The George Michael Sports Machine

TIME was, long before the advent of our modern-marvel electronic media, that the Newspaper was the one and only source of what's going' on out 'there'. This went for all of the important occurrences in the fields of National and International Politics, Bovine$$.

FROM the earliest times, the less serious or "soft news" features were a major addition to the serious side of any rag worth its weight. Ergo, we saw columnists extolling various other featured topics; such as the Theatre, Home & Garden and Advice to the Lovelorn. Daily and Sunday Comic Strips gave us a humorous & often realistic view of life. Then we had the Sports Page.

INTERESTINGLY enough, although not really surprising, the covering of Baseball, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, the Colleges, the Olympic Games and Horseracing, created sections of the dailies that were usually the largest and most read.

MONOPOLY by the print media came to an abrupt end with the advent of the movies in the last part of the 19th Century. While still being way out in front, the "Noble Fourth Estate" of the land would steadily lose ground as improvements to the Cinema gave us the regular semi-weekly Newsreel and special Sports Features; such as Special Short Films covering certain special events. This lead to specific coverage of events such as "The Dempsey-Tunney Heavyweight Championship Fight", "The ______ Running of the Kentucky Derby", "Jim Londos vs. Ed 'Strangler' Lewis Worlds' Fair Wrestling Match" and the Annual "Indianapolis 500".

RADIO and Television's rise to being a daily constant companion in our homes and places of business further eroded the need to read about the News and Sports, as our viewing reports of these events became a nearly instantaneous experience. Desperately TV & Radio Station Managers would have to ask, "What to do, what to do?"

FINDING such answer would be most problematical; yet, at the very same time, ever so obvious. The winning formula was the intermingling of the latest concoction of videotape highlights from the previous days & even weeks games, bouts, matches, tournaments and sundry events; all interspersed with a lot of flashy, 'high-tech' gadgetry displayed on an up-to-the-moment TV studio set. That was the formula which was implemented by "The George Michael Sports Machine" (WRC TV/NBC TV Network, 1984-2007).

ADDING the loquacious skills, easily enviable by any auctioneer, carnival barker or patent medicine salesman, Mr. Michael breathed a really fresh style of delivery to electronic journalism. Always enthusiastic and interested in whatever the story, George Michael never crossed the line from being a reporting fan to that of messianic pundit; as do so many 'big shot', self-important "journalists". The ultimate example would be Robert Duval's portrayal of 'Max Mercy' in THE NATURAL (Tri-Star Pictures, 1984).

SPORTS MACHINE also jettisons the notion of the standard news desk; where, the usual pair of one reporter & one ex-jock, read the copy for accompanying film & video, cracking "inside jokes"; all the while shuffling their stack of 'notes' and checking off items with their pens, apparently surgically attached to their writing hand.

INSTEAD of the static constancy of the anchor desk, the host on SPORTS MACHINE is a true "Man in Motion"; as the items are presented as the reporter moves across the TV Screen, left, right, angle or straight. All of this is amplified by the use of the specially constructed set, which is "The Sports Machine" in question.

HUGE and obviously over-sized, the video reels and devices set in motion to simulate the operation of a mechanical and electronics operation which was rivaled both the great, technocratic satire of the assembly line in Charles Chaplin's MODERN TIMES (CHarles CHaplin Prod./United Artists,1936) or any of the Universal Pictures' pseudo-scientific gadgetry of FRANKENSTEIN (Universal,1931) or its subsequent Horror-Science Fiction offerings.

IN addition to regular reports, Mr. Michael and Associates presented weekly special reports on Sports Related individuals; who, while not necessarily known in the day-to-day workings of the sporting scene, have special stories that need be told. Typically, these features were about someone's comeback, an unusual ability (we can't remember the name of the College Baseball Player who could "switch pitch"; sorry fella) or some aspect of a career that no one knows of. (George even reported a comeback for Hulk Hogan; though he neglected to note passing of all-time Wrestlers'Wrestler, multi-time Heavyweight Champion, Lou Thesz.)

GEORGE had many a co-host during this successful run; including some very sports-savvy and lovely ladies, such as Lindsay Czarniak (Woo, woo, woo, woo!) BUT we cannot approve on this review, giving it our imprimatur without mentioning a member of the staff, who often was guest substitute. He is the Late Darrian Chapman.

AFTER gaining experience in other cities and stations, Darrian served as a features reporter/M.C. Understudy to Mr.Michael, himself. After several years, he accepted a position as Sports Anchor with our own WMAQ TV, NBC Channel 5, right here in Chicago.

HE arrived in May of 2000 and quickly demonstrated an unbridled enthusiasm for his job and an unusual ability for learning the historical aspects of our teams' various fandoms. He was especially sensitive to the Chicago Baseball Split Personality. Sadly, he died of an unknown heart disease in October of 2002.

DARRIAN, We Hardly Knew Ye!

THE cancellation of SPORTS MACHINE with Mr. Michael's retirement also leaves a void in Chicago's Sunday night TV watching'.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

When the Goerge Michael Sports Machine came to my local NBC affiliate, back in 1985, It was at one time, one of the best sports shows on television. I used to tune into it every week and over the years. Even when things in my life changed, such as my work schedule, or college, which prevented me from watching it at the time it was on, I would tape it and made sure I watched it when I came home.

What made this show good, was it was different in the sense that it didn't just cover the mainstream sports, (ie: Baseball, football and basketball), or the sports that are considered "en vogue". You were given a well rounded coverage that included the above mentioned, but you received excellent coverage of non-en vogue or mainstream sporting events, such as hockey, rodeo, unlimited hydroplane racing, track and field to name a few. Also, Goerge Michael provided coverage to Nasscar and arena football, before the sport made names for themselves. In addition, he covered fun events like professional wrestling.

I also enjoyed the segment on his show, where he did profiles on different athletes. He profiled people like Cellular One hydroplane driver, Steve Reynolds, on his recovery, 5 months after he flipped his hydroplane and suffered head injuries stemming from the Indiana Governor's Cup race in Madison, Indiana.

Over the years, We got to follow Jim Abbot, the pitcher, who was born without a left hand; Progress from high school, to his college days at Michigan and ultimately making to the Major Leagues with the California Angels.

Georege also followed Jim Morris, the high school teacher and baseball coach, who decided to follow his dream of pitching in the Major Leagues. You may know this, as this became a movie made by Disney in 2002.

My favorite time was at the end of the month when he would show The Plays of the month and of course the plays of the year. The Latter was an extended version for the entire year. On both, you were treated to a "mixed bag" of great plays, bloopers and just downright foolishness from the world of sports. I looked forward to that the most.

What's disappointing, is it seems like within the last 6-10 years, the formula they used that made the show good; They've abandoned it and have succumbed to the mainstream and the "en vogue" , where now the show is dominated with plenty of baseball, football and basketball. Sure they show the other sports, but you see less and less of it, unless it's "fashioable". I've been turned off from the show, where now, the only thing I'll tune into is at the end off the month,to watch the plays of the month and year.