Thursday, November 30, 2006

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Now it's official...

With the 74th lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the holiday season has officially started in New York. About the only celebrity missing last night when the tree was lit was Tracy Morgan who was lit up earlier this week. Al Roker and Ann Curry hosted the show starring Martina McBride, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Sting, Bette Midler and Lionel Richie. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin were there to plug their "30 Rock" show minus Tracy Morgan who was originally scheduled before his DUI arrest. The musical guests are all good ones in their own right but who programmed this show? It was a dirge. How about a little tempo next time folks???

The first tree lighting was performed by the construction people building Rockefeller Center almost three quarters of a century ago. A much simpler affair back then. It's only fitting that the taxi fares have gone up today ensuring that your holiday shopping will be a bit more expensive this season. I mean, this is New York, isn't it? Just yesterday we got good news though - the bus and subway fares will not increase the first of the year. Life is good...

We've got a link to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting last night, so ignore the 15-second ad, sit back and enjoy the 30,000 multi-colored lights on the 9-ton tree that will stand in all its glory until January 8th, 2007: http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/v.htm?g=353C22A2-EA15-4377-9661-78540D332841&t=m3 ...

Timeline Memories...
  1. [1782] The United States and Britain sign preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War...
  2. [1956] Floyd Patterson KO's Archie Moore in the 5th round to become, at 21, the youngest heavyweight champion in history (Mike Tyson will break that record by 6 months when he becomes champ in 1986)...
  3. [1956] CBS-TV replays "Douglas Edwards and the News" 3 hours after it's received on the west coast. It's the world's 1st broadcast via videotape...
  4. [1971] ABC-TV airs "Brian's Song", the movie about the dying Chicago Bears' running back Brian Picolo and his friendship with star running back Gayle Sayers (and there's not a dry eye in the house)...
  5. [1979] Ted Koppel becomes anchor of "Nightly News on Iranian Hostages" (who came up with that title?) which morphs into "Nightline"...
  6. [1993] President Bill Clinton signs into law, the "Brady Bill" which requires a 5-day waiting period for purchasing guns...
  7. [1999] In an ominous sign of things to come, the opening of a 135 nation trade gathering in Seattle is disrupted by some 40,000 demonstrators who clash with police...
  8. [2001] For the 1st time in its history, McDonald's teams up with a retail partner on its Happy Meal promotions. Toys R Us provides plush figures from its Animal Alley (promotion in motion along with your indigestion)...

"Happy Trails": 1996] After performing on stage, Tiny Tim collapses and dies from congestive heart failure at 71...

#1 on this date: 1971] "Family Affair" - Sly & the Family Stone...

Released on this date: 1958] "16 Candles" - The Crests...1968] "Everyday People" - Sly & the Family Stone...1979] "The Wall" (LP) - Pink Floyd...

Guilty as charged: 1993] Richard Allen Davis is arrested after confessing to the abduction and murder of 12-year old Polly Klaas (Davis is on death row in San Quentin)...

Wedding Bells: 1940] Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz salsa down the aisle to a latin beat...

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

Commentary...

Len Zola of the New England Media Gang sends an interesting e-mail about the late Casey Coleman: "Don (Latullipe who worked with both Len and Ken Coleman at WHDH) tells me the son's nickname was bestowed by Ken who was often called upon to recite 'Casey At The Bat' at gatherings around town"...

Borrowing from the late Jimmy Cannon, one of the best writers ever: Nobody Asked Me But": To Michael Strahan, Plaxico Burress, Terrell Owens, Tom Coughlin, etc. etc. etc: If you don't want to be quoted or mis-quoted in the media, then SHUT UP and do your talking on the field!!! It keeps feeling better and better everyday to root for the Patriots. Thank heavens for Bill Belichick. Coach: may you and your team stay as quiet as you are to the media forever. To borrow from Oakland's Alvin Davis: "Just win baby"...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Clay (hand to mouth) Aiken (28), Sandra ("Grey's Anatomy") Oh (36), Ben Stiller (41), Billy Idol (51), Mandy Patinkin (54), Paul Stookey (69), Jimmy Bowen (69), Bill Walsh (75), G. Gordon Liddy (76), Dick Clark (77), Robert Guillaume (79) and Efrem Zimbalist Jr (88)...

Timeline Countdown: 15 days until Chanukah, 25 days until Christmas, 31 days until 2007, 38 days until the NFL playoffs and 66 (NBC) days until Super Bowl XLI...

...

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

The Good...The Bad...The Ugly...

Bill Walsh, the Hall of Fame coach who built an NFL dynasty with the San Francisco 49ers and introduced his West Coast offense to the NFL, recently told friends and colleagues at Stanford University that he is fighting leukemia. Walsh, 74, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, "I'm positive, but not evangelistic". Our best wishes and prayers go to Bill Walsh as he fights his biggest battle...

So obviously, Bill Walsh is everything that is good. For the "bad" we have Atlanta Falcon QB Michael Vick who gave heckling fans, the finger, in Sunday's game. The NFL has fined Vick $10,000 and in addition has told the quarterback to donate $10,000 to a charity of his choice which will give the ACLU something to do. Braylon Edwards of the Cleveland Browns was close to tying Vick for the Badboy award for grabbing his quarterback's jersey on the sidelines and for just being the charming Braylon Edwards, that he is, but Vick has now replaced Michael Richards for #1 in apologies and this story refuses to go away. To see a clip of one of his apologies and for a still of his gesture, click on today's video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_g0T1TVLMQ ...

The Ugly is grotesquely so. Former 25-year old Norwich (VT) University star hockey player, Michael Serba lies in a coma after being "sucker-punched" as he withdrew money from an ATM. Nicholas Crowdis, 22, an unknown assailant was arrested on an attempted murder charge. Crowdis followed Serba out of a bar to the ATM where he struck Serba with what police believe was a brick. There is no motive for the attack...

If you're wondering what the tie-in to the past might be, well wonder no more. Read our 1976 timeline memory for the Badboy of his generation and what he did on this date...

Timeline Memories...
  1. [1890] The 1st Army-Navy football game was played at West Point and won by the midshipmen of Navy 24-0...
  2. [1929] Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd makes the 1st flight over the South Pole...
  3. [1934] The Detroit Lions begin an annual NFL Thanksgiving Day tradition (of losing), dropping a 19-16 decision to da Bearssss (it was the 1st NFL game on national radio, on the NBC Radio Network with Brent Mus-oops, sorry- Graham McNamee doing the play-by-play...
  4. [1975] Bill Gates names the company he and Paul Allen started as Microsoft (which was formed to write the BASIC computer language for the Altair)...
  5. [1976] They don't call him "The Killer" for no reason. Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shoots his bass player twice in the chest while aiming at a soda bottle (the bass player lives and Lewis is charged with shooting a firearm within city limits) Now we know where Dick Chaney took lessons...
  6. [1976] Free agent Reggie Jackson a.k.a. "the straw that stirs the drink", signs a 5-year deal with the Yankees (helping the Bombers win 3 AL pennants and 2 world series championships)...
  7. [1980] The Georgia Bulldogs end the season unbeaten and untied following a 38-20 win over Georgia Tech as Herschel Walker breaks a freshman record with 1,616 rushing yards (#1 Georgia beats #2 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl and Walker will win the Heisman Trophy 2 years later)...
  8. [1992] The Jets' Dennis Byrd is paralyzed after a neck injury in a game against Kansas City...

