NFL Network coming to Cablevision!!! August 16, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Basketball, Football, Media, News, Personal, Radio, Sports, TV.add a comment
Effective tomorrow, NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be added to Cablevision’s lineup. Via NFL.com:
BETHPAGE, NY and NEW YORK, NY — August 16, 2012 – NFL Network and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), the largest TV provider in the nation’s top media market, announced today that they have reached a multi-year agreement for carriage of NFL Network and the NFL RedZone channel.
NFL Network will make its debut in Cablevision homes beginning Friday. NFL Network will be available on channel 150 in both standard-definition and HD for customers who subscribe to iO Preferred, iO Silver, iO Gold or the iO Sports & Entertainment Pak. NFL RedZone, which airs on Sundays throughout the regular season, will be offered in both standard-definition and HD on channel 151 as part of the iO Sports & Entertainment Pak, which is now included in the new iO Gold package, which was launched last spring. …
Cablevision customers like myself have been waiting for this day since the network launched nearly a decade ago. I learned of this from Steve Somers on WFAN twenty minutes before publishing this post.
NFL Network will round out a trio of channels devoted to professional sports leagues. iO (Interactive Optimum) channel 148 is NBA TV and 149 is MLB Network.
Thank you very much, Cablevision.
8/18 UPDATE: Here is the Steve Somers monologue that tipped me off to NFL Network’s arrival on Cablevision. After talking about the Mets and Yankees results, he got to the big deal at the 9:02 mark. My transcript (listen along):
As you have heard [earlier in the day on WFAN], Cablevision has taken on the NFL Network, giving the face of the NFL Network, Rich Eisen, the opportunity to extol the virtues of the cable industry in general, and the NFL Network in particular, as we heard on his live infomercial, apparently sponsoring Joe and Evan this afternoon. Rich will also appear with Joe and Evan sometime soon, where we will actually hear from him discussing football! …
Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts filled in for Mike Francesa all this week.
Ken Navarro, “The Test of Time” January 12, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Sports, Travel, TV.add a comment
Ken Navarro rang in 2012 by releasing his new solo acoustic guitar album, “The Test of Time,” on his website. The street date is March 20, but if you can’t wait, and I sure couldn’t, you can buy through his website. Since it arrived in the mail two days ago, I’ve listened intently to the album’s twelve tracks, classic songs that truly stand “The Test of Time.”
The tracks (original artist in italics):
1. Imagine (John Lennon) (5:11)
2. Little Martha (The Allman Brothers Band) (3:56)
3. Just Like A Woman/Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Bob Dylan) (6:09)
4. Message In A Bottle (The Police) (4:37)
5. Eight Days A Week/Ticket to Ride/Day Tripper (The Beatles) (4:37) – As I listened to this, I found myself impersonating the Beatles on select lyrics, namely on “Day Tripper”
6. The Days of Wine and Roses (Henry Mancini) (5:03)
7. Wichita Lineman (Glen Campbell) (4:26)
8. Letter From Home (Pat Metheny Group) (2:41)
9. Caroline No (Brian Wilson) (2:42)
10. Europa (Santana) (6:57)
I got my first taste of “Letter From Home” and “Europa” at last year’s Smooth Jazz for Scholars concert in Milford, Connecticut.
Bonus Tracks:
11. Bach BWV 998 (J.S. Bach) (3:28)
12. When You Wish Upon A Star (Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket) (3:15) – This was originally heard in the Disney classic Pinocchio, but since 1987 (following Super Bowl XXI), it’s used in the post-Super Bowl (and other major sports championships) ad for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. You’ve just finished listening to “The Test of Time.” What are you going to do next? I’m going to Disney World!
The description on the album’s webpage is apt: it’s a “Ken Navarro masterpiece” from start to finish.
2/1 UPDATE: “Message In A Bottle” music video:
5/1 UPDATE: “Imagine” music video:
C.W. Post/WCWP Homecoming 2009 recap October 6, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Football, Internet, Jazz, Personal, Radio, Sports, Weather.1 comment so far
Other recaps: 2008, WCWP 50th Anniversary (2011), 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
I arrived on campus for this year’s Homecoming shortly after 2:30. Unlike last year, the weather was cloudy (at least when I arrived), warm, and humid.
