Red Barber and Harry Caray in the Same Post!

I was remiss in not mentioning the fact that Walter Lanier Barber would have been 100 years old on Sunday. You have to know who Walter Barber is, if only because of who I am and what I do, and what I often talk about in this blog.

Oh, you might not know Walter, or Walt by that name. But if you're perhaps slightly older than I am, then you know him.

I'm talking about Red Barber.

Red was, perhaps, the greatest play-by-play voice of them all until his pupil, Vin Scully, damn near perfected the art. Red was much more than a play-by-play voice. Besides his baseball work (which extended from Cincinnati to Brooklyn to The Bronx to the World Series and All-Star Games), he also called college and pro football, and hosted several programs as well.

In the era that extended from Bill Stern and Ted Husing to Mel Allen and Barber, Red was a master. While he was not as dry as he's been made out to be, he was still a stern taskmaster; determined to report and not opine. Still he could be heard uttering phrases that became part of baseball lexicon (from his Wikipedia entry):

- "They're tearin' up the pea patch" -- used for a team on a winning streak.
- "The bases are F.O.B. (full of Brooklyns)" -- indicating the Dodgers had loaded the bases.
- "Can of corn" -- describing a softly hit, easily caught fly ball.
- "Rhubarb" -- any kind of heated on-field dispute or altercation.
- "(Sittin' in) the catbird seat" -- used when a player or team was performing exceptionally well. This expression was the title of a well-known story by James Thurber. According to a character in Thurber's story, the expression came from Red Barber. But according to Barber's daughter, her father did not begin using the expression until after he had read the story.
- "(Walkin' in) the tall cotton" -- also used to describe success.

Barber's call of the penultimate baseball moment - Bobby Thomson's home run in the 1951 National League playoffs - was the anti-homer call, when compared to Russ Hodge's call. Even though Barber was calling the game for the Dodgers, one can only imagine that he would not have screamed "the Giants win the pennant" the way Hodges did if their places were switched. Conversely, Red simply said that the ball was "a home run! And the New York Giants win the National League pennant and the Polo Grounds goes wild." That difference, and their contrasting styles adds to the allure of the moment.

Incidentally, there are three exisiting versions of that call - Hodges (with the Giants), Barber (Dodgers), and Gordon McClendon (on the Liberty Network). Also calling that game was Ernie Harwell (on NBC) and that call is unfortunately lost because tape was a raraity then.

The dramatic pro-Dodgers moments were never called over the top either. For the legendary catch made by Al Gionfriddo off Joe DiMaggio in the 1947 World Series, Red said:

Swung on. Belted. It’s a long one! Deep into left-center. Back goes Gionfriddo, back, back, back, back, back, back. He makes a one-handed catch against the bullpen. Oh, doctor!”

As he taught Scully (and, by extension, me and many others), Red knew that crowd noise was the coolest thing. Following Thomson's home run in 1951, Red sat silently for 59 seconds.

Friend of "Exit 55", Neil Best from Newsday, writes about Barber here. National Public Radio also dedicated a page to the Ol' Redhead. Barber appeared on their "Morning Edition" program every Friday from 1981 until his death in 1992. The interviews could be about anything - from sports (particularly baseball) to the flowers, to his beloved wife, Miss Lylah. I urge you to check these links out (Neil Best is always looking for page clicks!). The NPR page has lots of audio on it. I got a kick out of the Space Shuttle launch audio, in which host Bob Edwards is anchoring coverage of the first Space Shuttle launch, in 1981. All Edwards and his guests want to do is pick the brain of Red Barber.

On the other side of the universe, stylistically, from Red Barber was Harry Caray. I'm not going to lie here - I've been critical of Caray. I appreciate the passion that he showed for baseball but was never enamored of his style. I know people who think he is utterly brilliant, but I can hear calls of his from the 40's through the late 60's (which were supposedly his best years) and tell you that I was never blown away. It just sounded like too much bravado for me. Again, I'm of the Barber/Scully school, so it's just different strokes here.

Frankly, I also never appreciated that, in interviews, he came off quite dismissive of New York's own Phil Rizzuto, and The Scooter's use of "Holy Cow" which Harry seems to think he invented. No matter.

Caray died 10 years ago today. That's a fact being remembered at Awful Announcing, which I'm finding is stylistically different than I am. Why? Well for starters, he's very pro-Caray. Fair enough; that's not the first time people have disagreed with me on that. But he also drools for Gus Johnson, whose broadcast style is, shall we say, to scream. Others that seem to disagree on include Joe Buck (whom I basically like) and Kevin Harlan (I'm not a fan of). That's cool though - we can disagree on such things because he seems cool, writes a great blog, and is entitled to his own opinion.

Anyway, there's my take on the anniversaries of life and death of two sports broadcasting legends.

Four Score and Several "Off the Benches" Ago

Warning! I'm in one of "those moods." Which makes for entertaining reading...

Question number one of the day is, "Why am I working today?" No offense to the bosses, but Stamford is like a ghost town. That is, until the mall opens.

That's where Sandi and Sean are heading today. I'd rather stroll the Palisades Center than sit at my desk. But then, I couldn't be typing this, could I?

I think we need, as a country, to grab control of our National Holidays again. Twas once a time when both Lincoln's Birthday AND Washington's Birthday were celebrated, but in our continuing effort to run our workforce into early graves, we combined them into President's Day. Then I noticed more companies stopped taking President's Day altogether, and forget about Veterans Day or Columbus Day.

I always felt President's Day was a good holiday, because it served as a necessary break between New Year's Day and Memorial Day. I've seen some companies go straight through from one to the other with no break - not even Good Friday.

Maybe adding floating holidays are the answer, but I don't know. I just think it would be nice to say "these are your holidays" and be done with it.

And give people a break.

Oh, while I'm ranting, there needs to be a rule about not contacting the office while on vacation. You've gone away - do NOT call in. We don't want to know anything about you until you get back. In short, we don't care. The office will still be standing; the business will still be running. Do the right thing and spend your time off with your loved ones, friends, or just with yourself.

If you want to check your messages - that's your problem. I can understand that - especially if you're trying to figure out what awaits you upon your return.

Sheesh.

Lastly, what's the deal with the same people who call the same place every day? People - it's called "e mail." I hate to call in all the time because I don't want to bother those who answer the phones to begin with.

Folks - please - I'm begging you - get...a...life.

I'm so freaking sick of the steroids thing already. After Andy Pettitte speaks to the media today, I want it OVER. Time to play ball.

I know. I'm dreaming.

While it stinks to not have TV these days (yep, another economic casualty), it does allow me to catch up with my DVD's (so long as we still have electricity - I'm kidding - kind of). I'm in the process of watching every chapter of The Beatles' Anthology. I also recently watched "A Hard Day's Night" with Sean, and you know what I discovered?

That band was pretty good.

Update on the latest rock radio station in New York - 101.9 RXP is getting a so-so rating from me. They still insist on playing Nickleback (Why, God, Why?), and are already burning out some songs (I hadn't heard "Bodhisattva" by Steely Dan in a while, then heard it too much). Be brave! Let it breathe. Play some other deep stuff, but don't play it again an hour later! And ask youself this question:

Do rock fans want to hear Nickleback? If so, then I better be hearing some Huey-freaking-Lewis and get him out of Adult Contemporary hell! They get played on rock stations in other parts of the good ol' U-S-of-A, so let's hear 'em in NYC. It will show some depth, and make Nickleback, and some of the other "jack" being played a touch more palatable.

So right now, RXP and The Peak can wage a nifty little war. Let Q-104.3 jump on board and maybe we'll find some quality.

And say farewell to K-Rock, unless they decide to get it right. Please.

