Monday pm update…Wake Forest\’s Bill Haas wins his first PGA Tour title at the Bob Hope!!!! Way to go, Bill.
Winter Olympics Quiz: Name the venues since 1956. [Reminder…every four years until ’92…then ’94, ’98, ’02, ‘06] [Hint: One site in this time period hosted twice.] Answer below.
New Orleans vs. Indianapolis
Well at least we have an entertaining matchup for the Super Bowl. As much as I like Indy coach Jim Caldwell (because he’s a former Wake Forest coach and just a good guy), I can’t stand the Colts and New Orleans deserves a winner.
At the same time, of course I’m bummed at the fate of my Jets. I wore my Jets pullover 28 straight days and ate a ton of Jets cream puffs from Dunkin’ Donuts this past week as part of my own ritual for success. And New York certainly played a solid first half (until the killer last two minutes that gave the Colts the Big Mo). Heck, as a fan you really begin to understand just how hard it is to get to this position in the first place. Jets Nation has a lot to be proud of and with a larger than life coach, a quarterback who has shown the last month that he can be a star the next decade or more, and a terrific rookie running back (Shonn Greene), Jets fans should be wearing their gear proudly for years to come.
As for Peyton Manning, the guy has that image of a goof in all those commercials he does but as the experts say, no one studies an opponent harder than Manning. Forget his talent and prodigious stats, many simply say he is the smartest quarterback to ever play the game. He may yet retire as the greatest, though he needs another Super Bowl or two before we can attach that label as well.
—College Basketball Review
There were a slew of upsets on Saturday, highlighted by UConn’s 88-74 defeat of No. 1 Texas, the second loss for the Longhorns this week as they lose the top spot to Kentucky in the polls coming out shortly.
A lousy Georgia squad defeated No. 8 Tennessee, 78-63. And Oklahoma State beat No. 9 Kansas State. Plus on Sunday, Seton Hall upset No. 11 Pitt. Separately, West Virginia had a quality win against Ohio State, 71-65, after being down big.
And then there are my Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who in the span of seven days got whipped by Duke, came back for a big win on the road at North Carolina, and then on Saturday beat the ACC’s only remaining undefeated team in conference play, Virginia. So suddenly the Deacs are 14-4, 4-2. Not too shabby. Going into the season I was going to be happy with an 8-8 conference mark, figuring that would be good enough to get us into March Madness, but maybe we can do better, especially since point guard Ish Smith appears to be on a mission, playing spectacularly well recently. But as fellow Deac Ryan G. reminded me the other day, every game is a must from here in. [By the way, Wake fans…I posted the last column before the Carolina victory, thus the reason for no comment on it. Sorry.]
Finally, this great piece from Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post on the proposal to expand the NCAA tournament field to 96 teams.
“The NCAA tournament is the best event in sports. It’s equitable, exciting and time-consuming – for just the right amount of time. It’s the perfect bridge between winter and spring, between college basketball and baseball, between indoors and outdoors.
“It’s so great, it’s co-opted the name of an entire month. We don’t have April Ennui or May Mania or December Delirium. Well, we may have all those things, but they aren’t official national monikers. March Madness is. As the great Andy Williams sang, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year.’
“The good ol’ NCAA, the burr under the saddle of college sports, is considering expanding the men’s basketball tournament field from 65 to 96 teams. This would lengthen the tournament by a week, give the top 32 seeds a first-round bye and make zillions of dollars for the NCAA and some lucky TV network, probably ESPN.
“In other words, this is the worst idea in the history of ideas. Well, Jay Leno at 10 p.m. was the worst idea in the history of ideas. This is the worst idea in the history of sports ideas, and that includes the Bowl Championship Series, the previous leader in the category.
