Rants and Raves

Review: In The Country Of Brooklyn by Peter Golenbock; HarperCollins, 2008.

It seemed like an ideal combination: my favorite sports author writing a book about my hometown. I have read maybe 10-15 books by Peter Golenbock, all of them highly enjoyable with "Personal Fouls" perhaps the best sports book of all-time. Because I also own the long out-of-print "When Brooklyn Was The World" which is mostly a picture book, I was looking forward to Golenbock’s new detailed history.

Unfortunately In The Country of Brooklyn was a huge disappointment. The previously non-political Golenbock litters the book with cheap

editorial missives against conservatives and Republicans, many grossly misplaced and irrelevant. The fun begins on page 8. In the chapter about 19th century Coney Island Golenbock writes about the "unchecked greed of the Bush Administration" and from there the far-left zingers just keep on coming.

Quickly it becomes apparent that the pretext for writing “The Country of Brooklyn” is to provide a backdrop for Golenbock to unload political screeds that would have been taboo in his NASCAR and football volumes. The chapter about turn-of-the-century socialist Emma Goldman (“Crushing The Jewish Troublemakers”) is somewhat typical: Goldman only briefly lived in Brooklyn, most of her “troublemaking” was done elsewhere.

It is also evident that the first review posted here (Amazon.Com) is only of the jacket cover. If you are looking for an entertaining history about New York’s largest borough that provides an escape from the highly-charged partisan politics of today, “In the Country Of Brooklyn” is not that book.

(also posted at Amazon.com; I hate to waste $25 on anything, especially a bad book by a supposedly good author!)

I'm late to the party but something has been bugging me since the tax day tea parties were held all over the country.

As we all know, the purpose of the tea parties held on April 15 was to protest the out-of-control government spending which includes the billion dollar bailouts of banks and car companies. It was as much a protest against President Bush who spent most of his Administration refusing to veto any spending bills and then during election year 2008 went hog wild first with a failed stimulus bill and later with the initial bank bailout, as President Obama and his exponential expansion of the deficit.

If you attended any of the tea parties in person, the "pox on both their houses" theme was unmistakable. Fox News Channel featured live coverage from four of their hosts. Neil Cavuto was at the State House in Sacramento where Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democratic Legislature have combined their talents for a mind-boggling $41 Billion deficit! Glenn Beck followed live from the Alamo and actually got a larger cheer from the crowd when he proclaimed "Republicans Suck" after yelling "Democrats Suck."

Apparently Sean Hannity did not get the memo or likely ignored it. Hannity turned his tea party appearance in Atlanta into a "Bash Obama" affair, repeating the same old tired zingers that he regularly recites ad nauseam on both radio and TV. And to support the liberals charge that the tea parties were strictly a back-room GOP creation, Hannity had Newt ("Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker") Gingrich on remote from New York and Mike Huckabee from South Carolina.

Of course part of the story of the tea parties was the coverage, or lack thereof, by the mainstream media. Susan Roesgen of CNN achieved You Tube notoriety with a negative, nasty report from the downtown Chicago tea party. But a follow-up video from www.FoundingBloggers.com showed Roesgen talking to other attendees who blamed both Republicans and Democrats for the economic mess. However when Hannity played the www.FoundingBloggers.com video (since removed under a legal threat from CNN) he cleverly removed the anti-GOP criticism.

Certainly Fox News Channel has been riding a ratings wave since Obama took office, easily destroying MSNBC and CNN. How dominant is Fox? The 11pm ET/8PM PT rerun of The O'Reilly Factor attracts a larger audience than first-run show on the other cable news networks. Hannity, buoyed by the huge spillover audience from O'Reilly is getting a higher number than Hannity and Colmes. But Hannity is often an embarrassment for true conservatives, employing the same out-of-context quotes and tactics that are a regular staple of far-left outlets like Media Matters and MSNBC. And if Hannity does have a liberal guest on the show, they are often brow-beaten or simply cut off. Bill Maher would be proud.

Presently Fox News Channel is flourishing because many people are starved for Washington news that is not shrouded by Liberal guilt or fear of boycotts from Al Sharpton and his ilk. But nothing lasts forever and when this phase ends the less than honest shows such as Hannity will be the first to crash.

