This will be simple and not really about the literally burning topics of police shooting and killing black males and the resulting protest by some athletes, not to stand for the playing of the U.S. national anthem.
My only point is that if we do not agree that the loss of a human life, essentially no matter the reason, innocent or guilty, is far worse than any number of people not standing for the national anthem, then we are in even greater trouble than I think.
Let’s agree, or move thirty percent toward an agreement on my point, that HUMAN lives matter more than whether people stand for the national anthem and almost by definition, we will have made progress.
In case you think this is anti-police and I have already been called a fool for knocking the great Vin Scully a bit (to many that is like knocking the flag, which of course symbolizes to me, among many other things, that I have the right to do so), it is not.
The police are paid to protect, sadly what is little known is that many laws are tied in to them protecting property, but they often have a thankless job and there are people committing violent crimes.
Thus remembering HUMAN or better yet ALL HUMAN life matters, let’s stop the violence, (I have spoken out vs guns before) and move thirty percent toward knowing that is far more important and thus it is far worse when lives are lost, than whether some people did not stand for the national anthem.
For the record, I not only stand for the U.S. anthem but also anthems from other nations. While I do not salute or with rare exceptions sing along, I remove my hat and do NOT interrupt any national anthem with early cheers as I have heard so often, while attending sporting events.
Whitney Houston, pictured above, sang the U.S. national anthem before the 25th Super Bowl.
Click below to hear (sorry no video), Frank Sinatra sing “My Way” aka “the national anthem ” at the nationally televised “Main Event” and pay attention, if you will, to his opening “tongue in cheek” comment, “you need not stand,” but also to the words, to which just about all of us HUMANS can relate.
My Way (Live At Madison Square Garden/1974)
The Los Angeles Dodgers, now with a 6 game lead for at least the National League three seed, will be in post-season play, even if their retiring and revered broadcaster, Vin Scully will not.
In his 67th consecutive and last season with the club, Scully has stated he will not broadcast L.A. post-season games, even any in L.A.
Mr. Scully is rightfully universally acclaimed, but beyond vastly overrated in my opinion.
However, one can still be great without being a deity. Closer to the former than the latter, Scully is a superb “between pitches broadcaster.”
Long ago, he dropped from the ranks of even good play by play broadcasters, but in an era of so few that actually are even fair, Scully still rates higher than almost all even in that category.
Scully called the last out of Don Drysdale’s 5th consecutive shutout in 1968, concluding what he imparted to L.A. and beyond, with an emphatic, superb inflexion (Wes) Parker’s GOT IT!
It is the very essence of what I aspired to be, and even now no matter how many times I play it on my “sports highlights” tape, I made with hope in early 1974, gives me a feeling of “high,” I doubt drugs could match, certainly not without peril.
I will not embarrass Mr. Scully by referring to his low key, little, if any inflexion call, of the Monday L.A. game clinching play, won in exciting fashion with home team, L.A. at bat.
Again before his last game, and it is a shame he is not going to broadcast L.A. post-season, (do not be surprised if Scully changes his mind, should L.A. make the World Series) I will reflect further on Scully as a broadcaster.
I do not believe the picture of the great actor Lee J. Cobb pictured above is in his role as “Scelly” maybe it is from “Twelve Angry Men.”
My point regarding Vin Scully is that while I believe him to be a great broadcaster with play by play limitations, the fact he has lasted so long has produced tributes of unanimous claims of Scully as the best ever.
In this matter, which is far less important than a jury verdict regarding, as it turns out an innocent man’s life in “Twelve Angry Men,” I do not need to channel my “inner Henry Fonda,” but only to listen Scully’s work, to dissent rather intensely to this view that Scully walks on water. He DOES NOT!!
Tonight’s Thursday night football tilt is a battle between a pair of defending divisional champions, who have started the season with two wins.
The game in which the Houston Texans are visiting the New England Patriots also matches two cities/areas that housed original A.F.L. franchises.
New England or the once Boston Patriots, are still there, enjoying a 15 season or so period of great success.