Whilst I'm on that rant, what do you think is the most overplayed song ever? "Stairway to Heaven?" "Light My Fire?" "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For?" Anything by Aerosmith?

For me, at least right now, the winner is a little ditty 'bout "Jack and Diane."

As usual, I won't hold my breath waiting to hear from you on the comments side!

I found another blog worth keeping an eye on: The Fleer Sticker Project. If you grew up in the 60's/70's/80's and loved things like babseball cards, but more diverse things like "Wacky Packages" and other stuff, you'll like this blog, and the places it can lead you.

Nostalgia, people!

Right now, the winter broadcasting season has just one game left on the schedule - Wednesday night, live from Trumbull High School, as the Greenwich Cardinals finish the regular season against the Eagles. Nick Angotto slides into the lead analyst seat for the 6:50 pregame/7:00 tip off.

The playoffs begin after that. Will WGCH cover any of the games? Stay tuned...because your guess is as good as mine.

Sean (still known as "The Son") signed up to play baseball on Saturday. He moves into the Soft Toss division of the Carmel Sports Association. Miller Huggins will once again be one of his coaches. OK, I'm not really Miller Huggins (bonus points if you know who "Hug" is), but I can pretend, no?

SHAMELESS PROMOTION ALERT!!! The CSA asks us to sell raffle tickets. They're one dollar each, and six for five bucks. The winner gets a color TV. No, I'm not kidding.

The First Big Baseball Quote (Non-Steroids Edition)

Well thanks to Philly.com and the Philadelphia Enquirer's Todd Zolecki for this one:

New York Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran said yesterday that the Mets are the team to beat in the National League East. Jimmy Rollins made the same prediction a year ago, and the Phillies followed through with their first postseason appearance since 1993.

"Let me tell you this: Without [Johan] Santana, we felt as a team we have a chance to win in our division," Beltran told the New York Daily News. "With him now, I have no doubt that we're going to win in our division. I have no doubt in that. We've got what it takes. We have good chemistry as a team. He fits great because he's a great guy. He's one of the best pitchers in the game. Who doesn't want to have him on any ball club? Without him last year, we did good until the end of the season. So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat."

Ah, I love it! You see, the first asinine quote of the year, and I can just sit back and watch, since it thankfully doesn't involve the Yankees! I don't care that it's Carlos Beltran (who, while great, hasn't been ol' reliable, if you know what I mean). To me, this is a quiet player trying to jump up and be Mark Messier. Whatever. For the record, I think the Mets ARE the team to beat in the NL, let alone in the NL East.

Now we can just sit back and wait for Jimmy Rollins' retort. For once, such idiocy doesn't involve the Yankees and Red Sox. Very Nice. Let the Mets and Phillies have some fun.

While in Phillies camp (which I went to back in 1983, when the team had Carlton, Schmidt, Rose, and Morgan en route to the World Series that year), the team pulled off a prank of epic proportions.

I Believe He Got Fouled!

Monday night, Georgetown beat Villanova in a wild finish. I'll let the AP tell you what happened:

The score was tied. There was less than one second to play, and Georgetown's Jonathan Wallace was dribbling 70 feet from the basket when he heard the whistle.

He wondered what was up. After all, there's no way a referee would call a foul in that situation, right?
Guess again.

"At first I thought I stepped out of bounds," Wallace said, "because I was trying to make a play with the time running down. But I did kind of (feel a) nudge when I was trying to turn the corner."

"So," Wallace shrugged, "a call's a call."

And he's not about to raise a fuss over it. That "nudge" was a bump from Villanova's Corey Stokes, the 48th foul called in a frustrating, stop-and-start game. Wallace hit both free throws with one-tenth of a second on the clock to give the No. 8 Hoyas a 55-53 victory Monday night, their first home win over the Wildcats in more than a decade.

I prefer to see the players on the floor resolve the issue than to have the officials do so, but that's a different issue. What we're now here to discuss is the play-by-play call, courtesy of Rich Chvotkin, calling the game for Sports Talk 980 in Washington.
I won't go crazy here and say how bad it was, because I don't want to condemn somebody for one crazy call. It would be like doing the same to Russ Hodges for screaming "The Giants win the pennant." A few things strike me as funny about this clip:

1) Why is there a camera on Chvotkin to begin with?
2) Notice that his shirt is unbuttoned at the bottom.
3) The standing up and sitting down (which I'm guilty of from the classic Greenwich-Trinity basketball game in 2002 - the only time I've ever done that).

Oh well, it was a slighty homerish call. One other broadcasting realted note - the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the winner of the Frick Award on Tuesday. I have a feeling that either Joe Nuxhall or Bill King will get the nod.

Indy Rides Again, but Why?

I know, it's all about the money. But I was not in favor of "Rocky 5", or "Rocky Balboa", "The Godfather 3", and the new "Rambo" flick, among others. Sequals are dicey at best. The second Indiana Jones film ("IJ and the Temple of Doom") was dreadful, but at least they saved the franchise with "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" ("we named the dog 'Indiana'"). Personally, that one's of my favorite.

So why do this? Do Spielberg, Ford, and Lucas need the money? I can't imagine Shia LeBoeuf needs it either. So again, why? Probably because of the challenge. These are some of the best Hollywood types ever, and they believe that they have a story and cast that can't fail.

Maybe it just boils down to arrogance. Either way, I can't tell you for certain that I will see it in the theatre.

WHAT?????

From Peter Abraham this morning:

For those of you waiting for No. 21 to get retired, Morgan Ensberg has it.

Other than the retired numbers, the only numbers not assigned are 6, 51, 69, 98 and 99.

That's the first time since 2001 that 21 has been assigned and it gets handed to Morgan-freakin'-Ensberg?

For those who don't know, Paul O'Neill was 21.

In other Yankees news, Legends Field (the Yankees spring training home) has been renamed George M. Steinbrenner Field. I think "Steinbrenner Field" would do just fine (that's probably what it will be called). Before you say it, Big Stein did not initiate it. From the press release:

The name change follows two unanimous resolutions recommending and supporting the change by the Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council.

But do you all know what this means? Pitchers and catchers have reported, baby! It's like spotting the first robin. Spring is around the corner. And, for just a few moments, we can worry about real things, like where Joba will pitch, who will play first, and can the Bombers really win championship number twenty-seven.

In other words, we don't necessarily have to think about Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.

Oh, and I'll keep this simple. Sorry, Rog; I think you're guilty. Andy Pettitte went the honesty-meets-Sammy "The Bull" Gravano-route. It would be much better if you had just said "my bad" in the first place. You'd be linked with steroids forever, but all would likely be forgiven (ala Andy himself). And can we please keep partisan politics out of baseball? JesusGod! The Republicans killed McNamee (and gee, isn't he just loaded with credibility?) and the Democrats were all over Clemens. Find some balls (no pun intended) and speak your conscience.

What a sideshow.

Happy Valentine's Day...or Whatever

I was going to post a list of anti-Love songs just for shites and giggles, headed by the mother of them all, "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band. Fortunately, the folks at Stuck in the 80's beat me to the punch.

The only difference is that theirs is all 80's songs. Some good choices there though (like "I Don't Care Anymore" by Phil Collins). So I looked on my iPod, and came up with a few goodies:

- Sitting, Waiting, Wishing (Jack Johnson)
- So Little Kindness (Huey Lewis and the News)
- But It's Alright (also Mr. Lewis and the News)
- Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)
- With Or Without You (U2, and yes, I know you could call it a love song, but there's some real deep shite going on in this song)
- Already Gone (The Eagles, and I defy you to not blast it)
- My Favorite Mistake (Sheryl Crow)
- Cuts Like a Knife (Bryan Adams)
- Lyin' Eyes (The Eagles)
- Cruel to Be Kind (Nick Lowe)
- The Heart of the Matter (Don Henley...flat-out depressing)
- In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins - great song, brutal message)
- and, of course, the brilliant "Song for the Dumped" by Ben Folds (I especially enjoy the live "You F**king Wh*re" version).

