Friday, March 2, 2007

Friday-Sunday, March 2-4, 2007

'Roid Rage...

The name of "Evan Fields" has surfaced as the latest suspect in the new steroid investigation which is being led by the Albany County D.A.'s office. Just by coincidence Albany happens to be the capitol of the state now governed by former Attorney General Elliot Spitzer who never met a person he didn't want to investigate. Evan Fields allegedly picked up drugs from a Georgia doctor whose offices were raided. Mr. Fields allegedly picked up 3 vials of testosterone, 2 vials of the drug Glukor (sounds like a planet) and injection supplies. Less than a week later Fields received 5 vials of human growth hormone and related supplies. Now here's the kicker. Evan Fields who happens to share the same birth date as Evander Holyfield, is believed to be, in fact, Evander Holyfield. I wonder if he wore the glasses with the fake nose and moustache when picking up the illegal drugs? Holyfield, Gary Matthews Jr. and Jose Canseco have been named as possible participants in this latest 'roid rage investigation. Stay tuned. This is just getting started...

Congratulations to 15-year old Jennifer Mees, the hiccup girl who hiccuped for about 3 days without stopping. Mees has stopped hiccuping but not before we were able to get a video link to Jennifer's appearance on 'The Today Show', when she was in full hiccup mode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1R8XevZugU ...There's another video link which you'll find in our "Fay Wray sighting" timeline below...

Timeline Memories...

The toll rises: 2005] The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq reach 1,500. Sad to say that today it's over 3,000...

Musket rumble: 1776] Americans begin shelling British troops in Boston (hand me my musket)...

Heads it's Hayes, tails it's Tilden: 1877] Rutherford B. Hayes is declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election by Congress despite Samuel Tilden winning the popular vote...

Martha Washington slept here: 1903] The Martha Washington Hotel opens for business in New York City becoming the 1st hotel exclusively for women...

Right place, right time: 1917] Citizens of Puerto Rico are granted U.S. citizenship with the enactment of the Jones Act...

TIME after TIME: 1923] TIME hits the newsstands for the 1st time...

Fay Wray sighting: 1933] The original "King Kong" world premieres at the Roxy and Radio City Music Hall theaters in Manhattan. To link to the "King Kong" movie trailer click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppmQG8FFCXM&mode=related&search= ...

No rush: 1939] The Massachusetts legislature votes to ratify the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. These 10 amendments had gone into effect 147 years earlier. Better late than never...

NBA All-Stars: 1951] The 1st NBA All-Star game is played at Boston Garden as Easy Ed McCauley of the Celtics leads the East to a 111-94 victory over the West. 10,094 are on hand to witness the game created by league publicity man Haskell Cohen and Celtic founder Walter Brown...NBA Super Star: 1962] Wilt Chamberlain drops 100 points on (who else?) the Knicks...

Recorded on this date: 1967] "Reflections" - The Supremes...

Double dip: 1964] The Beatles release "Twist and Shout" on the same day they start filming "A Hard Day's Night"...

Espo '69: 1969] Boston Bruins center Phil Esposito becomes the 1st NHL player to score 100 or more points in a season...

Pistol whipped: 1970] Pistol Pete Maravich of LSU scores 55 points against Mississippi State to bring his season total to 1,263 breaking Elvin Hayes single season scoring mark...

Testing...testing: 1985] The government approves a screening test for AIDS that detects antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded from the blood supply...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Tuesday, March 13th marks the 40th anniversary of WRKO in Boston. Starting next week I will be using the memories of former employees who were either there when we kicked off the new call letters and format or joined shortly thereafter. Everyone else who was a listener or fan of the station is now invited to share a memory of a station that went through Boston like a nor'easter. Send your memories (but make it brief) to me directly at: mphillips1675@yahoo.com and I will use as many as I have room for. Thanks, Mel...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Robert Iler ('Sopranos') (22), Bryce Dallas Howard (26), Jon Bon Jovi (45), John Cowsill (who is with the touring version of the Beach Boys and is married to the Bangles' Vicki Peterson) (51), former SNL'er Laraine Newman (55), Eddie Money (58), Lou Reed (65), Mikhail ("tear down this wall, Mr.") Gorbachev (76), Tom Wolfe (77), John ("Northern Exposure") Cullum (77) and Jennifer Jones (88)...

Timeline Countdown: 19 days until spring and 30 days until Opening Day...

Saturday, March 3, 2007...

Timeline Memories...

