Suspension of Disbelief

The Tailgate - My Final Photography Project

2011-12-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Packers Radio Annoncer Wayne Larrivee Joins the Sunday Huddle

2011-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Wayne Larrivee has called Packers games since 1999, and he called Chicago Bears games for 14 season prior that. He's done basketball, baseball, professional, and collegiate football, and he was kind enough to join us on the Sunday Huddle to share his incites on his career, the Packers, Aaron Rodgers, the Monday Night Football game against the Vikings, and more!

Watch the NFL Joins The Sunday Huddle In Studio

2011-11-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Michael Koval, President of Watch the NFL, joined the Sunday Huddle to discuss the new Wisconsin annicitaive to bring fans of every NFL team together to watch their games. The mission: leave no fan behind! You can find out more about Watch the NFL on their Facebook page.

The NFL King of the World - But Where is MNF?

2011-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Take a moment to review these numbers - the list of the 20 most watched shows of the fall 2010 TV season. Notice a pattern?

Program (Game)     Viewers
1. FOX Thanksgiving Day (Saints-Cowboys), 11/25          31.9 million*
2. CBS Sunday National (mostly Patriots-Bears), 12/12            30.5 million
3. FOX Sunday National (mostly Packers-Eagles), 9/12            28.0 million
4. CBS Sunday National (mostly Colts-Eagles), 11/7            27.8 million
5. CBS Thanksgiving Day (Patriots-Lions), 11/25            27.8 million*
6. NBC Thursday Kickoff (Vikings-Saints), 9/9                            27.5 million*
7. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Colts), 12/5            27.4 million
8. CBS Sunday National (mostly Raiders-Cowboys), 9/19           27.0 million
9. FOX Sunday National (mostly Eagles-Bears), 11/28              26.6 million
10. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Giants), 11/14     26.2 million
11. FOX Sunday National (mostly Bears-Packers), 1/2/11       26.1 million
12. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Vikings), 10/17        26.0 million
13. NBC Sunday Night Football (Eagles-Cowboys), 12/12            25.7 million*
14. CBS Sunday National (mostly Jets-Steelers), 12/19              25.7 million
15. NBC Sunday Night Football (Vikings-Packers), 10/24       25.7 million*
16. NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Redskins), 9/12        25.3 million*
17. CBS Sunday National (mostly Vikings-Patriots), 10/31        25.2 million
18. FOX Sunday National (mostly Giants-Packers), 12/26          24.3 million
19t. ABC Dancing with the Stars (season finale pt 2), 11/23        24.2 million
19t. NBC Sunday Night Football (Packers-Patriots), 12/19          24.2 million*

The numbers by network add up to:

FOX: 8/20
CBS: 6/20
NBC: 5/20
ABC: 1/20

But the most important (and obvious) conclusion drawn from the stats is:

NFL Football: 19/20
The World: 1/20

In the Land of TV programming it’s the NFL vs. the World... and the competition is not close.

I put up the total numbers for each major broadcast network (the CW did not have a show qualify) because I wanted to draw attention to ABC whose Dancing With the Stars season finale was the lone non-football program to crack the top twenty, but also stands alone as the only network to not broadcast NFL action. They used to though - on a little show called Monday Night Football.

Quick history lesson. The above numbers, ironically, might never be what they are without ABC, the network that pioneered and perfected the NFL on prime time (Monday and Sunday Nights). Prior to 2006, ABC broadcast Monday Night Football and ESPN, ABC’s sister cable network (both under the Disney umbrella), showcased Sunday Night Football. FOX and CBS split the day games, leaving NBC the lone network out in the cold.

In 2006, ABC, ESPN, and the NFL struck a deal that moved MNF to ESPN, discontinued ABC’s presence on SNF, and opened the door for NBC to stake a claim in what NBC sports chairman Dick Ebersol called, “the best deal you can get in television.” The network signed a deal with that would pay the league $600,000 per game through 2011.

This is the way NFL broadcasts have been structured since 2006, and with both NBC and ESPN re-upping their deals within the past few months, will be the structure for the foreseeable future.

An unbelievable fountain of almost certain ratings wealth flows from football broadcasts. Yet Disney, by choosing to broadcast their only game of the week on a cable channel (ESPN) versus a network (ABC), eliminates themselves from the ratings competition. Everyone with a digital receiver can tap into network broadcasts, but only households with select cable subscriptions can enjoy ESPN.

