Finals record shouldn’t be discussed when comparing LeBron to MJ
June 15, 2017Browns QB coach David Lee: Kizer “has a chance to be special”
June 16, 2017Podcasting with Harv…
Above there’s a link to a YouTube video of the latest WFNY Podcast. I finally caught up with one of our best friends, Harv, to discuss the Cavaliers, Warriors, Browns and more. Please check out the podcast and share it with a friend if you would be so kind.
Now… While We’re Waiting…
Why would LeBron leave the Cavaliers now?
One common theme of the behind the scenes conversation at WFNY regarding LeBron’s future is that nobody knows anything about what LeBron will do. After years of chatter around media markets – most notably New York City – LeBron and his cohorts shocked the world by going to Pat Riley’s Miami Heat. After four successful years and two championships, LeBron shocked the world again by coming back to Cleveland. I won’t pretend to know what LeBron will do next any more than I will pretend to know whether the Browns will win more than a game this season.
There are so many variables in play. LeBron is one of the biggest celebrities on the planet. He made a lot of really smart basketball decisions even if he made one very large P.R. gaffe with The Decision. As far as basketball decisions go, there’s not much that makes more sense than playing in the East with Kyrie Irving.
In Kyrie, LeBron has a young player who is presumably still improving and helped key the first Cleveland championship in my lifetime. Kyrie is 25-years-old and still very firmly in the beginning of his prime. Additionally, the Cavaliers showed just how capable they are of handling the Eastern Conference in their current form. The balance of power can change every off-season, but the fact is that the Cavs went 12-1 on their way to the NBA Finals. That’s a lot of catching up for the rest of the conference. It’s not likely to happen in the first couple years with a draft pick leading the way.
None of this is to say that LeBron won’t leave. Dan Gilbert could do something stupid, most notably with David Griffin. Gilbert might tire of paying the tax and fail to re-sign someone giving the perception that he’s rethinking spending. LeBron might sense his NBA mortality and try and group up with his buddies one last time in a city that can afford to bring them all in at once should the timing and financials line up.
Those things at least would make some sense even if they’re nearly impossible to predict. That’s what makes this round of rumor so infuriating. It’s all made up and is being presented as something else.
High profile podcasts should sound much better…
With the return of Malcolm Gladwell’s revisionist history podcast in its perfectly edited form, I think it’s time to throw some virtual internet darts at the biggest podcasts in the world. I’m not here to say I’m perfect or that my podcast is better than the best podcasts in the world. I’m very well aware of my own niche and limitations as a broadcaster with narrow appeal. I’m simply saying that there’s no excuse that Bill Simmons podcast sounds like crap. That’s where we’re going to start.
Simmons got Kevin Durant after the Finals and with a booking like that, how do you screw up the audio? I was riding the volume knob in my car like crazy as Bill consistently overloaded the mic and Kevin Durant was so soft I could barely hear him. I never blame a guest for having bad mic discipline. It happens. What doesn’t need to happen is a finished product that lacks even the basics of audio editing to smooth out the levels. Bring up those sections. Mix in a compressor at the end to even out the volumes.
Simmons isn’t the only one as I can barely handle the audio in an otherwise really funny podcast, Barstool’s Pardon My Take. The fact that they named it with a word that starts with the letter “P” is ironic because they apparently have never heard of a pop filter or windscreen before. One of the most downloaded sports podcasts in America can’t by a $0.50 foam piece to fit over a microphone to keep the popping of that letter from smashing listeners over the head with imperfect audio.
Again, I’m far from perfect. I almost screwed up the Ken Carman podcast irreparably. I’ve had guests on with rough Skype and phone connections before. Even when that happens I do a lot of editing in post to try and make it sound as good as it possibly can. I do this without the benefits of, you know, REVENUE. Other than the lovely Patreon supporters we don’t have any advertising on our podcast. Meanwhile, I know that Simmons and Barstool are making small country GDP-levels of money every year from their podcasts.
Fix it. Or hire me to help you. You need some help badly. I know podcasting is this rebel version of radio, but that doesn’t mean it has to sound like crap. These people have the personalities and the guests. The audio quality needs to match.
That’s it from me this week. I couldn’t think of a good song or anything this week. Have a great weekend.
36 Comments
OK, let’s help Craig out. Name your biggest podcast pet peeve & song that has gotten stuck in your head this week.
