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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Class Tells, When There Is No Class

Open Thread: Class Tells, When There Is No Class

by Anne Laurie|  February 23, 201410:50 pm| 67 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Sports, Assholes

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NYMag reports that Chris Christie welches on his fantasy-football bets… assuming, they are careful to point out, you believe the NYPost, neither a reliable nor an unbiased source.

Speaking of aging desk jockey has-beens retreating to fantasy, remember Frank Luntz? Looks like it only took him six weeks to overcome his existential agony and find the perfect niche, according to Travis Waldron at Think Progress:

Fox Sports 1, the upstart 24-7 sports network hellbent on challenging ESPN’s throne in the sports world, announced Thursday evening that it had hired veteran Republican communications strategist Frank Luntz as an on-air personality… Luntz will anchor a segment called “Sound Off,” in which he’ll host pre-recorded focus groups polling fans on issues in the sports world. The panels seem to be an offshoot of the political focus groups Luntz conducted on Fox News as part of that network’s coverage of the 2012 elections (those segments were regular features after Republican primary debates)…

Luntz debuted “Sound Off” on Thursday night’s edition of Fox Sports Live with segment asking his focus group participants if they would draft Michael Sam, the University of Missouri player who came out as gay this month, if they were an NFL general manager…

Watch that segment, and it’s hard to see much value for viewers. None of these fans are going to be in charge of drafting Mike Sam. Fans in general aren’t going to be in charge of drafting Mike Sam. Their opinions aren’t unique or particularly illuminating and they are largely irrelevant…unless, of course, you’re an NFL owner or general manager who might be interested in selecting Sam but have concerns about how your fans would react to an openly gay player…. [G]iven Luntz’s client history, it’s almost impossible to see it as anything else but as easy product placement for Luntz — who plugged his own firm at the end of the segment — and a free look for NFL general managers into what fans are thinking…

(Hat tip to Mr. Charles P. Pierce.) More detail, and a video clip, at the link.

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Reader Interactions

67Comments

  1. 1.

    NotMax

    February 23, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    Luntz? Can picture it now.

    “America’s pastime: What should we change the terms strikes* and balls** to?”

    *them socialist unions, don’tcha know

    **think of the children!

  2. 2.

    Punchy

    February 23, 2014 at 11:01 pm

    Quite certain an NFL GM in, say, Jax doesnt give a shit what some chuckleheads in a focus group in Southern Cali think about Mike Sam.

  3. 3.

    dr. bloor

    February 23, 2014 at 11:01 pm

    Focus groups for sports stuff? The only thing worse than listening to idiots calling into sports radio shows one at a time would be exposure to their collective “wisdom.”

  4. 4.

    Pogonip

    February 23, 2014 at 11:01 pm

    I was studying Steve’s most recent picture. He does look awfully fluffy; is some of that fluff fat? I don’t know enough about Maine coons to be sure. Is he getting Tunchified?

    Welching on bets? In New Jersey? Doesn’t that result in a visit from Guido and the boys?

  5. 5.

    proterozoic

    February 23, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    God, as long as it keeps him away from politics

  6. 6.

    Mike in NC

    February 23, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    Frank Luntz vs. Dennis Miller time?

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    February 23, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    @Mike in NC

    The Yawnah From California.

  8. 8.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    @Mike in NC: Two douchecanoes enter! One douchecanoe leaves!

  9. 9.

    muricafukyea

    February 23, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    Why hasn’t anyone been able to explain to me why wr0ng way Cole has not been blowing wet kisses to fat bastard KhristieKreme lately?

    It’s almost like a faux news sort of reality with this guy. When gas prices go up, blame Obama, when they go down talk about Benghazi.

    Only with Cole it’s about he dream boat greek god heros KhristieKreme and Griftwald and when they have some new shit storm going on he talks about his fucking cat which nobody gives a shit about.

    Btw, looking forward to him pissing and moaning come spring when that fur ball starts shedding like crazy.

  10. 10.

    Chris

    February 23, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    NYMag reports that Chris Christie welches on his fantasy-football bets… assuming, they are careful to point out, you believe the NYPost, neither a reliable nor an unbiased source.

    Rule # 1 about the rich, powerful and conservative: they’re petty.

    Very, very, very, very petty.

  11. 11.

    ulee

    February 23, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    @muricafukyea: You are ignorant and stupid. Congratulations.

  12. 12.

    PsiFighter37

    February 23, 2014 at 11:13 pm

    Watching Jason Collins play on my teevee and re-watching Deval Patrick’s 2012 DNC speech.

