The Good...The Bad...The Ugly...of the Week...
The Good
Runner's Up: The Celtics breaking that 18-game losing streak last night (the NBA consecutive game loss record is 24, 23 in one season)...The San Francisco Chronicle reporters in the Balco case are free thanks to their defense attorney who's taking the rap for revealing the names of steroid abusers to the reporters...Tiki Barber who wastes no time after retiring from the Giants by getting a news/human interest reporter's position on "The Today Show". Not too many people "break in" on the granddaddy of all morning shows and the owners of Barbaro who have set up a $3 million endowment at the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school to study equine diseases but the winner is: 23-year old Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester. Less than 6 months after being diagnosed with lymphoma, he is now cancer-free. His cancer is gone and his curve is back. Way to go Jon...
The Bad
Runner's Up: The Nascar crew chiefs who were suspended for Sunday's Daytona 500 for alterations made to the cars earlier in the week and news this morning from Nascar that Michael Waltrip's crew chief and team doctor have also been suspended. What did they do, pour sugar in other driver's gas tanks? No. According to this morning's report, Waltrip's crew used a form of jet fuel in his tank. Maybe they can start a private jet service...there were the usual NFL and NBA bad boy suspects rounded up, Guy Lafleur's son got into a sexual allegations jam, a white, former NFL supervisor of officials who's suing the league over racial bias, Tank Johnson pleading guilty for that arsenal he had at home and 2 Gonzaga (a squeaky clean school) players being busted for drugs. But the winner is: Former NBA star Tim Hardaway's rant yesterday about former NBA center John Amaechi coming out as a gay. This is Hardaway's quote: "You know I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people". But how do you really feel Tim? Look Tim like anyone else is entitled to his opinion but his quote was uncalled for and beyond being mean spirited...
The Ugly
As always the Ugly candidates come from the Bad category and there were no runners up. The Ugly of the week award goes to Detroit Lions defensive line coach Joe Cullen who was sentenced on Tuesday to 2 years probation and must attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week. Here's the Ugly timeline for Joe: August 24, 2006: Pulled over and ticketed on suspicion of indecent and obscene conduct. The Lions said alcohol was involved. Oh, by the way, Joe didn't have a stitch of clothes on at the time. September 1, 2006: Stopped by police for being over the legal limit for being considered drunk. January, 2007: Pleads no contest to disorderly conduct and guilty to impaired driving. In addition to the probation there are fines and court costs and Joe must attend a panel discussion featuring people affected by drunken drivers. Cullen had faced up to 90 days in jail for the disorderly conduct charge and 93 days for driving while impaired. We can only hope that this train wreck of a life can be saved...
Today's video link is in the "Recorded on this date" timeline of 1954...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1965] Nat "King" Cole passes away from lung cancer (no doubt caused by his heavy smoking) at 46...1984] Ethel Merman dies at 76 of an inoperable brain tumor...
"Remember the Maine": 1898] The USS Maine sinks by an unknown explosion in Havana Harbor that takes 260 crew member lives. Tensions escalate with Spain and "Remember the Maine" becomes a rallying cry for the U.S...
Somewhere in Vermont, teddy bear makers take note: 1903] Russian immigrants, Morris and Rose Michtom introduce the 1st teddy bear to America...
You have to be lucky too: 1933] President-elect Franklin Roosevelt escapes an assassination attempt in Miami that kills Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak...
Winter Gold: 1936] Sonja Henie of Norway a.k.a. "The World Queen of Figure Skating" wins her 3rd straight gold medal at the German Winter Olympics...
Proving there is justice in this world: 2002] Canadian pairs figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier are awarded a gold medal to resolve the judging controversy at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics...
Recorded on this date: 1954] Big Joe Turner records the original version of "Shake, Rattle & Roll" (Bill Haley had the pop hit). Today's video link in glorious black & white: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIn375jX3i4 ...1961] "Blue Moon" - The Marcels...
Debuted on this date: 1958] "The Dick Clark Show" (which will become "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show") debuts on ABC-TV. Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis appear on the show. 1964] Dick Clark pays tribute to the Beatles on the show, for having the #1 album, "Meet The Beatles". Dick shows clips from their appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show". This was Dick's Top 10 board: 1) I Want To Hold Your Hand - Beatles, 2) You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore, 3) She Loves You - Beatles, 4) Hey Little Cobra - Rip Chords, 5) Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um - Major Lance, 6) For You - Rick Nelson, 7) Out of Limits - Marketts, 8) Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick, 9) Java - Al Hirt and 10) "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am?)" - Tams...
Licensed for Hire: 1965] John Lennon passes his driver's test...
Anti-Piracy Law: 1967] The 1st laws concerning anti-bootlegging of music are enacted (which did exactly what?)...
"Chicago, Chicago": 1967] Chicago, the band, is formed...
Grammy Gold: 1979] Billy Joel ("Just The Way You Are") and Donna Summer ("Last Dance") are the big winners with 2 awards a piece...
"Oh Canada": 1965] Canada gets a new red and white maple leaf flag, replacing the old red ensign standard...
"The 20th time is the charm": 1998] Dale Earnhardt (#3) wins the Daytona 500 in his 20th try...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Charley Weis, ex-Patriot, now Notre Dame coach testified yesterday in his medical malpractice case against 2 Boston surgeons for a botched attempt at stomach bypass surgery at Mass General back in 2002. Life-threatening complications almost killed the coach. Weis is seeking unspecified damages and the trial continues today. We wish the former Patriot offensive coordinator the best of luck. Weis is in his 3rd year as coach of the Fighting Irish...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
The Rangers' Jaromir Jagr (35), Simpson's cartoonist Matt Groening (53), Jane Seymour (56), Melissa Manchester (56), Motown's Brian Holland (66), Claire Bloom (76), Harvey Korman (80), "M*A*S*H" actor Alan Arbus (89), Hank Locklin (89) and Kevin McCarthy (93)...
Timeline Countdown: 34 days until spring and 45 days until the baseball opener...
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