Jaybird's Jottings

Edward R. Murrow

“Murrow’s accomplishments can’t be duplicated because he was writing on a blank page. On a single day in 1938, he pioneered the overseas network reporting staff and the roundup news format… Then in 1951, he moved television beyond its function as a headline service and established it as an original news source, not a medium that merely duplicated stories culled from newspapers.” - Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism, Bob Edwards

Edward R. Murrow, the pioneer radio and television news journalist who passed away in 1965, would have turned 100 this past Friday. To honor his body of work, the Newseum held a special discussion yesterday. I was one of the 100 or so that attended the capacity event at the TV studio on the third floor. Frank Bond hosted the 30-minute show (taped for Inside Media) with guests Bob Edwards and Marvin Kalb. Edwards's distinguished career behind the mike included NPR for years, and now a show with XM Satellite Radio.

Kalb, whose equally fine career included reporting with CBS during its Evening News hey day, was one of the “Murrow Boys.” He talked about getting an interview with Murrow who had read some of his work on Russia. The crowd chuckled when Kalb related how Murrow made him feel at ease by offering him a shot of whiskey. Kalb declined, Murrow didn’t.

After the discussion, there was time for about four questions. One of my pet peeves is a disdain for selfish people who try to hog what is almost always a limited amount of time in these situations. In fact, Bond let us know this fact beforehand. Well, sure enough, the first person standing in the line who asked a question wanted a follow up (welcome to the club). I was happy when Bond politely told him time was short and he took the next person's question.

A second breach of good manners took place when someone asked what current journalists comes closest to being like Murrow. Edwards said Bill Moyers, which drew a loud moan from the man beside me. Funny how people don't understand what the word closest means.

Having said that, he was an informed citizen exercising his right to freedom of speech, an act Murrow would have appreciated.

Take Me Out to the Nostalgia Game

"This old Giant fan who grew up in a family of Giant fans has been contacted by at least a half dozen dedicated and young baseball researchers. Their questions about the old New York Giants basically boil down to this. How come there is still such a large Brooklyn Dodger Society in the city and so few folks in the New York Giant group?" - Ev Parker, Where Have All the Giant Fans Gone?

In the game of looking back, fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers have been enjoying prosperous times. For those who celebrate the New York Giants, not so great.

This disparity is the subject of an article written a couple of weeks ago by Richard Sandomir, sports media writer for the New York Times (Say Hey, Giants Fans Show Their Wistful Side). He attended a recent get together of the New York Baseball Giants Nostalgia Society. (Hat tip to David Pinto.) These fans are miffed at how, despite the fact that the Jints of New York fly more league pennants, it's the boys from Brooklyn who receive more attention.

A recent example of the slight will be a permanent one. Ebbets Field and Citifield will share more than part of their name as the front entrance pays homage to Ebbets Field. While other parts of the park will evoke more Dodger memories, nods to the Polo Grounds, where the Mets played their first two seasons, will be scarce. Evidently, the only such area will be a "Coogan's Landing" area in left field.

Sandomir's piece follows a similar one last year by Ryan Chatelain of amNew York (Baseball Giants All But Gone in New York Memory). John Thorn, who is also quoted in the Sandomir article, gave his insight by contrasting the Giants situation - drops in wins, money and attendance – with the Dodgers who were winning and making money and "are remembered more fondly today because Ebbets Field, their home stadium that sat 32,000, was uniquely intimate."

Ev Parker, who attended many a Giants game at the Polo Grounds, wrote a piece on this subject several years ago. A handful of researchers who have visited him in years past asked him, “How come there is still such a large Brooklyn Dodger Society in the city and so few folks in the New York Giants group?”

Parker:

Brooklyn Dodger fans, however, have a far different history, their ancestors as I see it were born 40 years later than those of Giant fans. The kids and young men who first began filling Ebbets Field with the long awaited upturn of the Brooklyn Dodgers, were young men who had not been brought up in households that adored the Giants, or even baseball for that matter. They had kids who they could bring to the Brooklyn ballpark and those kids are the adults of today, still pinning for their lost team.

If it’s any consolation, fans of the New York Giants should see an increase in the sepia-toned memory pieces this summer with the 100th anniversary of the 1908 season. In fact, there’s a new book out titled Baseball’s Greatest Hit, The Story of Take Me Out to the Ballgame (by Robert Thompson, Tim Wiles and Andy Strasberg). Written by Jack Norworth in the spring of 1908, the song is the third most sung in America.

