1969 floats into memory, this unbearably hot day, as I briefly recall Johnny Egan, a basketball player and Jim Lynch a football player, each of whom died this past week.
The ’69 NBA final ends, the great Chick Hearn laments what L.A. did not do in #4 of that series, “the ball goes to “Eeg” he lays it up and in, of course too little, too late– “final score the world champion Boston Celtics 108 the Los Angeles Lakers 106.”
Mr. Egan, who later coached the Houston Rockets played on a Providence NIT title team (the N.I. T. had some real meaning then) with the great Lenny Wilkens in 1961.
On a date, a woman tells me she is a K.C. Chiefs fan. I say “What would you say if I can name the whole 1969 title winning Chiefs’ starting defensive unit? I do.
She was impressed. It did or does or does not matter?
Jim Lynch, as an outstanding, outside linebacker playing the l/backer position, with Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell was a part of that superb unit.
An aside: Chiefs coach Henry “Hank” Stram recorded by NFL Films at the Supe, “where’s Bobby Stein?” I query regarding Gil Dulberg and the flowers.
New York’s Hoops Cabaret (48 W. 33 Street) combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club, and they will be showing the UFC 277 matches on Saturday, July 30.
The main event is a rematch of one of the most shocking bouts in the history of the company, as Amanda Nunes looks to regain her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title against Julianna Pena. This is one of the most anticipated bouts in the history of Women’s MMA, and it will also be bolstered by a fantastic undercard.
Hoops Cabaret girl Candace said, “Hoops Cabaret is a great place to watch the UFC and all sorts of sports.”
The club features numerous HD TVs and flat screens, and a huge video wall. Their menu includes Short-rib Sliders, Lemon Pepper Wings, and Kobe Beef Hot Dogs.
Hoops Cabaret is very popular with sports fans and for a truly unique experience check out the “VIP Man Cave.”
HOOPS Cabaret and Sports Bar (next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC)
Today, some quick reflections on one of basketball’s greatest and certainly least acclaimed, relative to his talent, players, Jim Pollard.
He played on all 5 Minneapolis Lakers’ title teams, teaming with the great dominant, big man, George Mikan.
Pollard could leap “out of the building,” and was known as the “Kangaroo Kid,” later a nickname given to another basketball great, Billy Cunningham.
One other thing, my late friend Joe Green, who gained my father’s respect because he tried to help me, this despite Joe’s involvement in the late fifties/early sixties, college basketball scandal, which really hurt fans such as my dad, talked of Pollard’s greatness.
Joe Green could play and certainly Jack Molinas, a misguided talent, really could play and was the third overall pick in the 1953 NBA draft.
Many times, eating his muffin which he did ever so slowly in late night diners, Green told me that Molinas felt he could play with anyone in the NBA, except Jim Pollard.
Pollard was that great!
Jim Pollard, pictured and “rising above.”
They continue to tinker (I do not mean but evoke Joe (Tinker) as in Tinker to Evers to Chance, three famed Chicago Cubs, who inspired poems, now say 115 years ago) with baseball and now please no tie after 9 innings in tonight’s once meaningful All-Star tilt as it would be settled beyond what is, at least what once was baseball.
Brighter are notes from the Yankees clinching their 14th pennant in 16 seasons on Saturday October 3, 1964.
Dick Howser is 2 for 2 and a walk in his first three trips to the bat. He is with Cleveland. The Yankees have won 14 of 16 vs them.
At game’s end it is 15 of 17 and 14 pennants in 16 seasons.
There would not be another one until 1976 and Howser was the Yankees’ third base coach.
The first of the 14 pennants in 16 seasons was in a winner take all Yankees (5-3) win vs Boston (Red Sox) in Casey Stengel’s first season (1949).
It ended when Birdie Tebbetts popped out to first baseman/Yankees great but so under rated and shamefully not in the Hall, Tommy Henrich.
The 14th pennant was clinched vs the Birdie Tebbetts managed Cleveland team on 10/3/1964.
Tommy Henrich, pictured above.
In these the last 2 days before a break in the 12 teams qualify for the ‘offs, (at least 6 to 8 too many) 2022 baseball “reg,” there is only one interleague series being played.
That involves the 29 games over .500 L.A. Dodgers visiting the 13 games under L.A. Angels.
They have never met in post-season. Four times each team made the ‘offs (’04,’08,’09 and ’14) and neither team made the World Series.
Ex Dodger and 2 time title winning player with them, Mike Scioscia guided the Angels to their lone World Series triumph in what is their lone World Series appearance, that in 2002.
Twenty years earlier on consecutive Sundays and in results for different reasons bad for me, first the Dodgers on the last day of the “reg,” yielding Joe Torre’s first ever first place finish/’offs appearance and then the Angels in the decisive 5th game of the ALCS at the then American League, Milwaukee Brewers were ousted from World Series possibility.
The truly great player, Joe Morgan, then with the S.F. Giants hit a decisive three run homer vs the Dodgers that yielded Torre and his Atlanta Braves the 1982 N.L. West crown.
The tally is now 15 times a team won the final round entity in a bid for a third straight crown.
Eleven times, including the 2022 NHL final, a team failed in such a bid.
Those numbers again as 9 of the 11 times a team was denied in a final round entity when bidding for a third straight title, the winning coach or manager had/has last name that starts earlier in the alphabet.
Two exceptions: Harold “Punch” Imlach and Toronto denying Montreal and Hector “Toe” Blake a third straight title that in 1967 which was the Toronto team’s last title.
