In the aftermath of the still, (will be for a long time, but will not be as bad if preferably, now 2 plus point(s) favorite Illinois, or if not, the Illini, (ode to Red Grange), then the preferably ‘Zona maybe even Michigan beats U.Conn) being talked about, U.Conn miracle win vs Duke, below some notes, regarding that day’s women’s “reg” final tilts, involving the two schools.
While they did not “cover,” for at least the second consecutive tilt, “out bet” to win it all, yet again–(comments on the complaining with a bakery full of bread or is it virginia hams per The Sopranos, Autoremina and surprising praise for knocked here, Pitino’s complaint) U Conn women eased st.up, vs Notre Dame– while the Duke women bettors were “happens a lot” “burned,” when UCLA, deemed having the best chance vs U. Conn in a potential final game but a semis underdog vs Texas, U. Conn is (-7 plus vs South Carolina, an 11 plus point(s) “fave” was “collectively” sent to the line up 10, with a half minute left and then after Duke missed, they did not foul down 12.
‘Twas nothing compared to the Duke st. up or futures “singe,” but one wonders, who knows what, as I add Duke “time-outed” down 12, WHY?!!
By definition, since only one series had been played, going into yesterday’s beginning of baseball’s second series there were the same number of unbeaten and winless teams (five).
More than somewhat incredibly, nine of the ten “uns” disappeared with only the A’s, a once great proud franchise, where ever the bleep they “home,” ruined more than once by the unfair $$ distribution that permeates much more and more important than baseball, still sans a win.
While the (3-1) Braves took the A’s in a third and now fourth city clash and redux of speaking of miracles, the 1914 “miracle” Boston Braves shocking 4 game World Series sweep of the great Philadelphia A’s, who had won their 4th pennant in 5 seasons and were heavily favored to make it 4 titles in that span.
Readers you get the specific results, suffice to say Alexander’s pick to be last undefeated (that became a 5 way tie, dead heat rules, Lulu, envy and a CD yielded Michael Santasieri, a fine schoolyard type plus player but surely not Michael Jordan or close, being told he was good enough to make a not so good U.Conn team/program. (So happy to make as much as the N.I.T students from Connecticut U. dribbled from campus to Madison Square Garden, which then in better days and not just for the N.I.T, , which plays its semis in Indianapolis on Thursday, which hosted the entire tournament) Toronto lost to winless Colorado and another winless (the Chi Sox) beat another unbeaten the Marlins.
Elsewhere, (why not cite it, some day I will clear or at least clear up the cryptic), (2-2) Cleve took (3-1) L.A. Dodgers, (3-1) Seattle won vs the (3-1) Yankees, and (2-2) Tampa Bay beat (3-1) Milwaukee.
Winless S.F. (Giants), who had scored but one run in 3 losses to the Yankees scored 3 (team total was 3 plus), but it was enough to beat the (1-3) Padres while Arizona swept by the Dodgers (two losses by one run-memo to Tony’s son, John Orlando, won vs the (2-2) Tigers.
Seven of eight related results went vs the “Un’s.”
Luigi “Geno” Auriemma, obviously a great and seemingly always winning titles coach, but seemingly as with many highly sucessful coaches/human beings a bit of an “exit,” is pictured below. “Fwit” has UCLA but even that is unlikely to stop U.Conn women. Maybe the “miracle men” will also win it all, but as chalk I say no and I do not want them to.
Other than Connecticut’s shocking comeback win vs Duke, the regional final tilts produced higher seeded/favorites winning by “enough” setting up a pair of 1 and a fraction/semis tilts on Saturday.
(Had thought of Kentucky under Tubby Smith (Pitino lied that he was staying, but his last there was in the final round loss to Arizona and there is no denying Pitino is an excellent coach, nowhere near the best ever, as another ESPN.com “hyper” wrote days back, but yesterday while U.Conn miracled, “Mr. Slick” got not a parking ticket (see the All In The Family episode), but a highly lucrative contract– why care?!!) overcoming a big Duke lead in a ’98 last of the 4 “reg” final. They went on to “title.” Yet ….
Illinois, pathetically deemed as “holding on” by ESPN.com, when they pulled away to win by 12 as say 7 point(s) favorites, vs fellow Big Ten team, Iowa is the aforementioned one plus point(s) favorite vs Connecticut, which I believe is (18-0) ATS and (17-1) in the tournament these last four, winning it all (12-0)/(12-0) in ’23 and ’24 under the cajoling, but face it, so effective, even great, coach, Danny Hurley.
In a battle of the two remaining regional top seeds, Arizona, in its first national semi since ’01, when they lost in the final to Duke, is the slight “fave” vs Michigan.
Click below to hear, the obviously to be far different toned radio, of both Connecticut and Duke, as Braylon Mullins (Jeff Mullins, a great shooter and a Duke player, anyone?!) hit the incredible regional final game winning shot.
