To Be Or Not To Be

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Will we actually crown a real champion in 2020 with the Sports World in flux?

I have to really wonder as COVID-19 has reared it’s ugly head the past 90 days.

I have a feeling that the second wave is approaching.

As we speak, the worldwide death toll has exceeded 500,000.

You talk about luck.

How lucky was the NFL when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49’ers 31-20 on February 2, in Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, FL.

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 casualties range from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, March Madness, College World Series and the delay of MLB.

We’ve seen the the NBA and NHL get regular seasons delayed, while postseasons will start this summer, so we hope.

As we deal in the present, will MLB’s 60-game season come to fruition as the second Spring Training is about to begin tomorrow.

How many players will choose not to play and decide they have enough money to stay safe with their families?

Will the abbreviated season look more like a bunch of prospects auditioning for jobs in 2021, while they gain earlier service team to inch them closer to free agency?

How legitimate will the records be and will there be awards winners? Time will tell.

At what point will MLB pull the plug and how many games will be played?

Will there be fans at any point?

What new rule changes in 2020 could actually be incorporated in the future?  Will purists be disgusted that the grand old game isn’t the same?

Ah, the questions.

Will the NBA’s Bubble burst at Disney in Orlando, FL leading to no champion?

How many players will test positive for COVID-19?

Will a marquee matchup be compromised if a superstar player is sidelined while another is playing?

Will the NHL crown a champion?

Will there be college or professional football this fall?

Who would have imagined that on The PGA Tour that the golfers would pull out of events when on the surface, this sport should have the least amount of problems social distancing.

If I were a betting man, the only two sports that I could see crowning a champion is NASCAR and the NHL.

The drivers are heavily protected by their fire suits. They don’t have to worry about sweating with other drivers in their vehicles. NASCAR seems to be rolling along every week while other sports seek answers.

I’m intrigued that their television partners announcers are doing remote broadcasts which could provide a glimpse into the future as to whether other sports would follow suit.

NHL players have their uniforms and they play in colder arenas. They appear to be fully protected.

At what point will we finally say that “Sports Are Not Important” in 2020?

If I had to venture a guess, I would predict by Labor Day.

If you’re a media outlet like us, that’s when you find out what you’re made of trying to create presentable, meaningful content.

But I have to admit that on our broadcasts, I always enjoy the guests that we talk to because everyone has various opinions.

What have I gotten out sports in 2020?

I never knew anything about the Sport of Cornhole other than the fact that you can play it out at Cracker Barrel while you’re waiting to be seated.

I’ve learned a lot about the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and that if you love this sport, it doesn’t matter where it’s played.

I’ve been fortunate to enjoy baseball on many levels as a player in Little League and growing up as a Detroit Tigers fan.

I’ve enjoyed covering High School, College Minor and Major League Baseball, therefore, the KBO has been a pleasure seeing them play in front of no fans and with cheerleaders. Who could have imagined that?

I’ve enjoyed seeing the connections between the KBO and MLB.

You have a lot of good players that went on to play MLB from Korea.

Former MLB players have used this as an avenue to resurrect their careers. The one that stands out was former Milwaukee Brewers slugger Eric Thames.

Now former Washington Nationals Manager Matt Williams is managing in the KBO.

I’m quite pleased that ESPN as given the KBO some worldwide exposure. Then again, they’re desperate for programming. But we’ll take it.

But in the meantime, the only way to summarize the Sports World is “To Be Or Not To Be.”

Stay tuned.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com or on Twitter @TribuneSouth.

Changing With The Times

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

During my 41 years working in the Media, the majority of the work I’ve done is in Sports. I’ve covered four Super Bowl Games in addition to being at many championship contests.

I’ve also written about Muhammad Ali, Tom Lasorda, Sugar Ray Leonard, former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame Broadcaster Ernie Harwell along with many others.

My writing mentor is Tony DeMarco, while George Eichorn and I have done lots of projects on and off the air.

In the past two years, I’ve had the great pleasure of being introduced to Internet Radio with Peter Wein. I’ve seen the numerous shows he’s had on the weinetwork.com as he possesses tremendous versatility to choose from.

In the past year, Wein’s wife Harriett passed away and he suffered a major stroke for which he’s still recovering from.

My career in the Media has given me the opportunity to work in both print and broadcasting.

Thanks to Jeff Adelman, who is a personal injury attorney that is in my Coral Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce Referral Group, with Wein’s departure, he introduced me to Podcasting.

It’s been quite a transition from my old radio days. Many years ago, all I had to do was line-up the guests, prepare the content and we had lots of call ins.

