I was checking out the blog of News 12 Long Island anchor - and tfo-certified HOT PIECE - Lauren Sivan, and read a post about a recent gaffe by longtime WNBC/4 anchor Sue Simmons. I broke down laughing after viewing this clip, of Sue's F-up (pun very much intended) and subsequent apology. I was very surprised to see her do that; I've always been a loyal Channel 4 viewer, and never have known her to be unprofessional. These days, however, I mostly watch News 12 when I seek updates on the happenings in my ancestral home. This is due pretty much solely to this information, conveyed to me over MySpace by Ryan a year and a half ago:
i was waiting to pick up my office's pizza this afternoon and the restaurant had the TV on to News12, and I practically did a double take. Apparantly this really hot jock-girl we used to go to school w/ named [redacted] is an effing reporter on the news now. Wow. Talk about your all-time mind fucks. Was def not expecting that! Immediately conjured mental images of Veronica Corningstone, needless to say. :)Once I'd watched some footage of this fellow Northporter, it was clear her skills on the television matched her skills on the basketball court. I haven't seen her on News 12 recently, so I'm not sure if she's still with them or not. As for Lauren, her blog is now entrenched in my Google Reader, and her presence ensures my continued viewership of News 12 for at least as long as she's employed there. Even if you're not within viewing range of her, read her blog anyway (feed), for this lady can write.
Two nights ago I watched the Mets pummel the Yankees 11-2, taking the second of the two games the teams actually played last weekend. The umpires incorrectly ruled Carlos Delgado's fourth-inning three-run home run to be a foul ball, but the Amazins wouldn't be denied. Despite barely holding above .500, the Mets, are only two and a half games out of the lead in the National League East. I'm further comforted by the fact that 119/162 = 73.5% of the season remaining to be played. The Mets are the only one of my teams currently playing, so I'll move on to the ongoing playoffs in other sports. I'm psyched about the Penguins v. Red Wings matchup in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. Lots of great players, especially Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for Pittsburgh, and Chris Osgood and Johan Franzen (?) for Detroit. But the biggest thing about this series for me is getting to see two great hockey towns and two classic arenas. Having the NHL's showcase event at The Igloo and The Joe is something I'm looking forward to immensely. As for the NBA, could they have asked for two better matchups in the conference finals? The quartet of Celtics, Pistons, Lakers and Spurs in the last four has garnered and will hold my attention - and I'm not normally a big basketball fan. Tonight also saw the NBA's annual Draft Lottery; the Knicks came away with the sixth pick. While I like the selection of Mike D'Antoni to be their next head coach, it's not nearly enough to revive my interest in this totally moribund franchise. As the playoffs wind down in the North American sports, the UEFA Champions League reaches an historic conclusion tomorrow night (afternoon here on the U. S. east coast) in Moscow. For the first time, two English clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, will face off for the right to be known as champion club of all Europe. The fact that such a multi-national playoff even exists is cool. It, along with the concept of promotion and relegation, gives international soccer an interesting dimension not seen on this continent.
And finally, some live, local, and late-breaking news. The school budget passed, and the two candidates I wanted to see win went down. We'll likely see a return to full-throttle tax-and-spend policies in my school district. And only two hours after I wrote my last post, my brother broke the news exclusively to me that he'd scrapped his move to North Carolina (he later told Dad, who then told Mom). Boy, I'm a fool now, aren't I?