This is not to say that I am anti-Valentine's Day, or anti-love. In fact, I wore a red shirt, and socks that are red (notice the way I phrased that?) to be in the spirit of things. It's one thing when you don't have love in your heart and you pop on the red shoes, sweater and so on. It's another when you are a loving person. That's me in the latter category.

So basically, I'm just having some fun here.

Maybe I should post pictures of Erin Andrews, but no, that ain't my style. Anyway I hope you have lots of love today and enjoy Valentine's Day, presented by Hallmark.

I won't bother asking for your choices, as my recent post on road trip songs got...exactly...one...response (thanks, Sean).

Oh, and if you want a Valentine's Day of woe, have a look at the rough day on Mr. Timothy Parry is having. Yet alas (doesn't that word sound romanitc?), Mrs. Parry is not bothered by his dilemma. I once had to work a hockey game on Valentine's Day, and The Wife took it like a champ. Yep, good times...

Sox Trophy Comes to Westchester

The mayor of Larchmont, NY - almost in the shadow of da Bronx (home of the 26-time World Champions) had the World Series trophy come to town.

That would be the trophy of the world champion Boston Red Sox.

Me thinks I wouldn't be so thrilled if they had strolled the trophy into Mahopac Junior High School. I have a feeling I'd react almost like this man:

"I was aggravated when I heard it," said David Dileo of White Plains, a Yankees fan who didn't deign to come see the trophy and wasn't thrilled with (Mayor Liz) Feld over the trophy's visit.

Then again, to the victor goes the spoils, so whatever. But still, could you imagine taking a Yankees trophy to, say, Brookline?

Flashback

The year was 2002 - August 3rd, to be exact. WGCH was under their previous ownership, and the busy sports department was in the midst of a crazy year that saw us broadcasting so many things. Among the highlights:

- All Greenwich hockey, basketball, and baseball games.
- Trinity Catholic's state championship loss to Northwest Catholic in basketball.
- Greenwich football.
- Rye-Harrison football, plus Harrison's run through the state playoffs, and eventual state championship.
- The GYFL Championships (from the back of a flatbed truck).
- Wall-to-wall coverage of the Buick Classic golf tournament, which was won by Chris Smith, who knew us and even mentioned us during his press conference on The Golf Channel.
- Coverage of the national Babe Ruth World Series from Stamford, including reports in the opening rounds and play-by-play of the quarters, semis, and championship.
- No less than THREE Sports talk shows: "Tee Time" (golf, obviously), "The Press Box" (general sports talk), and "Spotlight on Sports with Rob Adams" (self-explanatory).

In short, we called a total of approximately 110 games. Not bad for a little ol' community radio station. Compare that to 2007, when we did 21. Uh-huh.

Anyway, I bring this all up simply because while going through my DVD's, I stumbled across this video from our coverage of...drumroll, please!...Bridgeport Bluefish baseball! And that brings me back to August 3rd. Through a little fancy-talk, we worked our way into a special day at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, in which regular folks got to take batting practice, shag fly balls, and basically live the experience of playing ball. No, we didn't play a game but for a couple of hours, we felt like we did.

Mark, Harold, Ian and I played catch in the outfield and took our hacks in the cage against John Dorman, who was an infielder for the 'Fish at the time. Mark and Harold definitely showed their athletic ability, and I'm happy to say that I didn't suck (despite the swing in the above photo). After we cleaned ourselves up, we headed up to the booth to call the first game of a doubleheader between the Bluefish and the Nashua Pride.

Following the completion of game one came our big moment - throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. As you watch the video, listen carefully, as I carried a cordless microphone with me to describe the action for the listeners on WGCH.

With our families in the house (including baby Sean), we lived arguably our biggest baseball moment.

Ah, good times. Such memories.

Updated Thoughts on the New Stadium

Eve Roytshteyn/MLB.com

The Yankees held a walk-through for the media in the new Yankee Stadium this week and no, I wasn't one of them. I did however read the thoughts of Yankees beat writer Peter Abraham, who did a kind of FAQ
about the new building and the surrounding area. The note that bothered me the most was this:

The old Stadium: It will be torn down in the spring of 2009 and converted into a public park. Plans calls for 12,000 trees to be planted in the shape of the stadium. There will be a baseball field, a softball field and a Little League field. But outside of the warning track, no footprint of the field will remain. The city of New York owns the old stadium and will be responsible for taking it down and selling off seats and other things.

This was the first time I had seen this for certain, and I now think that there are those who must pay for an asinine decision. I watched friends nearly weep over the loss of the Boston Garden, as well as Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, and on and on. Has NOBODY learned? Does nobody have at least enough of a clue to recognize that - at BARE MINIMUM - the site of home plate from the old Stadium should be maintained?

The thinking seemed to be so simple (which we don't seem to do well in New York) - leave the shell of the old Stadium to act as a ballpark to host high school games, championships, and other league games, as well as serving as a National Historic Landmark. But once again, in the name of the almighty dollar and the bitching, whining NIMBY/PC jerk, the most famous building in the HISTORY OF SPORTS must be reduced to rubble. A memory.

A park. Whoopie. The old Stadium could have - and should have - been integrated into that park.

The folks bitching about that stuff amazes me. They would rather live in a dilapidated tenement with crumbling infrastructure than have something, you know, nice in the neighborhood.

But WAIT! They'll make sure to bring the monuments to the new place.

Why oh why is it that Wrigley Field AND Fenway Freakin' Park (both built BEFORE the Stadium) can modernize but Yankee Stadium can't? All for luxury boxes?

I don't know who it is that I want to blame - the Steinbrenners? Bloomberg? Giuliani? Arrogance? Power? Greed? The fans? Clemens? Canada?

OK, that last one is a "South Park" reference. Never mind.

Joking and trying to be positive about the great experience in the new ballpark is the only way that I can hide how pissed I am about this. And Abraham says they've already discovered DESIGN FLAWS in the new place, including in the center field bar/restaurant area, where the view of the field isn't all that great. Tell me, what REAL design flaws were there in the old place? Fine, it was cramped and it could take a while to get a hot dog, but whatever. It NEVER bothered me - EVER! I didn't go to Yankee Stadium for the conveniences. I went for the GAME. Later on, I went for the game and to see my friends - and to show my son this majestic place that was so close to my heart. And apparently EIGHT MILLION of you thought that the old place with the bad roads and no Metro North station was OK, because that's how many of you went through the turnstiles over the past two seasons.

I was keeping a stiff upper lip on the demise of the only place that, outside of my own house, ever felt like home to me - largely because I thought the ass-hats in charge of this farce had the brains to keep enough of the footprint of Yankee Stadium (the REAL one) alive.

Please don't argue the "what's there isn't really Yankee Stadium" debate with me. You'll just sound stupid, and you'll make the ghosts really angry.

Now tell me this. Through the efforts of my cousin, I will be able to go into the old building in 2008, as he kept my season ticket package alive. So with that said, as a loyal ticket holder of 11 seasons, how am I going to get into the new building in '09 anyway? Since I heard that the new Stadium is $500 MILLION over budget, I can only imagine that one will need to take out a mortgage to buy tickets.

This quote slays me:

Moreover, the Yankees COO (Lonn Trost) said the construction cost will exceed the announced $830 million by a half billion. In the name of tradition, the successor to The House That Ruth Built and John Lindsay refurbished will cost $1.3 billion to build.

