Quicky Radio Notes and Some Linky Dinks

I'm proud to say that I was interviewed on the "Louis Live" show on Israel Sports Radio a few hours ago.  I'm not sure if they will podcast it, or preserve it in anyway, but I thought it was fun and insightful.

I love being interviewed (despite how much I don't like questions!) but hey I love covering sports.  It was my pleasure.

Speaking of radio, I'll be with you (well, sort of ) tonight on "The Clubhouse" from GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, NY.  Never forget that this is Brian Crowell (of GlenArbor) and Mark Jeffers' show, but I serve my nifty role as producer, engineer, third wheel and Sports Director of WGCH just fine and dandy.  It airs live tonight at 7:00, and we podcast it at the WGCH website.

As an opener to "Linky Dinks", here's a sad post from Ken McMillan.  Sad, only because the Renegades - my Gades - aren't on the radio anymore.  Yes, it's not uncommon for teams to be online, but I always enjoyed being able to put the game on the "wireless" to check in when I wasn't calling a game.  Life moves on.

Plus I miss calling baseball.  Miss it terribly.

News to me...CC Sabathia is going on the DL (Chad Jennings, LoHud Yankees Blog).

Also, I like that the Yankees do their HOPE Week, and it is so nice to see players grabbing the spirit of doing good in the community.  But...I sometimes wish it wasn't so public.  The Yankees' work after 9/11 was done very much under the radar (which George Steinbrenner was a big fan of - he didn't like that kind of publicity).  The Mets, conversely, were very out in the open.  Neither is wrong,  but there's something nice about doing things without the credit.  Still, kudos to the team for such great work.

Chad Jennings has the details of a terrible job by umpire Mike DiMuro, and a sufficient acting job by DeWayne Wise, along with other notes from last night's Bombers win.  None of this has convinced me that this team can win a World Series.

Last note from Chad.  Sunday is Old Timers' Day at the Stadium.  I'm most likely not going as I'm probably heading for some camping in the Catskills, not too far from Kaaterskill Falls with the lovely Lisa and friends, but Chad has the list of attendees for the annually gathering in The Bronx.  Of course, my new "friend" Kay Murcer will be there. 

Chris Berman and Trent Dilfer.  Together.  Calling an NFL game.  Budding broadcasters (and our ears) everywhere weep. (Sports Media Journal)

Not long ago I talked about my enjoyable night at Tropicana Field.  According to Deadspin, it appears that a stray bullet pierced The Trop recently.

Ten years ago this week I was in Wyoming for the marriage of my former brother-in-law to his lovely Gretchen.  Ten years later, they're living in Washington state and have two beautiful children (Eleanor and George).  Both kids have strong resemblances to Michael's family, and I see a lot of Sean's mom in Eleanor who - gasp! - turned FIVE last week).  I guess, with the divorce, I'm not really their family anymore (one of the saddest byproducts of relationships ending), but I still read Gretchen's blog that she updates.  Her writing is fun and witty, and the pictures are cute.  It's a great way to stay in touch with family 3000 miles away.  Recently, Gretchen sped right on by post number 1000.  Congratulations to them, and here's to thousands more!

Love him or not (you know how I feel), I'm pretty confident that sports talk would not have succeeded without one Mr. John Donald Imus (in the morning).  Jeff Smulyan, founder of WFAN (celebrating 25 years) tells Ed Sherman, "I can’t minimize his impact."

Jeff Pearlman is seeing what I see.  This song is everywhere.  There are countless parodies out there!

Loss

"The Three Amigos" - courtesy of Harold

Every day we deal with death.  Every.  Single.  Day.  From the people we've never met to the stories we read and hear to loved ones and acquaintances.  It happens.

In the past week, I've been personally connected to three deaths.  Yeah yeah yeah, the whole "it comes in threes" thing.  I'm sure if we looked more closely there might be more.  I always thought that concept was fairly random and arbitrary.

My friend Denise told me her Dad wasn't doing well a few weeks ago.  Sadly, he passed last week.  I hurt for Denise, whom I've known for about 20 years.  An old friend of my ex-wife's, Denise was in our wedding.  She and I reconnected on Facebook and I'm pleased to call her a good friend.

Earlier in that week, my old neighbor stopped by to say hello and told me almost matter of factly that his father wasn't doing well.  Our families have lived next to each other for almost 50 years yet I had no clue that he had a stroke back in January.  Sadly that's the way many neighborhoods have become - ours included.  Yet when I saw police cars and other people at their house last week, I knew something was bad.  To be sure, he had passed away that morning at 74.

Then came yesterday.  For reasons I can't - for the life of me - figure out, I felt the urge to reach out to my friend Harold about the health of his mother.  I knew she hadn't been well since roughly December, but had hoped that no news was good news.  Then I noticed both of Harold's sisters, Mary and Betty, had posted pictures of their mother.

And I hoped for the best...

Then I heard a beep.  It was my Facebook alert.  It was Harold.  His mom died yesterday.  For Harold, Tracy, and their kids, it was the fourth death in the span of just three years.  Tracy's mom and dad (both sweet people) had passed away, and their beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi (and my dear friend), Scrappy died last September.

That's a lot of loss.  Especially for their two kids, the youngest of which is nine.

Those are the three grandparents in the photo at the top of the post.

"They" say that the powers that be (God, Allah, Jesus, Babe Ruth, mmmm...SATAN*??) only give us what we can handle.  Boy I hope that's the truth, because it sometimes seems like it's a bit too much.  Or maybe that's just a pithy way of saying "everything will be OK."