The ditty is attached to the Giants in that Norworth’s inspiration came after he saw an ad for a ball game at the Polo Grounds. According to the book, he was probably on the 9th Avenue El that took fans to see the Giants play. The song, and baseball, exploded in popularity that summer. Illustrator DeWitt Wheeler chose the Polo Grounds as a backdrop to his drawings for a set of slides that were seen by thousands at the movies.

Through the years, the Polo Grounds also took more fans out to the ballgames than Ebbets Field. But there’s no question blue is still ahead of the orange and black when it comes to waving pennants of nostalgia. A look inside this wonderful book reveals the Dodgers’ marketing departments have done more with Take Me Out to the Ball Game than the Giants, including their hosting a “Jack Norworth Day” in 1940 and 1958. In 1950, Phil Rizzuto, Ralph Branca, Roy Campanella and Tommy Henrich recorded the song. Evidently, the Giants have not matched this coziness with Take Me Out or Norworth.

On the outside cover of the book, the Giants are represented by a photo of a subway, the type Norworth rode. For the Dodgers, there’s a shot of six of their players singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Married up with that photo, you guessed it, a button for the Mets...

The “Pull It Sir” Prize

By Jaded Roberts

The Center for Higher Standards in Journalism, a non-profit, media watch group based in Washington, D.C., announced a new set of awards today. Called the “Pull It Sir” Prize, the awards will focus on dubious achievements in the media.

“The idea for these awards was born out of feedback we received during surveys,” Les Hype, a spokesperson for the Center said.

Among those who keep an eye on news reporting, the major complaint was no surprise - sensationalism. One vivid example cited in the study centered on potential traffic delays during several recent events in D.C., including The Washington Nationals’ Opening Night and the trifecta of the Cherry Tree Blossom Festival, The National Marathon and The Nationals’ first exhibition game. Commuters also worried about a week day night when the Nationals, Wizards and DC United each played a home game.

Several of the local media outlets produced headlines such as "Prepare for D.C. Traffic Nightmare." Readers said they want to be warned but feel “nightmare” should be saved for situations like the recent airline cancellations that left thousands of travelers stranded.

Another category for the awards is “Where’s the Follow Up?” Hype said The Washington Post’s mention of how those traffic situations played out was buried in an article on the Pope’s visit this week.

“Although traffic and crowds for the National Cherry Blossom Festival and sports events have moved relatively smoothly…”

Exaggerated headlines are nothing new in the news business, but Hype said when the hyperbole gets out of hand, the culprits should be called on it.

“We do worry about chilling effects, especially in light of the struggles newspapers and other media are facing,” he said. “But readers often feel powerless when it comes to airing their concerns. These awards, we hope, will give the people a voice.”

Talking D.C. Baseball

Yesterday morning I attended “Talkin' Baseball,” a monthly get together in Columbia, Maryland for area baseball fans, many of whom are SABR members from the Washington-Baltimore area. Dave Paulson, who has done a fabulous job putting the event together, proudly announced Saturday’s meeting started Talkin Baseball's 10th year of bringing fans together on the second Saturday of each month.

The guest speakers are mostly authors, but yesterday the gang of a dozen or so were treated to a private screening of the documentary The Game Comes Home, The History of Baseball in Washington, D.C.. Jeff Herberger, who directed the film and Willy Meaux, writer and researcher, were on hand to discuss their labor of love.

The pair found rare film clips and photos from the National Archives and The Library of Congress. They also interviewed players such as Mickey Vernon from the Senators/Nationals, announcers, writers, authors, fans and Washington baseball historian Phil Wood. The film shows historical footage of Walter Johnson throwing sidearm, the winning run scoring in Game Seven of the 1924 World Series, Presidential first tosses, and action at Griffith Stadium and RFK Stadium. Brad Snyder is interviewed and discusses Josh Gibson and the Homestead Grays.

If baseball fandom is a set of concentric circles, I would put fans/historians like Meaux and Herberger in the center. They talked about their passion for watching the game, simple pleasures like a parent and a kid playing catch, and giving your heart to a team.

