Everything is set for Super Bowl XLI...
The national anthem will be sung by Billy Joel who says "stretching it beyond its recognition" is not his thing. "It's a difficult song to begin with" added Joel. Prince is ready for his half-time performance. His royalty agreed to answer questions by the media but when someone asked one, he broke into "Johnny B. Goode" and two other songs and left without saying anything. Prince is known as a talented performer not a communicator nor a member of the Mensa society. As for the game, the Indianapolis Colts are favored by a touchdown over the Chicago Bears with kickoff set for Sunday at 6:25pm EST...
At the start of the NFL season there was a Harris Poll conducted online to determine the No. 1 favorite NFL team. The sample size was respectable (2,747 adults, 18-61+ in age) the results were surprising, at least to me. I figured that there are far more Bears fans than Colt fans - not so. The Indianapolis Colts with hardly any fans from their old home in Baltimore, finished as the 3rd favorite team in the NFL (following #1 Pittsburgh and #2 Dallas). Chicago was tied for 5th with New England when fans were asked to name their 2 favorite teams. The breakdown by region was even more surprising. The Colts fans out percentaged Bears fans in the East, South and West. The only region with more fan support for Chicago over Indianapolis was the Midwest (24 to 20%). I guarantee you that if they were asked to name their favorite Colt player the name Peyton Manning would have pulled about 95% which means that since Robert Irsay backed up the Mayflower vans before dawn of a Baltimore morning, Manning has made the Indianapolis Colts one of the NFL's top 3 favorite teams...
Not surprisingly, the Baltimore residents who won't be rooting for the Colts on Sunday bare the names Art Donovan, Stan White, Bruce Laird and Lou Michaels. Those are some of the members of the "Baltimore Football Club, Inc." comprised of ex-Baltimore Colt players who disowned themselves from any rooting interest in the Colts when they left Baltimore in 1984. When the late Johnny Unitas who owned "The Golden Arm" restaurant in Baltimore was asked how he felt about Irsay he enjoyed telling people about the Bob Irsay room - the bathroom...
All is in readiness for Super Bowl XLI in Miami and it should be a good game but if it's over early you can always watch the commercials and the half-time show. Prince has promised not to walk out...
The most important item in the Super Bowl game is seen in our video link, there's no game without it. Find out what it is by clicking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfJumDr9zbc
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1996] The great Gene Kelly dies at 83 after suffering two strokes...
"I Got You Babe": 1886] The 1st Groundhog Day is celebrated in Punxsutawney (PA). "Groundhog Day", the 1993 movie starring Bill Murray immortalizes the day and Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" wakes up Murray 33 times. This just in: according to Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck, spring will arrive early...
"New York, New York": 1653] New Amsterdam, now known as New York City is incorporated...
"The Name Game": 1863] Samuel Clemens changes his name to Mark Twain ( no relation to Shania)...
"Play Ball": 1876] Baseball's National League is formed in New York with original teams in: New York, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, Philadelphia and St. Louis...1967] The American Basketball Association (ABA) if formed by representatives of the NBA...
"20/20": 1946] Mutual Broadcasting airs "Twenty Questions" for the 1st time on Radio. The show moves to TV 3 years later...
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered": 1956] The Coasters sign with Atlantic Records' Atco label...
Released on this date: 1959] "Venus" - Frankie Avalon...1959] "Charlie Brown" - Coasters...
#1 on this date: 1966] "My Love" - Petula Clark...1983] "Africa" - Toto (Toto will dominate the 1983 Grammy Awards winning in 6 categories including "Record of the Year" ("Rosanna") and LP of the year ("Toto IV")...
The Fatman sings: 1957] Fats Domino sings "Blueberry Hill" and "Blue Monday" on the Perry Como Show...
"After Midnight": 1973] "The Midnight Special" debuts on NBC-TV with Wolfman Jack...
This Pistol goes off: 1979] Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols dies of a drug overdose at 21 less than 4 months after fatally stabbing girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel...
"Guilty as Charged": 1993] Willie Nelson and the IRS settle their longstanding tax feud. The government keeps $3.6 million in assets it had already seized and Nelson will pay $5.4 million of the $13.1 million balance leaving the final score: Government 1 Nelson 0...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
A recent fire in Vienna Township (MI) destroyed the home of Question Mark (of ? and the Mysterians). Although his real name is believed to be Rudy Martinez, Question Mark has been a punctuation for 4 decades. Q had no insurance and he's not sure how to recover documentation on some of his lost memorabilia including the gold record (for "96 Tears") and the BMI award for the 3 millionth air play on the tune. He also lost several of his beloved dogs. Q, 61, who was not injured in the fire issued this statement: "I'll hold back my tears, because I don't cry tears, I sing em"...