After putting all my equipment (and two bottles of soda) down at WCWP, I walked to Hickox Field to soak in the Homecoming atmosphere.
This year, the C.W. Post Pioneers football team played the Shippensburg Red Raiders.
The press box:
The WCWP play-by-play announcers were in the lower right corner.
Here’s a closer look:
The Pioneers won 40-24.
After I got back to WCWP, the rains came, and they were heavy.
There were even a few rumbles of thunder, including a loud crash.
Across from Studio 1, I noticed the print version of Jim Merritt’s Newsday recap of this year’s Long Island Radio & TV Day.
Here I am with fellow alumni Jonathan Focarino, Stephanie Koithan, Jay Mirabile, and Pete Bellotti:
The same people, but with another alumna: M.J.:
Bobby G. and Bernie Bernard:
Bernie was the board operator during Steve and Birdy’s radio show, which led in to mine.
At 6:30, I headed to the Pioneer Room in Hillwood Commons to set up for my show from the WCWP Homecoming Dinner.
Here is the audio aircheck from the show.
The same audio mixed with video from my camcorder:
And here are some vidcaps, starting with me counting down to go on:
Bernie Bernard took this picture of me as “Down the Wire” by Spyro Gyra was playing:
Back to vidcaps as I smirk at my camcorder after bobbing my head in time to “W.C. Handy Hop” by Gerald Albright:
Closing the show…
…and turning the mic off:
Back in Studio 1 at WCWP, Jay Mirabile’s “Disco and Funk King Show” followed me:
Jay and Bernie Bernard:
Jay and WCWP Homecoming Coordinator Alan Seltzer:
Jay and Eli W. Sen:
Then, I joined in:
We conclude this recap with some webcam shots from Studio 1:
See you next year!
Winter pre-order update #1 February 25, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Personal, Sports, TV.add a comment
The first round of pre-orders came out yesterday (Tuesday) and promptly arrived at my front porch. The items were:
Jeff Kashiwa, “Back In The Day”
Pieces Of A Dream, “Soul Intent”
“Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder” (DVD)
“Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers” (DVD)
After bringing everything in, opening the packaging, and unwrapping, I ripped (loaded CD tracks from) “Back In The Day” and “Soul Intent” to my computer. I didn’t get to watch the “Futurama” DVD or listen to the CDs, but I did watch the Super Bowl XLIII DVD. It was in widescreen format, which was zoomed by my HD upconversion DVD player. That’s why I love the player.
I’ll get around to CD listening in the next day or so.
Winter pre-orders February 9, 2009
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Football, Jazz, Personal, Sports, TV.add a comment
It’s time for another round of pre-orders on Amazon.com. The pre-ordered items range from jazz CDs to animation DVDs to a Super Bowl Champions DVD. Here’s the list:
Jeff Kashiwa, “Back In The Day” (2/24)
Pieces Of A Dream, “Soul Intent” (2/24)
“Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder” (DVD) (2/24)
“Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers” (DVD) (2/24)
Rippingtons, “Modern Art” (3/10)
Down to the Bone, “Future Boogie” (4/21)
Check back in the coming weeks for pre-order updates, which will come when the items arrive or if I pre-order anything else.
2/10 UPDATE: Chuck Loeb, “Between 2 Worlds” (3/24)
MikeChimeri.com 
My thoughts on Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants February 19, 2012
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, Football, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Radio, Sports, TV, Video.add a comment
(Starting with the Giants’ first win against the Cowboys, I link to highlights from Dial Global Sports‘ coverage of each win.)
Two weeks have passed since the New York Giants of the National Football League won Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. So, I thought I’d take this time to share my thoughts on their win and their season.
I became a Giants fan in the early ’90s, but didn’t make an effort to watch the games until the 1997 season. I was too young to appreciate the Giants’ Super Bowl championship seasons of ’86 and ’90 and only saw it through retrospective clips and documentaries. I thought 2000 would be the year I would see them win a Super Bowl, which was held in Tampa that year. My dad and I were in the area the week of Super Bowl XXXV. We saw some NFL and media personalities at the Innisbrook Resort, where my grandparents lived, and went to the NFL Experience outside of Raymond James Stadium two days before the game. We watched the game back at Innisbrook, but it was very depressing. It left such a bad taste in my mouth I couldn’t watch highlights until after the 2007 season. Why? The Giants did the improbable, beating the undefeated New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII. I was finally old enough to see my Giants win a Super Bowl and appreciate it.
