Friday-Sunday, November 3-5, 2006

New York City Marathon Weekend...

Sunday is one of the biggest neighborhood gathering days of the year. It's a big block party in all 5 boroughs when the Marathon starts at the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in Staten Island and winds its way through 26.2 gruelling miles toward the finish line in Central Park...

This year's big celebrity starter is Lance Armstrong who's likely to have his own camera covering him so that he is not lost among the 37,000 runners in the race. An estimated 2.5 million spectators will encourage the runners from the street, rooftops and fire escapes and although that seems like an exaggerated figure, I believe it. First Avenue is the best spot to see the runners as they come off the 59th Street Bridge although they probably won't be feeling groovy - just tired...

The top male finisher in last year's race was (surprise, surprise) a Kenyan: Paul Tergat while Latvian Jelena Prokopcuka won the female marathon. The youngest runner to compete was 9-year old Scott Black in 1979. The following year, race organizers changed the minimum age to 18. That was the year we had "The Run for The Rosie" when Rosie Ruiz finished with a time (under 3 hours) that qualified her for the Boston Marathon the following year. In that marathon she finished with a record time. There was only one problem. Rosie cheated in both, taking the subway part of the way...

Rosie will not be in this year's marathon but 37,000 runners, most of whom just want to finish, will. Perhaps this video will give you the needed inspiration to lace up your running shoes one day and do it. Or at least toast the runners as they come by your watering hole: http://www.youtube.com/watch?=boauNvB9h6I

November 3rd Timeline Memories...

1. [1961] The Boston Patriots beat the Dallas Texans 28-21 at Braves Field when a fan sneaks onto the field and bats away Dallas QB Cotton Davidson's pass into the end zone as time runs out. The play stands, the Patriots win (we love these endings especially when the home team wins. Remember when that convict on work patrol cleared a spot on the field for a winning field goal ? Then there's the "tuck rule" imposed to favor Tom Brady in a big game against Oakland. We love this stuff or as Alvin Davis would say, "just win baby")...
2. [1988] Geraldo Rivera breaks his nose in an on-camera brawl with skinheads. The skinheads win, the skinheads win...Thhhhhhhhe skinheads win...
3. [1991] More than 300,000 attend a free concert in San Francisco's Golden State Park in memory of rock promoter Bill Graham. Performers include: the Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joan Baez, Santana and a reunited Journey...
4. [1992] Two big winners on Election Day: Bill Clinton is elected our 42nd President, defeating President George H.W. Bush (and) Illinois Democrat Carol Moseley-Braun becomes the 1st black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. On Election Day in 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater to win a term in his own right...
5. [1994] Susan Smith is arrested for drowning her two young sons, 9 days after claiming the children had been kidnapped (She's still serving life without parole in prison)...

#1 on this date: 1969] "Wedding Bell Blues" - 5th Dimension...

Released on this date: 1957] "Great Balls of Fire" - Jerry Lee Lewis..."At The Hop" - Danny & the Juniors...

Premiered on this date: 1971] "Play Misty For Me" starring Clint Eastwood (the movie that scared the pants off all disc jockeys)...1978] "Different Strokes" (which has a successful run for 8 years)...

Wedding Bells: 1979] James Taylor and Carly Simon tie the knot in Carly's Manhattan apartment (sadly they separate in 1982 and then divorce)...

Commentary...

Ron Alexenburg called me with the following information about a New York memorial service for Tommy Noonan. It will be held at Gallagher's on 52nd Street on Monday, November 20th from 5 to 7pm. Gallagher's was a must stop for Tommy whenever he visited New York. Also, in the planning stages is a foundation for bladder cancer research (Tommy's fatal disease) through the T.J. Martell Foundation. When details are complete I will pass that information along...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Phil Simms 51, Adam Ant 52, Dennis Miller 53, Roseanne Barr 54, Larry Holmes 57, Lulu 58, Shadoe Stevens 60, Michael S. Dukakis 73 and Bob Feller 88...

...

Saturday, November 4, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

1. [1924] Nellie T. Ross (Wyoming) is elected the nation's 1st woman Governor, chosen to serve the remaining term of her husband William who died in office...
2. [1971] NBA great, Elgin Baylor of the Lakers announces his retirement because of knee problems...
3. [1979] Militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran as the Iranian Hostage Crisis begins (52 hostages will be held for the next 14 months)...
4. [1980] Ronald Reagan wins the White House, defeating Jimmy Carter soundly...
5. [1991] Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Bush help Reagan dedicate his Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley (CA)...

"Happy Trails": 1955] Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young dies of natural causes at 88...

Wedding Bells: 1842] Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd say "I do"...

#1 on this date: 1958] "It's Only Make Believe" - Conway Twitty...

Released on this date: 1967] "I Second That Emotion" - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles...1978] "Take Me To The River" - Talking Heads...

Debuted on this date: 1978] Boston plays Boston...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 1991] Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T & M.G.'s, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Yardbirds and Sam and Dave...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Matthew McConaughey 37, Jeff Probst 44, Kathy Griffin 45, First Lady Laura Bush 60, Loretta Swit 69, Doris Roberts 76 and Uncle Walter Cronkite 90...

...

Sunday, November 5, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

1. [1940] President Franklin D. Roosevelt wins an unprecedented 3rd term (but will be the last president to do so by a new law enacted limiting our president to 2 terms). [1946] 29-year old Boston Democrat John F. Kennedy is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives...1968] Republican Richard M. Nixon wins the presidency over VP Hubert H. Humphrey and George Wallace...1996] Voters return President Bill Clinton to the White House for a second term. Clinton beats Bob Dole...
2. [1981] Former Miami Dolphin running back Mercury Morris is sentenced to 20 years for drug trafficking and possession of cocaine...
3. [1982] The Nets put the Cleveland Cavaliers in the record books when they hand the Cavs their 24th consecutive loss (99-91)...
4. [1990] Jewish Defense League Rabbi Meir Kahane, 58, is shot to death after a speech in Manhattan (his assassin, an Egyptian is later sentenced to life in prison)...
5. [1994] George Foreman becomes boxing's oldest heavyweight champ at 45 by knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round...

"Happy Trails": 1989] Pianist Vladimir Horowitz dies of a heart attack at 86...1960] Johnny Horton, 33, is killed in an auto accident in Texas...

Premiered on this date: 1935] The game of "Monopoly" is introduced by Parker Brothers...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Johnny Damon 33, Tatum O'Neal 43, Bryan Adams 47, Bill Walton 54, Peter Noone 59, Art Garfunkel 65, Elke Sommer 66 and Ike Turner 75...

Timeline Countdown: 56 days until 2007, 63 days until the NFL playoffs and 91 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...