*Please note that I used the "SATAN" reference only so I could bring a little humor to a serious subject, and post a link to Dana Carvey as "The Church Lady."  As for Babe Ruth, well, he's fairly god-like.

As an extended part of their family, I have enjoyed many a BBQ with them.  I knew Tracy's parents, and Harold's mom.  No, I didn't know them well, and only saw Pat last August at a rainy, stormy gathering.  Once a rock of a woman, she wasn't getting around well.  Still it was nice to see her.  You want to talk hockey?  There was a woman - and a family - to talk hockey with.  We're talking a serious Rangers fan.  One who would have clearly loved to call Henrik Lundqvist "Lumberg" or other more salty things.  One who loved her Blueshirts, and reveled in the '94 Cup.  And yet - YET - leave it to her to bring the ultimate contrarian into the world.  Raise her kids in The Bronx and her son would become a Boston Bruins fan.  Sounds natural, right?  Of course, he would have to grow up to...ahem...HATE (yet grudgingly respect, in part for his friend - I hope) the Yankees.

She fought the good fight against the evil that is cancer.  My god, we've done so much - SO MUCH - in the medical field to eradicate various diseases, and stave off the impact of others.  Yet we have so far to go with cancer.

Of course, what this reminds me (and should remind you of) is that life is so precious.  I know, sounds trite and all, but it is true.  Whether we have some kind "closure" or a chance to say good bye, or if it is sudden, the simple truth is people can be here today, and gone tomorrow.  Seriously, I'm not talking rocket science.  It just means that we need to take stock.  I could tell the story of 1989, but I think I take that road too many times and don't want a friend of mine reminding me of retired baseball players and Waffle House syrup.*

*You won't get that joke.  Tim Parry will.

We get mired in too much junk.  Someone once said "love is all you need" (not my favorite tune), but it holds true.  Maybe I'm going in deep here, but the simple truth is that if you love someone, then that's enough.  The foolishness of cutting off people because of things like money, petty arguments, and if John Tortorella is a jackass or not is not worth it.  Life...is...too...short, and then we're gone.

It's just stuff!  Stupid stuff.  The root of all evil!

Harold and his family cherished their time with Pat.  Tracy did the same with her parents.  Denise and her dad.  My neighbors.

May each one of these people rest in peace.  For Pat, may that peace be somewhere along center ice, with a perfect view of Lord Stanley's chalice, and of a tremendous family that she raised.

SPAM ALERT!!

PLEASE READ THIS!

Friends, it appears that one of my email account (rda5512@verizon.net) was hacked into this morning*.  An email saying "Fwd:" went out from me at 11:26 AM to virtually everyone in my address book.  I was able to intercept a bunch of them in my "drafts" folder before they went, but the others were sent away.

I feel terribly about this and apologize for any inconvenience.  Please, please, please do not click on the link in the email.  I have taken what I think are the proper steps on my end to stop this.

Those who know me hopefully recognize that the email is not in my writing style, or they recognize spam when they see it.  Either way, I am rather annoyed at this whole thing.

Ugh.

*Special thanks to my great friend Kelly for calling me and alerting me to this so I could see what was going on.  People who do this really need to find themselves a spot in a dark layer of hell, with a steady loop of Nickelback playing all day.

The Past is Present

Sean just mentioned a Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon that he saw and liked.  "Lickety Splat", he said it was called.  A quick Google search, and a trip down memory lane.

It even has translations, for our Spanish-speaking audience!


I love that he has embraced the cartoons that were such a big part of my youth (and probably yours as well).

More Bobby Murcer Items

Off of the wonderful interview with Kay Murcer, I became Facebook friends with Bobby Murcer's niece, DeDe Murcer Moffett, who has performed the Star Spangled Banner at Yankee Stadium.  DeDe sent me a quick hello on Facebook, and I was pleased to send her the link to the interview with Kay.  DeDe's website is here.

While moving around the web today, I discovered that Oklahoma Christian University built and dedicated the Bobby Murcer Indoor Athletic Facility on their campus, which has received support from the Yankees.  More on the facility, including a note from Kay Murcer, is here.

There is also a wonderful video embedded on the page.  Allow yourself about 20 minutes to watch it.

Bobby Murcer Memorial Highlight Film from Andrew Patterson on Vimeo.


I really wish there was more video of him as a player, or even as a broadcaster, but I'll always remember this great promo that YES ran.



Incidentally, there is a Bobby Murcer statue - in Oklahoma City.  I still wish the Yankees would do more for a man who brought dignity and pride to that uniform number one that he wore for the prime years of his career.

The Consolation Prize

Henrik Lundqvist won a well-deserved Vezina Trophy last night as the best goalie in the NHL (and likely a few new modeling shoots for GQ and such).  I say "well-deserved" but, to be blunt (and consistent) I wouldn't have voted for him, opting instead for Nashville's Pekka Rinne.  I said this on "The Press Box" and I stand by it.

Not to say Lundqvist didn't earn it.  He was outrageous this year.  But who was seriously going to vote for either Rinne or Jonathan Quick?  This year was tailor made for the "King."

Quick side note: who exactly named Lundqvist "King?"  Man, is there a more over-used nickname?  "King" Felix Hernandez.  Michael Jackson: "King" of Pop.  "King" LeBron James.  Countless monarchs, of course.

And Elvis.  Something tells me it probably should have been retired with him in pop culture.

And then, of course, the LA...wait for it...KINGS won the Stanley Cup.

This is where I began thinking.

Sure, I'm happy for the guy.  Like I said (I think three times now) he deserved it (but people think I don't like the "Monarch", so I'll repeat that I do like him, ok?).  But, just as when A-Rod won the MVP (or Don Mattingly, in 1985), I find myself torn.  It's nice to get the individual award, but it wasn't the ultimate goal.

