Triple Crown Quiz: 1) Between 1997 and 2002, 4 horses won
both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but then fell short in the
Belmont. How many can you name? 2) Name the jockeys on
the last three Triple Crown winners…1973 / Secretariat; 1977 /
Seattle Slew; 1978 / Affirmed. 3) What two horses ran one-two
in all three Triple Crown races in 1989, as well as the Breeders’
Cup Classic that fall? Answers below.
Sammy Sosa
I’ll have more on Sosa and his corked bat next time, but to those
who say it’s sad because he was a hero, I say….what are you
smoking? This guy has been juiced the last six years and has
been mishandling his charity, to boot. And nice of him to tell us
that he only supposedly used his corked bat for home run
derbies. That’s not cheating?
More importantly, at least 125 home runs should be knocked off
his total due to his excessive steroid use. [Pro athletes of all
stripes in Chicago joke about the “juice man,” as an informed
source who deals with a former star on the Chicago Bears once
told me.]
Bottom line, Sosa is, and forever will be, a phony in every sense
of the word.
*Update: Major League Baseball didn”t find any cork in Sosa”s
other 76 bats.
Miss Universe Pageant
Hey, had to catch this one, LIVE, from Panama on Tuesday
night. So as the 71 contestants first paraded by, I picked out my
favorite ten. [Granted, I liked 68 of them.]
Australia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico,
Poland, Serbia & Montenegro, Thailand and China / Taipei (aka
Taiwan). [I disqualified Miss Japan because she really looked
like she was from Singapore and I await final word on this
apparent scandal. I also should have given Miss Canada a better
shot.]
In case you missed it, though, the actual final ten were:
Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobasco, Serbia &
Montenegro, South Africa, Namibia, Venezuela, Dominican
Republic, and Japan (Singapore)
This is also when the telecast deteriorated in a big way, and since
it was a Donald Trump production, with The Donald right there
up front, he had to be pissed.
First, emcee Daisy Fuentes mixed up Venezuela and Dominican
Republic as the babes did the evening gown thing, then Miss
Venezuela was asked her first question.
Now understand that she was earlier described as loving
“extreme sports,” so co-emcee Billy Bush asked her what she
liked most about it? To which Miss Venezuela replied, “I don’t
know where you got this information. I don’t like extreme
sports.” And that was it. Billy Bush then responded, “Guess we
have to fire the research staff.” Yuck yuck. Unfortunately, the
camera wasn’t on The Donald at this moment. Me? I suddenly
became a Miss Venezuela fan.
[I had also been following her story leading up to the pageant.
Her government, broke financially as it is, said it couldn’t afford
to send her. Then some businessmen came to the rescue.]
OK. Now we get down to the final five.
Venezuela (yes, the response didn’t hurt her), Japan (Singapore),
South Africa, Dominican Republic, Serbia & Montenegro.
One more question for each, with the questions coming directly
from the contestants. So Miss Venezuela picks Miss Dominican
Republic’s question.
“What would you rather be? Fire or water?”
To which Miss Venezuela says disdainfully, “I’m a human…I
couldn’t be either.”
Yessss! Stick it to ‘em again, you gorgeous gal, you.
And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The first
runner-up is………….Miss Venezuela. The winner…………..
Miss Dominican Republic, Amelia “Garcia” Vega…all 6’1” of
her.
Actually, by the end I was bummed out about Czech Republic
and Serbia & Montenegro. You see, I have major Eastern
European roots, myself, so I’m a bit prejudiced.
1953
Monday, June 2, marked the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth
II’s coronation, a big achievement. Elizabeth actually ascended
the throne on 2/6/52, but she was formally crowned 16 months
later at age 27. You’ll recall from past Bar Chats that her
coronation was extra special because it was then that news
reached Britain of Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mount Everest a
few days earlier, May 29.
So what else was going on in 1953? Following are just a few
facts, as culled from our extensive library of reference material
here in the offices of StocksandNews. [Actually, I have a better
library than most Third World nations.]
–The Soviet Union successfully exploded a hydrogen bomb.
–The Korean War ended, with an armistice being signed on July
27 at Panmunjom.
–Francis Crick and James D. Watson offered a model for the
structure of DNA, the “double helix.”
–August 6-8, public services were disrupted by a wave of strikes
in France. See? Nothing has changed.