In 2010, ESPN’s MNF averaged 14 million viewers over 17 telecasts. NBC’s SNF averaged an incredible 21.8 million viewers over 18 broadcasts and went undefeated versus the competition en route to becoming the number one prime-time program of the year. Even though both ESPN and NBC offer the same product, a cable channel cannot compete with the numbers NBC posted in 2010 on a weekly basis. The 2010 BCS National Championship Game (Auburn vs. Oregon) became the most watched cable program of all time, drawing 27.3 million viewers - but one game does not a series make.

More than likely, however, Disney does not care about competing with NBC for prime-time ratings. While they stumble to keep up in numbers, they undoubtedly reap an incredible profit. ESPN charges more per subscription than any other cable channel. Subscribers pay about $5 per month for ESPN and ESPN2 even if they don’t watch it.

So do the math. If 14 million viewers watch a game, each of them paying $5 per month for access to the channel, Disney makes more than enough off of subscriptions to pay any attention to how they fare in the ratings.

Ultimately, its the fan that lost in 2006 when Disney decided to shift its prime-time coverage away from ABC. Not the 14 million people with a cable subscription, but the millions more - like me - forced either to pirate games or go to a bar.

The television industry views NFL games like a pot of gold. As the eye-popping numbers in my first chart suggest, there is no better guarantee for an audience on any other entertainment platform, especially amongst the “critical audience” of 18-49 year-olds. ESPN’s Monday Night Football draws staggering numbers for a cable program, they pull incredible numbers from national advertisers, and subscription fees; therefore, nothing - not even ratings - would force Disney to make the move back to network television.

Wisconsin vs. Neraska, Gameday 2011

2011-10-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

My first venture into the world of film photography. These are some pictures I took from the Wisconsin Nebraska Game when ESPN came to town. I shot, developed, and printed everything myself.

Student to Student: Jordan Kohout

2011-10-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

I talked to defensive lineman Jordan Kohout about his academic life and the challenges facing student athletes.

Advertisers Ignore Millions of Viewers

2011-10-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

Article: Women Comprise Large Part of the Sports Audience

Tom Van Riper, Forbes.com

Trucks, Wrangler Jeans, and Danica Patrick teasing to take her clothes off… If you watch football on Sunday’s you will see commercials for these products played ad nauseam, and the logic behind this practice is one of the basic laws of advertising – niche marketing.

Advertisers target programming for their commercials that they feel resonate with a specific audience. A show on Lifetime may be accompanied by commercials for dippers and JC Penny while the same show on FX may show commercials for ties and video games. In this vein, advertisers assume that men make up the vast majority of the sports watching population; therefore, both the products showcased and the way certain commodities are depicted reflect that assumption.

This logic, however, is not quite as hegemonic as advertisers make it seem.

According to a study by Tom Van Ripe of Forbes.com, “Females account for more than a third of 14 million-plus people that tune into major events like the NBA Finals, World Series, Daytona 500, and Stanley Cup Finals according to data from Nielsen Media Research.”

Even more impressive than this stat line, a whopping 45.9% of the 111 million viewers who tuned in to the Super Bowl in February were female. These more than 50 million women tuned in to watch the game for sure, but they were also treated to a healthy does of commercials depicting men eating pizza, men going to bars, men driving cars, men playing fantasy football, men eating Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos, and grilling an assortment of brats and burgers on stainless steel grills.

Women make up a larger than expected proportion of the population watching sports, particularly the Big Three of football, baseball, and basketball, but advertising continues to reflect the age old ideology of sports as being a male-oriented cult.

So what does this mean for niche marketing? Are advertisers failing to capitalize on a a fairly substantial female, sports-watching population by not throwing in a tampon commercial between ones about big, beefy trucks?

Not necessarily. As Stephen Master, head of Neilson Sports, points out, “The mass audience for big sports events tends to cater to mass consumer goods, many of which can appeal to both sexes. Those Budweiser ads are aimed at men. But with women in charge of the grocery shopping in most households.”

Master’s point is certainly true, but brushes past what I find to be the core of the problem with advertising during major sporting events – even for mass consumer products, they fall far short of the line I would consider to be gender neutral.

