Yankee Quiz: Got this one from the Wall Street Journal’s Michael Salfino. Assuming Curtis Granderson’s hamstring injury isn’t serious, with 34 home runs he has a shot at back-to-back 40-homer seasons for the Yanks. Name the other four to do so (obviously trying to stump you with one of ‘em). Answer below.
NFL Passing Quiz: From Sports Illustrated. Name the top six in passing yards in a season. One did it twice (so five individuals). The sixth place is 4,933 yards. Answer below.
Ball Bits
–So with my Mets out of it, many of us fans have turned to watching Yankees games to watch their major choke job. In fact, I have watched a fair amount of the Yankees’ last two games against the second-place Orioles, Sat. and Sun. First off, the Orioles gave away Saturday’s contest but rebounded Sunday and trail the Bronx Bombers by just two games.
This is great. Warms the cockles. But what a crappy little ballpark the New Yankee Stadium is. One 320-foot cheapie into the seats after another. It makes a mockery of the stats. Then again there are about six other parks in baseball you can make the same comment about.
–As the New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica pointed out, “One year after the Boston Red Sox began their great fall, they lost 20-2 to Oakland on Friday night.” [Lupica added: “When the Jets looked at that box score, you know what they were thinking, right? Who’s drawing up plays for the A’s?”]
–Oh brother. Roger Clemens makes another start for the Sugar Land Skeeters on Sept. 7. There seems little doubt you’ll see Clemens in an Astros uniform later this month for an inning or two, or more.
–Major League Baseball is investigating the ties between convicted steroid dealer Kirk Radomski, former client Paul Lo Duca, and player agents Sam and Seth Levinson; the Levinsons being the agents for disgraced Giants All-Star Melky Cabrera, currently under suspension for 50 games.
–Mets rookie pitcher Matt Harvey has impressed in his seven starts, going 3-3 (2.76), but he’s also 6-for-13 at the plate.
–Speaking of the New York Metropolitans, it was just a week or so ago I was writing of how the Mets were on their way to the worst second half in history for a team that was at least five games over .500 heading into the All-Star break.
The Mets went into the break at 46-40 and then proceeded to go 11-29.
But what’s this? They have since won 7 of 8!!! I even watched Sunday’s game. I’m as giddy as a schoolboy. Or maybe not.
–On June 30, the Oakland A’s were 37-42. As I go to post, with the A’s up big on Sunday, they are 75-57. A 38-15 run…probably 39-15. Moneyball is back and this is as impressive as any previous edition. I just wish the fans there were turning out.
–Cincinnati star Joey Votto played his last game July 15 with the Reds at 50-38. After Sunday’s action they are 82-53…32-15 since.
–As I go to post before Sunday night’s Detroit-Chicago contest (nice race there…Detroit trailing by one), it needs to be pointed out that Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is second in batting to Mike Trout (.332 to .334), is second in RBI to Josh Hamilton (111 to 113) and trails Adam Dunn in the homer department by 5 (33 to Dunn’s 38…Hamilton has 37, as does Toronto’s Encarnacion).
–Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen trails Melky Cabrera by two points, .344 to .346. Remember, Cabrera can win the batting title even if he doesn’t play another game. This would be an incredible disgrace. C’mon McCutchen. And hang in there Buccos! [1 ½ back in the wild-card as they stumble big time…now just 70-63…7-16 last 23. Do I need to make an emergency trip there? I can hear Pirates fans already screaming….Nooooooooooo!!!!]
–Washington’s Stephen Strasburg threw six scoreless in a no-decision on Sunday. By all accounts he has just two starts left and after he throws on Sept. 12, he’s being shut down.
–For you Strat-O-Matic players, The Weekly Standard had an article that I’ll save for next year, but former player Doug Glanville “roars with laughter as he tells the story of fans jeering his Phillies teammate Gregg Jefferies with ‘You’re a 5, Jefferies, you’re a 5’ (the worst Strat-O-Matic rating for a fielder).”
