Many of the more esteemed college basketball, conference tournaments begin today with the remaining ones commencing tomorrow.
On Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, when in past years the NCAA Tournament staged some big games, the 68 team field for that event will be announced.
Among the perceived top contenders for this year’s crown and very likely regional top seeds are defending champion, Connecticut, which has 5 tournament crowns and Purdue, who last year became the second top seed to lose in the round of 64 in a 1 vs 16 tilt.
The other one, Virginia in 2018 bounced back and in some memorable close games won the 2019 title.
Purdue has never won the NCAA Tournament but does have claim to the 1932 college crown before there was a tournament.
A player on that team, the great John Wooden coached 10 tournament title teams with U.C.L.A.
The great John Wooden, pictured above, was the star player on that 1931-1932 top ranked Purdue team.
Apples, oranges and license plates refers to tomorrow night’s Academy Awards, likely to be dominated by the film “Oppenheimer,” and a big coincidence involving another highly regarded and nominated film.
That film is “Maestro,” with Bradley Cooper in the role of Leonard Bernstein.
Mr. Cooper was a guest on “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” hosted by David Resnick on today’s broadcast, surely recorded earlier.
As he spoke rather intensely about Mr. Bernstein, I drove along and noticed the license plate directly in front of me was Len#### (4 #’s, 2 two digit ones).
Maybe Mr. Bernstein was “conducting,” perhaps a message from my father, who often watched and loved Bernstein’s efforts, on this the thirtieth anniversary of my father’s death.
The great Leonard Bernstein, pictured above.
An always happy occurrence, some recent on Carol Burnett Show reruns on MeTV, was seeing and hearing the charismatic, tremendously gifted performer, Steve Lawrence, who died yesterday at age 88.
There are such fond memories of watching the legendary duo, married for 55 years until her death, of Steve and Eydie (Gorme).
Steve Lawrence starred on Broadway as “Sammy Click” in the musical adapted from Budd Schulberg’s novel.
“”Sline and Fine” as Steve was in “The Blues Brothers” as memorable manager, “Maury Sline and on TV’s “The Nanny,” as Fran Drescher’s character’s father, “Morty Fine.”
It was with Eydie, his beloved wife, that Steve was most memorable, in so many shows, especially in Las Vegas, where they flourished.
I wish I had seen them live, however, cherish those appearances on television and will continue to watch and do so.
Maybe they are preparing a big show in a better place. Thank you Steve for the moments that yield wonderful memories.
“Go Away Little Girl” was one such great song, moment and memory. When a remake by Donny Osmond 9 years later, also hit #1 on the charts, “Go Away Little Girl” became the first song to do so with two different performers as it also reached the top of the charts con Steve in 1962.
Click below to hear Steve Lawrence perform “Go Away Little Girl.”
Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence, pictured above.
The most recent Super Bowl, contested between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, marked the sixth time a 2nd such game was played between the same teams/franchises.
One matchup, that between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys has occurred thrice.
In five of the six, second game Supe matchups, the team that won the first tilt, prevailed in the second such game.
Those 5 include the Chiefs in ’23 after winning in ’19 vs S.F. and the Niners in turn won in ’88 after also beating the Cincinnati Bengals in ’81.
As with the 49ers, the Patriots have been on both sides of the note, as they beat the Rams in ’18 after having done so in the ’01 Supe and while the New York Giants upset them in both the ’11 and ’07 Super Bowls.
In the first two of what are three Supe clashes between the Steelers and Cowboys, the Steelers won both before Dallas prevailed in the third one.
The one split in the first two games also involved the Pats, as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in ’04 but lost to them in ’17.
Click below to view the great John Stallworth’s TD catch and run in the Steelers’ repeat victory vs the Cowboys in the 13th Supe.
The 1934 World Series, matching the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers, opened at Navin Field in Detroit, Michigan.
There were some great players involved on both teams, Joe “Ducky” Medwick of the Cardinals and Hank Greenberg of the Tigers to name two.
In game 7, an incident would take place with the Cards way out in front involving Medwick and Tigers’ third baseman Marv Owen.
In #1, Medwick had hits in first two at bats while Owen made an early error.
Marv Owen, pictured above, was an excellent third baseman on Tigers’ teams that won consecutive pennants in ’34 and ’35 and the World Series, the Tigers’ first after 4 W.S. defeats in 1935.
There were so many great players on the Pittsburgh Steelers teams of the 1970’s, that some, notably Andy Russell, who died on Leap Day at age 82, were perhaps overlooked.
Russell was a rookie on an incredibly rare, good Steelers’ team that took its (7-3-3) record (remember ties), into Yankee Stadium for a showdown game with the two time Eastern Conference champion, Y.A. Tittle, led New York Giants in 1963.
New York prevailed (33-17) in that tilt, before losing a third straight NFL title game, that one (14-10) at Chicago, vs the Bears. (Since then the Giants, only (3-11) in what were pre Supe, NFL title games have gone (4-1) in Super Bowls/games for the NFL title).
That change in title game fortune, while so impressive, is dwarfed by that of the Steelers incredible success juxtaposed with their previous ineptitude, that manifested in 4 crowns in 6 seasons (’74-’79) with Andy Russell, part of a great trio of linebackers (all-time type greats, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert were the others), and on the first two Steelers’ title teams in 1974 and 1975.
Russell made 7 Pro Bowl games and is a member of the Steelers’ Hall of Fame.
