Masters Quiz: 1) What year did Jack Nicklaus win his first green
jacket? 2) How many Masters did Nick Faldo win? 3) How
many did Sam Snead win? 4) Ben Hogan? 5) Who was the
winner in 1969…initials G.A….and what Canadian with the
initials G.K. tied for 2nd? Answers below.
Pope John Paul II
I loved this anecdote from a report by Daniel Wakin of the New
York Times concerning the conclave tasked with finding a
successor to Pope John Paul I.
“Unusual things can cost votes. One chamberlain annoyed his
fellow cardinals by constantly carrying the red velvet-covered
scepter symbolizing his office. Rumors of mental illness in his
family hurt another.
“Famously, Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, a pronounced conservative,
may have lost his chance at the conclave that elected John Paul II
when a newspaper published an interview in which he criticized
John XXIII and Paul VI. Cardinals received translated copies at
the conclave’s outset. How that happened has never been
explained, though many suspect Cardinal Siri’s progressive
opponent, Cardinal Giovanni Benelli, was responsible.
“At the same conclave, a backer of Karol Wojtyla, the future
John Paul II, approached Cardinal Mario Casariego of Guatemala
and whispered ‘Wojtyla’ (vo-Tee-ya) in his ear, according to
several published accounts. Cardinal Casariego was hard of
hearing, and was overheard saying, ‘Who is this Cardinal
Bottiglia?’ (bo-Teel-ya), the Italian word for bottle.
“He went on to vote for the mysterious Cardinal Bottiglia, said a
former aide to a participant, causing much consternation. After
the election, Cardinal Casariego approached the new pope to pay
homage. John Paul II smiled at him and said, ‘Now you know
who ‘Bottiglia’ is.’”
The Origin of the Conclave: 1274-1303
I purchased a book a while back, “Selecting the Pope” by Greg
Tobin, so you’ll have to allow me to use it at this time.
“The derivation of ‘conclave’ is refreshingly simple in a milieu
freighted with seemingly obscure terminology: from the Latin
cum (with) and clavis (key). The conclave is a meeting held
‘under lock and key’ to prevent pernicious outside influences
from infecting the work of the Holy Spirit.
“The first conclave, as such, was held in 1276, to choose the
successor of Pope Gregory X, who had been elected in 1271 after
the second-lengthiest vacancy in history: two years, nine months.
At the firth session of the Second Council of Lyons, Gregory
promulgated a strict new apostolic constitution, Ubi periculum
(where there is danger), in which the term ‘conclave’ is first
connected to papal elections.
“Ubi periculum required the cardinals to wait ten days after the
death of a pope to allow the entire college of cardinals to gather.
Then they were to assemble in the papal palace where the pope
had died…Each cardinal was allowed a single servant or
‘conclavist’ to accompany him. All electors and conclavists
were to gather in a single room without any partitions and to live
there in common for the duration. This room and one other
chamber were to be closed off completely from the outside
world. No cardinal could send out or receive any message, and
food was admitted only through one small window.”
Well, in 1276 there were three conclaves and the newly elected
pope, Hadrian V, scrapped some of Gregory X’s decrees because
of the “many intolerable and obscure provisions.”
As for today, you’ll be saturated with news coverage on the
coming conclave and we’ll all become experts on the process. I
actually know two cardinals, Dulles and McCarrick, though
Dulles being over age 80 is ineligible to vote. I do feel obligated
to add that I got to know McCarrick in the late 1980s through our
shared interest in the Balkans when he was Archbishop of
Newark and was there in Rome when he was elevated to cardinal
four years ago (though I was a guest of Dulles). McCarrick is a
great man. For his part, Dulles, the first American Jesuit priest to
be elevated, stays in the background. Dulles had to be dragged
kicking and screaming to Rome. Of course I exaggerate but
Jesuits, through their vow of poverty, are to seek nothing more
than to be priests so Dulles did not want the honor. But Pope
John Paul II insisted and, after all, how could you turn down the
Pope? In Dulles I never met a more humble man in my life.