This is more of a winter, spring training topic for me. One thing I can virtually guarantee. Guys who grew up playing the board game had math scores that bettered the national average. Of course you can say the same thing about being a baseball fan in general at an early age. So get your kids off the freakin’ video games and chain them to a chair and force them to watch baseball and then quiz them before dinner on what 4 for 13 is…and if they don’t get it right, they starve to death, which reduces the size of the family and thus your costs.
Tips on reducing the family budget…another free feature of Bar Chat.
College Football…here we go!
–But first, four programs…Penn State, Central Florida, North Carolina and Ohio State…are sitting out this postseason for various transgressions.
–Your Bar Chat Pick to Click for 2012, USC, is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A story in the Los Angeles Times notes that emails suggest that Scott Schenter, who worked in the county assessor’s office, provided then star Joe McKnight with a car and an airline ticket, and basketball player Davon Jefferson with about $3,700 in cash. Athletic Director Pat Haden released a statement that read in part:
“When allegations regarding Joe McKnight’s use of a Land Rover arose in 2009, USC fully investigated the matter. All of the information related to the investigation was sent to the NCAA. The NCAA staff accepted the report, and no violation was processed. We have just learned of new allegations (and) have discussed those allegations with the NCAA and Pac-12 and we will thoroughly investigate them and take any and all necessary actions.”
Haden took over the corrupt athletic department in 2010.
Meanwhile, in their first game after two years on probation, USC looked like title contenders in demolishing Hawaii 49-10.
No. 7 Florida State destroyed Murray State, 69-3, which I only mention because next up for the Seminoles is Savannah State, an 84-0 loser to No. 19 Oklahoma State. Did someone say ‘strength of schedule’? Murray State received a reported $450,000 for its effort, so I’m assuming Savannah State receives a like amount. As Ronald Reagan would have said, not bad, not bad at all.
What an embarrassment…Wake Forest’s 20-17 win at home over Liberty. Freakin’ Liberty! The Flames outgained the Deacs, 363-293. Suffice it to say, I will not be donning Deaconwear this coming week.
But then Penn State lost to Ohio University at Beaver Stadium, 24-14, and Pitt lost to Youngstown State, 31-17! Good lord. I hope my nephew didn’t waste his time going to that last one. [Pitt and Syracuse, a 42-41 loser to Northwestern, are heading to the ACC after this season; thus begging the question yet again, “Just why did the ACC do this?!”]
I watched the first half of Oregon’s game against Arkansas State. Let’s just say De’Anthony Thomas is truly spectacular, scoring two TDs receiving and one rushing. My Ducks (yes, adopting them already once again…even though I have USC winning it all) rolled up a 50-10 halftime lead before prevailing 57-34.
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson can kiss any hopes of a Heisman goodbye following a truly dreadful performance against No. 2 Alabama as the Tide rolled, 41-14.
At least Clemson did the ACC proud in besting Auburn, 26-19, in an entertaining contest.
On Thursday, No. 9 South Carolina outlasted Vanderbilt 17-13, while on Friday, No. 13 Michigan State beat No. 24 Boise State by the same score. For the Spartans, running back Le’Veon Bell had a spectacular effort…44 carries for 210 yards, plus another 55 yards on six receptions. I’m assuming Mr. Bell slept well. [Anyone who carries the ball 40 times in a college or NFL game must henceforth be called “Mister” for the succeeding 12 months.]
Back to Oregon, goodness gracious, the Duck cheerleaders looked outrageously sweet for a season opener. Steve G., it’s going to be quite a battle this year between Oregon and USC on this front.
And note to Mark R., Notre Dame alum. After your pasting of Navy, 50-10, in Dublin, and my Demon Deacons’ performance, I expect to get 47 points when we play each other Nov. 17. Maybe 48. [Mark, I’m officially saying this is for dinner at Philadelphia’s FISH restaurant…where the two of us last February had just about the best meal of our lives. I now expect FISH to knock off 5% of the price for this endorsement.]
