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January 4, 2015Stuart Scott and the fight against cynicism
January 5, 2015
Happy Monday, you guys. I find that a lack of Cleveland Browns football has made for a weird transition here. I mean, I’ve spent the last few months crowbarring in some vague reference to the most recent Sunday afternoon as I head into my standard While We’re Waiting… repertoire, but I find myself being very empty here.
Trust me, it was nice watching the Pittsburgh Steelers get bounced from the playoffs, but I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t stand watching Baltimore—with a third-string running back, a mutilated offensive line, and a patchwork receiving corps—move down the field with ease against the Curtain, on the road. Makes Cleveland’s excuses ring that much more hollow.
Nevertheless: Here’s to a happy 2015. I hope the New Year’s holiday treated you all very well.
Speaking of New Years… I woke up on Wednesday morning with a 102.7-degree fever. Though I still managed to get my share of the day’s WFNY content formatted up for your viewing pleasure, it meant that my New Year’s plans were no longer going to occur. Of all the days for a 33-year-old to get sick, it’s the one where he actually has plans and then has to bail for fear of contamination.
Good news was that my illness had no bearing on hundreds of thousands of others—many of whom apparently decided to use Uber to cart them around after last call. If you’re not familiar with Uber, I’ll help you lift that giant rock off of your abode: They’re the (unregulated) taxi service that functions solely through their app. Everything—the pick-up, the cost, the payment—is executed via mobile. You agree to the cost, a nearby driver picks you up and takes you to your destination. You rate the drivers; they rate you. I’ve heard very few complaints from actual, level-headed users.
Which leads to the not-so-level-headed users. You see, Uber operates by supply and demand. Want a ride on Halloween night? It’s going to cost you more than that early-Sunday morning trip to the Muni Lot. Want a ride home on New Year’s? It’s going to cost you more than a similar-mileage trip on a random Wednesday. Think last minute flights or (gasp!) Dynamic Pricing for Indians games. It’s how the world works.
Apparently, this has all led to considerable outrage from inebriated folks who woke up on New Years Day to find gigantic Uber fare bills charged to their account. These mental giants then took to various Social Media sites to voice their displeasure with the company. Earlier bouts even led to Slate publishing a piece asking if Uber preys on the drunk. No, seriously—who’s going to look out for the drunks?
And before you ask about a lack of transparency, here’s a quick look at the screen users have to accept before the service even considers billing them:
Best thing in Uber's surge pricing warning screen last night was "try a local taxi for fixed rates" pic.twitter.com/fXbLvTSrzc
— Tom Gara (@tomgara) January 1, 2015
They even recommend you use the competition in the event these prices are too steep. How many other companies do this?
Seems like a decent time for disclaimer: Yes, Uber “works” with WFNY in the way that if you use the code “UberWFNY” during your first ride, you get up to $20 off. To my knowledge, we have yet to see a dime from this initiative. So while I would consider them a partner, they’re far from a major driver of any revenue. I’m also 33 years old, as I’ve mentioned above, and only use cabs when I travel for work and these cabs are usually already paid for. Such is life. Alas, I’ve never used Uber, but it’s not by choice. If I needed a cab right now, I’d order up an Uber. The cab situation in Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs is deplorable; Uber is easy to use and is, by many accounts, very responsive. I am, after all, a big fan of user-friendliness. I am also, as it may be, aware that if I agree to pay a certain amount of money for something, despite how it may feel the next day, that I have to own said mistake and not try to shame the third party for my mistakes.
Not to delve into an economics lesson here, but Uber isn’t solely charging higher rates to gouge users; it’s doing so because they also have to pay their drivers more during these peak hours. The model is designed to ensure a ride whenever its needed. There are only so many “regulated” taxi cabs, and even fewer in Cleveland, so when demand is overwhelming and you need a ride, you can get one—you just have to pay up for it.
Make no mistake: The company provided two million rides on New Years, and only the vocal minority are claiming to be victims. Those who deplore the service are unhappy with the company’s ability to charge based on supply and demand as opposed to it’s oftentimes more yellow, standard fare, flat-rate brethren. Sure, the company has made it’s mistakes—saying it’s going to expose journalists, for starters—but let’s not start using this a means to defend the knucklehead decisions of some people who happen to have a Twitter account in addition to their inability to make sound decisions.