That conservatism doesn't need deception or gimmickry to prove it's merits is a lesson sadly lost on Sean Hannity.

".... That's the problem with this whole country. F*cking vast prosperity. No one has any real problems anymore. Ninety percent of the damn in this town (Washington DC) either think there's no war on terror, or if we'd just be nice to these zealots they'll leave us alone. Well, that ain't going to f*cking happen. The Huns are circling, and we're sitting around arguing about gay rights and prayer and guns and global warming and all kinds of bullsh*t. These idiots will eventually wake up to the threat, but by then it might be too late."

Will somebody please send a copy of Extreme Measures to President Obama replete with profanities!

In my last posting I was somewhat skeptical of the changes Fox News Channel was making to its lineup. But based on the latest cable news ratings, the changes have been an overwhelming success; the solo Hannity is posting higher numbers than its predecessor and Bret Baier is more than holding up his end of the bargain as the new host of Special Report.

But since joining Fox, the quirky and emotional Glenn Beck has proved to be a cable news sensation, attracting numbers at 5pm ET/ 2pm PT that normally belong to prime time shows. More than 3,000,000 tuned in for his March 13 special "We Are Not Alone."

During 2008 CNN and MSNBC shows would occasionally beat FNC in the 25-54 age demographic with CNN claiming that Anderson Cooper 360 actually topped Greta Van Susteren's On The Record for the entire year. But no more; with more of an emphasis on Washington news than crime, Greta is beating Cooper decidedly in the demo and by 2:1 in total audience on many nights.

Perhaps more than the lineup changes, the advent of the Obama Administration is likely the primary reason for the new Fox dominance. It's right-leaning audience is highly attuned (alarmed?) to news events and welcomes non-liberal analysis. By contrast CNN, buoyed by a large African-American audience during the Presidential campaign is now struggling, not only against Fox but also MSNBC and even its sister Headline News, often placing 4th in the ratings.

As for MSNBC and its overt move to the political Left; after an upward tick in 2008, their ratings appear to have flattened. Keith Olbermann's Countdown no longer comes close to The O'Reilly Factor and for all the positive ink she has gotten from the mainstream media, Rachel Maddow cannot touch Hannity.

For conservatives, the Obama Administration may be a long four years but even during a recession thus far it is a ratings bonanza for the Fox News Channel.

Although Bill Clinton loves to proclaim that 22 million jobs were created during his Administration (with the Republicans quick to respond that the GOP Congress was really responsible), in truth the economic surge in the 1990s was led by the Internet, i.e., the "Dot.com" boom. And

while us Conservatives love to credit the Ronald Reagan's tax cuts, the 1980s economy was punctuated by the initial PC explosion, especially when Microsoft's operating system was allowed to be installed on other than IBM brand computers. In both decades, new industries, products and of course, jobs were created.

I believe we are now in the early stages of a third personal computer revolution and when it is complete, we will have the long-awaited total integration of television, telephones and the Internet. Not in the presently clumsy way of watching TV shows online or by a dedicated internet channel on your television (or with a cumbersome box such as Apple TV). But with something that will be seamless. Already we see much movement in this area with new cell phone applications and despite the Obama Administration's coming tax increases on the entrepreneur set, it will continue unabated.

And as it happened in the 1980s and especially1990s it will politically benefit the man in the White House who while not being even remotely responsible, will not hesitate to take credit.

Politics: When all is said and done, we have to hope and pray that incoming President Barack Obama governs from the political center. But with an overwhelming Democratic Congress possibly vindictive against Republicans and conservatives, there are no pretensions here; Obama can do about anything he wants.

Cable News:

The news networks all had big years in 2008. Fox continues to rule the roost but CNN, buoyed by a large Obama-loving black audience, beat everybody on election night. The move to the hard-left has made MSNBC more competitive; with CNN for second place! Although their product continues to improve, until Fox Business Network is available on basic cable, it won�t catch CNBC.