Speaking of the Fighting Irish, I do have to place Allen Pinkett’s name in the December file for “Idiot of the Year” consideration, Mr. Pinkett, former ND running back, having been suspended from his job doing commentary on the IMG Notre Dame Radio Network when he said the following to WSCR-AM.
“I’ve always felt like to have a successful team you’ve got to have a few bad citizens on the team. That’s how Ohio State used to win all the time. They would have two or three guys that were criminals, and that just adds to the chemistry of the team. I think Notre Dame is growing because maybe they have some guys that are doing something worthy of a suspension, which creates edge on the football team.
“You can’t have a football team full of choirboys. You get your butt kicked if you’ve got a team full of choirboys, so you’ve got to have a little bit of edge. But the coach has to be the dictator and the ultimate ruler. Here’s my opinion: You don’t hand out suspensions unless you know you’ve got somebody behind that guy that can make plays.”
“Since (Nick) Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama has produced 11 first-round NFL draft picks, by far the most in the country. Since 2003, only four colleges have churned out more first-rounders than Alabama has since 2009. Three of those programs – Miami, Ohio State and Southern California – have had NCAA rules-related scandals. The fourth school is LSU, which Saban coached from 2000 to 2004. He signed nine of the Tigers’ 12 first-round draft picks.”
–Ah yes…great NFL opener…Giants-Cowboys. But it appears we’ll be the victims of replacement referees as the NFL and the union failed to reach an agreement over the weekend. This could be a disaster and a major turn-off for fans.
The NFL Players Association has raised the safety issue. As former quarterback Troy Aikman said, “I haven’t seen a flag for an illegal hit on a quarterback yet, of the [preseason] games that I’ve seen, and yet I’ve seen them in each game that I’ve watched.”
–As for us Jets fans, we were assured by coach Rex Ryan that this year’s edition “has a chance to be the best team that I’ve had since I’ve been the coach here.” Good gawd, Rex. Get a grip. Yes, the defense could be outstanding, but we’re going to tire of 13-3 defeats. Then again, you can take shopping breaks in say the second and third quarter knowing that the score won’t change and you’ll miss nothing.
–So a reminder…Giants win the Super Bowl.
–As for Peter King’s predictions in Sports Illustrated, he has the Giants failing to make the playoffs. And in the championship games has Denver beating the Patriots and Green Bay over the Saints, with the Pack then beating the Broncos. That would be Aaron Rodgers against Peyton Manning, boys and girls. You think that would drum up some ratings? Instead, how about the Giants vs. Denver…Eli vs. Peyton. That would be even better, only we’d all get very tired of seeing Archie.
–Finally, USA TODAY Sports Weekly had a great piece on Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In his eight seasons he has caught 73 touchdown passes, tied for fourth among active NFL receivers (plus nine postseason TD receptions), but he’s caught them from 11 different quarterbacks! [39 of the 73 from Kurt Warner.] Fitzgerald’s 693 receptions through 124 games (in this category, 12 different QBs) are more than any Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver had over the same span. [Jerry Rice had 610 through his first 124 games.]
So imagine what Fitzgerald would have done with some continuity once Warner left the scene. If anyone had a right to complain, it’s him, yet through all the quarterback turmoil, he remains the same classy guy. Actually, if it’s conceivable, he’s determined to work even harder.
And look how he handled Peyton Manning’s decision not to play in Arizona. Fitzgerald, instead of throwing Manning under the bus, was absolutely effusive in his praise of him, including the following:
“When you think of Peyton Manning, you think ‘ambassador.’ The game has grown exponentially during his career because of him and what he means to our game, not only as a football player but as a humanitarian.
“Calling the families after the Colorado shootings, all the handwritten letters he sends to players he’s played against.”
So this year let’s all get behind Larry Fitzgerald and wish him health through the campaign and a fantastic season. Hopefully the Cardinals make the playoffs so he can have a national stage again. He’s special. We need to appreciate him.
