The Good...The Bad...The Ugly of the Month...
The Good
Everson Walls donated a healthy kidney to former Dallas teammate Ron Springs, a truly heroic and beautiful thing for anyone to do, the Penguins are staying in Pittsburgh and getting a new arena, the Saints will be staying in New Orleans and George Steinbrenner picked up the funeral tab for those 9 (8 children) people who lost their lives in that terrible row house fire. All of these feats are worthy of our 'Good' award this month but I'm gonna go with what is transpiring at the NFL meetings in Phoenix and that's a better policing policy of the thugs that are giving the league a bad name, namely Adam Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and others. Johnson is already serving a prison term so he's being taken care of by the real law but Pacman will have to answer to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a meeting on April 3. This is the new commissioner's chance to really make a mark on his era. Let's hope he takes advantage of it The 'Good' award of the month goes to: The NFL...
The Bad
There a few late items to add to the 'Bad' hopper this month: The son of N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe faces more than 20 charges from armed robbery to drug possession in connection with 2 separate attacks in Greensboro (NC), police also filed 13 charges against him in connection with an earlier incident. Also in Carolina, Panthers reserve guard D'Anthony Batiste was d'arrested early Sunday for carrying a concealed weapon. Add to those incidents, Washington Wizards' Gilbert Arenas made bets with fans during a game in Portland, Tony LaRussa was arrested on a DUI and the Rangers' Colton Orr decked the Flyer's Todd Fedoruk in a game. Previous candidates include the Albany (NY) group of drug suppliers, Arizona coach Richie Anderson busted in a police prostitution ring and new Miami Dolphin Joey Porter clocking Bengal Levi Jones at a blackjack table. A tough choice but the 'Bad' award of the month goes to: Sidney R. Lowe Jr...
The Ugly
In Orlando, PGA tour player Arjun Atwal was estimated to be going 80 mph in a 45 mph zone just before a car speeding next to him flipped and killed its driver. Witnesses have said Atwal and John N. Park, who died, were street racing. No criminal charges have been filed and troopers say it will be another month before the investigation is complete. That's a candidate. Then there's Ron Artest who pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges from a domestic dispute with his wife earlier this month. He has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from his wife and kids TFN so maybe this nonsense will stop. Other candidates include Islander Chris Simon who gave the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg a two-handed slash with his stick to the neck and musher Ramy Brooks, disqualified from the Iditarod for abusing his dogs, one of which died but as long as there's an Adam 'Pacman' Jones, who's about to be suspended by the NFL around - case closed. For being questioned for 10 separate incidents (one a homicide) in one year, the 'Ugly' of the month and candidate for the yearly award is: Adam 'Pacman' Jones...
Video links are included in the "Recorded on this date" and "One-man highlight film" timelines...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1941] Novelist and critic Virginia Woolf drowns herself near her home in England at 59... 1969] Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, dies of heart failure at 78...1987] Maria von Trapp, whose life inspired "The Sound of Music", dies in Morrisville (VT) from heart failure. She was 82...
Life immitates Art: 1979] A nuclear meltdown starts at Three Mile Island 12 days after "The China Syndrome" premieres. The movie about a meltdown would be nominated for several Oscars...
"This is the way we wash our clothes": 1797] Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patents a washing machine...
A spy in the making: 1922] Bradley A. Fiske patents a microfilm reading device...
Recorded on this date: 1958] "Summetime Blues" - Eddie Cochran. Here's a rare look at Eddie doing the song on TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97elblDi3tY ...1966] "Green Grass" - Gary Lewis & his Playboys...1967] "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison...
Released on this date: 1970] "Woodstock" - CSNY...
Record breaker: 1964] The Beatles break Elvis Presley's 7-year record for most hits on the Billboard charts at one time. In 1956 Elvis had 9 but on this date the Beatles scored with 10 until April 11th when they would have 14 posititions on the charts, an all-time record...
#1 on this date: 1968] "(Sittin' on) The Dock of The Bay" - Otis Redding (3 months after his death)...1971] "Just My Imagination" - Temptations...1986] "Rock Me Amadeus" - Falco...
What's in a name?: 1963] Sonny Werblin, no doubt inspired by nearby LaGuardia airport, changes the name of the New York Titans to the J-E-T-S Jets just before they move into Shea Stadium for the '64 season...
New Ironsides: 1967] Raymond Burr stars in the TV movie "Ironside" which will become a highly rated, long-running series...
The Streaker: 1974] A streaker runs onto the set of "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson (but Ed McMahon is quickly subdued by NBC pages)...
Wedding Bells: 1979] Eric Clapton marries George Harrison's ex, Patti "Layla" Boyd as he starts the 1st leg of a tour. The marriage lasts 9 years...
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E": 1995] The bubble bursts for Lyle Lovett as Lyle and Julia Roberts announce their separation. They were married 21 months...
One-man highlight film: 1992] Christian Laettner of Duke hits a 17-foot turn-around jumper just before the buzzer, giving the Blue Devils a dramatic 104-103 win over Kentucky to win the NCAA East Regional title. 9 days later Duke becomes the 1st team in 19 years to repeat as national champions with a victory over Michigan. Relive that shot by clicking on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4 ...
Commentary...
Congratulations to the NFL rules committee for making instant replay permanent and kudos to Roger Goodell who has appointed Harold Henderson, former NFL player and currently in charge of labor for the league who will now oversee player benefits with particular interest in making things better for retired players...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Vince Vaughn (37), Reba McEntire (52), Dianne Wiest (59), Rick Barry (63), Ken Howard (63) and Charlie McCoy (66)...
Timeline Countdown: 3 days until the Final Four, 4 days until Opening Day, 5 days until the NCAA championship game, 5 days until Passover and 11 days until Easter Sunday...
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