“At the end of this year’s Final Four, the NCAA can opt out of its 11-year, $6 billion – yes, billion with a b – contract with CBS, its partner in this enterprise since 1982. ESPN is champing at the bit to televise the tournament on some of its 6 billion – yes, billion with a b – stations. The Disney giant already is in bed with college sports (sorry for the visual), paying $495 million over four years to televise the five annual BCS games.
“What is it about corporate greed that, when a company is making a kabillion dollars, it immediately begins wondering, ‘How can I make a kabillion and one dollars?’ Capitalism is great, as long as you don’t screw up the product. The expanded field would definitely screw up the product.
“Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, has there ever been a year when you watched the Selection Show and thought, ‘Man, 31 teams got hosed.’ No. There have never been 31 teams who deserved to make the field but didn’t. One or two, maybe. Not 31.”
And that’s your bottom line on this horrendous idea. Do we really want the entire ACC or Big East in the tourney? That’s about what you’d end up with.
Yes, the Nets are now an unfathomable 3-40. In their latest losing streak of 11, only two of the losses have been by fewer than 10 points. I mean check out the last three scores as New Jersey has had a dreadful Western swing.
The Nets now come home for four against the Clippers, Washington, Philadelphia and Detroit. They better pick up 2 wins here or the worst record in league history could be a lock.
[Not to be outdone, at least for a day, on Sunday the New York Knicks suffered a franchise worst 50-point defeat at home at the hands of Dallas, 128-78.]
—Conan O’Brien went out in style, ending on a classy note in thanking NBC for the 20 years the network gave him, including “Late Night” from 1993 to last February. But he still got off some zingers, including:
“Like everything in life, the fun has come to an end a decade too early.”
“Ladies and gentleman, we have exactly one hour to steal every single item in this studio.”
“As I set off for exciting new career opportunities, I just want to make one thing clear to everyone listening out there: I will do nudity.”
–Florida coach Urban Meyer may not be taking a leave of absence after all, because, according to the AP, he “is eating better and has gained 20 pounds since the season ended.” I grow weary of this saga.
—Brad and Angelina signed papers for a legal separation with joint custody of their six children; though the children are to live with Jolie. Since they never married, it seems the two will keep all the money they have earned, which Forbes estimates at $100 million each. Basically, Jolie went nuts, thus causing Brad to see the light. He had tried to stage an intervention at a restaurant in New York on Jan. 6, in an attempt to get her to seek psychiatric help. Reports have said she has been in a deep depression since her mother died three years ago, she wasn’t eating and had attempted suicide. But what’s this? Brad and Jennifer were seen backstage together at the Haiti telethon in Los Angeles?
—Elvis and Nixon
A long time ago I noted the story behind a famous picture of President Richard Nixon and Elvis at the White House, a copy of which I have long displayed in my home. But the other day the incident came back to life because the National Archives (which claims copies of the picture are requested as much as any other in its treasure trove), put together a seminar with former Nixon aide Egil “Bud” Krogh and one of Elvis’ trusted advisors, Jerry Schiling, to talk about the improbable meeting, Dec. 21, 1970.
It was on Dec. 19 of that year that Elvis contacted Schilling at his home in the Hollywood Hills. Elvis was in Dallas and wanted Jerry to pick him up at LAX. Schilling then takes Elvis to his mansion in Beverly Hills.
The next day, Vernon, Elvis’ father, and Priscilla were giving him grief about how he spent his money so the king decided to get on the first plane going out, which was to Washington.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times’ Faye Fiore, things immediately went downhill when it was discovered Elvis was carrying a gun (he normally carried three) and a steward informed him he couldn’t bring a firearm on the plane. But as Elvis stormed off, a pilot tracked him down and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Presley, of course you can keep your gun.”
Upon getting to D.C., though, he decides he wants a doughnut, at which point he is accosted by three thugs, who comment on his five gold rings and his necklaces.
“Yeah, and I aim to keep it,” replied Elvis, whereupon he lifted up one of the legs of his bell bottoms to reveal a snub-nosed revolver strapped to his ankle.