Bob Short, who doesn’t belong anywhere near the center circles, is discussed, which shows you they put in both the good and the bad. The two-hour film is not for everyone, but certainly would have an audience. It's not easy for filmmakers to find distributors, so it could be a while before fans see this film. There’s hope it can be shown at the SABR National Convention in Washington in 2009.

Note: This meeting of Talkin' Baseball was held at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library at 6600 Cradlerock Road. Next month, they revert back to their usual place at the Owen Brown Community Center, 6800 Cradlerock Way in Columbia. The updates are provided for SABR members on the Bob Davids Chapter mailing list. You can also check The Squibber or email me if you have any questions.

The Newseum

A warm and sunny morning, a bald eagle, red, white and blue confetti and a steady stream of visitors helped The Newseum open its doors to the public today. The seven years in the waiting event showed off the $450M shrine to news and news-making, symbolically located on Pennsylvania Avenue halfway between the Capitol and the White House.

With a $20 admission fee (today was free), it seems highly unlikely the Newseum will ever surpass perennial free favorites such as the National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, and the National Gallery of Art. Then again, for those too young to remember Walter Cronkite and the Golden Age of the Evening News, “Do Not Touch” signs are so 20th Century. The Newseum touts itself as the “World’s Most Interactive Museum,” and from what we saw, that certainly seems to be the case.

Previously located in Rosslyn, Virginia, and in a much smaller venue, the new 250,000 square foot behemoth offers not only windows into the past, but also broadcasts the latest “breaking news” on a large “Electronic Window on the World” High LED screen located in the Great Hall of News’s 90-foot-high atrium.

We arrived around 9:30 am. and waited in line for about 45 minutes. We spent about three hours looking around, enough to preview the place and see a few things more in-depth. To do the place justice, you could spend a whole day. There’s something for everyone from archives, artifacts, photos, exhibits and the interactive.

The TV News Satire section was very popular, so much so that it created a log jam along a thinner line of people flow that needs more space. News junkies chuckled at clips from Saturday Night Live to Jon Stewart. A few steps down the line, an older crowd reminisced watching footage of Cronkite’s broadcasts and black and white footage from the 60s. The most poignant display shows a map of the world color coded with countries that have freedom of the press, some freedom of the press and no freedom of the press.

Another popular attraction was the “Be a TV Reporter” exhibit. With the Capitol or some such iconic landmark superimposed on the background, budding correspondents grip the microphone and read off prepared text at the teleprompter. Your video recording can be downloaded from the Newseum’s website. But there’s an $8 charge for that service, which highlights the biggest criticism so far, the $20 price of admission when almost all of the top tourist sites in Washington are free.

Of course, you could easily drop a Jackson for lunch at the co-located The Source, Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant. He was there today along with some other VIPs. But it's the newsbringers who take center stage at The Newseum. Some in the media are uncomfortable with this role reversal, but it's a story that needs to be told. That map had an awful lot of "No Freedom of the Press."

Washington Post Honored

“I am still surprised at the huge reaction that it got, not just from the government but mainly from readers. People are still calling to say, 'What can they do and how can they make things better?'” - Dana Priest

Congratulations to the Washington Post, who garnered a half dozen Pulitzer Prize awards yesterday, including the Public Service Gold Medal. I’ve been critical of them from time to time, but they are a first-class institution that does tremendous work. I don’t know where I would be every morning without my cup of coffee, the Post and the better half across the table to discuss the issues and news of the day.

By the way, an excellent book on the subject is Pulitzer’s Gold, Behind the Prize for Public Service Journalism by Roy J. Harris Jr. It’s a well-written look at some of the news stories that won the Pulitzer, as well as the men and women that reported on and wrote the stories. Harris makes the point that the awards sometimes just name the newspaper and not the writers, editors and team of pavement pounders and researchers. He also weaves in the story of how Pulitzer started the awarding of the prizes and a look at the committee that decides the awards.

Six awards for one newspaper (The New York Times took the most, seven, for 2001) will no doubt raise eyebrows, but it was good to see Priest and Anne Hull receive the highest award for their exposure of the shameful and shoddy treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. Like many of the others that came before it, this reporting uncovered wrong-doing and led to action that improved the situation. For every winner each year, there is other reporting that doesn't get selected but does provide its readers and the country with a great service.

