PGA Quiz: 1) Jack Nicklaus won 3 PGA titles in the 70s. Who
won 2 that decade? 2) Who finished 2nd 3 times in the 80s? 3)
Who was the only golfer to win 2 PGAs in the 90s? 4) Who won
in 1964, beating both Nicklaus and Palmer by 3? [Hint: First
name begins with a ‘B’.] Answers below.
Herb Brooks
How ironic, and tragic, that the coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic
Hockey Team died in a car accident on Monday after
participating in a charity golf outing for the U.S. Hockey Hall of
Fame.
Ah, the “Miracle on Ice”…Lake Placid. It was a game that lifted
the spirits of all Americans, what with hostages being held in
Iran, the Soviets invading Afghanistan and the Cold War in full
force. Slava Fetisov, then a rookie defenseman on the Soviet
team, recalled from his end, “We were told (we could) lose to
anybody but the U.S.”
The year before, in a Challenge Cup Series with the NHL All-
Stars, the same Soviet team had won 2 of 3, including a 6-0
finale. In a pre-Olympic appearance, the Soviets beat the
Americans, 10-3.
At Lake Placid, the U.S. team was seeded 7th, though coach Herb
Brooks still thought they might win a bronze medal. But as the
New York Times’ veteran writer Dave Anderson noted the other
day, “If coaching is making a team better than it really is, in that
Olympic tournament Brooks did arguably the most remarkable
coaching job in the history of any sport.”
In their opener, the Americans salvaged a 2-2 tie with 3rd-seeded
Sweden. Then they whipped 2nd-seeded Czechoslovakia, 7-3,
Norway, 5-1, Romania, 7-2, and W. Germany, 4-2. Next up
were the Soviets.
Before the contest, Brooks, ever the master motivator, told his
players, “You were born to be here,” and walked out of the
locker room.
Many of you can recall where you watched the game that day.
What I can’t remember is if I knew the result beforehand because
the game was on a 3-hour tape delay. The Soviets led 2-1 when,
with one second remaining in the first period, Mark Johnson tied
the score at 2.
The Soviets had the world’s best goalie, Vladislav Tretiak, but he
was benched for the remainder of the game after Johnson knotted
it, one of the more controversial moves in the history of the
sport.
Then in the 3rd period, with the Soviets back up 3-2, Johnson
scored again to tie it and then suddenly, on a shift change with 10
minutes to go in the game, captain Mike Eruzione scored on a
screened shot to make it 4-3, U.S. That’s how it ended, as the
Soviets played scared the rest of the way, afraid they’d spend
their remaining days in the Gulag.
Of course Herb Brooks wouldn’t allow his players to celebrate.
They still had to defeat Finland for the Gold Medal. If they lost,
the U.S. would drop down to 4th. The Americans won, 4-2. It
took weeks for all of us to come down from our high.
[Much of the preceding was previously posted in this column.]
Stevie Wonder
You know how sometimes you think you have a good idea and it
doesn’t turn out that well? Case in point, Stevie Wonder. I’m in
Detroit the other day and the thought hits me that I’ve never done
a profile of Stevie for Bar Chat. I mean how could that be? But
as it turns out, no wonder I haven’t before because it’s not a real
exciting story, folks. [Don’t worry, Mr. Wonder won’t be
offended by what I just wrote. He can’t read it.]
I did, however, put in a fair amount of time doing the research,
so you all have to suffer along as Bar Chat tells…………the
Stevie Wonder Story! Aargh!!!!
Born Steveland (sic) Judkins Morris in Saginaw, MI, 5/13/50, by
age 7, Stevie was still stumbling all over the house before his
parents realized he was blind…………CUT!
[“Editor, you can’t play with his life story like that.” “I can’t?
Sorry…never mind.” We now continue with…the Stevie
Wonder Story.]
Actually, the god’s honest truth is that Stevie had been blind
since birth because he was administered too much oxygen while
in an incubator. Come to think of it, I went to college with a
bunch of guys who were known to take too much oxygen, but I
digress.