—
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith
On Monday, April 4, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith’s family will
receive his Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for
battlefield valor. Smith is the first to receive it for service in Iraq
or Afghanistan. He died in the action described in the following
citation. We honor this American hero.
Baghdad Airport, April 4, 2003.
On April 4, 2003, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, attacked to seize Objective Lions, the Baghdad
International Airport. As part of the Brigade scheme of
maneuver, Task Force 2-7 Infantry was tasked to establish a
blocking position against a brigade-sized counterattack on the
main entrance to the airfield. Task Force 2-7 had been fighting
for three consecutive days and had moved through the night
before reaching the blocking position. Morale was high, but
Soldiers were experiencing fatigue. B Company, 3rd Battalion,
69th Armored Regiment (Knight) was in the east-most position
oriented along the main avenue of approach ready for the main
enemy counterattack. A Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry
Regiment (Rage) was attacking to the southeast of the Highway.
The main entrance to the airfield was a four-lane highway with a
median to separate incoming and outgoing traffic. Large
masonry walls with towers approximately 100 meters apart
bound the highway. On the morning of April 4, 2003, more than
100 soldiers from the Task Force 2-7 Forward Aid Station,
mortars, scouts and portions of B Company, 11th Engineer
Battalion were in the median behind the forward most blocking
positions. The B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion 2nd Platoon
Leader was on a reconnaissance mission with the B Company,
Task Force 2-7 Infantry Commander. During his absence, 2nd
Platoon received the mission to construct an Enemy Prisoner
of War holding area. Sgt. 1st Class Smith was in charge of 2nd
Platoon.
Sgt. 1st Class Smith assessed the best location to be behind the
masonry wall bounding the highway. Two guard towers along
the wall were ideally situated to provide overwatch to the
holding area. An M9 armored combat earthmover (ACE)
knocked a hole in the wall to create an opening to a large
courtyard with a louvered metal gate on the north side. With the
help of a squad leader and team leader, Sgt. 1st Class Smith
checked the far side of the courtyard for enemy, found none, and
posted two guards. From the guard post at the gate small
groupings of buildings were 100-200 meters to the northeast. To
the northwest, a large white building with a white dome was
visible. The location seemed perfect as the courtyard was along
the northern flank of the blocking position and enemy actions to
this point were mostly from the east.
While an engineer squad began to clear debris in the courtyard,
one of the guards saw 10-15 enemy soldiers with small arms,
60mm mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). These
were the lead elements of an organized company-sized force
making a deliberate attack on the flank of Task Force 2-7. Sgt.
1st Class Smith came to the position and identified 25-50 more
soldiers moving into prepared fighting positions. Sgt. 1st Class
Smith instructed a squad leader to get a nearby Bradley Fighting
Vehicle for support. While waiting for the Bradley, Sgt. 1st Class
Smith had members of 2nd platoon retrieve AT-4 weapons and
form a skirmish line outside the gate. By this time, the number
of enemy identified rose to 100 soldiers, now a confirmed
company-sized attack. Three of B Company’s M113A3 armored
personnel carriers (APC) oriented .50-Cal. machineguns toward
the opening in the wall and the surrounding guard towers, now
occupied by enemy soldiers.
Sgt. 1st Class Smith’s actions to organize a defense against the
deliberate attack were not only effective, but inspired the B
Company, 11th Engineer Battalion Soldiers. He then began to
lead by example. As the Bradley arrived on site and moved
through the hole in the wall toward the gate, Sgt. 1st Class Smith
ran to the gate wall and threw a fragmentation grenade at the
enemy. He then took two Soldiers forward to join the guards and
directed their engagement of the enemy with small arms. The
enemy continued to fire rifles, RPGs, and 60mm mortars at the
Soldiers on the street and within the courtyard. Enemy soldiers
began moving along the buildings on the north side of the
clearing to get into position to climb into the towers. Sgt. 1st
Class Smith called for an APC to move forward to provide
additional fire support. Sgt. 1st Class Smith then fired an AT-4 at
the enemy while directing his fire team assembled near the front
line of the engagement area.