This month Fox News Channel is in the process of major changes to its very solid mid-day and prime time lineup. This week Bret Baier replaced the retiring Brit Hume as the host of Special Report. Hume is a highly respected and likeable analyst and Fox obviously hopes that the 38-year old Baier will grow into the job. On January 19, Glenn Beck (pictured below) inherits the 5pm ET/2pm PT hour. And next week in a highly risky move, liberal co-host Alan Colmes disappears and Hannity and Colmes simply becomes Hannity. During the Presidential campaign Sean Hannity frequently became unhinged, often steamrolling over guests and the startled Colmes. Time will tell whether viewers will accept what could become a one-sided video version of the Hannity radio show.

Other Big Media: The decline of newspapers continues in a weak economy and it appears more likely that a few major dailies may disappear in 2009. Refusing to cut staff, the New York Times has sold off many of their other assets but sooner or later, the Gray Lady may also have to bite the bullet.

During the 2008 election year; rather than flock to the nightly news on CBS, NBC and ABC, voters may gotten the bulk of their information from folks such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, David Letterman, The View and clips from Saturday Night Live. To be sure, the election of a rock star was the product of a very disturbing trend which seems to match the increasing hedonism of much of America.

Local Radio: This week ABC/Citadel affiliate KSFO shuffled their lineup, moving Sean Hannity and Mark Levin to live midday slots and banishing Dr. Laura Schlessinger to evenings. Clear Channel's KNEW greeted Bill O'Reilly's decision to leave talk radio by prematurely dropping his show and moving Dennis Miller back to mornings. Roger Hedgecock's syndicated show inherits Miller's evening hours.

Then there is a match made in radio and baseball heaven: the spendthrift Oakland A's signing with bankrupt KTRB-AM. The 50,000-watt station also added Sports Byline USA and a late night sports show to their humdrum lineup which still includes Glenn Beck, Neil Boortz and various informercials.

But the best radio news of all may be a new syndicated Oldies format on 1550am. Now if owner CBS increases the station's power beyond a 40 watt light bulb, the new KFRC may actually find some listeners!

Sports: As the NFL bobs and weaves its way through the playoffs, the two strongest teams appear to be in the NFC: the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. Their playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers proved two things: that (a) the rules must be changed to allow both teams to have at least one possession in overtime; and (b) despite the 12-4 record, the Indianapolis Colts are in decline. No longer can the best quarterback on the planet (Peyton Manning) disguise other weaknesses.

Locally there finally is some hope. The San Francisco 49ers finished strong under coach Mike Singletary (pictured) but may not go much further until they get a better quarterback. Alex Smith should be healthy next year but it is unknown whether he is Singletary�s guy.

The Raiders ended the season with two victories and if Al Davis and company can resist from signing �name� free agents and focus on immediate needs, Oakland should be much better in 2009.

Buoyed by two new stadiums in New York, baseball appears ready for a big 2009. A positive development is the new MLB network which began in 50 million homes.

With the big three auto companies flouting bankruptcy, the faltering economy probably played more havoc with NASCAR than other sports. Those empty seats could not be hidden during the Chase (playoff) races and with sponsorship dollars decreasing, a number of lesser teams have merged. In its' first full season the �car of tomorrow� often led to dull racing and the ABC/ESPN coverage of the second half of the season left much to be desired.

During the past two months I have been extremely busy, first performing post disaster work in Louisiana following Hurricane Gustav and then returning home to tend to a hospitalized loved one so there has not been much time to post. But I am aware of such items that deserve comment such as an election slipping away, the death of somebody greatly admired for sticking to his guns (Paul Newman) and the disgraceful firing of a good football coach (Lane Kiffin, pictured). Hopefully life will eventually get back to some semblance of normal.

Twice this past week on Fox News Channel�s Hannity and Colmes, when the subject of John Edwards' illicit affair was discussed, Alan Colmes threw John McCain�s divorce into the mix. It is well known that the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee cheated on his

first wife with present spouse Cindy.

But Sean Hannity could not handle the comparison and Colmes winning the argument. One night he justified McCain�s cheating because of �extenuating circumstances.� And the following night in further detail Hannity justified the cheating because his treatment as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam made McCain a �different person.�

Advice to Sean Hannity: don�t go there again! In the Saturday night forum with Pastor Rick Warren, McCain admitted that his divorce was his biggest moral failing. Although we think there was no love child for McCain, both his and the Edwards affair are to be condemned.

