The Good
Previous weekly winners: Phil Mickelson (paying for college tuition for one of ailing Conrad Dobler's daughters), Ernie "Mr. Cub" Banks (getting a statue at Wrigley Field) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (for getting tough on steroids and behavior and for trying to protect injured players). New candidates: Aging NFL players for telling their story to Congress yesterday in an effort for getting more health aid and money for players from the 50s, 60s and 70s who need it, PGA tour commissioner Tim Finchem for calling for uniform drug tests and the Chicago Bears for being brave and smart enough to drop Tank Johnson for his many run-ins with the law despite whatever opposition they will now get from the players union. The latest indiscretion was Johnson being stopped for speeding last week. And the winner is: Phil Mickelson for helping out a family that really needs it...
The Bad
Previous weekly winners: Philip Wellman, manager of the AA Mississippi Braves who went berserk during a game, John and Sherry Daly for the concocted story of the blowout they had at home and LeVar Arrington for losing control of his motorcycle on a highway ramp. New candidates: Mets catcher Paul LoDuca who lost it while arguing a called second strike, acting like a menacing madman and then hurling everything he owned on the field after being tossed from the game, Olympic track and field champion Marion Jones who is heavily in debt after being linked to steroids in the BALCO case and forfeiting almost half a million in appearance and performance fees, Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks saying he suspected that former MVP Juan Gonzalez may have used steroids, Astros catcher Chad Qualls, suspended 3 games for throwing a baseball into the stands at the Los Angeles Angels, Colorado placed under 2 years' probation by the NCAA for undercharging athletes for meals, Dawn Weniger, Rutger's aide to women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer for stealing credit card and bank accounts from the coach, Miami defensive tackle Fred Evans arrested and subdued by tasers by Miami Beach police. Thou shall not steal. The winner is: Dawn Weniger...
The Ugly
Previous weekly winners: Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman, accused of kicking and hitting 2 men in his Georgia hometown. He was also suspended for the 1st 4 games of 2006 for skipping a drug test. In other words, Odell belongs at Cincinnati, the home of NFL criminals, former NFL player Bob Buczkowski for running a million dollar prostitution ring, Adam "Pacman" Jones for still another incident involving gunfire, this time at an Atlanta nightclub. New candidates: Ex-MLB player Mel Hall, arrested on sexual assault charges, two of which were with minors and the most bizarre candidate, Philadelphia Park jockey Victor Molina who kicked his horse in the stomach before a race. He was suspended for 30 days and fined a measly $1,000. How can you trust him around thoroughbreds anymore? The 'Ugly' Award Winner of the Month is newcomer: Mel Hall...
TGTBTU Update
Jason Giambi won't meet with baseball steroids investigator George Mitchell until July at the earliest as this part of the steroid investigation drags on...Troubled Tampa Bay outfielder Elijah Dukes was placed on the temporary inactive list, a move to enable the 22-year old rookie to get his personal life on track after several run-ins with his wife...Adam Cudworth, the bouncer who was shot and said his left ankle was bitten by Adam "Pacman" Jones at a February strip-club melee, sued the suspended NFL player and other members of his entourage for damages in a Las Vegas court...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1893] Panic on Wall Street: The New York Stock Market crashes. By the end of the year, 600 banks and 74 railroads go out of business...
- 1949] Debuted on this date: "Captain Video and his Video Rangers" debuts on the Dumont TV Network. It will run daily until April 1, 1955. This was the 1st of a trio of 'space operas'. The others were: "Space Patrol" and "Tom Corbett - Space Cadet". FYI: The 1st Capt. Video was Richard Coogan ('49-'50). Al Hodge took command for the rest of the shows run...
- 1950] Korean 'Conflict': President Harry S. Truman orders the Air Force and Navy into the Korean War at the urging of the U.N. to help South Korea repel an invasion from the north...
- 1955] Diamond Dust: Red Sox 1st baseman Harry "The Golden Greek" Agganis dies from complications of pneumonia at the age of 26...1981] Slugger Mo Vaughn makes his debut with the Red Sox where he will become a superstar. When he finally arrives on the Mets: zippo, zero, zilch, nada, nothing...1993] Speaking of nothing, Mets pitcher Anthony Young loses to the Cardinals 6-3 making him 0-10 for the year and loser of 24 straight games. The streak goes to 27 over 15 months an all-time record. Question: Why didn't the Mets drop him way before then? They didn't have anyone better??? 2005] Julio Franco (then with the Braves, now a Met) becomes the oldest player (at 46) to hit a grand slam home run...
