Hamm anniversary triggers new "Love To Hate" Top 10...
Two years ago on this date gymnast Paul Hamm of the U.S.A. won a gold medal at the Athens Olympics when South Korea's Yang Tae-Young was unfairly docked a tenth of a point on a technicality. Hamm had no problem with the ruling and acted like he deserved the gold medal. For that, Hamm shows up on our newly revised and re-named "Love to Hate" Top 10 as follows:
01) Floyd Landis (04) Floyd is 2-for-2 on artificial testosterone testing...
02) Marion Jones (--) Jones has returned to track and field despite testing positive for EPO (blood-doping) in June. She faces a 2-year suspension with one more positive test. It's rumored that she may have failed another test. Stay tuned...
03) Terrell Owens (03) In a holding pattern but things are heating up in Cowboy camp. T.O. is being referred to as "the player", "he" and "him" by coach Bill Parcells who feels, injured or not, "he" hasn't had enough practice time to play a game. "He" will be topping the charts before long...
04) Maurice Clarett (--) The former Ohio State great expanded his rap sheet with an arrest on August 9th despite being maced and Tasered by cops in Columbus (OH). Tick, tick, tick...
05) Alex Rodriguez (02) I love play-by-play guys who keep referring to A-Rod as the greatest player in the game but me thinks that the greatest player in the game should not 1) lead all third-basemen in the AL in errors or 2) be 4th in the league in hitting into double-plays or 3) not have a .300 batting average...
06) Ricky Williams (--) His less than stellar year in the Canadian Football League was topped by breaking his arm in July. Williams already was banned by the NFL for his marijuana use...
07) Chad Johnson (--) Outstanding Bengal receiver sporting a golden mohawk asked one of the refs if he could celebrate in the end zone after a meaningless TD in a meaningless 44-31 beating of the Buffalo Bills...
08) Anyone named Williams (--) including Dad Williams. The U.S. Open begins in Flushing in a few days...
09) Barry Bonds (01) Just because he insists he never used steroids just that clear cream that grew hair where a person is not supposed to have hair...
10) Paul Hamm (--) For the 2nd anniversary of his tarnished gold medal...
Dropping out of the top 10: Tiger Woods (who "just wins, baby"), Lance Armstrong, Jose Canseco, Mike Tyson, Ron Artest and Pete Rose. Some of these names will reappear when the need arises and/or when we do an All-Time "Love To Hate" list...
Ten Timeline Memories...
01] [1858] Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, both candidates for U.S. Senate, go toe-to-toe in the 1st of 7 debates that people are still talking about. The opening round is held in Ottawa (IL)...
02] [1878] The American Bar Association is founded in Saratoga (NY). No shortage of lawyers at the spa city...
03] [1888] Something needed 10 years earlier in Saratoga, the adding machine, is patented by William Burroughs...
04] [1959] Hawaii becomes the 50th state as President Eisenhower issues the order for the 50-star U.S. flag (Aloha)...
05] [1975] Tony Conigliaro of the Red Sox announces his retirement (Tony C. becomes a TV sportscaster at a Providence station. He never fully recovered from his beaning in 1967 and tragically loses his life at 45 from a heart attack in 1982)...
06] [1980] Linda Ronstadt debuts on Broadway in "The Pirates of Penzance"...
07] [1983] "La Cage aux Folles" ("Queen for a Day" in French) reaches Broadway with George Hearn and Gene Barry starring in the lead roles...
08] [1992] NBC fires "Scud Stud", Arthur Kent 2 weeks after he refuses an assignment to Croatia (this after he becomes a "star" for his Gulf War coverage). Arthur Kent is now seen as often as Jimmy Hoffa...
09] [1997] 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli, is recalled by Hudson Foods. It's the largest food recall in U.S. history (and how would you like your hamburger Sir ?)...
10] [2000] Rescue efforts to reach the sunken Russian nuclear submarine Kursk end with divers announcing that all 118 sailors are lost...
Wedding Bells: 1992] Sting and Trudi Styler walk down the aisle...
Released on this date: 1965] "Eve of Destruction" - Barry McGuire..."Do You Believe In Magic" - Lovin' Spoonful...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
"Long Island Lolita" Amy Fisher (32), Kim Cattrall (50), Harry Smith (55), Patty McCormack (61), Jackie DeShannon (62), Kenny Rogers (68) and Melvin Van Peebles (74)...
"Happy Trails"
On August 11th we wished TV variety show host Mike Douglas a happy birthday only to find out later in the day that Mike had died on his 81st birthday. Happy Trails to Mike Douglas, an innovator in TV variety/talk shows...
[Timeline Countdown: 15 days until Labor Day, 19 days until the NFL kickoff game, 44 days until the MLB playoffs and 132 days remain in 2006]
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