If the Flex Your Power! ads that Pacific Gas and Electric are airing non-stop on both radio and TV with the reminder that �the fight against global warming has just begun�

weren�t bad enough, now San Francisco conservative talk station KSFO has seamlessly weaved these spots into their programming. Indeed, parts of the Rush Limbaugh show are now sponsored by PG&E. Not surprisingly this past Friday morning after host Lee Rodgers completed a 30-minute interview with Dr. Pat Michaels, one of the leading critics of global warming, it was followed by that overbearing PG&E commercial.

The PG&E ads are a gross insult to the KSFO audience which more than likely refutes the global warming hysteria. Now I realize that both KSFO and liberal KGO have the same owners and management (liberals Mickey Luckoff and Ken Berry) and media buys are usually done jointly for both stations. If PG&E wants to waste their ad dollars I suppose it�s OK, but jeez Louise, don�t treat the KSFO audience like a bunch of boobs! Otherwise soon there may be no KSFO audience.

Question: So last

week when nearly everybody in talk radio condemned Russia for their invasion into Georgia, who was the one host who took an opposite view? Answer: Michael Savage. Are we really surprised?

According to Savage it was Georgia�s fault for provoking Russia. Also it was President Bush�s fault for selling arms to Georgia. Don't forget that dastardly Neocon Bill Kristol! Savage has not yet blamed the Russian action on autism, the Council on American-Islamic Relations or Bill O�Reilly! Maybe on Monday.

Just another of a long list of reasons why Michael Savage, known in some circles as the "Keith Olbermann of the Right," cannot ever be taken seriously.

Primarily because of a problem with AT&T/Yahoo!, for nearly a month our website could not be accessed. Hopefully the problems with www.topthecharts.net are in the rear view mirror.

While I was offline we lost Tony Snow and there is nothing to add to all the accolades for the former White House Press Secretary and Fox News Sunday anchor. However another huge loss was the death of Skip Carey, longtime play-by-play voice of the Atlanta Braves who also called NBA and NFL games for TBS and TNT. Today Carey was honored in a public ceremony at Turner Field .

It may seem like ancient history and long before major league baseball teams televised nearly all their games, the Atlanta Braves broadcast crew of Skip Carey, Pete Van Wieren and Ernie Johnson Sr. helped sell cable TV to the masses. And in those early days of cable, the synergy between the Superstation TBS and CNN helped give the upstart news channel credibility.

He may not have been the most neutral play-by-play announcer of all-time but the colorful Carey was always interesting to hear. He will be sorely missed.

July 10, 2008

FEMA: A Successful Dress Rehearsal.

In the aftermath of recent flooding that devastated parts of the Midwest, I spent the latter part of June and early July in Wisconsin. My assignment was not as heroic as you might think; nearly all of the inspections I performed were of minimally flooded basements on the north side of Milwaukee.

But there is some good news: it appears obvious that FEMA has learned their lessons of poor planning, inadequate resources and delayed response. Wisconsin, Illinois (see photo) Missouri and the other states that were declared Federal disaster areas were literally "flooded" with housing inspectors allowing FEMA to meet their goal of completing all applications for assistance within 72-hours! Many of my clients applied to FEMA in the morning, had their home inspected in the same afternoon with the results immediately uploaded for internal review and then to FEMA for determination whether the folks are eligible for Federal assistance. A sharp contrast to 2005 where even in areas outside of inaccessible and devastated New Orleans, many damaged homes were not inspected for many months.

The real test for FEMA will be their response to a series of large hurricanes occurring at nearly the same time and in multiple states. But all indications were that the dress rehearsal in the Midwest was a huge success.

June 1, 2008

Six Long Weeks

I have been very busy attending to a) to a serious personal matter and b) arranging for a significant trip that begins with a baby shower for the daughter of a certain grandfather-to-be so I have not had much opportunity to comment about the news and sports of the day. Hopefully we will begin writing again soon.

But One Brief Sports (NASCAR) Item

However, I need to briefly reference the item I wrote last June about the deals at Hendrick Motorsports that led to the exit of Kyle Busch to accommodate the arriving Dale Earnhardt Jr. I may have been the only person in the universe who called it a bad move and it may turn out to be the worst deal since the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

It doesn't seem to matter what he drives or who he drives for, Busch is usually running up front and is a serious threat to win every race as he did today at Dover. Sure he is controversial but no driver, not even Danica, is more exciting. Although Junior is having a decent year, it is obvious that the 22-year old Busch, like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, operates on a higher level.

