Tuesday, October 11, 2005

"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night"...

"Saturday Night Live" started 30 years ago today, in 1975. The grand-daddy of all parody shows actually began life as plain old "Saturday Night" due to a conflict with the ABC network show "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. When Howard and the viewing audience decided that maybe "the coach" wasn't cut out for hosting a variety show, NBC added the word "live"...

George Carlin hosted the first "Saturday Night Live" show on October 11, 1975, doing 3 monologues, Andy Kaufman sang along with the "Mighty Mouse" theme song, there were skits performed by the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players" who were dressed like bees. Add a short film by Albert Brooks, an adult version of Jim Henson's Muppets and tunes by musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston and "Saturday Night Live" was on its way to an historic 30 year journey. Season #31 is already underway...

Original cast members included, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris. Bill Murray would replace Chevy Chase in 1977. Other original cast members included Albert Brooks (one season), the Muppets (one season), short films by writer Tom Schiller and of course, Mr. Bill (oh no)...

"Saturday Night Live" was not a hit in its first season but would develop into a television phenomenon in season 2...

More Saturday Night Live factoids in my commentary...

More October 11 Memories...

1965) The Beatles release "Roll Over Beethoven"...

1966) The Four Tops top the charts with "Reach Out, I'll Be There"...

1967) The Red Sox beat the Cardinals 8-4 in Game 6 of the World Series as Yaz, Reggie Smith & Rico Petrocelli (who would homer twice) hit back-to-back-to-back home runs at Fenway Park...

1968) "Apollo 7" is launched carrying 3 astronauts. Live TV broadcasts are received from orbit for the first time...

1971) Hugh Downs leaves the "Today Show" and "Concentration". He will later resurface as host of ABC's "20/20"...

1975) "Saturday Night Live" debuts (feature story)...

1975) The Islander's Bryan Trottier gets his first career hat trick...

1975) Bill Clinton & Hillary Rodham tie the knot in Fayetteville, AR...

1976) Rick Dees takes "Disco Duck" to the top of the charts...

1984) American Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes the 1st female astronaut to space walk...

1991) Law professor Anita Hill accuses Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment...

1992) Bush, Clinton and Perot conduct 1st 3-way presidential debate...

1999) The Red Sox advance to the ALCS with a 12-8 win over the Indians when injured Pedro Martinez doesn't give up a hit in 6 innings of relief. Troy O'Leary hits a grand slam and a 3-run homer in the win...

2002) Former President Jimmy Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize...

Happy Birthday To...

1935) Roy Scheider...

1948) Daryl Hall...

1961) Football Hall of Famer Steve Young...

1962) Joan Cusack...

1966) Luke Perry...

Commentary...

Some SNL factoids you may not know:

The "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players" was a take-off of "The Primetime Players" featured on "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell". Bill Murray was one of Cosell's "Primetime Players"...The original band used was fronted by Howard Shore and his "All-Nurse Band"...The show is done live for 90 minutes but uses some out-take material including bits that had good audience response for its west coast broadcast...

Some famous SNL catch-phrases: "It's always something" (Gilda Radner's Roseanne Roseannadana), "Never mind" (Gilda's Emily Litella), "You look mahvelous" (Billy Crystal's Fernando), "Isn't that special?" (Dana Carvey's Church Lady) and "We are here to pump you up" (Carvey and Kevin Nealon's Hans and Franz)...

And how can we ever forget, Belushi's Samurai, Aykroyd's Jimmy Carter, Murphy's Mr. Robinson, Martin Short's Ed Grimley and on and on it goes...

While today's version of "Saturday Night Live" doesn't measure up to earlier versions, especially the first 5 years, it must be considered one of the most distinctive, significant and enduring shows in the history of U.S. television...

Happy Anniversary to "Saturday Night Live", 30 years young today...

Monday, October 10, 2005

Remembering a super man...

Christopher Reeve who played a superhero on screen as Superman, lost his courageous battle to live just one year ago today on October 10, 2004. Reeve, 52 went into cardiac arrest at his home in Westchester County, slipped into a coma and died at a hospital near his home...

He made the biggest impact on public consciousness not by his acting but by becoming an advocate for the disabled and for stem cell research following his paralysis in 1995 when thrown from a horse in Virginia. Reeve went through months of therapy to breathe without the continuous aid of a respirator, lobbying Congress in his cause and returned to acting and directing...

Reeve was survived by his wife, Dana and three children. Dana thanked "the millions of fans around the world who supported and loved my husband over the years"...

More on Christopher Reeve in my commentary...

1845) The U.S. Naval Academy opens in Annapolis, MD...

1951) The Yankees beat the Giants in 6 games to win the World Series in Joe DiMaggio's final game...

1957) Lew Burdette's 3rd victory of the World Series gives the Braves the championship over the Yankees in 7 games...

1964) The Shangri-Las release "Leader Of The Pack"...

1965) The Supremes make their 1st appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show"...

1970) "Tears Of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles is released...

1973) The Mets beat the Reds in Game 5 of the NLCS to advance to the World Series vs. Oakland...

1976) The Giants lose to Dallas 24-14 as the Meadowlands opens in New Jersey...

1978) Steve Perry joins Journey...

1979) "The Rose" starring Bette Midler premieres...

1980) KC's George Brett hits an upper deck home run to give the Royals a sweep of the Yankees in the ALCS...

1981) Anwar Sadat's funeral service is held in Cairo...

1985) Orson Welles dies at 70...

1994) The Giants retire Lawrence Taylor's #56...

1998) A New York judge awards $185,000 in damages to a former prosecutor who was falsely accused by advisers of Tawana Brawley (Al Sharpton) of taking part in the alleged rape of Brawley...

1999) The Red Sox force a deciding 5th game with Cleveland in their first-round AL playoff series with a 23-7 win. It's the most runs ever scored in a postseason game...

2003) Rush Limbaugh announces that he was addicted to painkillers as he checks into a rehab center...

2004) Christopher Reeve dies at 52 (feature story)...

Happy Birthday to...

1946) Ben Vereen...

1950) David Lee Roth...

1958) Tanya Tucker...

1961) Julia Sweeney...

1969) Brett Favre...

Commentary...

Christopher Reeve was born in New York City, the son of a novelist and a newspaper reporter...He appeared on "Love of Life" while attending Cornell University in his senior year. Selected one of 2 students to attend the prestigious Julliard School, he studied under John Houseman...The other student selected was...Robin Williams, a lifelong friend...

Reeve debuted on Broadway in 1976 in "A Matter of Gravity" opposite Katharine Hepburn...He later starred in "Fifth of July", playing a disabled Vietnam veteran...

One of Reeve's final quotes: "I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life. I don't mean to be reckless but setting a goal that seems a bit daunting actually is very helpful toward recovery"...

Christopher Reeve was a model for all of us to emulate...

Friday-Sunday, October 7-9, 2005

WNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNBC fades into radio history on this date...

At 5:30PM, October 7th, 1988 WNBC was no more. The station that started as the experimental 2XB in 1919 breathed its last radio breath, signing off forever. WFAN, the former WHN took over the 660 frequency to present a steady diet of all-sports, all the time. Replacing WFAN at 1050 was WUKQ which would become WEVD the following year...

2XB would become WDAM briefly before becoming WEAF (water, earth, air, fire) on May 29, 1922. In July of 1926 RCA/NBC took over ownership of WEAF and sister station WJZ to form the Red & Blue Network. On November 2, 1946 WEAF became WNBC...

To those air personalities that worked with me and countless others that I've worked with over the years following WNBC, please do not be offended if you don't see your name on the following list. There is simply not enough time nor space to list the elite group that manned the mics of a legendary radio station...

A list of partial WNBC personalities from 1919 through 1988 include, Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, Fred Allen, Kate Smith, Buffalo Bob Smith, Bob & Ray, Don Imus, Soupy Sales, Cousin Brucie and Howard Stern...

Some personal thoughts on my time at WNBC follows in my commentary...

More October 7 Memories...

1918) Georgia Tech beats Cumberland College 222-0 (I wonder what the spread was on that game or as Warner Wolf would say, "if you gave 221 points in this game and took Georgia Tech, you're a winner")...

1952) Billy Martin makes a game-saving catch as the Yankees win their 4th straight World Series, beating the Dodgers in Game 7...

1960) "Route 66" premieres...

1960) JFK and Richard Nixon square off for round 2 of their presidential debates...

