Back in town after four days of visiting the future in-laws in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia.  Great food and weather.  We flew back last night (flight was delayed of course) and missed the Titans game.

Just watched it on tape at the station this morning.  WOW.

Because the President speaks to the nation Tuesday night at 7 o’clock, I just learned from management that “Titans On 2 With Jeff Fisher” will be taped Tuesday night at 7pm and air on News-2 Wednesday from 8-9pm.  I don’t know the guest player.  Vince???!!!!  Just hoping… 

Off to run some errands.

Will get back to you Wednesday.

Donnie Osmond then...

...and now.

The dreaded “gap” raised its ugly head again in the newsroom.  Just as they were announcing last night’s “Dancing with the Stars” winner, I blurted out that Donny Osmond would win.  I have vivid images of my older sisters spinning the 45-record of “Puppy Love” when I was just a tyke.  Our family seemed to circle around the TV when an Osmond’s special was on.  A few years later, I always seemed to be in front of the tube when Donnie & Marie cranked out, “I’m a little bit country, I’m a little bit rock n’ roll.”  So Donny had to win, right?  He’s a known.  Who’s this Mya girl?  Well, I proceeded to hear a lecture about her career that peaked maybe ten years ago.  Furthermore, Mya would win because she’s in a coveted demographic.  Donny is simply “too old” (51-years old)  to win and.  The “gap” between generations in the newsroom had been discussed and weighed.  The winner?  The OLD GUY!  Somewhere two woman are running errands in South Bend, Indiana daydreaming about their  Osmond’s crush and reflecting on the posters once pinned up around their rooms.  My memory is fuzzy but I recall Donnie, Bread, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Cat Stevens, Yes, James Taylor, Rolling Stones, Carol King to name a few.  In a small way I was pulling for Donnie last night because my sisters dug him, and that’s good enough for me.

Network programming is a funny bird.  Who knew that pairing B-list stars with professional dancers would be a hit?   A few years ago, “The Bachelor” was the hot show, until they ran it into the ground.  A few years ago, I recall a TV station General Manger telling the story of coming back from a convention that revealed all the network programming, and everyone scoffed at this prime time program where contestants would be asked increasingly difficult questions for more and more money. It was patterned after a show in England.   Are you kidding?  This is ABC’s idea for a hit show?  The show?- “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”   Score.

 What do all these shows have in common?  They cost MILLIONS less to produce than an hour-long drama. 

 Have any ideas for the next big ABC network hit?

Anne, Lynley and Herb. Mr. Miles is a big Geogia Tech fan so the ribbing about ND will be a constant theme. The Irish deserve it.

Headed to the fture in-laws for Thanksgiving.  Great food and a relaxing time a stones throw away from here.  Have a safe and great holiday weekend.

Notre Dame lost to U. Conn?!  Really?

No “Titans On 2 With Jeff Fisher” tomorrow.  The sports gang is doing a half-hour preview show tonight at 7:00pm and then Monday Night Football follows.  The game will be seen on News-2 and ESPN.  “Dancing With The Stars” fans won’t be thrilled since we are pre-empting the show, airing it at 12:35am.  We never want to upset our customers(viewers) and if there’s any consolation, News-2 didn’t win the bidding rights to the NFL Network’s Christmas Night game.  My two cents on tonight’s game:  I think the Titans win it going away.  Something like 38-13.

I don’t have children and don’t know what the future holds.  A recent Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee event sure makes me think that I’m at least capable, for a few moments anyway, of getting along with a little boy or girl.  I THINK I’m holding her right?!  She stole my heart from the get-go.

Click here for the full link to the story.  A belated special thanks to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette for covering the event.

Friday AM ramblings…

From the “when it rains, it pours” department:  I’m waiting for a locksmith to arrive.  I locked our basement door keys inside the basement.  I could accept that as just an absent-minded deal until you learn that BOTH keys to the basement are on the same ring!  Stunning, I know.  That takes knuckleheadedness to a new level.  Then, we woke up this morning to a a living room reading 58-degrees on the thermostat.  AC/Heat guys are on their way as well…   We were wondering in the newsroom why Oprah didn’t call it quits years ago.  She’s made more money that most 3rd world nations so put up with the daily grind of a TV talk show?  Must have loved her job.  She’s had an impressive run… When do you discard of pumpkins?  We have two on the front porch.  I say you can have them there through Thanksgiving.  That’s not like having Christmas lights still up in March, is it?…  No “Titans On 2 With Jeff Fisher” Tuesday.  With the Titans playing Monday Night in Houston, the station opted for a 30-minute special at 7:00pm Monday which the sports gang is doing, then the game follows on News-2.

Have a great and safe weekend.

The Gov ain’t in a good mood.

Watching Phil Bredesen as Nashville mayor for eight years and now govern the state for the last seven, he’s never one to bring down the house.  He prefers to fly under the radar, more comfortable stopping for coffee at Starbucks at 7:00am (ran into him in Green Hills a few years back) than hosting a black-tie gala.  His classy wife, Andrea Conte steps in the limelight and doesn’t shy from controversy if she believes in the cause (see Conservation Hall).  Both sides of the political spectrum can argue until they are blue (or red) in the face but both sides would have to agree that the Governor is candid, no-nonsense, absent of the “slickness” most politicians seem to have in their genes.  His administration is not without issues (THP), but for the most part he’s kept his nose clean.  He makes no apologies for running the state as a business (his background) and that means you can’t spend more than you take in.  If you do, you cut your budget,  just as you and I would would have to do.

