The Sunrise Lowdown

Y'all Are Getting Shafted!!!

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH!:  I am a sports fan and also a believer in the free-market economy, but at some point enough is enough.  During my brief time here in the Palmetto state I have noticed that it appears the University of South Carolina should perhaps be spelled $outh ¢arolina instead.  If you want to watch this weekend’s non-conference football game against Louisiana Lafayette on TV you’ll need to fork out $25 bucks!  Yes, no freebies here.

Because this is a non-conference game against a team in a minor conference (Sun Belt), the game isn’t part of the SEC’s regular TV package.  As a result, USC controls the game and decided to extract some quick cash.

Certainly the University could have offered it to local over-the-air stations or perhaps even cable’s FSN.  But to suck more green from you Garnet and Black fans, the school wants you dish out this cash to watch amateur athletics.  Yes, remember, these athletes are not getting paid (aside from free scholarships, which certainly have value)  so someone is pocketing that cash, and it’s the University. 

ARE THE RAGIN’ CAGUNS WORTH $25 ON TV?: Well, let’s see what their schedule looks like. They play such big names like Florida Atlantic and Florida International, not to mention McNeese State and Middle Tennessee State.  Nothing against the above mentioned schools, but this isn’t top flight stuff worth $25.00 on the tube.

AND IF YOU’RE GOING TO THE GAME: Don’t worry, the $chool hasn’t let this pass by either.  This year, fat-cat donors are being charged for parking.  The State newspaper is reporting that The Gamecock Club is charging members for football parking for the first time (between $75 and $595 per space depending on location, $875 for RVs). The priciest of some 7,400 club spaces are 750 premium spots in paved lots adjacent to the stadium.  Wow, for $875 that parking space better be gold-plated!

HOW ABOUT GAMECOCK APPAREL?: Yes, the prices have also gone up with the switch from Russell Athletic to Under Armor.  Jerseys are at least 10 bucks more, T-shirts and hats are also more expensive.  Oh, who gets this cash, yes, the University! (All schools have contracts with the big shoe/athletic companies to supply their gear in exchange for big bucks)

THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD: So not to be accused of picking on USC, this idea of gouging die-hard college fans is spreading.  When I lived in Alabama, the University also hit up crazed Crimson Tide fans for $25.00 for a pay-per-view non conference game.  Those games were also against C-list opponents.  I’m sure other schools also do this with non-conference games but I don’t have the time to list them all.

IN THE BIG 10: The conference from which I graduated, it has teamed up with FOX Sports Net to create the Big 10 Network.  The Big 10 is charging cable and satellite outlets money to air the channel, and right now  many big cable outlets and Dish Network are refusing to meet the Big 10’s ransom.  As a result, I will be unable to watch my beloved Minnesota Golden Gophers play on the Big 10 Network this coming Saturday night. 

WHY CARE ABOUT THIS BIG 10 NETWORK?: yes, SEC and ACC fans, that’s a good question.  The reason is simple, eventually these conferences might try to create their own cable operations too.  Untimately SEC and ACC fans might end up either having to do more pay-per-view, or in the case of the Big 10 Network, get shut out because cable/satellite companies are not willing to pony up to the conferences demands. 

THIS LEADS TO MY QUESTION FOR YOU, THE FANS: Is USC getting greedy by increased parking fees, pay-per view TV and more expensive fan gear?

The Caitlin Controversy Won't End!!

Apparently the fervor over Miss Teen SC Caitlin Upton just won’t go away just yet.  Last night I was flipping around the TV remote and found several of the cable news outlets still talking about her, and her interview on NBC’s Today show.  FOX News Channel devoted time to the saga during its two most popular shows, “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Hannity and Colmes.” 

My question here is why is this news?  Sure, an attractive 18 year old gives a convoluted answer on national TV, but who cares!  One of our morning news staffers, who we’ll call codename “Sacul” wondered aloud yesterday, “come one, she’s hot, give her a break.”  My colleague is correct, if I were to harken back to my high school days, darn right I’d allow Caitlin to be my prom date, I’d even buy her a map if it made her happy. 

The point here is that this pageant was on Friday night and chances are probably few of you watched it on TV.  There are far more important things that the national networks should be talking about.  How about more news on the war on Terror, perhaps a segment on the dwindling Social Security trust fund, bridge and highway safety, or even more useful information about the housing and job markets? 

