It was while watching an excellent 1936 movie, “San Francisco,” which has the other seminal/official song (“San Francisco”), about that great city, that news came regarding the great singer and pacifist (showing how advanced he is) yet (one who fought in World War 2), Tony Bennett having the dreaded Alzheimer’s Disease.
How terribly sad, that Mr. Bennett can not remember all that he accomplished, all the while being a classy, great man.
More sad news as a great actor, Hal Holbrook, as with Mr. Bennett at a point over 90 years old, died.
He was magnificent in many, diverse roles, including both a stage and television recreation as Mark Twain plus the role of “Deep Throat,” in “All The President’s Men.”
Another sad coincidence was that the night before I read the news (cue The Beatles) regarding Mr. Holbrook dying, I had the rare occasion to again watch the excellent television show, “Designing Women,” which starred among others, Dixie Carter, Holbrook’s wife.
Ms. Carter, also a tremendous singer, had died 10 or so years before and while sad, one hopes Mr. Bennett and his caregivers will not suffer and so many of us can cherish, the great memories.
The same goes for Mr. Holbrook, a truly great actor.
The great actor, Hal Holbrook pictured above.
That “other” seminal, official song about San Francisco, as performed by Tony Bennett.
I believe this was just the second time in 45 possibilities (T.B. entered the NFL in ’76), that both the K.C. Chiefs and T.B. Buccaneers made the NFL ‘offs in the same season.
In all 3 possibilities in those two seasons, the teams played separate games on the same day, each squad with the same result. The fourth same day ‘offs game will match the two teams in Supe 55, obviously to produce a different result for the two teams.
On Sunday January 4, 1998 in the ’97 season slots 3 and 4, both Tampa Bay at Green Bay (of course they “title tilted” the Packers there to make this Supe) and K.C. as the AFC “1” to eventual champion, Denver (Broncos) lost.
This season each won the Sunday slots and title games on the same day.
Recall the (’81-’83) Washington football team. They won their last 3 under first year, and eventual 3 time Supe winning coach, Joe Gibbs in 1981. In the strike marred ’82 NFL season (Wash won two strike year NFL crowns and also 2 following baseball crowns won by the Minnesota Twins nee Washington Senators, first in strike marred ’87 and again in ’91), the team went (12-1) (4-0) in the ‘offs, winning it all.
They were superb in ’83, going (14-2) in the “reg” (K.C.’s record this season) and won 2 more in the ‘offs, thus going into the Supe vs the Raiders, that season the L.A. Raiders, having won 31 of its last 34 games.
I recall the Raiders so loose on the sideline as they were routing Sea Seahawks in the AFC title game, mocking the “Fun Bunch/Wash team.”
As 3 plus point underdogs, (same margin K.C. is favored by this time) the Raiders ripped “Wash” (38-9). Thus Wash was a “Lefty Grove/1931” (31-4) in its last 35 and as was the case with Grove’s 2 time champion Philly A’s in 1931, a final round non winner. Wash had one title in the (31-4) run.
K.C. enters the Supe having won an incredible 25 of its last 27 games, (25-1) in Mahomes games.
Realistically, nobody, no matter how great transcends “a” to “THE,” however it would not be that long a process, for the magnificent actress/actor, Cicely Tyson, who died days back, after an incredible life, so powerfully and brilliantly, playing many great roles.
In such great films as true favorite of mine, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” with Alan Arkin and Percy Rodriguez and “Sounder,” with Paul Winfield, Ms. Tyson glows in powerful regret and resolve respectively, riveting me to gratefully watch again and again, alliterative tribute, just a bit of thanks, to this great lady.
I was fortunate enough to see her in relatively recent years on stage in both “The Trip to Bountiful” and “The Gin Game,” the latter with James Earl Jones. The experience was well worth any parking ordeal/waiting in the cold, the snow falling hard now a reminder.
On television Cicely Tyson knocked it out, regarding slavery, sorry but it is a stain we hope to, but really can not overcome, (as one Superman said to the other, “we must try”) as the long living woman in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and followed it up as millions “rated in” to watch the great mini-series Roots, in the winter as the calendar moved to 1977, three years after Cicely’s magnificence as “Miss Jane.”
