Each week there are some stories that come to our attention through our inbox or on Twitter and elsewhere that we may not have the chance to cover during the week. Quick Hits is a chance to share those stories with you…
Tweet Costs Browns Beat Writer (PFT)
Usually it’s athletes that are getting into trouble with the Mistakenly Sent Tweet That Was Supposed To Be A DM. This week, one errant tweet cost a member of the media his job. Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was relieved of his duties as beat reporter for the Cleveland Browns by the paper. The tweet he accidentally sent out was about Browns owner Randy Lerner and, well, let’s just say Grossi isn’t a fan…
“He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world”
I actually wouldn’t mind the title Most Irrelevant Billionaire in the world. There’s heavier crosses to have to bear. The Plain Dealer will assign Grossi elsewhere within the sports department after his disdain for Lerner was made public. No doubt a large portion of Browns fans probably agree with Grossi’s assessment. So the bad news for Grossi is that he will no longer be covering the Browns after 20 years of service. The good news is… he will no longer be covering the Browns.
Michael Strahan Bullies People On Twitter? (Deadspin)
Speaking of members of the media getting in trouble on Twitter… if you’re Michael Strahan, a man who played in the NFL for a living, and now works in television… is it really wise to be telling women on Twitter to “get your DAD’s d*ck out of your mouth?” Yea, probably not. The series of DMs Strahan sent one follower is cyberbullying, plain and simple. It’s disgraceful. And given his history of Tweeting not so smart things, Fox needs to publcly take some kind of action. Strahan hasn’t tweeted since the Deadspin story three days ago, so stay tuned.
Kurt Warner To Host USA Network Reality Show (Fox)
NFL Network’s Kurt Warner will take his grocery store to Super Bowl story to reality television on USA. The new show will be called “The Moment” and will have people training to live out their dreams. According to the Fox article:
“From race car driving to orchestra conducting to deep sea diving, they will leave behind the comforts of home and leap into a whirlwind of training,” the cable network said in a statement announcing the nine-episode series.
At the end, contestants will have to decide whether they will leave the lives they have always known to pursue their ambitions.
I’m confused – does Kurt Warner get in the race car or go deep sea diving too? Is there some sort of Saw movie type dilemma where these people will have to choose real life over reality TV life? Unless GTL, roses, or some sort of castaway situation is involved, it’s hard to imagine this series being hugely successful amongst reality shows.
NBA Ratings Way Up After Lockout (Media Life)
And finally, great news for the NBA which surprisingly sees ratings increasing even after a lockout caused more than the first month of the season to be cancelled. TNT has seen its ratings up an incredible 67% while NBA TV has set ratings bests and ESPN has also pulled in strong numbers. It falls in line with the prevailing wisdom that as long as the season was saved, fans would come back to the Association. With the NBA stronger than it has been post-Jordan, it leaves me even more thankful the league and players were able to come to their senses. And this news of the NBA’s ratings trending upwards comes as several other sports are faced with declines. With LeBron still in Miami, now two strong LA teams, and intriguing stories surrounding other marquee teams, the 66 game season may prove to be one of the most interesting in a long time.
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