PPP – mine is a personal issue. I have a tough time focusing on audio w/o visual. I can listen to baseball games because my brain inputs expected visuals, but I just cannot keep attention on podcasts.
Kazmir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW_WLxseq0o
I don’t really have a podcast pet peeve as I am an audio pleb and take everything as given.
For a song it has to be Queens of the Stone Age’s new track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvyNyFXHj4k
Podcasts are fun, as I love interviews. But I do prefer transcripts, since they give me more freedom re: scanning, skipping around, and referencing later.
PLAY IT LOUD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsjcb7w1Y-w
My wife thought I was crazy for enjoying this song… then, each of our kids has loved it and she came around (I prefer the Muppets version).
Don’t listen to many podcasts, fny and A2Z, and even then not regularly. I find myself talking to them and no one answering back. Or in the case of Ross Tucker, screaming that I don’t want overpriced razor blades made by the same Bangladeshi’s that take home 8 bucks a week.
Enjoyed this one, though I am really, really done with the Cavs for this year. I mean next season start in what? A week or 2?
Harv is always good for great comments and I like him more as a PC’er. I can relate to the cerebral, let’s not take this too seriously, everyday fan in me. Solid takes whereas I think Craig likes to be a little more provocative.
Not something new, but new to me. My kid turned me on to this. He knows catchy guitar riffage is my space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfD6V8b1zco&list=PLGP_s2UbON_wG0vZe2eNHN4FuLV8kjHXF
https://i.imgflip.com/1r00on.jpg
There’s really only one scenario LBJ would leave Cleveland again…
That would be if he had a legitimate chance at creating Team Banana Boat.
There should be a law against tactical camo jerseys.
Jim Henson was the rare artist whose genius was evident to everyone from the start and just seems to grow in his absence.
Thanks, Ray-Farmer
Crap, I have to wait until Monday to see who picked for 54 dont I?
thx, jp
Most podcast sucks. Is that a pet peeve? While I am no audiophile, I did do college radio. Probably 90% of the audio issues I notice on podcasts could easily be avoided.
Yep.
Totally agree. I was working in the backyard yesterday with the chipmunks running around and had a similar thought on Mel Blanc. You nailed it.
Yes.
I’m pulling for the No. 54 that never technically played a down for the Browns.
How am I supposed to know how many days until preseason if I can’t see anybody…
Remember how wrong the media was about LeBron last time?
Unless you are a personal friend how would anyone know that guy even exists? lol
Cant beleave the militarry let him wok! Stoupid Browns MPs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNsKvZo6MDs
2018 LeBron Destinations: Clippers, Lakers, Cavs are all legit in my mind.
West moving to the Clippers gives him a year to clean them up. CP3 is already there with younger talent like DeAndre/Blake and shooter JJ Redick. Bonus points for them already having Doc Rivers as the coach who LeBron has said he admired and is familiar with through Ty Lue.
Lakers COULD see a renaissance with their upcoming draft and eyes on Russ/LeBron in 2018.
Oh and also the Cavs, but at current I’m giving us the long odds. He did what he set out to do here.
I think at this point in his career as much as he may be about chasing MJ’s rings he is also determined on personal goals. One of those may be to head west and conquer that conference. He hears endlessly about how much harder it is there, how he easily dominates the East, etc.
https://media.tenor.com/images/372e32b8e4265eff14136c4f48f13fcc/tenor.gif
PS. Nice job on the podcast Harv! I rarely listen (no offense Craig–just have hardly any time)…but always appreciate your takes.
Getting room for Lebron while keeping those four guys on the Clippers will be near impossible without serious paycuts. They’re all going to be getting raises very soon.
Oh, IDK (purposefully putting link rather than image)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/chris-spielman-of-the-cleveland-browns-gets-ready-to-move-news-photo/495511?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect#aug-1999-chris-spielman-of-the-cleveland-browns-gets-ready-to-move-picture-id495511
I was thinking of someone completely different.
Be glad your kids are grown. You have no idea as to the musical madness I’m subjected to.
thank you, sir. Just listened to it – my fervent wish for my enemies is that they be forced to listen to how their voice sounds on a podcast.
Paul is taking a max would be my guess, someone will need to be a victim to go and my guess would be DeAndre.
He’d be on the last year of his contract in 18.
look forward to the reveal on MON
Word. Recording voice mail greetings and firm photos for the website are punishment enough for me.