By age 7, little Dickie Morris could play the piano, drums and
harmonica and at age 8 he was writing songs, while emulating
his hero, Ray Charles, at every opportunity. [This is kind of off
the track, but do you think the Raelettes liked to party? Back to
our story.] Along with his other family members, he was also a
member of the Whitestone Baptist Church Choir in Detroit.
His friend’s cousin was Gerald White, brother of Miracles
member Ronnie White, so Gerald took Steveland to meet
Motown Records’ Berry Gordy and producer Brian Holland.
The two took one look at the little squirt, who kept moving his
head from side to side, and nonetheless signed the 10-year-old to
a long-term contract. Gordy then gave the kid who took too
much oxygen the moniker Little Stevie Wonder.
Then in August 1962, Little Stevie had his 1st single, featuring
Marvin Gaye on drums, and that October, Wonder toured with
Gaye, the Miracles, the Supremes and Mary Wells.
It was the following year, August ’63, that Stevie hit it big with
“Fingertips – Part 2,” recorded at Chicago’s Regal Theater. The
tune sold a million copies and topped the charts for 3 weeks. A
star was born.
The LP accompanying the song, “Recorded Live…The 12 Year
Old Genius,” became the first live record, incidentally, to top the
Hot 100, R&B Singles and Album Surveys. A few months later,
February 1964, he appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and
then in July of that year, Wonder said:
“Sheeet, I’m droppin’ the ‘Little’ prefix, if you all don’t mind.”
And so he did.
Following are some other key dates in his life.
March 1965 – tours the UK with Martha & the Vandellas, the
Miracles, the Supremes and the Temptations, along with
Britain’s Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames, an incredible act at
the time.
January 1968 – Stevie graduates from the Michigan School for
the Blind.
May 1969 – receives an award from President Nixon for
“Distinguished Service” as a handicapped person. Wonder drops
the award. He never saw it.
September 1970 – marries Syreeta Wright, a secretary at Motown
Records, and the two go on to co-write some songs.
[Unfortunately, the marriage ends two years later.]
May 13, 1971 – on his 21st birthday, Stevie Wonder received all
his childhood earnings, but despite having tallied $30 million, he
got only $1 million, thanks to the thieving Gordy. But Wonder
stuck with him and renegotiated, becoming the first artist at
Motown to gain complete artistic control.
August 1971 – sings at funeral of King Curtis, stabbed in New
York City.
June 1972 – supports the Rolling Stones on their North American
tour.
January 1973 – “Superstition,” originally written for Jeff Beck,
tops the U.S. chart.
August 1973 – Rufus (featuring Chaka Khan…Chaka Khan,
Chaka Khan) has a #3 with “Tell Me Something Good,” written
by Stevie….I didn’t know that!
Then…tragedy…
August 6, 1973 – while traveling from Greenville, NC to
Durham, NC (what I used to call the barbecue tour when I was
working down there….love that sliced pork…with a couple of
frosties to wash it down…but I digress…), Wonder’s car crashes
into a logging truck and Stevie suffers multiple head injuries.
He’s in a coma for 4 days and his head injuries rob him of his
sense of smell. Of course he also had no sense of direction, so it
shouldn’t be real surprising that he hit the truck.
Well, Stevie recovered, praise Jesus, and the rest of his story is
really boring, except for these last few items.
Wonder wrote Minnie Ripperton’s “Lovin’ You,” another chart-
topper.
And then in April 1976, Stevie and Motown announced the
signing of a $13 million contract extension, the largest negotiated
in recording history to that date.
Of course just a few months later, Wonder released the double
LP sensation, “Songs in the Key of Life,” which debuted at U.S.