1964) The Beatles appear on "Shindig!" on tape doing "I'm A Loser", "Kansas City" & "Boys"...

1967) In Game 3 of the 1967 World Series the Cardinals beat the Red Sox 5-2 to take a 2-1 game edge in the series...

1968) The Motion Picture Association of America adopts a film rating system...

1975) The Red Sox advance to the World Series by sweeping the A's in the ALCS in 3 games...

1975) The U.S. decides not to deport John Lennon on a U.K. pot conviction...

1978) Toto releases "Hold The Line"...

1982) That horrible screeching and wailing you hear is coming from the Wintergarden Theater where "Cats" opens. In 1997 it becomes the longest running show in Broadway history...

1984) Walter Payton passes Jim Brown as the NFL's career rushing leader...

1985) 4 Palestinian terrorists hijack the Achille Lauro. They surrender after 2 days and pushing wheelchair bound passenger Leon Klinghofer off the boat...

1988) WNBC signs off (feature story)...

1988) Lou Piniella is fired as Yankee manager by George Steinbrenner for the 2nd time...

1995) Boston's Fleet Center opens for its first game, a 4-4 tie between the Bruins and Islanders despite Cam Neely's 3 goals for Boston...

1999) American Home Products settles its fen-phen case by paying out $4.83 billion to those adversely affected by the diet drug...

2001) Barry Bonds puts the cherry on top of his single season record for home runs by hitting #73...

2003) Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected governor of California in the recall election of Gray Davis...

Happy Birthday to...

1917) June Allyson...

1927) Al Martino...

1931) Desmond Tutu...

1943) Oliver North...

1951) John Cougar Mellencamp...

1955) Yo-Yo Ma...

Commentary...

One of the highlights of my radio career includes being among the select few program directors of WNBC radio from 1976 to 1977 and I have the historic book listing my name that was compiled by finance executive Harvey Eckstein of which I'm proud to own. It would probably take a book (hmmm) to chronicle my life as program director there, brief as it was...

Although Jim Reed (WNBC website) and Vince Santarelli (Apple Bites) can, I'm sure give you a more thorough history of WNBC, the facts used earlier are to the best of my knowledge accurate regarding dates and call letters...

To all who worked at WNBC through the years, this date in 1988 was a sad one as we said goodbye to a legendary radio station that meant so much to us all...

Saturday, October 8, 2005...

Don Larsen's perfecto...

On this date in 1956 Don Larsen did something that was never done before or since, pitch a perfect game (no runner reach first base) in the World Series. Larsen did it on the biggest sports stage there is, Yankee Stadium...

With every one of the 61,519 fans hanging on breathlessly on every pitch, the 27-year old righthander slipped a third strike to Dodger pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell for his 27th consecutive out and baseball immortality...

The final line-score read: Yankees 2-5-0, Dodgers 0-0-0, giving the Yankees a 3-2 advantage over the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series, a series they would go on to win...

Don Larsen at 76 remains active, attending a Yankee rally that was held prior to their playoff series with Anaheim on Monday...

More October 8 Memories...

1871) The Great Fire of Chicago kills 250 and leaves 90,000 homeless...

1918) Sgt. Alvin York single-handedly kills 25 and captures 132 Germans...

1956) Don Larsen pitches a perfect game in the World Series (feature story)...

1957) Jerry Lee Lewis records "Great Balls of Fire"...

1961) Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3's consecutive scoreless innings running his streak to 32...

1964) Ringo Starr takes and passes his driver's test...

1967) Game 4 of the Red Sox-Cardinals World Series goes to St. Louis on a 6-0 shutout by future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson...

1971) John Lennon releases "Imagine"...

1973) A brawl erupts in Game 3 of the National League playoffs between the Mets and Reds as Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson square off at second base...

1977) Billy Joel releases "The Stranger" LP...

1991) A slave burial site is found by construction workers in lower Manhattan. Over a dozen skeletons are discovered at the site that was closed in 1790...

1993) The U.S. government absolves the FBI of any wrongdoing in the final assault on the Branch Dividian compound in Waco, Texas...

2001) Tom Ridge is sworn in as director of the new Office of Homeland Security...

2003) Vivendi Universal and General Electric announce an agreement to merge into NBC Universal...

2004) Martha Stewart begins her 5-month sentence for lying about a stock sale, in West Virginia...

Happy Birthday to...

1941) Jesse Jackson...

1943) Chevy Chase...

1949) Sigourney Weaver...

1950) Robert "Kool" Bell...

1955) SNL's Darrell Hammond...

1970) Matt Damon...

Sunday, October 9, 2005...

'Strawberry Fields Forever"...

This 2.5 patch of land on Central Park's westside, in the shadows of the Dakota, where John Lennon was gunned down in 1980, was officially dedicated to the 45-year old (that day) former Beatle on this date in 1985...

While the fields were named in 1981 by Mayor Ed Koch, the official dedication would take place on John Lennon's 45th birthday on October 9, 1985...

More October 9 Memories...

1959) Bobby Darin becomes the youngest performer to headline the Sand's Hotel in Las Vegas...

1967) Latin American guerrilla Che Guevara was executed in Bolivia while attempting to incite revolution...

1967) The Red Sox rebound to take Game 5 of their World Series against the Cardinals as Jim Lonborg pitches a 3-hitter. Final score is 3-1. Both teams will return to Fenway Park for Game 6...

1969) The Supremes release "Someday We'll Be Together"...

1973) After 6 years of marriage, Elvis Presley & Priscilla divorce...

1974) Frank Robinson becomes baseball's first black manager as he agrees to a deal with Cleveland...

1979) Styx releases "Babe"...

1980) John Lennon releases "Starting Over" on his 40th birthday...

1985) Strawberry Fields in Central Park is dedicated (feature story)...

1986) Joan Rivers debuts her new "The Late Show" on Fox. She only lasts one season as host...

1997) North Carolina's Dean Smith retires as the winningest college basketball coach in history...

2000) Brett Hull passes his Dad, Bobby Hull on the all-time scoring list bringing him to ninth place, with his 611th goal...

2001) Anthrax letters postmarked in Trenton, NJ, are mailed to Senators Daschle and Leahy...

Happy Birthday to...

1923) Fyvush Finkel...

1952) Sharon Osbourne...

1953) Tony Shalhoub...

1956) John ("Dancing With The Stars") O'Hurley...

1975) Sean Ono Lennon...

Thursday, October 6, 2005

The 'Curse of the Billy Goat'...

There's a reason that of the 2 Chicago baseball teams it's the one on the 'other' side of town that's charging toward a pennant, not the Cubs. Tickets for a possible (c'mon Red Sox, make it possible) Game 5 at Cellular Field on Sunday are going for over $1,000 a seat. Our little tale begins on this date in 1945...

Greek immigrant William "Billy Goat" Sianis, owner of a nearby tavern paid $7.20 for 2 box seats at Wrigley Field to watch Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between his beloved Cubs and Detroit Tigers. William decided to bring his pet goat, Murphy, with him, hey he had 2 tickets. William paraded Murphy on the field before ushers intervened, leading them off the field. Both Sianis and the goat were permitted to stay in the stadium in their box seats, but before the game ended Sianis and Murphy were ejected from Wrigley at the command of Cubs owner Philip Knight Wrigley due to various complaints voiced by people seated near the pair. Sianis, outraged at the ejection, placed a curse upon the Cubs that they would never win another pennant or play in a World Series at Wrigley Field again. Sure enough the Cubs lost Game 4 and eventually the 1945 World Series. Since then the cursed Cubs have never been back to the World Series. It's the longest league championship drought in Major League history...

William "Billy Goat" Sianis died in 1970 but the curse remains. The Billy Goat Tavern, opened in 1934 is now owned by Sianis' nephew, Sam Sianis. The tavern was parodied by the famous Saturday Night Live sketch featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Remember 'cheeboyger, cheeboyger...no fries, no Pepsi, no Coke?"...

The Red Sox demolished forever the 'Curse of the Bambino' last year yet the 'Curse of the Billy Goat' remains...

More October 6 Memories...

1927) "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson premieres in New York City. It's the first "talkie"...

1945) "The Billy Goat Curse" is placed on the Cubs (feature story)...

1956) Dr. Albert Sabin discovers the oral polio vaccine...

1959) "Pillow Talk" starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson premieres. It's the first of 3 films starring the box office favorites...

1961) JFK advises Americans to build fallout shelters...