"Happy Trails": 1981] Natalie Wood drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island (CA) at the age of 43 and the question remains, were husband RJ and Christopher Walken doing enough to save Natalie who could not swim??? 1986] Legendary leading man, Cary Grant dies of a stroke at 82...2001] George Harrison loses his battle with cancer at 58...

#1 on this date: 1964] "Ringo" - Lorne Greene...1969] "Come Together/Something" - Beatles...1972] "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" - Temptations...

"Record of the Year": 1959] Bobby Darin wins a Grammy for "Record of the Year". "Album of the Year": "Come Dance With Me" - Frank Sinatra...

Debuted on this date: 1948] "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" debuts on NBC-TV...1953] American Airlines begins the 1st regular commercial NY-LA air service...

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

Commentary...

Happy Trails to Casey Coleman, born Kenneth Coleman Jr. who died from pancreatic cancer yesterday in Cleveland (OH) where he followed in his father's footsteps, doing play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns for nearly 30 years. His dad, of course, did the Red Sox play-by-play for many years before passing away in 2003. Casey, only 55 was known for his famous sign off: "I'm rounding third and heading home". Indeed...R.I.P. Casey...

Much better and happier news from a native of New England, Ed Walsh who was recently a news anchor on WCBS after many years as morning host at WOR. Ed is going back home to anchor the morning news at WBZ, replacing the legendary Gary LaPierre, who retired. Ed has a home in Maine and is a former product of WRKO. Congratulations my friend...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Mariano Rivera (37), Don Cheadle (42), Kim Delaney (45), Howard (Hojo) Johnson (46), Howie Mandel (51), Gary Shandling (57), Suzy "Chapstick" Chaffee (60), Felix Cavaliere (62), Denny Doherty (66), Chuck Mangione (66) and legendary play-by-play man and best in the business, Vin Scully (79)...

Timeline Countdown: 16 days until Chanukah, 26 days until Christmas, 32 days until 2007, 39 days until the NFL playoffs and 67 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami.

...


Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Music City rocks...

There's lots of celebrating going on in Nashville. There's the Titans comeback victory over the Giants on Sunday when Eli Manning suffered another meltdown. Giant fans in New York are hoping that Eli will be going. That victory saved a disappointing season for Music City's home team but there's a bigger reason to celebrate - The Grand Ole Opry turns 81 today...

The longest running live music show debuted on WSM in Nashville on the night of November 28th, 1925 when host George Dewey Hay invited an 83-year old Civil War veteran to play fiddle for an hour and "The WSM Barn Dance" was born. In 1927 "The WSM Barn Dance" was renamed the "Grand Ole Opry". The "Opry" originated in a number of homes in various parts of Nashville before settling in 1943 in a former religious meeting house built in 1892 by riverboat shipping magnate Captain Thomas Ryman...

From 1943 to 1974 the Ryman Auditorium was home to the Opry before moving to new digs where it is currently housed at Opryland, 9 miles from Music City. It's only fitting that the show is back at the Ryman now and through February 24th. Little Jimmy Dickens who at 86 is 5 years older than the Opry will be featured tonight as part of a lineup that will celebrate the 81st anniversary of an American treasure...

This is a special day for Willie Nelson, who made his Opry debut on this date in 1964. This video link will give you Willie's perspective of entering the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, followed by a clip of the Grand Ole Opry in the 50's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INZbIVo_2zk&search=Martina%20McBride%20Ove ...

Ten Timeline Memories...

  1. [1582] Young Will Shakespeare having already asked Anne Hathaway, "wouldst thou taketh thine hand in holy matrimony?" and gotten a "yea merrily" walks down the aisle with Anne, as Bard and Bardess tie the poetic knot...
  2. [1922] Capt. Cyril Turner of the British Royal Air Force gives the 1st public exhibition of skywriting. He spelled out "Eli must go", not really. He spelled out: "Hello USA. Call Vanderbilt 72000000000000oooooooooo....." over Times Square...
  3. [1942] A devastating and deadly fire destroys the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, taking nearly 500 lives...
  4. [1948] The 1st Polaroid camera is sold. It's on sale for $49.95 this morning on eBay...
  5. [1963] President Lyndon Johnson renames Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy (the name will be changed back in 1973 by residents of the Cape)...
  6. [1974] Elton John and John Lennon sing a duet of "I Saw Her Standing There" at John Lennon's last stage appearance (Madison Square Garden)...
  7. [1981] Alabama's Bear Bryant passes Amos Alonzo Stagg as the winningest coach in college football history with his 315th win as Joe Namath and other ex-Crimson Tiders watch on the sideline (Bryant ends his career with 6 national titles, 15 bowl games and 323 victories when he retires in December of 1982. One month later he dies of a heart attack)...
  8. [1986] NBC-TV's Ahmad Rashad proposes to Phylicia Allen on live TV during halftime of the Jets-Lions game (Allen accepts but Rashad was ready with a backup plan - Leslie Uggams)...
  9. [2000] 9 million viewers watch a Madonna concert from London over the Internet...
  10. [2001] Enron Corporation collapses after would-be rescuer Dynegy Inc. backs out of an $8.4 billion bail out...

"Happy Trails": 1994] 1960's war protester Jerry Rubin dies 2 weeks after being hit by a car. Rubin was 56...1999] Hsing-Hsing (didn't they name a prison after him?) a giant panda and the symbol of U.S.-China detente is euthanized at age 28 because of deteriorating health...

Released on this date: 1970] "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison and "Your Song" - Elton John...

Gold Standard: 1963] "I Want To Hold Your Hand" - Beatles...

Memorabilia Fire Sale: 1979] Ringo Starr's house burns down in Los Angeles...

"Don't let the door hit you": 1974] Bowie Kuhn suspends George Steinbrenner for 2 years...1990] Margaret Thatcher resigns as Britain's prime minister...

Poetic Justice: 1994] 34-year old serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is murdered in a Wisconsin prison by a fellow inmate. He becomes the blue plate special the following day...

Debuted on this date: 1932] Groucho Marx debuts on the radio...

Cy Young: 1956] Brooklyn pitcher Don Newcombe, winner of 27 games is named the 1st Cy Young winner (mark this down as a great baseball trivia question)...

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

Commentary...

A few years back I finally got a chance to see the legendary Ryman Auditorium and I got chills. The interior reminded me of (Rabbi forgive me) a giant church or tabernacle. The seats were still made of wood and if you listened closely you could hear the ghosts of Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubbs, Grandpa Jones, Minnie Pearl and all the other Country greats who have played the famous Ryman. If you ever get the chance to visit Nashville, do yourself a favor and see this shrine to Country music...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Anna Nicole Smith (39), Jon Stewart (44), Judd Nelson (47), S. Epatha Merkerson (54), Paul Shaffer (57), Randy Newman (63), Gary Hart (70) and Berry Gordy Jr. (77)...

Timeline Countdown: 17 days until Chanukah, 27 days until Christmas, 33 days until 2007, 40 days until the NFL playoffs and 68 (WRKO) days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...


Monday, November 27, 2006

Monday, November 27, 2006

Leftover turkey...

Number one on the Internet search list is Michael Richards who also tops the charts for most e-mailed story. The story, by now, embedded in the human computer chip in your brain is his liberal use of the n-word, used to counter the hecklers he faced at an L.A. comedy club. Just yesterday, Seinfeld's "Kramer" appeared on the Jesse Jackson radio show to, what else ? Apologize. Richards is also #1 on the charts for apologizing...

