[Starting with this issue, only top candidates will be mentioned in order to avoid the ever expanding shopping list of usual suspects]...
The Good
This comes down to two candidates. The first being the city of Boston for two great trades made yesterday. The arrival of Eric Gagne to the Red Sox and Kevin Garnett to the Celtics. Gagne solidifies the best bullpen in baseball and Garnett makes the Celtics immediate play-off contenders. I usually pick someone who has achieved by doing a good deed and there will be no exception this week. Two very worthy ballplayers and people were rewarded this week when they achieved the highest position a baseball player can reach - entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This week's co-winners of the 'Good Award of the Week" are: Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn...
The Bad
There were the usual collection of DUI's, positive testings and indiscretions but it comes down to the pathetic state of the Tour de France cyclers who've tested positive for doping including a new charge that Tour winner Alberto Contrador was involved in doping and Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jeremy Bridges who was very offensive when he was accused of pointing a gun at a female employee of a strip club. Anything involving a gun being used in a crime which could have resulted in a victim either be harmed or killed takes this award. The 'Bad Award of the Week" winner is: Jeremy Bridges. As far as the Tour de Farce goes, throw all the dopers out and start all over again. 'Qualifiers must not be dopers' should be rule number one...
The Ugly
There is only one candidate for this award, Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad whose first-degree murder and second-degree assault trial will soon start. Jury selection has begun. Cozad is accused of ambushing starting punter Rafael Mendoza in a dimly lit parking lot outside Mendoza's apartment in September. Mendoza suffered a 3 to 5 inch deep wound in his kicking leg when he was stabbed by Cozad in an attempt to get Mendoza's job. If convicted of attempted murder, Cozad could face up to 48 years in prison. The trial is expected to take up to 10 days. 'The Ugly Award of the Week" winner: Mitch Cozad...
TGTBTU Update
What's an update without Michael Vick being mentioned. Tony Taylor (not the old radio guy), one of the other 3 accused in the dogfighting case names Vick as the funder of the dogfights. Another sponsor, Rawlings has dropped Vick as a spokesman. Rawlings joins Nike, Reebok, Upper Deck collectibles and Purina Dog Chow (just kidding on that one)...NBA referee Tim Donaghy and NBA Commissioner David Stern will talk as the investigations into his gambling on games he officiated continues...Joseph Raich, co-owner of that Florida steroid factory has pleaded guilty in Albany (NY)...Steroid investigator George Mitchell met with Jose ("I saw him do it") Canseco about new contentions by Canseco in a new book of steroid use, including use by the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez who meanwhile, promises to hit his 500th home run sometime between now and October 1...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1790] Body Count: The first U.S. census shows a population of nearly 4 million. 3.9 million lived on the lower East Side...
- 1966] Tower sniper: Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, climbs the University of Texas tower in Austin and starts shooting. By the time he's through, 15 lay dead and 31 wounded. Whitman was gunned down by Austin police...
- 1971] Debuted on this date: "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" debuts as a summer replacement but will become part of CBS-TV's regular lineup until 1974 when Sonny and Cher host separate shows...1973] Where were you in '62 ? Where were you on this date when "American Graffiti" premiered? The movie makes stars of Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss, enhances the careers of Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack and Suzanne Somers debuts as the blond in the T-Bird. Here's the trailer for this classic movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=h32Kdrh0Z48 ...
- 1973] In this corner: The war between Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk begins in a wild free-for-all after a collision at home plate in a Yankees-Red Sox game. This is the first shot fired in this war between the two. This decision goes to Munson for getting more punches in...
- 1978] Rose takes a doughnut: Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak ends when he's held hitless in 4 at-bats. He ties the National League record set by Wee Willie Keeler...
- 1981] "Video Killed the Radio Star": MTV debuts and the Buggles were on their first video played: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pe9FMoElCoU ...
- 1986] Wedding Bells: John McEnroe and Tatum O'Neal touch gloves and go to a neutral corner after saying "I Do". Divorced in 1992 the couple will have 3 children together...1994] Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley announce that they were married 11 weeks earlier in the Dominican Republic. They do the only sensible thing - divorcing in January of '96...
- 1995] Not the Bargain basement sale at Filene's: Westinghouse buys CBS for $5.4 billion. Could Infinity be far behind???
- 2001] "Happy Trails": Vikings Pro Bowl tackle Korey Stringer dies of a heat stroke at Training Camp. Stringer was just 27...2005] Rock journalist Al Aronowitz passes away from cancer at 77. I considered the much-maligned Al a friend and was glad I got to speak to him one last time before his passing...
- 2004] Busted: Baltimore Orioles star Raphael Palmeiro is suspended for 10 days following a positive test for steroids. Raphy denies everything including the nose job he got...
Music Memories:
- 1960] Released on this date: "The Twist" - Chubby Checker. The single will top the charts for one week on September 19th. Two years later, when it's re-released it tops the charts again on January 13, 1962 for two weeks...
- 1969] Pop goes the AC Festival: 110,000 attend the 3-day Atlantic City Pop Festival held at AC Race Course. The star-studded lineup includes: Janis Joplin, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Jefferson Airplane, the Moody Blues, Three Dog Night, Canned Heat and others...
- 1971] Live from Madison Square Garden: "The Concert for Bangla Desh" starring George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Badfinger and more. Here's George Harrison from the concert: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-tFAyZMdSXs ...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
In keeping with our sports theme today, The New York Daily News recently conducted an on-line poll asking the following question: "Who do you consider the greatest home run hitter of all time?". With a sample size of 2,831 here are the results: Babe Ruth 1,873 (66%), Hank Aaron 739 (26%), Barry Bonds 219 (8%). Bonds, soon-to-be all-time home run champ finishes 3rd...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Tempestt Bledsoe (34), Coach Roy Williams (57), Alfonse D'Amato (70), Yves Saint Laurent (71), Dom DeLuise (74), 'Ziggy' cartoonist Tom Wilson (76) and Geoffrey Holder (77)...
Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Pro Football's HOF induction, 33 days until Labor Day and 36 days until the NFL opener...
