Friday Morning Quarterback

Maybe more later on the promised fast food reviews, but the news of the day warrant my attention.

The news came down in a hurry. The wires were trying as fast as they can to keep up with the Internet. And the rest of us waited for someone, other than TMZ, to make it official.

That didn't stop people around the world to begin posting their memorials on Facebook and Twitter. The news feeds were buzzing, and causing Web sites to load slowly.

And then the TV stations went on full-time campouts at the hospital, outside the rented house, at Neverland and at the Jackson family compound.

Michael Jackson was dead. And the world reacted.

A lot of people commented on this being similar to when Elvis Presley died, and I'd have to agree. But when Elvis died, there was no Twitter. There was no Facebook. No text messages or cell phones or tabloid Web sites posting photos. No instant access to the latest news and gossip.

And no jackasses posting news about other celebrities being "dead."

TMZ was out in front of the story. And every other news organization looked at that and waited for someone else to make it official. The hospital, a member of the family or another "reputable" news organization.

But I think we have to start to acknowledge something us in the mainstream media are reticent to admit: TMZ -- for all its tabloid, in-your-face, gotcha reporting -- is a legitimate enough news organization that can break real news.

I think back to an interview TMZ's Managing Editor (and face) Harvey Levin did on KROQ with Kevin and Bean. He was talking about the fiasco surrounding Nadya Suleman, and even he was amazed at the crush of people swarming around her when she brought the first of the octuplets home. He spoke as a journalist, not as someone wanting to exploit someone to the masses.

These people have the sources. They have the freedom to write, and write quickly. They aren't tied down by old school ethics (you know, little things such as paying for information and not becoming a part of their own story). And they aren't burdened by some wannabe corporate climbing editor who is covering their own ass or waiting to take the credit for the success that someone else provided.

Meanwhile, as the word became official, TV news devolved into time filling reporting out at the aforementioned hot spots. And fill time they did.

I had the live feed from CBS running on my computer, hoping to hear any eventual press conference. And as we waited, we went to reporters who were grasping at anything.

The reporter at Jackson's rental house was screaming at any car that drove up. He was in full tabloid mode, trying to get whomever was in that car to talk, even before knowing who it was. And screaming at the cops, or anyone else, who went into the house. And people passing by the neighborhood. Great stuff.

Then there was the reporter sent out to Hollywood. The one who went to the Michael Jackson star on the Walk of Fame ... the one for the talk radio host. Seems the one for Little Michael was covered over by the premiere of "Bruno."

Fans were there, too. Singing. Badly (thus prompting my Facebook status update). And there were the parents who loved Michael and passed their love to their children. And oh the sadness. And the singing. And the love. And the really annoying SINGING. And the reporter didn't help, because he was egging them on.

Back at the hospital, reporters were mobbing each other, waiting for a press conference. Then there was the stampede to a new news conference location. And the questions of when it was going to start. And the stalling. And the talking about what they know ... which wasn't much.

Meanwhile, I sat at my computer, trying to balance the breaking Jackson news with the rest of the news we were reporting. And the NBA Draft. Oh, and Farrah Fawcett dying as well.

But I actually had two thoughts about Jackson, and tried to hold them in because, well they weren't politically correct or sensitive to the death of someone who meant something to so many people.

First, the happiest person in the nation about Jackson's death had to be Governor Mark Sanford. He went from being the most talked about person in America to an almost forgotten entity. His story went from the front page to a brief in most every paper in the nation.

On the other end of the spectrum is Phil Anschutz, and his entertainment corporation AEG. They just lost 50 dates of concerts at one of their signature venues. That's a lot of revenue that just went down the drain. Think of all the preparations that already went into the shows. The merchandise alone probably cost them in the millions. And it's not like you can go out and still sell it.

And that was day one. You know this story will still be going all weekend. Prepare yourself for at least another three days of news reports and retrospectives.