That belongs to Jonathan Quick, who will gladly stare at his Conn Smythe Trophy and enjoy his day with the Stanley Cup - which is exactly what Lundqvist - hell, all of New York - wanted.

Another side note: God forbid you ever criticize someone.  I've gotten on Joe Girardi a few times, and I've been accused of not liking him (Pat Pickens aside, who was giving me a hard time about it).  Same with Lundqvist.  Sigh.  Side rant over.

As fans, we like to see "our guys", the players we root for, win the hardware.  It still eats at me that both Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will likely never win the top awards that they once deserved.  Jeter lost two close MVP votes, and Rivera lost out a few times for the Cy Young Award.  And yet ask either of them if they would exchange their five World Series championships (and each has a World Series MVP as well) for the regular season award.

They would laugh at you.

So while we - Rangers fans - puff out our chests over Lundqvists' win, we should also feel angry still that a team that was the top seed in the Eastern Conference had the road open to them to go get Lord Stanley's chalice, and came up short.  It's not like they were the 8th seed who backed in (as the Kings - damn, there's that title again - did).

Lundqvist, he of the Vezina Trophy, played a role (albeit a small one) in that failure.  At the same time, he played a huge role in the very reason that the Rangers were that close to playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.

And such is the bittersweet sentiment of last night.  Still, I congratulate him.

Just in case you think I don't like him.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to watching the Portugal heading into the semi-finals of the EURO tournament.  Or something like that.  Maybe it was just on in the background at the McDonald's in which I'm typing away.  Yeah, that's most likely.  It's time to leave.

This Kid is Done With Fourth Grade

Sean made a Superman shield at Toys R Us in Danbury last Saturday, and was proud to show his work.

It can't be, right?  Why just yesterday he was starting kindergarten.

Nope - that was September, 2007.

Fourth grade ends today.  Summer vacation begins.  We have Cape Cod and camping to look forward to.  Who knows what else?  Hopefully lots of bike riding!

With temps in the high 90's, I might not be jumping on the bicycle today.  Maybe bowling.  Yeah, that sounds a lot cooler.

As a result of Jack Curry (VP of Sales and Marketing) for True Power Sports Performance, I am proudly trying a negative ion bracelet.  Hey - why not?  Jack was on "The Clubhouse" last night, along with members of Mark Jeffers' class from Manhattanville College.  Jack was kind enough to give me a bracelet to try.

And yes, that's TWO DIFFERENT Jack Curry's that I have spoken to in the last few weeks.  Jack Curry from YES was on "The Press Box" recently.  This Jack Curry will be on "The Press Box" as well.

Well, time to go outside.  It's only, what, 97 or so?

The Kay Murcer Interview

Last night on "The Press Box", Kay Murcer joined us (Ryan DeMaria, Chris Erway, and yours truly) for the first half-hour of the show.  She was gracious, funny, charming, and so much more.  It was beyond a thrill to talk to the wife of my boyhood idol - a man who I've discussed countless times on this blog.

I've received some kind words for the interview but, of course, being the tough critic that I am, I found myself wondering if I was a little too much of a fanboy, and too little of a professional broadcaster and interviewer.  I hope - if anything - that I struck the proper balance.  This was meant to be lighthearted and fun, because, honestly, we weren't discussing quantum physics.

There is no doubt in my mind that if we wanted to keep Kay for the entire hour, she would have agreed to stay (and we wanted her to stay, but not overstep things).  It seemed to be fun for her, and I know it was for us.  Believe me, I had lots more that I could have gladly discussed with her ("Skoal Dippin' Man", broadcasting, Mickey Mantle, particular games, and on and on).

Her husband inspired me in many ways.  She is equally inspiring.

Countless thanks goes to Marty Appel, who set the interview up for us.

It was a joy for all of us, and I have uploaded the Kay Murcer interview to my Archive.org page.  The whole show will eventually hit "The Press Box" archive page on WGCH.com.  You can also listen to it right here.

Just an Average Monday

It's June 18th, 2012.  We lost Clarence Clemons a year ago today.  Moment of silence for The Big Man.


Wait.  This is Clarence we're talking about.  Silence won't do.  Music will.  From Live in New York City, here's Badlands.  The sax solo is short, but so powerful.  Very cool, as always.


Thank you.

People born on this day include Lou Brock (wow, he's 73!), my cousin (and budding triathlete) Kris Adams (who was great in yesterday's duathlon in Carmel), and Roger Ebert.

Oh yeah, and James Paul McCartney.  Macca is 70, and we all feel a little bit older.

So we must have a song, right?  Say what you want about his career as a solo artist, the guy could write a great melodies, and could also rock ("Jet" is a great song).  He also wrote the best Bond song ("Live and Let Die").  But for a pure ballad, this is a pretty good one.


And June 18th, 2012 will include a very special interview tonight on "The Press Box."  Kay Murcer, the wife of my boyhood hero Bobby Murcer, will visit us on the phone at 7:05.  There are few interviews that have made me more - what's the word? - anxious.  I'm not sure I'm nervous, but I'm anxious.

So tune in!

On This Father's Day

Sean and his Daddy, 8/23/05 - Yankee Stadium

Tomorrow is Father's Day.  We here around the Exit 55 home office wish all of the dads a happy and healthy day filled with love, laughs, and hugs.  Especially from their kids.

The other day I wrote about how much I don't like being a weekend dad, and I felt I should explain that a little further.  I love - LOVE - being a father.  February 23, 2002 was one of - if not the - best days of my life.  And that's where the sadness and dislike comes in.  I didn't become a father to do it part-time.  We had to do what was done, I guess.
 
