The biggest stories in sports are 1) Joe Torre declining George Steinbrenner's 1-year offer, and 2) The Red Sox big win over Cleveland, keeping them alive in the ALCS. In Boston, Cleveland and in cities that generally hate the Yankees, that order is reversed, of course. Living in the bubble called New York City, it's an easy call to say that Torre will be the biggest story of the year, depending or not whether he really is through with the Yankees. Mike Lupica, one of the best writers alive, canonized Torre today. I was waiting for St. Joe Day to be suggested at the end of that column...
I will not be following up on the Sox or Torre but will, instead, recommend a new sports magazine show I watched this week called 'E:60'. The show starts with a meeting of sportswriters discussing, one-by-one, the stories they chose to cover. These stories are "60 Minutes" type features covering items you may not have heard about or seen, like the estrangement of the Fielder's, Papa Cecil and son Prince. You'll find out why they no longer talk. There was a story about a star high school football player, accused of sexual charges and how the school is handling it. Will he or won't he play in the school's big game???
The sports reporters on the show are ESPN regulars but not the stars of the all-sports network. The most famous of these reporters would probably be Jeremy Schaap, who's following in the footsteps of his late father, Dick Schaap and becoming a star sports reporter on his own. Tom Farrey, Rachel Nichols, Lisa Salters and Michael Smith round out the staff. The show is slotted, for now, at 7 p.m. Tuesdays on ESPN and will run for 3 more episodes in what amounts to a test run. The show hopes to return in 2008. It gets my vote to continue. I hope it does. Here is a clip of Tom Farrey during the 'pitch' meeting, discussing the story he chose to cover: http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3066713 ...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1953] You're Fired: Julius LaRosa is fired on "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (except for Julius LaRosa)". Ahthuh says "Julius has lost his humility" as the media searches for their Noah Webster. Here's Julie and Arthur in happier times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqPS-hDTlgA ...
- 1959] Debuted on Broadway on this date: "The Miracle Worker" starring Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft...
- 1960] Shutting down Castro: The U.S. imposes an embargo on exports to Cuba...
- 1969] Effete feat: VP Spiro T. Agnew calls anti-Vietnam protesters "an effete corps of impudent snobs" as the media searches for their Noah Webster...
- 1977] Psst, it's the SST: The supersonic Concorde makes it's first landing in New York City, shattering windows at Archie Bunker's house...
- 1987] Taking the plunge: The stock market crashes as the Dow Jones plunges 508 points (22.6%), its second biggest percentage drop...
- 2002] Sniper strikes: A 37-year old man is seriously wounded outside a steakhouse in Ashland (VA) in the latest attack by the Washington-area sniper...
- 2004] The bloody sock: Curt Schilling, bloody sock and all, pitches the Red Sox to a 4-2 win over the Yankees, setting up a winner-take-all game 7 for the ALCS showdown. Red Sox fans will enjoy this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpAYZYuQEw8 ...
- 2004] Bagged in Baghdad: Insurgents in Iraq abduct Margaret Hassan, local director of CARE International, from her car. Tragically, Hassan is later slain by her captors...
- 2005] Guilty as charged: A defiant Saddam Hussein pleads innocent to charges of premeditated murder and torture as his trial opens under heavy security in the former headquarters of his Baath Party in Baghdad...
Music Memories:
- 1969] Number One on this date: "I Can't Get Next To You" - Temptations...1985] "Take On Me" - a-ha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUod3jGQt0U ...1986] "True Colors" - Cyndi Lauper...
- 1973] Released on this date: "Photograph" - Ringo Starr...