The cost is for the Yankees to calculate, meet and privately lament. "We'll make it up some way," said Trost.

Yeah, you'll make it up by charging $300 for bleacher seats, and $25 for hot dogs.

It's finally happened. My blood has started to boil about this whole thing. Nothing I can do about it, and probably nothing that I want to do about it. Perhaps the only thing I might do is change to a Minor League ticket plan in 2009. I'm sure the Hudson Valley Renegades or the (Independent) Bridgeport Bluefish - two teams I've broadcast for at one time or another - would happily let me buy a ticket plan.

Perhaps then Sean can have a good baseball experience with the chance to enjoy the innocence and pure passion that the game of baseball can give from a fan's perspective.

Make Me Laugh

When I see something that makes me laugh out loud, it immediately becomes blog-worthy. This site has a bunch of goodness that will hopefully make you chuckle, as these couple of pictures did for me.


Lose the Super Bowl, the Patriots will. Yes, hmmm.

And Even MORE Radio News

All Access just emailed the following in a "Special Bulletin":

PD TRACY CLOHERTY is out at CBS Alternative WXRK (92.3 K-ROCK)/NEW YORK

After just over 7 months as PD at WXRK/NEW YORK, TRACY CLOHERTY is out. This comes on a day of major change at CBS RADIO, with cuts in several clusters across the country.

OK, now in layman's terms. A "PD" is the Program Director; the one who is responsible for what you hear on the air. Cloherty was supposed to bring an edge to K-Rock, as she was a programming wiz over at Hot 97. Yet with "budget cutting" being the reason, what is not being said is that K-Rock is a toal disaster. And it only got worse with 101.9 RXP jumping into the New York rock scene. While I was very unimpressed with RXP's first hour, I'm hearing some promise in their mix of music - a decidedly better selection than K-Rock's.

Let me bottom line this news for you - K-Rock is on the verge of being finished again. The most likely scenario is for country to make it's return to the New York airwaves. My suggestion for those of you who are devastated at the possible demise of K-Rock's mix of suicidal tunes and other drivel? Switch over to The Peak or RXP before it's too late. Or buy an iPod. Or satellite radio.

Will Bob Sheppard Return?

Troubling news from Richard Sandomir in the New York Times this morning:

Bob Sheppard, the Yankees’ distinctive public-address announcer since 1951, who missed the division series last October because of a bronchial infection, “is struggling to recover his health,” a spokesman for the Yankees, Howard Rubenstein, said Wednesday.

The team “hopes he can return to the booth,” Rubenstein added.

It scares me that Big Stein's personal mouthpiece released this statement. It indicates to me that things might be really bad.

Let's hope for good health for Mr. Sheppard, and that he's introducing the lineups on Opening Day both this year and in 2009 at the new Stadium.

The rest of the article, along with notes on the return of David Cone to the YES broadcast team, is here.

Welcome Back, Dicke V

I've never professed to be a Dick Vitale fan. As a broadcaster, he can just be tough to listen to. But his passion is amazing, and I have heard that he is a remarkably nice man. I respect all of that.

Oh, he's also a Yankees fan. Not that that makes or breaks him.

Dickie V returned to ESPN tonight after having surgery to remove lesions from his vocal cords. Thankfully those lesions proved to be benign. Vitale is on the call of tonight's Duke-North Carolina game in Chapel Hill with Mike Patrick, and having watched the first half, I have to hit the cliché machine!

It's awesome, BABY!

For you Connecticut sports fans, the game features one of "our" own - Dave McClure from Ridgefield, who attended Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford. I got to call a few of McClure's games on WGCH - including a brutal state championship loss and a thrilling one-point win at Greenwich, on a lay-in at the buzzer by McClure.

Sticking in college hoops, I have great respect for the hard-as-nails coach. You know who I'm talking about - Parcells, Lombardi, and yes, Robert Montgomery Knight. Here's hoping that Coach Knight either enjoys retirement, or returns soon in a situation that works for him. For all of his "issues", he's a winner with very old-fashioned values. Those are the types that I always responded the best to, perhaps because they put the fear of God in me. I have all the respect in the world for the man at the other end of the spectrum - the Wizard of Westwood, Mr. John Wooden (noted Yankees fan, I might add).

Oh, how about some high school hoops? Who's the giant killer in the state of Connecticut right now? I'll give you a hint - I call some of their games on WGCH! Earlier in the season, the Cardinals of Greenwich knocked off Harding. Then last Friday they shocked Trinity Catholic. Last night, they not only beat St. Joseph, but they won by 11 (and you heard it on WGCH). Next comes Bridgeport Central. No easy task.

Not All of Boston is Like This

First it was Belichick (along with Randy Moss) leaving the field before the end of the Super Bowl. Now (courtesy of Kissing Suzy Kolber...again), we find this:Are you kidding me? I don't have a problem with the report that a grown man was sobbing, but I DO have a problem with the police not allowing the camera in the bars in Kenmore Square, and with the bars themselves for putting paper on the windows. Hey, you ahss clowns(notice the Boston accent there?)! I'm sure you'd be all-too-friekin'-happy to have the cameras paying you a visit for a big-ol' happy championship time (you know, like last October for the Sawx, or maybe if 19-0 had happened, or when and if the Celts finish their great season, or if the Bruins...no, I just can't. Sorry, Harold. I want to...I really really want to say the B's will win the Cup someday. But for the love of Dit Clapper, I just can't. I don't want to jinx it).

Phew...sorry...my bad. Anyway, bad job, Beantown. I'm always defending The Hub for being such great sports fans (yes, even Sox fans), but those around Kenmore Square fumbled the ball on this one. Ooh...did I say "fumble?"

Um...Yeah...

I just found this via Kissing Suzy Kolber. I laughed at it, but I'm also a little uncomfortable...



I was deeply tempted to say that this was video of people I know, but I honestly don't. Besides, I don't think Mick, Sean, Tommy, Matt, and Tim (among others) would appreciate it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

More Radio News

After 20 years, CD 101.9 in New York has changed formats - from soft jazz to what's being described as a mix of classic rock and new music (more formerly known as AAA - Adult Album Alternative). In other words, they're a challenger to 107.1, The Peak.

They've already posted their first hour of music:

1.The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll
2.REM - Supernatural Superserious
3.Elvis Costello - Pump It Up
4.Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance
5.Blondie - Call Me
6.The Bravery - Believe
7.Bruce Springsteen - Blinded By The Light
8.The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize
9.U2 - Angel Of Harlem
10.Nickelback - Rockstar
11.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Zephyr Song
12.The Black Crowes - Hard To Handle
13.The Killers - Somebody Told Me

Frankly, I'm unimpressed. If you're going to put Nickleback in this mix, then The Peak has nothing to worry about. At best, this hour of music is lackluster. Sure, I love Bruce, and REM, and playing the Velvet Underground is cool, but that's about it. You're going to choose "Angel of Harlem" to be the first song to represent U2?

I appreciate variety, but be careful. Nickleback is a one-way ticket to nobody's-listening-ville.

I'll reserve judgment beyond that. The New York radio landscape is in a little bit of flux right now, with this and more. It's exciting and crazy all at once.

Fan-friggin-tastic!

-Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Disclaimer - My friend, Nick Angotto, is a Patriots fan. I don't wish to hurt him, Mark Rosen, Lindsey Romeo, or my other friends (the real ones) who are Pats fans. They're classy; others are not.

First of all, I was wrong, and I'm so friggin happy about that!

