[Special Note: After noon, ET on Tuesday, 2/26, for a limited
time only see the wild boar from Taiwan I wrote of last week.
Since I didn”t seek approval from the China News Agency to
reproduce this it will be up only a few days. But, to be fair, I did
just drop $thousands on the island so I hope they understand.]
Baseball Quiz: 200-hit seasons. Believe it or not, only 32 in
baseball history have at least 4, 200-hit seasons. 1) Who is #1
with 10 and #2 with 9? 2) Identify the following who
accomplished the feat between 4 and 6 times.I”m giving you
the initials: A.S., S.G., V.P., P.M., R.C., C.K. Answers below.
CONGRATULATIONS TO CANADA FOR ITS MEN”S
HOCKEY GOLD!
Chuck Jones
As cartoon lovers, we have to note the passing of legendary
cartoonist Chuck Jones, who died the other day at age 89. Jones
was the sole creator of Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and Pepe
Le Pew, as well as being the guiding light in the transformation
of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig, all
which needed new life when he became part of the creative team
at Warner Brothers.
Jones was born in 1912 in Spokane, WA and by age 15 was
going to art school in California. At 20 he got his first real job in
the animation business as a cel washer at Disney, before heading
over to the Leon Schlesinger Studio (which then was sold to
Warner Bros.). Jones headed up the animation unit until 1962,
when WB got out of the business.
From 1933-62 he collaborated with the greats, like Tex Avery
and Friz Freleng, winning 3 Oscars for his directorial and
production work (Jones also won a lifetime achievement award
in 1996 and I imagine there will be a special segment at this
year”s Oscars). Jones also produced, directed and wrote the
screenplay for “Dr. Seuss” How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Of course he is perhaps best known for his work with Bugs,
transforming him into a “counter-revolutionary.”
Jones used to say, “Humor is based on failure. We all know little
of triumph.” And so Pepe Le Pew never got the girl, Elmer Fudd
the wabbit, and Wile E. Coyote the road runner.
A 1955 animation, “One Froggy Evening,” which featured a frog
belting out tunes ala Al Jolson, except when asked by his
discoverer to perform in front of others, has been called by
Steven Spielberg “The Citizen Kane of animated shorts.”
When asked how he”d like to be remembered, Chuck Jones
referred to something Ray Bradbury said at his 55th birthday
party when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Bradbury responded, “I want to be 14-years-old like Chuck
Jones.”
[Sources: AP, Jane Sumner / KRT News Service]
Stuff
–Jayson Williams: I”m no different than anyone else in the New
Jersey area who came to like former Nets” player Jayson
Williams because he was a charismatic, lovable figure. Unlike
the typical NBA ballplayer, Williams actually has a brain and
extreme wit.
But it was also always known he had a dark side and that has
obviously come to the forefront once again. Right after the
shooting incident at his mansion two weeks ago, it was clear
what had happened and now Williams is in a heap of trouble.
What”s sad is that the victim, limo driver Costas Christofi, has
had a very tough life, spending time in prison, but had seemingly
gotten things straightened out over ten years ago. Sports
Illustrated”s Jack McCallum perhaps summed it up best.
“There have always been two sides to Williams – the get-along-
with-everybody quote machine and the can”t-stay-out-of-trouble
rascal with a dark edge.”
And speaking of players with a past, boy, SI caught a lot of grief
for its glowing article on Jason Kidd a few weeks back. Kidd,
after all, once hit his wife and now things would appear to be all
hunky-dory between the two. Well, from the tone of the letters
to the editor in the current issue you can tell one thing, the public
isn”t buying it.
–Our prayers go out to the family of Penn State pole-vaulter,
Kevin Dare, who died at the Big Ten indoor championship last
weekend. Dare, who won the U.S. junior championship last year
with a vault of 16” 7″, somehow became disoriented on an
attempt at 15” 7″ and never cleared the bar. If you don”t know
what happened next, don”t bother trying to find out. It”s all just
very sad.