But apparently some of you are pretty worked up about this issue.  During one of our Today show cut-ins on Tuesday, my colleague Hannah Horne got a little tongue tied, and I interjected that she pulled “a Miss South Carolina.”  Well, this ad-libbed comment drew the ire of one viewer.  Here’s part of his email:  “ I think you can laugh at yourself if that happens to you, but to make fun of someone trying to represent our state of SC is awful and I think you should apologize for that to the viewers Wednesday morning.  Put yourself in her shoes, or better yet, put yourself in her fathers' shoes.  What if that was your daughter.  How would you handle a co-anchor like yourself sitting behind a desk with a live TV platform and making fun. “

Ok, now it’s your turn.  I want to know whether Caitlin’s flub was embarrassing for our state, or whether the media and YouTube made too big of a fuss? 

Brian's got football on the brain!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Perhaps the best part of my job has been traveling to different parts of the country and experiencing local customs.  For example, in my home state of Minnesota, Friday and Saturday nights are a big deal because that’s when college hockey is played.  Yes, the colleges up north have hockey teams, and many of the players end up having good pro careers.  During a November ratings period (that’s a time when TV stations like to do big stories since ad rates are set during that month) one Minnesota station did a big splash with undercover video showing some of the hockey players getting into local bars, even though they weren’t 21 yet.  Shocking isn’t it, that young hockey players have a taste for beer! 

ONE STATE TO OUR NORTH : they make a huge fuss over college basketball.  The TV stations spend big bucks sending crews to the NCAA tournament to follow each team, even though the NCAA bans local TV stations from shooting any video during a game.  If North Carolina’s Roy Williams or Duke’s Mike Kryzewski do or say anything even remotely out of the ordinary, it seems to be big news in the Tar Heel state

MY FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SEC FOOTBALL: was spending nearly 2 years in Alabama from 2000 to 2002.  Quickly I learned people in the Southeast take their college football mighty seriously.  You would think it was a national holiday when Alabama and Auburn played, the roads had far less traffic and it’s all people talked about the week before and after the big game.  Whenever I did a news story about the two teams, it got the same treatment like a political story, we had to make sure to give the same amount of time to both points of view or else we’d get slammed with people saying we liked one team over another.  So even though I hail from Big Ten country, I will admit that SEC fans take their football more seriously than anyone else and certainly the match-ups in the conference can’t be beat. 

AS FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN SC: it sure seems like in my brief time here that people are starved for some winning at both Clemson and USC.  When I say winning I mean conference championships, not just going 1 game over .500 for a year.  I have to wonder how long you, the Gamecock nation, will give Mr. Spurrier to produce a winning team?  How about Mr. Bowden at Clemson?  In my previous state of North Carolina, the coaches at both NC State and UNC got booted this past year, partly because the fans demanded more wins.  Yes, we all know that stuff about “student-athletes” is a bunch of hooey!  Y’all want winners, that’s why USC spent the big bucks to bring in Spurrier.  If Blake Mitchell had guided the ‘Cocks to a SEC championship last year, do you think he’d still be suspended for the season opener?  Just something to ponder.

TODAY’S QUESTION FOR Y’ALL: is this, which in-game experience is better, Clemson or USC?  I hope to make it to both stadiums this year for games, but I want to hear from you.  I want specific reasons too, not just a bunch of chest pounding about how good your team is!

Wednesday August 22

THANKS FOR THE BBQ TIPS: Yes, I have received many emails and as you can see, several postings to the site about your favorite BBQ place.  (keep them coming!) Now the best news, the big shots here at WIS have given me the green light to go out and compare some of the places you have suggested.  (still working on whether the station will spring for my lunch, although you’d think they should since it is a very legitimate journalistic endevour!)  Watch for our BBQ feature stories in the coming weeks!

FROM RALEIGH, NC TO COLUMBIA: has been my trek the last couple of weekends as I help my wife and family prepare for the move here.  During this voyage on I-95 and I-20, I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things.  First off, does anyone have an official count of the number of South of the Border billboards?  How much is their ad budget?  Hey, at least it gives folks something to look and perhaps laugh at on the long I-95 stretch.

MY FAVORITE SIGN IS ON I-20: is somewhere in between Columbia and Florence.  You know how most businesses have signs that either tell their name or what product they feature, well, there’s one that in giant yellow letters simply says EAT.  Yes, talk about cutting to the chase, they don’t tell you that the place is called, or what they have, they only tell you to EAT.  Even better, it’s lit up at night.  Next time I make the drive, I’ll snap a pic and post it.  Guess when you’ve already been driving for 2+ hours, the sign seems funny!