As Super Bowl Sunday began, I believed that I really didn't have a solid rooting interest. Sure, I felt that I wanted the Giants to win, especially since the Patriots have denied the Steelers a few times, but kept that boiling under the surface. Yet as the day, and the game, went along, the fever began to rise. First - my son - my nearly six-year-old son - was rooting for the Giants (remember, that was his T-ball team). That was enough to make me care for the Giants, and should have been enough for everyone.

Still, I found myself holding my emotions in. "Let's just have a good game", I said. Yet when Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress, I lept up and yelled "suck it" (sorry - not my best moment). Truth is - I don't dislike Tom Brady, and I don't hate the Patiots, so what was going on? Suddenly, and without warning, it had become personal. I can't tell you why; you'll just have to trust me. Seven months - no, a year - of hell had crystallized. The Super Bowl wasn't going to change anything, but for a moment, there was a happiness that felt awfully good. I could only be happier if I was a full-on Giants fan, which I'm not.

I also suddenly felt myself bursting with pride - for the Giants (who once called Yankee Stadium home), for Sean (that would be "The Son"), for the city of New York, and for the metropolitan area. I was happy for the Giants fans that I know - for Matt Hamilton and Tim Parry, for Sean Kilkelly, and for my childhood friends who were big fans. I only hoped that Big Blue could hold on and pull it off.

They did.

Giants fans sit in the big three of New York's most loyal (Yankees, Rangers, and the G-men). They're great - and I called two of them last night. Matt sounded like he was in total shock. His dad flew out from Connecticut to watch the game with him at Mizzou. Tim was the total opposite - completely gleeful. Good for them.

I do feel for the loyal Pats fans (Nick and so on). Not the ones that tell you they're such...huge...fans...yet couldn't name you any member of the team beyond Brady, Belichick and Moss.

Regarding the game itself, the great Brady goofed when they scored with 2:42 play. I said, and you can ask those who were with me, that Eli Manning is at his best in the two-minute drill. I actually believed that the Giants could pull it off.

Oh, my thoughts on the game and broadcast? My quick impressions are that I thought FOX had a very good call, with two pros in Joe Buck and Troy Aikman at the controls. Parts of the pregame went just fine, while others were like watching paint dry (um...Seacrest?). Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers set was largely predictable - I said they'd play three songs and they did four. Three of those songs came from one album - Tom Petty's SOLO album! Still, they rocked. "I Won't Back Down" is an anthem for us all to live by.

The commercials were OK. A few funny ones, and a lot of so-so at best. Average stuff overall.

FOX did a nice job of laying low on "Manning overkill." I only saw Peyton a few times, and don't even know where Archie was. The overall celebrity shots (during the game) were kept to a minimum. I felt like they were content to let the game tell the story, and that was reflected in Buck's call. While they don't seem to like that style over at Awful Announcing, preferring the orgasmic ways of Gus Johnson, it suited last night just fine.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated weighs in with his grades here.

Incidentally, Awful Announcing also prolaimed David Tyree's fourth quarter miracle catch as the best in Super Bowl history. Again - why does everything have to be an instant classic? Let it breathe, people. No, Tyree's catch was not the best - ever heard of a guy named Swann? - and this game was not the best ever (three quarters of yawning, one quarter of electricty). That does not diminish either item. Tyree's catch (and Eli Manning's running out of a sack) should become legendary, as should the game itself.

I've also heard a few radio calls from Marv Albert (on Westwood One's) and WFAN's Bob Papa (who once called high school games on WFAS in White Plains) and they were good - especially Papa's (despite Dick Lynch's stepping on his call - breaking rule number one of the play-by-play/analyst relationship).

Lastly, what was up with Belichick running of the field BEFORE the game was over? It's called sportsmanship, Bill. I don't care much about the Spygate thing, but I do care about you staying on the field long enough to properly shake hands with Tom Coughlin.

So where will this Super Bowl rank? I've gotta think about that.

Congrats again, Giants, and thanks. And thanks to Lauren and Anthony for putting on a GREAT Super Bowl party. The food was amazing (and Anthony's father's chili was mega-hot!) and the drinks were cold. Sorry about my little outburst...

Now - bring on baseball!

Is Nothing Sacred?

I give up. I do. I never thought I'd see the day when Don Mattingly and his wife were done. Donnie Baseball apparently filed for divorce in November (hadn't heard about that), but seemed to be all set to join Joe Torre in LaLa Land. Then Mattingly stepped down from a full-time gig with the Dodgers - for family reasons. He will stay with the Dodgers as a special assignment coach.

Now this has come out.

It seems few marriages can survive anymore. I may curl up in a fetal position if Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson ever split.

Giants Win!

I was wrong - and I'm happy!

I have thoughts about the game, but I'm going to sleep on it.

Congrats, Giants!

Joe Montana: Jerk?

I never thought of Joe Montana as a bad guy, but I guess he had a bad moment.

Read here.

It just reminds me that athletes are human and allowed to be off their game. Many of the ones I've spoken to or interviewed have been fine (though Dan Marino kind of snarled at me - it was my fault for fumbling on a question), and some have been amazingly nice (do the names Bradshaw and Murcer sound familiar?).

So say it ain't so, Lord Joe!?

Couple o' High School Sports Notes

As I've mentioned before, WGCH has a contractual agreement to carry Fairfield University basketball. It's a necessary evil in this day - much for the same reasons that WCBS (880 AM) - an otherwise news station - carries Yankees broadcasts, or more so, why WABC (770 - a talk station) carries things like Seton Hall basketball. It's a business decision.

Unfortunately, these decisions mean that high school sports get the short end. I have thoughts on things like this - including if more sponsors/families/fans stand up and scream, more games would get on the air. I'm not a salesman; I'm a broadcasters and somewhat of a public relations guy. The thought of trying to be a salesman makes me ill.

I do, however, think we could utilize the internet far more. That's something that I think the schools/booster clubs/and individuals can do, and if I ever get some freakin' money again, I will do. It's not a money making idea for me (ala Sporting News CT - which is their right, and it should be), it's a chance to make my passion for broadcasting into a whole new enterprise. But enough about that...for now.

On Friday, Greenwich hosted Trinity Catholic in basketball. When I saw the schedule, I knew that I wanted to call that game, but couldn't because of our commitment to Fairfield (and trust me when I say we can NOT have any conflicts with Fairfield - one word - Naples - and I can't say anything more). Now trust me when I say that the past Greenwich-Trinity matchups haven't been great (save for the epic one-point TCHS win in 2002, when Dave McClure hit at the buzzer - INSANITY!), but I felt this game had some buzz.

My broadcast partner, Dave Chiappeta, made a last-ditch effort to have us call the game on the internet, but those efforts came up empty. So as Friday night came, I found myself working late at the home office of BTR (that's the Business Talk Radio Network). I had given thought of stopping by to watch some of the game, because I just had a feeling, yet thought Trinity would win. Well...

...Greenwich 56, Trinity 55. Clay Graham tapped home the winner with seven seconds to play. Congrats to the Cards.

Fortunately, we have Greenwich hosting St. Joe's (another top-ranked team) this Tuesday night at Greenwich High School. Dave, Nick Angotto, and I (with the nearly-legendary Sean Kilkelly in the studio) will join you at 6:50 pm.

On another front, we called a tough loss in hockey as Brunswick fell to Pingree yesterday, 5-3. During that game, we were told that Greenwich goalie Johnny Rogers was out with a bad case of mononucleosis, and wouldn't play against Darien. We reported it, feeling our info was pretty good. Then we awoke this morning to the news that Rogers DID play, as Greenwich beat an excellent Darien team, 3-0.

Damn - always get TWO sources, kids! Our bad.

Bizarre and Sublime!

