"WHOOPS!...I DID IT AGAIN!  THIS TIME TO WNYT-13..."

Bravo Pittsfield!  Finally, some common sense holds sway!
 
I am puzzled, though.  Why the long faces?  I haven't seen such 
pathos since Norm Sebastian died.  Lydia seemed to be fighting 
back tears, Josh was shaking his head...  Did I perhaps miss 
something?
 
I don't think I'll ever understand why some people are so 
obsessed with sports.  I cringe everytime I hear that 
sportscaster of yours, who sounds like he's having an orgasm, 
as he spouts his pithy of sports nonsense.
 
Why are football, baseball, or hockey venues, so damned important?  
What's wrong with parks, libraries, or museums? 
 
It wasn't so long ago, that a small museum in Amsterdam(?), was 
closing it's doors because of lack of funding.  It looked like a 
nice little place.  As I recall, some sports nonsense was more 
important.  
 
High Schools are constantly complaining, they do not have enough 
money, but they won't axe their sports curriculum.  (No way, Jose!  
My students may go without lunch, music, art, heat, even 
electricity, but we'll have our sports department!  Yessiree!) 
 
Why is our society so obsessed with "professional sports" and the 
violence inherent?  Why are these so-called sports "heroes" 
labeled such? 
 
After Dale Ernhardt died, awhile back, the country was practically 
in mourning!  Excuse me!  This idiot spent his life driving round 
and round, faster and faster, in a skeletal vehicle, for no other 
purpose than to batten his chest.
 
He was attempting suicide every day that he got behind the wheel 
of that car.  Kind of like drunk drivers.  Maybe we should make 
them "heroes", too.
 
If you find pause in my arguments, remember them, the next time 
some young kid is killed while trying to emulate "The Intimidator".  
Yeah.  He was a real role model for youngsters.  
 
Most of these"heroes" are rude, over-bearing, bullies, lacking in 
the simplest of social skills.  They're spoiled brats, over-paid, 
to perform a function that has absolutely no lasting significance 
upon the human equation.  They insult each other, spit on each 
other, and enflame their fans into violent frenzies.
 
They spend an hour, or two, a week playing children's games, which 
once were fun, trying to prove they are "better" than the next guy.  
Oddly enough, though the emphasis is "teamwork", it is the 
occasional individual act that attracts the most attention, but 
essentially they're all the same, with slightly different 
"costumes", or uniforms, if you prefer.
 
Why don't we honor some real heroes?  Like, Firemen, Police, EMTs, 
Astronauts, Teachers, or Veterans.
 
I can't even respect the Olympics anymore.  Once upon a time, 
when this forum for world athletic unity was functioning somewhat 
as originally intended, I actually thought "Well Done!"  However, 
once the almighty dollar became more important than the gold and 
silver medals given to the winners of varied contests, my 
enthusiasm for this sacred cow went out to pasture.
 
The original "Amateur Only" requirement seemed honest and clean.  
The Olympics seemed filled with innocence and promise.  Suddenly, 
our professional teams began to infiltrate the roster.  Suddenly 
the USA roster was littered with "professional athletes".  They 
put Jimmy Thorpe to shame.
 
Then came the bidding wars between various cities, offering 
enormous bribes and "prizes" to greedy promoters.  Now it was 
more about hookers, parties, stretch-limos, and advertising, 
than about the commaderie and challenge of young amateurs. 
 
Sports figures were once bastions of "fair play".  Kids were 
supposed to look up to them, respect them for they're decency 
and humility.  
 
Hmmmph!  Now, there seems little difference between the WWF and 
it's many cousins, throughout the varied worlds of sport.  The 
word "sport" should be changed to "combat".  For that matter, 
the amount of money they make should require them to fight to 
the death.
 
Just last night, an old fashioned "donney-brook" broke out in 
the Capital District, over the slashing of someone's football!  
The whole neighborhood jumped in, and several participants were 
stabbed.  Are these clowns also "heroes"?  
 