And gosh darnit…I’m sick of both guys running for president. Maybe I’ll write his name on my ballot. [I’m only half-kidding, folks.] This is a true renaissance man. Plus he went to Pitt, and you know what that means for the editor’s family.
–U.S. Captain Davis Love III will make his Ryder Cup final selections Tues. morning. I will comment next chat.
–The New York Daily News’ Nathaniel Vinton was the first to report that Sheryl Crow sang to federal authorities in the far-reaching investigation into Lance Armstrong’s doping issue. Crow was first interviewed in late 2011. And this week, former Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton comes out with his book, “The Secret Race,” that describes how the director of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team, Johan Bruyneel, “teamed up with doctors to institute a sophisticated blood doping program whereby riders’ blood was withdrawn, stored and reinjected to boost the amount of red blood cells and increase endurance without using detectable drugs.” [Nathaniel Vinton]
“Hamilton writes that once he started cooperating with federal investigators he suspected that his phones and email accounts were hacked. He details a notorious 2011 encounter with Armstrong at a restaurant in Aspen, Colorado. Hamilton says Armstrong confronted him there, promising to make Hamilton’s life hellish.
“ ‘When you’re on the witness stand, we are going to f—ing tear you apart,’ Armstrong said, according to Hamilton. ‘You are going to look like a f—ing idiot.’
“Nine days after the encounter, Hamilton says, he gave a sworn account about it to federal prosecutors.” [Vinton]
–It seems a certainty there will be a fourth NHL lockout in 20 years come Sept. 15 and the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. Recall that the NHL Players Association executive director is one Donald Fehr, formerly baseball’s players union chief. It’s all about revenue sharing and the NHL owners are the true bastards in this case, though I’m far from a fan of Fehr’s.
But I forgot to mention the other day that at Lahinch, one of the guys in our little tournament is a current NHL player. It was kind of funny. Everyone there kept saying, “There’s the hockey player.” He has a name, I sat across from him at the closing dinner, we had a few discussions earlier on the labor issue, he has a role, albeit minimal, in the negotiations, and he’s a free agent. But, out of respect I’m withholding his identity. Let’s just say we all commented on the Maxim cover girl he once was linked to. And man can he hit a golf ball. [He was a guest of an overseas member who advises a few NHL players.]
—Andy Roddick, one of the world’s most overrated athletes, announced his retirement. Roddick is no different than any golfer who wins one major and nothing else. Like who gives a flying [look away]. He won the U.S. Open in 2003 and then diddly. A few months later he attained the No. 1 ranking, just 21, but then along came Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer toppled Roddick in four Grand Slam finals, though Roddick did put up a great fight in 2009 before succumbing. Roddick said the other night that he did not feel motivated after a flameout at Wimbledon, so, like, OK…I’m watching college football now. Don’t bother me. Deal with your issues yourself.
“Defining Roddick’s legacy will forever provide pub-talk argument fodder. Was he one of the best of his era or an overhyped underachiever who married swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker?
“That’s a tough call, because the guy was an admirable grinder who worked as hard as anyone. But it’s hard to argue that his fame and fortune exceeded his achievements on the court.”
Amen. And so we move on.
But we give Andy credit for advancing to the fourth round of the Open with a win on Sunday.
Actually, we want him in the Finals so we can see Brooklyn, all decked out, if you catch my drift.
–I’m guessing Gabby Douglas wishes she had kept her mouth shut regarding her allegations that she was bullied and taunted at her old gym in Virginia Beach. Former coach Dena Walker said, “Really, I was shocked and very hurt.” An official at Excalibur Gymnastics said, “Is Gabrielle a credible person just because she is an Olympic champion? She is not giving any names or dates, leading us to believe that the accusation is fake.”
–So you know that guy who was killed by a grizzly in Alaska’s Denali National Park the other day?
