The Good...The Bad...The Ugly (1st edition of 2007)...
The Good
The first posthumous good person award goes to Kathryn Gemme, a lifelong Red Sox fan who attended her first Fenway Park game when she was 18. Lots of people attend their first baseball game at a younger age but Kathryn was 18 in 1912, right after Fenway opened. Kathryn passed away at a nursing home in Middleborough (MA) at 112. Kathryn's secret for living so long? "I didn't drink, didn't smoke, I ate regularly. No fancy stuff." Red Sox officials brought the 2004 World Series trophy to her 111th birthday party in November 2005. Her last game at Fenway was in May of 2004 when Kathryn was a spry 110...
The Bad
Detroit Lions general manager Matt Millen who took control of football operations before the 2001 season was quoted as saying "I'll never quit. I can't do that. Its the way I'm made." And what has Millen done for the Lions since taking over? Detroit is an NFL worst 24-72. 82-year old William Clay Ford, Sr., sole owner of the Lions is described as "a warm and generous man, an easy man to like." Warm and generous to a fault. Millen must kiss the ground Ford walks on to keep his job...
The Ugly
Denver police are still searching for the killer of 24-year old Denver cornerback Darrent Williams who was gunned down after attending a New Year's Eve party. The Broncos held a private memorial for Williams yesterday and his funeral will be held this weekend...
The video link of the day is of the Monkees biggest hit. The song topped the charts today in 1967 and stayed there for 7 weeks. It was the longest running #1 hit since "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. Do you know what it is? Find out by clicking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji_ubelO0Ow (audio in stereo)...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1965] Poet T.S. Eliot dies in London of emphysema at 76...2001] Bandleader Les Brown (of 'Band of Renown' fame) dies of lung cancer at 88...
Elvis is in the building: 1954] 19-year old Elvis Presley records a 2-song demo ("Casual Love Affair" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way") for his mom at Sun Studios (Sam Phillips is so blown away when he hears it that he sets up an audition for Elvis and signs him)...
"Roar, Lions roar": 1754] Columbia University is founded as Kings College...
"Pass the scalpel": 1885] Dr. William Grant performs the 1st successful appendectomy on Mary Gartside (only to find out Mary wanted her gall bladder removed)...
Debuted on this date: 1935] Bob Hope debuts on network radio in "The Intimate Revue"...1974] NBC-TV presents NHL hockey in prime time with a Rangers-Bruins game (33 years later the TV audience is about the same size)...1982] Bryant Gumble leaves sports to become co-host of "The Today Show" (Gumble is now back doing sports)...
Premiered on this date: 1957] The TV series of "Blondie" premieres on NBC-TV...1984] "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson and Markie Post (making her debut) premieres on NBC-TV (this show introduced John Larroquette also)...
#1 on this date: 1936] "Stop! Look! Listen!" - Joe Venuti (on 78 rpm, this was the 1st chart topper based on record sales in Billboard Magazine, founded in 1894 as a trade paper for the bill posting industry)...1967] See video link...1979] "Too Much Heaven" - Bee Gees (they donate all sales proceeds to UNICEF)...
Recorded on this date: 1962] "Point of No Return" - Gene McDaniels...
The Final Curtain: 1957] After 69 years, Collier's Magazine folds...
"SOLD": 1965] Leo Fender sells his guitar business to CBS for $13 million...
"It's grrrrrrrreat": 1965] LBJ in his State of the Union message mentions building the "Great Society"...
"Tapes? What tapes?": 1974] President Richard Nixon refuses to turn over Watergate tapes and documents...
"Swearin' to God": 1999] Former pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as Minnesota's 37th governor and takes out the front row of press reporters in 2 out of 3 falls...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Miami Dolphin God Don Shula celebrates his 77th birthday today but was not in a celebrating mood yesterday after 2nd year coach Nick Saban took the money to run the Miami Hurricanes for several years. Don Shula in his own words: "There were four or five direct statements that were blatant lies. That tells you a little bit about the guy. The guy likes to hear himself talk and then doesn't follow up". Relax coach, he's gone. Today is your birthday. Enjoy it...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Deana Carter (41), R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe (47), Patty Loveless (50), Dyan Cannon (70), Don Shula (77) and Jane Wyman (93)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until the NFL playoffs, 4 days until the BCS championship game, 31 days until Super Bowl XLI and 42 days until 'pitchers and catchers'...
...