1963) The Dodgers sweep the Yankees in the 60th World Series...

1970) Neil Diamond & "Cracklin' Rosie" are #1...

1973) "The Yom Kippur War" erupts in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria attack Israel...

1976) DJ Rick Dees receives a gold record for "Disco Duck"...

1977) The Yankees win the AL pennant on Chris Chamblisses dramatic home run against Kansas City...

1979) Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit the White House...

1979) The Eagles release "Heartache Tonight"...

1981) Egyptian President Anwar-el Sadat is assassinated at a military rally in Cairo, by Muslim extremists...Hosni Mubarak becomes president...

1983) The New York Jets announce they are leaving Shea Stadium for the Meadowlands...

1983) Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York dies at 62...

1989) Bette Davis dies in France at 81...

1991) Larry Fortensky becomes victim #8 for Elizabeth Taylor...

1996) Faith Hill and Tim McGraw walk down the aisle...

1996) Bob Dole and President Bill Clinton meet in their first debate...

1998) Imelda Marcos is acquitted by the Philippine Supreme Court on the charge of graft (she had to pay for all those shoes somehow). The ruling overturns a 1993 quilty verdict...

Happy Birthday to...

1942) Britt Ekland...

1946) Millie Small...

1946) Former Met pitcher Gary Gentry...

1959) Former Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd...

1951) REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin...

Commentary...

If you need any proof that there really is a curse against the Cubs, consider this...in 1969 they faltered badly after opening an 8 1/2 game lead over the Mets in August, the Mets won the World Series that year...In 1973 the Cubs lost 49 of their last 76 games to finish last in their division despite having led it for much of the year...In 1984 they would finally win their division but lose to San Diego in the playoffs...in 1989 they won the NL East again but lost in the playoffs again...in 2003 they finally won a playoff series but lost the NL Championship series. In 2004 they would lose in the playoffs again...

The best example of 'The Billy Goat Curse' is what happened to the Cubs in the 2003 playoffs. Having a 3-0 lead in decisive Game 5 of their playoff with the Marlins with only 5 outs to go, the following happened...in the top of the 8th inning with one out, Luis Castillo of the Marlins hit a high foul ball to left field where Moises Alou was about to catch the ball. Suddenly Cub fan Steve Bartman deflects the ball away from Alou and although the Cubs tried to get an interference call, the play stood. The Cubs then unraveled and the Marlins would go on to score 8 runs in the inning, win the game and oh, by the way, the World Series too. Bartman was run out of town and the 'Bartman Ball' was exploded by a local fan...

'The Billy Goat Curse ?". Indeed...

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 4-5, 2005

"Who's a bum ?...

That was the New York Daily News headline in one of the greatest front page headlines of all-time. It appeared along with a sketch of a bum (used frequently in those days) that signified the Brooklyn Dodgers or the Bums when they lost. On October 4th, 1955 the Dodgers were no longer bums, winning their first World Series. Beating the perennial cross-town rival Yankees made it that much sweeter for Dodger fans...

Riza Vettor of Boynton Beach, Florida reminds us of a time when "baseball was as important as breathing", an apt description of New York City baseball in the 50s. As I told my sister yesterday, you'll like today's blog a lot better than 'The Shot Heard Round The World" of October 3rd. Am I right, Sis ?...

For the record, The Dodgers beat the Yankees in 7 games with 23-year old lefty Johnny Podres pitching a brilliant 2-0 shutout in game 7 played at Yankee Stadium. As good as Podres was, the hero of the game was little known outfielder Sandy Amoros who made a great catch of a Yogi Berra line drive down the leftfield line with 2 on and no one out. Racing at top speed Amoros stuck out his glove spearing the ball and then firing it back to the infield to double up Gil McDougald trying to get back to first base. That play broke the back of the Yankee rally and essentially put the Dodgers in the driver's seat as they cruised to their first world championship...

The 1955 World Series title was the only one the Brooklyn Dodgers every won. They lost to the Yankees in 1956 and in 1957, seeking a new park with plenty of parking in a better neighborhood, team owner Walter O'Malley announced that he had found that about 3,000 miles away in Chavez Ravine, California. Brooklyn would never forgive him for that...

More October 4 Memories...

1931) "Dick Tracy" makes its debut in the Detroit Daily Mirror...

1956) "Playhouse 90" premieres on CBS-TV...

1957) "Leave It To Beaver" debuts on CBS-TV...

1957) Russia launches "Sputnik I", the first manmade satellite to orbit the earth...

1959) Bobby Darin takes "Mack The Knife" to the top of the charts...

1963) The Los Angeles Dodgers sweep the Yankees in 4 games behind the brilliant pitching of Sandy Koufax...

1964) Patriot kicker Gino Cappelletti is 6 for 6 in field goals against the Broncos...

1965) The Beatles are #1 with "Yesterday"...

1965) Pope Paul VI becomes the first reigning pontiff to travel to North America when he flies to New York for an address to the U.N. General Assembly...

1967) For the first time in 21 years, the Red Sox are in the World Series but they lose game I, 2-1 to the Cardinals at Fenway Park...

1969) Crosby, Stills & Nash release their tribute to Judy Collins, "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes"...

1970) Janis Joplin's body is found in a Hollywood hotel room. "Pearl" dies of a heroin overdose at 27...

1976) Barbara Walters joins Harry Reasoner at the anchor desk of the "ABC Evening News"...

1980) "Another One Bites The Dust" is #1 for Queen...

1986) "What's the frequency Kenneth" is the question posed to Dan Rather as he's mugged in New York City...

1991) The Rangers receive Mark Messier in a trade with Edmonton...

1994) South African President Nelson Mandela is welcomed to the White House by President Clinton...

2001) A photo editor at The Sun inhales anthrax and dies the following day...

2002) John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban" receives a 20-year sentence...

2002) Richard Reid pleads quilty in Boston to trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with his shoe bomb...

Happy Birthday to...

1917) Comedian Jan Murray...

1923) Charlton Heston...

1944) LaBelle member Nona Hendryx...

1944) Patti LaBelle...

1946) Susan Sarandon...

1976) Alicia Silverstone...

Wednesday, October 5, 2005...

"Hooray for Captain Spaulding"...

If you ever wondered what the name of the theme song for 50s quiz show "You Bet Your Life" was, you don't have to wonder anymore. "Captain Spaulding" taken from one of the Marx Brothers' movies was the name of the tune that opened and closed every show...

"You Bet Your Life" debuted on October 5, 1950 as a vehicle for Groucho Marx's immense comic talent and it proved to be just that. Each weekly show would feature a "secret word", "a common word, something you see everyday" as Groucho and the drop-down image of the Marx brother as a stuffed duck would tell us. A contestant would win $100 if they somehow mentioned the word in their many times, hilarious conversation with Groucho. If a contestant failed to win any money in the quiz, a consolation prize was awarded for questions like "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb ?"...

"You Bet Your Life" gave us laughs for 11 years, ending in 1961. Groucho, the quick-witted master of comedy, would live till the age of 86, passing away in 1977...

More October 5 Memories...

1967) Carl Yastrzemski hits 2 home runs leading the 'Impossible Dream' Red Sox to a 5-0 shutout victory for Jim Lonborg to even the World Series with the Cardinals at 1-1...

1968) "White Room" by Cream is released...

1968) Steppenwolf releases "Magic Carpet Ride"...

1969) The Who appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...

1970) Anwar Sadat replaces Gamal Abdel Nasser as President of Egypt...

1975) Harry Chapin releases "Cats in the Cradle"...

1982) The Devils tie the Penguins in their first game in the Meadowlands...

1983) Lech Walesa wins the Nobel Peace Prize...

1985) Grambling's Eddie Robinson becomes the winningest coach in college football history with his 324th win...

1988) In a vice-presidential debate, Democrat Lloyd Bentsen tells Republican Dan Quayle, "you're no Jack Kennedy"...

1989) Jim Bakker is convicted of using his television show to defraud his viewers...

1999) MCI and Sprint announce plans to merge...

2001) Barry Bonds sets a new mark for home runs by hitting #71 and 72 in a loss to the Dodgers...

Happy Birthday to...

1924) Bill Dana...

1941) Chantels lead singer Arlene Smith...

1943) Steve Miller...

1951) Karen Allen...

1954) Bob Geldof...

1957) Bernie Mac...

1975) Kate Winslet...

Commentary...