In the seasons after ’07, the Giants would get off to a hot start and then slack off in the second half. They symbolized that in one game, a collapse in a December 2010 game against the Eagles. It was devastating. They still could have made the playoffs by winning their last game of that season two weeks later, but the Packers had to lose. They didn’t, and Redskins fans made that known as they chanted for the Giants and visiting Giants’ fans: “Green Bay won! Green Bay won!” And the Pack went on to win Super Bowl XLV, but I was proud of them because they knocked out the Eagles in the Wild Card round.
The 2011 season started on a down note, a loss to the Redskins in the same venue where eight months earlier, the G-Men learned they had been eliminated from playoff contention. But then, three wins a row. After a loss to the Seahawks, they won three more. The first of those games, against the Bills, was a result I had to keep under wraps as the game was in progress. I was at the baptism (and post-baptism party) of a friend’s daughter and the brother-in-law was a Bills fan that DVR’d the game. The third of those games was a very satisfying win in New England against the Patriots. Unfortunately, past history repeated itself after that. The Giants lost four in a row to fall to 6-6. In the middle of that losing streak, I wrote the following status update on Facebook:
After the third loss in a row, a blowout loss to the Saints, I wrote:
Despite the losing streak, at 6-6, the Cowboys were not far behind at 7-5. The two teams played each other the following week at Cowboys Stadium. The Giants came from behind to win that game and led the NFC East on a tiebreaker. (Dial Global highlights.) But then they lost to the Redskins a second time, which led me to write this update:
The Giants’ next game, the second-to-last of the regular season, was a “road” game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. The Giants usually beat the Jets in their regular season match-ups every four years, but I couldn’t see a Rex Ryan-coached Jets squad lose to the G-Men. So, thirteen hours before the game…
The opposite happened: the Giants trailed early, but stormed ahead and won 29-14. (Dial Global highlights.) The Eagles nearly shut out the Cowboys and won 20-7. The stage was set for a winner-take-all season finale between the Giants and the ‘Boys at MetLife Stadium. The result:
The Falcons blew out the Buccaneers in their last game of the regular season, so I expected the same against the Giants. Instead, it was a Giants win 24-2. An intentional grounding safety was the only Falcons score. (Dial Global highlights.)
There was no way the Giants could beat the 15-1 Packers at Lambeau Field, but they did 37-20. (Dial Global highlights.)
Then, history repeated itself again in the NFC Championship in these ways:
Joe Buck called this year’s NFC Championship for FOX TV. Before the game-winning kick by Tynes in overtime, Buck listed the snapper (Zak DeOssie), holder, and kicker. The kick was good. The Giants won 20-17 and were off to Super Bowl XLVI, a rematch with the Patriots. (Dial Global highlights.)
The next two weeks were tough because I feared a revenge-fueled blowout by the Pats, which came to me in a dream, sort of:
Four hours before Super Bowl XLVI:
I didn’t watch the game live until 9:30, when there were about four minutes left in regulation. (Dial Global highlights.) The Patriots led 17-15, but only for a few more minutes. Ahmad Bradshaw’s accidental touchdown put the Giants ahead 21-17. I breathed deeply and my extremities grew numb as I watched the Pats’ final drive. Then, at 9:53, seconds after Tom Brady’s incomplete Hail Mary pass, I swiveled my desk chair to the left and typed:
I was both relieved and excited. About $80 later, I was the proud owner (through online purchases) of the championship cap, locker room t-shirt, parade t-shirt, and DVD. There was also the matter the following day of getting the Monday newspapers, which I posed with in the guest bedroom:
Tuesday was the day of the Tickertape Parade along the Canyon of Heroes and the Victory Rally at MetLife Stadium:
The Super Bowl XLVI DVD doesn’t come out until March 6. I’ve watched the following to hold me over while I wait:
There you have it: the Giants’ 2011-12 championship season as I saw it. Thank you for reading. To paraphrase the team’s playoff catchphrase, I’m all out.