There was so much else in a full life including romantic love, no matter how difficult, with the suffering genius, jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis.
I hope they can be together now in some form of unabashed happiness. Each left brilliance behind here, so well appreciated, as I look out literally and figuratively as the snow falls.
A and close to “THE” great, Cicely Tyson, pictured above.
Six of Tom Brady’s ten Super Bowl appearances came after wins by his then (that then is a bit out of ratio, as Brady was with “N.E.” for 19 seasons and this is his first, (perhaps last if his team wins but alas $$$ and he has a contract) season with the Buccaneers) New England team in slot 2/later Saturday/Saturday night, division round games.
In the six subsequent Super Bowls, Brady’s “N.E.” teams were (3-3), accounting for half his Supe wins and all 3 such losses. In the latter category, two NFC East teams, the Giants twice and Eagles once, were victorious.
This will be the first second appearance in the Supe for a Brady team, eminating from a slot other than number 2. In Two Thousand FOUR, Brady and N.E. beat the Colts in slot 4 and then the Andy Reid (of course with a title under his belt and such offensive stalwarts as Trav Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and Patrick Mahomes, the Brady team, next opponent, Chiefs’ coach) coached Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Brady and New England are also (1-0) after a Slot 1 win in 2014 and one in slot 3 in 2018.
Brady is bidding for his fourth straight even year crown and first in the same season as the concurrent Alabama also great title period.
He and current Bama coach, Nick Saban did each “title” in 2003, Saban’s with LSU and one shared with U.S.C.
Among title streaks in consecutive even or odd years, I have “top of my head-ed” UCLA college basketball at the top, with an incredible six, all under John Wooden (’65, ’67,’69,’71,’73,and ’75).
The Boston Celtics won 5 straight “odds” (also 4 “evens”–shall I “put out” a 1 or 2?!), doing so in (’57,’59,’61,’63 and ’65), while the Yankees won 4 straight “odd year” World Series (’47,’49,’51 and ’53) before John Podres and company finally got Brooklyn and its Dodgers a crown in 1955.
Montreal’s Canadiens (watch out for them or the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, as I think sans Emrick, NBC will allow Canada (just a hunch), a la Brady and the Pats won 3 straight “even year” crowns, doing so in ’56,’58 and ’60.
Anyone with additional or “such that corrects,” research, please comment.
Larry King, a superb interviewer, one of the best ever, did so with almost all, who were possible when King walked the earth, marrying many times.
He gambled, owed, and unlike so many, did the right thing and paid his debts. King stood to the left, (my side) on a superb overnight radio show and “middle grounded” on a more popular, subsequent television one.
One he wanted to interview was Jesus and PERHAPS, by now Mr. King, certainly not a bad man and largely a good and intelligent one, has completed the “other way interview,” with say Jesus, St. Peter or maybe a Talmud scholar or the ubiquitous (on forms) “other,” and made it to a better place.
Mr. King gave me some nice memories, one, as time has passed, the embarrassing one his “exaggeration/perhaps lie” involving Sandy Koufax getting the group to travel a long way for some delicacy, included.
That one first, as I nervously waited for a collector who must have bugged Sandy every day in Vero Beach spring training 1982, for autographs/signed balls et. al, what was I to open with, in an interview with my hero, Sandy Koufax.
I chose the King story, which Sandy said was a “nice” one, but false. I thought Sandy was wrong, but he was right. King made it up.
Again, as time has passed and subsequent questions to Sandy, not all, were much better received, the embarrassment “caterpillars” into better.
Sandy, of course, is a great gentleman and I better find my interview with him and share it in some way.
King’s recollection of the ticker that updated scores in so long ago better times, and its sounds, as he listened to recreations or live reports on his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers’ games will always resonate with me.
He had other, better known stories, such as the appeal he had to a certain woman listener, with his voice and certain tricks thereof.
My best memory involves meeting him, when he hosted an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the great 1951 National League Pennant race.
He was gracious, talking to me and liking that I brought up the “ticker.”
Then, he so deftly shifted into a light “command,” for the few people around him. “A little respect please,” this is Mrs. Gil Hodges, as she walked toward him. King remarked to Gil Jr. that he looked like his dad.