Hardly a month goes by, without the report of somewhere in the 
world, a riot has broken out, because one team, or another, 
didn't win the game.  People will be trampled, battered, stabbed, 
shot, or punched, for favoring one side or the other.
 
These people are not necessarily drunk, or high, or crazy.  Let 
me take that back, they are definitely crazy! 
 
Father's & Mother's risk their homes, their freedom, and their 
children's lives, in efforts to make "Little Billy" or "Big Cindy", 
into the next "super-draft-pick-choice-of-the-movie-of-the-week"!  
They couldn't care less whether the "apple of their eye" can read, 
or write, add & subtract, or play a musical instrument.
 
The graduating of illiterate basketball players has actually 
increased over the years, despite claims to the contrary.  
Professional athletes are allowed a status which even Senators 
cannot achieve.  They can come and go between court rooms faster 
than Ronald McDonald can say, "Thank-you!  Whose next?"
 
Darryl Strawberry has been convicted of drug abuse, parole 
violations, possession, falsifying evidence, fraud, disorderly 
conduct, and on and on.  If Darryl had been a poor, black man 
living in the Albany area, working in a garage; he'd now be doing 
twenty to life.  Excuse me, he would have been doing twenty to 
life after the FIRST conviction.  
 
Instead he has once again been released into a clinical program, 
where he must do 100 hours of community service, explaining to 
young kids, why it's better to stay off of drugs.  Heh-heh.  
 
Then there's OJ.  Orenthal James Simpson has to be the only black 
man in the entire history of this country to be found "Not Guilty" 
to the charges of murdering his white wife and her white lover.  
 
It seems to me ironic, that the KKK systematically butchered 
thousands of innocent black men throughout the history of this 
country, but when finally confronted with over-whelming evidence 
of a double-homicide, our jurists take a dive.
 
OJ has had several encounters with the law since his acquittal, 
and still gets that "slap on the wrist".  It just goes to show, 
that in this country, anyone with enough money, even a black man, 
can get away with murder.  Racial equality has finally come.  Of 
course, finding a job is another problem.
 
Wayne "The Wizard of Odd" Brown

...AND NOW FOR THE RESPONSES!

Dear Wizard:
 
I read your mail because it was sent to 'everyone in the building' 
and I must say I was so offended by it.  The comments you made about 
African Americans was so very offensive.  O.J. Simpson's guilt or 
innocence is one thing for people to constantly debate. Just as you 
feel he was guilty, there will be those who will believe that there 
was not enough evidence to convict him.  I'm  not a part of that 
argument, but to contrast his crime against the crimes committed by 
the KKK is offensive. There is no debating that the KKK got a way 
with (even though all the evidence pointed to their guilty, without 
a shadow of a doubt) hundreds if not thousands of murders. If you 
are trying to tell me that all the white members of the KKK were 
prosecuted and justice has been served for that awful, awful time 
in America's history then I submit you don't know your history. You 
are mad at everybody and everything and it has skewed your 
comparisions of the facts. You insult Norm's memory as if we were 
not suppose to feel sad that he suffered from a terrible disease and 
is gone.   Your bent on putting Darryl Strawberry away, well Robert 
Downey Jr. is doing the same thing.  You talk about bad behavior by 
sports figures yet you bad mouth and berate Roger Wyland and use 
crass language while doing so. How is your behavior so different 
from the people you are scolding and rebuking?  Shame on you.
We've heard what you think of others but what should we think of you.  
If you want to now lambast me you may do so by emailing me at 
ehouston@wnyt.com or you can send it to comments@wnyt.com  as you 
did in your previous letter and let everybody in the building hear 
the terrible things you have to say about me.  You don't have to be 
so mean!!!!
 
Elaine Houston

...AND MY RESPONSE TO ELAINE...

Elaine, I was thunderstruck by your response to my rant about 
professional sports and the demeanor of last night's newsteam.  I 
had to go back and re-read my post to verify if what I said was so 
racist! 
 
To begin with, did you read the entire post? 
 
