It appears snow and assorted other winter goodies over the past three days in Dallas has thrown the national media — especially the sports media — into a tizzy.
The New York Times trumpeted “Rare storm hits Texas, causing chaos for drivers.” Yes, it never snows here in the desert, which is what all of Texas is. You didn’t know that? Plus we all ride horses here in Texas, in the desert, on a horse with no name. That’s mainly because it’s good to be out of the rain, pardon my references to a 1970s song by the band “America.”
A three-day winter storm happens about every 10 years, a weather guy goes on to say in the story. So how rare is it really? True, this has been an exceptionally cool winter. We had some icing and a little light snow here in Beaumont, some 252 miles southeast of Cowboys Stadium, this morning but nothing off the charts. Nonetheless, we do have winter too in these parts and even more so in Dallas because it is farther north. It happens! It’s not Buffalo, but it happens.
And so many of the sports media in Dallas for the Super Bowl work themselves into a whirling dervish over whether weather like this week in North Texas — that’s how the NFL is billing it because technically the game is being played in Arlington — will prevent cities subject to snowy winters from ever capturing future Super Bowls. Perhaps they should save that question for a couple of years from now after the big game is played in New Jersey’s New Meadowlands Stadium.
Anyone with sophistication enough to know that the Super Bowl is just as much about television commercials as it is football, perhaps more so, also understand the week leading up to the big game is about hype. Hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe zillions of media members are in the Dallas “Metroplex” area this week. Some of the media include those who are really celebrities or football players or both, like Cincinatti Bengals’ receiver Chad Ochocinco, who was questioning NFL head Roger Goodell today during a news conference about the league-management labor situation. Indeed, perhaps the looming lockout by the rich team owners is the biggest question the media will ask about during this whole Super Bowl with maybe the exception of “Who won?” the game. You won’t get an unbiased answer from me about who is right and who is wrong here, management or labor. (Hint: I look for the Union label.)
Still you will hear the bitching about snow in Dallas and see stories about Steelers safety Troy Polamalu’s hair. That is because newspapers, radio, TV, Internet and whatever other kind of media are paying a lot for their personnel to be in Dallas to cover the Super Bowl. Having been a reporter who was sent on a few trips — nothing like one of my former cohorts who was sent to Central America to study Spanish and not like one who worked for larger and richer outlets — I am fully cognizant that those who send you expect something back other than your jet-lagged, hungover self. That is send something back, like a story. Earn your keep, in other words. It’s almost 48 hours before game time and some of ESPN’s people were sitting a short while ago and broadcasting out in the cold of Sundance Square, the popular entertainment and shopping area of downtown Fort Worth. Hey, you got to do something! Rain, sleet, snow or hail, post office or no post office.
I hope the game between, who? Oh yeah, the Steelers and the Green Bay Packers is a good one and even more important, the broadcast is full of great commercials. See you all then. And, don’t some of you guys have deadlines?
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