I’m going to miss Andy. Mostly for the Andy Rooney Game, a brilliant concept created by comedian Joe Mande where you take everything but the first [...]]]> Legendary crank and emphatically-challenged essayist Andy Rooney announced yesterday that after over 1,000 segments on the CBS News segment “60 Minutes,” he’s hanging it up.

I’m going to miss Andy. Mostly for the Andy Rooney Game, a brilliant concept created by comedian Joe Mande where you take everything but the first and last sentences out of an Andy Rooney segment. The result: hilarious non-sequitirs and an unintentionally revealing looks into the dark psyche of a tormented old man.

If it seems unfair to Rooney, it’s not as if he doesn’t deserve it. Have you ever seen or read such nuggets as his commentary on Kurt Cobain? To call his approach and views on tragedies and life in general out of date would be far too generous and an insult to antiquity. Age isn’t a factor, either: he was every bit the sharp grump at 92 that he was at 52.

All that aside, he was a true trailblazer and pioneer of a field that has exploded in recent years: people who don’t have very interesting thoughts, no constructive insights, and little in the way of art or intelligence in their souls spewing endless drivel for an audience that is all too eager to get angry and riled up over the mundane so as to distract them from real-world problems and responsibilities.

Basically, without Andy Rooney, the blogosphere wouldn’t exist. So thank you, Andy, for all that you’ve done. And if “60 Minutes” wants a replacement, there’s a link up above that says “Contact.” I’ll work for peanuts. Just ask the Times Union.