I shut almost all of it off. Today with the Kentucky Oaks, hearing Mike Tirico, I shut the sound off until the race.
After the race, Tirico unprepared left us wondering which trainer has 5 Kentucky Oaks wins, one more than today’s winning trainer, Todd Fletcher.
Was it too much trouble to have that information. In fairness, maybe he did before the race.
I was not listening, but the peak audience and interest comes after the race and whether he said it before or not, Tirico, who already, sadly has the “keys to the NBC kingdom,” should have told us which trainer has 5 “Oaks” wins.
The great trainer, Woody Stephens, pictured above, who once said I think to me, as you approach New York City, those buildings seem and get much bigger, trained 5 Kentucky Oaks winners.
They are that much bigger and more of an obstacle with nobody to really help. Tirico, somehow did not have that problem.
D. Wayne Lukas and perhaps others also trained 4 such winners.
Tonight marks the exact 50 year anniversary of the New York Rangers forcing a decisive 7th game in their semi-final series vs the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday April 29, 1971.
The game ended when the Rangers’ Pete Stemkowski scored in the third overtime period.
Game 7 was/would be played on national television (in those days CBS, now the NHL has agreed to a future television package with Turner Sports, effectively ending a second stint with NBC) on Sunday May 2nd.
This Sunday I will review that result.
Tonight marks the exact 50 year anniversary of the game 5 Chicago Blackhawks’ win, vs the New York Rangers, in their semi-final series.
“Chi” won the game on the great Bobby Hull’s goal, “off a faceoff,” in the first overtime period.
In the other NHL “semi,” that year, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Minnesota North Stars in six games. However, it is noteworthy that it was the first series in which an expansion NHL West team won an ‘offs game, vs an established NHL East team.
This season, while each still has a chance, it is unlikely even very unlikely, that either the Blackhawks or Rangers will make the playoffs.
Montreal not only figures to make the ‘offs as their division’s 4th place team, but likely will face their long time rival, Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs for the first time in 42 years.
Sadly, it will occur, if it does, without anywhere near full fans capacity.
A finalist last season the North Stars franchise now in Dallas as the Stars are in a battle for the fourth and final spot in its division.
My favorite number is 32. I have great knowledge of sports past and know every year’s World Series winner.
Combine this with a wait for the 7 train yesterday, as the shuttle to Time’s Square was not running and I found only 3 times, a franchise won World Series 32 years apart.
(I did this in my head and it’s worth would not even secure a subway ride. Yet here it is, maybe even with a mistake, as I did not check it again, even in my head).
All three to do so were originally New York City area teams, all as franchises in New York, for the World Series played between from (1903-1957), (there were 54 such as no WS was contested in 1904).
The current Dodgers have won their last two titles 32 years apart, with Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser in 1988 and in a bogus 60 game season last year.
Now in San Francisco, where they have won 3 crowns, the Giants won the second and fifth of their New York titles, 32 years apart in 1922 and 1954.
A surprise was that the Yankees with 27 titles did not win a pair 32 years apart until their last such win in 2009. They won it all in 1977, Ross Porter behind the national radio broadcast (Scully wanted more money) when Reginald Martinez Jackson blasted 3 home runs in the Yankees’ game 6 clincher.
Reggie Jackson, pictured above.
Before Baylor University, located in Waco, Texas eased vs favored, unbeaten and untested Gonzaga to win the recent NCAA Men’s Basketball crown, the last Texas team title and I believe the only other one was Texas Western, under Don Haskins winning it in 1966.
Now a nice story as Kentucky defeated perennial power, Texas to win its or any SEC team’s Women’s NCAA Volleyball title.
Kentucky is coached by Craig Skinner and Alli Stumler is one of the team’s outstanding players.
The team dedicated the game to “K.U.” basketball player, Terrence Clarke, who recently was killed in a car accident.
