Klosterman chats with Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, authors of "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution," on the origins of the network; why execs embraced Spring Break content (think beer money); why British New Wave bands got airplay over American acts, specifically black artists; and why hair-metal bands were among the few artists to show up on time for MTV appointments. There's even an interesting discussion of Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" video, which Squier said effectively ended his career.
This is a podcast that's great fun and informative, and one that makes me want to read the book, which hits stores in late October.
Can you imagine the Super Bowl ending in a tie, and having both teams replay the entire game a week later?
That's what's happening Down Under in the Australian Rules Football Grand Final, where last week's match between Collingwood and St. Kilda ended in a tie. League rules require not overtime but a completely brand new match. Players on both sides were in disbelief after last week's game, and while the prospect of a "replay" is hard for them to swallow, for viewers it makes for great theater.
If you're not familiar with "footy," you're missing out on an exciting sport that mixes American football, rugby, soccer and hockey (here's a good primer and the video above shows a wide range of highlights from over the years, including some mad leaps, painful collisions and long-distance goals.
The athletes must have equal parts endurance, toughness and smarts. Refs call only brief stoppages of play with longer breaks between quarters, so the 18 players on each team covering a field roughly 2.5 times the size of an American football field must be in fantastic shape. And because there's lots of often violent contact, this is not a sport for sissies, where refs toss penalty flags right and left for the slightest infractions.
Give "footy" a try. And if you like it, be sure to toss ESPN a line and tell them you want more.
Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 1:01 AM 
The latest evidence of that is a fantastic hourlong podcast on the early history of MTV hosted by gonzo journalist Chuck Klosterman (author of one of my favorite music books "Fargo Rock City."
