Imus follow-up and some advice to the I-man...
It took stupidity for Imus to degrade the Rutgers women's basketball team. It took a lot of courage for Don to apologize on the air to Al Sharpton in a setting where whatever he said would not be accepted. Now it's time to accept the two-week suspension of his show on WFAN and simulcast on MSNBC and stop the interviews. You gave your apologies, take what ever is coming to you - walk away and come back a better person who will think twice before saying something stupid. It's a tall order for you Don, but you can do it. Maybe...
Speaking of stupidity, Howard Stern critiqued Imuses apology. Easy for him to say now that he's on pay radio and doesn't have to answer to the FCC - not yet, anyway. Stern's quote is included in today's David Hinckley New York Daily News article...
Both Howard Stern and the Reverend Al Sharpton have plenty of wrong-doings to apologize for but there's not enough time nor space to account for even half of them. You've had your say. Case closed. Now all of you - GO AWAY!!!
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A rare live performance of Bobby Darin and Sam Kinison's first appearance on Letterman are the video links which can be found in the "Recorded on this date" and "Happy Trails" timelines...
Timeline Memories...
Dead you know: 1970] Paul McCartney tells a press conference that the Beatles are over. The #1 record that day? "Let It Be". In 10 days McCartney releases his 1st solo album, "McCartney". The Fab Four will officially be toast when Paul files a lawsuit against the group on December 31, 1970. Happy New Year!!!
West is not best - yet: 1841] The New York Tribune begins publishing under Horace Greeley who would become famous for saying "Go west young man"...
Pinhead: 1849] The "safety pin" is patented by Walter Hunt of New York City who sells his rights for $100...
Hide the pets: 1866] The ASPCA is formed...
Women and children first: 1912] The Titanic sets sail on its ill-fated maiden voyage from Southampton, England...
Premiered on this date: 1925] F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is published...1953] Warner Brothers releases "House Of Wax", the 1st 3-D movie released by a major Hollywood studio...1957] Ricky Nelson sings for the 1st time on "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". His first song? "I'm Walkin"...
Breaking the color barrier: 1947] 28-year old Jackie Robinson becomes the 1st black player to be signed by a major league team when Dodger President Branch Rickey signs Jackie to a contract at the team's Montague Street executive offices in Brooklyn. All Jackie will do is help the Dodgers to 7 pennants and a World Series victory (1955) in the 10 years he played for them...
Racial attack: 1956] Nat "King" Cole is attacked and beaten while performing for an all-white audience in Birmingham (AL)...
Recorded on this date: 1958] "Splish Splash" - Bobby Darin. Here's a clip in later years of Bobby singing the song and sounding a lot like Jerry Lee Lewis in this version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07GecW-Wdb0 ...
Tragedy at Sea: 1963] 129 die as the nuclear powered submarine, USS Thresher, fails to surface off Cape Cod (MA)...
Raising the roof: 1964] Demolition begins on the Polo Grounds to clear way for a housing project. The Mets had a new home as Shea Stadium was now open...
Upper decker: 1969] The Mets' Tommie Agee reaches the upper deck in left field off of Expo pitcher Larry Jaster. The area is still marked and is considered the longest home run ever hit at Shea Stadium...
"Happy Trails": 1992] Wacky comedian Sam Kinison, 38, is killed in a car crash when he's rear-ended between L.A. and Las Vegas. This is Sam's 1st appearance on "The David Letterman Show": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VURr6jnWQ ...1998] Eddie O'Jay, one of the pioneers of R&B radio, passes away in the Bronx following complications of 2 heart attacks. Born Edward O. Jackson, the O'Jays were named after him when he was a DJ in Cleveland. Eddie was working for the city of New York at the time of his death. While no age was given, I knew Eddie and I believe he was in his early 70's at the time of his death...2003] Little Eva a.k.a. Eva Narcissus Boyd who got her start as a babysitter for Carole King and Gerry Goffin, dies at 59 in Kinston (NC) after a lengthy illness. Her #1 hit, "The Loco-motion" was written by Goffin-King...
#1 on this date: 1967] "Somethin' Stupid" - Frank & Nancy Sinatra...1977] "Don't Give Up On Us" - David Soul (who was detective Ken Hutchinson on 'Starsky and Hutch")...
Rock and Roll Tribute: 1999] George Michael, Sinead O'Connor, Chrissie Hynde and Paul McCartney perform at London's Royal Albert Hall in a charity tribute to the late Linda McCartney (who died April 17, 1998)...
Wearing the pants at the State House: 2001] Jane Swift becomes the 1st female Governor of Massachusetts...
The House rules: 2003] The House passes the national "Amber Alert" system and strengthens child pornography laws (but not enough - never enough)...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Today is the Olde Towne Team's a.k.a. the Boston Red Sox' home opener at Fenway Park and on this the 40th anniversary of "The Impossible Dream Team" of 1967, the Sox will be wearing 1967 throwback uniforms, something near and dear to my heart. 1967 marked the debut of WRKO and the year that the Red Sox went from 9th place in 1966 to 1st place in the American League. The Sox lost game 7 and the World Series that year to the St. Louis Cardinals in one of the most exciting of all fall classics. I was lucky enough to see 3 of the 4 games played at Fenway. If Jim Lonborg was rested for game 7, they would have won but he was pitching on only 2 days of rest...
Here's to a speedy recovery for the 'Wizard of Westwood', 96 year old former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden who's been hospitalized in a Los Angeles-area hospital...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Haley Joel Osment (19), Mandy Moore (23), Brian Setzer (48), Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds (48), Peter MacNicol (53), Steven Seagal (56), "Dandy" Don Meredith (69), Original Spinner Bobbie Smith (70), John Madden (70), Omar Sharif (75), Author David Halberstam (73), Max von Sydow (78) and Harry ("Dragnet" & "M*A*S*H") Morgan (92)...
Timeline Countdown: 18 days until the NFL draft and 48 days until Memorial Day...
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