“Investigators who went through Richard White’s camera found multiple photos of the bear ‘grazing and not acting aggressively,’ a park spokeswoman told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“At one point, White, 49, was just 50 yards from the grizzly. Park regulations require hikers stay one-quarter mile from bears.”
Mr. White was not real smart. “Man” falls another notch to No. 226 on the All-Species List. Mr. Grizzly moves up to No. 6, supplanting the Elephant, which I guarantee you the Big E won’t forget. [The Elephant, by the way, was none too pleased when basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes was proclaimed the “Big E.” We were first, they trumpeted in unison.]
—Meb Keflezighi, the American who finished fourth in the Olympic marathon, has entered the New York City Marathon, which seems pretty soon for me but I’m sure he is getting one sweet appearance fee. Meb won New York back in 2009. He also committed to running the event in 2013. Personally, I am committed to jogging four miles on Labor Day, but demand a sizable appearance fee to run Tuesday.
By the way, first place in the NYC marathon is $130,000. Only the Boston Marathon tops this with a $150,000 prize for the winner. [The Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, which took place this weekend, has a $151,500 cash award.]
—Art Heyman, former Duke star, died at the age of 71. Heyman was a basketball legend out of Rockville Centre, Long Island, who led Duke to its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four and later played with the Knicks. Bucky Waters, his freshman coach at Duke, said, ‘He was a beast, he was a tough, tough New York kid, and he was an insatiable competitor.”
As Don Burke writes in the New York Post, Heyman is also credited with creating the Duke-North Carolina hoops rivalry as we now know it.
“After signing a letter of intent to attend North Carolina on the same day and at the same Long Island restaurant where (Larry) Brown also committed to the Tar Heels, Heyman changed his mind following a heated disagreement between his father and UNC coach Frank McGuire. Loathed by North Carolina fans before he set foot on Duke’s campus, Heyman was one of the main combatants in a vicious brawl during a game between the teams at Cameron Indoor Stadium during the 1960-61 season.
“It started when Heyman landed a hard foul on Brown as the Carolina point guard drove to the basket. According to accounts of the game, Brown reacted by throwing the ball at Heyman and followed that up with a punch.
“ ‘I had fights with him long before that,’ Brown told the Charlotte Observer’s website last night. ‘We’d fight on the playground.’
“That night Heyman responded with a punch of his own and Donnie Walsh raced off the Tar Heels’ bench to get in a few punches too. The melee lasted more than 10 minutes and needed 10 Durham police officers to quell.
“Thus, one of college basketball’s most celebrated rivalries was born.”
Heyman was a three-time All-American and finished his career with averages of 25.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. The No. 1 pick in the 1963 NBA draft, Heyman averaged 15 points per game as a rookie but was waived in 1965. Heyman said he lost interest after his rookie year, though he would win an ABA championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968.
–Last I saw, a final resting place for Neil Armstrong has yet to be determined. Personally, I hope it’s Arlington National Cemetery, which would be appropriate. I would be very concerned if he was buried in his hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio, for security reasons; the world being peopled with primo jerks. [My latest estimate is 52%.]
“The U.S. television network NBC was branded an embarrassment yesterday for its coverage of the Paralympics as athletes, sports chiefs and disability campaigners called for better recognition by international broadcasters of the world’s second largest sports event.”
Oscar Pistorius was upset in the 200, incidentally.
“Hours after a judge ordered the Golden Nugget Atlantic City to let gamblers cash in nearly $1.5 million worth of chips they won in a card game where the decks were unshuffled, the casino’s owner overruled his lawyers yesterday and agreed to make the payments.
“The judge’s decision drew an angry reaction from casino officials, who called it ‘an ambush’ and vowed to file an appeal.
“But Tilman Fertitta, the Texas billionaire who owns the Golden Nugget, said he would pay the winners to make the whole thing go away.”
It all concerned an April 30, 2012, “mini-baccarat game.” “Unbeknownst to either players or the casino, the cards put into use for the games were not shuffled as their manufacturer, Gemaco Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., had promised….
