Feinstein stays

Quick note from the Washington Post this morning:

Commentator John Feinstein will be back on the air for Saturday's Navy-Air Force game despite uttering an obscenity during the radio broadcast of last week's Navy game...During the broadcast Saturday, Feinstein directed a profanity at the referees after a Duke receiver appeared to push a Navy defender.

Feinstein, the author of the classic Season on the Brink, pulled himself from the air and offered to resign immediately after the game.

However, Feinstein's foul mouth is hardly shocking. I'm actually surprised he hasn't gotten in trouble before.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I went to the National Book Festival, where Feinstein spoke. What I didn't mention was that Feinstein spoke...at the kid's tent. He was there to promote Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery, his first children's book (and not to be confused with the excellent The Last Shot by Darcy Frey). Since I was at the festival, I went anyway; Feinstein is a very quotable, prolific guy who's always entertaining, and I was hoping he'd mention his new book on the Baltimore Ravens (he did).

Feinstein began his talk by referencing Season on the Brink. For those who haven't read it, you should: in this 1986 book, Feinstein followed the Indiana college basketball team over an entire season, inventing the oft-copied strategy of an author "embedding" himself with a sports team. The book was interesting on a number of levels, but most famously, paints a riveting portrait of Bob Knight, the longtime Indiana basketball coach, as a genius, taskmaster, and boor. Knight subsequently took Feinstein to task, challenging his portrayal and insulting the author in the weeks, months, and even years ahead.

So this is what Feinstein chose to open with. He started talking about how after Season on the Brink was released, Knight had called him a "pimp" in one interview and a "whore" in another. "So I'm a pimp...I'm a whore...I just wish he'd make up his mind so I knew how to dress in the morning," said Feinstein.

This is what he said. Funny, but...

In the kid's tent.

Yet, a good talk anyway.

Elaine, sandwiched between our back-and-forth messages Thursday night was a great Brendan Benson show at the Black Cat...


Brendan Benson is sandwiched between my words too

Overall, great lineup (local guy named Benjy Ferree [hear he's the bartender at Saint-Ex], the Greenhornes) and evening...nice way to work into October, which is shaping up to be a month chock-fill of great shows. My own, not too-aggressive lineup:

10/2 Robbers on High Street
10/6 Metric
10/8 My Morning Jacket
10/18 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
10/19 U2

This does not include a number of great acts including the Decemberists, the Raveonettes, Death Cab/Stars, New Pornographers, etc all scheduled to play the Dizzy. We'll discuss this week, I'm sure.