Pasquale Caputo, better known as Pat Cooper, working with writers Rich Herschlag and Steve Garrin, has written an incredible book titled “How Dare You Say How Dare Me.”
I can feel the intensity in the title while throughout the book I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation of what the brilliant, Mr. Cooper would say next.
As one might expect of this most honest, courageous entertainer, the book is candid. It also gave Pat a chance to say both positive and negative things about so many people.
It really was an exciting roller coaster ride of verbal bumps, turns and ultimately honest, heartfelt thoughts. All from a man, who is as honest as anyone will ever encounter in mass entertainment.
Pat Cooper is a brilliant comedian and has a street smart, mensh quality that is so rare. It seems impossible but fits on Pasquale Caputo in elegant fashion.
In the book there are transcripts of two of the most incredible appearances in entertainment over the air, history.
I was fortunate enough to be watching the Tom Snyder “Coast to Coast Tomorrow Show” when Mr. Cooper came out of nowhere and spoke his mind about other entertainers.
I had to turn the volume up and as Pat has indelible memories of his mother yelling to “not take so much sauce,” I have the same memories of my beloved mother worrying about waking the neighbors.
That night to hear that show, the dead should have been awakened because it was groundbreaking television, the likes of which I had never heard.
As Pat said, “Now that is called reality television.” My reality is you can keep today’s “reality” television because it is staged. That show with Pat Cooper was real and people are talking about it over thirty years later.
I am not a soothsayer but I doubt “Brand X reality show” will have any “real” impact in any form of “tomorrow,” point taken.
Another transcript in “How Dare You say How Dare Me” was when Pat was a guest on the Howard Stern radio show. He was surprised by calls from his son, daughter and mother all “airing family laundry.” As Pat wrote and I agree, he was the one in a hundred public figure (way more say a thousand) who took the calls on the air and felt great about it.
Pat is three days past 84 years old and has accomplished so much. Yet he has it in perspective and knows how great giving can be. He encourages us to also give and not be a taker. A caution he adds is do not give so much as to have to become a “taker.”
Pat Cooper did give and still gives as an entertainer and in charity. He gave us a great gift with this book.
Driving on the Bronx River Parkway in 1996, my mind was on the World Series the Yankees led three games to two vs the Atlanta Braves.
All of a sudden someone pulled parallel to me and asked directions to a local restaurant. I saw it was Pat Cooper and led him to his destination.
I believe and hope I would have done this for any person. What I know now is life itself needs direction and after reading this book one will gain not only direction but guidance and perspective as well.
The reason is that underneath the talent, candor and brilliance of Pat Cooper is a truly giving man. He has perspective, noting he does not buy bottled water and is happy with the water from the sink.
True enough, but with Pat his life is more a beautiful fountain of candor, humor and care. That my friend, is a thing of beauty.
Watch: 1981 Pat Cooper on Tom Snyder Show
“Forever Tango” is a most entertaining show currently playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York City.
As one might expect, the dancing is incredible. Both Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the featured dancers, are performers on the hit television show, “Dancing With the Stars.” Each is listed as a guest star in “Forever Tango.”
While Chmerkovskiy is a professional dancer on “Stars,” Ms. Smirnoff is a mirrorball trophy champion and a star on the television show. In “Forever Tango” their “Comme I’ll Faut” dance in the first act stood out.
Choreography for “Comme I’ll Faut” is by Juan Paulo Horvath and Victoria Galato. Both Horvath and Galato also are dancers in the show.
Singer Luis Enrique was an amazing surprise. I did not expect singing and Enrique performed six numbers. His rousing and yet soothing “Yo No se Manana” closed both acts of the show.
All the dancers were on stage and it was a spectacular conclusion to each act. People left the theatre and before that headed to intermission “venues” singing “Yo No se Manana.”
Other songs performed by Enrique, the Nicaraguan singer songwriter, who has won 3 Latin Grammy Awards, included “Volver” and “Como Volver a Ser Feliz.” In a word he was magnificent.
Other dancers (they all were marvelous) included Natalia Turelli and the humorous Ariel Manzanares, who really had the crowd in an uproar at times during the performance.
Though I’m not very experienced concerning tango, the artistry and intensity of all the performers proved an easy “connection.” I highly recommend seeing “Forever Tango” at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
Watch video: Forever Tango Opening Night
Tonight in Los Angeles, the Dodgers and Yankees play their fourth and final regular season game this season. These two storied franchises have met 11 times in the World Series, by far the most World Series clashes between any two teams. The Yankees once (5-0) are (8-3) vs the Dodgers in World Series play.
They have not met in the World Series since 1981 and likely will not this season. At this point, the Dodgers certainly are holding up their end going (10-1) since the All Star break and have a three and a half game division lead.