    Oh, and drinking Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ from Lagunitas. Good times.

    PF37 +6

  13. 13.

    Steeplejack

    February 23, 2014 at 11:14 pm

    @dr. bloor:

    Yeah, this. Most sports talk shows are all about nitwits calling in and giving their opinion anyway. They need Frank Luntz to “curate” that somehow?

  14. 14.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2014 at 11:15 pm

    @Chris: My understanding is that the proper way to do this kind of thing is to pay one’s gambling debts on time and remember one’s tailor in one’s will.

  15. 15.

    Kay

    February 23, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    The thing is, Frank Luntz’s focus groups were often unfavorable for Republicans. It was fun to watch the Fox News anchors versus the focus groups when they disagreed. “McCain won the debate!” and then the thumbs down from the focus group.

    What if he doesn’t have the job in politics anymore because they just said “look, the truth is, we don’t want to know”.

  16. 16.

    Mnemosyne

    February 23, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    Waiting for a “True Detective” thread …

    Waiting …

  17. 17.

    Joel

    February 23, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    Pisco sour. Delicious.

  18. 18.

    PurpleGirl

    February 23, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    They need Frank Luntz to “curate” that somehow?

    No, but Luntz needs a job and that corporate wingnut welfare. Voila, a job in sports announcing.

  19. 19.

    Yatsuno

    February 23, 2014 at 11:33 pm

    @Pogonip: Maine Coons go extra floofy in winter. Tunch was all marshmallowy goodness.

  20. 20.

    Keith G

    February 23, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    Come on…..I want Frank to be wildly successful in this new venture. While his former way of making a buck was not the worst cancer on the body politic, it was rather dangerous. We all need him far away from his recent pursuits.

  21. 21.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    Wow, You Can’t Take It With You is some wild anti-1% stuff.

  22. 22.

    NotMax

    February 23, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus

    There’s always been (to me) something unspoken about Mrs. Kirby in that film. No way is someone who looks like Jimmy Stewart the child of Edward Arnold.

    Just sayin’.

  23. 23.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2014 at 11:59 pm

    @NotMax: I see what you are saying.

  24. 24.

    Anoniminous

    February 24, 2014 at 12:02 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Capra was another Good Guy. His only hit after WW 2 was It’s a Wonderful Life. After that his Left-ish views were pretty much Main Street, social-political criticism was out of step with the 1950s “go along, get along, grab all you can” post-war boom, and he never made the jump to star-driven 100% fluffy entertainment cinema.

  25. 25.

    Jewish Steel

    February 24, 2014 at 12:02 am

    @Kay:

    What if he doesn’t have the job in politics anymore because they just said “look, the truth is, we don’t want to know”.

    It’s hard to unskew actual living, breathing humans. Ailes will find a way, though.

  26. 26.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:04 am

    @Anoniminous: I vastly prefer this to IAWL.

  27. 27.

    The Other Chuck

    February 24, 2014 at 12:04 am

    @Mike in NC:

    Frank Luntz vs. Dennis Miller time?

    An apropos comparison indeed. Washed up, on wingnut welfare, still doing the same shtick that once brought home the bacon but is now a grotesque parody of itself. I imagine Luntz soon to be alone in his apartment, running focus groups with imaginary participants, finding new terms to recast “crushing loneliness” and “bitter self-loathing” into phrases more mellifluous to his ears.

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2014 at 12:05 am

    G insisted on showing this to me, and now all the rest of you have to see it, too:

    “Kitten Mittons” (from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

    I see a business plan …

  29. 29.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:07 am

    @PurpleGirl:

    Usually the sports divisions are separate from the news divisions. And there’s not really that much of a wingnut angle on sports. Some, yeah, but not a lot.

  30. 30.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:09 am

    @Steeplejack: The sport guys have to try to be accurate – even the narrative must bend to the actual results.

  31. 31.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:10 am

    @Anoniminous:

    I don’t even think It’s a Wonderful Life was a hit when it first came out.

  32. 32.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:13 am

    @Steeplejack: Pygmalion next. Yippee.

  33. 33.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:13 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Hard to unskew actual scores.

  34. 34.

    PsiFighter37

    February 24, 2014 at 12:16 am

    Luntz is doing sports now? He’ll be off the air as quickly as Rush Limbaugh was off the air as an MNF commentator, but because he sucks ass, terrible, poop-smelling ass.

