My Brain, Behind the Scenes

I am just free writing, and letting go whatever things are mulling and brewing in my head. Some thoughts of possible stories, some do's and don'ts that add a pickling spice to the tossed salad of my psyche, and enough sweetness so as not to lose a very small and fragile audience.

Lately, actually the last couple of years, I see a change in the way many sports are broadcasted and it rankles me some. I don't want to be a stick in the mud, but I prefer to hear about the game that's in front of them, and I don't need to hear every possible detail about every player and coach and former coach and the endless non game collection of snarkiness and litanies of "when I played". I don't care, talk about this game.

This happens definitely when it's NFL or MLB and NBA. I'm not going to tear people apart; they have to know who they are. In my opinion, all we need is a play-by-play guy or gal and a second chair to feed facts and lead in to the endless commercials, because, after all, it is all about the money.

Another thing about professional sports is how differently they are played, compared to when I was a kid. For instance, Baseball, no extra innings until someone wins; but you put a guy on second who's only reason for being there was he was the last out from the previous inning. How does that make sense? Has anyone notified Doubleday? It's America's pass time, let them play 27 innings or more, as it was supposed to be. I know, it's about the players, they may get tired or hurt; or maybe it's, as we all have come to know, it's all about the payers, in short, it's about the money. Television revenue, more announcers and reporters, more time for everyone to make money. While we, who do the following, shake our heads and throw our hands up in disgust and purchase what is being sold; that's right, if you pay a cable company, you're paying.

The NBA, like the NFL, so many fouls and replays called, even more, frustratingly, not called. If you watch NFL, there is a hold on every pass play, usually called when someone has made a TD, or great catch. A waste of time, which, unlike baseball, slows the game down; it makes me crazy. In basketball, the no foul foul, and even with an extra referee, some blatant game changing whistles slant the game one way or the other. Did I mention it makes me crazy?

Other than what I think, (IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY), the one truth in all of the changes is that each sport has taken away the authority of the umpires, referees, judges and changed rules so these games now fit nicely into someone's orderly format.

During COVID, the many mouthy masters of ceremony, often times were not even at the venue where the game was played, but in a studio, watching just like us. What's that all about, I could have done the play by play.

Speaking about commercials, since we have no choice, why is it that the same one is played endlessly and by endlessly, I mean over and over and over. The bad ones know who they are, the good ones will be evidently, be interred with our bones.

Switching to the endless and oh so ignominious commercials, pressing we who are retired, to call an 800 number, to make sure we're not missing anything on our Medicare. I grew up with Joe Namath and his Hall of Fame exploits as a N.Y. Jet, he was a hero. Not so, to me, anymore, his ads are annoying. The hundreds of times daily for these commercials, seem a large waste of time to me.

I love, however, the little girl on a Kraft Commercial, "I want a bucket of chicken", it's simple, and I can identify.

Old Navy commercials and their dancing teams, are kind of spiffy and catchy, and best of all, short. Makes me think, I could use a new sweatshirt.

The GEICO gecko, comme ci comme ça, sure don't like the one where he cries about a flat tire, but love when he says "Hey crab cakes, what you looking at?"

I find, at age 74, the Progressive Insurance commercials and their Dr. Rick, to be offensive to me. I can't believe how dismissive he is toward what we older folks find comforting, like emulating our parents is a bad thing. I change the channel every time I see it.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but I wonder if I'm the only person who thinks such things.

We are, me thinks, living in a world that is most peculiar "Mama".

Enough for this day, just sayin'