#1 and stayed there for 14 weeks. I was a freshman at Wake
Forest that fall, and in between fraternity parties, raft races and
trying to find a date, I, like many of my classmates, played this
LP into the ground, to the point where I can’t listen to any of
the tunes today. You know, it’s truly sad that us humans do that
oh so often; playing records into the ground, that is. But enough
of me, and us. Stevie cleaned up at the Grammys for his
masterpiece and has at least 17, overall, for his career.
Then in February 1977, New York City police raided Wonder’s
house on Stuyvesant Square and found 3 illegal Taser guns, able
to stun victims with a 50,000-volt shock. He only received a
fine.
Well, that’s about it, if you exclude the fact he was once caught
playing in a 3-card monte game, which kind of blew his cover,
but people these days accept him for what he is, a great musician
who hasn’t done anything in about 25 years and should have
served 10 years in the state penitentiary for giving us 1982’s
“Ebony and Ivory” with Paul McCartney, along with “I Just
Called to Say I Love You,” another nauseating tune.
But lest you think I don’t appreciate Mr. Wonder, here’s a
chronology of his earlier top tens. [Billboard Pop Charts]
1/66 – Uptight (Everything’s Alright) peaked at #3
7/66 – Blowin In The Wind, #9
11/66 – A Place In The Sun, #9
6/67 – I Was Made To Love Her, #2
4/68 – Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day, #9
11/68 – For Once In My Life, #2
6/69 – My Cherie Amour, #4
11/69 – Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday, #7
7/70 – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours, #3
10/70 – Heaven Help Us All, #9
9/71 – If You Really Love Me, #8
12/72 – Superstition, #1
3/73 – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, #1
9/73 – Higher Ground, #4
11/73 – Living For The City, #8
8/74 – You Haven’t Done Nothin, #1
11/74 – Boogie On Reggae Woman, #3
12/76 – I Wish, #1
4/77 – Sir Duke, #1
11/79 – Send One Your Love, #4
10/80, Master Blaster (Jammin’), #5
1/82 – That Girl, #4
4/82 – Ebony And Ivory, #1…OK, that’s enough.
[Sources: “VH-1 Rock Stars Encyclopedia;” “Rolling Stone
Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll;” “Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and
Soul,” edited by Irwin Stambler]
Bear Attack!!!
Yes! Houston, we have a bear attack in New Jersey. Now we
wouldn’t be this excited if the 18-year-old woman who had a bad
experience last Sunday in Wawayanda State Park was killed,
because that would be classless, but this brave hiker really
had quite an experience.
According to Jim Lockwood of the Star-Ledger, the victim was
walking on a trail near her home, having just crossed a bridge,
when she spotted a huge black bear (estimated at 400 pounds)
about 30 yards behind her. Now here is where she made a big
mistake. “She started backing slowly away when she saw the
bear and tried to run when it charged her,” said a state authority.
NO…never, ever, do that. Remember what your editor has been
telling you in this space for years, as well as the advice given in
that Holiday Inn Express commercial. Stand your ground and
make yourself as big as possible. If that doesn’t work, whip out
your copy of Bill O’Reilly’s “No Spin Zone” and act like you’re
offended the bear had turned down all requests to appear earlier.
Anyway, as the woman was running, the bear tackled her from
behind.
Mr. Lockwood writes, “The woman told officials she managed to
pop the bear in the snout with her elbow, startling it enough so
that she was able to get up, run about 40 yards and hide behind a
tree.” The bruin stood on its hind legs, sniffed the air, and ended
up wandering off. Our heroine, albeit a stupid one, escaped with
only a bunch of welts.
The main point of this story though, boys and girls, is that this
“predatory” type behavior just isn’t seen in these parts. Said
Jack Kaskey of the Department of Environmental Protection,
“The bear was out to eat her.” Oh, he’ll find her. Maybe not this
year, but probably ’05 or ’06. Bar Chat will be there to cover
round two.
[Truth be told, I was having a few beers tonight with my
childhood friend, the local police chief. I confronted him on the
whereabouts of all the bears. He said, “We’re trying to find
them, dammit!” Clearly, he’s a bit testy when this topic arises.]