Commentary:
"Happy Trails" to two big show business celebrities, starting with the "I" in "The King and I", Deborah Kerr who suffered from Parkinson's disease. Kerr, who also co-starred in "From Here To Eternity" and "An Affair To Remember", died Tuesday night in Suffolk, England at the age of 86...Joey Bishop, born Joseph Gottlieb, the stone-faced comedian and Rat-Pack member along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford, passed away on Wednesday night from "multiple causes". Bishop was the last living member of the Rat-Pack...On to happier things and the 1st anniversary of Lynn and Lindsay Brough of Lower Hutt, New Zealand. A very proud dad witnessed their wedding on a boat in Wellington Harbor exactly one year ago on October 21. Congratulations to both of you and to my niece Frann, enjoying her birthday (no age allowed) the same day...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Chris Kattan (37), Amy Carter (40), Ty Pennington (43), Evander Holyfield (45), Jennifer Holliday (47), Jeannie C. Riley (62), John Lithgow (62), Peter Max (70) and John le Carre (76)...
Timeline Countdown: 5 days until the World Series opener, 12 nights until Halloween, 16 days until Standard Time and 27 days until Thanksgiving...
Saturday-Sunday, October 20-21, 2007...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1960] Premiered on this date: The Elvis Presley movie "G.I. Blues" (10/20)...1992] Madonna's erotic photograph book, "Sex" is released with a first-run of 500,000 copies (10/21)...
- 1960] Debatable: The 4th and final presidential debate between JFK and Richard Nixon is held. The debate was over as soon as both candidates were seen in debate one (10/21)...
- 1968] Wedding Bells: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy and Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onasis tie the knot. The marriage will end with the death of Onassis in 1975 (10/20)...1991] Clint Black and Lisa Hartman rock down the aisle (10/20)...
- 1973] You're Fired: Special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox is fired by Richard Nixon. Attorney General Elliot Richardson, Deputy Attorney General Ruckelhaus and Solicitor General Bork resign in protest (10/20)...
- 1973] Pudge walks it off: Carlton Fisk wins game 6 of the World Series between the Red Sox and Reds with his dramatic body language. Although this video doesn't show Pudge gesturing for the ball to stay fair, it follows the flight of the ball into the nets and Fisk running the bases and freakin' out at home plate (10/21): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVXLS6mCbTY ...
- 1976] Cy Young to Sayonara: The Nets sell Julius "Dr. J" Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. What the devil were the Nets thinking? (10/20)...
- 1976] Hung up: The New York Knicks retire Willis Reed's #19 uniform (10/21)...
- 1979] Dedication Day: The John F. Kennedy Library opens in Boston (10/20)...
- 1998] Sweeping into history: Following a 4-game sweep of San Diego in the World Series, the Yankees set a major league record of 125 wins for a regular and post-season combined (10/21)...
- 2004] The Nation Rises: The Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees to win the AL pennant despite being down 3 games to none in the series (10/20)...
Music Memories:
- 1955] Live from Brooklyn High School in Cleveland: Bill Haley & the Comets and Elvis Presley perform on the same bill at Brooklyn High School near Cleveland (10/20) Here's a clip of Bill Haley in action in a non-related TV appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaR_Bssx9ag ...
- 1958] Recorded on this date: "True Love Ways", "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" & "Raining in My Heart". This is Buddy Holly's final recording session (10/21). "True Love Ways" is one of Holly's most underrated songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyCzxFgzlSE ...
- 1961] Released on this date: "Bob Dylan" LP (10/20)...1962] "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Four Seasons (10/20)...1973] "The Joker" - Steve Miller Band (10/20) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIHP9o6X6D8 ...
- 1978] Debuted on this date: The Police debut at CBGB's. It's the band's first U.S. concert (10/20) and here's the beginning of that set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAKusxkNN9k ...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(10/20) Snoop Dogg (36), Tom Petty (57), Wanda Jackson (70) and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Juan Marichal (70)...
(10/21) Carrie Fisher (51), Benjamin Netanyahu (58), Judge Judy (Sheindlin) (65), Elvin Bishop (65), Steve Cropper (66), Manfred Mann (67), Whitey Ford (79) and Joyce ('Honeymooners') Randolph (82)...
Timeline Countdown for Sunday, October 21: 3 days until the World Series opener, 10 nights until Halloween, 14 days until Standard Time and 25 days until Thanksgiving...
