BAXALOUGE
by Steve Baxley

Its like having muffins, if by muffins you mean that stripper we slept with last night .


So the local ABC TV station partners with a newbie psudeo sports bar to do a live weekly tailgate show, you ask the fans to come and be a part of it,bring signs and dress up as fans do to show support for the team.. and they do , then all of a sudden your sponsor gets a big head and takes over making some di-hard sports fans feel unwanted, what a ripoff and a joke.

The show was a low budget version of ESPN's College Gameday and ESPECIALLY NASCAR Race Day On SPEED (built by HOME DEPOT), but what pissed me off is how, unlike the shows I mentioned, this show ALLOWED its main sponsor to dictate and take over control of the show on its last week,thus the joy and good vibe felt on previous occasions, was gone, it was like the management was a bully and stuck a pin the a little boys balloon and popped it.

the establishment's management was so snooty that it made the rest of the show lame,rather cold and VERY unfeeling , if the establishment didnt want the fans to be at the show ..the station shouldve done it at the studios and not at a 2 bit poor man's sports club whose food is subpar,expensive and to be honest ..blah in both texture and quality.

So where should I have gone for some rowdy fun, of course at the jam fest held by Detroit radio station and flagship of MSU SPARTANS WJR Radio 760 where Steve Courtney held court over exhuberant fans and they were allowed to be that ...TRUE SPARTAN FANS!!

They werent told not to dress wildly or not to bring signs to support the team and needle the opponent like at this establishment whose name I will not mention at all because to give this place ANY type of publicity would be disgraceful and against my being.

Now then, its time for a little TV 101 as to how the station couldve made the show more "Fan Friendly"


First, of all I wouldve had it sponsored by a more established and trusted restaurant chain that sponsors college football, and other big sports events ...like HOOTERS (perfect example)

Secondly, It wouldve made sense to take the show TO Spartan Stadium

Third, NO SPONSOR INTERFERENCE, unlike "that establishment", have some boundaries and have the balls to say , "Look you sponsor the show..but WE have full control of the content so lay off and let the fans be that..FANS!"

take notes of how SPEED does their NASCAR pre show.take notes on how ESPN does their college football gameday show, and also take a few notes on BIG TEN stadium pre shows...you'd find much that could improve your show.

While your production was ok, you should take some lessons from others on how it SHOULD be done..or just do it from the studio next year ..

Tailgate shows should be fun and unpredictable, and be really FOR THE FANS!! not..repeat NOT for the sponsor to shill or have what is tantamount to an hour infomercial.

And if you dont agree, then you sir are as narrow minded as Keith Olbermann and Janene Garafalo!