Stuff
–Can’t say I’ve been watching “The Restaurant” this summer,
NBC’s reality series, but the New York Daily News had a bit the
other day concerning the fact that the featured establishment has
been cited by the Health Department for six violations, including
“live flies” in the kitchen prep area and metal spoons “in a
container of greasy, stagnant water.” Yes, a greasy spoon.
–The Daily News had a piece on the action in the Hamptons this
past weekend. Seems that late Saturday night, local law
enforcement raided some hot restaurants for overcrowding. One
of the establishments was Ed Kleesfield’s Jean Luc East, which
had about 300 patrons (stated capacity 213) when police barged
in. Jean Luc East is a favorite of celebs like Hillary Swank and
Christie Brinkley.
Kleesfield didn’t end up receiving a ticket or fine, but the raid
cost him $7,000 as many of the folks ran out without paying the
check, the freakin’ dirtballs. Gee, you don’t think they were
worried the cops would find drugs on their person, do you?
–OK. I know you were so enthralled with all the Detroit Tigers
trivia the last few chats that you couldn’t wait for more, so here’s
one. Hal Newhouser.
I mean to tell ya, Newhouser had one of the best stretches ever
for a pitcher.
1944: 29-9, 2.22 ERA….AL MVP
1945: 25-9, 1.81….AL MVP
1946: 26-9, 1.94….2nd in MVP voting.
All three seasons he led the league in wins and if he had won the
MVP voting in ’46, to this day he would have been the only
player to win 3 in a row.
Which brings up Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols. Bonds could
win his 3rd MVP in a row this season, though I think many of you
join me in hoping Pujols wins it.
And as Johnny Mac told me the other day, “If Pujols doesn’t win
the Triple Crown because he loses the batting title to Todd
Helton, or RBIs to Preston Wilson, or homers to Bonds, he
should still be declared the winner because he doesn’t:
a) Play in a park that inflates offensive statistics to
cartoonish levels (see Helton and Wilson playing at Coors
Field), or,
b) Sprinkle copious amounts of human growth hormone on
his Cheerios.”
–Here’s some pretty useless filler. If you take the ‘rank’ in team
runs scored and team ERA (i.e., 2nd in runs scored and 6th in
ERA equals 8), through last Friday you get…
Yankees, 6. 3rd team runs, 3rd ERA
Mariners, 8…6 and 2
But in the National League…
Phillies, 7…5 and 2
Giants 9…5 and 4
Braves10…1 and 9
Astros10…4 and 6
Dodgers 17…16 (out of 16 runs scored) and 1 (ERA)
Sorry, that really was filler. I blame it on not checking the born
on labeling on the beer can.
–What’s this? More Tigers trivia. Hey, I couldn’t help it that
shortstop Billy Rogell just died at the age of 98. Rogell was a
star with the Tigers in the 1930s, but he’s best remembered for
an incident in Game 4 of the 1934 World Series. As told by
Richard Goldstein of the New York Times:
“Dizzy Dean, the Cardinals’ colorful pitching star, was pinch-
running at first base in the fourth inning, with Leo Durocher on
third base and no one out, when a grounder was hit to (second
baseman Charlie Gehringer), who tossed to Rogell for a forceout.
Dean, arriving at second base standing up, was hit in the
forehead by Rogell’s double-play relay to first base, the ball
caroming into right field.
“Dean, knocked unconscious, was carried off the field, and the
Tigers (rolled to victory). Dean quickly recovered and was the
Cardinals’ starter the next day. According to an often told but
perhaps apocryphal tale, a newspaper headline that day read,
‘X-Rays of Dean’s Head Revealed Nothing.’”
–The other day I’m reading a piece in the New York Times on
the Milwaukee Brewers’ Brooks Kieschnick, who at age 31 has
made the big leagues as a hitter / pitcher. This is rare, folks.
As of last weekend, Kieschnick was hitting .333 with 5 home
runs in 54 at bats, while going 1-1 in 32 games out of the
bullpen.