What stands out to me most about the Dodgers beating the Yankees in the 1955 World Series was feeling so bad about the team I rooted for in my youth losing to the team that represented the borough I was born and raised in. How's that for mixed-up loyalty ?

The other thing that comes to mind is watching parts of the 7th and final game in color in an appliance store window. It was the first time I had seen color tv and I was mesmerized by it. I was lucky or unlucky enough depending on how you felt about it, to see the Sandy Amoros catch in the 6th inning that would destroy any chances of the Yankees winning that game, another first for me for it was the first time I saw the Yankees lose the World Series...

Monday, October 3, 2005

'The Shot Heard Round The World'...

Bobby Thomson was immortalized with one swing of the bat on this date, October 3rd, 1951 when his 3-run homer ended the third and final game of the Giants playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers to put the Giants into the World Series...

A Polo Grounds crowd of 34,320 was on hand for the wild finish that gave the Giants the pennant after trailing the Dodgers by as many as 13 1/2 games on August 11th. The game would go down as one of the most thrilling finishes in baseball history when Glasgow, Scotland born Bobby Thomson lifted a pitch from Ralph Branca 315 feet into the air and over the lower left-field stands at the Polo Grounds...

Thomson the trans-planted Staten Islander would forever be a Giant hero while Branca would wear the goat horns in the hearts of Dodger fans for a lifetime. Branca and Thomson are good friends today and our hero is retired, enjoying a game of golf or two and following the national pastime...

The year Bobby Thomson would become a hero, 1951, he moved to 3rd base to make way for rookie Willie Mays who replaced him in center field. MTV VP Gene Bolan gives us a guest commentary and 'happy recap' of seeing Willie Mays for the first time after the 'Say Hey Kid' joined the Mets in the 70s...

More October 3 Memories...

1945) Elvis Presley makes his first public appearance at 10 in a talent show where he pockets a cool $5 for placing 2nd...

1951) Bobby Thomson hits 'The Shot Heard Round The World' (feature story)...

1954) "Father Knows Best" debuts on CBS-TV...

1955) "The Mickey Mouse Club" premieres on ABC while "Captain Kangaroo" debuts on CBS...

1957) "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom" debuts on ABC-TV...

1961) "The Dick Van Dyke Show" premieres on CBS-TV...

1973) Cher is #1 with "Half-Breed"...

1982) "Jack & Diane" tops the charts for John Cougar ("Mellancamp" would debut later)...

1992) Sinead O'Connor tears up a picture of the Pope during her 'Saturday Night Live' appearance (the Pope would get even by assuring that Sinead never has another hit)...

1995) O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman. Simpson would later be found liable in a civil trial...

1997) The former Hartford Whalers, now the Carolina Hurricanes, play their first home game in Carolina...

2000) Benjamin Orr, bass player of the Cars, a victim of pancreatic cancer at 53...

2003) Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy) is mauled by Montecore, a 7-year old tiger during a stage performance. Not a happy birthday for Roy who turned 59 that day...

5766) Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tonight. L'shanah tovah...

Happy Birthday to...

1941) Chubby Checker...

1944) Roy Horn...

1947) Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac...

1951) Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield...

1954) Rev. Al Sharpton...

1962) Tommy Lee...

1969) Gwen Stefani...

Guest Commentary by MTVs Gene Bolan...

"Growing up the son of a New York Giants fan, I remember my dad telling me that Willie Howard Mays was the most complete baseball player to ever play the game. It wasn't until many years later (after Mays came to the Mets) that I realized it was probably the catalyst that convinced my wonderful father to take myself and two cousins, one sunny Saturday summer afternoon to our first baseball game and we were as happy as any children could be walking into Shea Stadium for the chance to see Willie Mays in person...

We took our seats along the 3rd base side but sadly Bob Watson of the Astros hit a home run to deep left that would send the Mets to defeat but the thrill of the experience still remains a part of me. This was 1973, about a year since Willie became a Met but for all I knew he was still the greatest player in the league and to my dad the greatest ever...

I still have that program, a cherished part of my happy childhood. I still remember the excitement of watching him on Channel 9 and hell, I can even remember sitting comfortably on our burnt-orange shag carpeting and watching the Saturday morning cartoon, "Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid" while filling my belly with Quisp cereal. Ah the happy memories, and I hope you all enjoyed 'the happy recap'"...

(You can be sure we did. Thanks Gene)...

Friday-Sunday, September 30-October 2, 2005

Truly 'a rebel without a cause'...

There are movie icons and then there are pop icons but what makes someone a 'cultural icon' ? Don't know the answer to that but that's what James Dean was considered...

When Dean at age 24 smashed his Porsche 55 Spyder in a California racing accident, he had only starred in 3 movies, "East of Eden", "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Giant". Maybe it was his sullen Brando-like swagger or perhaps that youthful angst that he wore on his sleeve Whatever it was, he had it...

Born on an Indiana farm, Dean was raised by relatives with a Quaker influence. Moving to Southern California he majored in pre-law before changing his major to drama which infuriated his father so that he was evicted from his parents' home. He would move to New York, study under the legendary Lee Strasberg, star in live television dramas and then branch out into a brief but storied Hollywood career...

50 years after his death on September 30, 1955, James Dean is still considered a 'cultural icon'...

More September 30 Memories...

1947) The World Series is televised for the first time with sponsors paying a "hefty" $65,000 for the entire Yankee-Dodger series...

1950) Radio's "Grand Ole Opry" is televised for the first time...

1951) "The Red Skelton Show" debuts on NBC-TV...

1955) James Dean is killed in a two-car collision (feature story)...

1960) "The Flintstones" premieres as the first prime time animation show...

1960) "The Howdy Doody Show" bows out with the silent Clarabelle (played by Bob Keeshan, future 'Captain Kangaroo') speaking for the first time. Clarabelle says "Goodbye kids"...

1962) The first-year New York Mets lose a record 120th game, hitting into a triple play to boot...

1965) Donovan debuts on "Shindig"...

1971) Rod Stewart & "Maggie May" top the charts...

1972) Future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente picks up his 3,000th & final hit as he'll perish in a tragic plane crash on New Year's Eve...

1982) "Cheers" begins an 11-year run on NBC-TV...

1984) Yankee Don Mattingly wins the AL batting crown, edging teammate Dave Winfield with a .343 average...

1985) Howard Stern is fired by WNBC...

1992) Mariel Hemmingway appears nude on the TV show "Civil Wars"...

1997) Fleetwood Mac's reunion show at the Meadowlands grosses a house record $1,094,520...

1999) The Giants lose to the Dodgers in the last game played at 3Com Park, formerly known as Candlestick Park...

Happy Birthday to...

1921) Deborah Kerr...

1931) Angie Dickinson...

1935) Johnny Mathis...

1943) Marilyn McCoo...

1957) Fran Drescher...

Saturday, October 1, 2005...

Roger didn't need steroids for this record breaking performance on October 1, 1961...

On a cool autumn day at Yankee Stadium, Roger Maris would become the first major leaguer in history to hit more than 60 home runs in a season. As Maris followed the flight of his 61st home run off of Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard all the pent-up frustration was over with one swing of the bat and Roger Maris had become the new reigning home run champ wiping out Babe Ruth's 34-year old record. Of course records sometimes come with controversy. Was it unfair for Maris to have an advantage of playing 8 more games than the Babe to get the record ? Here's something to chew on regarding any advantage Maris may have had. While the Babe hit 60 in 154 games to Maris' 59, their total plate appearances were nearly identical, 698 for Maris and 692 for Ruth...

On this same October 1st date, in 1967, the Red Sox clinched their 1st pennant since 1946 by beating the Minnesota Twins 5-3 at Fenway Park. There was a 3-way tie going into the final day of the regular season between the Sox, Detroit and Minnesota. With the Tigers losing and the Red Sox victory it was on to the World Series for the Sox, the first time in 21 years. Oh yes, Carl Yastrzemski with 4 hits in 4 at-bats, 10 in his last 13 ABs, finished the season with the Triple (batting average, home runs, runs batted in) Crown. He is the last person in baseball to win the honor. The 1967 Red Sox were known as "The Impossible Dream" team. Indeed...

More October 1 Memories...

1952) "This Is Your Life" premieres on NBC-TV...

1955) "The Honeymooners" debuts on CBS-TV...

1961) Roger Maris hits his 61st home run (feature story)...

1962) "The Lucy Show" premieres...

