Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Rick Monday - American hero...

Rick Monday is in his 13th season as play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 24th, 1976 Rick wore a Chicago Cubs uniform and patrolled centerfield. It was during the 4th inning of a game against the Dodgers that Rick noticed 2 men and an American flag on the field to the right of him. "I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag and I'm glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it"... The 2 men who happened to be father and son were about to desecrate the American flag by burning it and in our bicentennial year no less. "What these people were doing and their concept of what they were trying to do was wrong. That feeling was very strongly reinforced by 6 years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. I still think it's wrong to do that". Rick Monday rescued the flag from the men before that were able to set it on fire and became a true American hero overnight. Monday was presented with the flag in a ceremony at Wrigley Field by Dodger executive Al Campanis in 1976. He still has the flag and has been offered "an outrageous amount of money for it" but insists "it's not for sale". In addition to the flag, Monday has a copy of the 16-mm footage taken by a fan who was at the game as well as Vin Scully's play-by-play of the incident. Also among his souvenirs is a copy of the now famous photo as he grabbed the flag... Over the weekend a video tribute was shown before the game at Dodger Stadium and Monday threw out the first ball. Tonight the Houston Astros will honor Monday before their game with the Dodgers. Well whatd'ya know, a baseball story with no mention of asterisks or steroids and one with a good ending for a change, thank you Rick Monday... More April 25 Memories... 1792] Highwayman (wonder if he sang with them on "Michael" ?) Nicolas Jacques Pelletier becomes the 1st person under French law to be executed by guillotine (and you thought your shirts were too tight at the neck)... 1831] The New York and Harlem Railway is incorporated in New York City... 1886] Sigmund Freud opens his practice in Vienna (what comes to mind as you read that ?)... 1898] The U.S. declares war on Spain (sorry folks but the day before, Spain declared war on us. Is this payback ?)... 1901] New York becomes the 1st state to require automobile license plates and they were all vanity plates because they contained your initials. They cost a buck... 1959] The St. Lawrence Seaway opens to shipping. The water way connects the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean... 1961] Robert Noyce is granted a patent for the integrated circuit... 1967] The Beatles record "All You Need Is Love" during a British TV broadcast (Marianne Faithfull is one of the voices in the chorus)... 1968] The Beatles refuse to perform for the Queen of England at a British Olympic Appeal Fund show because "Our decision would be the same no matter the cause. We don't do benefits" (not even for Save the Whales ?)... 1974] The NFL adopts 2 new rules: allowing for a 15-minute sudden-death overtime period during regular season games and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone... 1976] Rick Monday rescues the flag (see feature story)... 1978] The Phillie Phanatic makes its 1st appearance (didn't you love it when Tommy Lasorda and the PP were on the field at the same time so you could see whose stomach was bigger ?)... 1981] Wings break up with the departure of Denny Laine (think he was named after "Penny Lane" ?)... 1983] Soviet Leader Yuri V. Andropov invites Samantha Smith to visit his country after receiving a letter in which the Maine schoolgirl expresses fears about nuclear war... 1983] The Pioneer 10 spacecraft crosses Pluto's orbit (Pluto is enraged and enlists the support of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy)... 1984] David Anthony Kennedy , the son of Robert F. Kennedy is found dead of a drug overdose in a hotel room... 1988] In Israel, John "Ivan the Terrible" Demjanuk is sentenced to death as a Nazi war criminal... 1990] The Hubble Space Telescope is deployed from the space shuttle Discovery... 1991] Sports reporter Lisa Olson brings suit against the New England Patriots for sexual harassment... 1995] Howard Cosell dies at 77 (see my commentary for some personal views of Howard)... 1998] Whitewater prosecutors questioned first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on videotape about her work as a private lawyer for a failed savings and loan (Mrs. Clinton insists that the camera be positioned to her left)... 2002] Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, a member of TLC dies in a car crash at 30... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... Commentary... I first met Howard Cosell when I worked in the mailroom of the ABC network, not exactly a plum job but not bad for a 17-year old in his first fulltime job. I was also taking courses at The School of Radio Technique at night. I never did like or get used to being called a mailboy but I was surrounded by the world of radio and tv and the biggest names in the business (which I will document one day). Howard Cosell was not one of them. At the time he was only doing a 15-minute sports show on television but it was the start of all the features ("speaking of sports", etc.) he would hone and develop over the years. Having access to all the radio and tv studios, I would watch Howard do his show and hang around to meet his guests, a "who's who" of the sports world. I wasn't into autographs preferring to just meet them and shake their hand... Some 35 or so years later I worked for the ABC Radio Network clearing the syndicated Dick Bartley "Double Golden" package of shows (Dick is one of the nicest and most talented people I ever met in this business and a reader of this blog, I'm proud to add). Howard Cosell did his radio show from the same building (125 West End Avenue). He was nearing the end and we shared the elevator one day after he had just returned from a stay in the hospital. The conversation went something like this: MP: "How are you doing, Mr. C ?" HC: "I'm fine but you look terrible" MP: "coming from you Howard, I consider that a compliment". Expecting the unexpected became the norm when you spoke to Howard Cosell, who many referred to as "coach" but he was just being Howard... Happy Birthday To... 1932] Meadowlark Lemon (Harlem Globetrotters)... 1933] Jerry Leiber (Leiber and Stoller)... 1940] Al Pacino... 1945] CCR's Stu Cook... 1945] ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus... 1946] Talia (Yo Adrian) Shire... 1964] Hank Azaria... 1965] Jason ("My Name is Earl") Lee... 1969] Renee Zellweger... And a special Happy Birthday to my Diane with much love... [Today is the 115th day of 2006 with 250 days remaining in the year and 34 days until Memorial Day]...