Bray Mullins pictured above. I did not like Duke fouling up 3 and it seemed all Duke had to do was hold the ball. I “Truman/Dewey’d” this despite knowing it had been “faves,” essentially not close and another harsh reality, Eagle has so much luck to offset in my opinion, not so much skill.
Today and tomorrow (“Robin Bubbles” b/day and 39 years, “exactly,” since no tape ‘para’ Rabbi Harry Goder at a Northeast Jewish Center ceremony, honoring Mr. Goder–he was “Mr.” for trigonometry and Rabbi in Hebrew school), four regional final round games will be played, determining the “semis” qualifiers.
In the East on Sunday, overall top seed Duke will face Connecticut followed by the South “reg” final game, matching region top seed Michigan and Tennessee (read ahead as I get another opportunity to (pun intended/unfortunately also too much venom?), to “knock,” the so lucky, underachieving Peyton Manning).
See, among many Manning “fails” in big games (it does stop him from being shoved down our collective throats in ad after ad) was when Tennessee and Manning failed to help Michigan in a ’97 season bowl game (Manning also never beat Florida in 4 tries, another gauge to go with his many big NFL game failures), thus with Scott Frost of Nebraska clamoring for it, the last year of no official college pig champion was another share, between Michigan and Nebraska.
Last night Michigan, which won an undisputed football crown after “semi-ing” Alabama in Saban(o’) s last in 2023, “reg” semi’d them last night, before Tennessee, a recent trivia ? answer, as the lone listed team, sans an NCAA hoops crown (they do have football such, most notably one in ’98, the first so called official, the year after Manning left. I need not be Perry Mason to win my “case” vs the extremely talented, Kershaw type, Manning, each with titles but how much does that offset their ‘offs negatives–I say very little) denied a “Johnny Orr” game, beating Iowa State, which made its only national “semi” appearance in ’44 when there were (add those digits= 8 in the whole tournament.
Today’s tilts will match Illinois (-7) vs fellow Big Ten team Iowa (The Big Ten, unofficially but likely, is (16-4) in this tournament vs other conference teams) followed by Arizona (-6 or so) vs another “Big Ten-er,” Purdue.
Johnny Orr, who coached both Michigan and Iowa State teams in the NCAA Tournament, is pictured above.
Fifty years ago, Indiana completed an undefeated season winning vs Orr coached Michigan in an all Big Ten final game, whose score was cited by Elliott Gould, that same night on the Academy Awards–Gould, memorably as a presenter with Isabelle Adjani, waited until her “And The Winner is” and then imparted quickly, “Indiana 86-68).”
Click below to view it. Both Mr. Gould and his once spouse, Barbra Streisand, who recently paid tribute to Robert Redford at the apples/oranges Oscars, have produced excellent moments at those awards.
Tonight, the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Round of 16 commences with 4 tilts, the usual number, for what Jill Jacomowitz and I called “Reeeg-ional night,” so long, 42 years, ago
In the South region opener, the first game matches slight “fave” Nebraska a very slight–point or so, “fave,” vs fellow Big Ten (that conference has 6 of the remaining 16 teams, its 9 qualifying teams going (13-3) thus far), team, Iowa, the latter having upset defending champion Florida, in the round of 32.
The next game, as is the case with Iowa/Nebraska, will be contested in Houston, Texas–with a big difference being, manifesting again in “NCAA unfair,” because it matches Houston, a slight “fave,” vs Illinois.
Tournament history is replete with such “injustice.”
Out West, two big favorites, in (“Do You know the way to?) San Jose, Purdue (never a champion but Robert Wagner’s character in the 1953 film “Titanic, A Night To Remember” “P” was for Purdue), vs Texas– will be followed by Arizona (-8 or so) vs Arkansas.
The great James Worthy, pictured above, the Most Outstanding Player of the ’82 tournie won by his team, North Carolina.
However, it ought to be noted that the first three of the five requisite wins for N.C. were gained in virtual home games, one in Charlotte and two in Raleigh.
Tomorrow baseball “camps” in San Francisco, with a redux of seven previous World Series, none since ’62 between the Yankees (27 titles, however, just one since winning an incredible 4 in 5 seasons (’96-2000), under their underappreciated by fans, Steinbrenner, and the media, manager Joe Torre) and San Francisco nee New York Giants (a so far lesser team than 1960’s teams with Willies, Juan, “Cha Cha” and Gaylord that was sans a crown, Bruce Bochy managed S.F. teams racked up a tremendous 3 titles in 5 seasons, all in the even years between 2010, when they ended a 56 year title drought and 2014, however, not a serious or really any whiff since).
Neither Torre or Bochy (tied with Walt Alston with 4 titles, all with the Dodgers–Dave Roberts and the Dodgers are big plurality favorites, still odds against underdogs, to tie them behind only Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy (7 each and Connie Mack (5)) are there, though Bochy got “his fourth” with Texas (Rangers) in 2023, he is still there, (“Tex” being the team S.F. 5’d in 2010 to end their title drought).