Richards replaces O.J. Simpson at #1 on 2 of those 3 charts (top Internet story and most e-mailed story) but since he never apologized for the despicable "If I did it" book or Fox special, since cancelled, he didn't even chart on that list. Speaking of apologies, did Jesse Jackson ever apologize for calling New York City, "Hymie-town"? Just asking...

3 years ago today (November 27, 2003) George Bush played commander-in-chief and brought the Thanksgiving turkey to our troops on a clandestine trip to Iraq. No apologies necessary...

Timeline memories...
  1. [1779] The first legally recognized university in America, the College of Pennsylvania, becomes the University of Pennsylvania...
  2. [1889] Curtis P. Brady is issued the 1st permit to drive an automobile through Central Park...
  3. [1910] New York City's Penn Station opens to the public (talks continue on moving the current Penn Station across the street to the 8th Avenue post office, the original site)...
  4. [1978] San Francisco mayor, George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist, are shot to death inside City Hall by former supervisor, Dan White (not the longtime ex-Dallas QB)...
  5. [1998] Answering 81 questions put to him in advance, President Bill Clinton states that his testimony in the Monica Lewinsky affair was "not false and misleading" (that would of course depend on the definition of, "false" and "misleading")...

Released on this date: 1965] "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" - Lovin' Spoonful...1967] Capitol Records releases The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" LP...1970] George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" LP...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Jaleel ("Urkel") White (30), Michael Vartan (38), Robin Givens (42) and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg (49)...

"Happy Trails":

Former veteran (Baltimore, San Diego, Atlanta, Cleveland and Yankee) pitcher Pat Dobson, who finished with 122 wins, died suddenly over the weekend at 64. Dobson, who was a special assistant to the Giants GM Brian Sabean was one of 4 Oriole pitchers to win 20 games in 1971. One day earlier he was diagnosed with leukemia. Cause of death is pending..

Former featherweight champ Willie Pep, whose simple philosophy was "hit the other guy as often as you can but don't let him hurt you" died over the weekend at 84 in a convalescent home near Hartford (CT). Pep (Guglielmo Papoleo) had been confined to an Alzheimer unit for several years...

R.I.P. Pat Dobson and Willie Pep...

Timeline Countdown: 18 days until Chanukah, 28 days until Christmas, 34 days until 2007, 41 days until the NFL playoffs and 69 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami.

...

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Tuesday-Sunday, November 21-26, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving...

As you ponder your Thanksgiving Day meal with your family and friends, here's a brief history of why we stuff our faces each year on the 4th Thursday of November...

The very first Thanksgiving dates back to 1621 when the Pilgrims and their American Indian pals celebrated their second year of existence together in October with a traditional English feast that lasted 3 days. There was plenty of corn liquor to go around but no one is sure if turkey was on the table. There was venison, wild ducks and geese and lots of veggies to choose from though. By the way, the Pilgrims used the term "turkey" to mean any sort of wild fowl (you jive wild fowl you?)...

Thanksgiving became a tradition when George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln made it the last Thursday of November but it wasn't until 1941 that Congress sanctioned the day as a legal holiday. The traditional sparing of the White House turkey's life started under the Truman administration in 1947. In keeping with the independent spirit and liberal nature of New Englanders, Native Americans have held a National Day of Mourning to protest Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock. That movement started in 1970...

Since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and since I'm totally opposed to mourning a joyous occasion to gather together with family and friends and give thanks for what a wonderful world we're lucky enough to live in, my video link features the "WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey Drop": Gobble Gobble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw Happy Thanksgiving everyone...

Tuesday, Nov. 21 Timeline Memories...

  1. [1620] The Mayflower reaches Provincetown (MA) (after having a gay old time, the Pilgrims settle in Plymouth on December 26th)...
  2. [1877] Thomas A. Edison announces the invention of the phonograph or as he calls it, his "talking machine"...
  3. [1964] The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge opens to traffic at 3pm after a brief statement by Mayor Robert Wagner. The first passenger is 22-year old George Scarpelli, a Parks Department employee who pays the 50 cent toll on the span that links the boroughs of Richmond (Staten Island) and Brooklyn...

"Can you hear me now": 1973] Nixon attorney, J. Fred (not Muggs) Buzhardt announces an 18 1/2 minute gap in one of the White House tapes relating to Watergate...

Released on this date: 1968] "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" - Supremes and Temptations...1995] "The Beatles Anthology I" (which sets a first-day sales record of 450,000 units. It contains a new song, "Free As A Bird")...

Premiered on this date: 1995] "Toy Story" starring Tom Hanks...

"Guilty as charged": 2003] Phil Spector is charged with the murder of Lana Clarkson at his home the previous February. Spector pleads innocent (the latest on this case is that the trial is supposed to start in January, 2007 but I wouldn't bet on it)...\

Wedding Bells: 1982] Joni Mitchell marries her bass player Larry Klein (Joni paves paradise on the honeymoon. The marriage dissolves in 1994)...1983] New York Ranger Ron Greschner checks model Carol Alt into the boards of matrimony (Greschner goes to the penalty box in 1996)...1987] Demi Moore and Bruce Willis rock down the aisle (but they are divorced in 2000 and Demi robs the cradle with Ashton Kutcher whom she marries in 2005)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Giants' defensive lineman Michael Strahan (35), Nicollette Sheridan (43), Lorna Luft (54), Livingston Taylor (56), Goldie Hawn (61), Earl Monroe (62), Tweety Bird (64), Dr. John (66), Marlo Thomas (69) and Stan Musial (86)...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1906] The "S-O-S" distress signal is adopted at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin...
  2. [1917] The NHL is formed with 5 Canadian teams eh ?...
  3. [1955] RCA pays $25,000 to Sam Phillips for the rights to the music of a truck driver from Tupelo (Miss) by the name of Elvis Presley. Colonel Tom Parker tosses in a $5,000 bonus which Elvis spends on a pink Cadillac for his mother ("such a good son")...
  4. [1963] JFK is assassinated (a day that every American alive remembers what he was doing when the president was shot)...
  5. [1986] Mike Tyson becomes the youngest world heavyweight champion by KOing Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas (Tyson is 20 years, 4 months old which is his biological age, not his mental age)...
  6. [1998] "60 Minutes" airs videotape of Dr. Jack Kevorkian administering lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient who dies on camera...

"Happy Trails": 1980] Aging blond bombshell Mae West suffers a fatal stroke at 87...1997] INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence, 37, is found hanging in his hotel suite in Sydney, Australia...

#1 on this date: 1964] "Leader of the Pack" - Shangri-Las... 1971] "Theme from 'Shaft" - Isaac Hayes...1980] "Human" - Human League...

Released on this date: 1968] The Beatles White Album...

On "American Bandstand": 1957] Tom & Jerry a.k.a. Simon & Garfunkel...

MVP: 1961] Frank Robinson (the first player to win MVP awards in both leagues with Cincinnati and Baltimore)...

In the Hockey Hall of Fame: 1999] Wayne Gretzky ("The Great One" who retired with 61 NHL records)...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Scarlett Johansson (22), Boris Becker (39), Mariel Hemingway (45), Jamie Lee Curtis (48), Steve Van Zandt (56), Billie Jean King (63) and Robert Vaughn (74)...