Take this Miller Light commercial for example.

Miller Light Unmanly Choice Commercial

In the spot, a team of busty bathing-suit clad women “rescue” someone from the “unmanly” decision of drinking a light beer that isn’t Miller Light. Beer would be considered a commercial product, as it is something both women and men enjoy. This commercial, however, targets a specifically male audience by using sexy women to paint the picture of drinking Miller Light as manly.

While this commercial is only one example, the fact remains that if women make up millions of viewers and, as Master’s depicts, are the ones “buying the groceries,” why do advertisements for commercial products like Pizza Hut, Coors Light, and Buffalo Wild Wings continue to either objectify or omit women entirely?

The reason is simple. Advertisers still believe the in hegemonic notion of sports consumption as a strictly “male thing to do,” and despite the fact that women – particularly since the 1990‘s – have rapidly closed the gender gap, advertisers view the pairing of men and sports as something common sense, and commercial’s content, not necessarily the products themselves, reflect this.

A football game is not the place for strictly female-oriented advertising, but as the Neilson ratings point out, it is not the place for strictly male dominated commercials either. If advertising truly wanted to target the audience tuning into the programming, they should neutralize their advertising campaigns.

Badger Sports Report - Student to Student with Kenzel Doe

2011-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

From August 31, 2011. I talked to WR Kenzel Doe, a true freshman about playing in his first game from the Badgers (vs. UNLV)

Badgers at Soldier Field

2011-09-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Even though I hate doing this, I have to give the Bears some credit. Soldier Field is a beautiful stadium. I'm still not sure what I think about the view from Michigan Avenue. The outside - the strangest mixture of architectural styles I've ever seen - looks like a UFO crash landed on the Parthenon. Inside though, I was blown away.

Highlights from the trip...

Just being on the sidelines at an NFL venue
Bucky rolling once again
Seeing how many Badger fans made the trip and how loud they cheered for Big Red
Standing on the 20 yard line BJ Raji intercepted Caleb Hanie in the NFC Championship game (the above pic was taken in the endzone he scored in)
Getting to peak into the locker room where the Packers were awarded the George Halas trophy
Meeting some of the Chicago press
Enjoying the beautiful fall weather (a perfect football Saturday)
Eating the free press food (hot dogs and hambergers)
Driving through the Wisconsin countryside to get there

Fox Sports Blurs Lines Between Football and Reality TV

2011-09-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Flashback to January 2011. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers renew the oldest rivalry in the NFL with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line...

It’s the third quarter. The Bears, down at Soldier Field, try to mount a comeback while their starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, slumps on the sidelines and shields himself from the freezing temperatures with a space blanket. Fair or not, Jay Cutler left this last impression on the media, the fans, even other players around the league, before fading away into lockout-infused offseason obscurity.

Fast forward to Sunday, September 18th, 2011. The Bears travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints at the Superdome and the broadcast belongs to Fox Sports. During the game, announcers Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnson, naturally, find the time to discuss Jay Cutler and the questions concerning his toughness that continue to haunt the much maligned quarterback.

So far, nothing unusual. Addressing the issue is good journalism. It’s early in the season, and many fans had not glimpsed Cutler since the ill-fated championship game. If I’m Fox, of course I want to address a controversial topic on air... what could possibly go wrong?

Here’s what.

In a new twist on the “Cutler’s toughness” saga, Fox superimposed images of newspaper headlines over pictures of the Bears quarterback on the sidelines. The announcers then make the claim that “These are the actual headlines from the local papers in Chicago,” following the NFC Championship.

“Cutler Leaves With Injury”

“Cutler Lacks Courage”

“Cutler No Leader”

All of these so called headlines could have been (and were) claims made by, well, anyone and everyone in January. The only problem with Fox’s “journalistic evidence” is that not one of these headlines actually appeared in a “local Chicago paper.”

Unlike Fox, the Chicago Tribune did a little digging and what did they discover:

"The whole production rang false to us. The headlines didn't look real. The language used in them was off. And since we know that most Chicago media had defended Cutler, we looked into it. We searched throughout Illinois newspapers for those headlines — Tribune, Sun-Times, Daily Herald, every other paper in the state.
What did we find?
Nothing.
In fact, we could not find any such headlines in any newspaper in the United States."