Fifty years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks were on their way to their lone title, up (1-0) in the final, in which they would sweep the Baltimore Bullets.
Both of the Phoenix Suns’ NBA final appearances came in years with this calendar (1976 and 1993). Phoenix still leads, but barely in the race for the “figurehead” division title.
I note John Tresvant, a fine player, who is one of only 5 players to snare 40 or more rebounds in an NCAA game, when he played at Seattle University (Elgin’s school), played in consecutive losing final rounds with Elgin and the Lakers vs the Knicks (’70) and for the Bullets, as stated, vs the Bucks in 1971.
“Tres” developed a kit to help young rebounders. He is 80 plus and living in the state of Washington.
Of course “TRES”-this from Wikipedia
“In 2006, he invented the Total Rebounder Exercise System (TRES), a basket designed for use in training young players in rebounding techniques.”
Even in recent pre-Covid years, the NBA and NHL playoffs would be underway or about to be by this point. That is not the case this year, yielding a longer period of essentially meaningless NHL and NBA games and it is still so early in the baseball season.
I wish it would all go away period as there is nada in it for me, but at least the playoffs offer some interest.
Despite the above, I note the race for the North “reg” crown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, the “with me having no fear” (maybe a mistake) the incredible winning/covering by the New York Knicks and the now 11 straight wins by the Oakland Athletics.
Yesterday in a beyond wild game in the Bay Area afternoon, Oakland scored 3 runs without a hit to (13-12) the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings.
Let’s keep it “light,” with some notes/coincidences gained from watching the 1950 film, “Our Very Own,” yesterday on TCM.
“Linking” with four actors, all women, (actresses?) Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Joan Evans and Jane Wyatt, notes manifested and follow.
Ms. Crawford was not in the film, but was the godmother of Joan Evans, the latter named after the great star. Crawford also played Ann Blyth’s character’s mother, in the great film, “Mildred Pierce,” directed by Michael Curtiz.
In that one, Blyth is really “bad” and at one point, gets slapped by Ms. Crawford.
“Our Very Own,” (no need for a spoiler alert as I will reveal little regarding the story) yields a scene where a far more sympathetic character, played by Ms. Blyth, is slapped by her father, played by Donald Cook.
Jane Wyatt plays the mother of Blyth’s Gail, Evans’ Joan and 12 year old Natalie Wood’s Peggy. In an early scene, the phrase “Mother knows best” is uttered by I believe, Gus Schilling, playing a television delivery person, this of course in the early days of television.
Speaking of television, Jane Wyatt later played the mom on “Father Knows Best,” a fine and popular television show.
Fifty years ago tonight, the Baltimore Bullets upset the New York Knicks in game 7 of their “semi,” played at Madison Square Garden. Fred “Mad Dog” Carter hit a big shot and pumped his fist, putting the Bullets up 4 points, with about a minute to play.
Wes Unseld pressured Bill Bradley’s final shot, it missed, Gus “Honeycomb” Johnson grabbed the rebound and the Bullets were on to the final, vs the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was all Bucks in the final, Lew Alcindor (later Kareem), Oscar Robertson and Bob “Greyhound” Dandridge leading Milwaukee to a 4 game sweep.
In effect, the Bucks won what is still their only NBA crown, that April 19th, officially doing so on April 30th.
The Knicks would have had quite a chance vs the Bucks, while the Bullets simply did not. However, it still resonates as a great Bullets’ “semis” win!
Updating all these years later, tonight the Phoenix Suns, upstart, “figure head” (ode to Prince Phillip, who died in recent days) “div” leaders, (people, some named Andy B bet on that, Pauly and Mitch got 16 and can hedge, not I and nada on the Spurs’ upset win at Phoenix Saturday. Now a seemingly brutal road trip for the Suns.)) visit Milwaukee.
There is significant history between those ’68-’69 entering, franchises, as the Bucks won the coin toss and eventually Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
They have one title, the Suns have none.
Andy B Sports 