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1887] Michigan beats Notre Dame 8-0 in the 1st meeting of their rivalry...
  2. [1889] The first jukebox goes into service at the Palais Royal Saloon in San Francisco. Owned by developer Louis T. Glass, the jukebox contains an Edison tinfoil phonograph with 4 listening tubes. A nickel bought a few minutes of music. The jukebox took in $1,000 in 6 months...
  3. [1958] Ronald and Nancy Reagan appear together in the GE production of "A Turkey for the President"...
  4. [1968] Harvard scores 2 touchdowns in 42 seconds to make up a 16-point deficit and ties Yale in "The Game" 29-29. The Harvard Gazette headline: "HARVARD WINS 29-29" (the 123rd edition of "The Game" was won by Yale this year after Harvard had won 5 years in a row)...
  5. [1976] Jerry Lee Lewis is arrested outside Graceland after waving a gun and demanding to see "The King", Elvis Presley (and that folks is why they call him "The Killer")...
  6. [1980] A series of earthquakes devastate southern Italy killing some 4,800 (the land where my late father's family once lived was totally destroyed and the area around San Fele, Basilicata in Potenza has just lately started to rebuild)...

#1 on this date: 1960] "Are You Lonesome Tonight" - Elvis Presley...1974] "I Can Help" - Billy Swan...

Released on this date: 1964] "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman" - Beatles...

"Happy Trails": 1992] Legendary Country singer Roy Acuff dies of heart failure at 89...

"Sayonara Kenneth": 2004] Dan Rather announces that he will step down as anchorman of CBS News in March, 2005. Katie Couric is now the permanent replacement...

Debuted on this date: 1903] Enrico Caruso makes his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, appearing in "Rigoletto"...1936] Life Magazine, created by Henry R. Luce is published...

"Hail Mary": 1984] Doug Flutie connects with roomie Gerard Phelan and Boston College beats Miami 47-45 in one of the greatest college games of all-time (Bernie Kosar was the Miami QB)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

GMA's Robin Roberts (46), Bruce Hornsby (51), Chuck Schumer (56), Luis Tiant (66 maybe), Jack McKeon (76)...

Friday, November 24, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1859] British naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species" which explains his theory of evolution...
  2. [1871] The National Rifle Association is incorporated and its first president is Charlt-oops, sorry. His name is Major General Ambrose E. Burnside...
  3. [1953] New Brooklyn Dodger manager Walter Alston signs the 1st of 23-one year contracts...
  4. [1963] Jack Ruby shoots and mortally wounds Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President Kennedy (this happened live on television - still hard to believe)...
  5. [1963] The NBA, NHL and AFL cancel their scheduled games, the NFL does not (Pete Rozelle considered this his worst decision as NFL commissioner)...
  6. [1971] Hijacker D.B. Cooper parachutes from a Northwest flight over Washington State with $200,000 in ransom. His fate is still unknown although if you watch "Prison Break", he died attempting to break out of prison...

Recorded on this date: 1966] The Beatles begin recording "Sgt. Pepper"...

"Happy Trails": 1985] Big Joe Turner dies of a heart attack at 74...1991] Freddie Mercury of Queen dies of AIDS at 45...

Wedding Bells: 1998] AOL confirms that its buying Netscape for $10 billion...

"Guilty as charged": 1969: Lt. William Calley is charged with the massacre of over 100 civilians in My Lai, Vietnam in March, 1968...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

"Gray's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl (28), Stanley (Chip) Livingston (56), Donald "Duck" Dunn (65), Pete Best (65), Paul Tagliabue (66) and William F. Buckley (81)...

Saturday, November 25, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1783] The British evacuate New York, their last military position in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War ("the British are going...the British are going")...
  2. [1947] Movie studio executives meeting in New York agree to blacklist the "Hollywood 10" who were cited a day earlier and jailed for contempt of Congress for failing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee...
  3. [1980] Sugar Ray Leonard defeats Roberto Duran for the welterweight crown after Duran pleads "no mas, no mas" in the 8th round, ending the fight...
  4. [1986] The Iran-Contra affair erupts as President Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese reveal that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels...
  5. [1999] 6-year old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez is rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida (the saga of Elian begins)...
  6. [2002] President Bush signs legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security and appoints Tom Ridge to be its head...

"Happy Trails": 1944] Baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Montain Landis dies of natural causes at 78...1974] Former U.N. Secretary-General U Thant dies from lung cancer at 65...1987] Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington dies of a heart attack at 65...

Laid to rest: 1963] The body of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery...

Recorded on this date: 1986] 36 British and American stars (including Phil Collins, Boy George, Sting, U2, Duran Duran, George Michael & James Taylor) get together as Band-Aid to record "Do They Know It's Christmas" with proceeds going to Ethiopian famine relief, conceived by Bob Geldof)...

Debuted on this date: 1940] Woody Woodpecker in "Knock Knock"...1949] "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" is played on the radio for the first time...1966] The Jimi Hendrix Experience make their London performance debut at the Bag O' Nails Club...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Barbara and Jenna Bush (25), Christina Applegate (35), Jill Hennessy (37), Amy Grant (46), John Larroquette (59), Ben Stein (62), Percy Sledge (66) and Ricardo Montalban (86)...

Sunday, November 26, 2006...

Timeline Memories...
  1. [1789] A day of Thanksgiving is set aside by President George Washington to observe the adoption of the U.S. Constitution...
  2. [1825] The first college social fraternity, Kappa Alpha, is formed at Union College in Schenectady (NY)...
  3. [1832] Public streetcar service begins in New York City...
  4. [1973] President Richard Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, tells a federal court that she'd accidentally caused part of the 18 1/2 minute gap in a key Watergate tape...
  5. [2000] Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certifies George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by 537 votes...

"Finito": 1968] Cream does its last concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London (the show is recorded and released as "Goodbye Cream" on February 20, 1969)...

Premiered on this date: 1942] "Casablanca" starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at the Hollywood Theater in Manhattan...

"Guilty as charged": 1975] A federal grand jury in Sacramento (CA) finds Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, guilty of trying to assassinate President Gerald Ford...

MVP and "Rookie of the Year": 1975] Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn...

Wedding Bells: 1982] Miles Davis and Cecily Tyson tie the knot (this will become a "love/hate" marriage for what seems like forever until Davis died)...1993] James Carville and Mary Matalin walk down the aisle with Republicans on the right and Democrats on the left...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

John McVie (61), Rich Little (68), Tina Turner (68) and Robert Goulet (73)...

Timeline Countdown: 19 days until Chanukah, 29 days until Christmas, 35 days until 2007, 42 days until the NFL playoffs and 70 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...

Monday, November 20, 2006

Monday, November 20, 2006

Who's good enough to play Ohio State???

We're going to stay on the subject of college football because 1) It's the biggest story in sports and 2) It's a good lead-in to today's video link. By the way, our #2 reason is close enough to our #1 reason that it could almost be considered 1A, the lame excuse a manager gives to the former #1 pitcher who's been replaced by #2. In college football there's no dispute over the #1 team in the country - clearly Ohio State by virtue of their 42-39 win over #2 Michigan which is still #2 in the BCS Championship Series standings but USC is #2 in the coaches' poll and the Harris poll. The answer to who plays Ohio State in the championship game will be easily solved. Read on...

