WISE Sports Radio NFL spot: Dec. 12, 2019

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Any time “New England Patriots” and “videotaping” are in a story, the team’s ugly past with the “Spygate” scandal is going to be revived. A video crew hired by the Patriots to film an advance scout for their “Do Your Job” series was seen filming the Cincinnati Bengals on the field and sideline, dredging up this stuff all over again.

On Thursday’s WISE Sports Radio segment, Pat Ryan, Mike Gore, and I talk about that, Le’Veon Bell and the New York Jets, two Heisman Trophy-winning Oklahoma quarterbacks facing each other, and the Thursday Night Football game between the Jets and Baltimore Ravens.

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WISE Sports Radio MLB hit: Dec. 11, 2019

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The 2019-20 baseball offseason is already much more exciting and interesting than it was a year ago, when transactions and activity were virtually frozen until Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed. And that didn’t happen until late February, when teams had already reported to spring training camps.

Meanwhile, the NFL and NBA make free agency an event which fans and media follow with excitement. MLB still isn’t there, but at least top free agents like Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg are now signing in December as expected. Baseball’s winter meetings — essentially the sport’s signature offseason event — is meaningful again.

Cole’s nine-year, $324 million (!!) contract with the New York Yankees was the main topic for Wednesday’s WISE Sports Radio baseball segment with Pat Ryan:

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WISE Sports Radio MLB segment: Dec. 9, 2019

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Shortly before our Monday baseball segment on WISE Sports Radio, Stephen Strasburg re-signing with the Washington Nationals hit the news machine. It’s an encouraging start to baseball’s winter meetings, which has traditionally been where big offseason news occurs but has been disappointingly quiet the past couple of years.

Pat Ryan and I also discussed the Modern Era Committee’s inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller. Not as flashy or controversial as last year, when Harold Baines was voted in. Miller, in particular, has been long deserving for his role in forever changing baseball’s economics.

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WISE Sports Radio NFL spot: Dec. 5, 2019

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On Tuesday’s WISE Sports Radio segment, news of the Carolina Panthers firing head coach Ron Rivera was raw and fresh so we got to that right away. Two days later, we’re on to the aftermath. What kind of coach will Panthers owner David Tepper seek as a replacement?

We also discuss Terrelle Pryor being arraigned in light of his stabbing, some Week 14 storylines to watch, and Thursday Night Football‘s match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.

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‘The Irishman’ review at Mountain Xpress

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Though it’s definitely part of the cultural conversation right now, I don’t know if I would’ve watched The Irishman over the Thanksgiving holiday if I hadn’t been asked to review it for Mountain Xpress. And would I have seen it at a local theater knowing that I could watch it at home on Netflix?

Considering how long the movie is, I’m grateful that Edwin Arnaudin gave the OK for a longer review in Mountain Xpress. Here’s an excerpt:

“[…] the true achievement is De Niro’s performance, the best work he’s done in many years. Sheeran is torn between friends (and family) and those who provide him a life he never could have imagined, and De Niro makes that emotional pain palpable.

“But perhaps the greatest acting surprise is Pesci, more reserved and quietly powerful than he’s ever been. (Pacino gets all the histrionics, portraying Hoffa’s outsized, bombastic personality.) Russell doesn’t bend people to his will by yelling, punching people or smashing things. He simply wields the fear of what happens to those who cross him or don’t show respect.”

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