Thursday-Sunday, October 12-15, 2006

Everything takes a backseat when tragedy strikes...

I was planning to do a feature story on Friday the 13th but that was before I heard what seemed like as many sirens as I heard on 911. It was close to 3 pm yesterday and you just knew something big was happening in a city where you expect the unexpected at any time. After having lived on East 72nd Street for 17 years, it hit close to home when that small plane crashed into the high-rise. All the local television stations went live and even ESPN radio broke into their all-sports programming to alert people about the crash. This was big alright. We didn't find out until a couple of hours later that Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle was aboard that plane. Now in addition to already being a tragedy you had a recognizable name and face to attach it to. Lidle spent just the past 2 months with the Yankees but one of his early stops was with the Mets several years back...

Frank Kingston Smith a.k.a. Bobby Mitchell at WRKO who's a licensed pilot e-mailed from Arizona about flying in a dangerous area like Manhattan. He's done it and was surprised that as dangerous as it is, that the plane couldn't avoid that building. He mentioned how you're taught to hit water when you have a choice. The plane was half a block from the East River when it crashed...

We don't know why Lidle's plane couldn't avoid that building, why he and his flight instructor lost their lives. Since there were only 2 people on the plane and no black box, we probably never will...

FYI: The weekend MPR is being written one day earlier than usual so that we can attend Len Zola's Media Gang Luncheon in Randolph (MA) on Saturday...

Ten Timeline Memories for October 12...

1. [1492] Christopher Columbus reaches the New World when he sights a Bahamian Island believing he has reached East Asia (hey I get lost in the Food Emporium)...
2. [1920] Construction of the Holland Tunnel begins (anyone know when it will be completed ?)...
3. [1957] Little Richard publicly renounces "Rock and Roll" (now he publicly renounces Cheech Marin. Rock and Roll survived, Cheech Marin didn't)...
4. [1960] Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe at the podium during a U.N. debate over troops in the Belgian Congo (either that or he was trying to get rid of the dog poop that he stepped in)...
5. [1967] Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg makes a valiant attempt to pitch on 2 days rest but loses game 7 of the Boston-St. Louis World Series. Final score 7-2 Cardinals (I was at that game and it was a truly heroic effort that fell short)...
6. [1978] Sid Vicious is arrested for the murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Sex Pistol Vicious dies of a heroin overdose before his murder trial begins)...
7. [1986] One strike away from the World Series, Angel pitcher Donnie Moore gives up a game-tying 2 run home run to Dave Henderson of the Red Sox who win in 11 innings. The Sox win the next 2 games to win the AL pennant (tragically, Moore never got over blowing the game and would commit suicide a few years later)...
8. [1997] John Denver is killed in a plane crash when he runs out of fuel. Denver was 53...
9. [2000] 17 crew members die when U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole is attacked by terrorists in Yemen...
10. [2001] An NBC assistant to Tom Brokaw tests positive for anthrax after opening a letter addressed to Brokaw...

"Happy Trails": 1870] General Robert E. Lee dies of pneumonia at 63...1971] Rock and Roller Gene Vincent at 36 from a ruptured stomach ulcer...1999] Basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain dies in his sleep of a heart attack at 63...2003] Hall of Fame jockey Willie Shoemaker dies of natural causes at 72...

Sayonara: 1968] John Sebastian leaves the Lovin' Spoonful to go solo...1975] Rod Stewart appears with Faces for the last time before going solo...

#1 on this date: 1964] "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" - Manfred Mann...

"Another opening...another show": 1970] "Jesus Christ Superstar" opens on Broadway...

Wedding Bells: 1991] Steven Spielberg produces and directs his wedding ceremony, marrying Kate Capshaw (who converts to Judaism)..

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

A couple of updates on stories we've written...Mark David Chapman has now been denied parole 4 times after being denied parole. His hearing lasted just 16 minutes. Back to Attica with you, Mark David Chapman...

