The body of George Gipp, the legendary Notre Dame player who, inspired the rallying cry, "Win one for the Gipper", was exhumed although no one seems to know why. Closest I can come to a 'why' is the quote from a friend of the family, Mike Bynum, sports author and Gipp historian from Birmingham, Alabama, who attended the exhumation: "This is a very sensitive family matter." Apparently the dig-up was requested by Rick Frueh, whose grandmother was one of Gipp's sisters...
ESPN was notified about the exhumation and sent a crew to film it for an upcoming story on Gipp. You just can't make this stuff up. I guess it wasn't that sensitive since they invited ESPN. "Win one for the Gipper" made Ronald Reagan famous when he played Gipp in the 1940 movie, "Knute Rockne, All American." Gipp's remains were taken last Thursday (10/4) from Lake View Cemetery, near the village of Laurium, 550 miles northwest of Detroit. A DNA test is being conducted at the request of the family...
Maybe this will inspire the 'Fighting Irish' who have started the season 1-5. At this point they have to win lots more than 'one for the Gipper'. How about, "Win a ton for the Gipper"???
Notre Dame fans, don't despair, there's always next year and the 'Fighting Irish' still have the greatest of all victory marches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD8n8IGSik4 ...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1967] Friendly Fenway: The Red Sox beat the Cardinals 8-4 in game 6 of the World Series with back-to-back-to-back home runs by Yaz, Reggie Smith & Rico Petrocelli, to force game 7 of the WS and make this blogger, in attendance, very happy...
- 1968] Lift off: Apollo 7 is launched with Wally Schirra, Don Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. It's the first time live television broadcasts were received from space...
- 1971] Curtains: Hugh Downs leaves the "Today Show" and "Concentration". He will later resurface as host of ABC-TV's "20/20" ("we're in touch, so you be in touch")...
- 1975] Hat trick: The Islander's Bryan Trottier gets his first career 'hat trick' (3 goals in one game for the sports deficient). "Trots" becomes a Hockey Hall of Famer in 1997...
- 1975] Wedding Bells: Bill Clinton (Dem) and Hillary Rodham (Rep) merge into the same party when they walk down the aisle...
- 1975] 'Live from New York': George Carlin hosts the first 'Saturday Night Live' with Janis Ian and Billy Preston as the first musical guests. Here's a montage of 'SNL' through the years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD_gyNBBkoU ...2006] Same date, 31 years later, "30 Rock" debuts, using the title of the location of the 'SNL' studios. This show has become a hit for NBC-TV...
- 1984] 1st woman spacewalker: American Kathryn D. Sullivan aboard the Challenger, becomes the first woman to walk in space...
- 1991] Anita Hill accusation: Law professor Anita Hill accuses Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 'must see TV' for the masses. Clarence still denies it, Anita still says it happened. All this brought about by Thomas's new book...
- 1992] A 3-ring circus: George Bush (41), Bill Clinton and Ross Perot conduct the first 3-way presidential debate...
- 2006] Tragedy on 72nd Street: Yankees relief pitcher Corey Lidle, 34, and his co-pilot/instructor Tyler Stanger die when their small plane crashes into the 40th floor of a 50-floor hi-rise in Manhattan. Pilot error was ruled. I saw the ruins of that tragic crash right after it happened. What ensued in the last year is also tragic as the tenant from one of the apartments, sued Lidle's wife and the wife is suing the manufacturer of the plane. They just recently renovated the apartments. Here's video footage of the crash from ABC News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7-_fxHJB3U ...
Music Memories:
- 1966] Number one on this date: "Reach Out, I'll Be There" - Four Tops...1976] "Disco Duck" - Rick Dees, who wisely kept his day job...
Commentary:
In answer to yesterday's question concerning the famous saying I used in the feature story: Youth shall be served, Harvey Mednick, braniac that he is came up with the answer: "Youth will be served, every dog has his day, and mine has been a fine one." The author was George Barrow. Barrow (1803-1881), was an English author of travelogues and novels based on his travels in Europe." In honor of the recently departed (from "Dancing With The Stars") Wayne Newton, "Danke Schoen", Harvey...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jane Krakowski (39), Luke Perry (41), Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez (42), Joan Cusack (45), Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (46), David Morse (54), Daryl Hall (59), Roy Scheider (72) and Elmore Leonard (82)...
Timeline Countdown: The NL Championship playoffs start tonight, 1 day until the AL series begins at Fenway, 13 days until the World Series opener, 20 nights until Halloween, 24 days until Standard Time and 35 days until Thanksgiving...