Should USC win their two remaining games against #5 Notre Dame and cross-city rival UCLA, USC will finish #2 and your championship game will feature OSU and USC. This sets up the second biggest game of the year this Saturday when arch-rivals USC and the Fighting Irish hook up. Should USC lose to either team, there will be a rematch between Ohio State and Michigan January 8th in Glendale, Arizona. Now wasn't that a lot easier than what the media is treating as the great mystery of the year???

Now, to one of the most bizarre endings of any football game. It happened on November 20th, 1982 when California defeated Stanford 25-20 with the Golden Bears returning a kickoff for the winning touchdown with 4 seconds remaining. The 55-yard return featured 5 laterals with Kevin Moen starting and ending the laterals by not only running into the end zone but by running over the Stanford band already on the field. Link to the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5cpNRY16k...

An interesting footnote on the Ohio State 42-39 win over Michigan Saturday: if you played the numbers 4-2-3-9 in the Ohio lottery you would be picking up $2.19 million this morning. The game ended at 7:13 and the drawing was held at 7:29...

Ten Timeline Memories...
  1. [1620] Peregrine White is born aboard the Mayflower in Massachusetts Bay. Peregrine is the 1st child born of English parents in present-day New England...
  2. [1960] Frank Gifford gets knocked into Monday when the Eagles Chuck Bednarik hits the Giants running back from the blindside in a game that clinches the Eastern Conference title for the Eagles. Gifford is heard mumbling "hum-uh-nah-hum-uh-nah-hum-uh-nah" into retirement. As a reward Giff winds up with Kathie Lee...
  3. [1977] Walter Payton runs for 275 yards in a 10-7 win over Minnesota, breaking the single-game rushing record held by O.J. Simpson (273 in 1976). In 2000, "Dancing With The Stars" champ Emmitt Smith breaks Payton's record...
  4. [1982] 7-year old Drew Barrymore becomes the youngest host of "Saturday Night Live"...
  5. [1983] An estimated 100 million viewers watch the controversial ABC-TV movie, "The Day After", depicting a nuclear holocaust...
  6. [1984] McDonald's makes its 50th billion hamburger (on the same date, Tums and Rolaids announce selling their 50th billion tablets)...
  7. [1994] David Crosby gets a liver transplant (Melissa Etheridge gets the old one)...
  8. [1995] Princess Diana admits being unfaithful to Prince Charles on a BBC-TV show (the prince retaliates by ringing up Camilla)...
  9. [1998] Afghanistan offers safe haven to Osama bin Laden (I just love hearing Christiane Amanpour pronounce "Afghanistan" and "Pakistan", don't you?)...
  10. [1998] 46 states agree to a $206 billion settlement of health claims against the tobacco industry (let me guess, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky turned it down. Am I right people?)...

Commentary...

The Tommy Noonan Memorial Tribute is on for tonight (5-7) at Gallagher's Restaurant, 52nd Street between Broadway & 8th Avenue. The ceremony will be held upstairs. Friends of Tommy Noonan are welcome to attend...

"Happy Trails" to two giants in their particular field. On the eve of the big Ohio State-Michigan game, the legendary Wolverine coach, Bo Schembechler suffered a fatal heart stoppage while taping his TV show in the WXYZ-TV studios in Detroit's suburban town of Southfield. Schembechler had a history of heart problems and died at 77...

Ruth Brown's nickname of "Miss Rhythm" should have included the words "and Blues". The legendary r&b singer set the stage for so many female singers that followed her, including Etta James, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin and so many others. Ruth Brown personified Rhythm & Blues, right down to her initials of R & B. Miss Brown died from complications of a stroke and heart attack at 78...

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

Airplay: 1995] A new Beatles recording, "Free As A Bird" begins airing on radio stations. The song debuted on ABC-TV the night before...

Released on this date: 1962] "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Four Seasons...

Debuted on this date: 1928] The Boston Bruins lose to Montreal 1-0 as the Boston Garden opens...1966] The musical "Cabaret" with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, opens on Broadway...

"Banned in Boston" (and everywhere else): 1969] The Nixon administration announces a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phase-out...

Obit: 1975] General Francisco Franco dies of natural causes after nearly 4 decades of absolute rule in Spain. Franco was 82...

MVP...MVP...MVP: 1962] Mickey Mantle wins his 3rd MVP...

Wedding Bells: 1947] Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Montbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey (still married, the Duke in addition to being known as the current queen's husband is also officially known as her "consort" or as he put it "I felt like I'd been turned into an amoeba")...

"Book 'em Dano": 2003] Michael Jackson is booked on suspicion of child molestation in Santa Barbara (CA)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Bo Derek (50), Joe Walsh (59), Judy Woodruff (60), Veronica Hamel (63), Norman Greenbaum (64), Dick Smothers (68), Richard Dawson (74), Estelle Parsons (79), Kaye Ballard (79), Evelyn Keyes (87) and Sen. Robert Byrd (89)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Thanksgiving, 25 days until Chanukah, 35 days until Christmas, 41 days until 2007, 48 days until the NFL playoffs and 76 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...

Friday, November 17, 2006

Friday-Sunday, November 17-19, 2006

The game of the year...

Some are calling the game between #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan, the biggest game ever but how in the world do you measure something like that? Let's just call it what it is - the biggest college football game of the year. The winner is the #1 team in the country since it's the last game of the season for both and both teams are 11-0. The winner will get to stay #1 by winning the BCS National Championship Game in Phoenix on January 8th...

There have been games that would determine the #1 team this late in the season, around the same November 18th date in the past. In 1967, on the same November 18th date, #3 USC upset #1 UCLA 21-20 en route to winning their 1st national title since 1962. On November 19th, 1966, #1 Notre Dame and #2 Michigan State played to a 10-10 tie when Irish coach Ara Parseghian plays it safe, settling for a tie instead of a win (something he was roundly criticized for)...

Now, to the question of whether these two teams create the biggest rivalry in sports or is it the Yankees and Red Sox ? Let's trace the history of the two rivalries: The 1st game ever played between Boston (Americans) and New York (Highlanders) was in 1903 with Boston winning 6-2. The 1st game between Ohio State and Michigan was played in 1897 when the Wolverines posted a 34-0 shutout of the Buckeyes of Ohio State. The rivalries started even before then. The cities of Boston and New York have shared a rivalry since before the start of the American Revolution with Boston choosing independence and New York wanting to stay loyal to the crown. The rivalry between the states of Ohio and Michigan can be traced back to 1835 in the border dispute known as the Toledo War...

Take your pick. All I know is that at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon, we'll be watching the game of the year between #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan. For some comical background on the rivalry, click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSLSyHESRNA ...

November 17th Timeline Memories...

  1. [1956] Jim Brown finishes his college career at Syracuse by running for 6 touchdowns and kicking 7 extra points in a 61-7 massacre of Colgate...
  2. [1968] NBC-TV switches from an exciting Jets-Oakland game to "Heidi". Here's what we didn't see: The Raiders score 2 TD's in 9 seconds to hold on to a 43-32 win over the Jets. The final score is shown in a crawl over, what else ? "Heidi"...
  3. [1973] President Richard Nixon tells an AP managing editors meeting in Orlando (FL) that "people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook" (in front of a news organization's meeting ? Nice timing Mr. President)...
  4. [1997] From the Joe Gibbs (get elected to the Hall of Fame and then come back) school of thought, NHL great Mario Lemieux gets inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame and then returns to play (and eventually get into ownership)...
  5. [2003] John Allen Muhammad is convicted of two counts of capital murder in the Washington (D.C.)-area sniper shootings (he is awaiting execution in Virginia)...