TNT may know drama but yours truly, not Rick Hendrick, knows talent!

April 15, 2008

Reverend Wright and Tony Dungy

After watching the endless loops of the rantings of Barack Obama�s former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, it is very easy to be down on race relations in America. It is not limited to one isolated wild man preaching anti-American and anti-Semitic hate; it is the throngs in the church that cheered him, the front runner for the Democratic Presidential nomination refusing to reject him and his adoring millions of his voters of all races who either agree with Wright or seemingly don�t care.

But then I recently finished reading Quiet Strength by Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. For those who are not football fans, Dungy is an African-American with a strong belief in God. The book describes many personal encounters including the suicide of a teenage son. Although Dungy is certainly proud of his heritage, the book expresses none of the bitterness or outright venom of Pastor Wright. Dungy lives in the multi-racial world of the NFL and it is not surprising that some of his closest relationships are with whites such as player John Lynch and coach Rob Marinelli.

Quiet Strength is an uplifting book written by a classy guy. And enough to make us forget, albeit briefly, Reverend Wright.

March 4, 2008

Melanie Morgan � Almost Like a Death in the Family

While the sudden departure of Melanie Morgan came as a shock to regular listeners of the morning show on KSFO, in the context of the shaky status of over-the-air radio and budget cuts from the parent company, it really was not a great surprise.

Since buying the ABC radio network in 2006, Citadel Broadcasting has suffered huge financial losses, which were further exasperated by handing a huge contract to washed-up Don Imus. Last week, a few personalities were shown the door at their other big market talk stations so it was only a matter of time before the chopping block arrived in San Francisco. The December firing of Bernie Ward at KGO likely spared the liberal twin of KSFO from cuts, probably leaving Morgan particularly vulnerable. On Tuesday morning co-host Lee Rodgers marveled how he and Morgan survived 12 years in the same gig in such an unstable business.

When Morgan joined Rodgers in 1996 to form both an entertaining and activist duo, this listener was highly skeptical. Given the liberalism of her husband who at the time was Operations Manager of KSFO, I wondered if Morgan�s hire was pure nepotism. But her dedication to many conservative issues including the recall of California Governor Gray Davis debunked any doubts that Melanie was one of us.

Although she will no longer be a part of the morning ritual for so many Bay Area conservatives, Morgan is hardly slinking into oblivion. Melanie will continue to lead Move America Forward which simultaneously supports our troops while countering leftist websites such as MoveOn.org and the Daily Kos. And she will also continue to write for World Net Daily.

So Mel, thanks for a great run and best of success in all your future endeavors, especially and most importantly supporting our troops.

(also available at http://www.chronwatch-america.com/blogs).

February 17, 2008

Media Roundup:

Bernie Ward Is In Deep Doo Doo

In December, San Francisco radio talk show host Bernie Ward, the self-proclaimed �Lion of the Left,� was indicted for possessing child pornography back in 2004. Ward claimed the porn was on his computer as part of research for a book which sounded highly suspicious because after three years no book had ever been published. Nevertheless Ward received much sympathy from Bay Area liberals including the San Francisco Chronicle which always has problems condemning anyone�s sexual proclivities.

This week, because of an investigative report from KGO-TV we learned that book research was a sorry excuse. The investigation produced a 23-page criminal report from the City of Oakdale which included transcripts of instant messages from Ward to a local woman. The photo that led to Ward�s indictment seems mild when compared to Ward�s lusting for his own children, their friends amidst speculation about the size of their body parts!

In conclusion, if the IM�s are authentic, Bernie Ward is one sick puppy who needs help but more importantly must be kept away from his children and their friends. And this time not even the San Francisco Chronicle can defend him.

Mess-NBC, a.k.a. MSNBC is A Mess!

Cable network MSNBC is making headlines for all the wrong reasons!