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Who’s Paul McCartney? Now that we’ve removed that rock from your home, you should also be well aware that Kanye West and Paul McCartney released a song late last week. The tracks is called “Only One,” and features Kanye singing to his late mother, Donda West. It serves as his vision of her feelings towards his marriage and Yeezy’s newfound fatherhood. This is the first of what appears to be many songs in which McCartney will be featured, but this one—being the first, and being from Kanye—has led to plenty of discussion, but none more important than this.
I don't know who Paul McCartney is, but Kanye is going to give this man a career w/ this new song!!
— Joshua (@OVOJosh) January 2, 2015
Kanye has a great ear for talent. This Paul McCartney guy gonna be huge.
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) January 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/CurvedDaily/status/551042428523020289
There are people who don’t know who Paul McCartney is. I think blame their parents more than anything.
Here’s the song if you’re curious. It may help take the focus of the knumbskulls who just found out who Paul McCartney is:
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A new year means a super fresh calendar of super fresh takes. Here’s this weeks edition of #ActualSportswriting:
“Ohio State downs Alabama in Sugar Bowl that signals a key power shift” by Pete Thamel (Sports Illustrated): “The film from New Year’s Day showed how this Ohio State program has come full circle since Urban Meyer inherited it in November 2011. He arrived in Columbus two years after his career spiraled following Florida’s 32-13 loss to Nick Saban and Alabama in the 2009 SEC title game. Meyer landed in the hospital that night, stepped down later that month and returned for one unmemorable season with the Gators. He then took a year off to get mentally and physically healthy before going about the task of building Ohio State into a program that could beat a power like Alabama.”1
“How Jon Jones Became the Baddest Motherf— on Earth” by Greg Howard (Deadspin): “Some day, who knows, if everything goes well and mixed martial arts survives its painful, ongoing transition from spectacle to sport, people may talk about him the way they talk about Bill Russell or Jim Brown. Right now, at this moment, he’s a man without a country—disregarded not just by the mainstream for being at the apex of a sport it doesn’t understand, but by that sport’s hardest core fans for being a fake in ways no one can entirely pin down but everyone can sense. In every way in which it can be meant, no one really knows who Jon Jones is.”2
“Far More Mr. Nice Guys” by JA Adande (ESPN.com): “They’ve all been purged from the NBA, be it the peaceful transition of power from David Stern to Adam Silver, the forced expulsion of Donald Sterling, the decline of the league’s most fabled franchises or the rehabilitation of LeBron James’ image, 2014 was a year for erasing enemies. The anger is over.”3
“MLB Agent Fights For His Clients — And His Life” by Joe Lemire (Medium): “The 32-year-old baseball agent — who represents star Indians outfielder Michael Brantley, Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress and Orioles catcher Steve Clevenger — will often have “just one more thing” to say a half-dozen times per phone conversation. … The signs were few and subtle. When up chatting in the lobby until 3 a.m., for instance, Kusnick shifted his messenger bag over his stomach to hide where his surgically constructed bladder and stoma were leaking. To conceal the seepage, he wore dark clothing — though it was already in character for a grunge-music lover who idolized Kurt Cobain. I later learned that he keeps a spare change of clothes with him wherever he goes, often slipping a towel under his shirt.”4
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Apologies, you guys: No Brew du Jour this week. Blame it on the flu—I haven’t had a beer since the Saturday after Christmas. Next week, though. I promise.
Have a terrific Monday. Stay warm out there. This isn’t pretty.
Talk about a quick freeze! We saw 57 on Sunday! Now we feel like the freezer! Holy cow, who let the cold air in? pic.twitter.com/iHyX00mGrd
— Beth McLeod (@BethHMcLeod) January 5, 2015
- So many good #OnLocation stories to come out of the Sugar Bowl, but this one may be my favorite. Call it the Urban Effect. [↩]
- You don’t need to appreciate MMA to appreciate how great of a profile this is. Great stuff from Deadspin. [↩]
- It kills me that more people don’t know JA Adande for his quality writing than his Around the Horn appearances. I almost prefer to ignore the latter. [↩]
- A terrific story that has some pertinence due to his connection to Michael Brantley. Read this now. [↩]
31 Comments
Okay, everybody, Happy New Year and back to the salt mine.
1. Since all we Browns fans have to root for during playoff season is Schadenfreude, it was a pleasure to see those oh-so-loyal Steelers fans — the best fans ever in the whole wide world — clearing out of Heinz Field in the 4th quarter. Yes, the Steelers were behind, but the game was by no means out of reach, and a comeback was certainly possible. But the yinzers threw in the Towel, so to speak. Then the Bengals went all Bengals as usual. Now we can look forward to the Pats destroying the Ratbirds.
