Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Roger Ebert announced today that he was severing all ties with At The Movies. Sounds like the Disney people really screwed the pooch in their negotiations. I think that the show might have jumped the shark when Roger withdrew his approval of the use of the thumb system. I’m not sure if Richard Roeper is striking out on his own to do his own movie review show, or if he and Roger will hook up, but let me point out that lately I have been seeing on average one movie per week. That’s probably not enough to fill my half of a show, but it would fill a third. I could always just pretend I saw all of the other movies and just agree with Roger and Rich alternately.

I got a real kick out of Channel Two spending a fortune Monday morning to promote its new studio complex at Block 37 with John Mellencamp, and then not having it completed in time to showcase anything at all. They had to move the concert to Daley Plaza and they made it part of The Early Show with nary a mention of Channel Two and their new facility. I feel really bad for that new news anchor, Anne State, who came to Channel Two from San Diego. She seems so full of hope. She also seems to be completely unaware that nothing ever ends well at Channel Two. Joe Ahern, the guy who runs Channel Two is one of the few people I have been able to hate for over two decades.

As I have been predicting all along, the Bears have sweetened their deal with Brian Urlacher and he apparently will honor the contract they already agreed to, as long as they give him more than he originally asked or in the first place. I’m all for everybody making all of the money that they can, but I always have a problem with people wanting out of a contract that they have already agreed to. That’s why they call them contracts. Don’t get me wrong, I love good old Number 54, and I hope that he has a very productive winning season. It just seems to me that a deal's a deal. I guess that’s too old school for today’s modern athlete. I hope he takes some of the extra money and buys some condoms.