Wait a second. Am I claiming that television programming actually lied?

Yes I am. And through their lie, Fox blurred the line between live sports coverage and reality television such that their broadcast became Jersey Shore meets the National Football League.

Most people, when they watch television, suspend their disbelief. They understand the program, even if it claims to be “reality,” is at best a scripted one - influenced by producers and distributors clamoring for ratings. Fox is a network. They want to create a compelling argument as to why a viewer should tune in to the Bears Saints game on their network, as opposed to the Buffalo Bills versus Oakland Raiders game airing on CBS at the same time. By hyping up the Cutler story line, they hoped to give viewers another reason to watch, another compelling story line to follow.

Through their lie, however, Fox discredited the authenticity of their broadcast, because (go figure) football is not Jersey Shore. The reality should not have to be scripted. Live sports production predicates itself on being a window into the ball-park. The viewer watching at home and a fan in the bleachers should see the same thing. The only scripts that should exist are the laminated ones clutched tightly in the fists of the coaches on the sidelines.

Fans found the Jay Cutler story line infuriating, amusing, and interesting all off-season - without lies. Besides discrediting their authenticity, Fox also painted itself as lazy by airing the fabricated headlines. As the Chicago Tribune points out, if network executives had dug a little deeper they would have found this gold mine of a quote courtesy of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, "Hey I think the Urban Meyer rule is effect right now... When the going gets tough........QUIT."

Plenty of people had plenty to say after the NFC Championship in January. The ash from the Cuter explosion settled in various media outlets across the internet from ESPN to Twitter.

It’s the networks job to hype and over analyze the subplots of a game. However, football currently holds the title of the most popular sport in America because so many people already find the subplots interesting without the networks having to infuse them with lies to make them interesting.

Logos For ESPN Madison.com

2011-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Badger Two-a-Days Features (Coaches and Special Teams)

2011-08-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Badger Football Position Preview: Offense

2011-08-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Despite a let down in the Rose Bowl, a slur of un-Wisconsin-like point explosions highlighted the Badgers 2010 campaign on offense including the 83-point slaughter of Indiana and 70-point annihilation of Northwestern. It is a tall order to demand a repeat of last years success, but for the 2011 Badgers a similar point barrage may not be necessary for Bucky to make a return trip to the Rose Bowl. The goal this year is simple - grind out enough wins to make it to Indianapolis for the first Big Ten Championship game.

Quarterback: Considered a position of weakness coming out of spring camp, the Badgers, to much media hype, acquired the services of 5th year senior Russell Wilson from North Carolina State. While Coach Brett Bielema will not name Wilson as the starter yet, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that he will be the man under center for the Badgers this fall. The addition of Wilson changes the entire face of Wisconsin's offense. He will be expected to step in smoothly for steady and dependable Scott Tolzein and lead the Badgers with veteran savy and skill. If Wilson can come close to repeating his production for the Wolfpack last year with the Badgers this year (3563 yards, 28 touchdowns, plus 9 rushing TD's) than Bucky will be in good hands.

Running Back: Despite the coup surrounding the Badger’s quarterback position, Bucky’s offense will still live and die by the success of the ground game. There’s no denying the fact that this years duo of backs are championship caliber. Though junior Montee Ball (996 yards, 18 touchdowns, 6.1 yards per carry) shed weight in the off-season, he is still expected to be the powerful back to compliment sophomore James White’s (1,052 yards, 14 touchdowns, 6.7 yards per carry) elusive, speedy style. Both backs could easily pass the 1,000 yard mark in 2011.

Full Back: Bradie Ewing can block, pass catch, and run the ball when needed. The the well-rounded senior excels at whatever the Badgers ask of him including play special teams. He will presumably get all the snaps at full back while mentoring a trio of freshman behind him including spring game standout Jason Hengel (redshirt freshman).

Wide Receiver: The addition of Wilson at QB puts the spotlight on the suspect wide receiver position. Senior Nick Toon heads up the particularly young core of pass catchers with the only other player of note being redshirt sophomore Jared Abbrederis. Behind Toon and Abbrederis, inexperienced sophomores Manasseh Garner and Jeff Duckworth will get long looks in offensive coordinator Paul Chryst’s offense which likes to rotate receivers. Garner, a converted TE, lead all receivers with four catchers for 57 yards receiving in the spring game. Most importantly for this group, Toon must prove he can stay healthy and be a leader, and Abbrederis will have to prove he can fill the shoes of departed David Gilreath.