#1 on this date: 1965] "I Hear a Symphony" - Supremes...1975] "That's The Way (uh huh, uh huh) (I Like It)" - KC & the Sunshine Band...1984] "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" - (my boys) Wham...

Released on this date: 1980] "Double Fantasy" - John Lennon...

Debuted on this date: 1985] Howard Stern on K-Rock (WXRK)...

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered": 2003] Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governator of Cahl-ee-for-nee-uh...

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

Commentary...

After 23 years as host of "The Sports Machine", the syndicated sports highlight show based at WRC in Washington (D.C.), George Michael is stepping down in March. I was at George's going away party in Philadelphia when he left WFIL and gave him an aircheck of his first show at WABC New York. Good luck to you George, whatever you decide to do...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Daisy Fuentes (40), RuPaul (46), Howard Dean (58), Tom Seaver (62), Lorne Michaels (62), Danny DeVito (62), Lauren Hutton (63), Martin Scorsese (64), Bob Gaudio (64) and Gordon Lightfoot (68)...

...

Saturday, November 18, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1928] The 1st successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon premiers in New York City. It's Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" a.k.a Mickey Mouse...
  2. [1978] People's Temple leader Jim Jones forces his followers to commit mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana by drinking a cyanide-laced fruit-flavored concoction. Only about a dozen escape. The final death toll: 913, including 276 children...
  3. [1991] Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon free Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite and educator Thomas Sutherland...

"Happy Trails": 1969] The Kennedy patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy dies in Hyannis Port (MA) at 81. He had suffered a massive stroke 8 years earlier...1994] Cab Calloway dies in a Delaware nursing home of a stroke at 86...

#1 on this date: 1963] "I'm Leaving It Up To You" - Dale and Grace...1973] "Photograph" - Ringo Starr...1987] "Mony, Mony" - Billy Idol (13 years after Tommy James version was #1)...

On "The Ed Sullivan Show": 1956] Fats Domino (sings "Blueberry Hill")...

On "Shindig": 1964] The Supremes and Righteous Brothers...

Wedding Bells: 1990] Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall tie the knot in Bali (they have 2 children after a marriage this is disolved in 1999 after allegations that Mick fathered a child by Brazilian model Luciana Morad)...

Premiered on this date: 1959] William Wyler's "Ben-Hur" at a Loew's Theater in Times Square...2005] "Walk The Line", the story of Johnny Cash opens...

Ch-Ching: 1987] CBS, Inc. agrees to sell its record division to Sony Corporation for about $2 billion (the pink slips are in the mail)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

David Ortiz (Big Papi) (31), Owen Wilson (38), Gary Sheffield (38), Kevin Nealon (53), Linda Evans (64) and Brenda Vaccaro (67)...

...

Sunday, November 19, 2006...

Timeline Memories...

  1. [1863] President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address as he dedicates a national cemetery at the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania...
  2. [1954] Sammy Davis, Jr. losses an eye in a serious auto accident in San Bernardino (CA)...
  3. [2004] In one of sports ugliest days, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charge into the stands and fight with fans during an NBA game in Detroit. Officials end the Pacers' 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left (fines and suspensions follow. Just yesterday, John Green, the fan who tossed his drink at Ron Artest, has been banned for life from Detroit home games. It took them 2 years to do this?)...

"Sayonara": 1959] The Ford Motor Company halts production of the unpopular Edsel (the car not the Ford offspring)...

Hanging up his spikes: 1966] Future Hall of Famer, Sandy Koufax announces his retirement from baseball, one month away from his 32nd birthday...

MVP...MVP...MVP...MVP: 2001] Barry Bonds wins his 4th (4 down, 3 to go)...

"Fly Me To The Moon": 1969] Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean make man's second landing on the moon...

Ch-Ching: 1954] Two automatic toll machines are installed on the Garden State Parkway (NJ)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Jodie Foster (44), Meg Ryan (45), Ann Curry (50), Calvin Klein (64), Garrick Utley (67), Ted Turner (68), Dick Cavett (70), Larry King (73) and Alan Young (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until Thanksgiving, 26 days until Chanukah, 36 days until Christmas, 42 days until 2007, 49 days until the NFL playoffs and 77 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

The Good...

Not only is Emmitt Smith a lock for the Pro Football Hall Of Fame as soon as he's eligible but the man can dance too. He proved that last night when the viewers voted him the winner of "Dancing With The Stars", the #2 rated show on television. Stand by for a video link showing Emmitt and dancing partner Cheryl Burke doing "Can't Touch This", the free-form dance they performed in the finals...

The Bad...

Houston Texan offensive lineman Fred Weary, 29, was shot with a Taser before being arrested after a traffic stop Tuesday night after pushing an officer and refusing to put his hands on his car. Weary was taken to Houston's Central Jail overnight...

The Ugly...

O. J. Simpson. All that needs to be said is his new book and upcoming interviews on Fox television are titled "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened"...


The link to the Emmitt Smith video clip is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g70_YNC_kSY

Ten Timeline Memories...


  1. [1915] Coca-Cola has its prototype for a contoured bottle patented. The bottle makes its commercial debut the following year...
  2. [1952] In Peanuts, Lucy holds the football for Charlie Brown to fan on for the 1st time...
  3. [1957] Jim Brown (Cleveland Browns) sets an NFL season rushing record of 1,163 yards gained after only 8 games...
  4. [1957] Dick Lynch scampers around right end for a touchdown, ending Oklahoma's streak of 47 consecutive wins as Notre Dame beats the #1 ranked Sooners 7-0 in Norman (OK)...
  5. [1959] William "Billy" Sullivan Jr. and a group of Boston businessmen is awarded the 8th and final franchise in the new American Football League. The Boston Patriots are born...
  6. [1966] Dr. Sam Sheppard is acquitted in his second trial on charges of murdering his pregnant wife (Marilyn) in 1954 (this story was the basis for the TV series, "The Fugitive")...
  7. [1982] An agreement is reached in the 57th day of a strike by NFL players. The 16-game season is shortened to 9 games with 8 teams seeded from 1 to 8 at the end of the season (the Washington Redskins will beat the Miami Dolphins in SBXVII)...
  8. [1995] Attorney General Janet Reno discloses that she has Parkinson's disease (she will step down in January, 2001)...
  9. [1999] Chrica Adams, pregnant girlfriend of NFLer Rae Carruth, is shot 4 times while sitting in her car. She will die a month later. The baby survives. Carruth is sentenced to a minimum of 18+ years for his role in the murder...
  10. [2004] President George W. Bush picks National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as his new secretary of state (succeeding Colin Powell)...

"Happy Trails": 1960] Clark Gable dies of a heart attack at 59...1961] House Speaker Sam Rayburn dies in Texas of cancer at 79...

#1 on this date: 1960] "Stay" - Maurice Williams and Zodiacs (the shortest #1 hit in the Rock and Roll era at 1:37)...1970] "I Think I Love You" - David Cassidy (& The Patridge Family) The song goes to #1 exactly 2 months and 4 days after the TV show debuts...1974] "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" - John Lennon (with backup vocals and piano by Elton John)...1980] "Lady" - Kenny Rogers (Am I the only one who thinks of Jerry Lewis when I see this title?)...

Released on this date: 1974] "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - Stevie Wonder...1979] "Wonderful Christmas" - Paul McCartney (Lynn Phillips Brough used to play this song in August, she liked it so much)...