–Hats off to good friend Jose Rebimbas, who once again has
turned in a coaching gem in getting his Division III William
Paterson (N.J.) basketball team into the NCAAs for a 4th straight
season. WPU has advanced to the Final 4 two of the last three
years and I wouldn”t put it past him to get there again. I mean to
tell you, after losing in the Div. III title game in 2001, the team
started out just 7-8 before taking 12 of the next 13, including the
conference tournament. So dammit, some Div. I program is
making a huge mistake if they don”t hire this man. Help me get
the word out. Good luck in the tourney, coach.
–Remember how I said Austria looked like they would romp
with all the medals in the alpine skiing events? Well, not much
is being said of the fact that the Austrians pulled a major choke
job and only captured two golds, overall. No one trains harder
than they do so I imagine the country is in a state of shock these
days. For the record, Germany won 35 medals (12-16-7) with
the U.S. taking 34 (10-13-11). Norway must be celebrating,
garnering 24 (11-7-6). Back to Austria, Croatian Janica Kostelic
won three golds herself.
And regarding the Olympics, I agree with two comments made
by the Star-Ledger”s (N.J.) Brad Parks and Mike Vaccaro.
Michelle Kwan: “How do we say this gently? She choked.
Choked. Choked. Choked. Remember the good old days, when
you had to actually WIN a gold medal before you became a
millionaire? Let”s hope the sequined Buffalo Bill doesn”t think
about sticking around for 2006.”
Picabo Street (thumbs down): “Who shamelessly campaigned to
carry the U.S. flag during the Opening Ceremony, said she”d
”settle” for helping to carry the tattered World Trade Center flag.
She did get to carry the torch and then finished 16th in the
women”s downhill. It”s time to go now, Picabo.” Ditto from
here, guys.
–Guinness” parent, Diageo, is upset that sales for the popular
stout declined 4% in the Irish Republic last year (1% worldwide),
so it is testing a new method of pouring whereby the pint would
be ready in 15 to 25 seconds, instead of the traditional two
minutes. Needless to say traditionalists, like yours truly, are up
in arms. [Well, actually, I haven”t been with my buddies yet to
discuss this over 7 or 8 pints, but I will!]
Diageo”s CEO explains that “A two-minute pour is not relevant
to our customers today.” Oh, some of us beg to differ. In fact I
was quaffing a stout at Newark Airport the other day and both
the bartender and I scolded a customer who was trying to grab
his Guinness from behind the counter. [On second thought,
maybe that”s what the CEO is referring to.] Or as an Irish
barman put it to Reuters” Kevin Smith, “You pull a pint (of
Guinness) for an Irishman and he expects to wait. If you pull
one in less than a minute he”ll say ”Where the hell did you drag
that from?””
–Among the top ten books in Taiwan: I just thought it was kind
of interesting what the current tastes are there. [They lump the
categories together.]
#1 “The Hobbit”
#2 “10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking” Lenny
Laskowski
#9 “Ocean”s 11″
#10 “Eyewitness to Power” David Gergen
I”d say there is hope for every single one of you to have a hit
over there.
Top 3 songs for the week of 2/27/65: #1 “This Diamond Ring”
(Gary Lewis & The Playboys.group is underrated) #2 “You”ve
Lost That Lovin” Feelin”” (The Righteous Brothers) #3 “My
Girl” (The Temptations.great Top 3)
Baseball Quiz Answers / 200-hit seasons: 1) Pete Rose, 10. Ty
Cobb, 9. 2) Al Simmons, 6; Steve Garvey, 6; Chuck Klein, 5;
Paul Molitor, 4; Roberto Clemente, 4; Vada Pinson, 4. [That”s
the “great” Vada Pinson. Paid for by the Vada Pinson for Hall of
Fame Club. All rights reserved.]
**Congratulations to our own Harry Trumbore, who just
captured the New Jersey Press Association award for editorial
cartoons in the ”weekly” category. The elder Trumbore plies his
trade with “The Item” of Millburn, N.J. But I had to break the
news to him that he”s not receiving a pay raise from the editor,
his little brother. We pay in beer around here, anyway.
Speaking of age, and beer, there is no truth to the rumor that, like
most Dominican ballplayers, I am actually two years older than I
may have previously noted. Nor do I drink two-year-old Coors.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
