It has been a while. I have to report and opine on the following.
The hype for LeBron James he of the (38-28), Cleveland Cavaliers is unbearable. This is especially so from ESPN.
All weekend it was either James or Tiger Woods, each at one time/still very good, but always and forever, hyped beyond words by ESPN.
Finally ESPN in its top 5 “buzzer beaters” of all-time, erroneously stated the ’83 N.C. State title was the school’s first.
Sorry, but it was the school’s second, the first was in 1974, with the great David Thompson, leading the way.
David Thompson pictured above, “jumped to the moon,” on the basketball court.
LeBron James will probably again violate the 5 man sport of basketball’s delicate balance and “jump” teams for a third time.
Today a look back at a post about football and baseball players with the same name, one in each sport.
I fondly remember all and attest to the greatness of football’s Willie Davis and baseball’s Tommy Davis. The other Willie Davis and Tommy Davis were very good.
Sandy Koufax agreed with me that had not baseball’s Tommy Davis broken his ankle in 1965, he would have been on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
Kudos to Lou Johnson for helping L.A. win it all replacing Tommy that season. A link to the post follows.
1965 also was a title year for Willie Davis and the Green Bay Packers and Willie and Tommy Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
At 2:00 am on March 11, 2018, we turn our clocks ahead one hour, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time.
“Everybody spring forward at 2 am,” advised Bianca, a beautiful blonde showgirl who performs at the world famous Vivid Cabaret New York gentlemen’s club. Here’s a photo to help you remember.
Vivid Cabaret NYC is well known for having the city’s tallest stripper pole (25 1/2 feet tall), and the first of its kind “VIP Ultra Lounge.” It’s a favorite spot for pro athletes from all the major sports who like to “make it rain” on the club’s gorgeous dancers. It is the sister club to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC, located just four blocks away.
Vivid Cabaret New York
61 West 37th Street
*** Over 100 Entertainers Daily
*** Three Floors of Luxury
*** Deluxe Suites
*** VIP Ultra Lounge
*** Roof Top Garden and Cigar Bar
*** Now Open for Lunch
*** Four Stages
The exhibition baseball game today between the Mets and Tigers in Lakeland Florida brings back a memory of a game between the teams I believe in the same city.
In a game I remember listening to via the Mets’ radio network, a line drive hit by pinch hitting great, Gates Brown (he hit .390 in very limited at bats for the World Champion ’68 Tigers) broke the jaw, of Mets’ pitcher Carl Willey.
Willey was part of some great Milwaukee Braves’ teams and was the starting pitcher in the second game of the Braves’ best of three, unscheduled playoff series for the 1959 National League Pennant.
The Dodgers won the game and series and eventually the World Series. Willey was not involved in the game 2 decision.
Lolich won three games, including the decisive 7th game, for the Tigers in the 1968 World Series.
It is on to the Big East Tournament “quarters’ today at Madison Square Garden.
Beginning at noon, top seed Xavier, whose fan, actor Bill Murray, also rooted for College of Charleston, which made the NCAA Tournament, faces St. Johns.
Also in the afternoon, Providence meets Creighton.
At night second seed, Villanova meets Marquette while Butler faces off vs Seton Hall.
I predict the local teams will play well, Seton Hall to “pick” off Butler, while 6 point favorite, Xavier will just get by St. Johns.
I was so fortunate to attend a rousing, beautiful performance of “It Shoulda Been You” at 92 Y, two days past.
The story was moving and certainly very humorous.
Producer Daryl Roth, having produced 7 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, brought this production/reading to the 92 Y.
The incredibly great and of grace, Tyne Daly was “Judy,” and not only was sensational, but since it was a reading, I did spend some time watching her react to the other performers.
Ms. Daly is amazing to watch as she performs and supports. Additionally, she took time to speak with patrons after the performance. We need more “Tyne” in our lives.
Farah Alvin, as “Jenny” was terrific in her acting and received tremendous, well deserved, applause on her musical numbers, from a sold out venue.
Add Edward Hibbert, as wedding planner “Albert,” to those I cite individually. In reprising his role, Mr. Hibbert was dynamic.
