Leadership lessons from football

Correction alert. This post contained a misspelled name. Thanks DeAnn Smith, for helping me!


Saturday night, I watched the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on ESPN.  John was still in Connecticut, spending time with his brother so I was home alone, trying to amuse myself for a few hours.

I found the speeches to be profoundly moving.  At one point, I called Charlie during Jerry Rice's acceptance and demanded that he watch it.  I'm sure he thought I was crazy (or drunk).  I was neither.  Rice is not a great speaker, frankly.  But his words were powerful.

"My fear of failure drives me," Jerry Rice said.

Fear can be a powerful master.  It can paralyze you...or make you better.

Learning how to prevail in the face of fear is the single most important step one can take toward becoming a successful risk-taker and maximizing success.

Linebacker Rickey Jackson talked about the importance of his hometown.  He wants his name to be part of the "Welcome to Pahokee" sign where he grew up. 

I get that.  (Wagner, South Dakota, if I get famous????)

Floyd Little's son gave an incredible introduction and Floyd's message was simple--Don't focus on your weakness.  This is easier said than done.  Many of us our most critical of ourselves than we are of others.  Self-reflexion is important but keep it in perspective!

Emmitt Smith, however, took the night.  He did two things incredibly right.  First, he recognized his teammates, most notably Darrell Darryl "Moose" Johnston.  He said Johnston took care of him like a little brother and he began to tear up.  So did I.

Second, Emmitt Smith said that to win, you have to show up every day.

That takes effort.  It's hard.  The road to success is paved with obstacles, most of which are unseen.  I read "Fast Company" for manager tips and here's what one expert says about bringing your best, every day:

It's not an issue of results. It's an issue of momentum. When you believe you can have a positive impact, others believe it too. Everyone's inspired to action. And you build momentum. When you vacillate in that belief, others vacillate too. Action starts and stops. Momentum never comes. And you get resignation and exhaustion instead. In this way, delivering your best is not something you can turn off and on depending on circumstances. It must be a daily habit. It must be a manner of traveling.

There is no wait-and-see.  There is only now.

Summer songs--when did you get old?

A little old and some new...as I  try to renew my relationship with this blog after a very trying month. 

Losing Nick Dutcher  hit our news team harder than any of us could have imagined.  We all still miss his shout of "breaking news" from the assignment desk, his everlasting smile--and of course, his constant demand that you smile back.
I don't think anyone was truly surprised by the turnout for his home-going service (that's what they call it in the south, I prefer it to "funeral.") 

And if you didn't catch Nathan Shain's excellent story about the memorial...click here.

Nick's untimely death has us all thinking about our own mortality.  And the longer I live, the more I realize that I'm getting old faster than I ever thought possible.

Six years ago...on August 19, 2004, to be exact, I posted on my former blog, a when-did-you-reach-middle-age test that was the subject of a Chicago Tribune columnist post:

The claim: This test pinpoints exactly when middle age kicks in by identifying the first song on the list for which you don't know the melody.

The list:

August 1974: "(You're) Having My Baby" -- Paul Anka with Odia Coates

August 1975: "Jive Talkin'" -- the Bee Gees

August 1976: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" -- Elton John & Kiki Dee


August 1977: "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" -- Andy Gibb


August 1978: "Miss You" -- Rolling Stones


August 1979: "My Sharona" -- the Knack


August 1980: "Magic" -- Olivia Newton-John


August 1981: "Jessie's Girl" -- Rick Springfield


August 1982: "Eye Of The Tiger" -- Survivor


August 1983: "Every Breath You Take" -- the Police


August 1984: "Ghostbusters" -- Ray Parker Jr.


August 1985: "The Power of Love" -- Huey Lewis & the News


August 1986: "Papa Don't Preach" -- Madonna


August 1987: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" -- U2


August 1988: "Roll With It" -- Steve Winwood


August 1989: "Right Here Waiting" -- Richard Marx


August 1990: "Vision of Love" -- Mariah Carey


August 1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" --Bryan Adams


August 1992: "Baby Got Back" -- Sir Mix-A-Lot


August 1993: "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You --UB40


August 1994: "Stay (I Missed You)" -- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories


August 1995: "Waterfalls" -- TLC


August 1996: "Macarena" -- Los Del Rio


August 1997: "I'll Be Missing You" -- Puff Daddy & Faith Evans


August 1998: "The Boy Is Mine" -- Brandy & Monica


August 1999: "Genie in a Bottle" -- Christina Aguilera


August 2000: "It's Gonna Be Me" -- 'N Sync


August 2001: "Bootylicious" -- Destiny's Child


August 2002: "Hot In Herre" -- Nelly


August 2003: "Crazy In Love -- Beyonce featuring Jay-Z


August 2004: "Confessions Part II" -- Usher


For me, 1988. The year Charlie turned one. The year after I got back into TV news after a short detour into publicity and public relations. (yuck) The year Carly started kindergarten. I guess I was just too busy to listen to the radio and it killed my youth. Damn!