Debuted on this date: 1959] The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" (on Broadway)...

Wedding Bells: 1981] Luke marries Laura on "General Hospital" for a TV audience of 16 million viewers (this couple recently reunited for their roles on the soap)...1987] Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet rock down the aisle (they separate in 1990 and divorce in 1993...

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

Commentary...

With so many football stories in the timeline, this is a good time to congratulate the New England Patriots for having the wisdom to finally cover that quagmire of a field at Gillette Stadium. As we speak FieldTurf is being laid on the field and it will be ready to play on by the next home game on November 26th. You can't hope to entertain maintaining a natural grass field with the amount of activity (soccer, live shows and football) conducted on that field. At one time the Patriots took advantage of the field in bad weather and got the edge on visiting teams but the field is so bad it's bad for the home team as well. Enough already. Good move...


"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Oksana Baiul (29), Lisa Bonet (39), Diana Krall (42), Dwight Gooden (42), Marg(e) Helgenberger (48) and Clu Gulager (78)...

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until Thanksgiving, 29 days until Chanukah, 39 days until Christmas, 45 days until 2007, 52 days until the NFL playoffs and 80 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...
...








Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Here come de judge...here come de judge...

Judge Judy (Sheindlin) may rule the roost of the robed on TV now but there's no Judge Judy if not for the real judge who turns a youthful 87 today: Judge Joseph Albert Wapner. Following his service as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for 18 years, the calm but just, white-haired jurist became the first and most famous judge on the long-running "The People's Court" show. He has led a long and fruitful life as you'll soon see on the video link we've set up, but first while we're paying tribute to the most popular TV judge in the history of the medium, it's time for another tribute to the longevity of a man from a higher calling...

President Gerald Ford on Sunday became the longest-living U.S. President at the age of 93 years and 121 days, one more day than the late Ronald Reagan. Ford will celebrate by rooting his brains out for the Michigan Wolverines, the nation's #2 team as they take on #1 Ohio State on Saturday. He'll really celebrate if the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes. Congratulations on your historic achievement President Ford...

Judge Wapner was so well liked even "The Rainman" watched his show. The video feature that we've linked offers many surprises about the now retired judge including his earlier dating of a legendary Hollywood Glamour Girl. Enjoy: http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1690319

Ten Timeline Memories...

  1. [1926] The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) debuts with a radio network of 24 stations. The 1st network broadcast is a 4-hour special from the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria featuring big band music...
  2. [1939] FDR lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington (DC)...
  3. [1940] The Midtown Tunnel linking Manhattan and Queens opens to traffic...
  4. [1956] Elvis Presley's movie career is launched when "Love Me Tender" premieres at the New York Paramount Theater. The film will earn back its $1 million cost in just 3 days and over the next 13 years Elvis will appear in 33 movies...
  5. [1967] The Red Sox' Carl Yastrzemski wins the AL MVP in what my eyes was the best individual season performance I've ever had the pleasure to witness (Yaz won the Triple Crown that year. The last player to do so)...
  6. [1969] A quarter million protesters stage a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War in Washington (D.C.)...
  7. [1988] The legislative body of the PLO proclaims the establishment of an independent state...
  8. [1992] Richard Petty's 35-year reign as stock-car king ends in a fiery crash when his famous #43 gets caught in a pileup in a race (unhurt, he will finish the race retiring with 7 Nascar championships and 7 Daytona victories. Both are records)...
  9. [2001] Roger Clemens (then with the Yankees) wins a record 6th Cy Young Award (he's got one more up his sleeve)...
  10. [2005] In Amiens, France, Isabelle Dinoire becomes the 1st person to undergo a partial face transplant. A mauling by an attacking dog earlier in the year led her to this...

"Sayonara": 1996] Alger Hiss, 92, a former State Department official who fell from grace in a Communist spy scandal, dies...

Lip Synch: 1990] A Milli Vanilli publicist admits that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus never sang a note on their album and they lip-synched when they performed live (only allowed on American Bandstand, they were quickly banished from the music business which recovered by finding Vanilla Ice)...

On Hullabaloo: 1965] The Rolling Stones sing "Get Off My Cloud"...

Debuted on this date: 1969] Wendy's opens it's 1st restaurant in Columbus (OH). They now have 10,000 restaurants...1969] "I Want You Back" - Jackson Five...1990] David Bowie makes his Broadway debut in "The Elephant Man"...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Frida (Lyngstad) of ABBA (61), Sam Waterston (66), Joanna Barnes (72), Petula Clark (74), Edward Asner (77) and Judge Joseph Wapner (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 9 days until Thanksgiving, 30 days until Chanukah, 40 days until Christmas, 46 days until 2007, 53 days until the NFL playoffs and 81 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Two great coaches - like (K)night and day...

Coaches, like people are all different. The only thing that connects them is winning. One coach may be truly "hands on" while the other coach might be more introspective, cerebral and precise but get the most out of every player by respecting his or her ability to perform and be successful. Enter Bobby Knight and Don Shula. I mean do I really have to tell you which is which ? Despite the differences in personalities both coaches do what Oakland's Alvin Davis considers his mantra - "just win baby"...

Just last night, Bobby Knight gave a light tap on the chin to one of his players during Texas Tech's win over Gardner-Webb (weren't they former owners of the Yankees ?). This hasn't become a major story (yet) so apparently it was a minor event in the life of Knight. That win gives Knight 871 career wins as a coach, placing him 6 wins away from the legendary Adolph Rupp and 9 wins from topping Dean Smith (879) as the winningest Division I college basketball coach in history. Should Texas Tech win the next 9 games in a row, Knight will celebrate a very special New Year's Eve. If not, he'll be celebrating in January...

Don Shula is already in the record books thanks to what happened on this date in 1993 when his Miami Dolphins beat the Philadelphia Eagles 19-14 to give the coach his 325th victory, to move him past Papa Bear, George Halas as the winningest coach in NFL history. Shula would end his career with 347 wins, 173 losses and 6 ties. Both records are not likely to be topped - ever...

To see Bobby Knight's Top Ten Video Moments: http://www.devilducky.com/media/37587/

Correction: Yesterday's blog mentioned 1977 as the debut year for Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" appearing in newspapers. That was the last appearance, not the first...

Ten Timeline Memories...

  1. [1832] The 1st streetcar goes into service in New York. It was horse-drawn with room for 30 and the ride cost a whopping 12 cents (it ran on Manhattan's 4th Avenue between Prince and 14th Streets - 4th Avenue no longer exists)...
  2. [1889] New York World reporter Nellie Bly a.k.a. Elizabeth Cochrane begins an attempt to surpass the fictitious journey of Jules Verne's Phineas Fogg by traveling around the world in less than 80 days. Bly does it in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes in January, changing the song to "Around the world in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes"...
  3. [1943] 25-year old Leonard Bernstein makes his debut with the New York Philharmonic, filling in for the ailing Bruno Walter prior to a nationally broadcast concert...
  4. [1981] "Roo-mania" invades the U.S. charts with 4 of the top 10 singles done by Australian artists. Olivia Newton-John is #3 with "Physical" and Little River Band, Air Supply and Rick Springfield sharing the rest of the top 10...
  5. [1986] The Doubleday Publishing Company agrees to sell the Mets to Nelson Doubleday & Fred Wilpon for $80.75 million (the company had purchased the World Champions for a then-record $21.1 million in 1980). Just yesterday the Mets broke ground on their new stadium which will be named "Citi Field" (with Citibank paying the Mets $20 million a year for 20 years for naming rights). Citi Field will open in 2009...
  6. [1986] A record $100 million penalty is imposed on Ivan F. Boesky for insider trading (lets see if I put aside a million a year, it'll be paid off in 100 years)...
  7. [1987] Sonny and Cher reunite on the David Letterman Show to sing "I Got You Babe"...
  8. [1990] The Who's Pete Townshend tells us a bit more than we need to know as he confesses his bisexuality to "Newsweek"...
  9. [1997] Disney's "Lion King" sets a Broadway record of $2.7 million in one-day sales...
  10. [1999] The United Nations impose sanctions on Afghanistan for refusing to hand over terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden (we'll show those Afghans. We'll just stop buying their rugs and see how they like that! Puhlese)...