After the Giants won the first two W.S. clashes vs their then tenants at the Polo Grounds in 1921 and 1922, Yankee Stadium opened in 1923 and that year the Yankees began what is a current 5 W.S. wins streak vs the Giants, beating the New York version again in ’36,’37,’51 and ’62.
In a redux of the Clyde Lovellette led Kansas ’52 final game triumph, these 74 years later — ’twas S.O.S. Pitino coached St. John’s, reversing that result. They led almost the entire game, however, needed Darling’s game winning lay in hoop, to win (67-65).
Next St. John’s faces Duke in a rematch of the memorable, second round, St. John’s shocking win vs them in ’79, with Reggie Carter’s shot, at game’s end, decisive. That also was a 2 point win.
Also in these East region semis, Tom Izzo (17th “final 16,” but one crown) coached Michigan State, which won it all under Jed Heathcote in ’79, “semi-ing” Penn (101-67). Penn had won by 2 vs “Johns” in the regional final, after St. Johns won by 2 again in the “reg” semis vs Rutgers.
The other East region semi qualifier will be the Connecticut vs U.C.L.A. winner, in a tilt beginning soon. By the way, I watch none!!
Reggie Carter, pictured above.
Below news that former big league player Larry Stahl died and included is the fact he walked on a close full count pitch, that denied Milt Pappas (sure he or almost nobody is fair value for the great Frank Robinson, for whom he was traded, however, Milt was a fine pitcher, winning 209 big league games, 110 in the A.L. and 99 in the N.L.
Milt died years back, the excellent umpire, Bruce Froemming, who called that ball four (ode to Jim Bouton), died less than a month ago and now with Stahl’s death, the trio involved in that baseball history on September 2, 1972 are all gone, the pitch denying the perfect game, Pappas getting the no-hitter and the WGN interview are shown in the link below. The great broadcaster Jack Brickhouse calls the historic plays.
That is Milt Pappas pictured.
Pitcher Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson, an outfielder also went to Cincy when Frank went to the Orioles, before his great ’66 season.
Today back in time for a wonderful “What’s My Line” episode titled “The Best Contestant Ever.”
This epic long running show delivers some good “rays” so often and so needed.
Eamonn Andrews and regulars as panelists
“Real bonus trivia” 7 years plus later in another L.A. vs Cubs game, Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game while Bob Hendley lost, allowing but one hit. (1-0)– On 6/1/58–less than 4,000 “showed” at Wrigley (Field) to witness Stan Williams and L.A. also win (1-0) as Williams pitched a 2 hit shutout. Dick Drott, the losing pitcher that day, allowed but 4 hits.
Today an episode of “What’s My Line” called the best contestant ever, that aired on June 1, 1958.
The contestant was the personable Peter J. Lomagistro.
Panelists were Eamonn Andrews and essentially regulars, Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf.
John Charles Daly was the seminal show’s host.
Click below to view the episode.
A measure of how powerful (also very good, some humor, but it is quality not quantity that counts, as I recall) Chasing Grace (playing at 502 West 53rd Street through March 29) comes across, a story with addictions at its core, manifested, as I vividly thought of the reasons I avoided the physical ones, as the performance went on.
In addition to the compelling storyline of the battle vs addiction, both musical prowess (quite often) and some great humor “amidst,” especially later in the performance, were on display.
“Chasing Grace,” starring Gabrielle Beckford and Harper Miles was written by Elizabeth Addison. Music direction was in the capable hands of Jacinth Greywoode and a stirring orchestra. (At one point from my vantage point I “Oz’d” it and could see, as the curtain was open. Before that, having heard the music, I knew they were indeed “wizards” in their craft.)
All of the cast members gave intense, beautiful, moving, complete with dancing and singing, efforts.
In addition to Ms. Beckford and Ms. Miles, they are Ladonna Burns, Indya Cherise, Tracey Conyer Lee, Chantelle Guido, Whitney McIntosh-Joseph, Theo Michaela, Marlaina Powell, Shamiea Thompson and Kiara Wade.
Click below for more information, including that involving ticket purchase.
www.shenycarts.org/ChasingGrace
Another reason to not be overjoyed, in fact enjoyed by the U.S. team, remember these teams are together what 2 weeks (as dumb as rooting for the laundry, I mean established, one of 124 in major North either U.S. or Canada based teams is, at least it plays out for a period of time though of course diluted exponentially by the tournament obsessed rules, making it about attrition) is the arrogant, overblown statement oriented coach of the 2 week team, Mark DeRosa.
He told the team they were in, they lost, needed help, got it, and now they are likely big “faves” to win.
There is no joy in Andyb-ville as the ideals and standards I uphold have struck out.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville-mighty Casey (U.S. standards) has struck out.
Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Andy B Sports 