Eric Zorn updated his column last year and added some more tunes. 

If you're wondering about 2009, my simple research says that 2009's summer song is Jay Sean with Lil Wayne.  A tune entitled "Down."    Guess what?!  I know this one!

Unfortunately, this year could be a Bieber tune and I just can't go there.

Thou shall not kill. No exceptions.

I have been doing this TV news thing for a long time and still have plenty to learn but not much prepared me for the past five days.

On Tuesday afternoon, around 2:30p, Steve Kaut asked me if I had heard from Nick Dutcher.  Nick worked on our assignment desk and by now, most people who read this blog know that he was found dead in his home by the police we sent there for a "welfare check."

We found out at 4:30pm that Nick was dead and just before the 5pm news, I gathered as many of the news team as were available and told them.  Four hours later, we were dealing with the shocking news that Nick had been murdered.

Wednesday and Thursday are a blur as my team tried to deal with the shock of losing a sweet, gentle co-worker who was loved by many and the ethical decision-making involved with covering the story. 

I told them I didn't have all the answers about what we should do and that I wanted us all to talk out our next steps.

Marissa Cleaver, Sloane Heller and Najahe Sherman were the faces of our initial stories but many more were involved behind the scenes.  I am grateful for the guidance and advice of my co-workers.

Somewhat surprising has been the offers of help from our competitors.  I am grateful for that support.

These are challenging times for NBC Action News.  We are up to it.  But we're very sad, too.

I've moved on from the initial sorrow and now I'm mad as hell at whoever is responsible.

I love emotion-marketing. Gets me every time.

Since you been gone

I've been out of town so...blogging...not so much.  But I'm soo excited for this holiday weekend. 

I'm the MOC (manager on call, koo koo ka choo) so we aren't leaving town.  However, the challenge will be to convince John that we MUST attend KC Riverfest so I can see Head East Saturday night.

From the news release:

Head East has Missouri roots and has appeared in more than 5,000 concerts over the past 25 years. From St. Louis to Seattle and Dallas to Detroit, Head East has performed in every major city and market in North America. Led by founding member, keyboardist and producer Roger Boyd, Head East is one of the hottest, most exciting live shows touring today.

The "Flat as a Pancake" album was a staple in my college dorm room, my early matrimonial home(s) and I've rocked out to these songs like Dottie used to drink from her water dish.  Sloppy and with enthusiasm!

It's good to be back in KC and I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day.  America is grand!

Gooooaaaaallll!

The Swinging Bridges of Brumley, Missouri

John and I traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend.  We stayed in a fine hotel and at a fine lobster dinner and we also enjoyed some of the local sights.  For hilarity, nothing beats driving across a rickety bridge!

We wuz robbed!

I took the day off so I could watch the match with people.   

I was, by far, the oldest female in the room.  Gary Lezak was there early, to give his daily weather report.  And what fun it was, especially after the Yanks tied the game!  Yes, the referee made a huge mistake.  There was no foul and this game was stolen from USA.  Frank Boal and John Holt were there, btw.  John looks good and says he's feeling stronger every day.

Thanks, Border Patrol, for hosting this event!

Getting ready for the USA match tomorrow

I'm taking Friday off so I can watch the USA/Slovenia soccer match somewhere and cheer for the Yanks.  Charlie sent me this song (Official World Cup Theme Song) and it's now on my iPod. 

I've become a K'naan stalker and signed up for his fan club.

I love you Dad.

I sent my mom flowers for Mother's Day.  I sent my dad a set of DVDs about Route 66.  He's a big fan of the Mother Road and I think he'll enjoy watching some of the anecdotes about the old days. 

I'm sad that when John and I retire, we can't really follow it from Chicago to L-A.

Warning.  We don't intend to have a home in our later days. 

We think we have enough relatives so that with our (still to be purchased) mobile home of some sort (I'm still saying a 5th wheel, John thinks more like a Winnebago) we can spread ourselves out with the sisters, brothers, cousins and friends so we can see the remaining parts of North America that have eluded us through the job changes since we started moving around in 1990.

But I digress (as usual).  Mom and Dad drove a portion of Route 66 last year in this Ford pickup my father restored.  I'm still dying to drive this baby but he's pretty careful about who gets behind the wheel. 

I don't blame him, even though I haven't had a car-to-car incursion since...welll....Christmas Eve, 2009 when the snow was falling heavily in KC and some youngster slid into me from behind.  Not my fault!