Somewhere there is good, class, intelligence and nice moments. I rarely find them today. That moment and others provided by Larry King, are nice to contemplate, especially on this bitter cold day, a week after Mr. King departed to that “big interview place,” in the sky.
Having scored a run in the first and two in the second, the score is (3-0) St. Louis at home, in #3/’67 World Series-(the great Lou Brock tripled and scored bottom 1) and it is the superb broadcaster, long time Boston baseball and Cleveland Browns football, Ken Coleman, doing (the) play by play.
Harold “Pee Wee” Reese, is heard just a “wee bit” and later in the game, will do play by play.
Boston’s Elston Howard, so long a Yankees player and later a coach, in his 10th World Series in 13 seasons (’55-’67), really helped the young Boston pitchers, Mr. Coleman informs.
He hits one by the ’67 N.L. MVP and second time World Series opponent, Orlando Cepeda, inside the line.
The Cards’ right fielder gets to the ball quickly, it is a single.
It seems he did that before in W.S. play.
Yes, Roger Maris did do even better before and helped save the ’62 World Series, an incredible 20th title in forty seasons, for the vaunted Yankees.
1961 “flashes,” Maris hit 61 home runs, Elston Howard hit .348
A great player, then an S.F. Giant, Orlando Cepeda, pictured above.
Oh Mr. Bradford Doolittle, the Kennedy Administration, tragically only encompassed 3 Baseball Hall of Fame elections (’61-’63), with 9 people gaining entry, starting with Max Carey as the lone one to do so, in 1961.
Thus the following, written by Doolittle on ESPN.com is wrong.
“Tuesday’s announcement means that no new players gained Cooperstown entry for the first time since the Kennedy administration. During the period from 1958 to 1960, only Zack Wheat (1959) was selected.”
The Kennedy Administration began on January 20, 1961, as cited last week, (now) sixty years and one week ago.
The great Tom Brady will be playing in his tenth Super Bowl. In the previous nine, all with the New England Patriots, his record in such games is (6-3).
He is (1-0) with the upcoming game’s announcer, “Pooh” Nantz, Greg Gumbel and the great Pat “Super” Summerall, whose clutch long field goal for the Giants that set up all that was 1958, was recalled by Jesse last week.
In other Supes, Brady was (2-1) with Joe Buck, but just (1-2) with “Alfalfa” Michaels.
The other 7 losses dealt to Brady in post-season (he has won it all 6 times, lost in the ‘offs 11 times and failed to make the ‘offs twice, only once in a season in which he played more than one game) were “administered” in Nantz games. (wild card round losses, 10 years apart in ’09 and ’19, the 2 slots/div. round losses (Brady’s teams are 14-2 in such, (see the Yankees’ winning the pennant 14 of 16 seasons, (’49-’64), in ’05 and ’10 and 4 title tilts (’06, ’12, ’13 and ’15).
The Chiefs have beaten original AFL teams in the game that gave them entry to the Supe, all four times they made it. After topping the Raiders and Titans nee Oilers, 50 years apart in ’69 and 2019, they won it all. This is the second time K.C. has topped Buffalo to gain a Super Bowl berth.
In 1966, after beating the Bills by 24 points to gain a berth to the first Supe, Green Bay eased vs the Chiefs (35-10). Days back, they won by 14, allowing the Bills 24 points. The Chiefs/Bills “semi” winner also lost in the subsequent Super Bowl, when the Cowboys repeated their ’92 season Supe win vs the Bills in 1993.
Meanwhile the Buccaneers, in their two Supe appearances have respectively beaten an Andy Reid coached team (the ’02 Eagles) and now will face a Reid coached defending champion Chiefs’ team in the 55th Super Bowl.
I am one person who did not need the circumstances of a pandemic to know which workers are most/more important, adding that it is a ridiculous and horrible blight on this society, that athletes, even great ones like (I once did, do not now, but even w/o this season and certainly even if his team loses the 55th Supe, acknowledge Brady as an all-time top sports performer–“Pick his team and players”/just call him “choose up,” Leb James is not one I like. I do like his anti Trump sentiments and knowing, (as I am one of the world’s biggest losers, as I have talent that got me nowhere,–I appreciate that James, deep down a loser (white jackets would seem imminent, as this guy seems to have it all, but that MIRROR, part Jordan, part Kareem and part Wilt tell him the truth regarding picking his teams, imparting to him that he is nowhere near the “best of all,”) did not get too involved in the Biden campaign, as he did in the almost tragic Hillary Rodham loss) Brady and James are admired and paid what they are.