David Hinckley reports in his radio column today (New York Daily News) that Sirius has dropped the Sinus Buster ad containing a four-letter word... Good news all the way around... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Hugh Jackman (38), Susan Anton (56), Chris Wallace (59), Luciano Pavarotti (71), Sam (Sam and Dave) Moore (71) and Dick Gregory (74)... ... Friday, October 13, 2006... Ten Timeline Memories... [1775] The Continental Congress orders the construction of a naval fleet for the U.S... [1843] The B'nai B'rith is founded in New York City... [1960] Richard M. Nixon and JFK hold their 3rd televised presidential debate with Nixon in Hollywood and Kennedy in New York (you would think it would be the other way around)... [1960] The Pirates' Bill Mazeroski hits the 1st walk-off home run in World Series history as Pittsburgh wins the series over the Yankees... [1963] The term "Beatlemania" is coined when a Beatle appearance on the BBC's "Sunday Night at the Palladium" almost turns into a riot... [1967] Oakland beats Anaheim in the 1st ABA game in history, 134-129... [1985] Cardinal rookie Vince Coleman is injured prior to the NLCS when he's caught in Busch Stadium's automatic tarp (the Cardinals would go on to win the NL pennant but lose to KC in the World Series)... [1996] Jet kicker Nick Lowery breaks Jan Stenerud's NFL field goal record with his 374 field goal... [1998] The NBA cancels the first 2 weeks of the season because of a lockout of players... [1999] The JonBenet Ramsey grand jury is dismissed after 13 months when there's not enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year old's strangulation death... "Happy Trails": 1970] Janis Joplin's ashes are scattered off the coast of Califonia...1974] Ed Sullivan dies from cancer at 73... #1 on this date: 1960] "Save The Last Dance For Me" - Drifters...1974] "Nothing From Nothing" - Billy Preston... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Nancy Kerrigan (37), Marie Osmond (47), Sammy Hagar (59), Demond Wilson (60), Robert Lamm (62), Jerry Rice (44), Paul Simon (65) and Margaret Thatcher (81)... Famous people born on Friday the 13th: Don Adams, Peabo Bryson, Steve Buscemi, Fidel Castro, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Lamm, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Carol Lynley, Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, Doc Rivers, Peter Tork and Darius Rucker... ... Saturday, October 14, 2006... Ten Timeline Memories (combined for the weekend)... [1947] Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager becomes the 1st person to break the sound barrier... [1962] The Cuban Missile Crisis begins and won't end until November 20th (the world walks a nuclear tightrope)... [1964] Martin Luther King Jr. wins the Nobel Peace Prize... [1973] Willie Mays gets his last hit as the Mets beat the Oakland A's in game 2 of the World Series (which Oakland will win)... [1984] Detroit Tiger manager Sparky Anderson becomes the 1st manager to win 100 games and a World Series in both leagues... #1 on this date: 1979] "Rise" - Herb Alpert...1988] "Red Red Wine" - U2... Released on this date: 1957] "Jailhouse Rock" - Elvis Presley...1972] "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" - Temptations... Debuted on this date: 1966] Grace Slick makes her 1st appearance with Jefferson Airplane...1979] Wayne Gretzky scores his 1st NHL goal... Published on this date: 1926] "Winnie-the-Pooh" writen by A.A. Milne... "Happy Trails": 1977] Bing Crosby is the victim of a fatal heart attack at 74...1990] Leonard Bernstein, a heavy smoker, dies at 72 of emphysema... "Sayonara": 1985] Joe Namath's #12 is retired as the Jets beat Miami 23-7 on Monday Night Football... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Usher (28), Justin Hayward (60), Ralph Lauren (67), John Dean (68), Roger Moore (79), C. Everett Koop (90) and coach John Wooden (96)... ... Sunday, October 15, 2006... Weekend Timeline Memories (continued)... [1962] Yankee Bobby Richardson grabs Willie McCovey's line drive for the final out as the Bronx Bombers with their 20th World Series over the Giants in 7 games... [1964] Nikita Khrushchev is removed as Soviet Premier and replaced by Alexei N. Kosygin (but not before Khrushchev pounds his shoe on Kosygin's head)... [1971] Rick Nelson is booed when he performs new material at an oldies show at Madison Square Garden (there could be a song there somewhere)... [1986] The Mets beat the Astros 7-6 in the longest postseason game in history to-date (16 innings) to win the NL pennant (on their way to winning the World Series over the Red Sox)... [2003] A State Island Ferry slams into a maintenance pier, killing 11... "Happy Trails": 1964] Cole Porter dies of kidney failure at 73... #1 on this date: 1977] "You Light Up My life" - Debby Boone (it will be #1 for 10 weeks)... Released on this date: 1977] "Rumours" LP - Fleetwood Mac... 1977] "Slip Slidin' Away" - Paul Simon (with Oak Ridge Boys)... Debuted on this date: 1968] Led Zeppelin take their maiden voyage in England... Premiered on this date: 1951] "I Love Lucy" starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (this classic sit-com will run 10 years)...1959] "The Untouchables" starring Robert Stack (I always loved the narration by Walter Winchell. The show will run 4 seasons)... 1969] MSG-TV carries its 1st NHL game (Rangers vs. North Stars)...1973] "The Tomorrow Show" with Tom Snyder as host... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Sarah Ferguson (47), Richard Carpenter (60), Penny Marshall (64), Lee Iacocca (82) and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (89)... Timeline Countdown (as of October 16, 2006): 6 days until the World Series, 77 days left until 2007 and 83 days until the NFL playoffs... ...