Anyway, I am so darn lucky to have great parents who loved us a lot, provided for us every day and taught us all the value of hard work.  My sister Paula says that if you want a job done, just make sure there's a farmer's daughter on the team.  We don't know when to quit.

I hope you are lucky enough to still have your dad with you.  I pray that as we honor dads this weekend, you can thank your father in person.

And if we still know each other in twelve years, can we park in your driveway for a few days?

Soccer mom

I watched every second of Saturday's World Cup match between the US and England with my laptop open and Tweetdeck bleating every second.  Funniest tweet was from some fellow who wondered if the game was being played on the back of a giant mosquito.  (Vuvuzelas)

I wasn't alone.  The ratings for ABC were the largest for a soccer game since 1994.  Nearly 13 million households.  And almost everybody I know watched the match in a bar, not at home, as I did.  (I am getting boring in my old age!)

"Since Thursday, fans have consumed more than one million hours of World Cup content on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network, which is available in 50 million homes."

The draw is made even more amazing to me as we await word of Tim Howard's ribs.  Broken?  Not?

Here in Kansas City, KMBC has to be happy.  The game garnered a 10.3 rating and averaged a 22 share.  Not too shabby.

By the way, I DO NOT AGREE that vuvuzelas should be banned, as this Gawker article suggests.  I've been watching soccer for almost twenty years and truly, the buzz becomes background noise after awhile.  I don't even hear it anymore.

Maybe that's another sign of my advanced age....

Happy Friday!

Promotion!

Many from our investigative unit are in Vegas for IRE this week, including Jenn Strathman who will soon (sadly for us) be leaving Kansas City.  Jenn is transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland.  A larger market and closer to her family.  Jenn is an award-winning journalist and one of the hardest-working reporters I've ever known.  Here's the email I sent to the newsroom to announce her departure last week:

Cleveland scam artists should be afraid. Very afraid.

It is with mixed emotions that I announce Jenn Strathman is leaving Kansas City. She's transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland, WEWS.

For more than five years, Jenn has been tenacious as she tracked down crooks, exposed fraud and fought for consumers. Her file includes a letter of thanks from John Coughlin of Overland Park. His spelling isn't so great but the appreciation shines through. He writes "If it had not been for her effort we would still be waiting for a $2,000 refund…she did an outstanding job of putting the pressure on. She is a real asset to your organization."

I absolutely agree, Mr. Coughlin. I'm sorry to see Jenn go but I'm happy that she'll still be in our company.

In the meantime, Keith King will take over the Call for Action franchise.  If you're a consumer reporter looking for a challenge please apply! (go to http://www.scripps.com/ click on careers)

Jenn will be here for a few more weeks so you can send your congratulations...just click here and scroll down to the "contact" section on the right side.

Hakuna matata, Jenn!

Sah-weet! More on Lew (say that last part real fast)

Just got around to reading some of the other blogs about the Amy-versus-Al-who-is-the-journalist kerfuffle from Monday and I really, really appreciate this breakdown from KC Confidential.

A tip of the hat!

Asking tough questions is part of the job

Reporter Amy Hawley caught up with KU AD Lew Perkins today and asked a very pertinent question about his job security.  Mr. Perkins didn't appreciate the interuption of his golf game, apparently: 
Lew Perkins gets upset in interview after questioned about recent KU scandal - NBCActionNews.com

Incredibly, a reporter from WDAF, Al Wallace, was also there, recorded the whole thing and presented it as a "confrontation."  We were all amused when during the 6pm news, anchor Phil Witt appeared to congratulate our reporter for her tenacity.

Amy did her job.  Can't say the same thing for Al.

I'm breaking the rules (and I'm not sorry)

A few days ago, I found this advice to bloggers and I know I've broken Rule#4 many, many times since re-launching this blog.

To the folks who check this every day, I apologize.  I need to do better.

Frankly, I think about stuff I want to post here all the time but I just need to find the time.

Now that my management team at KSHB is set, maybe, just maybe, I can find the time to make this a daily habit again.

And if I don't?

Maybe I'll just go back to writing my book or posting my random, silly thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

(huh?)


Nahh.

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

Finish strong!

One day left of the May book and my first year at KSHB is drawing to a close.  I am so incredibly proud of the effort put forth by the team!  Today, for instance, we needed some help from the engineers and they didn't even blink.  The entire news department has endured even more changes as we unveiled a new web design today.  And we did it all sans the five open positions, soon to be filled, in news managers, assignment desk, producer and MMJ.

Every day of the sweep, our folks worked hard to find stories not to be seen anywhere else.  It's a marathon and a sprint and it is hard to maintain the pressure. 

I'm so pleased to report that in almost every newscast, we are up, year to year.

We can't/won't let up.  On to July!

Ethics question. What if the news is brutal? And you captured it?