“Lawyers for the Golden Nugget said the pattern of cards became apparent to players, who had been wagering $10 a hand and suddenly upped their bets to $5,000 a hand. The cards did not come out of the chute in numerical order, such as 2-3-4-5. Rather, they came out in a predetermined list as a proprietary secret, the attorneys said.
“ ‘Anybody could see that – that was the dream we all look for,’ said one of the gamblers.”
The pattern lasted 41 hands, during which the players won $1.5 million. “Despite its suspicion that a sophisticated cheating operation was under way, the casino did not stop the games.”
“Given that oddities are routine in Iceland – this is, after all, a place where a penis museum is a major attraction, fermented shark meat is a national delicacy and engineers plan roads to avoid disturbing resident elves and trolls – the news that a missing tour bus passenger ended up joining her own search party shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The mix-up occurred last weekend near Eldgja, a barren, treeless area of Iceland’s volcanic southern highlands. According to the Iceland Review, the foreign tourist was reported missing after she failed to return to her tour bus during a sightseeing stop.
“The driver waited for an hour before notifying the police and continuing the tour. About 50 people participated in the search – including the clueless woman, who apparently was unrecognized by the driver and her fellow passengers because she’d changed her clothes and ‘freshened up’ before reboarding the bus.”
–The wolf population has recovered so much in Wyoming that they are losing their federal protection, meaning they can be shot on sight outside designated areas like Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and the Wind River Indian Reservation. Needless to say, conservationists are not happy. There are about 270 wolves in Wyoming outside Yellowstone with another 1,100 in Montana and Idaho, and still more in Washington and Oregon.
–Southwestern U.S. Wildlife Coordinator for Bar Chat, Brad K., passed along the story of the South Texas mayor who “was kicked and trampled to death by an enraged 500-pound donkey on his ranch.”
“Investigators with the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office still aren’t certain what prompted the attack – and they never will be….
“His body showed multiple bruises and hoof prints from the battering.”
As Brad observes, “How conveeenient that the donkey is the only witness.”
It’s up to the family what to do with the donkey, but I’ll be damned if I’m riding the beast through Big Bend National Park, know what I’m sayin’?
–Bye bye Randy Jackson. Last of the “Idol” originals. Now, according to TMZ, he’ll take on a “mentor” role. Mariah Carey is the only confirmed judge for the upcoming season, but sources also say Nicki Minaj might be added, which has Carey fuming, the two not liking each other. Producers, however, feel the tension would be good for ratings.
Personally, I don’t get the whole Nicki Minaj thing, but then I’m old and white.
—Seth MacFarlane is guest hosting the ‘Saturday Night Live’ season premiere on Sept. 15, a great choice. I mean how can you not like this incredibly multi-talented $billionaire. I watched some “Family Guy” episodes on my plane rides back and forth to Ireland. Frank Ocean is musical guest. Not a good choice. I was hoping for Frankie Valli.
–And lastly, we note the passing of the great Hal David of Bacharach and David fame. He was 91. David was the lyricist, of course, while Bacharach composed the music for tunes such as “Walk On By,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”…the list goes on and on and on… “A House Is Not a Home” (underrated), “Alfie,” “Trains and Boats and Planes,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Promises, Promises,” “Only Love Can Break a Heart” (Gene Pitney), “Make It Easy on Yourself” (Jerry Butler), “What’s New, Pussycat?” (Tom Jones), “The Look of Love” and “Wishin’ and Hopin’” (Dusty Springfield) and “This Guy’s in Love With You” (Herb Alpert). Of course most of the above were sung by Dionne Warwick, at the time a backup singer, who the two locked up, in a sense, in the early 1960s, with “Don’t Make Me Over” being her first hit single. For Bacharach and David, Warwick was “their magical interpreter.”
