night Football or NHL game on their website at gametime. Prepare to have complete control, numerous camera angles, stats running, live Twitter updates, everything. For football, it's the closest I can get to the All 22 presentation as a spectator along with more camera angles than needed for NHL. Just imagine what they can do with soccer presentation eh?

Oh, the other thing. All those MLS games NBCSN picked up? All 41 of them? Broadcast online for free. The days of searching for illicit streams of Fox Soccer Channel are over. You pick up Matchday Live and bookmark NBC Sports and as a fan, you're set. You can have the computer running the game on one camera angle while watching the main feed on TV, if you're as nerdy as the diehards tend to be.

NHL and MLS should also team up to be good roommates as well. The 4th and 5th in total revenue big sports in America can easily take out the scandal and prima donna ridden NBA. After all, the two fanbases are similar: young, full of cash, bearded crazy fans(Mavericks don't count, minor league hockey isn't the same. Independence destroys hockey, the fanbase is trashy). Flyers borrowed Doop from the Union, various teams owned by same owners. The two partnering up just makes sense. Cross promote through each other, offer deals to the other, buy a hockey ticket, get a soccer ticket. People will eat it up and love both teams.

I think I'm simply excited to see what NBC wants to bring with their MLS coverage. This isn't Fox or ESPN, they didn't need MLS with other rights like EPL and NFL. NBC needs MLS to succeed and will help out in every single way. Signing Arlo White was a great idea, and their nightly sports show has already had Grant Wahl on, an instant selling point for me. Simply keep it up, MLS weekly highlight show, coverage on everything every night, and I see no reason why the league and the network can't benefit from this partnership.

Some simple "Can't Sleep" thoughts going into 2012

Been a while since I've done this. Lost the will to write after all the random blogs popped up over the SKC fanbase, most absolutely terrible, along with one of the best losing the head writer then turning into a total crock of shit. Regardless, I just haven't felt the bug to write much. But I can't sleep, rarely do, so I'm gonna think deeply for a moment.

We're going to lose Teal this year, I haven't a doubt about it now. Not talked about much, think only Gooch has mentioned the subject, but he's gotten a lot of looks now in Europe and the money is waiting for him. There's nothing we can do probably, but we can lock up CJ. Pay the man, keep him in KC indefinitely. If you want MLS to grow, you need to stop the bleeding of young talent running away. There is a reason why the KHL, the main Russian hockey league, is booming right now, all because they're paying their players similar wages to play at home. Pay him, lots of money, keep 17 in KC forever.

I look at the schedule, holy shit does it ever play into our favor? If we do not repeat as Eastern Conference regular season champs, the season is a disappointment unless we tear up in the playoffs/USOC. After that awful ten game road trip to start the season last year, no trips longer than two games is absolutely beautiful. Really only one true coast to coast trip this year, after we leave Seattle, we're done with the West for the entire season. We're done with the big bad unstoppable western teams in June, that seriously couldn't play in our favor any better.

From a constant away traveler's point, the two best looking road trips are Vancouver/Portland and NYC/Montreal. Four of the most cosmopolitan (see what I did there?) cities in North America and we even visit the latter two twice. I'd certainly traveling to Vancouver and Portland myself, hoping to get Montreal in there as well by driving the insane and stupid distance up there. I'd almost love to do US Independence Day in Canada and hang out with expat Americans in Montreal for the day along with celebrating Canada Day on the 1st.

I love Lot F. I seem to, part of the time at least, get stupidly drunk at the games and wander the short distance from the tailgate, under the bridge, into the gate, very easily. They move us farther away from the entrance, they risk various Cauldronites wandering into the West Stander's tailgates on St. Patrick's Day, where I will most likely ask them for a beer and a burger. Think about that move before you do it Front Office, just think of the potential complains of the unsightly hairy guy wanting to hear their best chants while slurring every word.

