$25 on Golden State
Good morning, all! I hope you had a great weekend!!!
Virginia is the latest state to legalize betting on sporting events, although bettors will not be permitted to wager on Virginia college teams. Presumably it is okay to bet on college teams outside the state. Go figure.
The first bet was placed on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. via cellphone, with a $25 wager on Golden State to beat the New York Knicks. That should have been a lock, right? The Warriors may not be the Warriors of old but they were playing at home against the Knicks. Besides, Golden State is improved over last season. New York won, 119-104.
Ah, the dangers of gambling. It does not matter. States are tripping over each other for fast cash and how best to dip into your pockets. Lotteries are not enough. Heck, it is so easy, you can bet from your cellphone. Who needs bookies, betting slips or runners? Download the app and you are off to the races.
Virginia was in a hurry to get its betting infrastructure up-and-running, before the Super Bowl, arguably the biggest betting day of the year. Meanwhile, the major sports leagues are all in on placing wagers on their games. As interest diminishes - ratings are down for every sport, particularly among younger demos - what better way to revive enjoyment that to allow one to get a cut of the action?
We now live in a world where up is down and down is up. All that was frowned upon in sports, for example, is now embraced. And speaking of embraced, it may be time for a change in the commonwealth’s slogan. Instead of “Virginia Is For Lovers,” maybe the line should read “Virginia Is For Bettors.”
TV sports networks taking a hit
It is a new year but the same old story for regional and even national sports networks. Last week, several regional sports networks announced cutbacks and one national network is turning off the channel. NBCSN is closing up shop after 2021, shifting its remaining sports coverage to the USA Network and its streaming service Peacock. Looking to appeal to the younger demo, more and more networks are transferring their programming to streaming services.
And it wasn’t only NBCSN announcing major changes. NBC Sports Chicago is laying off personal. And MASN, home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals announced employee and programming cuts too. There will be no more pre and postgame shows for Orioles and Nationals baseball. Long time Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne is out. Joining Thorne with pink slips were Rick Dempsey and Mike Bordick. The Birds also revealed that venerable radio broadcaster Jim Hunter will not be back.
The pandemic and lower ratings are being blamed for the changes. I also suspect that age has something to do with it. Thorne turns 73 later this year and these days, unless you are running for President of the United States, the appeal is to that coveted younger demo, meaning voices that sound younger and work at lower salaries. Hey, they don’t put NFL games on Nickelodeon for nothing.
Four future managers in one game
In Friday’s letter I mentioned that my friend Jeremy Pollutro released a radio broadcast of the New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals game from June 3, 1970 on his You Tube channel. Listening to it was like listening to back to the future.
The Royals pitching coach in that game was Bob Lemon. Four days later he would be named the manager of the Royals and later would go on to manage the Yankees to the 1978 World Series championship. The third base coach for the Yanks in that game was Dick Howser, who would someday manage the Yankees and later the Royals to the 1985 World Series title. The left fielder for the Royals was Lou Piniella, who would later manage the Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds to the 1990 World Series championship. And the Yankees’ shortstop was Gene Michael, who would someday manage the Yankees and the Cubs. After his managing days were over, he went on to run the Yankees front office, during the second of George Steinbrenner’s suspensions, and he more than anyone else was responsible for building the Yankees dynasty of the 1990s.
Remembering Hank Aaron
The great Hank Aaron died on Friday at the age of 86. I had the honor of giving Aaron a ride in my car and also interviewed him. I explain it all in my latest The Baseball Beat podcast, which you can hear by clicking on the show art below.
Did he make the catch?
That will do it for today’s newsletter. Below I will leave you with a video clip from the old Yankee Stadium. In the first game of a weekday June doubleheader from 1966, the game ended with the Orioles beating the Yankees on this game-saving catch by Frank Robinson. Or did he catch it? No replay review back then. By the way, the batter was Roy White. Watch how Yankees manager Ralph Houk goes out and argues. They don’t argue like that anymore do they? Enjoy, and as always, thank you for your support.
SPORTSCASTER DAN