Radioactive thoughts
A couple of observations that occurred to me while I was on a drive from New Jersey back home Saturday (it was a bar mitzvah this time; I've consumed my weight in whitefish salad over the past two weeks):
So who's the more provincial in radio coverage of the NFL draft, Philadelphia or Baltimore?
I was listening to Philadelphia's all-sports station, WIP, after the Eagles had picked Jeremy Maclin, the Missouri wide receiver, in the first round. That was all I heard about over the next hour-plus. Not a mention of players being selected by other teams during that time.
Later on the drive (let's not even discuss the turnpike traffic), when we got in range of WBAL, I heard the station's draft program, and Gerry Sandusky kept updating the players being taken (by then, it was the second round), not solely focusing on the Ravens.
And, in Maryland, the only toll I had to pay was heading north over the Tydings Bridge.
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Years ago, I had the pleasure of sitting in the booth with Jon Miller as he called an Orioles game on radio. He kept a little egg timer in front of him, something he had read about from the great Red Barber. When the sand would run out, it was a reminder to give the score again.
Somebody give one to Fred Manfra. Tuning in on the same drive, we were looking for an update on the Orioles game after having been listening to the draft. We had to wait through several minutes, until the half-inning ended, before getting one.
If the likes of Barber and Miller don't think you end up repeating the score too often, then it sounds like a pretty good idea to me.
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Comments
sadly fred manfra sounds like abiut 85%-95% of all baseball radio broadcasters which means he is average at best and his voice and style isn't anything extraordinary. let's face it he'll never be in the same class as a chuck thompson, john miller, joe angel, vince scully etc etc etc. but trust me he is leaps and bounds better than the yankees and former baltimore talk show host john sterling. i have xm radio and listen to a lot of different baseball games and most guys just have a nice voice and have no real idea how to paint a picture for the audience to visualize..
Posted by: FKTERP | April 26, 2009 6:13 PM
Ray, why don't you get the decal to cross the Route 40 bridge? I understand it is much easier to just stay on 95 and use the Tydings, but a five minute detour onto route 40 will save you $5 every time. The decal costs $5, and it is good for an entire year of unlimited crossings.
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Ray replies: Thanks much for the suggestion. I guess I don't mind paying for the Tydings so much as dropping the $8 in the First State. It makes me ashamed to be a native Delawarean.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | April 27, 2009 12:03 PM
Oh getting past the Delaware tolls is easy. Get off at Elkton (exit 109) and head towards Newark on route 279. About a mile later take a right onto 2/4 and then a right onto 896 south to I 95 north. Do the reverse on the way home, and you'll save that $8.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | April 27, 2009 9:44 PM
The sad thing is that I often think about Miller and his egg timer when I am listening to Manfra do the game. It certainly tells you everything you need to know about an announcer if at least two people are pondering past announcers while listening to him call a game. To this day, I still believe that the worst sin commited by Angelos was letting Miller get away.
Posted by: Joe | April 29, 2009 5:35 PM