I make the most of the time that I do have with him, and everyone tells me how they can see that Sean and I are very close.  I'm so very proud of him, and I know he loves his time with me.

I'm not sure I'm making myself clear on this, but it will have to do.

Happy Father's Day to all.

Field Day at Gayhead Elementary School

That's Sean in the red shirt.

I try - hard - to make anything and everything for Sean.  I've always enjoyed being in the role of involved dad.

Plus, if you didn't know, I really don't like being a "weekend" or "part-time" father.  Detest it.  But it is what it is (and some time with Sean is better than none.  Again, it is what it is.)

So when I have the chance to be at Sean's school for field day, I take it.  No questions asked.

I helped run their home run derby!  I mean, it's like the gods smiled!  Coaching the kids on their swing, laughing with them, goofing with them.  Such fun!

The time went by too fast for my taste, but I had a chance to work with each kid (including Sean), and we made our way back into the gym for some downtime.

And then?  Dancing!

Soon after I saw parents beginning to leave and knew that my cue had come to exit.  Yet there came a surprise.  After saying goodbye to Sean, I began to walk out, and waved to the kids.  One called out my name to wave to me.  Then another.  And soon, kids were running over to high five me.  They would have all made it had one of the teachers not stopped them (spoil sport).  I'm sure I had very little impact on their day.  But they gave me the nicest gift I could imagine.  One that had me smiling all the way back to my car.

In my car, later that day, I had this installed.  Yes, I've joined the world of satellite radio (note the band playing).

I get it.  I'm blessed.  I lose sight of that sometimes when I wallow in the mire.  But still, the smiles and laughter of children (most notably, my own) is so awesome.  And yes, I guess some of it comes from that eternally goofy child in me, who is willing to put a Captain America mask on at Wal Mart just for the sake of a laugh.

Yes, I know.  Horrifying.  Painful.  Terrifying.

But that's just me.

It's a Quarter After One...

...and I just got home.  Well, not really.  I got home from seeing Lady Antebellum at about one this morning, so I'll go with a little literary license on this one.  Then I got up and was off and running by about 6:45.

All worth it.  Oh no, I haven't become some big country music fan, but hey, why not enjoy?  Why not try something outside of the comfort zone?

You might once recall that I saw Lady Antebellum a lifetime ago (well, it feels like that anyway).  Charles, Hillary, and Dave were charming, attractive, talented people, with a great band behind them.  Not much has changed, except for the venue, and a slick, polished show.

Ah, but this was more than just Lady A.  A nice act called Thompson Square opened the show with a short set that had some energy, and big, inflatable lips that looked like boxing gloves and other appendages (just let it go there, friends).  The always cool Kris and Lori went backstage to do a meet and greet along with fellow concert-goers Stacy and Terri.  Shanna and Sabrina joined us later on (I really need a program to know all of these names sometimes).

Following the blowup lips we got Hootie and the Nofish.  Or just Darius Rucker.  Now, to be sure, I would rather never - ever - hear any Hootie and the Blowfish songs again in my life, having gotten my fill back in the 90's (and, trust me, grocery stores play that stuff because it's so sugary-sweet easy to play...which means one can easily get sick of it again).  But...to be fair...I dug hearing Rucker perform a couple of Hootie hits (including a few lines of "Let Her Cry" during the Lady A main set).

But Rucker also chose to end his set with a dedication to the "children of the 80's".  I was psyched.  Lisa was psyched.  Then we heard just one note, and immediately looked at each other and said, in unison: "Purple Rain?"

Sigh...

Me and the Yoga Rock Goddess, as I called her (thanks, Kris, for taking the photo).

Both of the opening acts were fine.  I could have stayed in the parking lot just as easily.  But all good.  Live music is nice.

Bethel Woods (near the site of Woodstock) is a very good place to see a show.  It has that same vibe as any amphitheater with it's lawn section, and comfy covered area.  Our seats were at the very back, in the corner, and if I could make any complaint, it would be that some of the video screens were obstructed.  Such is life.

Oh, and getting out of there is rough.  You get only a mild idea of what it was like to leave Woodstock in 1969! But still, if you don't leave before the end of the show, or move briskly to your vehicle, you are well-advised to stay in the parking lot for a while.

Lady A's set opened with some thumping dance tunes that involved showing the crowd on the video screens, which got people into their seats and fired up (I just sit and laugh - that's just me).  But the house lights dimmed and a video showed the band prepping for the show - nice touch, I thought.  Hillary putting on her makeup (and trademark six-inch heels), Dave tuning his guitar, Charles finding the perfectly too-tight shirt to wear.  Ah, such problems.  Such vanity.

They hit the stage and brought the hits with them.  I still haven't listened to their latest album, Own the Night, but I am familiar with this song, which they performed about midway through the set.


I admit to being a softy, and their songs - their lyrics - strike a nice chord.  As usual, their band was great, and the voices of Hillary, Charles, and the uber-talented Dave blended perfectly.

Of course, having seen them in Central Park in 2010, it felt like I was visiting old friends.  That's how Lady Antebellum connects with their fans.  They came out onto a stage well back into the crowd to do "I Run to You", spent a chunk of the show shaking hands, implored fans to come closer to the stage, and even pulled an adorable girl onstage to sing "American Honey" (and she did sing it!).

I even liked the touch of bringing to the opening acts back onstage for a rousing sing along that included "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers.  And again, we see how, it's country music, but don't kid yourself.  There's a fine line before it becomes pop, or even rock, as Lady A kicked it up with a rousing version of Aerosmiths' "Sweet Emotion."