Apparently results of the FCC's year-long investigation of payola was not important enough for the agency to issue a press release on the subject. It's believed that the USA Today report of a $10 million fine on the 4 major broadcast groups was correct. Or as we like to call the ruling, "a slap on the wrist" and a limp slap at that...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Shakira (30), Christie Brinkley (53), Farrah Fawcett (60), Graham Nash (65), Tom Smothers (70) and Elaine Stritch (82)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Super Bowl XLI, 13 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 47 days until spring...
Saturday, February 3, 2007...
Timeline Memories...
"Money, money, money, monnnnney": 1690] The 1st paper money in the U.S. is issued by the Massachusetts colony. The currency is used to pay soldiers fighting in the war against Quebec (was this over hockey, eh?)...
Cheesy: 1815] The world's 1st commercial cheese factory is established in Switzerland (no mention of who was used to cut the cheese)...
A reminder that April 15th is coming: 1913] The 16th amendment to the Constitution is ratified authorizing the power to impose and collect income tax (how about a vote to repeal it?)...
Worth more than a million: 1956] The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash) record at Sun Records in Memphis...
"The Day The Music Died": 1959] Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" (J.P. Richardson) perish when their small plane goes down in Iowa...
"Ole Blue Eyes" - Record Mogul: 1960] Frank Sinatra starts his own label called Reprise...
"Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow": 1961] Over 17" of snow blankets New York City (it's the 6th largest snowfall in the city)...
#1 on this date: 1973] "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John...1982] "Centerfold" - J. Geils Band...
Lights out: 1998] Texas executes Karla Faye Tucker who becomes the 1st woman executed since 1984. All Karla did was hack two people to death with a pickax...
Death in the ski sky: 1998] A U.S. Marine jet slices a cable in Italy causing the death of 20 skiers on a lift...
"I Get a Kick Out of You": 2002] Britney Spears sings the national anthem and then Adam Vinatieri kicks a 48-yard field goal and the underdog New England Patriots win their 1st Super Bowl 20-17 over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady wins the 1st of 2 Super Bowl MVP awards)...
"Murder at the mansion": 2003] Record producer Phil Spector is arrested in the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion in California (4-year's and several postponements later, Spector is supposed to go on trial in March)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Maura ("E.R.") Tierney (42), Mr. & Mrs. Phil Vettor's a.k.a. my sister and brother-in-law) (50th anniversary). (Congratulations Ri & Phil), Nathan Lane (51), Morgan Fairchild (57), Melanie (Safka) (60), Dave Davies of the Kinks (60), The Temptations' Dennis Edwards (64), Blythe Danner (64), Fran Tarkenton (67), Emile Griffith (69), Shelley Berman (81) and Joey Bishop (89)...
Timeline Countdown: 1 day until Super Bowl XLI, 12 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 46 days until spring...
Sunday, February 4, 2007...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1983] Karen Carpenter dies of heart failure probably caused by the years of suffering from anorexia nervosa. Karen was just 32...1987] Liberace dies of AIDS related complications at 67...
Britain raises the white flag: 1783] Britain declares a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the US of A...
"And the winner is": 1789] Electors unanimously choose George Washington to be the 1st President of the United States, making his election official...
Winter Games: 1932] The 1st Winter Olympics is held in the U.S. at Lake Placid (NY)...
Bob Hope books his flight: 1941] The United Service Organization (USO) is created...
The Right Type: 1957] Smith-Corona rolls out the 1st electric typewriter (weighing a hefty 19 lbs.)...
Meet the new Commish: 1969] Bowie Kuhn replaces the fired William Eckert as Baseball Commissioner...
The quarter century mark: 1977] "American Bandstand" celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special hosted by Dick Clark...
Recorded on this date: 1955] "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown...
Released on this date: 1977] "Rumours" LP - Fleetwood Mac...
Hired on this date: 1987] Having failed to get Bill Parcells from New England as coach, the Jets hire Bill Belichick as H.C. (hey, how did that work out Jets?)...
"Guilty as Charged": 1997] A civil jury in California finds O.J. Simpson liable in the deaths of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents are awarded $8.5 million in damages (yet to be collected)...
"Amadou Disaster": 1999] An unarmed Amadou Diallo is cut down in a hail of bullets when 4 New York City plainclothes police officers thought he was armed. He wasn't...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Clint Black (45), Lawrence Taylor (48), Alice Cooper (59), Dan Quayle (60), David Brenner (62), Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension (63) and Conrad ("Different Strokes") Bain (84)...
Timeline Countdown: Super Bowl Sunday is today, 11 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 45 days until spring...
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