"Happy Trails": 1959] Lou Costello of the legendary 'Abbott and Costello" comedy duo suffers a fatal heart attack 3 days shy of his 53rd birthday...

What'll ya have?: 1634] Ex-artilleryman Samuel Cole opens the 1st tavern in America. "Cole's Inn" was located near Faneuil Hall in Boston...

Delivuh de lettuh: 1863] The U.S. Postal Service authorizes free city delivery of mail. Good thing we didn't have to pay for it...

"Ring My Bell": 1885] AT&T incorporates in New York as a subsidiary of American Bell Telephone Company...

Star spangled law: 1931] President Herbert Hoover signs into law our 1st national anthem - Francis Scott Key's "Defense of Fort McHenry" a.k.a. "The Star Spangled Banner"...

The Stick: 1959] The San Francisco Giants officially name their new stadium Candlestick Park...

The new commish: 1984] Peter Ueberroth, president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee is elected as the 6th commissioner of baseball effective Oct. 1...

"Hang 'em High": 1992] Islander great Mike Bossy becomes the 2nd Islander to have his #22 uniform number hoisted to the rafters at Nassau Coliseum. Dennis Potvin's #5 was the first...

"There's something happening here": 1966] Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay form Buffalo Springfield...

#1 on this date: 1965] "My Girl" - Temptations (written by Smokey Robinson who also wrote "My Guy")...

Premiered on this date: 1985] "Moonlighting" starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis on ABC-TV. The series will run until May of 1989...

Stalking me softly with his song: 1995] A stalker is arrested while trying to break into Roberta Flack's Manhattan apartment but Roberta starts killing him softly with her song...

L.A. erupts: 1991] Motorist Rodney King is severely beaten by LAPD officers in a scene captured on amateur video tape and all hell breaks loose...

"Up, Up and Away": 2005] Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett becomes the 1st person to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, touching down in central Kansas after a 67-hour, 23,000 mile journey...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Jessica Biel (25), former Ranger and Bruin Brian Leetch (39), former Olympic track great Jackie Joyner-Kersee (45), former running back Herschel Walker (45), former SNLer Tim Kazurinsky (57) and Jennifer Warnes (60)...

Timeline Countdown: 18 days until spring and 29 days until Opening Day...

Sunday, March 4, 2007...

Timeline Memories...

"Happy Trails": 1990] One of the leading scorers in NCAA history, Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount suddenly collapses and dies during a game against Portland at the age of 23. Gathers who was projected as a 1st round pick suffered from a heart muscle disorder...1996] Grand Ole Opry fixture, Minnie Pearl dies from complications of a stroke at 83...

Out-trumps Trump: 1681] England's King Charles II grants a charter to William Penn for a plot of land that will become Pennsylvania...

Congress convenes: 1789] The Constitution goes into effect as the 1st Congress meets in New York City...

All aboard: 1826] The Granite Railway in Quincy (MA) becomes the 1st chartered railroad in America...

"This I Swear": 1861] Abraham Lincoln is sworn in as our President...1913] Woodrow Wilson is sworn in as our 28th President...1933] Franklin Delano Roosevelt gives his inauguration speech which includes "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself"...

Wedding Bells: 1952] Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis tie the knot...1989] Time Inc. and Warner Communications announce a plan to merge...

Recorded on this date: 1976] "Rich Girl" - Hall & Oates...

Premiered on this date: 1950] Walt Disney's "Cinderella"...

Triple A: 1902] The American Automobile Association is founded in Chicago...

Transplanted: 1954] The 1st successful kidney transplant is achieved at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. Unfortunately it was supposed to be a right lung transplant. Just kidding. It was the left lung...

'Smokin' Joe': 1968] Joe Frazier wins the vacated (by Muhammad Ali) heavyweight championship with an 11th round KO of Buster Mathis at Madison Square Garden...

"Guilty as Charged": 1994] 4 extremists are convicted in the WTC bombing which killed 6 and injured more than a thousand...

Martha says "this is a good thing": 2005] Martha Stewart, imprisoned for 5 months for her role in a stock scandal, leaves prison to start 5 months of home confinement...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Chastity Bono (38), Steven ("Wings") Weber (46), Patricia Heaton (49), Catherine O'Hara (53), Emilio (Gloria's husband) Estefan (54), Bobby Womack (63), Paula Prentiss (69) and Miriam Makeba (75)...

Timeline Countdown: 17 days until spring and 28 days until Opening Day...
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