WHERE HAVE THE "LEGENDS" GONE?

Most who know me know that I am a DIEHARD Philadelphia Phillies fan. I mean, I like the Red Sox....I like the Texas Rangers (lived in both cities for a time) BUT I'm Philly born and bred - through and through. I grew up with this team....watching them blow a pennant in the 60's; win a World Series in '80 and then, of course, what they did last year. Needless to say, I was very excited to see that they are back in the playoffs after clinching the National League East last night. What I didn't see until this morning was what they did after they won the game. This group of highly paid pro athletes went out on to the field and celebrated with their fans like a bunch of Little Leaguers who won for the first time. There was one act, during all of this, that got my attention and I'm sure had you seen it (maybe you have), would have gotten yours. The entire team went out to a certain area of their stadium's outfield wall where a poster memorial to their long-time broadcaster, Harry Kalas (who passed away on the job earlier in the season), was located. With champagne (and numerous other beverages) in hand, they showered the board, pounded on it, pointed to it and then toasted it. This was someone from the dreaded "media" that these players were honoring. This particular action made me wonder where those "legends" are these days in our business. Now we have hundreds of sportscasters, air personalities and disc jockies who do their best to be cool and creative but lack that "legendary" quality - that quality that creates an unbreakable bond with the entire audience including players, artists, listeners and viewers.
These legends had a distinct personality. Think about them - in sports with Mr. Kalas, there was Mel Allen, Ernie Harwell, Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell, just to name a few. On the radio, I'm sure you have someone you remember as a close friend even though you never met him or her. Today we have Ryan Seacrest!!! Compare Dick Clark to Mr. Seacrest and there is no comparison.
So where am I going with this? I blame me...I blame my peers in this business. We have gotten away from really developing the next "legends". We have "developed" a generation of fast-talking, cliche-ridden personalities and I use that term loosely. We've forgotten that "live and local" means something, especially to those who listen! We've gotten lost in pages of research but haven't read between the lines of that research. Think about what happened last night. A broadcaster had such a bond with his audience that even the players on whom he reported, felt enough of a bond to honor him in their time of celebration. That's what legends are made of.
I got into this business because I enjoy all forms of ENTERTAINMENT! Let's remember that it is just that - entertainment. It's time for us, who remember, to TEACH entertainment. Before it's too late, let's make sure there IS a next generation of legends.