I was going to comment on the horrific horror of that elected official’s (I know her name, but will not cite it “wrong” now) comments nor showing I am not all liberal, but “Bill Klem,” (call them as I see them and far from always correct and that includes politically correct, though usually I suppose I am) the fact two highly ego driven, but largely brilliant, talented figures Jonathan Schwartz and Leonard Lopate have virtually disappeared from the scene due to a far too punitive aspect of “The Me Too Movement”
I guess I just did and will put up a link of a Fred Guttenberg reaction at the end here.
Quickly regarding it, I “lead the league,” in getting no’s from women, often asking, before even trying to kiss one and that after spending “tough” money on a dinner, knowing my mother would criticize me for that.
Yet “No means No,” and I ALWAYS respected that, NEVER not doing so! So without Lopate and especially Schwartz, I strike out yet again, not on a date, but being denied their work, even past work.
So in honor of Mr. Schwartz’ once “A Salute To Baseball,” which aired on what is now PIGfest Sunday, a moment from what he would call “an ordinary game.”
The great Lindsey Nelson is brilliantly flying solo behind the microphone, the Mets in Jarry Park where there was a power failure earlier in the day, have the bases loaded none out, T1 in a Mc Anally vs Mac Andrew pitching matchup this July 3rd, in 1973.
Daniel “Rusty” Staub, always loved in Montreal, is the Mets’ batter. He was a tremendous hitter, but not this time, as he hits into a 4-6-3 double play, a run scoring, no RBI and with great inflexion Lindsey intones “The Mets are out in front (1-0).”
The second baseman who fielded and threw to shortstop, Tim Foli, was Ron Hunt, the Mets’ first All-Star starter.
Foli and Mike Jorgensen the Expos’ first sacker that game, were dealt to Montreal along with Kenny “Key” Singleton, the Mtl. RF that game, in exchange for Staub.
A moment, a great broadcaster and a memory that reveals.
MSNBC – Gun safety activist and Parkland father Fred
Jim “Pooh” Nantz, a week after all the hedge fund “news,” (see needles, rich people and heaven) will be on his 6th Supe, second in 3 seasons (the first to have that many in such a span, since the far better Dick Enberg did so in ’97, which also was his 4th in 6 seasons).
Nantz is better luck for his conference/league as “his” AFC is (4-1) straight up and ATS, in his 5 previous Supes. The AFC team went (1-3) in those 4 Enberg Supes and won just 2 of his 8 Super Bowls overall.
I believe the home network conference is (24-18) straight up and (29-13) ATS in past Super Bowls. Eleven were “neutral network” telecasts, the first game was TV’d by both the NFL and AFL networks.
Two of the “other network” wins were in the two Chiefs’ Supe wins, each with a Buck (Jack in ’69, Joe “talking at us” 50 years later) as the lead announcer. This time, the Chiefs, losers in the first Supe/both networks game, are on their conference’s network.
Brady in 9 New England Super Bowls was (2-0) on his conference’s network (CBS), (3-1) on the other/NFC network, Fox and (1-2) on “neutral” NBC. N.E. won in its only previous Nantz Supe, however Nantz was the lead announcer in all 8, non Super Bowl Brady/N.E. playoffs losses.
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.
Andy B Sports 