2. I saw some articles recently proclaiming a major power shift in college football in the wake of the B1G’s success on New Year’s and the SEC’s losses. I wouldn’t be so quick to shovel dirt on the SEC. This could be a one-day fluke. Let’s wait a few years before we pronounce B1G ascendancy and SEC decline.
3. Does anyone else feel bad thinking that Sir Paul is a little like Willie Mays stumbling around the bases for the Mets? (BTW, Scott, don’t you think that those Tweets about him are tongue-in-cheek?)
I did at first, but then I saw some of the mentions and follow-up tweets from the same people and they were completely out of ignorance. The first dude (“Josh”) followed up saying something about not caring about people from “the 40s.”
For what it’s worth, Uber is now regulated in some states (PA, for one). Whether that’s a good thing remains up for individual discernment.
I don’t think the shift between the SEC and the Big Ten is anything more than perception – as I don’t think there ever was much of a legitimate power differential. The great thing about New Years Day for college football – not just the Big Ten – is that this conventional wisdom perception may have been pierced. It seemed fairly evident that the Emperor had no clothes, and a lot of eyes were opened. Now, ESPN is going to do everything that they can to proclaim that the Emperor’s nudity is, and always has been, nothing but the finest of woolen and silken glory, but maybe now the world won’t buy it.
I don’t think the SEC is going anywhere, and it’s premature to elevate the BIG 10 as some sort of usurper. However, I do think it’s significant that in the absence of a playoff, the National Championship game would have been played between Alabama and FSU, the very two teams eliminated in the playoff round.
If that were the case, we might still be talking about SEC dominance considering that OSU and Oregon would have displaced a couple teams in the bowl games and changed the match-ups.
“Apparently, this has all lead to considerable outrage…”
Led. The past-tense of lead is spelled “led.” Not really picking on you Scott, just taking an opportunity to vent some frustration over one of the most common mistakes, not by average knuckle-dragging Netizens, but by respectable, accomplished writers.
Thanks, I feel better now.
he catheterizes himself
I cannot even imagine doing such to myself. And, add another notch in the “good guy” Brantley column for this one too. To know and respect an agent for battling through physical issues rather than to dismiss him and jump to another agent (easy to do, especially for Michael now) shows some character. Not nearly as much character as Kusnick shows by not allowing any limitations actually limit him in his life though.
The reason taxi cabs are rate regulated is for exactly the reason that people are complaining about with Uber. When you use “dynamic pricing” in an industry that has a reputation for gouging people, then yes, people will be upset. This is why the taxi meters are calibrated and sealed by the division of weights and measures, and heavy fines are levied for tampering with the meters.
When Uber runs around arbitrarily changing rates whenever they see fit, they open themselves up to (well deserved) criticism.
(Full disclosure: I’m a former cab driver)
yeah, they had a lot of really good teams, but it took a bunch of strange occurrences for the storyline to be built. if West Virginia beats a bad Pitt team, then 2-loss LSU never gets a title shot (and Ohio State may or may not win that game — then again, it took other teams spitting the bit for an underwhelming ’08 Buckeye team to get there too).
I think the end story is that there are often many good teams and many of them can beat the other teams on any given day. Which teams are good obviously fluctuates a bit, but overall I don’t think there’s nearly as significant a shift as many like to state.
I think it’s really fascinating that Urban Meyer probably both started and ended the “SEC dominance” narrative, all in intimate association with The Ohio State University.
I think the SEC dominance was more than a narrative, it was reality. They routinely killed the B1G and everybody else. You can’t deny that.
I’m too lazy to look up the records (ahem, mg), but aren’t the Bucks something like 2-10 vs. the SEC in bowl games? Ånd we’re the best of the lot.
not to mention laid the ground work for non-BCS schools to get legitimately ranked and eventually folded into BCS conferences (Utah 1st hand, TCU by association and Boise feels left out but would moreso w/o Meyer’s ground work).
I think it’s very possible, if not likely, that the best team in the SEC has recently been better than the best team in the other conferences, but across the board, I don’t at all buy the narrative. The storyline of the SEC conference scheduling buzzsaw (i.e., “the SEC teams beat each other up all year long in the toughest conference in the nation”) is pure myth, demonstrated by the immediate success of both Texas A&M and Missouri – average teams, at best, in the Big 12 – when they moved to the SEC. The SEC also schedules no meaningful non-conference games in order to protect pre-season rankings, thus perpetuating the self-fulfilled prophecy of SEC dominance.