The other also was a Toronto crown, one of the 7 straight final round wins for Toronto teams dating back to 1960.
In it, the Nick Nurse coached Toronto Raptors denied the current champion Golden State Warriors, then and now coached by Steve Kerr, a third straight crown, winning the 2019 final in 6 games.
The great Hector “Toe” Blake, pictured above, guided the Canadiens to 8 titles and played on 3 Cup winners.
A truly gifted, personable and most of all, humorous performer, Larry Storch died last week at the age of 99.
Mr. Storch was best known for his role of Corporal Randolph Agarn on the highly successful show, F Troop.
He voiced Mr. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo, the great Don Adams voiced “Tuxedo.”
I was fortunate to meet Mr. Storch at a collectables show, say 15 years back. He was so friendly.
Before the people got to meet him, Larry in a great “stand up,” told 3 amazing jokes, one I think I can share.
General Custer is at Little Big Horn. The Indians are on the opposite side. Their drums are heard. He relays his ominous feeling. Thrice he says I do not like the sound of those drums!!
Then from the other side, one of the Indians shouts back, “He’s not our regular drum player.”
Go tell them in a better place and thanks for your work and kindness. Larry Storch, an amazing talent, pictured.
Alas almost all of us do not run crime “families,” or get “misery” personified, as two characters portrayed by the great James Caan, who died at age 82 days back, did in the two films, that begin most of his obituaries.
I state right off “The Godfather,” and “The Godfather: Part II,” do not need my seal of approval to be an all-time film, but gets it anyway.
Yet with Caan and in my case above, it is “The Gambler,” hardly mentioned in most talk after Mr. Caan died, that moved me the most.
Again we do not often face or live the extreme, but we all have to/ought to both look in the mirror and also find out what makes us do what we do, especially if it involves an addiction, as dangerous as compulsive gambling.
James Caan with help from a brilliant cast (Jacqueline Brookes who taught acting– an aside where is Evan Press and Mr. Caan might ask who is he and what is he doing in a remembrance of me?!–pulled off the need to find out “why you are doing it,” in extraordinary fashion, playing his “toweled off,” mother, who gives him the 44? K, dealing with a rude bank worker played by pre fame, James Woods along the way) gave a seminal performance, his look in the mirror a resounding, extraordinary finale that will always stay with me and has helped.
Of course one remembers and cites the first two Godfather pictures, his flashback, special appearance, complete with “your country is not your family,” (I add especially when it is about oil)–near “II’s” end, perhaps the most meaningful. (Please do not think I forgot “this man is taking it personally, to Al Pacino’s “Michael” as the latter intends and eventually does shoot the corrupt police captain, played so well by Sterling Hayden).
Caan gave us so much. I note “Chapter Two,” essentially playing the writer of it and so much else (I will add my post after Mr. Simon died at the bottom) Neil Simon having repartee, before a “blind” date with essentially actress, Marcia Mason, played by Marcia Mason.
Caan’s character lamented in the form of oh—-, Mason’s asked why, “The Yankees left a runner on third,” she capped it “now I really will not sleep.”
In capping it, and there is so much more, James Caan gave us and left us so much great work. He rarely left anyone on third or any base, as he drove in and to us so many great performances.
James Caan, pictured above.
Caan is cited in my remembrance of Neil Simon, below.
Remembering Neil Simon
“The Minutes,” written by, and starring Tracy Letts (“August: Osage County”) playing at Studio 54 Theatre (254 West 54th Street), is a compelling, humorous great play.
“Tick, tick” to the writing of Letts and the direction of Anna D. Shapiro, as the performance unfolds with the delayed, uncoiling strike of a cobra, its ominous warnings, but still shocking and disturbing reality.
The cast is truly great. I do not read programs before, but picked mine up sensing it was the incredible Austin Pendleton as “Oldfield” a 39 year (think Jack Benny, 39 and Pendleton is so good and has been so often–a true great!) council member. It is Mr. Pendleton and he alone is worth the time.
Add another long time performer, still with the “chops,” namely Blair Brown, sitting at the table next to Pendleton, adding delightful spice.
Again the whole cast is excellent and in alphabetical order I cite–Ian Barford, Ms. Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, Mr. Letts, Danny McCarthy, James Vincent Meredith, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Mr. Pendleton, Noah Reid and Jeff Still.
Oh the thoughts, laughs, a clear reference to “The Searchers,” mine evoking Ned Beatty in the seminal film, “Network” and most of all history is written by the winners, but so often they are losers, bankrupt in morality and so full of fear, often hatred.
The Minutes offers so much, comedy, beautiful “weaving” of story and maybe a wake up vision!
Click below for more information, including that involving ticket purchases.
theminutesbroadway.comThe Minutes on Broadway
Hoops Cabaret in New York City (48 West 33rd Street) will present the boxing fight card featuring Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna on Saturday night, July 16th.
The 12-round lightweight clash between undefeated, lightweight superstar Ryan Garcia (22-0, 18KOs), and former two-time world champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (37-3-1, 26 KOs) will air live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
At Hoops Cabaret and Sports Bar, fans can view the exciting bouts on the club’s giant Mega-Tron Video Wall and numerous HD TVs and flat screens, giving every seat a clear view of all the action.
Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club. Be sure to check out the beautiful Hoops Girls on stage and visit the club’s VIP Man Cave. There are also food and drink specials.
HOOPS Cabaret and Sports Bar 48 West 33rd Street, New York City, next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Andy B Sports 