Bobby Convey is such a nancy. I've watched the guy go down easily, ask the ref for calls, make a bad tackle then try to act as if he didn't do anything, and fight his way through anything (see versus Chance at LSP last season BRAH). He is the Anti-Arnaud, the Kyle Orton of the team. He wants to get paid to play, do his job, move on. The man doesn't give a shit about the team most likely and has a long way to earn my respect, most likely never.

Three players who need Twitter accounts this year: The Dragon (imagine his smack talk against the week's opponent), Leapin' Larry (anyone with that nickname obviously has many stories to tell, especially after playing with the enigma team that is Orlando City), and first and foremost, BIRAHIM DIOP. First of all, the fact that Diop isn't my best friend depresses me enough. To not see the Smiling Man on Twitter makes it worst. He really is one of my favorite players on the team. The Diop Game Part Deux was 4 days after my 21st birthday. I was in such disbelief in his hat trick that I believed that I had drunken too much and was hallucinating. The man is the best influence in the locker room, so he needs to join his teammates on Twitter ASAP.

Every time I drive past LSP, I smile and feel so content in life. Every time I see a picture of RFK, I feel a bit of sorrow for the DC fans, then I remember how much they suck, and I move on. I seriously hate seeing MLS 1.0 still exist to a certain extent in New England and DC while the rest of the league has moved on to 3.0. Shocking how this is allowed but I believe things are about to change, DC easily, NE a little harder. The Don needs to force Kraft's hand and either convince him to build a stadium closer to the heart of Boston or simply sell the team off and let them flourish. I imagine someone in Boston would love to buy em and build em an awesome stadium.

I have nothing good nor bad to say about Bravo. A simple "good luck with Cruz Azul" is all there is to say. He made an instant impact, was a fan favorite, but always seemed to have his foot out the door to a certain degree. I don't know if he ever truly wanted to be here, never could mesh in. Just gotta say oh well and move on by getting someone better and younger.

Cosmos are dead, Cantona wants to be French president, I'm starting to feel that Pele has no idea what's going on, and where are the apparent owners suddenly? MLS needs to focus on fast growing, high tech, youthful cities. Top three for myself have to be Nashville, Austin/San Antonio (give or take, one or the other for now), and the Twin Cities. For the future, watch the Research Triangle. Those cities are booming at the moment and continue to grow plus they are all sports crazy. The Carolina Hurricanes have a great turnout and fanbase, along with all the college teams. They're going to pass Charlotte soon enough and become a major eastern metropolitan area.

Those are the thoughts, well, soccer thoughts going through my head right now. Probably about 10 of you will read this, I hope, so just comment and such. Enjoy the madness.

Whose Rival Are We Anyway?

Earlier tonight, while cleaning out my desk, I found a disc with the Sporting 300 Chicago away game from earlier this season. I hadn’t actually watched any of the game since the next morning in the hotel, so I thought a nice refresher to the reasoning of why I dislike the Fire and their fan base. Which got me thinking (rambling) of MLS rivalries/derbies, or lack of said true rivals in the league? Just takes one look at the list to see how ridiculous they are.

There are a few that make sense, such as the Superclasico between Chivas USA and LA Galaxy, the only true derby in the US. A few others aren’t local but in the same region to hate each other, like Real Salt Lake-Colorado, FC Dallas-Houston, and the Cascadia Cup between Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle. And then there are the utterly pointless cups like the Atlantic Cup between DC and New York, and my personal favorite, the Trillium Cup between Toronto and Columbus. That’s right folks, a rivalry based on the state/province flower of Ohio and Ontario…

There are also a few unnamed hatreds between fan bases, Philly and New York come to mind. But what about us? Who are we really supposed to hate out of everyone? This isn’t like baseball, where we can instantly hate St. Louis for the usual inferiority complex reasons, or the history of the Chiefs and their AFC West rivals. Sporting KC really has no one, unless you start looking at recent results.