Of course, the show ended with "Need You Now."  How could it not?  They rearranged the tune a little bit, but it is still a pretty good song.

So did I walk out of there saying it was the best concert I've ever been to?  Well, no - Huey Lewis, 1987, Madison Square Garden...Bruce Springsteen, 1999, Meadowlands Arena...Paul McCartney, 2009, Citi Field are the Holy Trinity for me, but it was a good show.  Good music.  Great people to be with.  Great atmosphere.  Great food.  Lots and lots of fun on a beautiful night (I can't stress that enough).

It's worth being tired today.

The Great Scully Congratulates a Fellow Broadcaster

Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller has been the voice of the Los Angeles Kings since 1973.  Of course, he had never called a championship, only seeing the Kings visit the Cup Finals once, in 1993.

Now, as the TV "voice", Miller did not actually call the Stanley Cup Finals, as local broadcasters get moved out of the way in favor of the national guys (and, of course, how can one argue with Doc Emrick on the call?).  But the Kings had the smarts to have Miller do a call of Game 6 live (and will produce a DVD or some commemorative item), so that fans can hear their beloved broadcaster describe the magic moment of winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since they joined the NHL in 1967.

Miller visited 710 ESPN Radio in LA, when another famous broadcaster, one who has called a few titles in his life, called in to say hello.

Vin Scully wanted to congratulate his friend, Bob Miller.

That's pure royalty there.  Pardon the pun.

By the way, I've often wondered what the Dodgers would do if they make the World Series.  Scully is much too modest, but if Vin Scully is NOT on a Dodgers World Series broadcast, then something is very wrong.

Kaaterskill Falls on Video

There are plenty of videos of Kaaterskill Falls online.  Here's another one, shot by me.


Lisa shot one also.  If I ever get a copy of it, I'll post that one too.  You can then enjoy making fun of me, as I appear in it.  So yeah, there's that.

One More Old "Press Box" Show

"The Press Box" archives are now back up to date, but they only go back a month, and there are certain shows that I want to retain for posterity (or something like that).  This is one of them - from May 21st.

That would be the day I returned from Florida (which many of you have chided me for - lovingly, of course).  Some of you don't want to hear about it on the air.  Others want less of it on the blog.  Again, half kidding and all.

But I wanted to give lots of shout outs to the good people who I spent time with in the Sunshine State.  We also spoke with Marty Appel on this edition of the show, in which Mr. Appel began setting up the upcoming interview with Kay Murcer.

Of course, we spoke with Marty about Pinstripe Empire.  Go get it today!

So there.  And here's the link.

(Oh, and Ryan DeMaria was also in Florida that same weekend, and lost his voice.  Yep.)

A Few Linky Dinks

 Haven't linked up in a while, so here are a couple for you:

From Jeff Pearlman comes a link to a crazy harsh review of Nickelback.  I concur - quite strongly.  I'd probably rather have "Jack and Diane" on repeat than ever listen to Nickelback.

Hmmm.  Let me think about that one.  Could be a toss up.

Of course, I seem to meet women who either went and saw JC OverplayedCamp, or just like "Springsteen Lite's" music.  Seriously, what is up with that?

But they might also like Lana Del Rey.  And that's not so bad.

Side note: seriously, what was the big deal about LDR on "Saturday Night Live?"  I know I'm late to the party, but after hearing the album (several times - not complaining), I watched her performance of "Video Games" and it was a little uneven, but not the disaster it was made out to be.


Another side note: I made an attempt at getting last-minute tickets to see the aforementioned Lana Del Rey last night in New York (but alas, they were long gone).  When I mentioned it to the birthday girl in question, she was less than thrilled over possibly going to a sporting event.  As such, the TAMPA BAY Rays are now the LANA DEL Reys!

I'm digressing.

There's no question - NONE - that when I get around to discussing the most seriously overplayed songs ever, the little ditty that is "Jack and Diane" will be on the list.  Along with "Stairway", "Hotel California", and a few others.  That list might be too long to count.

From Sean Patrick Bowley comes the official word on the 2012 football schedule!  Yes - I can finally sort of figure out what my fall is going to look like.  That is, assuming I have games to call in 2012 (which means we need sponsors, good people of Greenwich!).  The Cardinals currently have nine games on the docket, but you don't have to be a genius to figure out what game number ten will be (just look at last year's schedule, friends).

PS, congrats to the Greenwich lacrosse team on their state title!  (Thanks to David Fierro at the Greenwich Time)

The canal area of Richmond is absolutely wonderful; a true highlight of a visit to R-VA.  Jon (he of R-VA) posted a "before and after" look at the canal.  Hard to believe people actually disputed doing this.

I'm feeling the need for R-VA.  Love me some Richmond (and Waffle House, and Aunt Sarah's Pancake House, and Krispy Kreme, and Rebecca's home cooking, and a Flying Squirrels game, and...)

Two Old "Press Box" Shows

I'm just playing a little catch-up on this Saturday morning.

It seems things are slow on "The Press Box" archive page, so being the enterprising old fool that I am, I posted two shows on my page at archive.org. 

1) Long overdue to post here is the fun show we did with Mick McGowan and Tom Oderwald (who celebrates a birthday today!).  It was so much fun that we took things down the block for a post-show dinner.


2) I promised the people that I met at Chris and Genna Erway's wedding that I would give them some "shout outs" on the show.  This is that show, along with visits from Pat Pickens and Paul Silverfarb.  My "man card" came into question on this show, but if it is Chris Kaelin doing the questioning, then I'll live.  I'll be just fine.