1964) Vee Jay Records releases the LP "The Beatles vs. The Four Seasons"...

1971) Walt Disney World opens in Orlando...

1975) Heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali retains his title in the "Thrilla in Manilla" with a TKO in the 15th round over Joe Frazier...

1977) Brazilian soccer great Pele retires with 1,281 goals in 1,363 games...

1981) Walt Disney's EPCOT opens...

1984) Peter Ueberroth replaces Bowie Kuhn as 6th Commissioner of Baseball...

1993) 12-year old Poly Klaas is abducted from her California home. Her body is found more than 2 months later...

1994) The NHL owners begin a 103 day lockout of their players...

1995) The Yankees become the first AL wild card team...

1995) Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 9 others are convicted in New York of conspiring to attack the U.S. through bombings, kidnappings and assassinations...

1996) A federal grand jury indicts Unibomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski for a 1994 mail bomb slaying...

Happy Birthday to...

1921) Actor and giant tomato grower James Whitmore...

1924) Former President Jimmy Carter...

1927) Happy Days' Tom Bosley...

1949) Annie Leibovitz...

1950) Randy Quaid...

Commentary...

Of the 2 October 1st feature stories, the one that means the most to me personally is "The Impossible Dream" Red Sox of 1967. Living in Boston at the time and meeting Yaz and getting an autographed baseball from him, although lost over the years, 1967 was a special year for me. the Red Sox went from a next to last, dreadful team in 1966 to the AL champs the following season. And having seen Mantle, Mays, Snider, all those great New York players of the 50s, I would choose Yastrzemski's Triple Crown winning season of 1967 as the best single individual performance of any player I've seen ever...

Sunday, October 2, 2005...

Bucky (bleepin') Dent...

It depends which side of the fence you're on, Yankee fan or Red Sox fan. If you're a Yankee fan, Bucky Dent's home run in the October 2, 1978 playoff game goes down in the annals of Yankee history. If you're a Red Sox fan, the man will forever be known as Bucky (bleepin') Dent...

Dent's 7th inning home run that put the Yankees ahead to stay on their road to the 1978 world championship, just barely made it over the legendary "green monster" in left field. That home run gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead over the Red Sox in a game won by the pinstripers 5-4 and put a dagger into the heart of every Red Sox fan alive forever...

More October 2 Memories...

1946) With a cast of unknowns, "Faraway Hill" on the Dumont Network becomes the first TV soap opera...

1950) Charles M. Schulz' "Peanuts" comic strip debuts...

1953) Edward R. Murrow's "Person to Person" debuts on CBS-TV...

1955) "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" debuts on CBS-TV...

1959) "The Twilight Zone" premieres on CBS-TV...

1961) "Ben Casey" premieres on NBC-TV...

1962) Johnny Carson debuts as host of "The Tonight Show"...

1965) The Who make their debut on "Shindig"...

1967) Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first black Supreme Court justice...

1968) Bob Gibson strikes out a World Series record 17 batters as the Cardinals beat the Tigers in game one of the series...

1970) A plane carrying 30 members of the Wichita State football team crashes. All 30 players are dead...

1978) Yankees beat Red Sox in one-game playoff (feature story)...

1980) 30 year old heavyweight champ Larry Holmes defends his title with an 11th round TKO of 38-year old Muhammad Ali...

1983) Carl Yastrzemski goes 1 for 4 in his last game...

1985) Rock Hudson dies from AIDS at 59...

1994) For the first time in NFL history, father and son coaches face each other with father Don Shula's Miami Dolphins beating his son's Cincinnati Bengals 23-7...

1998) Gene Autry, Hollywood's "Singing Cowboy", dies at 91...

2002) A man is shot and killed in a grocery store parking lot, becoming the first of 10 victims in a series of sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C. area...

Happy Birthday to...

1938) Rex Reed...

1945) Don McLean...

1948) Donna Karan...

1951) Sting...

1954) "The Soprano's" Lorraine Bracco...

1970) Kelly Ripa...

Thursday, September 29, 2005

No polo played at these Polo Grounds...

The first 3 incarnations of the Polo Grounds did feature polo matches and when the 4th and final site was built on 155th Street in Mahattan in 1922, the reference to the rich man's sport continued. The Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants would stand long enough to see the Mets and Titans (before their name was changed to the Jets) have a home until their stadiums were built in the 60s. September 29th would feature 2 historic events at the field built on Coogan's Bluff...

On a sunny end-of-September day in 1954 the Polo Grounds hosted the first game of the World Series between the Giants and Cleveland Indians. In the 8th inning of a tied (2-2) game and with the Indians threatening with 2 runners on base, Indian 1st baseman Vic Wertz connected for a long drive to the deepest part of the old ball park, 450 feet away in dead center. What happened next would be considered as one of the greatest catches in baseball history. With his back to the plate and running full stride, Willie Mays looked over his shoulder in time to make a miraculous catch. Cleveland manager, Al Lopez called it "one of the greatest catches I ever have seen" but Willie Mays had a different opinion, "I thought I had that one all the way." Willie was the only one in the world who took that view. The Giants would win that game 5-2 and go on to sweep the heavily favored Indians in 4 games...

3 years later, same September 29th date, the New York Giants would play their last game at the Polo Grounds before a meager crowd of 11,606. The Giants were beaten soundly by the Pirates, 9-1. It would be their last game in New York as they were headed for San Francisco where they would play from 1958 to the present...

Some personal memories of the old Polo Grounds in my commentary...

More September 29 Memories...

1951) The first network football game (University of California-Penn) is televised in color on CBS-TV...

1953) "Make Room For Daddy" starring Danny Thomas premiered on ABC-TV...

1954) Willie Mays makes one of the greatest catches of all-time (feature story)...

1957) Final Giant game at Polo Grounds (feature story)...

1960) "My Three Sons" debuts on ABC-TV...

1963) "My Favorite Martian" premieres on CBS-TV...

1963) The Rolling Stones open their first British tour supporting the Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley...

1967) "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is released by Gladys Knight & the Pips...

1969) Jackie DeShannon gets a gold record for "Put A Little Love In Your Heart"...

1971) "McMillan and Wife" debuts on NBC-TV...

1974) John Lennon sits in as a guest deejay on WNEW-FM...

1976) Tommy Lasorda replaces Walter Alston as Dodger manager...

1977) "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco is #1...

1978) Pope John Paul I is found dead after only one month of serving as pontiff...

1982) Extra-strength Tylenol is laced with cyanide in Chicago, 7 die...

1983) "A Chorus Line" becomes the longest running show on Broadway...

1985) "MacGyver" starring Richard Dean Anderson debuts on ABC-TV...

1986) "Designing Women" premieres on CBS-TV...

1986) For the first time in baseball history 2 rookie pitcher brothers oppose each other in a game with Greg Maddux defeating brother Mike (Greg becomes a future Hall of Famer, Mike does not)...

1987) "Thirtysomething" debuts on ABC-TV...

1989) Zsa Zsa Gabor is convicted of battery charges for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer who had pulled her and her Rolls-Royce over for expired plates...

Happy Birthday to...

1922) Lizabeth Scott...

1931) Anita Ekberg...

1935) Jerry Lee Lewis...

1948) Bryant Gumbel...

1958) Andrew "Dice" Clay...

Commentary...

The Polo Grounds was easy to hit home runs in because the dimensions of the field were so short in left (279 feet) and right (257) field. They were even shorter where the second deck jutted out in left (250) and right (249) field. Center field was a massive 460 feet away, leading to the clubhouse steps. Home runs hit to left and right fields were referred to as very un-politically correct and down right racist, "Chinese" home runs...

My cousin and I would go to the Polo Grounds and usually sit in the lower right field seats which were general admission and unreserved seats. During batting practice the balls would whistle past you as players could easily reach the short porch in right field. The thing I remember about the old Polo Grounds was how clean it smelled when you first went in. That was probably due to how easy it was to get a good seat because the Giants attendance was so small. Of the 3 (Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds) stadiums in New York, theirs was always the smallest...

The Polo Grounds was just a walking bridge away from Yankee Stadium although it was located in Manhattan. It was also the stop before Yankee Stadium on the "D" line subway. The most famous player I ever met at the Polo Grounds is the subject of today's feature story, Willie Mays. I got to shake his hand as he was getting into his yellow Cadillac convertible. I didn't wash that hand for a long time...

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

These doctors make house calls...