Running low on ammunition and having taken RPG hits, the
Bradley withdrew to reload. The lead APC in the area received a
direct hit from a mortar, wounding the three occupants. The
enemy attack was at its strongest point and every action counted.
Not only were the wounded Soldiers threatened but also more
than 100 soldiers from B Company, the Task Force Aid Station,
and the Mortar Platoon were at risk.
Sgt. 1st Class Smith ordered one of his Soldiers to back the
damaged APC back into the courtyard after the wounded men
had been evacuated. Knowing the APC’s .50-Cal. machinegun
was the largest weapon between the enemy and the friendly
position, Sgt. 1st Class Smith immediately assumed the track
commander’s position behind the weapon, and told a soldier who
accompanied him to “feed me ammunition whenever you hear
the gun get quiet.” Sgt. 1st Class Smith fired on the advancing
enemy from the unprotected position atop the APC and expended
at least three boxes of ammunition before being mortally
wounded by enemy fire. The enemy attack was defeated. Sgt.
1st Class Smith’s actions saved the lives of at least 100 Soldiers,
caused the failure of a deliberate enemy attack hours after
Brigade seized the Baghdad Airport, and resulted in an estimated
20-50 enemy soldiers killed. His actions inspired his platoon, his
Company, the 11th Engineer Battalion and Task Force 2-7
Infantry.
Sgt. 1st Class Smith’s actions to lead Soldiers in direct contact
with a numerically superior enemy – to personally engage the
enemy with a fragmentation grenade, AT-4, and individual
weapon, to ultimately assume the track commander’s position to
fire the .50-Cal. machinegun through at least three boxes of
ammunition before being mortally wounded – demonstrates
conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. His
actions prevented a penetration in the Task Force 2-7 sector,
defended the aid station, mortars, and scouts, and allowed the
evacuation of Soldiers wounded by indirect enemy fire.
Deadwood
[Granted, if you haven’t been watching the series the following
will have zero meaning.]
Alright! HBO just renewed “Deadwood” for a 3rd season. I’ve
bored long-time readers with tales of my two visits to Deadwood,
South Dakota in recent years (both before the show was first
aired) and it is with great interest that I’ve watched the series,
knowing how historically accurate producer David Milch has
sought to make it. There is a terrific museum in town with
extensive archives and Milch devoured them in coming up with
his scripts.
But while characters such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane
really did exist and were central to the early action, I have to
admit I didn’t know just how historically accurate some of the
other characters are…namely Seth Bullock…until I was perusing
the April / May 2005 edition of American Heritage.
You’ll recall in the show that after the murder of Wild Bill, the
business community organized a town council for the purposes
of establishing some order in a camp that had sprung up out of
nowhere just months earlier as a result of the gold rush. [For
those of you not familiar with the area in South Dakota’s Black
Hills, Deadwood is next to Lead (pronounced Leed) which was
the eventual home of the largest gold mine in the world, the
Homestake mine….now closed.]
Well there really was a Seth Bullock and a Solomon Star that
were elected sheriff and council member, respectively. Star later
served 14 terms as mayor, which should give you a clue as to
where the show could be headed if Milch sees fit.
In real life Deadwood, there were actually 76 saloons by 1877.
But in 1879 fire destroyed most of the business district and it was
rebuilt in brick and stone. Then in 1883 a flood swept away
much of what remained that wasn’t brick. So the town rebuilt
yet again.
Deadwood became more of a workingman’s town, not a
gunslinger’s, at this point, though it was still loaded with saloons
and whorehouses.