As I'm sitting here watching the original broadcast of Super Bowl VII (that's when the Dolphins completed their perfect season by beating the Redskins, 14-7), I am surfing my usual collection of blogs. I came across something that I had not heard about. Watch...

OK, so my question is - did the NYPD know about this? When I'm in places like Grand Central, I am on my absolute best behavior (such is the life in post-9/11 New York). So if the NYPD didn't have prior knowledge, how do they not appear in this video, at least slightly PO'd? The police presence in the great hall (which is where this takes place, is always fairly noticeable.

Look, I'm not trying to play the overly-sensitive, politically-correct wuss here. I'm just curious. These people MUST have had some kind of permission or permit to do this, because suspicious behavior doesn't go over well at Grand Central.

I'll return to the simplicity of Super Bowl VII now. Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis have the call on NBC. If all you know is today's over-produced sports broadcasts, you'll be amazed at what my father and brother likely watched on that January day in 1973. I might have watched it also (I like the 'Phins back then) but I can't imagine I gave it too much thought. I was a Mercury Morris fan (we had a cat named Morris).

Giants Parade Tuesday!

I love when things like this start. The Giants and the city of New York have planned a victory parade for Tuesday morning at 11:00. It will go through the usual idiotic canyon of heroes blah blah blah...

Two things jumped into my brain when I heard about this, the most obvious being - don't the Giants have to, you know, WIN the Super Bowl? And aren't they a roughly 12-point underdog? OK, just checking.

The other thing - and the one more pressing to me - is when did the Giants move back to New York? Last I recalled, the G-men played in New Jersey, and when they won Super Bowls XXI and XV, their party was held at Giants Stadium (the other one didn't take place because we were just into the first Gulf War). Their wouldn't be a New York parade because they weren't welcome, and the running gag was that they would throw a parade in Moonachie (that's a New Jersey township).

I've often said that these parades are bogus and stupid. Prior to roughly 1961 or so, parades were not thrown for sports champions - they just won and went home. How novel.

Oh, since I announced it on WGCH this morning (you know, because we're required to do such things), allow me to tell you the all-important, earth shaking Super Bowl prediction! I will spare you the breakdown, except to say the Giants must be opportunistic, and make some things happen on special teams. If you see Lawrence Tynes (he's the kicker, gang) for anything other than extra points, it will be a long day. I'm hoping that Giants can keep it close into the fourth quarter, but then the Pats will pull away. Unfortunately.

Patriots 38, Giants 20.

Now before you Giants fans with nothing better to do start going off on me, allow me to give you a little history. I've been on the radio since 1990, which means the Giants have played in the Super Bowl twice with me on the air to make predictions. I'm 0 for 2 - having picked the Bills in Super Bowl XV, and the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Plus I've picked against Big Blue in the previous playoff games - and I'm not jumping on the bandwagon now!

May the best team win, may Tom Petty rock at halftime, and may the beer be cold!

Thriller on the Tube!

Lord knows I'm no Michael Jackson fan. I never owned "Thriller" but I appreciated a few of his songs (after all "Beat It" did have Eddie Van Halen on it). Obviously, the unsavory stuff made him a lot easier to dislike, and I went through this phase where it bugged me to be on the dance floor for his music (bad strategy...very bad strategy...I've since learned to tune out the music because if a gorgeous woman wants me to dance with her, then who the heck cares what the song is?).

Anyway, this video has been making the rounds on the blogs, and I couldn't resist putting it on here, especially since it takes place on the London Underground, better known as The Tube (it's London's Subway, in case you didn't know).



Don't you just love the way people are so...um...unphased by the whole thing, with the exception of the polite tennis applause at the end (I used tennis since the Tube can take you to Wimbledon...I know that for a fact)?

Alycia Lane to the WWE?

OK, this is rather gossipy of me (is "gossipy" a word?) but the Alycia Lane saga has been too much to ignore, and more enjoyable than, say, Britney. Ms. Lane is a former Philadelphia TV news anchor who got herself a wee bit of infamy when it was revealed that she sent pictures of herself in a bikini to Rich Eisen, the married anchor on the NFL Network. Problem was, Mr. Eisen's wife, Suzy Shuster (also a reporter), found them and fired back with an email of her own.

Ms. Lane responded to it all by saying that it was no big deal, and that she and Eisen have been friends for years. They often exchange photos.

Completely innocent - people of the opposite sex can just be friends...especially when sending bikini pictures. Nope...no bad intentions there.

Oh, to be able to say more.

(Incidentally, hit Google images for the bikini pictures of Lane. I'll reserve any judgement.)

Anyway, as if that wasn't bad enough, Lane found herself in further hot water - this time of the legal kind, and it ultimately cost her the job at KYW-TV. In short, she assaulted a female New York police officer. Oops.

Now comes word that she has some offers (this is from the Huffington Post)

Earlier this month, Alycia Lane was fired from her position as an anchor at Philadelphia's CBS-3 TV station. Now, her boyfriend (Philadelphia DJ Chris Booker) reports that she has been offered a new job: an on-camera job with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). From Philly.com:

Booker said on his show yesterday that WWE boss Vince McMahon has offered Alycia a job on camera for the WWE, but a WWE spokesman was unable to confirm this information yesterday.
Lane's firing, which came after she was arrested for fighting with a New York City cop, was just the latest in a saga that has included a bikini photo scandal and an offer from Playboy.

Incidentally, that's Booker's lap that Lane is siting on in the photo above, and there also rumors that Booker is on his way back to New York to be radio personality here again (he's been here a few times).

There's something about this story that's fascinating to me. Might be the concept of her "wild child" personality/desire to be a professional. Could be the whole "platonic friendship" thing that's hitting close to home with me. Whatever - I don't know - but either way, it seemed like another fun-filled post for my loyal readers! And aren't I just the posting machine today?!

Casey Kasem...meet Chris Berman (or Ponderous...F*cking Ponderous)

Let me warn you ahead of time that the videos in this are NOT SAFE FOR WORK (also known as NSFW).

Perhaps you've never heard this, and if you haven't allow me to edu-ma-cate you. Many years ago, a naughty engineer kept the tape rolling during this explosion by Casey Kasem, and it eventually got into the public's hands...



Unfortunately, the best part if missing - when Casey says the now-classic, "Boy this is f*cking ponderous man. Ponderous, f*cking ponderous." It's become a catchphrase.

Anyway, the reason for the lesson is to move into this decade, and a tirade by Chris Berman (thanks to Awful Announcing for pointing it out).



You just never know when tape is rolling...

Yankees Worthless Fact of the Day

I have one of those "page a day" calendars dedicated to the Yankees. There's a lot of trivia - some super-easy, and some not. Today's entry is a fact - and it means nothing, but it's something I didn't know:

The first Jewish Yankees player, Phil Cooney (born Philip Clarence Cohen), played just one game for New York on September 27, 1905.

Wow! See, I can learn new things all the time!

Let's see them put that up on the scoreboard at the Stadium (old or new).

Off The Bench

I was checking out Neil Best's Watchdog this morning and read a couple of things that had me scratching my head. First...

SNY is excited about a more modest bit of news: the inaugural SNY Invitational, a high school basketball event that debuts Friday and Saturday at NYU and features four city basketball teams: Lincoln, Cardozo, Kennedy and Frederick Douglass.

Gary Cohen will handle the play by play alongside analyst John Celestand and with sideline reporter Kevin Burkhardt. The production team is headed by producer Gregg Picker and director Bill Webb, who work the station's Mets telecasts.

The event plans to add a Long Island team in '09.