It is not important, but please consider just final round play and know James is nowhere near as great as Brady. First of all his teams are (4-6) in final round play (Brady goes into the 55th Supe (6-3), in two of the titles, clearly others hit the big shot. (Ray Allen’s tying “3” (I despise the “3’s” importance in today’s basketball. Do the math regarding that, as many did not do, regarding LaFleur’s idiocy, but alas the game was lost before then) saving Leb and Ky Irving’s vs GS, enabling him).
One could also make the case, that Anthony Davis and not James, was the top player in James’ incredibly cheap, in the bubble, did not face anyone, 4th title last season.
While kudos go out to him for ’12 and even the Allen saved ’13 crown, when Leb tied Tom Heinsohn, another great we lost recently, for the most #7/final round points on a winning team (Jerry had 42 in defeat in ’69) with 37 points in #7, harsh criticism and certainly less than Brady efforts in similar abound.
Start with ’07, vs the heavily favored Spurs. James did little and his team to paraphrase one who knew to jinx Rodgers, was “out the door in 4.”
Contrast that with Brady in his first final, who with his team a big “dog” vs the Rams, was far from great, but won in the ’01 season Supe.
By the way, I will cite the others during this seemingly interminable/hype filled 2 weeks until the Supe, but time to take some “Teflon” off Madden, another fraud.
He failed so often as a coach, even with the better team. “N.E.” given the reverse benefit when they “tucked” Tom in,” 25 years later, will tell you Madden’s lone crown should never have happened. (Consult Elton John, whom I once 1 question interviewed at #7/’88 NBA Final, under “Sugar Bear,” and I admit ranting this c–p out, will not (Somebody) “Save My Life”
OK, of course too cryptic plus I ADD’D the point. They called a highly questionable roughing the passer penalty on Ray “Sugar Bear” –one word or two?— Hamilton, enabling Madden to eventually win his lone title.
In that ’01 Supe, Madden called for NE to run out the clock and play for overtime. That says it all, yet this, as Mr. Cosell called him (I call him worse, namely a close to absolute fraud) “overblown parody of himself,” is rich beyond words, selling a video game.
We fell as a mindless, lowest common denominator society, that made a fraud such as Madden rich, vegetating on his video game and others, long before the “Valley, more like below ground, of Trump.”
Did not Elton also write regarding a garden, a gardener regarding John Lennon. Joe Biden ain’t John Lennon. He ain’t that good, but thank G’d he got there, where there is so much “gardening” to do!!
I admit my failures. They killed my heroes, even my mother, who sadly was not one of them. Of my many mistakes, including the one above, being too negative, even vs a man (Biden), who just got there, not realizing what my mother did both good and bad, is likely the worst.
That I say to all of you, as I have, trying to help myriad homeless, asking for money people (unlike the fascist Giuliani, about time I knocked him, adding again the fellow bigot Kay, whose wedding he performed, I believe though homeless, they are PEOPLE) you get only one mother.
As often the case, I retreat/am somewhat fair, in saying Kay knew it and prospered because he had love and true respect for his mother (give him credit), while among much for me to look in the mirror “re,” my own mother used to remind me, that Kay tried hard, while I did not!!
The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, who finally covered after an (0-8-1) ATS slump–(they won all 8 meaningful games in that streak, including the slot 3 win/no cover vs the Browns) have opened as 3 plus point(s) favorites, vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose 43 year old quarterback will be playing for the NFL crown for a mind boggling tenth time.
After the Bucs won (31-26) vs Green Bay, the Chiefs down early (9-0) ripped past the Buffalo Bills (38-24).
Thus the Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid, who lost to Brady and New England at the 3 highest playoff levels (first in the ’04 Supe though his Eagles covered. Next the ’15 slots and also in the AFC Title Game/”semis” in 2018) faces him again in the 55th Supe, in which an actual home team will be a participant for the first time.
Andy B Sports 