The Yankees are only 4 games over .500 and trail the Tampa Rays by eight and a half games in the AL East.
Earlier this season the teams split a day/night doubleheader which comprised their two game series. Played on June 19th, the Dodgers, who lost the day portion, were 11 games under .500.
There was talk of their manager Don Mattingly, the 1985 AL MVP with the Yankees, being fired. How things have changed in six weeks!
Starting with the night game win in New York on June 19th, L.A. has played 20 games over the .500 mark. The Dodgers are 9 over “break even” and odds on favorites to win the N.L. West.
Watch Video: 1981 Dodgers World Series Introductions
Don Mattingly
The Oakland Athletics, who won the AL West last season by sweeping the Texas Rangers in the season’s final three games have made a “big move” much earlier this season. Currently the A’s lead the division by 6 games over the second place Rangers.
What a story Billy Beane (his penchant, even mandate, to sign lesser priced players was cited in the movie “Moneyball,” which starred Brad Pitt as Beane) and the A’s continue to be.
Last year they lost a maximum 5 game division series to eventual AL champion and World Series loser, Detroit (Tigers).
The Tigers, clashing with the A’s 40 years after a classic best of five, ALCS won by eventual world champion Oakland, won the first two at home just as the A’s had done 40 years earlier.
Next the A’s playing “the part” of the 1972 Tigers won the next two games at home, even staging a rally similar to the Tigers’ in game 4, 40 years earlier.
The Tigers, a la the ’72 A’s then won the fifth and deciding game on the road. Then Detroit swept the Yankees in the ALCS only to be swept by the Giants in the World Series.
The top heavy AL Central favorites, the Tigers lead this year’s race by three games and most likely both the Tigers and A’s will comprise one fourth of the “tournament,” to be contested after the regular season concludes.
Last night the Los Angeles Dodgers stayed in first place in the National League West with a (2-1) home win vs the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds had ended the Dodgers six game win skein, all since the All Star break, with a win the night before.
L.A. has a ten game road winning streak going, which is topped only by the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers of 1955, in franchise history.
That 1955 team, the only World Series winning team in Brooklyn history, won 11 straight road games. The Dodgers will try to equal that record in a night game at Wrigley Field in Chicago vs the Cubs on Thursday August 1st. One thing is for sure any Brooklyn Dodgers at Cubs 1955 games were day games. There were no lights at Wrigley Field.
The Tampa Bay Rays have won 20 of 23 games and like the Dodgers lead their division (the AL East) by a half game. I think they are a remarkable organization, staying in contention without buying players and despite losing players.
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s are all nice favorites to hold on to their divisional leads. The Braves lost a top pitcher, one time Oakland A’s pitcher, Tim Hudson for the season.
Both the Braves and Athletics are in their third big league city in franchise history. The Braves played in Boston, and Milwaukee before going to Atlanta. (Yesterday I heard Marie Martini, a splendid woman of nearly 90, recalling Tommy Holmes and Braves Field in Boston. Great memories!) The A’s stared in Philadelphia and played in Kansas City before moving to Oakland.
The “miracle” Boston Braves won the 1914 World Series vs the heavily favored and great Philadelphia Athletics. 99 years later, it is far too early to predict a Braves/A’s World Series redux (there has not been one since 1914). However, I think the two franchises will comprise one fourth of the final 8 in, face it, what has become the major league baseball tournament.
Tommy Holmes
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers
There was a good card of boxing at Roseland Ballroom last night. “Broadway Boxing,” put on by DiBella Entertainment and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s SMS Promotions, had eight bouts and was an enjoyable show. There was a nice, lively crowd which featured “sports fans,” and celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Burt Young.
Burt is best known for his role as fighter “Rocky Balboa’s” brother in law in “Rocky,” the Academy Award winner for best picture of 1976.
A famous boxer’s namesake (George) and former middleweight champion Yuri Foreman won the feature bout, winning all eight rounds vs Jamaal Davis to pick up a unanimous decision.
In a female junior featherweight co-featured bout, Heather Hardy scored a TKO vs Cassie Trost.
Louis Rose and crowd favorite, Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz highlighted the earlier bouts with impressive victories. Rose won a unanimous decision vs Akil Frederick-Auguste. Cruz, now (6-0), also scored a unanimous decision, his vs Nuwan Jayakody.
There was also a touching tribute to the late, great Emile Griffith–one of the all-time greats.
The next “Broadway Boxing” event will be at B.B. Kings/ Times Square in August.
Emile Griffith
On the 1970 New York Mets’ highlight film an opposing team runner is picked off, caught in a rundown, and tagged out.
