The strength of the Hearst Corporation these days is no longer their newspaper business, it's magazines. Minus San Francisco (the Chronicle) you would be hard pressed to name a Hearst newspaper where you live. Their New York paper is in Albany. The same is not true with their magazine division which numbers Cosmo, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, O and Popular Mechanics but the grand old news corporation is getting feisty these days. They went to federal court yesterday in an attempt to make public the names of baseball players implicated in obtaining steroids, the infamous George Mitchell list...
That list was obtained by IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitsky who gathered all the scraps of papers he could find at the home of New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski. The government said former players were supplied drugs by Radomski but those two dozen or so names were blacked out when the search warrant was unsealed in April. Hearst wants the names on the list to be made public. Wouldn't that make a nice exclusive headline? The government and the Major League Baseball Players Association says I don't think so...
Chances of this happening are as good as Michael Vick starting the Falcons 1st game as quarterback or Mike Mussina pitching a good game but then you never know how a federal judge will rule. In July a federal judge in Phoenix rejected an AP request for the names but U.S. Magistrate Edward C. Voss said his ruling could change once the government probe ends. Says the judge, "When the investigation concludes, the weight of the government's argument against disclosure will change dramatically." Since the New York press gets and publishes every list of "John's", wacko judges, naughty pizza delivery guys and
tainted people they can find, this is a challenge to the media here. Get that list and publish it...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1922] Spot Radio is born: The 1st radio commercial airs on WEAF (which becomes WNnnnnBC) in New York City and no it was not a commercial for Carvel or Castro Convertibles, it was a 10-minute ad for the Queensboro Realty Co. which cost $100 to air...
- 1963] "I have a dream": A quarter of a million people participate in a peaceful civil rights rally in Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently delivers his "I have a dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Peter, Paul and Mary sing "Blowin' in the Wind" and from a "Bitter End" appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmnENmCoyl8 ...
- 1968] Democracy at work?: Police and anti-war demonstrators clash in the streets of Chicago as the Democrats nominate Hubert H. Humphrey for president...
- 1972] Gold Standard: Swimmer Mark Spitz captures the first of 7 gold medals at the Munich Olympics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGuxfoZoq9Q ...1973] "Monster Mash" - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett...1973] "Smoke on The Water" - Deep Purple...
- 1988] Emmy Gold: "Thirty Something" and "The Wonder Years" are the big winners at the 40th Emmy Awards...
- 1988] Tragedy in the air: 2 Italian stunt planes collide during an air show at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, West Germany. 70 are killed...
- 1991] Busted: A #4 subway train operator is charged with manslaughter after his New York City train derails at 14th Street and kills 5. 133 are injured. The operator had been drinking...
- 1995] Wedding Bells: The biggest bank in the U.S. is created when Chase Manhattan and Chemical Bank announce a $10 billion dollar deal...
- 1996] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Prince Charles and Princess Diana end their 15-year marriage...
- 2005] Women and children first: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin orders everyone in the city to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Katrina...
Music Memories:
- 1961] Released on this date: "Please Mr. Postman" - Marvelletes, the 1st #1 pop hit for Motown. The Marvelletes do this medley from an Apollo Theater appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObLHPaBClgI ...
- 1964] Live from Forest Hills: On the day the Beatles appear on the cover of LIFE magazine, they play at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium before a sellout crowd of 16,000 in the 1st of 2 shows...
Commentary...
The U.S. Open started in Flushing Meadows yesterday and doesn't conclude until the week after Labor Day and the Red Sox with a sizeable lead over the Yankees are in town for a 3-game series starting tonight. Usually the Mets are at Shea when the Open starts but this time are on the road in Philadelphia and then Atlanta in crucial series. Next weekend they will be home to confuse the folks who get off at the same #7 Shea Stadium stop. New York is hoppin' as we head for September...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Leann Rimes (25), Jason Priestly (38), Jack Black (38), Shania Twain who is "Still The One" at 42: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z4Fek2rCmQ , Scott Hamilton (49), Ron Guidry (57), David Soul (64), Lou Piniella (64), Ben Gazzara (77) and Billy Grammer (82)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until College Football Kickoff, 6 days until Labor Day and 9 days until the NFL opener...