Listen and enjoy.  We return Monday night with Mike Bocchino, George Zaccagnini and possibly Fred Camillo to discuss the dedication of Strazza Field in Greenwich.  Of course we'll be all over things going on in sports (such as Mets/Yankees...and I'm feeling a little differently today). 

Next Monday (6/18), join us for (perhaps) one of the most special interviews I have ever done as Bobby Murcer's widow, Kay Murcer, joins us on the show.

Lisa's Birthday at The Falls

The birthday girl is quite happy.

June 8th is known for certain things, such as Mickey Mantle Day (June 8, 1969).

Oh yeah, and Lisa's birthday (You say it's your birthday).  Being the outdoors type of gal that she is (and a mere young lady), she decided that she wanted to be among nature.  Being the out-of-shape-fat-bastard that I am, I thought it would be fun to go along.

Or die.

Or both.

We began with a fine breakfast in Hyde Park (OK, I like this part) before heading up to Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskills.

I visited a portion of the trail to Kaaterskill Falls back in 2010 when Kris, Brittany, Shelby and I walked it (Kristi waited for us back at the entrance to the trail as she wasn't able to do the walk at the time).  We didn't finish the trail that day (in part due to snow on the ground), but it was always something I wanted to get back to.

Today - with the feisty, nature-loving Lisa leading the way, I made it to very end.  As walks go, it is not very long, but I can't stress enough that it is strenuous (especially for those who haven't done such things in a while).  It is steep, rocky, wet, muddy, and can be treacherous.  Just be advised.

Oh but the payoff is beyond spectacular.  You can see Lisa gazing at the real falls in the top photo.  The falls you see as you begin hiking off of NY Route 23A are amazing enough.

This is just an appetizer.  It gets much better.

OK, so we've made it.  We're getting to the money shot.

But Lisa (again, outdoors Nature Girl) wasn't merely happy to see the falls.  Oh no.  She had to experience it.  She needed to feel the mist on her face.

She wanted to...go...higher. (Sly and the Family Stone reference...this is how I keep my sense of humor).

Oh, and I kept telling myself what goes up...must come down (never really liked Blood, Sweat and Tears).

So up we went.  Higher.  Slipping.  Right on past THIS SIGN:

Yeah, I didn't like my chances.  I began writing my obituary (survived by his son Sean, and adopted cat Ginger...).  But Lisa was unfazed - at least on the outside.

I must say, once I got there, the view was breathtaking.

The mist hitting our faces.  The steady wind blowing (I felt like I was going to lose my Tampa Yankees hat).  But now, I went back to one...simple...question:

How the eff was I going to get down? 

Very.  Carefully.  I decided I needed to go when I felt the nerve.  So I made my way through a narrow patch and got back to safety.  From there, we just took our time.

We must have high-fived each other several times in celebration of the achievement of making it not only to the end of the trail, but beyond.  Truth be told, I loved trails when I was young, but this was a whole different level of walking for me, and I've really lost my nerve.  Doing this was out of my comfort zone, and it felt so good.

And nobody needed to call 911 (which is good, because cell service was minimal at best).

For Lisa, it seemed to be the highlight of a very good birthday (to go along with a nice lunch in Saugerties and - what else? - shopping). 

That's all that mattered to me.

Tunnel of Love

I was going to text some lyrics to someone tonight, but it was far more than 160 characters.  A great song from Springsteen...


Oh, and which lyric?  I'm not sure...they're all great, though I especially like these lines:

"Ought to be easy.  Ought to be simple enough.  Man meets woman and they fall in love.  But this house is haunted and this ride gets rough.  You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above if you wanna ride on down; down into this tunnel of love."

 Good advice from the Boss.

Ben Folds 5 Reunited at Mountain Jam

I just saw online that Ben Folds 5 played at Mountain Jam - up in Hunter, NY.  I had no clue.  Damn.

They did a lot of their old stuff too.  Nice.

I saw Folds open for John Mayer back in 2007 and he he was brilliant.

Most of the Mountain Jam show is online (YouTube).  Tough choice which song to post...so I'll go with two of my favorites:

1) Song for the Dumped ("and don't forget to give me back my black T-shirt")


2) One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

Richard Dawson, RIP

I just heard Richard Dawson has died.  For me, I flashback to him on "Hogan's Heroes", and "Match Game", and The Running Man, but my oh my, he will always be "Family Feud" to me.

There were few who could host a game show like him.  I owned the "home version" of the show, and I never played it.  I always hosted the showdowns in my family, playing the role of Dawson.  The show was not the same after he left.

I was laughing pretty hard watching this grainy video.


He was one of the best.

Strange Conversations

From the Adams household this morning:

Mom: (reading the Daily News) "John Franco of the Mets is going to be inducted into the Mets hall of fame tonight at Citi Field. (Holds up the paper) "Do you want it?"

Me: (amazed that she would even ask) "I wouldn't wipe my ass with that."

Mom: (horrified) "Sean, did you hear what your father just said?  Hope you don't repeat that."

Sean: (equally amazed, first to his grandmother) "Yes I know" (then to me, emphatically) "Thank you!"

Just because I congratulated Johan Santana, I otherwise really don't concern myself with the other team (who is the better team in New York right now).  That doesn't mean I'm a phony bandwagon-jumper either.

By the way, are the Stanley Cup Finals being played?  Seems nobody other than, say, Pat Pickens cares about the series (I was busy last night and didn't watch).

Umpires vs. The Rest of Baseball: The 2012 Edition

With full disclosure, I will tell you that I am no fan of White Sox broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson's style.  He was briefly a Yankees voice in the 80's and he...was...dreadful.