When I showed John this photo, without any explanation, he thought it was a young man, hand-cuffed next to a van that had been shot up. 

He didn't know the 16-year-old was dead, apparently from police gunfire, after this young man and his father allegedly killed two police officers earlier in the day.  Two other cops were wounded in this shoot-out.

Death toll--four.  Wounded--who knows how many?

This picture is from Friday's front page of the Memphis CA.  I clipped it from their website and then discovered it was in the "top ten" for the Newseum's Front Page gallery.

Full disclosure.  The Commercial Appeal is a Scripps paper and I work for Scripps.  And as you probably know, I spent nearly nine years in Memphis at WMC-TV (formerly a Scripps TV station).

Here the CA's editorial boss explaining his decision to publish the photo.

And there's more. Here's a report from WMC after the shooting  about video they captured before the photo was taken.

My thoughts:  Sometimes news is ugly.  Sad.  Horrible.  It is our job to report the facts, as best we can, without bias, without judgement.  I don't know how this teenager and his dad got into so much trouble.  I don't know why they apparently shot police officers.  I'm sad for my friends in Memphis who are in law enforcement (and for the ones who have to report on it) because it seems like my former home town has had its share of senseless violence.

Four men died in the Mid-South yesterday.  One was just a kid.  It's the job of news gatherers in that community to do the best they can to discover the truth and report it.

The Commercial Appeal reporters and photographer did their job.  I salute their courage in publishing this photograph.

Letters, I get letters

Ten, even five years ago...when viewers/customers felt that we had made a mistake in coverage, they called the station.  Or sent a snail-mail (letter).  These days, it's easy for them to click an email off and let me know immediately that they disagree with my news judgement.

I got a classic a couple of weeks ago.  Let me set the stage.  We were in our afternoon editorial meeting when Gary (Assignment Desk) came in to report that someone had reported a gun on the KU campus.  We determined who we'd send but moments later, it became a search for a gunman on campus and a room-by-room search of a dorm.  We went on the air for just over an hour, preempting Dr. Oz.  As much as I appreciate the wisdom of Oprah's doctor, he garner's just a one rating here in Kansas City. 

Except William wanted to see that show.  So here's what William had to say:

Peggy;

You are out of control and should be fired.
Today, as I tried to watch Dr. Oz, I saw that you were freaked out once again.
Rather than the network programming of Dr. Oz, you were executing your version of "breaking news". I now know what you mean...."breaking in on " the network programming rather than waiting your turn at your assigned news presentation time slot. Not just a brief "this is happening" blurb, but a sustained gulp of stolen time to tell the public what you DON"T actually know. I don't give a tinkers damn what stray students might think about the hubbub at KU. Frankly, I don't care about anything happening at KU, but you should accumulate and sift the facts then present them at the "News Time".
Like your stupid weather reporting, even if I had offspring attending KU, there's not a thing I could DO about the events you were reporting.
Kindly pull you head out of the nether region and stay out of network programming.

My answer to William was to thank him for taking the time to share his concerns, that we take our responsibility to deliver news in a timely fashion seriously and that I was sorry our reporting of the breaking news interferred with his plans.  I apologized for that and promised to share his message with the appropriate managers at the television station.

Sometimes that works. 

But William, I fear, will be disappointed time and time again because we no longer have a "designated news time."

I understand his frustration.  I grew up like that. 

But the rules have changed.

When I was a child, the news came on at 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm.  No sooner, no later.  In South Dakota, except for the assassinations, the Viet Nam war, Nixon hearings and other random crazy shit that happened in the 60s and 70s, the local news stations didn't break into "regular programming." 

In SD, the big news happened far away and wasn't relevant.  Weather could have been important and relevant but  a tornado on the ground in Lake Andes (a handful of miles from our farm) didn't intrude on our soap operas and TV dramas either.  I remember standing with Mom and some of the other kids, watching a funnel cloud.  Dad ran in from the field and we all spent the next few hours in the basement.  Tornado watches?  Warnings?  Nope.  TV didn't warn us, that was not their job.

How much longer before Nashville gets significant attention?

I've been paying attention to the plight of Nashville and find the lack of MSM attention interesting.  Twenty-three dead, property damage is now estimated at $1.5 billion.

My friend Chez blogged about it and it reminded me of when I was in South Florida -- Hurricane Andrew destroyed a large portion of South Dade County and for a couple of days, it seemed like nobody was paying attention.  I was in Memphis when a freak summer storm left nearly a half million homes without power.   So here's a little bit from the Wayback Machine:

July 30, 2003.  More than a week has passed since The Storm hit Memphis.