Click here for details of Bredesen’s bad day.  Once you are on that page, the video report is to the right. (My home PC is acting up and I can’t get it to open).  Frankly I thought Bredesen calling out Washington in a fed up, exasperated tone was telling of the frustration he’s feeling.

A billion dollar in the red last fiscal year was effectively wiped off the books by the stimulus bill.  This year is headed toward the same fate, minus Washington’s gift (although it’s OUR money to begin with) !

Because I’m a guy that has little tolerance for whining and complaining from both sides of the politcal aisle without the debate including answers, here’s my question for you.  An assignment if you will.

What do you do to balance Tennessee’s budget? 

Where to YOU cut and/or how do you create more revenue streams?

Simple enough.  The Governor could use your help.

This is a story (click here) that hits you right between the eyes.  When we aired this on News-2 at 10, I was floored that people would actually do this.  Kudos to the police for talking tough about it.  Let me know your thoughts.

We have been fortunate to have all the big names on Titans On 2 With Jeff Fisher but few player have been more impressive and engaging than last night’s guest, Safety Vincent Fuller. 

Me, Vincent Fuller & Jeff Fisher. We don't charge the stores seen in the background but I think we should have free books for life!

Wow, what an impressive young man.  By the way, the reason we don’t stream the show on our website is because he aren’t allowed.  No NFL game video is allowed to be on websites.  It’s the same reason you watch an ESPN NFL report on its website and you see still photos instead of game action.  The NFL is super freaky about it and we don’t dare take the chance.  I swear it has an army web surfers, checking media websites for rebels.

Mom and Dad came to the show last night.  It’s become tradition to snap a picture of Mom and Jeff after the show in our “green” (it’s actually blue) room.  This year’s effort didn’t go well.  The camera was acting up.  Bummer, but you get the idea.

Coach & Mom 2009 Edition

Anyone going to Bruce Springsteen tonight?  I’m not.  Gotta work.  Favorite Bruce song?

Off to the Y…

Busy, but good day lined up…

I’m in putting Coach Fisher’s TV show to bed… then have a Make-A-Wish board meeting, then anchoring News-2 at 4, then meeting my parents at Opry Mills for a quick dinner before the Coach’s Show at 7pm.  My parents have made it a ritual to come to the show each year.  My mother LOVES to get her picture taken with Coach Fisher.

More on that tomorrow.  I’ll try to tide you over with this picture of Jack sleeping, apparently having a dream about being Superman.

Jack sleeping in his "Superman" pose. Needs to trim that waistline if he has any plans to squeeze into red tights.

Might be too early in the season yet to be playing, “What if?” with the Titans but they are dangerous right now.  If they can get past the Texans next Monday night, the games vs. the Cards and Colts will be a much better indicator.

Three in a row though… workin’ on Coach Fisher’s TV show.

Special player guest:  Vincent Fuller

I’ll end with a shoutout-

HAPPY 50th SISTER SUE!!!!!!

See you then.

Staying in one line of work for 24 years, you’re bound to forge some pretty good friendships.  The majority of people I’ve worked along the way are “good people”.  A TV sportscaster’s or news anchor’s life isn’t nearly as glamorous as it may look but his/her worst work problem is a gnat compared to many other lines of work.  Among the things I took  great pride in is being part of the hiring process and then watching a young,  talented sportscaster continue to improve in their craft to the point they have options bigger than Nashville.

Mike Hill is now at ESPN, after stops in Dallas and FOX Sports Net in New York.

John Boruk is tearing it up with Comcast Sports in Philly, after a stop in Detroit.

Sara Walsh has people’s attention in Washington DC.

I have to add Cory Curtis, who came to News-2 as weekend sportscaster and now runs the department.

I take no credit other than I didn’t screw things up for them.  They all worked hard.  They all put in a ridiculous amount of time and put out product that frankly Nashville had not scene in local TV sports.  Producer Tim Hardiman, another News-2 Sports alumnus, now at CMT, is another big piece behind that on-air product.  He made us all look better.

Sara, (yes guys, she has a boyfriend in DC) drops by Nashville a few times a year.  Raised in Tampa, we plucked her out of Macon, Georgia  in 2003.  She immediately fell in love with Nashville and Nashville with her.  Things is DC are going great for her (been there know 3-plus years) but she always has that thousand-kilowatt smile when spending some time back here. 

Long story short, while she was in town earlier this week, we could have used another helping hand on the CMA’s red carpet.  While I have two older sisters, Sara is the little sister I never had.  If I had a dollar for every laugh we’ve shared over the years with Sara and the others in the sports office, I would be with my fiance on a small, cocunt island with our toes in the sand.  Special thanks to News-2′s Dirk Mooth for snapping the photo.

Sara and me during Red Carpet duties at the CMA's

Have a great and safe weekend.

Late night covering the CMA’s Post-Awards party.

What did you think of the CMA’s last night?

I fit in a crowded category of folks that are transplants to Nashville (moved here in ’96) and to country music.  Never my cup of tea growing up, I’m continually amazed at the talent in this genre. 

Although many predicted it, I didn’t think Entertainer of the year would go to Taylor Swift .  When it was announced, among my first thoughts were, “Too much, too fast?  Why put this incredible pressure on her to be the queen of country music so soon?”  Then I thought about how she has handled herself with humility and grace while the trajectory of her career is comparable to pulling G’s in an F-18.  You go girl. 

For our station’s coverage, go to www.musiccitytv.com