My post was far from racist.  I tried to contrast the plight of 
poor African-Americans with that of their rich, spoiled cousins in 
the world of professional sports.  
 
Elaine, it was not my intent to berate African-Americans.   
 
My anger is directed at the world of professional sports in general 
and I used dramatic examples of bad role models.  
 
Granted I should have used more whites.  (After my re-read, I 
noticed the over-attention paid to blacks.  I'm sorry about that.  
They were the first examples that came to mind.  As far as OJ is 
concerned, he is one of the worst examples of what is wrong in 
America, and is certainly not indicative of the African American 
experience in this country.  Whether you believe in his guilt, or 
innocence is not the issue.  It was his wealth and status that came 
into play in that courtroom.  Not his guilt, or innocence.  Ruben 
"Hurricane" Carter is an example of a man who's innocence took years 
to prove, and from obvious evidence.  Ruben is a hero.  OJ is not.  
Furthermore the entire OJ debacle enfolded in front of the nation's 
eyes.  My opinion, and most, is that he was guilty.)  You are right.  
I should have used more examples like Marc McGwire, Ty Cobb, Marge 
Schlatter (Sic), etc.
 
You are absolutely on the money about Robert Downing, Jr., also.  
However, I was not discussing Hollywood in this post.
 
You seem to misunderstand the intent of most of my post.  My mention 
of the KKK was used in sarcasm.  I was trying to make the point that 
the vicious actions of my race, in the past, have now been 
forestalled by wealthy sports figures.  My point being that unless 
one falls into that category, the plight of African-Americans, and 
other minorities, is still essentially the same.   And I am ashamed 
of the duality so prevalent in my race. 
 
If you don't believe me, check the statistics of incarcerations 
throughout the entire country.  There are far more minorities, in 
particular African-Americans, serving hard time in prison, than the 
demographic statistics should indicate.  While other stats indicate 
that there are no significant differences in the actual crime rate 
of ANY of the races!  
 
If you are offended by anything, Elaine.  You should be offended by 
this.  The answers to the prison quandary seem to lie in the lack of 
adequate legal defense for the nation's poor.  This again falls on 
the down-trodden backs of our inner cities.
 
Our Nation's war on poverty is actually a  "War on the Poor!"
  
As to Norm Sebastion, he was a wonderful man.  I miss his presence 
in the newsroom.  I mentioned him to contrast the odd "attitude" of 
the newsroom last night.  
 
I do not feel it appropriate for the newsteam to "mourn" the loss 
of something as insignificant to the human condition, as another 
sports arena.  Apparently, I am not alone.  The people of Pittsfield 
apparently agree that more important things need to be done before 
subsidizing sports events. 
 
I put it to you, that mourning a real hero like Norm is appropriate.  
Mourning the loss of a sports stadium is not.  I was not part of the 
newsteam that seemed to feel some sort of "grief" over a lost sports 
venue, thereby "cheapening" their sentiments of grief.
 
I really have little to say about sporting arenas built with private 
monies, but I certainly feel that tax dollars are better spent on 
almost anything.
 
As far as Roger Wyland is concerned, I feel he is just one more in 
a long line of "sports personalities", no better, or worse than the 
next one.  If he chooses to rant and rave about what I consider the 
greatest waste of human resources on the planet, then so be it.  The 
invasion into my living room every evening will still be met with 
scorn and a flick of the switch.  
 
What is really reprehensible is the bull-dozing of sports "this 'n 
that" which is shoved into my face day after day, without my consent 
or desire.  Unless you own cable, weekend television is devoid of 
anything but golf, tennis matches, drag racing, or the perennial 
seasonal favorite, often pre-emptying regularly scheduled television 
of real importance (including newscasts!).
 
If the temper of my first letter offended you, I am sorry.  
Apparently, a lot of what I said was misunderstood.  I hope this 
missive will clear things a bit.
 
Please feel free to share this letter with others.  In particular 
those who felt my first letter was worthy of some kind of sparring 
match between us.
 