There is another individual that has helped me get through this learning curve! I met Rudy Reyes on LinkedIn and he’s guided me with equipment. He’s taught me a lot about Social Media.

Rudy and I have a show on the World Sports And News (WSAN) Network.

We have seven different shows on WSAN Network.

The main ones include The Sports Exchange, 108 Stitches...Baseball Talk, The South Florida Tribune Podcast and the newest one is ‘No Limits’.

While all of our main programming has focused on Sports, things are drastically changing.

The South Florida Tribune Podcast is designed for our local market. We’ve made great progress developing it the past few weeks.

Before my wife and I left town for Memorial Day, we needed a strong national show.

With the help of my wife, two other guests which include Jacksonville Jaguars writer David Levin and former MLB pitcher Mark Littell, ‘No Limits’ was born.

In life, we have to adapt to it’s numerous changes.

The South Florida Tribune Podcast and No Limits will serve that purpose.

I will no longer be just a sports guy. I’ll be multi dimensional. We’ll have versatility on the local and national levels.

No Limits will live up to it’s name!

While we don’t talk about politics or religion on the South Florida Tribune and we won’t on the air, there will be no shortage of guests on these broadcasts!

The business model will be greatly enhanced because of the versatility.

There will be more ways to get involved as we create a Media Package.

First things first as this versatility will create more followers.

I’m excited about the direction, but there is a lot more work to do during these changing times. I’m very thankful for the people that have helped us grow and kudos to Rick Curti, Ron Renzy, David Levin, George Eichorn, and Mel Farr Jr. as they continue to help us on this growing journey.

The bottom line is that if we don’t accept todays changes then we’ll simply let the times pass us by. In other words, we’ll miss the bus.

That’s not going to happen with us.

For more updates, go to www.southfloridatribune.com. Also, please like the South Florida Tribune Page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @TribuneSouth.

If you want to reach me, then drop me an e-mail at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

The Pandemic Challenge

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What are you doing with your forced free time?

As the owner of an online publication and a broadcasting network, I find this to be a time to scout other networks as they try to find content.

Since we do a lot of sports shows on The South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network, Golic & Wingo, Get Up and First Take have provided ideas how to proceed with how I approach things.

At www.southfloridatribune.com, we’re fortunate to have 29 Media Distribution Partners along with regular writers to provide content.

As we continue to increase numbers, the model for any business is to make sure that they’re active on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The only way these Social Media outlets don’t work is if you don’t aggressively work them. For many of us old school guys, the transition has been quite the learning curve. I miss the newspaper, television and radio days when these outlets took care of the promotion and production.

Welcome to 2020.

Who would have thought that the NFL would hold a Virtual Draft?

Did anyone expect a record 55 Million people to watch it on ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2?

Will the NFL will adopt some sort of Virtual Draft format in the future?

Time will tell.

Before the Pandemic started, I’ve never heard of Zoom. Now it’s going to be a wave of the future. I’ve used them for networking meetings and now it’s neat to catch up with family.

During this time, it seems like in the sports world, you wonder what sport will be cancelled or postponed.

How much money will be lost due to the pandemic?

While everyone has taken a hit in the pocketbook, have lost love ones because of COVID-19, plus the sad stories we hear on Social Media, the only thing we have to do is stick together. I’m currently dealing with a very seriously ill mother in Michigan that I can’t see because of the Stay Home Orders. I have a feeling that I may never see her alive. But I’m sure many of this are in the same boat.

Nonetheless, we have to challenge ourselves to make the best out of a tough situation. I know it’s easier said than done.

But let us hope that we can get back to our regular routines in the near future.

We can only hope that we never face this type of situation again and if we do, we’re better prepared to handle this in the future.

Meanwhile, Stay Safe. Stay Home. Do Social Distancing and Kudos to our first responders. These first responders are our heroes.

COVID-19 Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

There is one company that I know which is benefitting with the Corona name and that’s the beer as we see these commercials on the air. For those that like to drink, I’m sure that the beverage is relaxing. Although I doubt it will happen, for some reason I think the ads should be taken off the air temporarily because the name is an unpleasant reminder of the unprecedented world we live in.

Being the owner of an online publication, The South Florida Tribune, 90% of My Media Distribution Partners are unable to send content because their sports have been either postponed or cancelled. Thankfully, the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars have picked up the slack during NFL Free Agency Frenzy.

One area that will be utilized more will be additional broadcasts with the South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network. We have a good line-up of shows. The signature shows are The Sports Exchange and South Florida Tribune Podcast which is a non-sports show.