If you go back 4 decades or more you can trace any specific genre of TV show whether it be the first Western, Crime, Comedy or Quiz Show, you name it, every type of show had a beginning. The Medical Profession had its beginning on this date in 1961 when "Dr. Kildare" came calling with a pleasing bedside manner and a handsome Hollywood actor to play the good doctor in Richard Chamberlain who would make female viewers swoon for 5 years from 1961 to 1965...

Lo and behold, just 4 days later on October 2nd, Vince Edwards would offer Richard Chamberlain some stiff competition over the next 5 years as "Ben Casey" debuted. These 2 doctor shows would run neck and neck in the ratings with both making the top 10. The closest they would come in head-to-head competition came in the '62-'63 season when "Ben Casey" would edge "Dr. Kildare" by 2.5% in ratings with a 28.7-26.2% advantage at the end of the year. Both shows were similar in that they had good looking leading actors with both having mentors, Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Raymond Massey) for Dr. Kildare and Dr. David Zorba (Sam Jaffe) for Ben Casey. Both shows would even have hit records with Richard Chamberlain's "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight" winning the chart battle at #10 to Valjean's "Ben Casey" which would peak at #28. In fan mail, give the edge to Richard Chamberlain who got 3 times as much fan mail as Vince Edwards...

"Dr. Kildare" and "Ben Casey" paved the way, for better or worse, for such "doctor" shows to follow as, "Grey's Anatomy", "Scrubs" and "E.R." They even made it possible for a show about a 16-year old doctor, "Doogie Howser" that somehow lasted 4 years, just barely cracking the top 25 in ratings once. Well, it was different, wasn't it ???

More September 28 Memories...

1941) Ted Williams finishes with a .406 batting average after getting 6 hits in 8 at bats in a doubleheader. No hitter has ever batted .400 since...

1951) The Yankees' Allie Reynolds pitches his second no-hitter of the season as the Yankees clinch the pennant by beating the Red Sox...

1955) The World Series is televised in color for the first time...

1957) "Honeycomb" tops the charts for Jimmie Rodgers...

1958) "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by the Teddy Bears is released. The song is written and composed by 18-year old Teddy Bear singer Phil Spector...

1960) "The Millionaire" airs its last episode on CBS-TV...

1961) "Dr. Kildare", TV's first "Doctor" show premieres (feature story)...

1961) "Hazel" debuts on NBC-TV...

1968) Janis Joplin leaves Big Brother and the Holding Company...

1972) David Bowie sells out Carnegie Hall...

1976) Muhammad Ali beats Ken Norton in 15 rounds for the heavyweight boxing crown...

1991) Miles Davis plays his last note at 65...

1997) Bob Dylan, wearing a cowboy hat gives new meaning to having an audience with the Pope at a Bologna, Italy concert attended by Pope John Paul. Dylan sings "Knocking On Heaven's Door"...

Happy Birthday to...

1923) William Windom...

1925) Arnold Stang...

1934) Brigitte Bardot...

1943) Lou Piniella...

1967) Moon Zappa...

1987) Hilary Duff...

Commentary...

Some "Dr. Kildare" and "Ben Casey" factoids: Intern Kildare cut his medical teeth at "Blair General Hospital" while Casey, a young resident surgeon was a cut-up at "County General Hospital". "Dr. Kildare" was taken from a series of movies in the '30s and '40s starring Lew Ayres while "Ben Casey" was a new concept...

Vince Edwards was discovered by Bing Crosby whose production company produced the show. The Kildare stories were also shown in a 1972 syndicated series called "Young Dr. Kildare" which did not star Richard Chamberlain...

"Dr. Kildare" would "retire" in August of 1966 while "Ben Casey" took a permanent medical leave in March of 1966. Both doctors must have had great medical and retirement benefits but then again HMOs didn't exist back then...

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

"This could be the start of something (Big)..."

Okay it's quiz time. Name the first host of "The Tonight Show". What's that, Jack Paar ? Did someone say Johnny Carson ? Did I hear Hugh Downs ? Wrong, wrong and wrong. When "The Tonight Show" made its network debut on September 27, 1954, the tall guy wearing glasses that opened the show was, ready ? Steve Allen. Having already hosted the show when it started locally in New York on NBC flagship station WNBT in June of 1953, Steverino brought "The Tonight Show" to the network on this date in 1954...

In addition to being one of TV's best comedians, Steve was a musician who wrote hundreds of songs including one commonly used as a theme song on the first "Tonight Show", "The Start Of Something". Steve would open each show at the piano doing a couple of tunes and then wing it until 1 in the morning, live. One of the most creative minds in TV, Steve was the first talk show host to take his cameras out on the street to capture "man on the street" interviews which gave careers in future years to Louis Nye, Don Knotts, Tom Poston and Bill Dana, to name just a few. Early regulars on that first "Tonight Show" included Gene Rayburn, orchestra leader Skitch Henderson, Steve & Eydie and Andy Williams...

When Allen's prime-time series premiered in 1956 he cut back on his "Tonight Show" hosting duties to 3 days a week (wednesday-friday). Ernie Kovacs and guest hosts held down the monday and tuesday duties. The first incarnation of "The Tonight Show" would run through January of 1957 when a news oriented, jazz flavored version of the show called "Tonight! America After Dark" would fill late nights until Jack Paar took over "The Tonight Show" as host 6 months later. Johnny Carson came aboard in October of 1962...

More September 27 Memories...

1894) Aqueduct Race Track opens in Queens...

1954) "The Tonight Show" makes its network debut (feature story)...

1963) Bobby Vinton tops the charts with "Blue Velvet"...

1964) The Warren Commision concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of JFK...

1964) The Beach Boys make their first performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" doing "I Get Around"...

1972) In pre-season hockey the Rangers beat the Islanders 6-4 in the first game played at Nassau Coliseum...

1973) Nolan Ryan breaks Sandy Koufax' season strikeout record with his 383rd K...

1973) Now a disciple of Sri Chinmoy, Carlos Santana changes his name to Devadip...

1973) Grand Funk tops the charts with "We're An American Band"...

1983) Larry Bird becomes the highest paid Celtic in history by signing a 7-year contract worth $15 million...

1984) "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince is #1...

1989) SONY buys Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion...

1996) Oriole second-baseman Roberto Alomar plants a lugie on umpire John Hirschbeck's face...

1998) Mark McGwire of the Cardinals sets the all-time season homerun mark with his 69th & 70th homeruns...

1999) Tiger Stadium closes after 87 years with Detroit beating KC 8-2...

2004) Phil Spector is charged with murder in the shooting death of Lana Clarkson at his mansion in 2003...

Happy Birthday to...

1919) Red Sox great Johnny Pesky...

1920) Jayne Meadows (long time wife of Steve Allen)...

1936) Don ("The Soooouuuullll Train") Cornelius...

1943) Randy (Guess Who, BTO) Bachman...

1947) Meatloaf (Marvin Lee Aday)...

1972) Gwyneth Paltrow...

1984) Avril Lavigne...

Happy Trails to...

Don Adams who passed away this past Sunday at 82...

As Agent 86, Don Adams gave us two of the most famous catch-words on TV, "would you believe...?" and "sorry about that, chief"...A former Marine, Adams was a commercial artist by day and a standup comedian at night. His following grew and soon he was appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and late-night TV shows. His friend Bill Dana cast him as his sidekick on his show which led to an NBC contract and "Get Smart"...

Agent 99, Barbara Feldon said Adams was "very intelligent with a prodigious energy and working with him was like being plugged into an electric current. She went on to add, "he wrote poetry and had an interest in history and Don in person was anything but bumbling."

The September 18th issue of my blog contains a feature on the debut of "Get Smart" which you can get in the archives of "Mel Phillips Remembers"...

Monday, September 26, 2005

The Beatles walk the walk...

If you were to ask most people what the Beatles "Abbey Road" LP was most famous for, the album cover or the music inside, you'd probably get an even split on that answer. Was it the Beatles crossing the street or an album containing 2 of their all-time classic hits, "Come Together" and "Something" ? And oh yes, let's not forget "Octopus's Garden", "Here Comes The Sun", "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and the 16-minute medley that contained "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", "Golden Slumbers" and "Carry That Weight"...Wow what an album !!!

"Abbey Road" was released on this date in 1969 in England and the rest of the world followed quickly. While the U.S. release date was set for October 1st, cuts from the LP were heard on U.S. radio stations well before that date. Back then what was heard anywhere in the world would follow shortly everywhere in the world. Especially if it was the Beatles...

