Last March, CBS TV exec Doug Towey died. He was the man responsible for putting "One Shining Moment" on the air in 1987.
Just this past January, Teddy Pendergrass succumbed to cancer. He and Luther Vandross and David Barrett were the three men to voice the immortal lyrics of "One Shining Moment."
Today, the greatest tradition in sports has ended.
To honor these two great Americans, CBS will have "American Idol" 6th runner-up Jennifer Hudson belt out her rendition of this American classic. Afterward, Simon Cowell will rate the performance.
I gave it 11 seconds of thought and I've decided I'm not happy. "In the blinking of an eye, my moment's gone."
Is nothing sacred anymore?
We eat turkey on Thanksgiving. We watch fireworks on July 4th. And dammit, we listen to Luther or Teddy sing us "One Shining Moment" after the National Championship game.
Listen to the words CBS...
"Feel the beat of your heart, feel the wind in your face. It's more than a contest, it's more than a race." It's more than a song CBS. It's our childhood.
"And when it's done, win or lose, you always did your best because inside you knew..." Have you done your best? Would Doug Towey be proud? Would Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross be content to pass the torch to a reality show contestant/movie star?
It seems to me that you waited until they were in the grave to trample on their tradition...on my tradition...on our tradition.
Please take a moment to watch last year's "tribute" to Doug Towey before "One Shining Moment." After the montage, it fittingly says "In Memoriam" because memories are all we have left.
(Note: I might be a little over dramatic on this subject, but this song is really important to me...and my wife...and Bootsy. Everyone needs a cause!)