Houston housed the original A.F.L. team, the Oilers, still in existence as a franchise, but as the Tennessee Titans. The Texans are in their
In that regard, think of the movie, of “Cast Away” and the returning, marooned Tennessee resident being informed that the state not only had an NFL team, but one that came within a yard and an extra point of forcing Super Bowl overtime, which still has never happened, in their 1999 season Supe loss, vs the then St. Louis Rams.
As cited in the previous post, the WNBA has a fine new,and fair playoff format in which the eight playoffs qualifiers are seeded from (1-8) by record, regardless of conference affiliation.
Tonight in a pair of single elimination games, the 5 seed Indiana Fever and 8 seed Phoenix Mercury battle to see which team will visit the 3rd seed, New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, in what also will be a single elimination game.
The winner of tonight’s tilt between the 6 seed Atlanta dream and 7 seed, Seattle Storm will journey to Chicago for a single elimination game vs the 4 seed, Chicago Sky.
The remaining teams will be reseeded (tomatoes perhaps) with the top ranked and defending champion Minnesota Lynx and second seed Los Angeles Sparks having the home advantage in best of 5 semi-final series.
A Lynx vs Sparks final is likely and thanks to the new format at least possible, but much intriguing basketball remains to be played.
The WNBA playoffs, as with a good tomato such as the one pictured above, due in part to good “seeding” shapes up as fresh and “ripe” for enjoyment.
The WNBA playoffs with a fresh, fair format in which the teams are seeded by record with no regard to conference, begin tonight with two single elimination games.
In the first tilt, the defending Eastern Conference champion, (there will be no conference champions this season with the new format which seeds teams from (1-8) regardless of conference), and 5 seed, Indiana Fever host the eight seed, Phoenix Mercury.
The other game pits the Seattle Storm, the 7 seed, led by Sue Bird against the six seed, home team, Atlanta Dream, coached by Michael Cooper.
Bird, not Larry and the same “Coop” battling again, evokes memories of the classic L.A. Lakers vs Boston Celtics games (three NBA Finals) in which the great, great Larry Bird was guarded by Michael Cooper. “Coop” as he is still known, was a superb player and Mr. Bird said nobody was a tougher defender vs him, than Michael Cooper.
These WNBA playoffs, of course can not match vintage Celts/Lakers, but no current NBA battle could either. I think the WNBA playoffs, again kicking off tonight, will be great!
Today marks the 46th anniversary of the first N.F.L. Monday night game in the still existent A.B.C./Disney package.
In that tilt on September 21, 1970, the Cleveland Browns, now the Baltimore Ravens, though NFL records say otherwise, defeated the New York Jets (31-21).
Keith Jackson was the original play by play announcer, replaced by “Fearless” Frank Gifford the next season.
Howard Cosell and Don Meredith joined Jackson on that telecast.
Homer Jones, who did little else for the Browns, after a fine career with the truly New York Giants, who played at Yankee Stadium, returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown.
Browns’ linebacker Billy Andrews, number 52 above wrapped up the victory in that first ABC Monday night game with an interception return for a touchdown.
I believe it is another Browns’ linebacker, John Garlington, number 50 above, celebrating, in a dignified way by the way, another play with Andrews. Also I believe it is Tom Beer, a tremendous college football receiver, at Houston University, to the right.
Three a day keeps the broken goals away so now in the interest of just how ridiculous or even predicting outcomes can be, what follows below is the beginning of what was to be my prediction on the Indianapolis Colts to at least cover the spread in their game at Denver vs the defending Super Bowl champion, Broncos.
Pressing my “luck” one of my predictions involves and favors another Andrew, with far different “Luck” (much of it is and not everyone is born with the ability to make megabucks), I offer three NFL predictions.
Actually I suggested five, but only one was a prediction and it “won” (there is no winning in this money and time wasting horrible endeavor–I am available Arnie Wexler, but how to really make it work?!!) by a scant half point.
Colts bettors and forecasters were denied in cruel fashion. You need “luck” or as another Andrew’s ancestors would have said “mazel.”
Life is tough, not “tov” without mazel.
Possible antidote: See Branch Rickey’s quote, “luck is the residue of design.”