Since the 1940s, only one player has pitched, hit and played
another defensive position (outside of one game in a mop-up
role) and that was Willie Smith of the Los Angeles Angels.
Smith pitched 29 games in his career, including 15 in 1964 when
he went 1-4 but with a fine 2.84 ERA. That same season, Smith
hit .301 with 11 HR and 51 RBI. Not too shabby. So quaff an
ale to Willie Smith and Brooks Kieschnick!!! [Oops, out of beer.
Waiter?!]
–Damn, Barry Bonds is up to 650 home runs. This is really
depressing, folks.
–Ron Dixon is a talented wide receiver for the Giants here in
New York / New Jersey, but he has been the biggest
underachiever of all time thus far, as well as an idiot.
So the other day he skipped treatment on his knee and missed the
morning team meeting. Coach Jim Fassel was duly pissed and
fined the jerk $11,000.
“I was very upset,” said the coach afterwards. “He had a little
different meeting with me than another guy would.”
And Dixon? I swear this is what he said.
“I got distracted. When certain things come up, you don’t think
about other things. I had a personal situation come up that I had
to address. And, unfortunately, I didn’t let anybody know.”
You be out of a job soon, sucker. And good luck finding a real
one.
Actually, Ron Dixon, you are hereby nominated for Bar Chat
Idiot of the Year.
[Guys, remind me at year end of this. I’ll have to go to the
trophy shop in November to make sure it’s ready by then.]
–It’s been quite a year on the PGA Tour, with some outstanding
individual performances, including 4-time winners Davis Love
III and Tiger Woods, let alone 42-year-old Kenny Perry’s 3
victories. Doug Ferguson of the AP had a piece the other day on
winners over the age of 40 and it’s interesting to note that Sam
Snead won 17 times on tour after turning 40, including at 52, the
oldest winner ever at the Greater Greensboro Open. Julius Boros
is the oldest to win a major, the 1968 PGA at age 48. And then
there’s Ben Hogan, who won all three majors he entered at 40 in
’53.
So with 40+ guys like Perry, Stadler, Jacobsen and Hoch
winning in 2003, more than a few of us are pulling for someone
like Tom Watson this week. You never know….
–Ken S. reminds me that on August 30, Nebraska plays
Oklahoma State. In other words, Ken is saying that if Nebraska
doesn’t win, the whole state implodes.
–Wow, my brother just told me that his fraternity at Dickinson
College in Carlisle, PA pledged Dick Yuengling Jr. (“or the
third, whatever,” as my bro so aptly put it). In fact at one point
in my brother’s life, he asked Dick Yuengling for a job, but
today he’s still working with me. Kind of sucks, don’t you
think? I mean we could have had free Yuengling in the company
cafeteria, after all.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/13/77: #1 “I Just Want To Be
Your Everything” (Andy Gibb) #2 “I’m In You” (Peter
Frampton) #3 “Best Of My Love” (Emotions)
PGA Quiz Answers: 1) Dave Stockton won the PGA
championship in 1970 and 1976. 2) Lanny Wadkins finished 2nd
3 times in the 80s – losing to Ray Floyd in ’82, Lee Trevino in
’84, and Larry Nelson in sudden death, ’87. Wadkins did win a
PGA himself in ’77, also in sudden death against Gene Litler. 3)
Nick Price won twice in the 90s; ’92 and ’94. 4) Bobby Nichols
was the surprise winner, beating Nicklaus and Palmer by 3.
[Though Nichols had a more than respectable career.]
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday. Perhaps a tale from the Wild West…
perhaps not. All depends on how the weekend goes, you
understand.
*And now, a special inside exclusive, as your editor prepares for
bed.
“Dear Lord, please don’t let them take my head off when I die,
drilling holes in it like they did to Ted Williams, as reported by
Sports Illustrated in its current issue, which I’m assuming you’ve
already read. Thanks, Big Guy.”