Now it's groovy and all that they're doing this, but I sort of hate to see the big dogs get involved in high school stuff, since it can often lead to an overglorification of it and brings a seedy side to the forefront. I think we do a pretty passable job on WGCH (Radio, of course, not TV) without everyone going for their best dunk. And with that said, would it be possible for Gary Cohen (or any other top-notch broadcaster) to maybe give a little guy a chance to call a game like this? There must be some Lawn Guyland broadcasters who would like their moment.

Neil also had this nugget about SNY:

I'm hearing SNY is planning some sort of new show (and/or shows) that likely will feature Joe Benigno, Scott Ferrall and Chris Carlin, who have become regular personalities on the station.

OK, bad enough. Then it got worse:

I should add the name Adam Schein to the list of guys I mentioned yesterday as likely to have a role in whatever new show(s) SNY is planning. (The others are Chris Carlin, Scott Ferrall and Joe Benigno.)

Ferrall is barely tolerable, bordering on annoying, and I've softened somewhat on Carlin, thanks to his work with Kim Jones, but Benigno and Schein? How about that stooge Evan Roberts? It's amazing to me how these people get work.

I guess they're just making it easier for me to not turn SNY on.

UniWatch reminded me of a really interesting site - full of pictures of ballplayers from the 60's and 70's (including one Mr. Bobby Ray Murcer). I'd post a sample here, but the site seems a little paranoid about people probably trying to sell the pics as their own, so a lot of the pictures are watermarked. Go see for yourself. You will be reminded of some of the dreadful-yet lovable looks (like the mid-70's White Sox uniforms). You'll also see that baseball had trouble putting fannies in the seats. Chris Russo is always happy to harp on the Yankees troubles drawing during that time, but I see pictures of DODGERS STADIUM that look virtually empty. Facts are such painful things.

Oh, and the magnificent Murcer is photographed with each of his teams (Yankees, Giants, and Cubs). There's a picture of him as a Cub where it looks like he had easten a sour lemon - proof of how miserable he was away from the Yankees.

Oh, speaking of idiotic debates, I nearly lost it on the subject of great quarterbacks. Kenn Tomasch was discussing if Terry Bradshaw was overrated as a player (um...no...) and did a very detailed job of defending the Blonde Bomber. I thanked him for doing so, but got in trouble when I dared to not worship the great Lord Joseph Montana the 49er of San Francisco. From there, Kenn (who is a master debater and has a great wit) seemed to lose all focus, getting hung up on my mentioning of Otto Graham. When I think a debate like that might turn sour, I cash my chips, even if I know I have more facts to back my point. He felt I "dissed" Lord Joe by calling him a system quarterback. I just said that he was part of a system - that's all. I didn't diss him as a system QB. He was part of why the system was great, but Bradshaw, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, and a lot of others would have had great success in that same system. I also praised LJM the 49er of SF (eventually).

He also failed to see the point that Graham and the Browns joined the NFL and won the title in their first year in the league. Whatever. He's fun to get fired up. He borders on nasty at those moments.

I met Allan Houston (the former Knick, for those who might not know) yesterday at a luncheon in Greenwich. We see so much bad in our athletes these days, especially in the NBA (quite frankly). He was classy, gracious, and a pleasure to listen to and speak with. He even gave me a business card, and I'm hopeful I can count on speaking with him again in the future. In other words, he was everything that I always thought he would be.

A couple of radio things are in my mind as we close today. First, the 106.3 FM frequency from Mount Kisco has switched from being a simulcast of Poughkeepsie's 101.5 (classic rock) to that of White Plains' 103.9 (soft rock). One word - boring. Is it that hard to put some new concepts on the radio? It might open up some jobs to people, and give listeners another outlet for news, music, sports, talk, or whatever.

The other radio note is that I've heard (and it's no secret) that K-Rock (92.3 FM) is in trouble of switching formats. The hot rumor is that it might go country. I don't know how well country music will play in New York but it can't be worse than what's on 92.3 at this point. This new K-Rock has done nothing to expand the horizons of alt-rock; instead they play lame popular alt-rock stuff (I'm not naming names). That's why I continue to say that the only local music station that seems to think "outside the box" is The Peak (at 107.1). I have my criticisms of them (they've effectively ruined reggae for me, and there's that whole Caroline Corley/Rolling Stones thing) but they're otherwise the only music station that gets any significant amount of listening time from me.

Oh - Johan Santana+Mets=good move. It does not, however, mean the Mets are now the runaway favorite in the National League. I do think that the Yankees and Red Sox did right thing by not giving up their future (and break the bank) for Santana. I also think the Mets made a great deal - one that they HAD to make.

Just One More Cow

I've not kept up my end of this blogging thing at times, so I neglected to relay this story to you. During CBS's broadcast of the AFC Championship game, I heard Jim Nantz make a reference to a Patriots player who grew up on a ranch. It seemed like an offbeat story to me, but I just let it roll. A day later, I was listening to Mr. Imus, who said that Nantz told the story, in part, to make good on a promise to Imus. Mike Baron in The Post-Chronicle picks it up from here:

Nantz a recipient of the Pat Summerall Award for broadcasting, was a guest on Friday morning's Imus in the Morning show on WABC Radio and RFD TV and was musing about how Joe Buck was once asked by Conan O'Brien to work a phrase into the World Series broadcast. O'Brien's contention was that if Buck was as good as his reputations states, he would be able to do it. So Nantz offered to say something of Imus's choosing.

Imus chose: "Just one more cow baby, just one more cow," a humorous reference to the show's TV home of RFD.

With a little over 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter when the Patriots had the ball, Nantz fulfilled his obligation. He said, "Watch #70 again, Logan Mankins. Kid grew up on 10,000 acre cattle ranch outside of Fresno. Was a calf roper as a kid, taught by his dad and, I'll tell you, when you're that big and you're taught calf roping and your dad says, 'hey I'm gonna bring on just one more cow', coming into the NFL and taking on your opponent is not that big a deal."

Love it. Once again, the power of the I-man.

New Additions

As I alluded to recently, my niece Kristy (in Californai) gave birth to Evelyn on December 31. Now Kristy's sister, Laura, has given birth to her second girl - Emma - who was born yesterday afternoon.

Congrats and best health to all!

Coney's Back

I don't want to steal the thunder of the guys at River Ave. Blues, who broke this story. They, with an assist from the Post, announced that David Cone has accepted a job with the YES Network, taking the place of Joe Girardi, who wil be otherwise occupied this summer.

Cone is one of the good guys in sports. He's seen a little of everything, including his young immature days with the Mets, to his years with the Yankees, Royals, and Blue Jays. I had a chance to interview him, and even spoke with him for a few minutes off the air. He's a really good guy; one of the few who "gets it", in that he doesn't take it all too seriously. And, as River Ave. Blues correctly pointed out, made one of the best sport-related commercials ever:

A Bobby Murcer Update

My guy Bobby Ray Murcer appeared at the annual BBWAA dinner in New York on Saturday. Major League Baseball's website (via the Yankees) has the details.

Quite a recovery. Good to see nice guys occasionally finishing somewhere near first.

The Ultimate Road Trip Song List

As a proud iPod owner and a music nut, I often put music lists together. With my intentions to get back on the road in 2008 (and a long daily commute to work), I decided it was time to compile the best driving songs. So what say you, blogging community? Oh I know, the readers of "Exit 55" don't post a lot of comments (I think the high for a single post might be six) but that doesn't stop me from trying.

Rolling Stone put their own list here, and while I agree with some ("Take it Easy and Runnin' Down a Dream), other were kind of questionable (I love "Turn the Page" but it doesn't inspire me to stay awake while driving across the fields of Iowa).