The bowl records are difficult to discern, as match-ups are everything. If you have the #2 SEC team against the #4 Big Ten or ACC or PAC 10 team, it’s likely that the SEC is going to win – and the Big Ten, for example, has had a long history of bowl associations and pre-commitments that the SEC hasn’t (at least, that’s my perception – could be wrong). (As a counterpoint, though, this is why we also shouldn’t read too much into last week, as match-ups are still everything.)
Depending on how long Jimmy Handshake hangs around I would put the B1G East up against the SEC West in 2 years no problem.
4 years. That is apparently as long as any one place is capable of putting up with Jimmy Tantrum.
Then again, Michigan is much lower on the totem pole and more starved for winning than the Alex Smith 49ers or might Stanford Cardinal were.
The wild card in this is going to be Hackett.
Harbaugh wants control, of everything. Hackett seems happy to be patting himself on the back for bringing in Harbaugh judging from his 5 minute speech at the Harbaugh intro presser.
If Hackett is now given permanent AD status, he’s got two paths:
1. Take a backseat and let Harbaugh run everything like he wants to.
2. Take a sideseat and whisper suggestions very softly to Harbaugh.
Both those paths should keep Harbaugh around for a little bit. If Hackett mistakenly chooses to try and take the driver’s seat, then that’s when Harbaugh starts to entertain offers from NFL teams offering him FULL CONTROL.
you are correct on that record, but we are also on a 2-0 streak and both games being at the Sugar Bowl.
and, if we are talking about bowl records, then the Pac12 has really done itself well in recent years.
2012/13
Big East 3-1
ACC 4-2
SEC 5-3
Pac12 4-4
BigXII 4-5
Big10 2-5
2013/14
SEC 7-3
Pac12 6-3
BigXII 3-3
ACC 5-6
Big10 2-5
this season – 2014/2015 (so far):
Pac12 6-2
SEC 7-5
Big10 5-5
ACC 5-7
BigXII 2-5
3 year tally
Pac12 16-9
SEC 19-11
ACC 14-15
BigXII 9-13
Big10 9-15
I agree that the difference between reality and the general ESPN consensus was huge, but…
no meaningful non-conference games
is a pretty big myth itself. they rarely travel North or West (unless that program was recently hit with huge sanctions and it’s early in the year when it still is somewhat warm — Bama @ PSU), but there are many meaningful games. the non-conference rivalry games (SoCar v. Clemson, FSU v. Florida, Georgia v. GaTech) and Auburn (K-State this year, Clemson before that) and Alabama (WVU, VaTech, Michigan) have been scheduling bigger games recently.
Hmm. Pretty flimsy.
Unless something has changed Uber has always been up front on pricing on busy nights and will give you a quote or an expectation. They even used to have drunk tests where you would have to solve a logic problem before they charge you. I went through this the first time I used it. Did it cost 4 times the normal rate? Yes. Was it New Years Eve, 2am, and -5 outside? Yes. did they arrive in less than 4 minutes? Yup, and I have used them ever since.
Can you point me to the link online where it lists which times and which days the rates peak? If not, that would fit the definition of arbitrary. I don’t have a problem with them charging what they want, but lets not fool ourselves into reasoning like “drivers won’t work if we don’t charge you more”, because it’s complete BS. When the money is there, the drivers are working. If Uber were really concerned about driver coverage, the rates would go up when there are fewer drivers on the road to entice drivers to work.
I understand that Uber has found a way to game the system, but committing robbery on customers simply because there’s a killing spree going on in Sydney is a truly insidious business practice.
http://mashable.com/2014/12/14/uber-sydney-surge-pricing/
I would say over under is 4 years. They are a bad football team right now with no recruits. They should get some this year, but not a very strong class. They will win 8-9 next year and build on that, but when they don’t win the B1G in 2 years people are going to start talking, and if the right scenario pops up in the NFL, I think Harbaugh jumps on it.
The business practice happened in Sydney, but let’s not pretend like Uber designed their service to take advantage of terrorist attacks. They have surge pricing. An attack caused that additional demand to create a “surge” in their system. Uber responded by refunding money and giving free rides. Say what you want about them, but please don’t pretend like they specifically licked their chops when a hostage situation arose. That didn’t actually happen.
Harbaugh is no doubt a top coach at any level, but all Urb has to do is walk in with that “how long till Jimmy leaves you” speech.
…..and then when the “LA Rams targeting Harbaugh” stories start in two years…really watch out.
Decommits and flips abounds.
The Paul McCartney thing is fake.