He has his detractors, which you can see here.

On Wednesday night, Harrelson went into a tirade about the performance of umpire Mark Wegner, who threw our pitcher Jose Quintana.  So long as Bud Selig as his band of idiots in the League office lave this video up, you can see the situation for yourself.


There is a notion in broadcasting that "we", the esteemed citizens of the booth, should not allow ourselves to get into a snit over officials.  To an extent, I agree - totally.  But as a passionate defender of sports, I have a real problem with officials who seem to think you - the paying public (of which I am a member as well) - have come out to see them.

I have heard more than my fair share of complaining over NBA officials, and equal whining about NHL stripes as well as the NFL zebras.  But nothing seems to be as out of control as the umpires in MLB.  It has been a cauldron that has been boiling for years - going back to a rant I did on WGCH way back in the late 90's, in which I heaved anger at then-ump union president Richie Philips.  At the same time, a target of my ire was longtime umpire Joe West.

Curiously, West is still at it - thinking we're there to see him.  More, West is the president of something called the World Umpires Association.  Well la-di-freaking-da.  So after a talking to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and baseball destroyer...er...commissioner Bud Selig, Harrelson then called Wegner to offer a few thoughts before visiting West to discuss the situation.

ESPN Chicago has the details.

If you didn't watch or listen to Harrelson pop off, here is what he said:

"What are you doing? He threw him out of the ballgame. You've got to be bleepin' me!" Harrelson said after the ejection. "What in the hell are you doing? What are you doing Wegner? You got to be kidding me. That is so bad. That is absolutely brutal. That is unbelievable.

"I'll tell you what, they have got to start making guys be accountable. That is totally absurd. Here's an umpire in the American League that knows nothing about the game of baseball. They have got to do something about this. They have got some guys in this league that have no business umpiring. They have no business umpiring because they don't know what the game of baseball is about."

My only problem with this - the point that it got personal - was where Harrelson said that the umpire "knows nothing about the game of baseball."  I understand his point - that Wegner stepped over the line because he (and a lot of umpires) don't let the players police things when it comes to brushback pitches.  Warnings get issued too easily these days, or they don't get issues and then the umpires take it upon themselves to decide what pitches have intent.  There's ZERO consistency.

That's what got Harrelson hot.  That's what gets me hot.

As I said, this has been building for years, and I thought Harrelson's tirade was actually going to be a good thing for baseball, causing Clueless Bud to focus less on outlawing the fake pickoff play or making the regular season one long playoff series, and maybe actually looking into the accountability and performance of his umpires.  But no, I was wrong.  It was a chance for Selig to chastise a broadcaster for speaking his mind.

I mean, let's face it: the Mets got their first no-hitter because an umpire screwed up.  Completely.  As I said yesterday, that's the way it goes, and it was human error, but still.  Let's be honest about it.  There's no accountability. (And yes, the Yankees got a home run for Derek Jeter because Richie Garcia made an awful call...just in case you want to get on the Yankees/Mets thing, which is so lame it is laughable).

Again, Harrelson went over the line, but that has been his thing for over 30 years.  Outside of the South Side of Chicago, Harrelson is not liked.  At all.

But there was an element of truth to what he said.

To me, it was a missed opportunity.

(OK, so-called "loyal" readers who scan the sports posts, you can stop scanning now.  The topic is over)

Biking the Walkway

Not my picture (thanks, Google)

I rode my bicycle across the Walkway Over the Hudson between Poughkeepsie and Highland on Thursday.  I enjoyed the scenery, and it was nice to be outside, but as a bike ride for the purpose of exercise, it is a colossal waste of time.

Ugh.

It is just simply too crowded, and there are too many kids.  In fact, the parks department specifically says that bicycles are to go s-l-o-w on the bridge.  That, of course, does not stop people from racing across.

The bridge was fairly quiet (all things considered) as I drove across in the late afternoon sun.  I had to negotiate around some groups who felt it was appropriate to walk five across, but my ride was not very stressful.  It was purely enjoyable, but not good exercise.

Things would open up on the Highland side of the bridge for me, and I did ride for a few minutes, until I came across the following sign...

My picture.

 I mean...really?  Is it THAT hard to put the right shield up?  Boys and girls, 9W is not a New York route.  Sigh...

Well, that was enough to make me head back towards Poughkeepsie, but first, I came across a roller blader (I had just passed her) who had fallen.

And yes, she couldn't get up.  She thought she had a cracked hip.  The police and ambulance came along to take her - most likely to Saint Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie.

Not that I know anyone who works there.  Nope.  Not me.

The rest of my ride?  Uneventful.  Pretty, but that's about it.

Nice experience, but be ready for the crowds.

My Sincere Congratulations

I know.  This one is going to surprise you.  You'll read this, saying to yourself, "Where's the punchline?"  Rob is going to rip them eventually.

Nope.  Not today.

Johan Santana finally got the New York Mets over the hump last night.  In this terrible era of Mets baseball (though probably not as bad as the late 70's and early 80's, when even I felt sorry for them, and will never make that mistake again), the Mets fan got a chance to let a smile fly.  On a terribly foggy, groggy, rainy night, in front of a mere 27, 609 (and likely less) fans, the Mets finally got their first no-hitter.  A franchise that began in 1962 - in its FIFTY-FIRST SEASON - saw it's first no-no in front of the home town fans.

Curious side note: guess who drove past Citi Field last night right around 8:30 or so?  That would be me, having picked Lisa up from LaGuardia.  Sean, riding in the back seat, was making faces and pretending that he had a rocket launcher with him.