Chicago looks to be the easiest to be our rival. Closest in driving and flying distance, their lack of true rival (don’t give me that Crew and Brimstone Cup crap with Dallas as rivalry), and our history against them. This year alone, we went up there and their fans treated us like crap and threatened us, then their team came to the grand opening of our brand new stadium, was rude to local fans nearby, ruined the night with some of the worst soccer I’ve ever seen, and of course, the guy in the cow suit. Simple as that, it is quite easy to hate the Fire, especially since they only know one word.

Columbus and Houston are another two options. Distance is about the same, quite a bit farther away than Chicago. Main reasoning for the dislike is how their fans have treated us. I’ve heard plenty of stories of how we were treated on away games in Columbus, and Houston, we were told to just stay away from their fans to avoid any issues. Not to mention the booing of Aurelien Collin throughout the SKC game in Houston earlier this season after he was fouled by the Dynamo players twice, fouls bad enough to have said two players sent off. That moment, when he scored the equalizing goal in stoppage time, stunning and silencing the crowd, was priceless, enough to warrant strong dislike of Orange Boys of MLS.

DC United, strike that, Handball United, the self appointed “greatest team” in MLS history. Seeing that fourth star above their crest bothers me every time. That hand ball, that second missing star above our logo, the stealing away of the potential double, that right there is enough to hate them.

My last candidate is probably the one I hate the most as of recent events however. We were the first team to beat them in their home, the supposed Mecca of the best supporters in the MLS, the inventors of chanting and singing, that was sadly followed by two years in a row of stoppage time farce goals away there. They came into our house on August 6^th 2011, and they returned the favor. They gave us our first league loss at home, by another stoppage meltdown, after Omar Bravo was sent off and our boys decided they were done with the game in the 88^th minute. That’s right, I hate the Seattle Sounders more than anything.

I know their big rivals are supposed to be Portland and Vancouver, that’s great, I love the Pacific Northwest derbies. But they don’t respect us, their supporters have been negative to us, things happened in our own club after the game, one even had some words with me out in our lot, nowhere near where their cars were parked. I almost hope, if we do make the playoffs, that we meet them again. I want us to win against them when it truly matters, what will they say then?

But to be quite honest, our location and lack of big name talent, attendance, and support til the last few years has hurt us in the rivalry department. But I’m glad we don’t have a manufactured rival like some of the other teams. I’m glad that the league is to the point where things that happen on the field can determine a true rivalry, results that to the eventuality of a true rival like the Raiders to the Chiefs. On that day, when there is someone who equally dislikes my team and myself for supporting the team, I’ll be right there across from them, saying things that I would regret outside of those 90 minutes.

Suck My Blue Balls, Kevin Kietzman

Earlier this late evening/early morning, I read that the ever benevolent fake Twitter account, FakeNedYost, wrote a post about his reasons for no longer listening to KK's afternoon drive show, Between The Lines. I'll admit, while growing up, KK has been the premier radio personality in the metro area, hell, he's the messiah to be quite honest. He took something that truly was nothing and created radio gold, he un-Don Fortune'd the entire city. But if you've listened for the past year or so, he has been turning his entire show into a big infomercial for the most part. Cookie Diet this, Mortgage company this, BBQ advice with some blogger who bought time that. This guy has basically turned his show into one big late night local news station open commercial hour. But that's not my current issue with him, no not at all, my real issue is for him being a tremendous asshat about soccer, it's rise in the US and him being the crotchety old man that he is.

His Twitter account(Yes, I can't believe that with the way he acts about anything that's new and exciting that he has a Twitter account) is http://twitter.com/kkwhb, which I'm surprised doesn't have more ad tweets for the Cookie Diet. As a major member of local media, he obviously had tickets to the Sporting KC home opener Thursday night. Usually if you have nothing nice to say in the field, you bullshit and say nice things anyways, after all, he's been doing it for the Chiefs and Royals for a number of years now. Let us now go through each major tweet from that night and I'll make some comments on his attitude.

"This park is really something to see. Amazing what u can build from the ground up." Nice respectful tweet, something expected and truthful. The joint really is amazing. Nothing to say bad here.