But then later that day Elvis returns to Los Angeles. It’s still just Dec. 20. He then informs Schilling that the two of them will go back to Washington. It’s a Sunday night and they catch a flight, seated in first-class and with just $500 in these pre-ATM days, Elvis having been able to cash a check that day at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. At one point Elvis goes back to coach to talk to some soldiers on leave from Vietnam and, Elvis being about the most generous person on earth, decides to give one of them the $500 he and Jerry have.
“You don’t understand. This man’s been in Vietnam,” says the king.
But while he’s delivering the money, Elvis meets George Murphy, a former entertainer who was then senator from California. After chatting awhile, Elvis returns to his seat and proceeds to write Richard Nixon a five-page letter.
“Dear Mr. President, First I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley.”
Elvis proceeds to explain his love of country and how he wants to give back, specifically, to help with the war on drugs. In particular, Elvis was after a gold badge that would designate him as a federal agent.
Well, Elvis arrives in D.C. and instructs the limo driver to take the two of them to the White House, where he then instructs the guard to deliver the letter to the president.
Just a few hours later, still that morning, the letter finds its way to the desk of Dwight Chapin, special assistant to the president. He decides the meeting has to take place, but others, including Egil Krogh and H.R. Haldeman, at first don’t know if this is all a joke.
But when they realize it isn’t, Krogh, a big Elvis fan, schedules five minutes with Nixon at 11:45 a.m. Elvis and Schilling, back at their hotel, show up on time.
“Soon…Elvis is pulling out pictures of his wife and baby, along with photos of assorted police and security badges he has collected over the years. The allotted five minutes pass, and they’re still going, bonding over their lowly beginnings – poverty, challenging childhoods. They commiserate about the burdens of fame, what a hard gig Vegas is (which, weirdly, Nixon seems to know about). Elvis offers to help Nixon fight the war on drugs and restore respect for the flag. Nixon admires Elvis’ big cuff lnks.”
Elvis asked Nixon for what he wanted all along, the big gold badge to add to his collection and at first Nixon said “we just don’t have those.” Egil Krogh says “I’ll look into it.”
“Elvis is crestfallen, visibly wilted…a man who could have anything – cars, women, houses – except the one thing he wants most. Nixon takes one look at him and caves. ‘Get him the badge.’
“Elvis is so excited he gives the president a big hug.”
He then proceeds to bring his friends, including Schilling, into the Oval Office, whereupon Elvis pulls out his commemorative Colt 45, to the dismay of the Secret Service, and gives it to Nixon.
“The president moves over to a drawer of presents he keeps on the left side of his desk, its contents organized in order of increasing value: golf balls, pens, paperweights in front, and way in the back, 16-karat gold pendants, lapel pins and brooches. Nixon peruses the drawer with Elvis peeking over his shoulder. He pulls out gifts for Schilling and another friend of Elvis’.
The two say their goodbyes and for 13 months not a soul involved in the meeting, including female staffers at the White House who got a kiss from Elvis, breathed a word about it. Then columnist Jack Anderson caught wind of the story and the rest is history. The gun is on display at the Nixon Library. The badge hangs in Graceland.
—Bobby Bragan, who had a lengthy career in baseball, first as a player and then a manager, died at the age of 92. Bragan was on the Brooklyn Dodgers when Jackie Robinson was called up to break the color barrier and Bragan was critical of the move. As he later wrote in his autobiography:
“Growing up in Birmingham, Ala., I never mixed much with blacks. I had never really had much conversation with a black person, much less eaten a meal or shared a train compartment with one. That’s what I would have to do if Jackie joined the Dodgers, and I just wasn’t going to stand for it.”
But after a road trip with Robinson, Bragan changed his tune, telling Branch Rickey that he was honored to be Robinson’s teammate.