Tight End: Jake Byrne is the heir apparent at Lance Kendricks' vacated tight end spot, but as a power player (6 foot 4, 253 pounds), the blocking force is not expected to be the same type of pass catcher as Kendricks, Travis Beckum, and Garrett Graham before him. Instead, pass catching duties will be left up to sophomores Brian Wozniack and Jacob Pedersen. The later saw action in thirteen games last season, with four starts, and made a key 33 yard catch in the win over No. 1 Ohio State.

Offensive Line: Despite the loss of two first team All-Americans in tackle Gabe Carimi (49 starts) and guard John Moffitt (42 starts), most positions along the line appear already solidified. Line coach Bob Bostad shuffled around his crew of 6 foot 5 plus, 320 plus pound players to assemble a line of mostly players with sporadic starting experience. The presumed starting line will include junior Ricky Wagner at right tackle and senior Josh Oglesby at left, although freshman Rob Havenstein (6-8, 343 pounds), the biggest player on the roster, could make it a competition for the left spot. Travis Frederick, who saw action in five games as a freshman but has sense overcome an onslaught of injuries, is expected to make the start at left guard. The two true veterans on the line are junior center Peter Konz and senior right guard Kevin Zeitler. Konz earned an honorable mention All-Big Ten and is shortlisted for the Remington Award for best center. Zeitler is a three-year starter, All-Big Ten honorable mention, and Big Ten Academic All American who will be expected to lead the charge in opening up holes for Wisconsin's fearsome ground game.

This article was originally published for the 91.7 WSUM Sports Blog and can be viewed in its original format here.

Jason Wilde Position Preview Feature - Quaterbacks

2011-07-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Jason Wilde 2011 Position Preview Logos

2011-07-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Two logos I designed in Photoshop 7 for ESPN Wisconsin's beat reporter Jason Wilde's upcoming 2011 Postion Preview - breaking down the 2011 Green Bay Packers.

ESPN Madison On-Air Contest Ideas

2011-07-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Tweeting Contest
Use a codeword like “Go Badgers/Mallards,” or a prize name such as “Noah’s Ark, State Fair ext.” The first person tweet the codeword to @ESPNMadison wins the prize. The host can then send a personal message to the winner detailing their prize and how they can reach the station to claim it.

This contest format encourages listeners to interact with different platforms they can access for coverage from ESPN Madison. It is also convenient for the host can check for the winner right from their laptop or phone, does not require someone to answer phone lines

Facebook Contest
Similar to the Twitter contest, this giveaway format encourages listeners to interact with ESPN Madison through alternative media platforms and raises viewer’s awareness of ESPN Madison’s web presence.

During a commercial break, the host would post a contest status to the ESPN Madison Facebook page. Then after the break, announce the contest over the air detailing that the first person to ‘like’ the status on Facebook wins the prize. Again, this format would be easy to operate and check for updates. A personal message can be sent to the winner with instructions on how to claim their prize.

Mike Greenberg, Wisconsin Badger Football Radio Copy

2011-07-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

HEY FANS! THIS IS MIKE GREENBERG INVITING YOU TO CHECK OUT E-S-P-N MADISON (DOT) COM FOR CONTINUING COVERAGE OF THE WISCONSIN BADGERS THIS FALL. E-S-P-N MADISON (DOT) COM IS ANOTHER OUTLET FOR YOU TO CONNECT WITH THE TEAM THROUGH BLOGS, TWITTER, YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND MORE. LISTEN TO PODCASTS BY JIM RUTLEDGE AND TOM LEA OF THE BADGER HOUR, FORMER UW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PAT RICHTER, AND FORMER BADGER ALL-AMERICANS TAR-RICK SAL-AHH AND DEREK ENGLE. VISIT E-S-P-N MADISON (DOT) COM - THERE FOR YOU AS BUCKY LOOKS DEFEND ITS BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP. 