It was very frustrating while watching a Dick Cavett Show on Decades from 1972, to see not only that the show had been edited, but at certain points, the telecast was cut.
Trust me, I am a free thinking person and among other things, deplore prejudice, especially the kind exhibited for racial or ethnic reasons. One can point to this horrible attribute of so many in the human race as a true base cause, for much of the vast suffering humankind has endured throughout the great expanse of history.
However, if these cuts are based on so called “political correctness” or even in cutting (better not type the word, but I will) DEPLORABLE remarks, that is in my opinion, unwarranted censorship.
There also was a “cut” during the opening of the fine 1969 film, “Bob & Carol& Ted & Alice,” on another channel. A version of “Glory Hallelujah” was playing at the time of the “cut” and as in all of these cases, I am left wondering what was cut.
An example of how this could be made better might be when possible, preface a movie on say TCM by acknowledging the obviously less than fair depiction of certain ethnic or racial groups. One could have a declaration condemning that policy, but allowing what is in the movie, to be shown.
That one is tough and I shudder each time I hear or see certain things. We all have different points of view concerning what goes too far.
However, while for better or worse, (I say worse with the plethora of not humorous, curse filled, “needing certain topics to induce laughter” comedians that abound today. As an example, if I could resurrect the show “Make Me Laugh,” become a contestant and face the likes of late night hosts, “the Jimmys” Kimmel or Fallon, trying to make me laugh, I would win so much money, NOT laughing that my (bad joke coming, but, at least I know I am not a talented comedian, neither Kimmel nor Fallon and especially their bank accounts do not “know” it) only financial problem would be the threat of my money filled safe (think Pieman) being “jimmied”) comedy has changed, I ask why not Don Rickles or Gabe Kaplan, to name two, whose act would not take off today.
Political correctness can be discussed, surely “verbal hurt” is bad, but what was, should not be censored, no matter how bad and again comments of condemnation or at least notation, as a preface, I believe would fit in.
Click below for what I believe to be entertaining moments from the show.
Make Me Laugh, best contestant ever
One of the greatest writers to ever put forth words and ideas, the brilliant Edward Albee died last week at the age of 88.
He always made us think and challenged our thoughts and emotions, with works such as “Three Tall Women,” “The Zoo Story” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff.”
Those incredible works and others often made us often feel emotionally exhausted, and always not only entertained, but also moved planes higher, in our thought processes.
I could cite a deeper meaning to Albee’s use of “George and Martha” as the character’s names in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff,” perhaps an allegory about this country as the failed, even non existent offspring of the Washingtons, (George and Martha).
There is such a loss here, with knowledge that the likes of Edward Albee will not come this way again.
I can not expect such greatness and the “ship has sailed,” with the multitudes ignoring the downfall, by continually so called “texting” while walking on their seemingly always present mobile phones.
When one as good as Michael McKean, so good I consider him “good enough” for his wife and one of my favorites, actress Annette O’Toole, uses the below “language”/shortcut/obscenity in lieu of a description of Mr. Albee’s work —then “abandon all hope yee who (have) entered here.”
Michael McKean wrote: “There was only one Edward Albee. #Irreplaceable.”
McKean, again someone I like so much, will do better next time. Will we/I?!!
Here is one more note, a day late and many dollars short, regarding yesterday’s football results with some relevance regarding tonight’s Eagles at Bears tilt.
By the way, though the Eagles are (1-0) and covered and the Bears are (0-1) failing to cover, a Bears “suggestion” is not in order because they are three point favorites.
However, the Bears are scheduled for “Sunday night with Alfalfa,” at Dallas vs the Cowboys.
Thus far, the five teams scheduled to play in one of the now ridiculous allotment of three night games each week in the monolith, NFL, have all at least covered the spread, four winning and covering (Dallas, Atlanta which faces New Orleans next Monday. The Saints covered in defeat and both New England and Houston, who clash Thursday night).
Tomorrow no more of this and comments regarding cut comments from past shows.
Don’t bet should be written on most people’s (not) to do list/notes!
Andy B Sports 