#1 on this date: 1961] "Georgia on my Mind" - Ray Charles...1972] "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash...1982] "Up Where We Belong" - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (the song wins an Academy Award for "An Officer and a Gentleman")...

Released on this date: 1970] "Black Magic Woman" - Santana...

Premiered on this date: 1961] "Blue Hawaii" (the movie starring Elvis Presley)...

Wedding Bells: 1972] Britain's Princess Anne marries commoner, Capt. Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey (they'll divorce in 1992 and the Princess re-marries)...1996] Michael Jackson and mother-for-hire Deborah Rowe make their business arrangement official by making a mockery of marriage...1998] Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman unite for a marriage made in....well, Las Vegas (was it Carmen or Dennis in the bridal gown?) The ink on the marriage certificate is still wet when the marriage ends in 9 days...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Curt Schilling (40), Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (52), Yanni (52), Stephen Bishop (55), Britain's Prince Charles (58) and Buckwheat Zydeco a.k.a. Stanley Dural Jr (59)...

Timeline Countdown: 10 days until Thanksgiving, 31 until Chanukah, 41 days until Christmas, 47 days until 2007, 54 days until the NFL playoffs and 82 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

...

Monday, November 13, 2006

Monday, November 13, 2006

This comeback should just go away...

44-year old Evander Holyfield won a meaningless fight over the weekend against a fighter by the name of Fres Oquendo in 12 rounds - part of Holyfield's master plan of retiring as the heavyweight champion of the world next year. Now this is providing he gets a shot at the title successfully defended by Sergei Wladimir Klitschko over the weekend. This is a noble attempt at becoming the 1st heavyweight to hold the title 5 times but it must be abandoned before Holyfield winds up in worse shape than Muhammad Ali...

Last week the New York Post said "this time the 44-year old with clear signs of neurological damage will fight a more legit opponent, 33-year old Oquendo." The article went on to add: "FSN (the network that carried the fight) should have no trouble presenting tape of Holyfield being interviewed, say, 12-15 years ago, and being interviewed today - as a kind of judge-for-yourself comparison test."

When Holyfield was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" he suffered no damage other than embarrassingly showing off his two left feet. If he keeps fighting he'll go hum-anah-hum-anah-hum-anah when he brushes whatever teeth he has left. He might come out looking and sounding like this interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWPr6wEWHYg

On this date 7 years ago (Nov. 13, 1999) Lenox Lewis became the 1st British heavyweight champion of the world by winning a unanimous decision over none other than...Evander Holyfield...

Ten Timeline Memories...


  1. [1789] Benjamin Franklin writes in a letter to a friend: "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes"...
  2. [1805] Johann George Lehner, a Viennese butcher, invents a recipe and calls it the "frankfurter" (Lehner is immediately labeled a "hotdog" for showing off his new invention)...
  3. [1927] After 7 years of construction, work is completed on the Holland Tunnel, connecting New York and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River. The first driver attempting to use the tunnel is turned around for not having Easy Pass...
  4. [1942] The minimum draft age is lowered from 21 to 18...
  5. [1956] Thanks to Rosa Parks, the Supreme Court strikes down laws calling for segregation on public buses...
  6. [1979] Former California Governor Ronald Reagan announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination while in New York...
  7. [1979] 76er Darryl Dawkins a.k.a. "Chocolate Thunder" shatters a fiberglas backboard doing a monster dunk in Kansas City and starts a new fad that provides ESPN an endless string of video highlights forever...
  8. [1993] Top-ranked Florida State and #2 ranked Notre Dame (both 9-0) stage a showdown in South Bend (IN) with the Fighting Irish prevailing 31-24. The Irish go to #1 but lose the following weekend to Boston College and Florida State will win the national championship with a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl...
  9. [1995] Braves future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux becomes the 1st major league pitcher to win 4 consecutive Cy Young awards (Roger Clemens has 7 but never won 4 in a row)...
  10. [1998] President Bill Clinton agrees to pay Paula Jones $850,000 ending the 4-year legal battle over her sexual harassment lawsuit against him. Clinton does not admit guilt or apologize...

"Happy Trails": 1974] Karen Silkwood, 28, a technician and union activist from Oklahoma who inspired a movie of her life, is killed in a suspicious car crash...

Released on this date: 1961] "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Tokens...1965] "Fever" - McCoys...1971] "Old Fashioned love Song" - Three Dog Night...2000] "One Night Only" LP - Elton John (recorded at Madison Square Garden 3 weeks earlier)...

Premiered on this date: 1968] "Yellow Submarine" (the movie) - Beatles...1997] "The Lion King" musical opened at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway...

Debuted on this date: 1977] The comic strip "Li'l Abner" appeared in newspapers for the 1st time (I had the pleasure of meeting Al Capp, a mysteriously brilliant guy who supplied the first WRKO morning show with comedy material)...

Wedding Bells: 1960] Sammy Davis Jr. marries Swedish actress May Britt (the marriage lasts 8 years, Babe)...

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

Commentary...

My thanks to Dick Summer for his mention in his latest blog (which we have linked). If there's a better story teller, I can't imagine who it might be. Nice job Richard...

Norm N. Nite sends along his choice for a "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" choice. Seattle Seahawks running back Marquis Weeks with a picture of his 100-yard kickoff return for a TD (in his senior year at Virginia U.). The caption contains the Weeks quote: "That was just instinct, kind of like running from the cops". Weeks thus becomes the 1st "Bad" emeritus...

And thanks to Harry Weinstein for the funny yet disgustingly revealing picture of a nursing home conga line which will never be shown here. It did make me laugh Harry...and some "Happy Trails" to announce, starting with 87-year old tough-guy actor Jack Palance who made us all laugh at the 1992 Academy Awards with his one-hand pushups. To Buddy Killen (I'm late with this one) who was a partner of Jack Stapp (my GM at WKDA Nashville) who founded Tree International. Buddy was 73 and had pancreatic cancer. This was a nice man. R&B singer Gerald Levert left us at 40 (I knew his Dad Eddie of the O'Jays when Philadelphia International was distributed by Epic)...and finally former All-Star shortstop Buddy Kerr who was 84 and was a star with the Braves, starting in Boston and in recent years worked for the Mets...Enough already, let's celebrate birthdays...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Jimmy Kimmel (39), Chris Noth (50), Whoopi Goldberg (57), Joe Mantegna (59) and Garry Marshall (72)...

Timeline Countdown: 11 days until Thanksgiving, 32 days until Chanukah, 42 days until Christmas, 48 days until 2007, 55 days until the NFL playoffs and 83 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...

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