Substitute anchor David Shuster�s recent remarks suggesting Chelsea Clinton was being �pimped out� led to a two week suspension which will end next week. Earlier Chris Matthews was forced to apologize to Mrs. Clinton for saying that she would have had no political career had there been no Monica Lewinsky affair.

Then there is a January magazine piece, where an unidentified senior executive claimed that far-left motor mouth Keith Olbermann �runs MSNBC� reportedly infuriating Matthews, not really surprising considering Olbermann has a history of tattered relationships at his previous media stops.

Despite all the recent publicity, MSNBC remains mired in third place in the cable news wars. Whatever gains Olbermann has made by attracting the Daily Kos/Air America crowd has more than been offset by defections by regular viewers nearly everyplace else in the daily schedule. Although a few Presidential debates, election coverage and the proliferation of crime documentaries overnight and on weekends have increased the overall numbers, MSNBC remains far from shouting distance of CNN and miles behind Fox News Channel.

Add the controversial canning of Don Imus last April, the shipping of popular anchor Chris Jansing (pictured) to the NBC Los Angeles bureau and budget cuts imposed by parent owner GE and it is a safe bet that MSNBC is not the happiest place to work these days.

And with a perceived preference toward Barack Obama, it is also the worst place on cable TV to get unbiased news.

Goodbye to Inside Cable News.

This week, Inside Cable News, my favorite blog on the Internet was shut down. Given the comments posted on the last day, it was obvious that many of us cable news junkies lost a close friend.

Inside Cable News, or ICN as it was fondly known, was the best place to go for scoops, gossip, and ratings for the cable news and business channels. It was the rare website where both the left and right got along without the discussions getting out of hand. �Spud,� the Silicon Valley based blogger who ran the site was a solid reporter and an even better analyst who rarely showed any bias.

But what made ICN so unique? Read part of Spud�s sign off:

�� This blog was never intended to be an industry blog, at least not by me. This blog was always first and foremost for the TV Viewers. Obviously if you write well and long enough the industry will start reading you anyway but they weren�t who I owed my allegiance to.�

Unless us loyal readers can change Spud�s mind, Inside Cable News will be sorely missed.

A Note to Sean Hannity

As a listener to his radio show and regular viewer of Hannity and Colmes, I am getting mighty tired of the bellyaching about Sean�s differences with John McCain.

Yes, I know Hannity has his own �Straight Talk Express� and sometimes disagrees with the Bush Administration but the whining is getting old: Is Hannity going to vote for McCain, yes or no?

While Hannity is wobbly, KSFO morning host Lee Rodgers is certainly no shrinking violet. Without hesitation �Loveable Lee� said he would vote for McCain when there are 30-feet ice caps in hell!

As my grandmother might have said, it is high time for Sean Hannity to �bleep or get off the pot.�

(also available at http://www.chronwatch-america.com/blogs).

February 16, 2008

Sports Roundup

Super Bowl Upsets I, II and III

Before Super Bowl XLII, it was widely written that if the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, it would be the biggest upset since the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Now that the Giants 17-14 win is in the history books do we realize just how similar both games were.

Entering Super Bowl III, the Colts were also considered the best team in pro football history. They entered the game against the Jets with a 15-1 record and avenged their only loss during the 1968 season by destroying the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in the NFL championship game. Those Colts were even considered superior to the five Green Bay championship teams of Vince Lombardi, who had retired after the preceding season.

History has never looked kindly on the 1968 Baltimore Colts who laid a big egg that day in Miami. Hall-of-Fame Coach Don Shula lost his job following the 1969 season and began a long tenure in Miami. Two years later the Colts beat Dallas in the first Super Bowl following the merger but in Baltimore that victory never erased the sting of losing to the Jets.

And so it may also be with the New England Patriots. Already coach Bill Belichick is facing severe criticism for his unsportsmanlike actions at the end of Super Bowl XLII. And now the charges of illegal video taping have again reared their ugly head; this time the Pats are accused of spying on the St. Louis Rams, the team that the Patriots beat in Super Bowl XXXVI, generally considered the third biggest upset in Super Bowl history.

It now seems certain that history will also not look kindly on the 2007 New England Patriots.

Just Another Friendly Off-Season in the Bay Area

As if nine wins combined were not bad enough for 2007, both the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are not exactly inspiring hope for next year.