–Food shortages in Czechoslovakia.
–Cardinal Jozsef Wyszynski, head of the Polish Catholic
Church, was arrested for alleged conspiracy against the state.
–Josef Stalin died on March 5. Nikita Khrushchev emerged
from the power struggle to replace him. Lavrenti Beria, foreign
minister and head of internal security, was executed.
–Women receive the right to vote in Mexico.
–Fidel Castro, a student activist, leads an abortive attack on a
garrison. His eloquent defense at his trial won him national
prestige. Castro was held in prison for only two years, then
exiled to Mexico.
–King Hussein of Jordan was crowned at age 18.
–China sent 28,000 technicians to study in the Soviet Union.
The Soviets sent 11,000 to China.
–Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for passing atomic
secrets to the Soviets.
–Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” opens in Paris.
And strictly in the United States….
–The population of the nation was 161,000,000.
–The federal budget was $78.6 billion.
–Senator Joseph McCarthy calls everyone a communist.
–The U.S. Communist Party was ordered to register with the
Justice Department as an organization controlled and directed by
the U.S.S.R.
–General Electric announced all communist employees would be
discharged.
–Bermuda shorts are promoted for men.
–Rocky Marciano retains his heavyweight championship.
–Top money winner on the PGA Tour, Lew Worsham, won
$34,002.
–Jim Thorpe died.
–Indiana defeated Kansas, 69-68, for the NCAA basketball title.
–Senator Wayne Morse conducts his record filibuster on the
Senate floor of 22 hours, 26 minutes.
–Tornadoes killed 350 over three days in Texas, Ohio, Michigan
and western Massachusetts.
–Gary Cooper wins Best Actor for “High Noon” (1952).
–Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” wins the
Pulitzer Prize.
–Stock margin requirements were reduced from 75 to 50%.
–Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins in the Stanley
Cup.
–Minneapolis Lakers defeat the New York Knicks in the NBA.
–Ben Hogan wins the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.
–Keizu Yamada of Japan wins the Boston Marathon in 2 hr. 18
min. 51 sec., the fastest time recorded in any marathon up to that
point.
–Bill Vukovich wins the Indy 500.
–Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons were inducted into Baseball’s
Hall of Fame.
–Neva Jane Langley, Macon, GA, wins the Miss America
pageant.
–The New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers for their 5th
consecutive World Series championship.
–Major Chuck Yeager set the airplane speed record, 1600 mph.
–Detroit Lions defeat the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title.
–Maureen Connolly becomes the first woman to win the Grand
Slam of Tennis.
–Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” is published.
–Ian Fleming introduces character of James Bond in “Casino
Royale.”
–Hugh Hefner begins publication of Playboy!
And on the financial front:
The day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, 6/2/53, the Dow
Jones Industrial Average closed at 269. You’ll recall, market
junkies, that the Dow had peaked all the way back on 9/3/29 at
381. This level wasn’t reached again, on a closing basis, until
11/23/54…382. Long-term government bonds yielded 2.7% in
’53 and the inflation rate (as measured by the CPI) was 0.6%.
[From 1952-55, inflation was up or down 0.9% to -0.5%.]
#1 Hit’s / 1953 [As compiled by Billboard]
Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You) – Les Paul & Mary
Ford
The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) – Percy
Faith (Felicia Sanders)
You You You – Ames Brothers
Rags To Riches – Tony Bennett
The Doggie In The Window – Patti Page
Till I Waltz Again With You – Teresa Brewer
I’m Walking Behind You – Eddie Fisher
Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes – Perry Como
No Other Love – Perry Como
St. George And the Dragonet – Stan Freberg
*Two notable tunes that peaked at #2; Dean Martin’s “That’s
Amore” and Nat King Cole’s “Pretend.”
Also, Hank Williams had the #1 “Your Cheatin’ Heart” on the
country charts.
Finally….in 1953…
–70% of U.S. televisions were tuned in to watch Lucille Ball
become a mother on “I Love Lucy.” “Dragnet,” “Arthur
Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,” and “You Bet Your Life” (with
Groucho Marx) were other big shows that year, along with the
debut of “The Adventures of Superman.” 50 years ago!
–3-D movies become the rage, led by Vincent Price in “The
House of Wax.”