And then there is my man Jack Jones, the best singer of all time (that’s for my brother, this will upset him) who sang the politically incorrect (for today) Bacharach-David tune “Wives and Lovers” that also happens to be in my top 20 all time. [I met Jack Jones about ten years ago and told him this and he really got a kick out of it. Seemed like a very good guy as we sat around the pool of the QE2. I didn’t realize upon booking passage, though, that QE2 stood for QE…actually, I better not get into this…]
Continuing…in the 1970s, Bacharach and David also came up with the Carpenters’ “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and the 5th Dimension’s “One Less Bell To Answer.” Regarding this last one, just the other day I heard it on the car radio and was musing that it has to be about the saddest song ever written, though of course hauntingly beautiful…made all the more so when you know Marilyn McCoo is singing it…she being one of the most beautiful women in the history of the solar system…but I digress…
Digress even further, that is…watching a video of Marilyn McCoo I stumbled on the one-hit wonders, The Five Stairsteps and their 1970 No. 8 hit “O-o-h Child." YouTube their “Soul Train” performance. Great stuff…and what a great tune. They are the Burke family out of Chicago and produced by none other than Curtis Mayfield.
Anyway, Bacharach and David first teamed in 1956 at Famous Music in the Brill Building on Broadway in New York City.
If you don’t have the Bacharach box set, get it. [Given these tough economic times, have your parents buy it for you.] Also get the soundtrack to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Every time I pop it in I’m humming the tunes the next three months. And that’s a good thing, as opposed to an issue I had in Ireland. I was stuck on Abba’s “Waterloo,” not a good thing…uh oh, it’s back! [Shoot]
Top 3 songs for the week 9/4/76: #1 “You Should Be Dancing” (Bee Gees…absolutely dreadful…if you are humming this one, you really should seek some help) #2 “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (Lou Rawls…this one was so unique, especially given who sang it…just kind of came out of nowhere) #3 “Let ‘Em In” (Wings…far from their best)…and…#4 “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” (England Dan & John Ford Coley…oh, what the heck. Gotta hand it to these guys…their schmaltz more often than not worked…you are allowed to hum this one without penalty) #5 “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” (KC & The Sunshine Band…eh) #6 “Play That Funky Music” (Wild Cherry…this one was seen as kind of different back in the day…I was a freshman at Wake and it was a big hit at the local tavern…the drinking age being 18 then, you understand…By the way, I love when John McCain talks about graduating fifth from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy, seeing as how I think I was second from the bottom, or maybe third…Someone hack into the registrar’s computer and let me know…I was always curious) #7 “A Fifth Of Beethoven” (Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band…geezuz…just shoot me!) #8 “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (Elton John & Kiki Dee…musically sucks…do dooo…do dooo) #9 “Lowdown” (Boz Scaggs…from one of the best LPs of all time) #10 “This Masquerade” (George Benson…and this one was brilliant…helped save the latter part of the decade, especially given all the Bee Gees crapola that was yet to come)
Yankee Quiz Answer: 40 or more home runs in consecutive seasons…
Babe Ruth (1926-32)…7 (47, 60, 54, 46, 49, 46, 41)
Babe Ruth (1920-21)…2 (54,59)
Babe Ruth (1923-24)…2 (41, 46)
Lou Gehrig (1930-31)…2 (41, 46)
Mickey Mantle (1960-61)…2 (40, 54)
Jason Giambi (2002-03)…2 (41, 41)
Curtis Granderson (2011-12)…41, ?
I don’t know if I’d have gotten Giambi. I think I lost that brain cell in a pub in the Cologne train station (which has some interesting ones, by the way)
NFL Passing Quiz Answer: Top six seasons passing yards….
Drew Brees / Saints…2011…5,476
Tom Brady / Patriots…2011…5,235
Dan Marino / Dolphins…1984…5,084
Drew Brees / Saints…2008…5,069
Matthew Stafford / Lions…2011…5,038
Eli Manning / Giants…2011…4,933
So, as SI asks, “Who will be the first to throw for 6,000?” Can it happen this year? Sure.