“I always say that, of all the people I’ve known in baseball, I respect Branch Rickey the most. I’d have to put Jackie up there on top with him. Mr. Rickey was a genius, and Jackie Robinson is the best proof of that genius. Thanks to the two of them, I was able to overcome my racial prejudice.”
Rickey would give Bragan an opportunity to manage in the Dodgers’ farm system, first as player-manager, and then he went on to manage seven seasons in the majors with the Pirates (1956-57), Indians (1958) and Milwaukee/Atlanta (1963-66), compiling a 443-478 mark.
Bragan was colorful, once stripping off his uniform while managing the Hollywood Stars in protest of a call, while another time he sent nine pinch-hitters to the plate during a single at-bat against the Los Angeles Angels, who were then playing in the Pacific Coast League. [L.A. Times]
–Trainer Curtis Wenzlaff, arrested in 1992 for steroids distribution, told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that Mark McGwire’s goal was to get “bigger, faster, stronger.” Wenzlaff says he supplied both Jose Canseco and McGwire with PEDs.
“(The) reason (Grace) never considered taking steroids to help him on the field was fear it would hurt him off it. ‘I just knew that stuff was really bad for you,’ he said. ‘I am single now. I was a single guy then. I like my sex life. I want to be able to perform. It’s kind of funny. It’s kind of not. That stuff will tear you up as far as your manhood is concerned.’”
–Dirtball of the Year candidate Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers’ first baseman who showed up drunk for a key game/series at the conclusion of last season, giving Minnesota a second life and an eventual playoff berth over Detroit, just completed three months in a treatment program for alcoholism. If I’m a Tigers fan, I wouldn’t be too quick to forgive him.
–This is interesting. The New York Times’ Tyler Kepner reports that Grant Desme has retired to become a priest. Who is Grant Desme? Only one of the better prospects in baseball, that’s who. The guy hit 31 home runs and stole 40 bases in Class A last season for the Athletics’ farm system and then was named MVP in the Arizona Fall League. He was going to be invited to spring training this year. In a conference call with reporters, Desme said, “I love the game, but I’m going to aspire to higher things. I know I have no regrets.” He added his breakout season last year left him unfulfilled. Injuries limited him to two games in 2008 and it was then he began to do his soul-searching, culminating in his decision over a year later.
–Golfer Jim Thorpe was hit with a one-year prison term for failing to pay more than $2 million in income taxes. This is sad. At 60, his days of earning some of it back on the Champions Tour are severely limited.
–According to a book proposal by Henry Bushkin, “Bombastic Bushkin” to Johnny Carson fans, in 1970, Carson had Bushkin and a private eye help him find out if his then-wife, Joanne, was having an affair with New York Giants great Frank Gifford. They gained access to a separate apartment Joanne had near the couple’s New York pad and discovered framed photos of Gifford and clothes believed to belong to him. Carson sobbed.
A few nights later, Bushkin got a 2 a.m. call from an “obviously tanked” Carson, summoning him to Jilly’s bar on W. 52nd.
“Why Frank Gifford?” Carson asked. “What’s that [expletive] got that I don’t have? That guy plays three positions on the field. I could never get Joanne to go for more than two.”
The next afternoon, Carson filed for divorce. Gifford hasn’t responded to the story. Joanne says her relationship with Gifford wasn’t while she was married to Johnny.
–We note the passing of actress Jean Simmons, 80. She starred with Marlon Brando in “Guys and Dolls,” and won an Emmy for her role in “The Thorn Birds.” Among her many flicks was “Elmer Gantry,” “The Big Country” [best opening movie theme ever], and…the favorite of many a guy… “Spartacus.”
Ah yes, Jean Simmons in “Spartacus.” Sheer beauty and sex appeal. [No, didn’t see the Starz’ “Spartacus” series opener yet. Sounds like it’s up some of our alleys, guys.]
–“A 600-year-old skull believed to be that of a legendary German pirate has been stolen from the Museum for Hamburg history.