In 1895 Seth Bullock built the Bullock Hotel which stands to this
day. And Bullock also founded the nearby town of Belle
Fourche (on the way to Little Big Horn, incidentally) and was a
close friend of Theodore Roosevelt, who lived in the Dakotas for
a few years in the 1880s. When Roosevelt died in 1919,
“Bullock raised the first monument in the President’s memory
anywhere, an observation tower offering magnificent views of
the surrounding mountains.” [Geoffrey Perret / American
Heritage] Bullock died two months later in September 1919 and
was buried above Deadwood.
It’s hard to believe that Deadwood had over 10,000 people
shortly after its founding, but the population plummeted to about
2,000 as the gold rush burst. Then in 1947 the town suffered a
blow when South Dakota’s attorney general demanded the town
crack down on gambling and in the 1970s Deadwood received a
second blow. You see it still had four bordellos to service the
nearby community of Lead and the miners, you understand, but
now laws against prostitution were being enforced. The last
brothel was Pam’s Purple Door and it was shut in 1980 with
severe economic consequences. Soon hundreds were parading
down Main Street under banners reading “Bring Back Our
Girls!”
By 1985 Deadwood was fast becoming a ghost town but some
very dedicated citizens, intent on preserving the town’s historic
heritage, convinced the South Dakota legislature to allow casino
gambling and in 1989 it returned.
Today there are about 80 casinos, though I can tell you from
personal experience it’s not as bad as it sounds. Town officials
have done a super job of preserving the main drag and many of
the ‘casinos’ are really just a few blackjack tables in the back of
a bar. Frankly, I love it. I have more fun playing here than
anywhere else in the world. It’s just a totally different
atmosphere, helped in no small part by the fact the maximum bet
is $100. [Which means you can still lose a helluva lot, if that’s
your plan.]
Of course the risk is that “Deadwood” the series is making the
town far too popular and it could lose its charm. Well, it’s up to
the local elected officials at this point. I imagine the city council
meetings here are rather lively.
I’m going to try and head back myself this fall. Last time I
stumbled into town on Halloween night and, not even thinking
what day it was, I was immediately outfitted by the locals in the
first saloon I hit. What a blast. And you can look it up.
Stuff
Baseball 2005
And now…your EXCLUSIVE Bar Chat prediction. Yes, this
one you can take to the bank.
The Minnesota Twins will win it all.
Meanwhile, the Yankees and Red Sox will disappoint, while my
Mets will finish 85-77…much improved, maintaining interest
into September, but still falling short.
Sports Illustrated goes with…
ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox
NLCS: Braves over Cardinals
World Series: Yankees over Braves
SI ranks the teams, #1-30. Bottom four…
27. Washington
28. Tampa Bay
29. Colorado
30. Kansas City
All of you fans of these dregs have my deepest sympathy.
–The Yanks’ Hideki Matsui had a homer and three RBI in the
opening contest on Sunday so that projects to 162 HR and 486
RBI for a full season. Call it 101-345.
–The New York Daily News did a survey of New Yorkers and
51% identify themselves as Yankee fans, only 35% Mets fans.
And in Queens, home of the Mets, Yankee fans still outpolled
Met fans 44% to 41%.
–Golf Bits / Masters, 2000-2004. GolfWeek had the following
stats for Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Tiger
Woods, all of whom have played the full 360 holes the last five
Masters.
[Performance on Par 3s (80 holes), Par 4s (200) and Par 5s (80) ]
Els…………3s: Even…4s: 6 over…5s: 37 under
Mickelson…3s: 11 over…4s: 7 under…5s: 41 under
Singh………3s: 2 under…4s: 4 over…5s: 26 under
Woods……..3s: 8 over…4s: 1 over…5s: 37 under
–Ben Crenshaw likes to talk of Byron Nelson’s round at the
1937 Masters, a tournament he won. He shot a 66 in which he
hit every par 5 in two and every other green in regulation – 32
shots. The perfect round.
–Sports Illustrated polled more than 50 Tour players on golf and
other matters.