Perhaps due to the fact so many Steelers have made the Pro Football Hall, Russell is denied, which is unfair, a la the delay, still ongoing, maybe to end this year, regarding great team Lakers,’ Michael Cooper, also a title winning WNBA coach, selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Finally, a nice memory regarding a rare, early “betting” win when Andy Russell, not exactly a Jesse Owens in the speed department, rambled 93 yards with a Bert Jones of the then Baltimore Colts (caused by Ham), fumble that increased the 11 plus point(s) favorite, Steelers lead and eventual final score to (28-10), in the last two minutes of play, in the slot 1/early Saturday divisional playoff game of 1975.
Denise’s eventual husband, now of 46 plus years and a working auto wrecker that day, called me ecstatic as I was, with me screaming “Christmas miracle” regarding Russell’s TD, that miraculously covered “el” spread.”
For the record, husband Neil had the winning Rams vs the Cardinals, not I.
The next day each of us lost with favorites Minnesota (outright to Dallas on the Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson “Hail Mary TD Pass”) and Oakland, which no covered Cincy (Bengals) in the latter team’s immortal coach, Paul Brown’s last game).
That is #34 Andy Russell and there is a segment regarding his fumble recovery TD vs the Baltimore Colts in their 1975 divisional round game.
Some of these will seem incredibly dumb, as consensus marks the Atlanta Braves and L.A, Dodgers (already for some an ahead of the sharp curve plus) as the two best teams, (really not all that meaningful in a 12 team/must win at least 3 rounds tournament format) and I say “longshot,” at least one not to even make the ‘offs. Do so with just a little of the quarters, dimes, and pennies in the jar.
Elsewhere, as alluded to before, I feel the St. Louis Cardinals will bounce back. So will the Seattle Mariners, so let’s predict each to make the ‘offs.
I feel Houston (Astros), a team I truly like, will fall back, as will the defending champion, Texas Rangers.
Houston no longer has possible, even probable future “Famer” (he was also an excellent player, cited by Pete Rose during the victorious Phils’ ’80 one quarter/had to finish first NL East celebration, as a “feared” opponent if the Dodgers, at that point needing 2 more wins vs Houston, were to be the Phillies’ ’80 NLCS opponent) Dusty Baker, while even almost certain “Famer,” manager,Bruce Bochy, I say will not get Texas (Rangers) anywhere near a repeat crown.
So these “div” picks: Big faves, L.A. Dodgers and Atlanta Braves with aforementioned Seattle, St. Louis and another “div” fave, the New York Yankees.
Try Detroit (Tigers), S.F. Giants, New York Mets to make and as a nice long shot, the Orioles, to miss the ‘offs.
Carl Warwick, pictured above and who turned 87 yesterday, delivered 3 pinch hits in 4 at bats (also had a walk), playing for the victorious St. Louis Cardinals vs the New York Yankees in the ’64 World Series.
Two of the hits were key ones in games 1 and 4, Cards’ wins.
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The fan-favorite Hoops Cabaret (48 West 33 Street, NYC) is a great place to watch sporting events, with multiple giant screens, Hi-Def TVs, and its futuristic Mega-Tron Video Wall. Every seat has a clear view of the action.
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It has been a while since I raved about a live performance here, or anywhere.
That came to an end last night when I was fortunate enough to attend “1964 The Tribute,” which featured 4 truly gifted performers in the respective roles of Paul, John, George and Ringo, “The Beatles,” 60 years or so, after their appearances on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show, February 9 also 16th and 23rd in 1964.
Last night’s venue Carnegie Hall is also legendary and the group was performing there and honored to do so for the sixteenth time. The iconic Beatles performed at Carnegie Hall also sixty years ago.
The artists are Mark Benson as John Lennon, Mac Ruffing as Paul McCartney, Doug Couture as George Harrison and Joe Bologna playing and singing in the role of Ringo Starr.
Quite a show! They are around and hope to be back in New York next year.
The event was presented by Mark Johnson DBA Strut Productions.
Click below then to YouTube for a little bit of Ringo Starr’s interview with AARP The Magazine
Stan Musial, so great for so long, that he held the record for holding baseball records, all the while doing so with great class, played his last game, all with the St. Louis Cardinals, on September 29, 1963.
Stan “The Man” Musial played from (1942-1963) and epitomized an era of much good he helped manifest with his great play and classy ways.
In that last Stan game, (Stan’s St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Cincinnati Reds), it has been fairly well publicized, that he got 2 hits, both close to, but beyond the range of second baseman, 1963 N.L. Rookie of the Year, Pete Rose, who 18 years later would pass Musial as the all-time National League hits leaders. (File much else to add!!).
Much in the way of emotions and memories manifest from just say, the Musial/Rose connection.
In 1981, not long after the baseball season resumed after a 51 day strike and the purchase of my first VCR and knowing but never acting on the fact everyone would eventually get one, Pete Rose, batting left handed, singled to left on a Monday Night Baseball telecast, his 3,631st hit, one more than Stan.
There will be more notes regarding Stan’s last game.
“Appetizers” include Pete got 3 hits in what was an eventual, (3-2), second place Cardinals’ 14 inning win, vs the Reds, who were in a “battle” for first division money, then so important to the far from rich ballplayers.
One more, other than Reds/Braves with Pete and the great Henry Aaron on opposing Reds and then had to be, Milwaukee Braves’ teams (’63-’65) was there ever a game with players that amassed as many as 4,000 hits, 3,500 hits and two with over 2,700 hits in their careers?
The first two categories ought to be obvious, heck (Stan probably would have said it, not “hell” and surely with any justice, and if anywhere, is in the other, better place) I named one above.
Would you name one or both of the other two, each a starting player in that September 29, 1963 game, and who had between 2,700 and 2,800 hits in their careers.
If so, please comment. I will add more notes and perhaps some oft repeated, relevant to that game/year opinions down the road.
The great player and man, Stan “The Man” Musial, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 