“Klaus Stoertebeker is believed to have been beheaded in 1400 in Hamburg, together with 30 of his followers. The heads were nailed on pillars at the entrance of the harbor to deter other would-be pirates.”
There’s a reward being offered should you stumble on it, sports fans.
“(Serena) still acts as if she was the victim at last year’s U.S. Open semifinal, not the lineswoman she verbally abused.
“In case you’ve forgotten, this is the money quote from Williams that night, after being called for a foot-fault:
“ ‘I swear to God, I’ll take this f—ing ball and shove it down your f—ing throat.’
“She was allowed to play – and win – the women’s doubles with her sister Venus after that, when she should have been kicked out of the tournament on the spot. She ended up getting fined $92,500.
“And now she wants this to be a gender issue and, well, a First Amendment issue. This is what she wrote on a blog recently:
“ ‘Cool for ‘MEN’ I guess. Is it because they are all Hes and not a SHE like me. Being American, I guess, the first amendment, freedom of speech, does not apply to a SHE in this case.’
“Later the old wordsmith wrote, ‘If I did wrong, I accept the repercussions…’
“No she doesn’t. And hasn’t, from the day after the incident with the lineswoman until now.
“Williams didn’t just verbally abuse the woman in the chair that night…Williams threatened her. She didn’t know when to shut up then and doesn’t know when to shut up now.”
“State police in New York say an upstate dairy farmer shot and killed 51 of his milk cows in his barn before turning the rifle on himself….
“State police would only say that Dean Pierson was having personal issues.”
“Forget sharks and crocodiles: the real menace at this time of year, at least for suburban Sydneysiders, is a backyard spider whose bite can kill you in the space of two hours.
“Insect experts have warned that the city is being invaded by funnel-webs, considered one of the world’s most aggressive and poisonous spiders. A reptile park north of Sydney where people can drop off captured specimens, and where they are milked of their venom to make antidote, has received 40 males in recent weeks. Males are deadlier than females.”
Drought followed by downpours and high humidity has led to the plague. Lots of bites thus far but none fatal as yet. But get this…
“Thirteen people, including seven children, have died from funnel-web bites over the past 100 years.”
None since 1981, however, so I guess we really should chill out and I shouldn’t be doing my part to fan the hysteria. Then again, “they are said to be able to leap 18 inches, and their fangs can penetrate soft shoes and fingernails.”
—Burger King is introducing a new restaurant idea where beer will be served! “A Whopping Bar – which offers toppings like jalapenos and parmesan peppercorn sauce for its sandwiches – will also sell aluminum cans of Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime and Miller Lite for $4.25 each.” The first one opens in Miami Beach.
Actually, I didn’t realize BK already sells beer at its restaurants in Germany, Venezuela and Singapore; not that I’m about to hop a plane to one of these countries for the express purpose of visiting said establishments.
“Okay, after the ending to last Monday night’s ’24,’ I think Renee is going to have to dial things down a little.” Reminder…‘24’ is on tonight, Monday.
Top 3 songs for the week 1/29/77: #1 “Car Wash” (Rose Royce…talk about a song not aging well) #2 “I Wish” (Stevie Wonder) #3 “Dazz” (Brick)…and…#4 “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (Leo Sayer…ughh) #5 “Hot Line” (The Sylvers…another loser) #6 “New Kid In Town” (Eagles) #7 “Torn Between Two Lovers” (Mary MacGregor…what a crappy week) #8 “Blinded By The Light” (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band) #9 “Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen)” (Barbra Streisand) #10 “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith)
Winter Olympics Quiz Answer: Sites since 1956…
’56…Cortina
’60…Squaw Valley
’64…Innsbruck
’68…Grenoble
’72…Sapporo
’76…Innsbruck
’80…Lake Placid
’84…Sarajevo
’88…Calgary
’92…Albertville
’94…Lillehammer
’98…Nagano
’02…Salt Lake City
’06…Turin