A week ago, we returned from Arizona as we spent time with family and finished our goal to see the two remaining stadiums in the Cactus League. We saw the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa and the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. It was great to cover another LA Dodgers game at Camelback Ranch vs The Milwaukee Brewers, in Glendale, AZ., in what turned out to be the last Spring Training Game before the everything would be canceled because of COVID-19. We went to Phoenix and saw the Milwaukee Brewers remodeled facility in Maryvale. I drove Candy to Phoenix Municipal Stadium which used to be the Spring Training Home of the Oakland A’s.

Thanks to my desire to take a red-eye flight, Candy and I came back on a less crowded flight from Phoenix to Fort Lauderdale, that reduced risk of obtaining risks of getting COVID-19.

We then proceeded to stock up on supplies and toilet paper, which nowadays seems impossible to get.

As reality sets in and every sporting event gets cancelled on the planet, in addition to many businesses closing such as restaurants, will this become the next Great Depression? We hope not.

Who would have thought about dealing with Social Distancing?

Working from home is something I’ve never dealt with, but now wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants is certainly a better option than being stuck in the hospital fighting for my life.

What is my new routine these days? Watching sports shows to find content for my network, being uplifted by the generosity of many people and companies in and out of sports that are giving back to help the less fortunate, in addition to watching News Shows to find updates on the Spreading of COVID-19. I Need to know the numbers as it could be influential of future travel plans.

Being a Florida Resident, we’re used to preparing for Hurricanes and loading up on supplies. COVID-19 brings out the analogies, We’re all in the same boat and this is a world wide dilemma. Also, misery loves company. Now with the power of prayer, we can only hope that COVID-19 comes up with some medications so we can hope to see normalcy at some point.

Unlike Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Tornados, you can rebuild areas in time. But COVID-19 is an enemy we can’t see and that’s the most frustrating aspect of this unprecedented pandemic crisis.

We can only hope the death toll is limited.

Meanwhile, I pray for everyone that they’re safe and healthy and follow all the warning in Regular and Social Media and don’t self destruct. In Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break, several students came down here and now have COVID-19.

For the time being, we just have to wait and aside from going to the stores to buy food, it’s imperative that we master Social Distancing!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. He’s the Owner of the South Florida Tribune and it’s Broadcasting Network. He’s also a writer for the Detroit Monitor.

The New Dodger Town

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

If there is ever a team in The Grapefruit League that I enjoyed covering, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I enjoyed taking the two hour trek from Deerfield Beach to Vero Beach.

The Dodgers were always cooperative to us whether the Detroit Tigers played or some other team.

I had great memories speaking with the likes of Managers Tommy Lasorda, Grady Llittle and pitcher Jerry Reuss.

To this day, we like to drive up to Historic Dodger Town as the place looks fantastic.

There is nothing covering the fans should it rain at Holman Stadium which had a capacity of 6,500. There were no shortage of practice fields. Historic Dodger Town had dorm rooms for the players to stay.

Down the third base line the fans were very close to the players and there were no shortage of conversations. I can recall a conversation I once had with Derrel Thomas.

But as I sit in the Press Box here at Camelback Ranch which which holds 13,583, this is a different environment in The Cactus League. The seats are tan and the stadium is brown. It has that desert feeling.

There are no dorm rooms to house any players. There are lots of practice fields all over the complex.

The Dodgers share the stadium with the Chicago White Sox.  In 2009 both clubs began their first season.

Each team has State Of The Art, year round working facilities along the left and right-field lines which they use for rehabilitating players. They also have their executive offices.

The Dodgers use the facility for their low level rookie league, which is the Arizona League. They play in the back fields.

The Glendale Desert Dogs play in the Arizona Fall League where the best MLB prospects show their skills in the stadium.

In front of one of the entrances, there is a statue of Lasorda and another of White Sox Hall of Famer Frank Thomas.

On this day, there was a different feel as the Dodgers faced the Milwaukee Brewers.

The game was scheduled to start at 6:05 PT but due to rainy conditions in the area, it was pushed back to 6:35 PM PT.

What was great when I picked up My Credential was I had clubhouse access.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get in the clubhouse as well as my colleagues because today was the first day MLB banned the media because of the Coronavirus.

I talked to a Dodgers writer and he said it's inevitable that the regular season will get delayed because of the virus.

Dodgers Outfielder Mookie Betts, in the photo and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman talked about all aspects of the inconveniences of the Coronavirus. They also told us that despite the virus, there is still a season to prepare for.

Earlier in the day, the NCAA Announced that March Madness will be played without fans in the stands. Also, all spectator sports are evaluating what steps will take place to avoid placing there fans in danger.

Before the end of this game, The NBA suspended the rest of the 2019 season when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Tonight, the Brewers entered the game with a 10-6-2 mark while the Dodgers are 9-7-1.

