Jon & Kate, Peter & Keith

I have never watched an episode of Jon and Kate plus Eight on TLC. It might be because I am single and without children of my own, so I don't relate. It might be because for years now I have been unable to grasp the programming mindset of TLC and how shows like Plus Eight and Trading Spaces relate. Whatever the reason, I feel I know as much about the family through Access Hollywood and the gossip blogs as I could ever gain watching three seasons of the show.

Tonight, after days of hype, Jon and Kate, the parents of 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets announced their separation on an episode of their TLC reality show. Unfortunately the TLC hype and build-up to the special announcement was trumpeted by the court filing of the divorce action that was filed earlier on Monday.

It is sad to see Jon and Kate and any family deal with divorce. My parents were married 48 years, so I cannot fathom the impact it has on everyone involved and my prayers go out to the family as they go through this stage of life.

Compassion aside, I find it somewhat of an oxymoron when the family asks for privacy to deal with the "personal" issue. Jon and Kate made a decision several years back to open up their life for the world to see. They say that decision was made to share their story, inspire others, and provide guidance for other families. Yeah right! Maybe that was the lofty goal when it began, but quickly they learned that even a show on a marginal cable channel can provide a significant revenue stream.

The couple went from tight quarters at home to building a spacious new house in Wernersville, PA. They went from juggling the 8 kids between themselves and family to having a Nanny. And don't get me going on why Kate needs to have a 24/7 bodyguard. What's that old proverb that says "be careful what you wish for...?"

Jon and Kate signed up for this and the open view of their life in a deal with the reality TV devil and even the divorce hype seems to be increasing their ratings and also their bank accounts. The only ones who deserve privacy and discretion in this situation are the kids - they didn't volunteer for this and my gut says their benefit from the family's 15 minutes of fame may be in memory alone.

The reality of how Jon and Kate's saga has permeated our society came to me this afternoon as I read one on my favorite writer's weekly blog post. Every Monday I eagerly await the Monday Morning Quarterback posting on NFL writer Peter King on CNNSI.com. And yes, even an NFL writer mentioned Jon and Kate in his "Ten Things I think."

I can't remember how I found King's blog several years ago not too long after it started. I knew who King was from his articles in Sports Illustrated and his spot on HBO Sports Inside the NFL (these days, King can be found on NBC's NFL coverage, Sirius satellite radio and other media outlets). But King's blog really hooked me. It probably was the first blog that became "appointment reading" on my calendar.

I have always been a sports fanatic. I can watch pretty much anything the ESPN programs as sports - even in the wee hours of the morning. That said, I have never been the sports junkie that was interested in the statistics or the inside nitty gritty information of the games. King's MMQB deals with a lot of that kind of stuff - sprinkled with humor, lifestyle, and stuff that a guy can relate too.

What hooked me and keeps me hooked about King is his style. I often feel as if he and I are talking over a cup of coffee at a local Starbucks instead of simply reading a blog. King's approach is conversational; it draws you in, often to subjects like contract negotiations that would normally not catch my eye.

There is also realism about King that is very visible in his writing. Blogs allow the writer to show more of that personal side and provide more personal reflection than traditional journalism - a style which Mr. King seems to have mastered.

I don't know what to do since the next four weeks is King's annual "vacation" from the blog. A well deserved time to rest after 48 weeks of appointment reading. I'll be counting the days until MMQB returns.

Speaking of Countdowns - can someone tell me why MSNBC continues to air Keith Olberman's Countdown program? Olberman is a terrific sports journalist harkening back to ESPN and today on NBC's NFL coverage, but his "news" program remains one of the most obnoxious hours on television. He is pompous, judgmental and doesn't command the viewers respect. If anything - change the show's "classification" from news to nuisance.