All of the cast was great. In order of appearance: Sierra Boggess, Aaron C. Finley, Montego Glover, Nick Spangler, Anne L. Nathan, Adam Heller, Gina Ferrall, Mitch Greenburg, Josh Grisetti and Chip Zien.
The performance with an incredible cast, books and lyrics by Brian Hargrove, music by Barbara Anselmi and directed/narrated by the esteemed David Hyde Pierce (Mr. Pierce made his directing debut with “It Should Have Been You,” adding to an acting career, that included a great role on the television show, “Frasier”), was truly uplifting, incredible tonic for any point in time, especially this one.
According to the odds, only one of the six baseball division titles is up for grabs.
Almost certainly there is/will be more mystery than that.
After all, why else do they play the games?!
The Yankees are slight favorites to win the A.L. East, something they have not achieved since 2012, which for them seems a long time.
After their incredible run of 20 World crowns and 29 legitimate “1 of 1,” A.L. first place finishes in 44 seasons (1923-1964), the Yankees failed to finish first from (1965-1975) and again from (1982-1995.)
Like, love, dislike or truly dislike them, the fact a 5 season skein of not finishing first (they made the ‘offs twice as a wild card team in those 5 seasons), is their third longest such streak, attests to their great history, starting with their first pennant in 1921.
Later in the week more on the division odds, eventually some previews but tomorrow join us as I write about a wonderful performance of “It Shoulda Been You,” I attended.
In a slight upset, nine to five underdog, “The Shape of Water” won the best picture award at the 90th Academy Awards presentation.
Otherwise, prohibitive favorites copped the acting and best director, “apples vs oranges,” honors.
All were outstanding choices, but why one nominee and not the other? Gary Oldman as cited here for a brilliant performance as Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour,” won the best actor award, going off as a 1 to 38 favorite.
Frances McDormand won her second best actress award while Sam Rockwell and Alison Janney took home best supporting nods.
Benito del Torro won the best director award for “Shape of Water,” whose Doug Jones was part of an interesting interview on Kurt Anderson’s “Studio 360,” this past weekend on NPR. That should have been the vibe for the slight underdog “The Shape of Water.”
While Eddie Vedder sang for nearly one minute longer, the “In Memoriam” tribute lasted less than 3 minutes. Its duration seems to get shorter each year, which would be great if less people died, but that of course, is not the case.
At least, Danielle Dorrieux, who died at 100 years of age, was included in the tribute.
Frances McDormand, a tremendously talented actress won her second Academy Award, this for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbings Missouri,” the previous for “Fargo.” She got the “midwest vote.”
Sir Roger Bannister, the first person to ever run a mile distance in less than 4 minutes, died yesterday, at peace, surrounded by family in his Oxford, England home.
How fitting and nice that this classy man, who called his years as a neurologist and the loving family, his biggest achievements, departed in such peace.
The “first” such a seminal moment in sports, will endure as it took so long and so many tried, to run a mile’s distance in less than four minutes.
What endures to me and is so moving regards Sir Roger Bannister as a person and the classy, great ways in which he contributed to society.
What a time (at least two meanings) it was. Sir Roger Bannister, pictured above as he runs history’s first sub 4 minute mile.
Willie Mays turned 23 on that historic May 6, 1954, a birthday in his greatest season. He celebrated with a home run and raised his average that day and nearly 100 points, subsequent to that day.
1954: “Brown vs The Board of Education,” Willie Mays, and Sir Roger Bannister. Go easy, Sir.
Today’s Michigan State vs Michigan Big Ten Tournament “semi” is at Madison Square Garden beginning at 2 P.M.
The other “semi” tilt matches Penn State, surely a contender to make the NCAA Tournament, after a third win in as many tilts vs Ohio State, and Purdue.
That game will follow the Michigan teams battle, with an approximate starting time of 4:30 listed.
Local team Rutgers, which finished last in the Big Ten “reg,” played very well in the Big Ten Tournament.
First they “picked” Minnesota before barking as a nearly 3 to 1 underdog vs Indiana.
Purdue beat them by 7 points in last night’s “quarter” not coming close to covering a huge 15 point spread.
Andy B Sports 