These are two teams that made the 2019 Players. Milwaukee was 89-73 while the Dodgers had the second best record in baseball at 106-56.

Both were ousted by the World Series Champions Washington Nationals.

The Dodgers defeated the Brewers 4-1 in front of 8,364. The game was called because of rain in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But as I look at this venue, now that I've seen all of the stadiums in the Cactus League, this one ranks in my top two.

Having been to most of the Grapefruit League stadiums, Camelback Ranch is easily in my top five.

Was it tough seeing the Dodgers leave Vero Beach, FL?

You bet it was.

But the reality of the situation is it's just a four hour drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles and a 45 minute flight. The move was inevitable.

Aside from what I've written, the photos tell the story about the Dodgers new home.

Next stop, Dodger Stadium.

The last time I went there was during the 1984 Summer Olympics when I watched the US team play against South Korea.

Camelback Ranch is definitely a must see if you come to Arizona for Spring Training of the Arizona Fall League!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. He is the Founder of The South Florida Tribune and it's Broadcasting Network. 

My Taste Of The NFL

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since Super Bowl LIV (45) came to South Florida.

I had the good fortune of working with Rudy Reyes one day as we accomplished a lot with our one day pass at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

A few of the highlights we had were interviewing former Detroit Lions QB Eric Hipple, legendary Sports Writer Howard Balzer and attending Fox Sports Press Conference.

On Saturday, January 25, Candy Ebling and I attended an incredible event, The Taste of the NFL.

For fans wanting to go to this, they had to pay $700 for a basic package. There were also VIP packages which costs considerably more.

This event was a fundraiser where there was a lot of sports memorabilia for sale. All proceeds went to charity.

There was more.

What fans had the chance to experience were food dishes from the chefs for all 32 teams. They ranged from crab cakes, seafood, cannoli, types of steaks, etc... By the end of the night, an ambitious eater could add a few pounds.

What was neat about the experience was meeting all the player representatives. These guys were signing autographs and taking photos. It was also neat talking to the chefs.

There were no shortage of Super Bowl Champions.

Two members of the Miami Dolphins undefeated 1972 team had a chance to interact with fans. It was neat talking football and taking photos with Dick Anderson and Mercury Morris.

I had to good fortune of doing a video with Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel as well as Green Bay Packers Super Bowl winner Charles Woodson.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to land former Denver Bronco Super Bowl Champion Mark Schlereth for the Rude Dog Show. Mark apologized as he was busy, but was nice enough to take a photo with Candy Ebling and I.

Former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Champion WR was a blast to hang out with. Dexter Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One player who was extremely noticeable was three-time Super Bowl winning tight-end Jay Novacek, who wore his Cowboy hat and played for the Dallas Cowboys.

Former Michigan Wolverine offensive guard, offensive tackle Tom Mack played his entire career (1966-1978) with the Los Angeles Rams and was a Pro Bowl regular going to 11 of them.

The representative for the Oakland Raiders was tight-end Dave Casper, who won a Super Bowl and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His nickname is the ghost.

In this day and age, it's rare that a player stays with one team for his entire career. It was great spending time with former NY Jets running back Freeman McNeil, who is a three-time Pro Bowler and is in the New York Jets Ring of Honor.

The most interesting experience I had that night was with former Detroit Lions Al "Bubba" Baker who was the Cleveland Browns representative. Baker said the Lions losing culture was the reason he left the Motor City and wanted me to take a photo with him holding a Browns Helmet.

I enjoyed spending time with Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Curley Culp, former Miami Dolphins Kim Bokamper, John Offerdahl, both whom have restaurants that I've dined at in the area. You won't find a classier guy than former Jacksonville Jaguar George Wrightster.

I met a lot of other great players at this event and "The Taste Of The NFL" organizers did a phenomenal job putting this on.

I've been credentialed for five Super Bowls and have attended four games.

Prior to this event, I always made it a priority to go the Hall of Fame Selection Announcements, the Commissioners State of The League Address, in addition to hanging out at Radio Row doing major networking and appearing as a guest on shows across the country.

But when it was all said and done, I have to admit that this is one of the best events I've been a part of because of the positive energy in the room with media members, fans and most of all the players!

These memories at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, FL were special and it was a privilege to be a part of it.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and is the owner of this online publication and broadcasting network.

Playing On House Money?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Prior to the start of the 2020 Vrbo Citrus Bowl, tickets for the secondary market were going for $150-$200 for the New Years Day contest.

That was no surprise when you consider the match-up was the Michigan Wolverines (9-3) against the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2).