My city is in shambles. As of this moment, more than 60,000 homes are still without power. In my own newsroom, Ursula Madden, Tracy Langlois and Janice Broach are all working in the newsroom by day and dealing with life in the Delta heat sans AC by night.
The storm and its wake killed seven people. The city and surrounding areas suffered damages in excess of $40 million. Assuming that each home has two occupants, it may be Friday before 120,000 have electricity. Yesterday, President Bush (may I say FINALLY) declared Shelby and Fayette a disaster area.
The weirdest thing about this whole thing (for me) has been the lack of national attention. No network crews, very little mention except for a couple of voice-overs on some of the networks. Tammy Robken got the attention of a CNBC producer yesterday and Tuesday night, Shelby County mayor A C Wharton did a "Kate Hale" on CNBC (anyone who was in South Florida during Andrew will know what that is, more than ten years later) and later tonight, NBC correspondent Kerry Sanders, will arrive in Memphis to put a story together for Thursday night's Nightly News.
Finally, some attention! Send money! Send baby food! Send trees!

Nashville's disaster is much worse than what Memphians experienced nearly seven years ago.  I hope somebody starts paying attention to them soon.

Mother's Day musings

It's was downright cold for our picnic at Clinton Lake!  We ate fast and retreated to the car to warm up.  But we enjoyed the history lesson at the Wakarusa Museum and the drive around the lake. 

We also spent a little time in Lawrence...

Things I think I think (tip of the hat to SI's Peter King)

Just like clouds are different, this post will be a mish-mash--a bit of a salad.  Some lettuce, some cucumbers, a handful of edamame, 3.5 ounces of boiled chicken and of course, the hottest sauce I can find with my fat-free, sugar-free, taste-devoid Ranch dressing...I eat it almost every day for lunch.

• My diet is about to enter the third month and I'm pleased to say that I've lost 30 pounds since it began on March 8.  Yes, I miss bread and potatoes but since some folks now mention that I look like I've lost a few -- that keeps me going!  And I feel great!  And so it continues...45 lbs to go.
• My manager hires are complete.  Brooke Givens (formerly Senior Producer, 5pm) is the new morning EP.  LaQunta Dixon (formerly Deuce at WHAS, Louisville) is the new evening EP.  Brett Akagi (formerly Senior Video Producer at Star Trib in Minneapolis) is the new Assistant News Director. 
• It's been too long since I've seen Charlie.  He'll be here at the end of the month and I can hardly wait.
• WTF with the stock market today?  We were busy with the serial rape suspect so I didn't know about the loss until it was moving back up again.   From the NY Times:  The near-instantaneous swings left brokers dumbfounded. Dermott W. Clancy, who runs a New York Stock Exchange broker, said Thursday was one of the five worst days he has seen in 24 years in the business. When the market dropped across all indexes in a matter of minutes, customers were calling him nonstop. Was it really the cause and effect of a misplaced letter in an order?  (A B instead of an M).  What happens to that guy/gal?  Do they at least get a verbal warning? 
• Man U is coming to KC!  Freaking awesome.  I missed the "friendly" in Baltimore last year even though I had tickets because we moved here.  God, I hope THAT doesn't happen again.
• That's all.  There's more but it's bedtime.

Weekend in Cedar Rapids

This picture of John in front of the Czeck/Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (closed on Sundays) is appropriate for our weekend.  I was the "keynote" speaker at the Iowa Broadcaster News Association convention this past weekend.

They couldn't find anyone else.

Here's a taste of what I told them:
When I was in Syracuse (just one winter, 125 inches of snow is a serious wakeup call) I hired a young reporter right out of college. Until then I’d never had a Facebook page. Until then I’d never hired a reporter based solely on his web resume. Until then I hadn't met Ray Villeda.

Believe it or not, Syracuse, despite the university, is not a destination market. And although the Orange are great at basketball and host one of the best J-schools in the nation, most of those kids are looking to get away from the eight month winter by the time they’ve finished four or five years of college. Ray, however, was different. He went to Ithaca College…(Ithaca is in the banana belt of Central New York…they only get about 70 inches of snow). Ray had no commercial television reporting experience but I hired him anyway. Sure he made mistakes but he was my project so we worked on writing, editing, presentation and six months in, he was leading newscasts with his stories.

It nearly broke my heart when I had to tell Ray and eleven of his-coworkers that it was over. Last in, first out. That’s the union way. The choices I made were dictated by a collective bargaining agreement and at the time, I almost quit TV news for good because it made me sick. I had hired some of the people we laid off that day and most are no longer in the news business. Ray’s story has a happy ending though. He worked at another station in Syracuse for a year and is now at WFSB in Hartford.

Those of us who remain, whether we’re managers or not, have a responsibility to work together as news gatherers—news is a team sport. I subscribe to many online resources to help me navigate the pathway of management and one I love is written by Jill Geisler, who lives in Milwaukee but is a leadership mentor at the Poynter Institute. She was the country’s first female news director of a major market network affiliate, and built an award-winning newsroom culture at WITI in Milwaukee, her home town. Hers was a teaching newsroom, where coaching and collaboration were as important as ethics and enterprise.