Mike Golic, Green Bay Packers Radio Copy

2011-07-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

PACKER NATION - THIS IS MIKE GOLIC REMINDING YOU THAT E-S-P-N MADISON (DOT) COM IS YOUR HOME FOR COVERAGE OF THE DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS. FOLLOW PACKERS INSIDER JASON WILDE THROUGH BLOGS, YOUTUBE VIDEOS, TWITTER, AND MORE. PARTICIPATE IN POLLS. LISTEN TO PODCASTS WITH CURRENT PACKERS PLAYERS AND TUNE IN WEEKLY FOR UPDATES WITH REIGNING SUPER BOWL M-V-P AARON RODGERS. REMEMBER, E-S-P-N MADISON (DOT) COM IS YOUR INSIDE CONNECTION TO THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AS THEY LOOK TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE.

Celebrating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Oscar Worthy?

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter defined a generation, my generation, and like many of my peers I filtered from the dark theater after watching the Hogwarts Express pull away from Platform 9 3/4 for the last time into the light of a new day - a day without more Potter to look forward to.

Eyes glazed, I walked zombie-like toward the theater bathrooms. My cheeks were still stained with tears, heart pounding after the conclusion of the two and half hour emotional roller coaster that was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. As I waited in the impossibly long line, three little girls circled my legs brandishing tree branches like wands, casting spells at one another. Their mother tried to corral them; however, I couldn’t help but smile and remember the days when my brother, sister, and I would jam a pointy black hat on our heads to sort ourselves into houses (Gryffindor for me, Ravenclaw for my brother, and Slytherin for my sister) and spend the day mixing liquids and lotions for potions, chanting incantations to one another.

The memories of growing up with Harry made the finale bittersweet for me, but the story's legacy is what I find solace in. One of the proudest moments for my father, when I was growing up, was sitting me down and introduced me to Star Wars, the defining saga of his generation. This memory, along with the beautiful, sad, and touching nature of Deathly Hallows II, is what I’m basing my argument off of - that the Academy should recognize the final Potter film for the achievements of the cinematic arm of the entire franchise by awarding it the 2012 Oscar for Best Picture.

The material may be exhausted, but Harry Potter is not over, and there is no film that will come out this year (or possibly many more for that matter) that will have Deathly Hallows II's staying power. Some day (far, far off) I will sit down with my children and introduce them, through the books and films, to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, a world of broomsticks and bezoars, Hufflepuffs and hippogriffs, charms, potions, and - everyone’s favorite - Quidditch. The world of an orphan boy, marked from infancy, who grows up and in the meantime, learns about love and loss, mortality, morality, and friendship.

These are the simple themes that separate the epic sagas - Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings - from the imitators or the “Twilights” of the world. Harry Potter is not a children’s story. The antics of Harry and his classmates in their battle versus Voldemort - a perfect embodiment of unrelenting evil - are the lessons children grow with while reminding adults of their journey as well.

In the same vein that Return of the King was awarded the Academy Award for Best Picture (along with ten others), Deathly Hallows marks the culmination of a series of films whose remarkable run at the box office over a decade may never be replicated.

The greatest achievement of the Potter films (and books), is that they remains committed to the human elements and simple charm that made the books a global phenomenon. Film's graphical capabilities and technology progress, the source material's plot becomes darker, more mature, but the heart of the books is Harry Potter and his friends. The films greatest success is capturing these relationships and not getting carried away with the grandiose technological splendor that marks the typical 2011 blockbuster.

Is history and heart enough to secure Deathly Hallows II a nod from the Academy - probably not. Harry Potter is not historical, not overly controversial, or "indie." But the truth of the matter is, shouldn't the Best Picture Oscar go to, well, the Best Picture? There will not be a film released this year that will touch hearts and resonate with a global audience they way the Potter finale did.

If the Academy wants to make a technical argument than fine - Deathly Hallows II, in my opinion, had the best film score of all the Potters since John William's Prisoner of Azkaban, maintained a steady tempo, the acting (particularly Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in the Pensive Scene) moved me to tears, and the cinematography looked like a Caravaggio oil painting brought to life.

This is not a time to bemoan the conclusion of this epic tale, for these books and movies, Harry’s entire wizarding world for that matter, will not soon fade away. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II deserves to win the 2012 Academy Award for Best Picture to mark this film series' monumental box office achievements and well as celebrate the charm and character of this epic franchise. Even without new material to look forward to, expect Harry Potter to linger on with us the way such epic sagas as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars have before it...