How 'Bout Them D.C. Teams?

Ok, so it’s not that big of a deal, but mark this past Saturday down as something remarkable for D.C. sports teams and their followers.

Starting with the team that has one of the best fan bases and attendance in MLS, D.C. United won its home opener at RFK Stadium 4 to 1 over Toronto FC. In Chicago, the Jekyll and Hyde Wizards defeated the Bulls 99-87 to move within two of Cleveland for possible home court advantage. The Nationals lost in St. Louis, but on a sunny afternoon the forecasters said wouldn’t be, the game was seen on the big scoreboard by the several thousand who took part in the Open House festivities at their new ballpark.

Saving the best for last, the Washington Capitals, in front of a packed house at D.C.'s downtown arena, beat Florida 3 to 1 to clinch the Southeast Division and make the playoffs for the first time in five years. Led by the amazing Alex Ovechkin, the Caps, who were in last place at the season’s mid-way point, won 7 in a row and 11 of 12 to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in NHL history.

The banner day is a good point to reflect on the state of professional sports in Washington. For the first time, the Redskins, D.C. United, Capitals and Wizards have each made the playoffs in a 12-month span. And the places they play are stories themselves. The transformation of the part of downtown where the Caps and Wizards is 100% complete. The Nationals have started a new chapter in a new ballpark in an emerging part of the city now being called Capitol Riverfront. DC United and their fans like being the sole tenants at RFK Stadium while looking forward to a new stadium at Poplar Point, just across the Anacostia River from Nationals Park. The ‘Skins will continue to pack ‘em at 90,000 a time, as owner Dan Snyder looks for a possible return to the District in an even bigger stadium. The sports stores are staying busy, offering jerseys with names like Ovechkin, Zimmerman, Arenas, and Gallardo.

New England we’re not, but in Washington, there's finally a star-shaped pride for the sports teams.

Bandwagon here, all aboard!

Gaylord National Opens

When it comes to new gathering places, nothing in the greater Washington region can top the excitement and media coverage surrounding the opening of the Nationals' new ballpark this past weekend. A star, however, in its own right, is the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, the cornerstone for National Harbor and the largest non-casino hotel and convention center on the East Coast. The grand opening is still three weeks away. But with the warm weather yesterday, Roberta and I decided to check out the soft opening.

The water taxi service from Old Town started yesterday but we decided to drive. Passing over the Potomac on the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, we said to ourselves it will be nice when the six lanes each way open up later this summer, a long-awaited event that will clear one of the worst bottle-necks in the area.

Once over the bridge, National Harbor has its own short, easy off ramp. The approach is still delicate, however, with portable neon traffic signs flashing updates and the uncertainty of where to go and park. The first part of the complex you see once off the ramp is still under construction. We followed the signs to the Gaylord National where a well-dressed man directed us to turn around and use the parking lot to the east of the hotel. If you go, be duly informed that the parking lots around the parking garage are restricted with tow signs.

By the way, calling this place a hotel does it no justice whatsoever. Walking inside and seeing the 18-story glass atrium, the lovely tropical trees and pools of water, some tanned convention goers, and setting sun through the largest frame I’ve ever seen, it felt like we were suddenly transported to southern Florida.

In the atrium, several upscale restaurants are now open, as well as some mid-priced offerings. The view and ambience tempted us to eat at some of the tables but I wanted to try out National Pastime Sports Bar and Grill. They have the coolest menu I’ve ever seen. It’s made to look like a baseball glove with leather strings. The credit card holder is made of wood with a ticket stub from the 1924 World Series varnished on it. The food service slow but the rockfish was excellent. The requisite HD screens with ESPN provide wall to wall sports coverage, including one really big one.

If you go there, be sure and ask for a validation ticket. It paid for our $12 parking.

After dinner, we walked outside to the riverside walk. Not much action yet but you can envision the warm summer scenes. We were impressed by the view of the Virginia side, one few in the area had ever seen because the nearest road is separated by both distance and trees.

The tourists will love this place, as well as some of the locals. It’s great to see Prince George’s County have the development come their way. Also, there's the fact that although this part of Maryland and Northern Virginia are separated by just a handful of Tiger Woods's drives, the distance often seems longer. National Harbor will help bring the two peoples together.

Slide show from Washington Post