This number didn't surprise Florida Citrus Sports PR Guy Sam Gardner since the Bowl's objective is to get "two good helmets" which they indeed accomplish here with these storied programs. Going into the game, the series was tied 2-2.

The attendance for the game was 59,746 which was the largest since the 2016 game that saw Michigan maul the Florida Gators 41-7.

Michigan entered the game as 10 point underdogs so virtually many analysts predicted that Alabama would win.

Many of the people I spoke to were rooting for Michigan because of their dislike for Alabama Coach Nick Saban.

If you're a Miami Dolphins fan, Saban had an abrupt departure.

Since the Florida Gators own the Sunshine State, Alabama and Saban detest the Crimson Tide.

The game started with Michigan's Giles Jackson running the opening kick-off 50 yards, but the Wolverines were unable to take advantage of the excellent field position.

Alabama wasted no time on their opening possession as Tide QB Mac Jones connected to Jerry Jeudy for an 85-yard TD. The drive took all of 11 seconds giving Alabama a 7-0 lead with 13:47 left in the first quarter. Jeudy is from Deerfield Beach, FL.

But Michigan wouldn't get rattled as QB Shea Patterson showed great mobility in the pocket to extend plays in the passing game and got some timely runs.

The Wolverines scored 13 unanswered points to take a 13-7 lead deep into the second quarter.

Alabama would mount a scoring drive that was aided by a Michigan pass interference and a roughing the passer call that was capped by an eight plays 75 yard drive that took 3:44 capped by a nine-yard run by Najee Harris. It occurred at 3:32 left in the quarter.

The Wolverines took the lead at halftime thanks to Quinn Nordin's who kicked the longest field goal in Citrus Bowl history at 57 yards. It tied the longest FG in Michigan history. Michigan took a 16-14 lead.

Alabama won the toss to start the contest and this decision led to scoring on the opening drive in the third quarter. Davis hit DeVonta Smith for a 42-yard score. The extra point was good and Alabama regained the lead to 21-16.

The Crimson Tide scored again with 10:01 left in the fourth quarter. A Jones 58-yard pass from Davis to Jeudy led to a score. Davis threw a 20-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 28-16 to Miller Forristall.

At that point, Jeudy had six catches for 204 yards and one touchdown. Those would be his final totals and he was voted the game's MVP.

The Wolverines would not keep the game below double figures. Patterson would toss an interception late in the fourth quarter.

This led to yet another Alabama touchdown as the Crimson Tide relied on the legs of Harris who carried the ball 11 times. He scored a two-yard touchdown that extended the lead with the extra point giving Alabama a 35-16 triumph.

Alabama outscored Michigan 21-0 in the second half.

Alabama leads the all-time series 3-2.

If you're looking for a pair of good NFL prospects then Jeudy and Harris could be playing on Sunday.

Jeudy declared for the NFL Draft and just signed super agent Leigh Steinberg Tuesday, to represent him.

Harris finished the game with 24 carries for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

There were lots of questions after the game as to whether or not Alabama ran up the score as Saban looked to get revenge on Harbaugh for luring his assistant Josh Gattis to Ann Arbor.

But in the end, there were only three statistics that mattered in this game.

Alabama out gained Michigan in total yards 480-395.

Michigan found the yellow flag as an enemy by committing seven penalties for 61 yards while Alabama had five for 25 yards.

The time of possession battle favored Michigan as the Wolverines led 34:47-25:13 which truly indicated that the final score was closer than the actual end result.

Harbaugh mentioned this at his post-game press conference.

"It was a very competitive game through the half, into the fourth quarter, until, really, until about six minutes left in the game. Their ability to create the big play was critical in the game, and their ability to keep us out of the end zone and through drives. We had long drives and settled for field goals."

Harbaugh was asked about the future of the program heading into next year.

"I feel good about that. I feel good about some of the young players that got experiences this season and, you know, them getting their opportunity, going to work on that. I mean, as Jordan (Glasgow) said this season just ended 10 minutes ago, so-- but I know I'm going to be excited about it."

Harbaugh can feel good about the fact that one of Michigan's key victories occurred against Notre Dame, the Wolverines were able to defeat Michigan State.

But for the Coach that earns more money at his Alma-Mater than most NFL coaches, his next challenges ahead are on the recruiting trail. He has to find the successor for Shea Patterson at quarterback.

Harbaugh and that QB will be tasked with beating Ohio State in Columbus at the end of the 2020 Season.

In the end, the team wasn't expected to defeat Alabama and he should view this game as though his squad was indeed, "Playing On House Money."

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbm33@gmail.com.
He's the Owner of The South Florida Tribune and it's Broadcasting Network.