Barry Alvarez Feature for ESPNmadison.com

2011-07-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Badger Hour Programming

2011-07-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Badgers Hour broadcasts every Thursday evening from 6-6:45 during the summer on 100.5 ESPN Madison and ESPNmadison.com. With fall camp starting in less than one month, here's five segments for the Badger Hour to explore in preparation for the 2011 football season...

Wisconsin's National Prestige
1. 2011 is a make or break year for the Wisconsin football program and its national brand. Following two Rose Bowl wins in 1999 and 2000, the school returned to mediocrity going eleven years without winning a Big Ten title. The Ohio State's of the world do not do this. The reason they secure the recruits and garner the national attention they do, is because they (cheat) win and win consistently- 6 Big Ten titles in a row type consistency. Wisconsin has a 2010 title, and is coming off a Rose Bowl birth. They return arguably the most talented RB tandem in the country, another stout offensive line, a veteran defensive backfield, and now are bringing in an experienced QB. Expectations for Bucky are high in 2011, a trip to Indianapolis for the the inaugural Big Ten Championship may be necessary for Wisconsin to capitalize on the momentum they have accumulated and end the Buckeyes decade-long reign as champions of the conference. Perhaps then, the words "Wisconsin" and "national title contender" will not sound so foreign when used in the same sentence.

Momentum Building for Bucky's Showdown with the Cornhuskers at Camp Randall
2. On the topic of momentum, excitement in Madison is already mounting for Bucky's October 1st meeting with Nebraska, the Cornhuskers first game as a member of the Big Ten conference. 21,000 ticket reservations have been taken in Lincoln for 3,000 available tickets at Camp Randall, but thousands of ticket-less fans are excepted to make the journey to Madison if only to take part in the tailgating atmosphere. The many connections that link the two schools have increased excitement for the game including Berry Alvarez's history as a Cornhusker, the two school's relative proximity, similar atmospheres, and extensive fan-bases. The fact that both schools could very well be undefeated heading into the historic contest also add to the game's prime-time feel.

Wisconsin's Favorable Schedule
3. Wisconsin's schedule stacks up in their favor for another Rose Bowl run. Similar to last season, the Badgers play five of their first six contests at home including the Thursday night season opener against UNLV. This match in particular will provide a valuable learning experience for players like offensive tackle's Travis Frederick and Josh Ogelsby stepping into new roles, players returning from injury such as Chris Borland, and QB Russell Wilson making his Camp Randall debut. Two high profile contests, Nebraska and Penn State, are at home and two are on the road- Michigan State and Ohio State. Likewise, the two contests between the other schools touted as being Wisconsin's competition in the Leaders Division are split between home (Penn State) and away (Ohio State).

Experience at the QB Gives the Badgers the Edge Amongst the Other "Leaders"
4. With the addition of Russell Wilson, Wisconsin now finds themselves with the most experienced quarterback in the Leaders Division. While Kirk Cousins, Dan Persa, Taylor Martinez, and Denard Robinson will play in the Legends Division the competition in the Legends Division comes down to whoever will be named the staters at both Ohio State and Penn State (with all do respect to Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue). At Penn State, sophomore Rob Bolden lost the starting job to junior Matt McGolin midway through last last season. Goldin then threw five interceptions in the Outback Bowl. The situation at Ohio State is more murky with the competition boiling down to Senior Joe Bauserman, a career backup who has thrown 47 passes at the collegiate level, and true freshman Braxton Miller, a dual threat player similar to Pryor that- while he participated in spring practie- has never played a down of college football.

Can a Badger Be the Best in the Nation?
5. Three Badgers (Running backs Montee Ball and JamesWhite, and quarterback Russell Wilson) landed amongst the 66 players named to the Maxwell award watch list. The Maxwell Award and the Heisman Trophy are awarded annually to the best player in college football, but who amongst the three touted Badgers stands the best chance of landing the nation's most prestigious post-season awards? Junior Montee Ball broke out last season rushing for 996 yards (6.1 ypc) and 18 TD’s last season, and sophomore James White lead the team with 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns in his freshmen year. QB Russell Wilson, however, stands the best chance of securing the hardware because the high profile nature of his signing has already propelled him into the national spotlight. Additionally, as far as the Heisman Trophy is considered, nine of the past eleven winners have all been quarterbacks. If he puts up the numbers like he did last year, while leading the Badgers to a BCS game, than expect him to at least make the Heisman shortlist. Wilson's passing numbers from 2010 (3,568 yards and 28 TD's) stack up well in comparison to those of previous Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton (2,854 yards and 30 TD’s). However, Newton ran for 20 TD's and 1,473 yards to Wilson’s 9 rushing TD’s and 435 yards. Newton's numbers were historically high, however, and Wilson would not be expected to replicate his performance in order to be considered for both the Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy.