After nearly being fired, Niners coach Mike Nolan will be brought back. But Nolan must now work with former Rams Coach Mike Martz (pictured) as his offensive coordinator and certain successor if San Francisco doesn�t get off to a good start. In addition, the 49ers gave backup quarterback Shaun Hill a three year contract on the basis of two meaningless games late in the season. Where this leaves former Number One draft choice Alex Smith is anybody�s guess. Smith feuded with Nolan last season over the severity of a shoulder injury and thus far there is no indication that coach and QB have made-up.

The Raiders soap opera if far worse. Reportedly 78-year old owner Al Davis wanted 32-year old Lane Kiffin to resign in January but the rookie coach refused. The Raiders have had five coaches in the past seven years and another coaching change is not exactly an ideal situation for attracting free agents or selling tickets for 2008.

A few Bay Area writers have recommended that the NFL take the franchise away from Davis but that will happen about the same time Hillary Clinton becomes a Republican! In the meantime, Davis must come to his senses and give Kiffin ample opportunity to turn around what has become the biggest embarrassment in professional sports.

NASCAR � Another Opening, Another Show

Although scandalous steroids and crooked referees haven�t yet hit NASCAR, surface cracks are beginning to appear. For the first time in many years, NASCAR begins its new season on a downer: decreased TV ratings and an increase of empty seats, even during the Chase for the Championship playoffs.

A visit to any NASCAR fan website will uncover hundreds of reasons for the downturn but here are the two most obvious: (a) too many caution flags, many questionable that slow down the racing, and (b) TV coverage that generally sucks!

Tomorrow as the Daytona 500 kicks off another 9 months of races, one driver is sure to dominate the Sprint Cup series: Dale Earnhardt Jr. who moved from the team founded by his late father, and run by his wicked step mom to Hendrick Motorsports where he is now teamed with defending champion Jimmie Johnson and hated rival Jeff Gordon. Junior is already off to a good start, winning two preliminary Daytona races.

The fortunes of Earnhardt in 2008 will likely dominate fan and media attention but it won�t makes the problems go away. The bloom is definitely off the NASCAR rose.

(also available at http://www.chronwatch-america.com/blogs).

Last week, with no warning from Comcast, the infant Fox Business Network finally arrived in the Bay Area. Thus the wait is finally over for a serious alternative to CNBC.

As with any new network, Nielson ratings are not formally released until about 9 months after startup and certainly nobody expected Fox Business, the equivalent of a baseball expansion team, to beat the established CNBC out of the box. But early numbers were gleefully leaked by CNBC that showed FBN attracting only 6,300 weekday viewers during their first two months. By contrast, CNBC had an average audience of 283,000 making many newspaper columnists and anti-Fox bloggers delirious!

However upon further review, the gap between the two is not as ghastly as it appears. While CNBC is available in about 90 million US homes, Fox actually began with less than 10 million subscribers!

Although they had announced signed agreements to launch with 32 million potential sets of eyeballs, until last week Fox Business was not available on Comcast cable systems in the Top 10 markets of San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago and Boston. And FBN is largely still not seen in New York City, various Cox Cable systems in areas such as Phoenix and San Diego and not at all on Dish Network.

So how are the programs? During the trading day, FBN is basically similar to CNBC and Bloomberg, the other financial cable network. Apparently FBN is attempting to differentiate itself where CNBC is weak: after the markets close. Included in this mix is Cavuto, a show that presents business news and interviews in a longer form than his Your World Fox News Channel hour; a financial advice program starring radio guru Dave Ramsey and a daily market wrap normally anchored by David Asman but occasionally by ex-CNBC�er Liz Claman (pictured). But the best of the early prime/prime entrees may be Happy Hour, not surprisingly set in a tavern and co-hosted by young hotshots Cody Willard and Rebecca Gomez.

Similar to the early days of Fox News Channel, expect the weekday FBN lineup to be continually tweaked with both overnight and weekend shows gradually added. It took Fox News Channel five years to eclipse CNN so nobody in the News Corp. building is expecting instant ratings successes for Fox Business. Still, it will be interesting to watch the growth of an alternative to challenge the habitually staid, stale and often anti-business CNBC.