Here’s what Jill says about working in newsgathering today:

Your organization has cut staff, salaries and benefits, and it has asked employees to take on more work. If I ask about morale, the answer's obvious: It's taken a hit. But let's talk about how morale is measured and managed.

Morale can be measured across multiple dimensions. Consider who on your team might say:

I get satisfaction from my job.

I feel valued in this company.

I'm compensated fairly for my work.

I have a chance to grow.

People look out for each other here.

I respect and trust my boss.

I believe in what we do.

I think the leadership of this organization is moving us in the right direction.
When a substantial number of your co-workers find it hard to agree with a substantial number of those statements, morale is suffering.
What can you do about it?
First, take note that only one of those morale metrics deals directly with money. Make no mistake, money matters, and I never had a co-worker who demanded a decrease. Cuts hurt. But they're not necessarily fatal to morale.
That may come as a surprise to managers and employees who think money changes everything and assume that lowered wages and benefits dramatically impair engagement.
Bottom line? If you believe low morale is tied to dollars alone, you'll miss important opportunities to boost job satisfaction in ways that don't take a dime out of an anemic budget.

Can I get an amen?

Journalists should be careful with charges of racism - KansasCity.com

Best team in baseball (for now)

It was Zack Greinke bobblehead night at The K Saturday.  But it rained all day and John was growing increasingly irritable at the thought of sitting in the cold and wet ballpark.  Still, I convinced him by purchasing a Harmon Killebrew jersey because he didn't want me to be all dressed up with nowhere to go.  We snagged two of the soon-to-be valuable trinkets despite my attire.  Hooray!

It rained all the way to the ballpark and as we listened to the pre-game show on the radio, the announcer opined that the game probably wouldn't start until 8pm or so.  Buzz kill!

Miraculously, the rain ended just as we arrived and we walked through mist to the field.  John overheard a foursome ahead of us talking about Beale Street and struck up a conversation.  Turns out, one of them is Paige Heyward's sister.  (Paige is a producer at NBC Action News.)  Random!

Joe Mauer was incredible, as usual.  Almost hit for the cycle.

It was chilly and damp but really, not bad even though I was worried that the Twins wouldn't pull it off.  The Royals had numerous chances to win the game but three errors doomed them and the boys from Minnesota prevailed in the 12th inning.

I sure love going to baseball games!

Twins in town!

I agree with Ryan Kath.  If I can't live in Minneapolis, and frankly, it doesn't look like my career is moving in that direction, Kansas City is a pretty good place to be for a Twins fan.

I've got tickets to Saturday's game.  We'll be in Section 223.  I'll be wearing Twins gear; John will be disguised as a Royals fan.

He's so scary.

Seconds after the Chiefs picked Eric Berry in the NFL draft, my son Charlie called to say he wants an Eric Berry Chiefs jersey.

Best line of the day/week/maybe month?

"In my next life, I'm going to pose for Tony's Kansas City."

--Brooke Givens, new Executive Producer of NBC Action News

A taste of RTDNA

I used my Flip to document the five days of Radio Television Digital News Association and National Association of Broadcasters convention...I hope you get the sense that there's a lot of walking!

Shepard Smith and Haiti, 18 years ago

This came up during conversation at RTDNA in Las Vegas.  I remember this day very well.  It was scary for Shepard, Cesar Aldar and Moreau.  Tom and I look so...young!

Diet update...with some temptation thrown in

My diet is now four weeks old and according to my doctor, I've lost 22 pounds.  Awesome. 

The question is how I will respond to the temptations of NAB/RTDNA in Las Vegas!  Yikes.  I have a plan, though.  Good luck to me.

I just like this

Watching Women's Basketball, Musing All the While

 It was a strange Easter for John and me--the hardest thing about being Empty-Nesters?  Holidays were so much fun when the kids were little.  Hunting for the hidden baskets, then church, then a giant meal with ham as the centerpiece. 

We had none of those.  I was on call so didn't go to church at my chosen time and then, and then, and then we didn't go.

We did take a brisk walk through the woods that are greening up slowly.  We made phone calls to our loved ones.  We had a healthy lunch.  We made a late afternoon stop in the newsroom when the weather threatened.  Skytracker was up, Gary Lezak and George Waldenberger were at the ready but it was a passing cell that didn't cause much alarm.
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This cartoon is by Brian Fairrington, courtesy politicalcartoons.com.  The iPod was released this weekend.  Reviews are rolling in.  I found Jeff Jarvis' report to be most interesting, especially after seeing the list of MSM sites who've jumped on the bandwagon.