Radio Copy for Samba Brazilian Grill

2011-06-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Samba Brazilian grill brings the joy and tradition of Brazilian cooking to you. Located just off state street in a renovated historic building--- Our unique two-course dining experience features unlimited choices from our artisanal appetizer and salad display, to our rodizio meat service by our gauchos. Enjoy the total dining experience with our extensive wine list, specialty cocktails, in-house crafted deserts, and Live jazz music four nights a week--- At Samba we Enjoy bringing the tradition of complete Brazilian dining to you.

Kid on Christmas Morning...

2011-06-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

Beaver Dam Office Hours 06/09/011

2011-06-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Name: Ashley Hearn	Date: 06/09/11
Who you worked with: Jerry and Tom Lea	Show Shadowed/ Time: The Homer Show, 3:00-6:00 in Madison
Spots updated/ recorded: Money Minute, Mike and Mike Rewind, Sports Center Update, NFL Today
Equipment/ programs: Adobe Audition, the board, the program log
Notes: Tom and I arrived at the Good Karma broadcasting headquarters in Beaver Dam around two o’clock and met Jerry. For the first hour I shadowed and helped Tom and Jerry update and record new spots in the program log for the Homer show at three. Once the show began I shadowed both Tom and Jerry on the board and took step by step notes of the process a board operator would go through to produce the Homer show including how to call into the show, cut in and out of break, how to handle live reads, account for time discrepancies between the Milwaukee and Madison stations, and how to record live interviews with Adobe Audition.

Work-horse Mavericks Live Up To Their Name Against the Hated Heat

2011-06-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

This was a post originally published here on June 10th, 2011 following the Dallas Mavericks taking a 3-2 lead in the NBA finals.

Last night I watched one of the most exciting NBA Finals games in recent history. The biggest game of Miami Heat superstar Lebron James’ life turned into a hurricane of three point shots raining down courtesy of the boys in blue as Dallas pushed the Heat to the brink of elimination.

The vast majority of people I have talked to during the finals are pulling for the Mavericks because they absolutely cannot stand the Heat, but why is this? What is it about the Heat that perpetuates such a villainous image while the Mavericks are crowned as saints?

It starts at the top with Dirk Nowitzki. Already one of the best shooters in NBA history, his clutch play in the finals has been the antithesis of the Lebron James story line. The Mavericks are on the brink of victory because of Nowitzki’s 4th quarter performances, and gutsy, heart-on-the-line showings cement folk-hero like statuses with the general viewing public.  

It then trickles down the performances of Dallas’ role players. Jason Terry, J.J. Barea, and Jason Kid trounced the Heat Tuesday night with an unstoppable barrage of three pointers making the deeper, more talented lineup of Miami look lost.

"Persistence is our game. We're an old-school team. We're not high-fliers. ... Our game is near the ground. We have to play with brains and guts,” said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle after game five. Against a team that, on paper, should theoretically dominate their slower, less physical Dallas counterparts, brains and guts have been put to the ultimate test.

The Mavericks work-horse like performances and roster comprised of players who shun the limelight endear them to the hearts of the average American fan. But still we hear less about why it is the Mavericks are so beloved and more about why the Heat are so despised.

The core of Heat Hatred stems from team President Pat Riley’s method assembling the roster-- through free agency. By compiling elite talent onto one team, Riley assembled a cast that will always assume the role of the favorite, the conqueror, the tyrant. By comparison, the Mavericks with its less pronounced roster of scrappy championship-less vets, led by notorious ‘good guy’ Nowitzki, become the heroes of the tales. Therefore, the average viewer tuning into the NBA Finals pulls for Dallas because they like to see the little guy, the hero, rise up.