Odd Moments During the Rose Parade

I only watched a little bit of the Rose Parade this morning. I saw the first 30 minutes or so, including the bizarre opening, and the very end. I guess the parade organizers have decided to do a little Macy's impersonation with the tribute to Oklahoma song-and-dance number they opened with this morning. They'd even written a hokey theme song to go with the parade theme. I don't remember seeing them do anything like that before, and although it was typical of what you see in New York on Thanksgiving Day, it seemed a little odd in Pasadena.

I watched the local Channel 5 KTLA broadcast which for many years featured Bob Eubanks (of the Newlywed's Game fame) and Stephanie Edwards. Edwards was shunted out of the booth last year by a newbie and ended up reporting from the bleachers in a pouring rain. This year Edwards was not on the broadcast at all. I don't know if she finally quit or wasn't renewed. After her experience last year, I wouldn't blame her for quitting.

There were two moments in the brief part of the parade that I saw in which Eubanks was clearly campaigning for a new contract (his expires this year). During one of the early horse units he mentioned that they were training new horses to replace the oldest ones - "kind of like what they do with parade announcers". I thought that was an odd comment at the time, and was maybe a reference to Edwards, but apparently he was referring to himself. As the last parade units came into view he told the audience that his contract was expiring this year and he hoped to be back next year (but obviously hadn't gotten a renewal yet). If I were the station, I'm not sure how'd I'd react to that kind of on-air campaigning.

Eubanks might have talked himself out of a job.