More on the album cover in my commentary...

1955) Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher said their "I do's"...

1957) "West Side Story" opened on Broadway...

1960) Ted Williams hits a home run (#521) at Fenway Park in his last at-bat...

1960) The first TV debate between presidential candidates Richard Nixon and JFK airs...

1962) "Beverly Hillbillies" premieres on CBS-TV...

1964) "Gilligan's Island" premieres on CBS-TV...

1964) The Kinks release "You Really Got Me"...

1965) The Beatles are decorated with the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth...

1966) "Cherish" by the Association tops the charts...

1968) "Hawaii Five-O" says aloha on CBS-TV...

1969) "Abbey Road" is released in Britain (feature story)...

1969) "The Brady Bunch" debuts on ABC-TV...

1969) The Fillmore West (the original Fillmore) opens in San Francisco...

1975) "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" opens in theaters...

1979) The Clash debut in the U.S. with their first single, "I Fought The Law"...

1984) Prince releases "Purple Rain"...

1986) The episode of "Dallas" featuring Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) returning from the dead airs to huge ratings...

1986) William H. Rehnquist is sworn in as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court following the retirement of Warren Burger...

1991) An 8-person (4 men, 4 women) crew begin a 2-year stay inside "Biosphere II" in a project to develop technology for future space colonies...

1993) The 8-person crew yells "let me out, let me out" as they leave "Biosphere II" as scheduled...

1995) JFK Jr.'s "George" Magazine premieres...

Happy Birthday to...

1914) Jack LaLanne...

1946) Christie Todd Whitman...

1947) Lynn Anderson...

1948) Olivia Newton-John...

1962) Melissa Sue Anderson...

1981) Serena Williams...

Commentary...

The photo of the Beatles crossing the zebra stripes at Abbey Road had all kinds of symbolism attached to it which just fed the raging flames of the "Paul Is Dead" worldwide rumors...

First of all, Paul is barefoot and out of step with the rest of the Beatles. He also holds a cigarette in his right hand despite being left-handed. A car license plate "281F" supposedly refers to McCartney being 28 if he was still alive (the "I" is actually a "1"). John dressed in white represents Jesus, Ringo in black is the undertaker, George in jeans and a denim work shirt is the gravedigger and Paul is the only one barefoot, like a body in a casket. An American tourist (Paul Cole) is captured by chance in the photo. Hmmm, I wonder if he got royalties ???

Of course by now we know that those rumors were fiction not fact. The Beatles made that spot on Abbey Road, still in use, famous as a popular tourist site and well, how about the album based on musical merit ? It's been ranked as high as 8th greatest album of all-time by VH1 in 2003 and in 2004, 14th best album by Rolling Stone Magazine...

Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2005

Nothing rocky about the Brockton Bomber...

Rocky Marciano who would remain undefeated throughout his boxing career won his biggest fight on the night of September 23, 1952, winning the heavyweight championship with a 13th round knock out of Jersey Joe Walcott...

With champion Walcott installed as a 3-1 favorite and despite being knocked down for the first time in his career in the first round by a left hook from the champ, Marciano traded bombs with Walcott for 12 rounds before ending it all with a 13th round knockout. Marciano's most important victory goes down as one of the greatest fights of all time, to this day. Legendary sports writer Red Smith, a fan of Walcott's who was disappointed by the result of the fight summed it up by saying "After 23 years as a professional fighter, the former champion went out in a total disgrace that no excuses can relieve." Most people had a different spin on the fight calling it Rocky Marciano's finest hour...

The fight in Philadelphia was attended by more than 40,000 fight fans who paid over $500,000 to see the crowning of a new champ. In addition the bout was neither on home TV nor on radio but it was televised into 50 theaters in 30 cities earning a profit of $125,000. It would become the first major pay-per-view fight in history...

If you're wondering what the new champ took home, Rocky Marciano earned $100,000 for his efforts. There would be a rematch of the same 2 fighters one year later with the same results but it didn't take the champ 13 rounds, just one. This time Marciano was the one defending his title...

More September 23 Memories...

1642) Harvard holds its first commencement...

1952) Vice Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon gives his famous "Checkers" speech...

1952) Rocky Marciano wins the heavyweight crown (feature story)...

1956) Future Monkee Mickey Dolenz begins his career in NBC's "Circus Boy" series...

1961) NBC's "Saturday Night At The Movies" debuts with "How To Marry A Millionaire"...

1962) The New York Philharmonic Hall opens, the first unit in Lincoln Center. The hall will later be renamed Avery Fisher Hall...

1962) "The Jetsons" premieres on ABC-TV. It's the network's first program in color...

1962) Dodger Maury Wills breaks Ty Cobb's 47-year old stolen base record when he swipes #97 on his way to 104...

1964) "Fiddler On The Roof" starring Zero Mostel opens on Broadway...

1967) The Doors release "People Are Strange"...

1969) The London Daily Mirror reports that Paul McCartney is dead...

1969) "Marcus Welby MD" premieres on ABC-TV...

1972) Mott The Hoople releases "All The Young Dudes"...

1977) Cheryl Ladd replaces Farrah Fawcett on "Charlie's Angels"...

1988) Jose Canseco is baseball's 1st to steal 40 bases and hit 40 home runs...

1991) Islanders Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin are inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame...

Happy Birthday to...

1920) Mickey Rooney...

1938) Ben E. King...

1943) Julio Iglesias...

1949) Bruce Springsteen...

1959) Jason Alexander...

1967) Harry Connick, Jr...

Saturday, September 24, 2005...

The Mets clinch their first pennant...

Mark it down, September 24, 1969. That's the day the New York Mets clinched their first division title. They're guaranteed of taking the National League East by virtue of their 6-0 win over the Cardinals at Shea Stadium...

The late Bob Murphy gives us the call, "the crowd is chanting, we're number one!". Here's the rest of his call, "Gentry pitching, working hard here against Joe Torre. Now in the set position, here's the pitch, ground ball to shortstop, Harrelson to Weis, there's one, first base...double play. The Mets win ! It's all over! Ohhhh, the roar going up from this crowd ! An unbelievable scene on the field...fans are pouring out on the field."

The Mets surprised the baseball world by not only clinching and winning the National League East but by upsetting the great pitching staff of the Orioles in winning their first World Series. It was a great day for the Flushing faithful...

More September 24 Memories...

1957) The Brooklyn Dodgers play their last game before a small crowd at Ebbets Field. They win the game 2-0 over the Pirates...

1961) "The Bullwinkle Show" debuts in prime time on NBC-TV. The show was originally on ABC in the afternoon as "Rocky and His Friends"...

1961) "I Love Lucy" bows out after a 10-year run...

1964) "The Munsters" debuts...

1968) "60 Minutes" premieres on CBS-TV...

1968) "Mod Squad" debuts on ABC-TV...

1972) Joe Namath passes for 6 touch downs in the Jets 44-34 win over the Baltimore Colts...

1976) Patricia Hearst is sentenced to 7 years in prison for her role in a 1974 bank robbery. She serves 22 months before President Jimmy Carter sets her free on a clemency order...

1977) "The Love Boat" sets sail on ABC-TV...

1977) Styx sets sail with "Come Sail Away"...

1982) Prince releases "1999"...

1983) Billy Joel's tribute to the 4 Seasons, "Uptown Girl" debuts on the charts en route to the top 3...

1988) James Brown shoots it out with a Georgia state trooper, is arrested...

1994) Eric Clapton performs on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live"...

1996) President Clinton and other major nuclear powers sign a treaty to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons...

Happy Birthday to...

1921) Jim McKay...

1924) Sheila MacRae...

1942) Gerry Marsden...

1952) Joseph Kennedy II...

1964) Rafael Palmeiro...

Sunday, September 25, 2005...

The "Say Hey Kid" steals September headlines...

On this date in 1965 Willie Mays, still a Giant at that point, would become at age 34 the oldest player to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest player to hit 50 home runs 10 years earlier at the age of 24...

After Willie Mays was signed by the Mets in the twilight of his career, he was honored by the team with his own night. On the night of September 25, 1973 a sold-out Shea Stadium paid tribute to future Hall of Famer Mays. Willie did not play in that game but the Mets won it for him by edging the Montreal Expos 2-1...

Just 3 days earlier (September 22) in 1969 Willie became the second player, behind Babe Ruth to hit 600 home runs...