"Ok... We have a mascot... It looks like we're the dogs." I should note before continuing, his major issue with the team is the lack of the name. Him and Jack Harry are really the only two local sports journalists who care about the name. They are Sporting Kansas City, they have been the Wizards, they will always be the Wizards, think of it as an official name to say similar to Manchester United as the Red Devils and Arsenal as the Gunners. But because this America and everything should be American, we must have an official name, right? I will give him one thing, the mascot stinks. Dynamo was awful, had no actual connection to the club really, but Blue has even less. I want to be in that meeting with that suggestion, "Guys, we have no real mascot but we need one so 4 years olds can go batshit crazy whenever he's around, but I can't come up with anything, you got something?" "Hmm, we must have a Weimaraner!" Gimme a break. Moving on before I start to turn into him.

"Sporting Canines?" SHADDUP!

"Jackass Chicago fans beating drums and shouting over Lance Armstrong. I feel a houligan brawl coming." Truly disrespectful what the traveling supporters did. Let the ownership and the main face of the Livestrong brand have their moment. We only had one chance to ever simply enjoy that moment and it was wonderful. I could hear the speech from the Member's Stand but apparently it really messed up the ability for those in the southern part of the West Stand and most of the South Stand from hearing any of it. Ok, second part.

We're not fucking hooligans, well, most of us. I've had friends ask me how many fights I get into at games. I don't, ever, I don't want to, ever. I worked my ass off at Target during the fall and winter to pay off my season tickets and I'm proud of that fact. The last thing I want is to be kicked out and banned for fighting at a game or in the parking lot. This is not late 70's-early 80's England. This is not Millwall-West Ham. This was two potential regional rivals who were well guarded from each other at both games with only a few wannabe hooligans who might fight. Don't expect a fight from us, ever.

"Too close to Chicago fans... Not joking... They started a fire and they're booted! This is nuts!" That's right, you don't follow our rules, you're out, no questions asked. The same thing would be done about fighting, so learn the rules my friend.

"For the record, we didn't start the fire." You can see how out of date this guy is, still thinking Billy Joel references are cool.

"That was the single most dangerous thing I have ever seen at sporting event. We are all very lucky. Full prosecution please." Flares and smoke bombs will not set the place on fire, might burn some folks but they are generally safe. It's against the rules but this is nothing like a stand collapse or anything else. I'm sorry KK that this wasn't a nice and cozy, boring, drawn out event like a Royals game is, it's not my fault that we pack in a nice little punch in 90 minutes.

"What's up with all the trash and fireworks debris? This is all just as odd as it can be." The streamers were stupid, that was majority of the "trash" at this point, pre Bravo PK no call. I agree that there shouldn't have been given either that much streamers given out or any at all, but it's part of the game. The team had stewards and security whose job is the clean it up as soon as possible, so if it's anyone's fault, it's theirs.

"Stadium seats are very big. 2 inches wider than royals and chiefs?" "There is also more knee room than any other place I've been." Best seats in the world. NYRB had em first in the US but they truly are the best that you can get. And they are fairly bigger than the Chiefs and Royals, especially when you are sitting between two 300-400+ pound Samoans at a Chiefs playoffs game. I was a sandwich by the end but at least those guys kept me warm for the first half before they were too drunk to stay and bailed.

"They are able to save a bunch of money on scoreboards and clocks. Don't really need them now do we?" Well aren't you clever? We don't need TV timeouts either, so why point it out?

"Letting visiting fans bring in drums and horns and pyrotechnics is a tradition and a horrible policy all in one. Ez to see why there's fights." We did it in Chicago and Denver. Chicago, didn't really matter since the Fire supporters were separated from us at all times but there were confrontations. In Denver, we tailgated before and after the game with the Rapids supporters. Our drums and such didn't start any fights, neither did my mean words towards one particular guy who I later had a beer and a laugh with after the game. It sounds like Kietz has seen Green Street one too many times, well, nevermind, he hates the sport so he probably wouldn't even bother. Probably got all of his soccer knowledge from Eurotrip.