I didn't buy one.  Yet.
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Tiger Woods will talk to the media Monday at 1pm central.  That should be interesting.  I heard a soundbite from Tom Watson on the early news.  When asked what he would ask Tiger, Watson said "How are you hitting?"  My question would be "WHO are you hitting?"

Sorry.  The door was open, I ran through it.
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Tip of the hat to Commerical Appeal reporter Marc Perrusquia.  When I lived in Memphis, I always appreciated his hard work, his sources and his incredible pursuit of the truth.  Apparently, the company we work for agrees.
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And finally, a reminder that Doh!  I forgot to graduate! from a blog I love.  I,too, got into news sans a diploma.  There are times I wish I'd finished but most of the time, I'm ok with my choices.  By the way, John McIntyre is simply awesome.  You should add him to your Favorites.

Happy Anniversary John Phillip

Twenty-three years ago, I married a guy.  At the time, he was the love of my life but who knew if it would last?  From Reno to Miami to Tulsa to Boston to Chicago to Memphis to Syracuse to Baltimore to Kansas City, John has been my rock.  Last year, I forgot to buy a card so made a list of the reasons why I'm one lucky gal.  This year, I thought I'd try again and it was easy to come up with 23 more!

1. I love your fiendish attacks on word puzzles in the newspaper.

2. I love going to baseball games with you, despite your misguided worship of the Yankees.

3. I love how helpless you are when you get sick.

4. I love that when I told you last May that we were probably moving AGAIN you didn’t flinch (much).

5. I love how gentle you are when helping my mom.

6. And for that matter, I love how much you love being with my family. OUR Family.

7. I love how you sold our Baltimore house, all by yourself, saving us thousands of dollars.

8. I love house-hunting with you in Kansas City.

9. I love the movies you pick for us to watch on Netflix. Well, almost always.

10. I love finding new recipes on the internet for us to try. And I can’t wait until I’ve lost enough weight so that we can do it again!

11. I love going to the grocery store with you, even when you wander off and get lost. Oh yeah, it’s me who gets lost.

12. I love how you’ve supported my diet and haven’t complained, not once, about the plain meals we eat now.

13. I love your annual ritual of studying college basketball for days before completing your NCAA brackets…and how surprised you are when you don’t win.

14. I love your fierce loyalty to Carly and Charlie, no matter what choices they make.

15. I love that you hate to attend social functions but always do, anyway.

16. I love how, once you arrive at said social function, you mingle and are charming and funny. Did I tell you we have to go to The Fur-Ball on May 8th?

17. I love how you helped me survive my very sad 53rd birthday this year when we had to say goodbye to our darling Dottie.

18. I love that you had the strength to stay with her the whole time because I couldn’t.

19. I love how you’re getting more interested in politics.

20. I love your patience with Billy.

21. I love how we can’t get through Omaha without some drama. But now, after all these years, we just laugh about it instead of getting into a fight.

22. I love how people wonder how/why I, a well-known bitch-on-wheels, got so lucky.

23. I love that coming up with a new list next year won’t be too hard!

Haley Has a Sense of Humor? Awesome!

Love the Local News Queen.

Check out this new blog by an anonymous TV reporter!

She's smart and sassy and I love her writing.  Sadly, I don't think she'll remain anonymous for long.  When I first started blogging, I considered keeping my name off my opinions.  I decided the effort it would take to hide my identity would be impossible to maintain.

From the Wayback Machine--March 31, 2003

Here's a look at what was on my mind seven years ago (from the first blog):

How can it possibly be the end of March already?
I've had it with "March Madness" since my two brackets are now worthless pieces of paper. I only had Marquette in the Final Four on one slip and not in the championship game. There's always next year.
I guess I hope Syracuse wins and then it will be interesting to see if Carmelo Anthony stays in school or heads to the NBA draft.
Speaking of NBA, the Grizzlies play the Lakers (at LA) in about a half hour. I will watch some and maybe all of the game, even though those west coast games wear me out. Last night's heart killer against the Clippers just did me in. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.
On to the war. I thought I was outraged by Michael Moore's comments at the Oscars. Then Peter Arnett topped him and all previous.
Our viewer email was frighteningly angry. Some of those people seriously think Arnett and Joe Birch share an office except when we dispatch Arnett to Baghdad. Yikes!
I caught up on some reading tonight--I read Digital TV and enjoyed Scott Jones' advice about agents. Mr. Jones, as you know, is the founder of the newly upgraded FTV.  I agreed with almost everything in the column EXCEPT the part about market size. He believes you don't need an agent until you're in the top 60 markets. I say half that is fine. Top 30.
Of course, my postion on agents may be clouded by the fact that I'm in the top 43rd market. However, I do know that NDs at this level don't have as much wiggle room in the salary line of budgets with which to negotiate.
I also read a Sports Illustrated article on Bill Clinton and golf...and how much he cheats. It's in last week's issue, the one with the aforementioned March Madness on the cover. Unfortunately, it's not a linked story so you'll have to borrow or buy the issue to read it. Even if you don't like golf, I think you'll enjoy the perspective. The former president doesn't do "mulligans," he does "Billigans."
It's news time, I gotta go watch the 10p and then see how Lorenzen handles Shack. Or not.


posted by pp @ Monday, March 31, 2003

Happy Snowy Saturday--First Day of Spring!

