JayStream

As we make our way through the middle of July, with kids wasting away the days counting down to next month’s new school term, I am reminded of the circumstances under which I began spending my childhood summers outdoors rather than in front of the TV set. Not that my brothers and I were couch potatoes… but Saturday morning cartoons and afternoon comedy reruns (The Monkees, Gilligan’s Island, The Munsters, etc) had been the focus of our non-school recreation time.

I can’t remember what year it was, but I do remember the May afternoon of my youth on which it happened. I came home from school and turned on our black and white television. But rather than a favorite program growing from the single dot in the middle of the screen as the picture tube warmed up – my siblings and I were horrified to see nothing but snow.

When my father got home from work, we pleaded with him to call the repairman to come and fix the family TV. My dad said he couldn’t afford it at the time, so we would have to find something else to do. Rather than watching television, we were forced to spend the rest of the spring and summer months playing outside – stuff like pick-up baseball games, bike hikes, and the swimming pool.

In autumn, after school resumed, we came home one day to find mother watching TV. Apparently dad had been able to get the television fixed, and we went back to our viewing routine through the fall and winter months.

The following year, as the weather warmed up, the TV ironically went on the blink again. Once more we exchanged TV time for outdoor activities.

It seems like the yearly cycle occurred a couple more times, as I grew out of childhood into a young teenager who developed an interest in tinkering with things. Eventually, I turned my attention to the broken TV set. I was a little afraid as I ignored the stern safety warnings on the pasteboard rear panel of the set, opening it up to reveal a maze of wires and tubes. I noticed there was one small tube laying at the bottom of the TV box, and realized its array of pins fit perfectly into an empty socket below the picture tube. I plugged in the tube, powered up the TV, and was overjoyed when the disabled set glowed to life.

When dad got home that day I met him excitedly at the door, and explained how a tube had somehow worked itself loose, and that I had just saved him a big repair bill by fixing the television set myself. Curiously, there were no congratulations coming my way. Dad just walked upstairs to the dinner table.

I wasn’t the stupidest kid on the block, but it actually took a fair bit of thinking before I realized dad had been chasing us outdoors for the past few summers by sabotaging the TV. As I look back in hindsight, I realize what a great idea it was. My brothers and I actually developed fair skill sets in various sports, and my sisters enjoyed playtime outside with their friends. I am certain many of our active hours would have been wasted vegetating had it not been for the untimely breakdown of our only TV set.

My own kids aren’t so gullible, so I have to be straightforward in my insistence that TV time be limited in favor of summertime exercise, be it swimming or biking or walking the dog. Getting the kids outdoors could be a lot easier for me – except that I have no idea how to loosen a chip on an integrated circuit board in a color TV set.

Jay Television industry exercise, television

I had no intention of watching the Super Bowl® game, because I had some projects to do around the house and, frankly, I had no dog in the fight. I don’t much care about the Cardinals or Steelers. But I did watch part of the pregame show, and here are three people that made an impression on me:

1) Tony Dungy. I lived in Minnesota when Tony was the quarterback at Minnesota, and was surprised when he began his professional career on defense. Although most people know him for his champtionship ring, Dungy has had some difficult moments in his life, most notably the suicide of his son. But his new passion for helping young people is nothing short of impressive. He just released a new book (Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance), and it atop of my list of future-reads. His comments about Larry Fitzgerald show what a star performer and star person Dungy is – a great role model.

2) Bob Costas. The Chicago Cubs’ icon Harry Caray always called Costas the “best young broadcaster in the business.” It couldn’t have been that long ago, was it? Costas is now clearly one of the best in the business – period. One thing that stood out for me during the pregame show was not only how smooth Costas is, but how he dealt with a set crowded with five people holding microphones. Maybe you have to be a broadcaster to appreciate this, but Costas was able to involve them all and make them all look good. Not many sportscasters/studio hosts can do that.

3) President Obama. Say what you want about his politics, but he was incredibly charming and engaging during his interview. Unlike previous presidents, who got all wishy-washy when asked to predict the big game, Obama unflinchingly said he was pulling for the Steelers. Of course, Steelers owner Dan Rooney had endorsed Obama, while Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell is a staunch Republican. But beyond that, Obama seemed very sincere when answering Matt Lauer’s wide range of questions. It almost felt like Obama was sitting there watching the pregame show with you. The interview was a definite winner for the new president.

By the way: If you need to pick up some home improvement materials, go to the hardware store during the Super Bowl. You will have the place to yourself.

Jay Sports NFL football, Super Bowl, television, Tony Dungy

The coronation of Barack Hussein Obama came off exactly as scripted by his media machine – the new president surrounded by friends and relatives, cheered on by adoring fans, and worshipped by embarrassingly-fawning journalists.

Young people across the nation watched the unprecedented spectacle on television, and at least some said it would be a memory they would carry with them the rest of their lives. It just might be. If you think about the current generation, what shared national experiences does it have? Baby boomers remember crowding around TV sets to watch a space shot or that first walk on the moon. Younger adults may remember seeing the Berlin Wall come down. But what shared historical events do today’s teenagers have? About the only significant spot news events they have watched en masse on television were 9/11, shuttle disasters, and the acquittal of O.J. Not much to be proud of as Americans.

It seems odd to already describe a simple inauguration of a rookie president as a life-impacting moment. But for a generation starved for something big to feel a part of, this might be as good as it gets.

Clearly, after seeing the ceremony, pageantry, parade, and late night parties – it appears the best part about becoming president is becoming president. The tough part is actually doing the job, and that is what President Obama must now do. If he doesn’t deliver, the inaugural festivities fade from those teenage memories, the historical event remembered as just another reality TV show.

Jay News inauguration, television