"Curtis Kelly would be a great soccer player. What? Me? Foul on me?" Had to make a K-State reference so he didn't completely panic and feel out of his norm. I'm fairly certain that his wedding vows had mentions of Bill Snyder so he didn't piss his pants at the altar.

"Amazingly, fans wait in their seat until halftime before rushing to snack bar and bathrooms. KC should discount stuff while clock is ticking. Lines 40 deep." It's because there is actual stuff going on. Action, excitement, this is what pre-processed and fast food USA looked like, even your beloved football. I get in there, I enjoy a beer or two, stand in my section, chant for 45, use the restroom and get another beer or water at half for 15, another 45 of the same and then I'm done for the night. If I'm having someone else drive me home, I can tell them an exact time to pick me up, unlike at a Royals or Chiefs game, where it can be anywhere from "Pick me up at 3:30" to "I might be home in a week or so, we've entered extra innings/overtime". Isn't it such a shocking concept Kietz, that people can wait 45 minutes before gorging themselves full of nachos and beer again?

"Seems to me its easiest sport ever to miss a couple minutes." Says the guy who enjoys to argue about a sport where the manager can come out at any time to ask his pitcher how the arm is handling. Each game, I watch every moment, phone off or silent, ignored until half or after the game, because there is so much action. Are we sure that he didn't just pretend to go to the game and instead cried in front of the Powercat for 2 hours?

"Man I hope that Chicago player is ok. Oh, wait, Ray Lewis didn't hit him. He's fine. Jogging now. More stoppage time!" While I am not a big fan on the faking of selling injuries, this was plain stupid. Can this man not ignore football for 2 hours?

"Seriously Bravo... Get up." This is where it gets real. The timing of this tweet matches the same moment of the Bratislav Ristic attempted killing of Bravo. The fact that if he wouldn't have jumped in time, his leg would probably be in pieces and he still got injured from it. I take it he didn't see the Brian Mullen tackle on Steve Zakulani did he? Bravo was genuinely hurt, but because this is not football and the only true injury is when you see the guy's leg backwards and near death, he needed to get up. Whip out the spray, right Kietz?

"Sporting KC Blue Heelers. That's a dog, right? Or Blue's Clues." Serious injury on the pitch and he's still concerned with what the name is. I personally call for the team to be further known as "Sporting Kansas City Kevin Kietzman Is A F*cking Moron Who Rambles About His Cookie Diets".

"Tune in tomorrow. I have to collect my thoughts. D-oh." I didn't listen to it, that's too bad. I had better things to do, water a tomato, put a cactus out for some sun, then look directly in the sun, wishing for some rain so I could drown myself instead. This fool can't figure out why his ratings are finally starting to drop, in his reply to FakeNedYost, he said it was because the Royals are not doing well. HE BLAMED THE ROYALS! Get a clue KK.

"Ok, here's why I shouldn't tweet. My wife says they should be Sporting KC Blue Balls. They try so hard but just can't score." It all comes full circle on the naming choice. It is true, we are deep, probably the most offensively stacked team in the MLS, but we have no midfield and the defenders are playing the long ball all game because of it. I want more goals, but not like you, you want wins or losses, no ties. This is America dammit, you are either a winner or a loser. Foolish old man, you have no idea do you?

And that's where it ends, I predict that he finally got tired of actually giving up brain cells to a Eurosnob sport after all. I don't really like Nick Wright, he has a nasally voice and is a bit of a douche in real life, but at least he's more knowledgeable and open to other sports than the big two in the city. If Nick stopped talking about the Miami Heat and started talking more about the Wizards, I would give him more of a listen, so would many others. So how about it, is it finally time for old man Kietz to go? FakeNedYost and I are in the same boat, albeit different reasons, but at least neither of us are on the Cookie Diet.