On this, the First Day of Spring, a bunch of NBC Action News 5 (thank Mark, for pointing out my mistake)  staffers got up early to welcome the day by starting our morning news an hour early so that we could report on the (hopefully) last winter storm of the season.

I didn't get pics of everybody--Brandon Billinger, Beth Vaughn, Keith King and Chris Morrison were out in the snow and slush; overnight Assignment Editor Stephanie Liebergarden had gone home to sleep before I started snapping photos.

Here's George Waldenberger and Eric Schultz on the street near the station.

Videotape editing and web publishing are inside jobs.

Obviously, it's a bit chilly in the control room.

Gary and Najahe with the crack studio crew.

And last but not least, Charlie Ray, keeping it all together in the newsroom.

Happy St. Pats!

I'm not Irish...but I offer this for your holiday listening.

Excellent Movie!

It's only taken me seven years to watch this film about Stephen Glass and his made-up stories written for "The New Republic."  If you haven't seen it, grab it on DVD...and make sure you see Steve Kroft's interview with the real liar on "60 Minutes."

Me. On a Diet.

I read this today about Rex Ryan getting the lap-band surgery.  And this about Weight Watchers.  And this about how I can blame genetics for my "bigness."

See?  I can hardly write the word obese.  It's an ugly word, especially when spit out like a nasty taste by the little cartoon trainer on my Wii Fit machine.

(sigh)

I've been overweight for most of my adult life.  The only time not was during the post-divorce days in the mid-80s.  Since then it's been one diet after another.  I'd lose a little and then, eventually, gain back more.  Classic yo-yo.

I'm now under a doctor's care and following the diet she recommends.  Aside from a daily sublingual dose of HCG it's mostly protein -- steak and/or chicken and veggies.  No starch, no sugar.  No wine.  And no whining.

I started the plan when I was in South Dakota last weekend and I'm doing this for the people you see in the picture.  Mostly, it's for the one right in the middle.  Me.

/p

When I Read the Headline, I did a Doubletake

A television station in Georgia triggered a panic when it broadcast a mock half-hour report about a Russian invasion of the country.

And then I realized I was thinking of the wrong Georgia.
 
Just goes to show that for some of us, the Cold War is not such a distant memory!

Snow on the Prairie Farm

Check this out.  We are in South Dakota to see the family.  Saturday afternoon it snowed for about an hour.  Huge fluffy flakes.  I tried to capture the magic with my camera.  These were taken with a fast shutter (1/2000) and a flash. 

The images are almost devoid of color except when the flash hit something other than snowflakes.

This old schoolhouse (with a Case tractor in front) is a copycat of the one I attended for the first four years of elementary school in the mid-60s.  I learned to read via Dick, Jane and Sally in a schoolhouse like this.  One teacher, eight grades.

My dad uses it as a shop and he restored a 1951 Ford pickup in there.

These three evergreen trees are just west of the house.  The one that leans is that way because of a tornado that hit it in the summer of 1998.

The road to town is just beyond those trees

This is Millie.  She will be glad when winter is over.

Post-Olympics Hangover? Nope!

An interesting seven days.

We survived our first week off the Olympics teat and I'll be happy if our performance is indicative of the future.  We remained competitive in the early evening and late newscasts (number one last night at 10pm!).  We have work to do in the morning but I know once the team is complete on both sides of the camera, we will be on our way.

Friday was Craig Allison's last day.  I can truthfully say he is one of the most thoughtful General Managers I've ever worked with and I will miss him greatly.  I'm excited, though, for the future because our new boss is definitely engaged in the battle at hand.

KCTV is advertising for a "sportscaster."  What an old-fashioned term!  Remember when the former sports director for KCTV was on the cover of "The Communicator" in a story about how sportscasts didn't drive viewers etc etc?

From where I sit, the other stations in Kansas City have ceded sports to us.  We were the only broadcast outlet to send a crew to Surprise, AZ for Royals spring training.  That shocked me, given the performance of Zach Greinke and Billy Butler.

It's ok if they try to catch up.

From My Google Reader

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This Week in Review: Surveying the online news scene, web-first mags, and Facebook patents its feed

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