More September 25 Memories...

1954) Elvis Presley appears live on the "Grand Old Opry" and performs "Blue Moon of Kentucky"...

1962) Sonny Liston KOs Floyd Patterson in the first round to win the heavyweight championship...

1965) The half hour Saturday morning cartoon "The Beatles" starts a 4-year run on ABC-TV...

1965) At the age of 34 Willie Mays becomes the oldest player to hit 50 home runs (feature story)...

1971) "Peace Train" is released by Cat Stevens...

1973) Willie Mays has a night at Shea Stadium (feature story)...

1975) Jackie Wilson collapses while performing "Lonely Teardrops" in Cherry Hill, NJ. 41 at the time, he had suffered a heart attack resulting in brain damage. He dies in 1984 after spending the rest of his life in hospitals, mostly in a coma...

1979) The Eagles release their "The Long Run" LP...

1980) Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham dies of alcohol consumption...

1997) NBC sportscaster Marv Albert pleads quilty to assault and battery of a lover. He is fired by NBC hours later...

1997) "ER" is performed live on TV...

2003) George Plimpton writes his final chapter at 76...

Happy Birthday to...

1918) Baseball Hall of Famer, Scooter Phil Rizzuto...

1931) Barbara Walters...

1944) Michael Douglas (who will never forget his wife's birthday)...

1947) Cheryl Tiegs...

1961) Heather Locklear...

1969) Catherine Zeta-Jones (who will never forget her husband's birthday)...

Thursday, September 22, 2005

This time saying "uncle" wins...

But only if you spell it U.N.C.L.E. as in "The Man From..." The popularity of James Bond created this take-off of Agent 007 and his exploits on September 22, 1964...

Superagents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) were expertly teamed to fight the international crime syndicate THRUSH. The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (for those who have forgotten or never knew what U.N.C.L.E. stood for) had secret American headquarters in New York City. Mr. Alexander Waverly who ran the office was played by Leo G. Carroll...

Week after week we saw Solo and Kuryakin spend most of each episode saving the world from THRUSH and liked it so much we helped push the show as high as #13, its highest rating position achieved, in the '65-'66 TV season...

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." would run 4 years, ending on January 15, 1968. The show that replaced it would become one of the biggest hits of the late 60s. I'll name that show in my commentary...

More September 22 Memories...

1957) "Maverick" starring James Garner debuts on ABC-TV...

1961) JFK establishes the Peace Corps...

1962) Bob Dylan makes his first appearance at Carnegie Hall...

1962) The Springfields (featuring Dusty Springfield) become the 1st British group to reach the top 20 when "Silver Threads & Golden Needles" hits #20...

1964) "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." debuts on NBC-TV (feature story)...

1965) The Supremes record "I Hear A Symphony"...

1966) "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby" is released by the Rolling Stones...

1967) The Beatles appear on the cover of Time Magazine...

1967) The Box Tops top the charts with "The Letter"...

1969) The Giants' Willie Mays becomes the second player, behind Babe Ruth, to hit his 600th home run ( Hank Aaron will eventually pass both)...

1975) "I'm Sorry" tops the charts for John Denver...

1975) Sara Jane Moore fails in an attempt to shoot President Ford outside a San Francisco hotel (it's the second attempt on Ford's life)...

1983) After 10 years apart, the Everly Brothers reunite in London's Royal Albert Hall...

1985) The first Farm-Aid concert, inspired by John Cougar Mellencamp raises $10 million for U.S. farmers...

1987) The second regular season NFL player strike begins (it's the second strike in 5 years)...

1989) Songwriter Irving Berlin dies at the age of 101...

1995) Time Warner strikes a $7.5 billion deal to buy Turner Broadcasting System, Inc...

1997) Elton John releases his Diana tribute, "Candle In The Wind 1997"...

1999) Actor George C. Scott plays his last scene at 71...

2001) Violinist Isaac Stern plays his last note at 81...

Happy Birthday to...

1927) Tommy Lasorda...

1956) Debby Boone...

1960) Joan Jett...

1962) Scott Baio...

Commentary...

Although "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was a hit show, it was replaced with an even bigger show on January 22, 1968. That show would reach #1 in the '69-'70 TV season. What was that show ? It was "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" which debuted in the same 8pm to 9pm Monday night time slot one week after "U.N.C.L.E." departed...

There was one spin-off of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." lasting only one season from 1966 to 1967 and it was called "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.". That show starred Stephanie Powers and Noel Harrison. Leo G. Carroll was also cast on the spin-off as Alexander Waverly...

Could it be that the spin-off would've worked with a different title ? How about something more creative like "The Girl From A.U.N.T." ? Hey, you never know...

If at first you don't succeed then skydiving definitely is not for you...

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

"Are you ready for some football ???"...

NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle brought his idea for prime time football to CBS and NBC as early as 1968 with both networks turning him down but he found a taker at ABC. Producer Roone Arledge bought the idea and set out to create an entertainment spectacle wrapped around a football game and it would be called "Monday Night Football"...

MNF debuted on September 21, 1970 with 3 men in the booth led by the enigmatic and bombastic Howard Cosell. Cosell was joined by veteran play-by-play man Keith Jackson and former Dallas quarterback Don Meredith for color. Director Chet Forte positioned the cameras and quickly became the best in the business by using instant replay, never before seen graphics and innovative camera angles...

While there would be changes made over the years with Frank Gifford replacing Jackson and 3 men in the booth reduced to 2, "Monday Night Football" has remained a prime time staple for ABC. The NFL recently signed a new deal which will move MNF but keep it in the same (Disney) family when the monday night game moves to ESPN in 2006...

Oh by the way, the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets 31-21 in the first "Monday Night Football" game back on September 21, 1970...

Some personal views of Howard Cosell follow in my commentary...

More September 21 Memories...

1938) A surprise, unnamed category 3 hurricane slams into Long Island and southern New England causing 600 deaths...

1948) Milton Berle becomes the permanent host of "The Texaco Star Theater" on NBC-TV...

1957) "Perry Mason" makes its debut on CBS-TV with Raymond Burr as Mason...

1961) Bobby Vee tops the charts with "Take Good Care Of My Baby"...

1966) Jimmy Hendrix changes the spelling of his first name to "Jimi"...

1970) "Monday Night Football" debuts on ABC-TV (feature story)...

1972) "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" by Mac Davis is #1...

1973) Henry Kissinger is confirmed as Secretary of State by the Senate...

1974) BTO releases "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"...

1980) Elton John signs a long term deal with Geffen Records...

1981) The Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female justice of the Supreme Court...

1982) The Devils beat the Rangers 3-2 in an exhibition game. It's the first hockey game ever played in the Meadowlands...

1983) Billy Joel tops the charts with "Tell Her About It"...

1986) "Golden Girls", "Cagney and Lacey" and Michael J. Fox are winners at the 38th Emmy Awards Show...

1989) The Bangles break up...

1996) JFK Jr. marries Carolyn Bessette in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia...

1998) President Bill Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony about the Monica Lewinsky scandal is publicly broadcast...

1998) Olympic gold medal track star Florence Griffith is found dead at home. Flojo was 38...

2001) "America: A Tribute To Heroes" is shown. The telethon raises $150 million to benefit families of terrorist attacks on 911...

Happy Birthday to...

1931) Larry Hagman...

1947) The Eagles' Don Felder...

1947) Stephen King...

1950) Bill Murray...

1967) Faith Hill...

1981) Nicole Richie...

Commentary...

Howard Cosell surfaced for the first time in my life when he hosted a 15-minute local sports show on channel 7 in New York. In my first fulltime job in the ABC mailroom I was fortunate enough to have access to the studios and would take advantage of it by watching Cosell do his show live each night, waiting for his sports celebrities to walk off camera so I could meet them...

Fast forward to the 90s when I worked in the same ABC building that Howard Cosell did his network radio show in. Howard was in failing health and had just come back to do his radio show when I ran into him on a crowded elevator. "How are you feeling Mister C ?" was the question. In typical Howard Cosell fashion he turned to me with this reply "I'm just fine but you look terrible". He got a big laugh from everyone on the elevator including me...

Whether you liked him or not, that was Howard Cosell. Brash, cantankerous, name your favorite descriptive word for him, whatever he was he made himself into a much talked about TV star who didn't have any plans to start or end that way. Howard Cosell was a smart man with a law degree to prove it. Who knows, maybe he played all of us and had a great time doing it...