    Also, Stuart Scott is a fucking sellout. The current SportsCenter is making me want to erase my childhood. I remember when Olbermann, Chris Bermann (pre-‘I’m the fucking Swami, look at me fail at life/aka NFL predictions on-air!), Dan Patrick, and pre-shitastic Stuart Scott ruled the roost. That was good shit.

    Oh, yeah, and before Kenny Mayne sold out like the fucking asshole tool he looks like.

    GOODNIGHT, ‘merica

  35. 35.

    Roger Moore

    February 24, 2014 at 12:16 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Two douchecanoes enter! One douchecanoe leaves!

    You’re going to let one of them out at the end? Why?

  36. 36.

    Redshift

    February 24, 2014 at 12:16 am

    Luntz doing sports? For some reason, I’m reminded of an old SNL sketch, “Ruining It For Everyone.”

    Fortunately, I don’t care about sports.

  37. 37.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:18 am

    @Roger Moore: It is canonical.

  38. 38.

    Roger Moore

    February 24, 2014 at 12:19 am

    @Jewish Steel:

    It’s hard to unskew actual living, breathing humans.

    You have to interview them in advance to filter out the sane ones make sure they’re truly representative.

  39. 39.

    srv

    February 24, 2014 at 12:20 am

    @NotMax: I’m thinking:

    – Has the feminization of sports gone too far?
    – Will politicians destroy football with odious regulations over head injuries?
    – What does it say about achievement if everyone gets a trophy?
    – Are people who hate football/basketball racists because the majority of players are black?
    – Why shouldn’t [insert team here] get a new publically funded stadium?
    – Do sports team owners pay too much in taxes?
    – Why don’t black people watch NASCAR?

  40. 40.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:23 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I think I’m going to watch Crimes of Passion on MHz.
    Interesting, slightly lightweight crime series set in Sweden in the ’50s. Gorgeous cinematography, great scenery, and the actors are easy on the eyes too. I think Tuva Novotny is your kind of woman.

  41. 41.

    Redshift

    February 24, 2014 at 12:23 am

    @Kay: Hmm, my impression was that he could usually deliver the results that the people paying him wanted. Which was related to why he got reprimanded by the pollsters’ professional organization. (Technically, iirc, it was because he refused to disclose the numbers behind his claimed results.) But I could never stand to watch Fox, so I admit I based that on second-hand accounts.

  42. 42.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:28 am

    @Steeplejack: Not a channel I have. Ms Novotny is quite lovely.

  43. 43.

    burnspbesq

    February 24, 2014 at 12:30 am

    Trying to remember the last time I watched an event on Fox Sports 1. I think it was the Duke-Oklahoma women’s basketball game in early December.

    Their programming pretty much sucks.

  44. 44.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:31 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Well, content yourself with Wendy Hiller.

  45. 45.

    Anoniminous

    February 24, 2014 at 12:32 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Looked it up on IMDB. There’s some good lines:

    Lincoln said, “With malice toward none, with charity to all.” Nowadays they say, “Think the way I do or I’ll bomb the daylights outta you.”

    Tony Kirby: …It takes courage. You know everybody’s afraid to live.

    Alice Sycamore: You ought to hear Grandpa on that subject. You know he says most people nowadays are run by fear. Fear of what they eat, fear of what they drink, fear of their jobs, their future, fear of their health. They’re scared to save money, and they’re scared to spend it. You know what his pet aversion is? The people who commercialize on fear, you know they scare you to death so they can sell you something you don’t need.

    Need to see it again.

    @Steeplejack:

    I meant, but didn’t say, over the long run.

    Wikipedia:

    Despite initially performing poorly at the box office because of high production costs and stiff competition at the time of its release, the film has come to be regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world. Theatrically, the film’s break-even point was $6.3 million, approximately twice the production cost, a figure it never came close to achieving in its initial release. An appraisal in 2006 reported: “Although it was not the complete box office failure that today everyone believes … it was initially a major disappointment and confirmed, at least to the studios, that Capra was no longer capable of turning out the populist features that made his films the must-see, money-making events they once were.”

    It’s been a money churner since what with second showings, TV showings, on the Art House circuit, and DVD sales.

  46. 46.

    Yatsuno

    February 24, 2014 at 12:32 am

    @muricafukyea: Herp de Durf. Just shoo, the adults are talking.

  47. 47.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:34 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    There are iOS and Android apps, and I think it’s available on Roku, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video. Lots of good European crime series.

  48. 48.

