The Good
Congratulations to the state of Florida for becoming the 3rd state (New Jersey, Texas) to pass legislation for random steroid testing of high school athletes. C'mon the rest of you states, it's time for you to step up too. The NFL will start protecting players from being pressured to take the field with a concussion beginning with the opening of training camps next month. Although the details need to be worked out with the players union, the new system allows anyone to anonymously report when doctors are pressured to clear players or when players are pressured to play. This is a great move. Another candidate for our 'Good' award is umpire Bruce Froemming who at 68 has the good sense to retire while still at the top of his game. Froemming owns all of the umpiring records in major league baseball in this, his 50th and final season. The 'Good' Award Winner of the Week: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for pressing for the protection of his league's players...
The Bad
There are so many candidates, naming them will be easier than identifying what they did but I'll try: Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker (DUI), NFL's LaVar Arrington (no motorcycle license after he crashes his bike), GB player Nick Barnett (physical altercation), owners of Curlin (defrauding clients), MLB players Derrek Lee, Chris Young, coach Steve Smith, Carlos Ruiz, Matt Capps (suspended for fights, arguments, etc.), Bengals Quincy Wilson (disorderly conduct), former NFL player Sean Jones (bank fraud), former NBA player Byron Houston (indecent exposure) and 3-time boxing champion James Toney (steroids). WOW!!! It's tough to pick a winner with all these losers this week but I'll eliminate the less offensive and pick someone who placed another's life in danger, which leaves Baker, Arrington and Barnett. Since Baker didn't crash and apparently no one was hospitalized in the Barnett altercation, this week's 'Bad' Award Winner of the Week is: LeVar Arrington for losing control of his motorcycle and hitting a guardrail on a highway ramp...
The Ugly
This is a snap. Back on the 'Ugly' charts is the NFL player who promised his commissioner that he was going to refocus his life and avoid situations in which he might be compromised after 10 encounters with the law, resulting in 5 arrests since 2005 and a season-long suspension from the NFL, the poster boy for 'Ugly' and 'Ugly' Award Winner of the Week (and maybe for the year and next century) is: Adam "Pacman" Jones who is now wanted for questioning about an incident at an Atlanta-area club that ended in gunfire this past Monday...
TGTBTU Update
Lawyers for Jason Giambi and MLB continue to finalize an agreement that would set up a meeting between steroids investigator George Mitchell and Giambi by the required Thursday (tomorrow) deadline. Of course we may get absolutely nothing and a recreation of Mark McGwire's steroid testimony from Giambi anyway. Stay tuned...Mike Nifong accused the Duke Lacrosse players wrongly, was disbarred as a lawyer and now suspended and stripped of his badge, keys to his office and all office sports pools and from ever wearing a Duke t-shirt (okay, so we added a couple of things but you get the point). Mike Nifong is having a bad year...A San Francisco federal judge has rejected a plea deal for an attorney who admitted leaking grand jury testimony of elite athletes to 2 newspaper reporters in the Balco case, which is now over...Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss faces 2 misdemeanor counts on a DUI charge in connection with his arrest last month...and finally, NBA player Stephen Jackson will admit to criminal recklessness in firing a gun outside a strip club which could lead to a suspension of one-year, a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1840] What would his website address be?: Samuel Morse patents his telegraph...
- 1893] Free Lizzie: A jury in New Bedford (MA) finds Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother...
- 1941] Sprouting wings: The U.S. Army Air Force is established, replacing the Army Air Corps...
- 1947] The Mob Rules: Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is rubbed out, gangland style in Beverly Hills, apparently over soaring costs of his pet project, the Flamingo resort in Las Vegas...
- 1948] Debuted on this date: "The Toast of The Town", soon to be known as "The Ed Sullivan Show"... 1975] "Jaws" premieres and will become the big summer blockbuster. Most of the exteriors were shot on Martha's Vineyard and here's a trailer complete with John Williams music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGqg-OUmW7s ...
- 1950] Diamond Dust: Willie Mays graduates from high school and is immediately signed by the New York Giants. He will debut in 1951...1967] Red Sox 3rd baseman Joe Foy returns home to the Bronx for a series with the Yankees and sees his house burn down. Joe manages to rescue his family and puts them up for the night in the team hotel. That night he hits a grand slam to beat the Yankees 7-1...
- 1955] Wedding Bells: The AFL and CIO agree to combine names and merge...
- 1960] Champ again: Floyd Patterson becomes the 1st man in the history of boxing to regain the heavyweight crown with a 5th round KO of Ingemar Johansson at the Polo Grounds...
- 1963] Too hot to touch: The U.S. and Soviet Union sign an agreement to set up a hotline between the 2 superpowers...
- 1997] "Happy Trails": Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops dies from liver cancer at 59...
Music Memories:
- 1965] #1 on this date: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Byrds - here's a live version from 1966: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENkAkvDVNpc ...1977] "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" - Marvin Gaye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUW5_FNr6VI
- 1969] Record breaker: Jimi Hendrix earns the largest paycheck (to date) for a single show when he earns $125,000 for a single set at the Newport Jazz Festival...
- 1973] Anniversary Special: "American Bandstand" celebrates its 20th anniversary with a 90-minute special starring Little Richard, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Cheech and Chong & Three Dog Night...And yesterday (6/19/07) comes word that Dan Snyder buys Dick Clark Productions, Inc...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Here's some response to my editorial on the Internet and Radio Gurus ('The real action is on the Internet'):
Perry S. Ury: "I am sure you are aware that Internet advertising is chewing away at radio and newspapers and denting TV. However, there are some service cable outlets, newspapers and magazines where their on-air or print advertising revenue is being eclipsed by their Internet divisions. This is the cause of much concern at the major newspapers and other service sites. Many are frantically re-writing their short term business plans. As Drudge says: stay tuned"...
John Gorman: "The industry should read what you wrote. Then again, would they get it?...
And this was no in response but comes from the Greater Media, Inc. website, written by Peter Smyth: "It's now official that a major broadcast company has signed with Google to sell some of its inventory online and other broadcast groups are considering following in its footsteps. First, the decision to partner with Google must be good business or broadcasters wouldn't have done it. It's no secret that the past year or so has been difficult for the entire industry with the demand struggling to keep up with the supply of radio spot inventory. In this type of environment, it makes good business sense to put some of that unused inventory to work"...This is the gist of Peter's message which runs 2 pages in length...My feeling is that unless radio takes advantage of advertising with other media, it will not only continue to fail, it will be left, crumbling in the dust and scraps of whatever is left. For those who decide to wait: Well, there's always Pennysaver's and sandwich boards...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Nicole Kidman (40), John Goodman (55), Lionel Richie (58), Bob Vila (61), Anne Murray (62), Brian Wilson (65), John Mahoney (67), Danny Aiello (74), Martin Landau (76) and Olympia Dukakis (76)...
Timeline Countdown: One day until Summer and 14 days until July 4th...
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