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/the-media-got-trolled-into-thinking-kanye-west-fans-dont-know-who-paul-mccartney-is
ar·bi·trar·y
ˈärbəˌtrerē/
adjective
based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
– Nothing about web site listing prices here, but let’s look closer. Maybe if we could find a website describing how pricing works, maybe that would show reason or a system. Nah, I’m sure there’s nothing like that…
https://support.uber.com/hc/en-us/articles/201913747-What-are-the-rates-
That doesn’t show anything, so I’m sure if we need specifics, this will all fall like a house of cards!
https://www.uber.com/cities/cleveland
But wait, Surge Pricing is completely made up, and has no reason or system behind it. Oh, and I’m sure even if there is information about this, they hide it from users… https://support.uber.com/hc/en-us/articles/201836656-What-is-surge-pricing-and-how-does-it-work-
I can even point you to a link (with pictures!) of the app providing a means to show you the price estimate for your exact situation before you request it: (https://support.uber.com/hc/en-us/articles/201830936-How-do-I-get-a-fare-estimate-). Although, they did hide it right there above the button where you request the car, so this might still qualify as “robbery”.
You’re right, they don’t have a website where they list the specific times and days of surge pricing and make guesses to post on a website months ahead of time – though I doubt they would have dates/rates ahead of time for hostage situations in Sydney. They have an app that can account for how things actually are that night, and you have to acknowledge you understand the cost before ordering. I’d think that any reasonable person would understand the costs involved.
And your statement, “If Uber were really concerned about driver coverage, the rates would go up when there are fewer drivers on the road to entice drivers to work.” Did you see what they said on this page? https://support.uber.com/hc/en-us/articles/201836656-What-is-surge-pricing-and-how-does-it-work-
I don’t know if you even tried to look this stuff up, but it really wasn’t hard to find. Uber does not hide their pricing, they offer you options and show what things cost. Their pricing is not arbitrary – they outline their reasoning and system. Like many many industries, pricing varies based on a range of factors, mostly supply & demand. If you don’t like Uber, don’t get it. Regardless, I don’t see the reason for the drama (robbery… insidious business practice…Complete BS…).
“But wait, Surge Pricing is completely made up, and has no reason or
system behind it. Oh, and I’m sure even if there is information about
this, they hide it from users”
As I said earlier, the reason they give is complete BS. I’ve spent 7 years in the transportation industry, and when it’s busy, drivers come out and work. That’s all there is to it. There’s no additional incentive needed other than the fact that there is money to be made. So calling surge pricing anything but arbitrary price gouging is silly.
I’m also glad that everything that Uber tells you is completely true because LINKS AND PICTURES! Telling people that you’re charging them 4 times what they should normally be charged is okay because look it’s transparent, right? I’m sure that if Uber successfully eradicates every taxi company in the country, that everything will still be above board.
I’ve got no skin in the game, I’ve moved on to another career. However, I do know what Uber pays their drivers, and it’s a joke. It barely covers the wear and tear on the vehicles, let alone allow them to make an actual living. The drivers will figure it out soon enough.
At the very least, Uber needs to make it abundantly clear what you can expect to pay at all times. Yes, they provide an estimate, but it requires several steps to get there, which may be difficult to navigate for someone who is impaired. As an alternative, they provide the multiplier. This method requires one to perform math functions (typically at the height of inebriation). If the multiplier is more than double, they make you type it in, ensuring that you understand what the multiplier is. Proving understanding of the multiplier does not prove understanding of the fare.
Practices like this lead to things like a $455 fare for a 15-mile trip, or a $900 fare for a 0.9 mile trip (still not sure how that one happened).
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/techflash/2014/11/uber-defends-price-surge-durham-man-455-halloween.html?page=all
http://gawker.com/football-fan-passes-out-wakes-up-with-900-uber-bill-1677609770/+kevindraper
Some people argue that this only happens to drunk people, so the solution is simply not to get drunk: this Puritanical view is simply unrealistic. The only times these price surges occur are during peak drinking hours: Halloween, NYE, bowl games, etc. Uber needs to recognize who their clientele are during these times and work to accommodate them and not take advantage. No one in their right (not impaired) mind would ever spend $455 on a 15-mile ride.
Moreover, without Uber offering more to its drivers, there was no way those drivers would have entered such a zone to pick people up, which would have left more people stranded.
Good stuff on Uber – I’m sick of people not understanding why surge pricing is a good thing. Ugh.
Quick take: That’s bad and dumb. Sigh.
On the flip side, almost no driver would pick up a drunk for a 15-mile ride without knowing they’ll make a pretty sum in return.