SPEAKING OF HIGHWAYS, this newcomer is fairly impressed with the highway system around Columbia, compared with my previous capital city of Raleigh.  It is nice that both 277 and I-126 dump you right into downtown. There should be no excuse for downtown revitalization with 2 highway connections and a riverfront to boot! Raleigh’s interstate of I-40 requires an exit and a drive on city streets to get downtown. 

BACK TO THE DRIVE, my favorite part of this job is the fact I’ve gotten to live in places I would not have imagined.  Both my parents and my wife’s parents have spent their entire lives in the upper-midwest, including the last 30-plus in the same houses in the Twin Cities in Minnesota.  While that may suit them, my past 10 years have included stops in South Dakota, Alabama, North Carolina and now here in Columbia. 

TODAY’S QUESTION FOR YOU IS THIS: Tell me your favorite back-road to just drive on in South Carolina.  If I’m bored on a Sunday, why should I take this road?  Like the BBQ question, hopefully in the future we can feature some of your suggestions on TV!

Hey, Who's This Guy?

OPENING DISCLAIMER: The concept of a blog is one that is a tough one for this particular journalist.  You often see people doing blogs where it is nothing more than someone blathering on about  their particular point of view.  In my view, broadcast journalism’s objective is to be just that, objective.  We all know of the numerous newspaper, TV and internet outlets that we all know biased to one side or another.  So, with that said, I will attempt to limit opinions and instead have a dialogue with you, the viewer, about this area and how a newcomer like myself is getting adjusted to life and work in Columbia.

HEY, WHERE’S THAT? This is perhaps the toughest thing for someone like myself to admit, but I really don’t know where a lot of things are around here.  I spent nearly 6 years as a reporter in Raleigh, NC and got to know the region and people quite well.  In fact, I would be the one who would sometimes snicker when other staffers or even management would ask “hey, where’s that town,” or “how far is that from the station?”  Well, apparently turnabout is fair play because now I’m the one probably being laughed at. 

THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE JOB: is by far getting quickly adjusted and knowing a little about everything.  Think about it, if you work for a major computer company and are relocated from one city to another and your job stays the same, then you keep doing the job but in another city. Think of a car mechanic or school teacher, while the cars or pupils are different, the essential knowledge base remains the same. While I still know how to do TV news, there’s a big learning curve to this job.  When I read a story about a shooting in Orangeburg, I hate to admit that I’ve never been there and certainly don’t understand how things operate there.  But not to worry, I have spent the past 10 years in this business primarily as a news reporter and I plan to get out of the WIS building a lot to meet people and see many places in our viewing area.

A NICE WELCOMING:  As previously mentioned, being in a city for the past 6 years brings a certain comfort level.  Coming in as “the new guy,” in a TV newsroom isn’t always easy.  Think about it, our job is to be nosey.  Also, we are very competitive in this industry, nobody wants to get beat on a story and often that competitiveness spreads internally.  Simply put, there are a lot of eyes watching you closely when you walk into an established TV newsroom. 

With the above said, I have worked at 5 stations in my 10+ year career and have never felt so welcomed as here at WIS-TV.  (Ok, really, I’m not just trying to be a kiss-up on my first full week here, although if they treated me badly, I guess I probably wouldn’t write about it on a station-sanctioned website right?)

I was surprised during my second to last week of work at my old Raleigh, NC station (WNCN-TV) that our very own Hannah Horne sent me a nice gift box of coffees and hot chocolates.  Certainly she didn’t have to do that, but the gesture was greatly appreciated (truth be told though, I don’t like coffee, but she doesn’t need to know that right!)  In addition, Hannah decorated around my desk with a big “Welcome Brian” sign that hung from the ceiling in the newsroom. It was sure an easy way to figure out where my desk was.

SINCE I’M THE NEW GUY around these parts, I want to hear from you folks about things in and around this area.  I will call it my question of the day, something you can ponder and shout back about.  So here goes, when I arrived in Raleigh 6 years ago, folks told me to try some Eastern, NC BBQ.  Let’s just say that first experience was accompanied with a “hey, where’s the bbq sauce?” question.  (If you don’t know, Eastern NC BBQ is a chopped pork product that’s vinegar based, there’s also Western NC BBQ, which has more of a thicker, more traditional bbq sauce)

WITH THAT SAID, TODAY’S QUESTION IS: WHAT’S UP WITH SC BBQ, AND WHERE’S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT FOR BBQ?

Please feel free to also explain that funky orange/yellow color of the SC bbq, help a reporter in need!