The great Lindsey Nelson, narrating that section of the film (Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy also voice narration) says, “Where are you going Rusty Staub? The player caught in that rundown, would of course, later become a Met and a key player for them in their 1973 National League Pennant winning season.
So who is going to win that pennant 40 years later? It is ridiculous to give a prediction but perhaps we have a good idea as to who will be the five playoff teams in the National League.
There is still a long way to go but the Atlanta Braves have a seven game lead in their division. Meanwhile the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds have at least 5 game leads for playoff qualification.
That leaves the NL West where the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Arizona Diamondbacks by a half game. Likely, but far from definitely the NL West winner, (I join the Dodgers’ bandwagon but would never give the 4 to 1 current odds) will join the other four in the playoffs.
Now I could say at least one of the four Atlanta, St. Louis, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati will not make it. I just do not see which other team will beat at least one of them in the standings.
Rusty Staub
Last night the World champion, San Francisco Giants paid tribute to Hall of Fame broadcaster, Lon Simmons on his 90th birthday.
Mr. Simmons, with his explosive “on the action” play by play is one of the greatest play by play men ever. He broadcast both the Giants and Oakland A’s in his career.
I get chills listening to his call of Willie Mays 600th home run. “Swung on hit deep to left” is how the play by play starts with the proper inflection that can not be taught and is so lacking in almost all of today’s announcers. (Michael Kay, who had never broadcast a professional game and yet was hired to do radio play by play for the New York Yankees, no less, is a vivid example.)
Lon was a great football announcer and called the famous Jim Marshall “wrong way” run as well as Joe Montana’s winning touchdown pass to John Taylor in the 1988 season Super Bowl. I also recall hearing a touchdown pass John Brodie to Bill Tucker, I believe, when the 49ers won their first divisional title ever in 1970.
Sure this is subjective but there are standards. Especially on radio, where the announcer serves as the listener’s eyes, it is so important for the play by play person to be accurate and quick.
Simmons was both and is one of the greats. When Jerry Rice breaks loose on a key play on the Niners’ winning drive in the aforementioned 1988 season “Supe,” Lon’s voice “explodes” and stays with Jerry’s progress down field.
Finally, tribute to two more announcing greats who showed incredible selflessness and allowed Lon to call great sport’s moments. In 1963, Russ Hodges, who of course had not so arguably, the greatest sports call ever on Bobby Thomson’s pennant winning home run in 1951, gave Simmons the microphone for Juan Marichal’s no hitter. In 1989, Bill King did the same for Lon as the A’s wrapped up the World Series, coincidentally vs the San Francisco Giants.
My giving is minimal but heartfelt. Happy 90th birthday to Lon Simmons and thanks for your incredible work. It means a great deal to me.
The National League pennant winner will be without the home advantage in the World Series. 22 of the last 27 World Series have been won by the team with the home advantage. This great run began with the advent of best of seven League Championship Series in 1985.
In the NL East the Atlanta Braves were denied a berth in the division series the last two seasons in heartbreaking fashion. In 2011 they lost a big lead in the wild card race and were eliminated on the last day of the regular season. In 2012 the Braves lost in the extra one game playoff at home. At the All Star break, they have a nice 6 game lead in a bid to get into the division series this season.
In the NL Central, the St.Louis Cardinals, the team that eliminated the Braves in both of those seasons, have a one game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Meanwhile in the NL West, a five game over .500 record is good enough for the Arizona Diamondbacks to have a two and a half game lead. The Los Angeles Dodgers at .500 and with their big payroll are fortunate to be just two and a half games out. The defending world champion San Francisco Giants, eight games under .500 are six and a half games out of first place.
There is no question about Mariano Rivera’s greatness. How great can be discussed another time. However, a pitcher who pitched one shutout inning with his team ahead (3-0) does not deserve the MVP award.
Sooner or later, another pitcher will also pitch one scoreless inning with a lead. Will he be the star of that game? I do not think so.
I have little faith in Hall of Fame voting and in the sports media in general. Last night was another example why I feel that way.
In fairness, there was no obvious choice for game MVP last night. Chicago White Sox hurler Chris Sale pitched two perfect innings with the game tied. Again Rivera, obviously a sentimental choice based on his great career, pitched one scoreless inning ahead (3-0).
Miguel Cabrera set up the game’s first run with a leadoff double. He certainly has established himself as a star. Sale with two perfect innings while the game was tied would have won the award had it not been for the Rivera sentiment.
While one can see the sentiment in picking Rivera, it does slightly tarnish the award. Clearly, if anyone else did what Rivera did in the game, they would not have been considered for MVP.
Andy B Sports 