“Go Long or Go Home” Is Told to Stay Home by CBS

CBS has banned from its air a Maxfli ad featuring John Daly boozing on a golf course and playing music in a bar.  Of course, this will do nothing but add to the interest in the commercial, which is on YouTube.

My conclusion upon viewing that is that perhaps John Daly should be banned from singing in public, forget about the alcohol stuff.

The CBS advertising policy also confused me.

Wade said that the CBS guidelines do not allow alcoholic beverages to appear in ads when an activity involves a level of alertness, the paper reported.

What is an activity that doesn’t require a “level of alertness”? I guess you can sit on the couch and watch TV while drinking a beer, though that wouldn’t be such an exciting commercial.

Hootie Johnson Was Missed

The Masters green jacket ceremony was something I always got a kick out of, as the people who have endured my Hootie Johnson impression can attest. He had such a classically southern charm to him, which you can soak in by watching last year’s ceremony. “I believe they’re coming in now” and “I know Jim’s got a few questions for you” are particularly great in his drawl.

I missed seeing the 2007 ceremony live because I was traveling Sunday night, so I went online to look for the video on Monday. Sadly, Hootie didn’t participate in the ceremony this year for winner Zack Johnson.

Some dude that Jim Nantz calls “Mr. Payne” was there instead. It was fun to hear Zack Johnson thank everyone from sponsor TransAmerica to “my lord and Jesus” but it didn’t come close to matching the campy fun that was Hootie Johnson emceeing these things. Wikipedia tells me that Hootie is no longer the chairman of Augusta National, too bad.

Gloating Part II

So I was right in predicting a Florida-Ohio State national final and a Florida victory. Where’s my prize? This at least proves that I am a better predictor of sporting events than marshmallows.

The CBS coverage was the usual. Billy Packer obsessed over the big guys getting winded the entire game — aren’t these guys barely 20 years old and able to run around for forty minutes? — and Jim Nantz obsessed over everyone’s parents. After the game was over, an uneasy Nantz and Packer stood by while an excitable Joakim Noah made no sense. You know, I think he’s right: Packer and Nantz probably did have no idea what he was talking about (at least he didn’t start dancing this time). Nantz ignored the rant and plowed ahead by asking MOP Corey Brewer about his father.

The game itself was unspectacular as the Gators used their balanced attack to wear down Ohio State for the win. Every time Ohio State looked ready to get close in the second half, Florida would score off a loose ball on some back-breaking play. It must have sucked to watch this for Ohio State fans. Greg Oden put up strong stats (25 points, 12 boards) in defeat, even prompting Packer to suggest he might win MOP honors. It was probably enough to cement his #1 NBA Draft status by showing he could produce in the biggest college game there is. Nantz picked Al Horford (18 points, 12 boards) for MOP honors, and both broadcasters proved wrong as Brewer was chosen.

The result is leading to all sorts of discussion about the back-to-back titles and Florida’s place in history. I’ll leave that one to the experts and simply note that it must be pretty sweet to be a Gator fan these days. It reminds me of the “cup runneth over” feeling I had when the Red Sox and Patriots held championships simultaneously a few years back.

Couric’s Questions: The Video

Here’s a video condensing all of the “some say” second-guessing from Katie Couric in her 60 Minutes interview of John and Elizabeth Edwards.

A good roundup of blogosphere criticism of Couric is here.

Couric and the Edwardses

I was surprised by how negative a tone Katie Couric struck in her interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards on 60 Minutes about the decision to proceed with John’s presidential campaign despite Elizabeth’s cancer.

After some initial factual questions about Elizabeth’s condition, how they made the decision about the campaign, and what they told their kids, the inquisition began. Here are Couric’s questions challenging the decision to continue campaigning:

And I think some people wondered if you were in denial, if you were being realistic about what you were going to be facing here. …

Your decision to stay in this race has been analyzed, and quite frankly judged by a lot of people. And some say, what you’re doing is courageous, others say it’s callous. Some say, “Isn’t it wonderful they care for something greater than themselves?” And others say, “It’s a case of insatiable ambition.” You say? …

Here you’re staring at possible death…

And you’re thinking, “I don’t want to deprive the country of having my husband lead us.”  …

Some have suggested that you’re capitalizing on this.  …

Some people watching this would say, “I would put my family first always, and my job second.” And you’re doing the exact opposite. You’re putting your work first, and your family second.  …

I guess some people would say that there’s some middle ground. You don’t have to necessarily stay at home and feel sorry for yourself, and do nothing. But, if given a finite – a possibly finite period of time on the planet – being on the campaign trail, away from my children, a lot of time, and sort of pursuing this goal, is not, necessarily, what I’d do.  …

Even those who may be very empathetic to what you all are facing might question your ability to run the country at the same time you’re dealing with a major health crisis in your family. …

Can you understand their concern, though, Senator Edwards, that gosh, at a time when we’re living in a world that is so complicated and so dangerous that the president cannot be distracted by, rightly so, caring about his wife’s situation?  …

You said, this weekend, “I am definitely in the race for the duration.” If you want to give the honest answer, how can you say that, Senator Edwards, with such certainty? If, God forbid, Elizabeth doesn’t respond to whatever treatment is recommended, if her health deteriorates, would you really say that?  …

I’m not saying these aren’t fair questions by any means. What I am saying is that I was struck by how confrontational Couric was throughout the entire interview. Some of the comments posted to the CBS web site to the interview transcript are upset with Couric’s tone, as are the people commenting on this Daily Kos thread. It seems to me like Couric should’ve raised these issues in a less hostile way and also devoted time to more positive questions like Elizabeth’s plans to educate people about cancer, etc.

Some people on the Edwards blog weren’t so happy either. One notes that Couric “kept asking different versions of the same question over and over again: ‘Why continue when your wife could die from cancer.'” Someone else asks, “Did she give up her career when her husband was dying of colon cancer?” More reaction here and here and here.

Oden’s Block Beats Tennessee