    Steeplejack

    February 24, 2014 at 12:36 am

    @burnspbesq:

    I think they carry the odd F.A. cup match and some other soccer. I know I’ve been on there for something recently.

  49. 49.

    Jewish Steel

    February 24, 2014 at 12:37 am

    @Roger Moore: Maybe a committee interview? Then you could focus group a focus group. Down the rabbit hole!

  50. 50.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:38 am

    @Anoniminous:

    Maybe it’ll stop you trying to be so desperate about making more money than you can ever use? You can’t take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends.

    Hard to argue against it.

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:40 am

    @Steeplejack: I am a late adopter. Didn’t get a cell phone until 2004. Still have a turntable. I will adopt some form of that modern technology, but not yet.

    ETA: I didn’t even get cable until 2008.

  52. 52.

    Wally Ballou

    February 24, 2014 at 12:40 am

    @burnspbesq: I believe they’re going to have part of the baseball postseason beginning this year. That’s more or less the only time I can even see myself bothering to tune in to that channel.

  53. 53.

    srv

    February 24, 2014 at 12:43 am

    Now that Sochi is wrapped up, the APCs can head for Sevastopol!

  54. 54.

    NotMax

    February 24, 2014 at 12:43 am

    @srv

    LOL.

    “Take that, evil empire – The True Grit of The Gipper”

    “Buff Ain’t Rough – Why Jesus Would Take Steroids”

  55. 55.

    Anoniminous

    February 24, 2014 at 12:47 am

    Be darned (Wikipedia):

    You Can’t Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 838 performances.

    The play won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama …

    Wonder when the last time the drama Pulitzer was won by a comedy.

    In fact I wonder when the Pulitzer slipped out of public consciousness. Don’t hear much about them anymore.

  56. 56.

    MomSense

    February 24, 2014 at 12:51 am

    @Mnemosyne:

    I’m thinking felted wool with a little fabric paint in the bottom so the kittens can walk.

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 12:54 am

    I really just don’t see the monster that some others see in Higgins.

  58. 58.

    Anoniminous

    February 24, 2014 at 1:10 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Not going to try.

    BTW, There’s a craze for releasing on vinyl so having a turntable is now tres chic avant garde Kool Kidz stuff.

  59. 59.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2014 at 1:12 am

    @Anoniminous:

    I was basically agreeing with you. IAWL was his only hit after WWII, and it was a lukewarm one at that, especially in regard to giving him any career momentum going into the ’50s.

  60. 60.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 1:13 am

    @Anoniminous: Steep believes me to be a hipster. I deny it. I just like what I like.

  61. 61.

    Anoniminous

    February 24, 2014 at 1:28 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    I didn’t think you disagreed. I was rambling on, as I often do. :-)

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Ferlinghetti told a friend of mine knowing what one likes – and why – is the definition of a hipster.

    Brain fried. Night all.

  62. 62.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2014 at 1:29 am

    @Anoniminous: You’re all bastards.

  63. 63.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    February 24, 2014 at 8:20 am

    @muricafukyea:
    Herp de derp, eh?

  64. 64.

    ericblair

    February 24, 2014 at 8:42 am

    @Anoniminous:

    BTW, There’s a craze for releasing on vinyl so having a turntable is now tres chic avant garde Kool Kidz stuff.

    My 80+ year old mom will be delighted to know this.

  65. 65.

    RSR

    February 24, 2014 at 9:10 am

    Sounds like 538-lite.

  66. 66.

    Howlin Wolfe

    February 24, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    @Pogonip:

    He does look awfully fluffy; is some of that fluff fat?

    Lazily read your comment, and thought you were calling Luntz “Steve” and were asking the above quote about him.

  67. 67.

    Chris

    February 24, 2014 at 5:43 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Wasn’t he investigated by the FBI for potentially being a commie after IAWL? That sort of thing’ll put anybody off making these kinds of movies.

    Interesting era, the 1950s; seems to me like it was the start of the modern “I Got Mine, Fuck You” mentality. All these tons of white Southerners, Westerners and urbanites who’d been the building block of the New Deal came out of the decade with a standard of living that they could barely have dreamed of during the Great Depression a couple decades earlier, or even the Roaring Twenties. For a lot of them, that seems to’ve pretty much ended their interests with radical politics… and now that economics wasn’t a major concern anymore, it meant they were free to indulge their pet social issues involving religion and race. Sure, nonwhite people are treated horrifically, women are still second-class citizens, and it’s not like there aren’t still poor people to worry about, even white, male ones… but hey. I got mine. Fuck you.

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