- 1964] Wedding Bells: Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman say "I Do" (Ethel said it much louder than Ernie). This marriage lasts 38 days. That long, eh???
- 1974] Curtains: "The Flip Wilson Show" ends after 4 seasons of Wilson as "Geraldine Jones" talking about her boyfriend "Killer", the Reverend Le Roy of the Church of What's Happening Now and one of the greatest phrases of all-time, "the devil made me do it". Here's Flip, er-Geraldine with Muhammad Ali: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OCruefYl3FI , 1985] Route 66, originally stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica is decertified. It was no longer officially recognized. How can you do that to a landmark highway???
- 1988] Down for the count: Mike Tyson who said his only purpose in the ring was to inflict pain, does that and more to Michael Spinks in the first minute and 31 seconds of the fight. It's the 4th quickest KO in heavyweight championship history...
- 1988] A time for joy, a time for tears: Proving it's never too late to graduate, Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Gibson get their high school diplomas from different schools: Debbie from Calhoun in Merrick (LI) and Cyndi from Richmond Hills (Queens)...
- 1995] Busted: Hugh Grant is arrested in L.A. for engaging in "lewd behavior" with a prostitute (Divine Brown) in a rented BMW...2005] BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleads guilty to 10 murders that spread fear across Wichita, Kansas beginning in the late 70s. Rader will receive multiple life sentences...
- 2001] "Happy Trails": Legendary actor Jack Lemmon dies from cancer at 76 (Here's a video tribute to Jack with Marilyn Monroe singing: http://youtube.com/watch?v=V9L0eNH3nE0 , 2002] John Entwistle of The Who dies from a heart attack induced by cocaine at the age of 57...
Music Memories:
- 1964] #1 on this date: "A World Without Love" - Peter & Gordon (the first McCartney-Lennon song that tops the charts for a group or singer other than the Beatles)...1966] "Strangers in the Night" - Frank Sinatra...1972] "Song Sung Blue" - Neil Diamond...1981] "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes...
- 1964] Released on this date: "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" - Jan & Dean...1969] "Ohio" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (the ode to Kent State and here's a live version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Vy4Tq-5a8 ...
- 1968] Taping tonight: Elvis Presley begins taping his 1st television special, "Elvis" at NBC-TV studios in Burbank...
- 1971] Closing tonight: Bill Graham's Fillmore East starring the J. Geils Band, the Beach Boys, Allman Brothers and Mountain. The doors shut for good after the show...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
How nice to hear from Sal Ingeme, former Columbia Promotions legend from Boston: "Just finished watching the JFK video on Berlin. I still have a lump in my throat. What made it even more impressive is that I was stationed in Berlin in 1954-55. Thank you for reminding us of where we've been, where we are and in some cases where we're going. Few people have your background and insight and are willing to share it". Sal, the check is in the mail. Sal did want me to say hello to all his friends all the way from Naples (Florida - not Italy)...On the subject of yesterday's 'day of silence', Perry S. Ury comments: "After they stick it to the small entrepreneurs on the net, they are going to lobby and perhaps buy enough of the 'boys' in Washington to start charging us users for access. They do it now through cable and other hook-up fees, but that is not enough for the "greedies". If we do not rise up and really threaten Congress with an "out you go" attitude, open access will be a memory by the end of the decade. They intend to sell the idea by adding phony 'extra' services"...And finally from John Gorman on the same subject: "My feeling is that the decisions have been made regarding Internet radio. The Day of Silence is a noble effort. The problem is that it doesn't hit anyone in the pocketbook, except the Internet station owners/operators. Internet radio is a threat to labels and radio stations. Believe me, terrestrial radio hates streaming and are doing so only because it's a growing medium. They'd love nothing better than have the royalty rules become law so they can dismantle their streaming division. It'll save them money. Being heard in Boston doesn't help a station's ratings in New York. The other problem is selling the website. Right now, they serve as little more than a "value added" for existing radio clients. Salvation will come only through a grassroots campaign by Internet radio listeners. In these apathetic times, I just don't see that happening. Hope I'm wrong on this one"...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Tobey Maguire (32), Julia Duffy ("Newhart") (57), Rico Petrocelli (64), Bruce Johnston (65) and Ross Perot (77)...
Timeline Countdown: 7 days until July 4th and 13 days until the All-Star game...
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