Admittedly, I didn't see a single pitch.  I got a text from ESPN after Santana finished eight innings.  Then my friend Dave Sweet texted me after the final out.

I'm happy for them.  Legitimately happy.  Look, I deplore the Mets, but to me, they're really not worth my time.  Neither are the Red Sox, for that matter.  I don't like Mets fans - I'm on record on that one - but if one can be civil and logical, then I happily talk baseball with them.  I'm still firm in my belief that one can NOT be a fan of both New York teams (read: fanatic).  And yes, I know a few Mets fans that I enjoy talking to about baseball (my old bowling teammate Rob Ellsworth immediately springs to mind).  My "Press Box" colleague Chris Kaelin, on the other hand, thinks everything is a Yankees conspiracy.

I say that only half-kidding.

My world doesn't end when the Mets (or the Red Sox...or Cowboys) win.  The sun comes up.  Life goes on.  I survived '86 and '04 and '07.  The thrill of victory, to be honest, can be short and fleeting.

Now, I'm not going to get on the bad call that was made off of the bat Carlos Beltran.  We saw - everyone saw - that Beltran's ball kicked up chalk and was clearly fair.  So chalk one up for the Mets and their fans.  It was a bad call, and they happen.  Even Beltran passed it off as no big deal.  As he said - correctly - the call had no bearing on the outcome of the game.

So let's let it go.  I love history.  I'm all for it.  We saw history last night at Citi Field.  Rejoice and celebrate it.

The media will blow it all up.  The mayor will likely throw a parade (have I mentioned what a fool he is recently?).  Mets fans will enjoy it.  They should.

This is one monkey that is off their backs.

UPDATE: I've found Howie Roses' radio call, via Deadspin.  Well done - really well done, and he saved his foolish "put it in the books" until well after the moment.  Perhaps he could have let the moment breathe and let the crowd noise wash over (that's the Scully school, friends) but really, I can't complain.  Really well done.  Gary Cohen's TV call, which does look the pictures tell the story, is here, via MLB.

Something I Just Saw

I just noticed this on Twitter, retweeted by WFAN.

Wow.  Craig Carton in a chicken suit.  Groundbreaking, wacky morning radio.  Stop.  My sides hurt.  I'm laughing so hard.

Ugh.

Remind me again why I won't have Carton on "The Press Box?"

Maybe I'll do next Monday's show dressed like the Statue of Liberty.  We'll get some publicity out of it, no?

Again.  Ugh.

June

Good morning, and welcome to the month of June, presented by Progressive, Aflac, Geico, Mayhem, and the guy who once played Pedro Cerrano (I don't know what insurance companies have to do with this, but they seem to sponsor everything).

May was a pretty good month, at least here on the blog.  Not that I use that as a barometer for my life, but I noticed that the output was, er, minimal in April, for instance.  That might have something to do with A) being really busy and B) being in a fog for the entire month.  Seriously.  I mean, only 13 measly posts?

May seemed more productive.  Almost like I was happier.  But, at the same time, also because I found stretches of time in which I could write.

What makes me happy is to know there are some people who absolutely encourage me to keep doing this.  I've often-lamented the lack of comments, which just makes me wonder who the audience is - if there's any audience at all.  But I know who the loyal ones are (and know that I've picked up new ones).

So five months into 2012, I find myself refreshed and ready for month number six.

May really was something.  I was busy every single weekend, beginning with going to Cooperstown for an adventure I won't soon forget.  After that came a weekend in the metro-Philadelphia area, followed by Florida, and ending with the Erway nuptials in New Jersey.  I also worked.  Then I worked.  Then I worked some more.  Then I worked on Memorial Day (my choice).

I worked in Greenwich.  I worked in Mahopac.  I worked at Lisa's.  I worked in stores between Amenia and Pound Ridge, NY.

All good though.

I have to rant - if only for a moment.  Like I said, I worked on Memorial Day, which was my choice.  But what is up with places not being closed on federal holidays?  If that gasbag Chuck Schumer and his cronies in office want to do something legit and good for the country, how about mandating that Home Depot can't have their greasy paws open on days like that (or at least putting a limit on it)?  Yes, I know that people get to make money - blah blah blah - but...really?  IT'S A NATIONAL HOLIDAY!  Treat it as such.  Those brave soldiers who gave their lives aren't in the great beyond saying, "Oh good!  Target is open.  I need mouthwash!"  There's such a thing as "essential personnel", and yes, the media needs to be "on call" but the mall should probably sit this one out.

(OK, rant over)

I feel like June is a fresh start.  May was the transition month (or the transient month, based on my travel schedule).  Now the work begins.  There's still a lot ahead for this year.  Breakfast and Baseball 5 is coming up (though I'm struggling with Jason Intrieri not being able to make it - it's like breaking up the Wolfpack, or allowing holograms to bring artists "back to life").  The Renegades season begins.  Later in the year, a camping trip might be in the works, along with Cape Cod and San Francisco.    Oh, the places we'll go!

Somewhere along the line, I'll try to get some sleep.  Apparently I don't rest enough, to go along with other bad habits like my diet.  But I also want to find time to ride my bike so that I don't feel so out of shape and have 17 year-old interns taking shots at my weight (really?  I mean - mother-effing REALLY?).

And golf.  And I'd like to suck at softball again.  Bowling.  So much to do!

And yet...just sitting at home, typing away (or reading), sipping a beverage on the deck and enjoying a warm night sounds so nice.

All of this includes Sean.  Oh, and Father's Day is in June too. 

This.  Is.  Overwhelming.

OK June.  Let's go.  Bring it on.

It will be July before we know it anyway.