In general, I have the greatest respect for the staff at TV-13.  
They generally purport a pleasing demeanor and an aura of trust, 
lacking in other channels.  
 
Wayne "The Wizard of Odd" Brown

...NEXT UP TO BAT...

Wayne,

I am NOT speaking for the station, but merely for myself.

I want you to know that I take great offense to the comparison of 
your disapproval of how a story was covered to the death of Norm 
Sebastian.  Norm was not just some character on TV.  He was a real 
person and friend of ours.

Please keep that in mind before you start spouting off.

Chris Rooney
WNYT Albany, NY

...ONCE AGAIN, MY RESPONSE...

Chris.
 
Please ask Elaine to read my response to her missive.  
 
It was never my intent to debase the character of Norm Sebastion, 
whom I greatly admired and respected.  My comments were directed 
towards the attitude of the staff during last night's story 
regarding the People of Pittsfield's "kibosh" on the proposed 
sports venue.
 
If you re-watch the broadcast, you will certainly note Lydia and 
Josh's apparent dislike for the decision.  They did not comment 
directly, but their body language and "tsk, tsk" attitude, clearly 
showed their displeasure.  They seemed to be "grieving" the loss 
of the venue.
 
It was their "attitude" which seemed to lessen the sensitive, 
caring perspective of a true hero, Norm Sebastion.
 
As newscasters, their job is to deliver the news in an unbiased 
manner.  I understand that some stories just cry out for some kind 
of tacit response.  A sports arena seems outside that realm of 
importance.  Their job is not necessarily to editorialize.  Leave 
that to Dr. Chartok and Ed. 
 
In the meantime, I apologize for any misunderstanding regarding Norm. 
 
Wayne "The Wizard of Odd" Brown

...AND FINALLY FROM LYDIA...

Dear Wayne,

HUH? I'm not sure what newscast you were watching, but I wasn't 
crying, and
to bring up the emotions we felt and showed when Norm died is, in my
opinion, inappropriate and insensitive. I think the issue here is 
that you
were watching the coverage filtered through your strongly held 
feelings
about the vote. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't justify your
presuming to know what we are feeling.

Regards,

Lydia Kulbida
 
...ONCE AGAIN, MY RESPONSE...

I APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN FOR CHARACTERIZING THE ATTITUDE SHOWN LAST 
NIGHT,WITH THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF NORM SEBASTION.

IT WAS NOT MY INTENT TO IN ANY WAY, DIMINISH THE STATIONS FEELINGS 
ABOUT A
MAN, WHO I PERCEIVED AS WARM, CARING, AND A REAL HERO, TO THE LOCAL 
AREA.

MY CHARACTERIZATION WAS INDEED, INSENSITIVE, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE.

HOWEVER, MY COMMENTS REGARDING THE WORLD OF SPORTS, AND THE 
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE PITTSFIELD SPORTS VENUE STAND.

Wayne "The Wizard of Odd" Brown

...TO THE STAFF AND MANAGEMENT OF WNYT-13...

I would like to apologize to the staff and management of WNYT for my 
insensitive characterization, regarding Norm Sebastion, in my 
June 4th letter, concerning the Pittsfield Sports Venue defeat.
 
It was not my intention to, in any way, defame the character of a 
man I personally respected and miss from my daily television viewing.  
 
Norm Sebastion was heroic in his battle with cancer.  He maintained 
an admirable facade while enduring tremendous pain and suffering.
 
I well know his suffering.  I, too, am enduring a similar battle.
 
I sometimes let my passions get the better, or worse, of me.  My 
original intention was to draw attention to the nation's, and 
specifically our area's, obsessive predilection with the world of 
sports.
 
I, apparently, offended the wrong people for the wrong reasons.  
 
I have tremendous respect for the staff and management of WNYT, and 
accept my onus for my actions.
 
Please forgive me.  I think of all of you as a kind of extended 
family.  If you like, I would gladly make a public apology.
 
Wayne "The Wizard of Odd" Brown