–Toy railroads reach a peak in popularity. As an aside, I know a
fellow who works on the local railroad here in New Jersey and
he told me he could make a good living just helping rich folks in
the area with their model train sets. There are some who call him
each time a freakin’ light goes out…and he charges a pretty
penny to rush over.
Stuff
–The American Film Institute has come out with a list of top
“heroes” and “villains.”
#1 hero is Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), “To Kill a
Mockingbird.” Great pick. James Bond was #3, behind Indiana
Jones.
#1 villain is Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), “The Silence
of the Lambs.” I’d go with The Wicked Witch of the West
(Margaret Hamilton), “The Wizard of Oz.” She took the #4 slot
in the poll behind Norman Bates and Darth Vader.
–Aaghh! The Mets’ 472-pound first baseman Mo Vaughn said
he is going to try and play again this season, despite his knee
problems.
“No doubt I’m going to try like hell,” he said. “I’ve had to fight
a lot of things in my career. I’ve been fighting all my life, so I’m
going to fight this as much as I can.”
Oh, give me a freakin’ break. Geezuz, I hate that line, “I’ve had
to fight a lot of things in my career.” All these overpriced
athletes love to use this meaningless throwaway.
Bull. You’re getting paid $17 million a year to make holes
around first base. It’s not like you live in Zimbabwe, struggling
to find your next meal, a-hole.
–Awright! Hootie Johnson has elected to keep The Masters
commercial free again in 2004. Start planning your bathroom
breaks now!!! [Let’s see, if I drink six beers on Saturday night,
June 7, 2003…]
–According to the London Times, two amateur golfers
competing in a club tournament the other day scored consecutive
holes in one, the first this has happened according to the Hole-In-
One Golf Society of Great Britain.
Sometimes I have trouble believing these stories, but 7-
handicapper Richard Evans aced the 192 yard, par 3 at Glynhir
Golf Club in Ammanford, Wales, then up stepped 12-
handicapper Mark Evans. Bingo.
–In winning the Grand Prix of Monaco the other day, Juan
Montoya became just the second driver in history to capture both
it and the Indy 500. The other is Graham Hill.
–Get ready, Detroit. Your editor has his tickets for Aug. 5 and 6,
Tiger Stadium…………oops, what’s it called? Comerica Park?
Does Gates Brown still play for them? Jim Northrup?
And guess what? The Tigers drafted Wake Forest’s Kyle Sleeth
with the third pick in the major league draft. He won’t let you
down, Motown fans.
–I was looking at the New Jersey high school track and field
marks and while I mentioned this a few years ago, it bears
repeating that Marty Liquori still holds the state mark in the mile,
as he was the first high schooler in the nation to break 4 minutes,
3:59.8, way back in 1967. New Jersey had some other big high
school track stars…Carl Lewis is still the long jump record
holder, 26’6” set in 1979. Sister Carol Lewis is the girls long
jump record holder, 1980, and Renaldo Nehemiah (San
Francisco 49ers), still holds both the state and national marks for
the 110-m hurdles, 1977. Hey, I once ran a 5:10 mile! And I
was lapped in the 100 by Butch Woolfolk.
–Golfer Hubert Green has been diagnosed with throat cancer.
We wish him the best in his coming battle.
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/4/66: #1 “When A Man Loves A
Woman” (Percy Sledge) #2 “A Groovy Kind Of Love” (The
Mindbenders) #3 “Paint It, Black” (The Rolling Stones)
Triple Crown Quiz Answers: 1) Horses falling short of the
Triple Crown by losing the Belmont: ’97-Silver Charm (finished
2nd…trainer Bob Baffert); ’98 – Real Quiet (2nd in Belmont,
Baffert); ’99 – Charismatic (3rd, D. Wayne Lukas); ’02 – War
Emblem (8th, Baffert). 2) Triple Crown jockeys: ’73 – Ron
Turcotte aboard Secretariat; ’77 – Jean Cruguet / Seattle Slew;
’78 – Steve Cauthen / Affirmed. 3) In 1989 Sunday Silence won
the first two legs of the Triple Crown, with Easy Goer second in
both. Then Easy Goer defeated Sunday Silence in the Belmont.
On to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where Sunday Silence won by a
½ length over Easy Goer.
Triple Crown Tidbit: There were four winners in the 1940s, three
in the 1970s. None in between, or after. We’re overdue.
GO FUNNY CIDE!!!!!
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