Who is the best player in the world? Singh 50%…Woods 32%
Will Tiger Woods break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 wins in the
majors? Yes 33%…No 67%
Do you ever stand over a putt on the final hole thinking how
much money is at stake? Yes 54%…No 46%
Would you rather be trapped on a desert island with Angelina
Jolie or Tiger’s wife, Elin Nordegren? Angelina 86%…Elin 14%
[Loose Lips: “Angelina. She seems more talkative.”]
–According to a piece in Business Week, Phil Mickelson is
raking it in on the endorsement front because of his image as a
family guy. At $20 million plus, Mickelson is the second-
highest paid U.S. athlete next to Tiger ($80 million).
But among his fellow tour players there has always been a great
deal of skepticism as to Phil’s sincerity and the sniping is
becoming more public. I can’t say I’m a huge Lefty fan either,
but I like seeing him at the top of the leaderboard because it’s
good for the sport.
–The other day I told the story of Mark Hensby who had run out
of golf balls during a round of Arnold Palmer’s tournament at
Bay Hill. At the time Hensby said he couldn’t continue on the
final hole because neither one of his playing partners was using
Titleist Pro V1 balls and the rules stipulate you must play with
the make and model you start out with.
Well, the story isn’t over and it turns out Hensby did have some
options. Under the Rules of Golf, he is allowed to borrow a ball
but not just from his playing partners. For example, of the 12
players either directly ahead of or behind him, no fewer than
three played the Pro V1 ball. He also could have sent his caddy
into the pro shop to buy some.
Hensby knew all this but because he had no way of making the
cut he just walked in on the last hole. He now wishes he had
gotten another ball and finished the round because he is getting
an awful lot of grief over his actions. It was just disrespectful,
especially of tourney host Palmer. Hensby did write a letter of
apology to Arnie. [GolfWorld]
–Some people never learn. Jeff B. passed along the story of the
British surfer who was surfing with friends off of Cape Town,
South Africa. Now you’ll recall a British tourist was attacked
just about ten days ago in these waters while in a shark cage,
though he survived. And somehow our surfer, Chris Sullivan,
survived his own brush with death.
The 13-foot great white “came up slow and I saw its eyes and it
looked really dark gray,” said Sullivan. “I turned and I saw the
underneath of its belly. Then I saw its mouth. Then it grabbed
hold of my leg. I started lashing out, hitting it. I think I kicked
it. I pulled the leg out. It felt like a knife through butter and I
thought ‘oops.”
Somehow, Sullivan managed to stay on his board and caught a
wave back to shore where a local veterinary surgeon applied an
emergency tourniquet to his leg. Sullivan needed 200 stitches in
his calf. [Newsday]
–Phil W. passed along the tale of Janeal Lee, a woman who has
muscular dystrophy that was recently named Ms. Wheelchair
Wisconsin. But she was then stripped of her title because she
was photographed standing among her high school math
students. The national board said candidates had to “mostly be
seen in the public using their wheelchairs or scooters.” The poor
students had already raised $1,000 for their teacher to attend the
national pageant.
–Quotations from chicken man Frank Perdue, dead at the age of
84:
“It takes a tough man to raise a tender chicken.”
“My chickens eat better than you do. A chicken is what it eats.
If you want to start eating as good as my chickens, take a tip
from me – eat my chickens.”
“Freeze my chickens? I’d rather eat beef!”
It really was incredible the immediate impact Perdue had on his
company’s fortunes when he first started appearing in television
spots. In New York, within one year he already had a 51%
recognition level…extraordinary for this sort of thing. Perdue
leaves a company that now employs 19,000 people with sales of
$2.8 billion.
Top 3 songs for the week of 4/3/71: #1 “Just My Imagination”
(The Temps) #2 “Me And Bobby McGee” (Janis Joplin) #3
“For All We Know” (Carpenters)
Masters Quiz Answers: 1) Nicklaus first won in 1963. The other
five were 1965, 66, 72, 75, and 86. 2) Nick Faldo won three
times. 3) Sam Snead, 3. 4) Ben Hogan, 2. 5) 1969: George
Archer won, Canadian George Knudson tied for second.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
