Remembering Joe Valerio And His Great 1973 Article/Prediction

Overall, Joe Valerio, who died days back is someone upon I look back fondly, though what he is best known for, the type of show that manifests in blithering/blathering nonsense gets worse and worse.

My friend Beano Cook helped Valerio get started in what is a cut throat/who you know business and Joe did put Beano on that show (Dick Schaap was great, others had egos the size of Gibraltar (Rock Of) and let’s just say the bombastic, Bob Knight was right for once, that, concerning the relative talents and contributions of Dick and his son with the wife, who did not last) at times, with me there, so early on a Sunday morning.

He was a gentleman, truly organized and knew sports.

I recalled what Valerio was or should be most proud of in his career.

In 1973 in an example of prescience, also displayed by Baltimore writer, John Steadman concerning the ’58 title game according to Bob Wolff, who was one of the broadcasters for “Ameche scores/the Colts are the world champions,” Valerio wrote in his days with a New York newspaper, (Post?) that the Mets mired well out in the N.L. East, would advance to the World Series and lose in 7 to the Oakland Athletics.

That is what happened!!

There were other predictions with dates of games and Valerio nailed it. In one of the studio rooms before that show, Joe proudly displayed the article and was glad I recalled it.

Maybe just maybe, upon greeting Joe, again a good man, God/force/it said something like “that type of prescience reminds me of another entity that I know pretty well,” and that while he/she/it does not condone gambling, a wish the poor on earth would go vs “the bag of wind predictions” on those shows was audible (the latest from great offender, Charles Barkley, a “guaranteed” Charlotte “9/10” game win. Their opponent, Indiana ripped them by 27 points.

“Rock of Gibraltar.”