In fact, there are a bunch of lists out there - just Google "road trip songs" and you'll see what I mean. And I'm not looking to be genre specific. In the first draft that I put together, I had rock, metal, pop, country, hip hop and jazz all mixed together. Many of the songs are easy choices ("Born to Run", of course) but I'm looking for the things that make a drive go well for you.

I now put the job in your hands.

I Have Very Few Words For This

I received an email from the Yankees a few minutes ago about their Flex Scheduling ticket plans for 2008. The email itself mattered very little too me, and I normally discard them quickly, but something caught my eye.

I don't know if this meant to imply that the Yankees will wear this as a patch on their uniforms this season, but I hope they do. It looks really nice. More importantly, it took my breath away. It's another indication that this is really happening. I know...I know...it's a pile of concrete, and it's not the really old Stadium; it's the 70's facelifted version. But it's still my Stadium - OUR Stadium - and I'm going to have trouble saying goodbye to the grand old lady.

There's a charm and mystique to the old place, and I just don't know that it can be transported to the new building.

On The Roads

As I mentioned in my last post, I've finally put all of my road pictures on the Web. There are 399 at the moment - hardly the output of many of my peers in the highway photog business. I like many of my pictures - especially the ones when I took the time to stop the car and set the shot up. Others were shot while driving - not the best way to do it (oh don't worry - it's an art form and no animals are harmed in the process). As a result, there are a few clunkers in the bunch, but I've included them anyway.

A few pictures have been used on other people's sites, but for years I've been saying that I would put them all up, and now they're out there. I've already received some positive feedback, which is nice.

While you might think that this is a very unique hobby (and you're right), let me tell you that I'm not alone. This site has links to (currently) 167 places to look at highway photography, while you can find links to all kinds of road-related items here.

So who are my favorites? Good question:

AA Roads - Probably the site that really got me going, and arguably the most concise. Alex and Andy have worked really hard over the years to document so much of the American highway experience. A great place to start.
The Yamamoto Experience - CC Slater is, like me, a fellow New Yorker of the Hudson Valley variety. His pictures are great, and his sense of humor is even greater.
The Upstate New York Roads Site - JP Wing's site was one of the first that I discovered. Probably the first site that allowed me to say "Hey, maybe this isn't so weird after all. There are other out there like me."
Teresco.org - He asks the key question - "Why do you have so many pictures of road signs?", and gives the best answer: "Why not?"
Gibblenation - Like AA Roads, this is another good starting point. Doug Kerr (another New Yorker) and company have created a home base for much of the road world.

There are other niche sites, like Dale Sanderson's US Highway Ends. Adam Froehlig (Froggie) has a similar effort here. Steve Anderson has an exhaustive history of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Montreal roads here (and he gives a nod to me in the acknowledgments of his Taconic State Parkway page). Scott Kozel's Roads to the Future gives much of the same treatment to the roads of Virginia, Maryland and DC. More US Highway stuff can be found on Robert V. Droz's page. Cameron Kaiser did a cross-country drive on US Route 6 (which passes closely to me through Mahopac and Carmel). The Georgia Road Geek is here (he actually mailed a magnet to me that is still on the fridge!). Check out "RoadgeekCAM!" and listen to Steve Williams' own show on BlogTalk Radio. HB Elkins has roadtripped all over, especially the Southeast. There are also international sites from the UK and many others. There's a lot out there!

Lastly, there's the work of the Godfather of highway photography (in my opinion), Michael Summa. He doesn't have his own website, but he has contributed pictures to a few sites. HB Elkins has some here, while the good Comrade Yamamoto has some great New York snaps.

All of your road-related questions can be answered in the FAQ, maintained by Marc Fannin and Sandor Gulyas at Roadfan (where the FAQ resides). Wikipedia has a US Roads portal. And there's plenty of discussion to be had on misc.transport.road (better known as MTR).

I haven't even given you all of the various links that I have, though I've given you an idea of how much you can find on the web. There's much more, and I mean no harm if I didn't include your site here. Believe me, I've seen so many of them.

In most cases a simple search will get you started (that's how it worked for me). And yes, there are even the occasional meetings (including one that brought people to the Greenwich area, while I was calling a football game on WGCH). I haven't attended any...yet.

"We" even have blogs (a couple are linked over to the right) and trolls (an unnamed few who infiltrate MTR, and then I sit back and watch as the sparks fly). So we do have it all.

Enjoy my pictures. All of the usual "copyrights" apply, so just give me a head up if you want to use them. Believe me, I'm honored if you do (so long as I get the proper attribution).

If this isn't your thing, then just keep moving along. I'm sure you have your unique hobbies as well. If you don't...then get one!

I am so ready for a roadtrip (the length of NY 52 (and 55, for reasons that might be obvious)...or to Richmond...or Maine...or to Pennsylvania to visit with the great nieces...)

See you on the road.

Check Those Links

I've updated the links over on the right side of the page. Several of the additions include some intelligent Yankees blogs from writers like Peter Abraham and Mark Feinsand, and regular folks like River Avenue Blues and the Yankees Chick. OK, before you start, the Yankees Chick has a clue. I didn't add her for purpose of either equality or eye candy. Read her, watch her, and listen to her and you'll see what I mean.

Some links got wiped out because they haven't been updated in a year or so. Start writing some things and I'll return them. One of the blog writers has promised me that he'll be returning soon, so I gave him a reprieve.

And...drumroll please!...I've added a link for my pictures. Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/steelyankee/ and please be kind. It's just the road pictures right now, but I'll be adding more.

How 'bout Them Cowboys?

I almost posted some heavy personal stuff last night but decided the time (and my mood) made for a bad mix. So I popped it in my personal journal instead and it might get posted at another time.

Anywho, I'm preparing to finally put pictures online via Flickr, and will let you know when it's all set. I've put about 400 road pictures online, but I don't think it's where I want it to be yet. They're out there, and if you stumble onto them, more power to you. I'll add other pictures of the non-road variety soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this touch of YouTube hysteria. Good stuff.

Could the Rangers be the Last Tenant?

I was afraid of this.

After the success of the NHL's Winter Classic, stories began to emerge that New York City and the Yankees had been approached about hosting the game that was ultimately played at Ralph Wilson Stadium outside of Buffalo in Yankee Stadium. This was the second time that the rumor had circulated - the first time being a few years ago. The Rangers and Islanders were the teams to play in that scenario. In the most recent version, the Rangers and Bruins were the first choice, followed by Blueshirts-Isles. In each case, the city and the team said no thanks, mostly due to what it would take to operate the Stadium for the day.

Well I guess feelings have changed. The guys at River Ave. Blues posted a story from John Dellapina in the Daily News. In short:

The NHL is working with the Yankees' high command and representatives of the city to try to play a game at Yankee Stadium next winter. While there are plenty of logistical hurdles to clear, the principals are interested.

So why am I afraid of this? Come on, people! This is YANKEE STADIUM...home of the baseball team. This is a place that opened with Babe Ruth homering against the Red Sox on April 18, 1923, and it might close out with Henrik Lundquist in net? I loved it before, but I would just prefer that it not happen now. Not as the final event in the one building that I hold so closely to my heart.

I also hear now that the Bruins are interested in a game at Fenway Park. Now THIS I love. But as always, be careful before you ruin a good and novel idea.

Oh, one last thing. I'd be dishonest if I didn't say that I'd want to go to the hockey game at Yankee Stadium. I have to be fair.

Bowling!

The above image is the 1986-1987 Mahopac High School bowling team. I wouldn't expect you to recognize any of the faces...except maybe one. Bottom row...second from right...big cheesy smile. Bingo. Your 1986-87 MHS team captain: me.

OK, I was technically a co-captain, but only because our beloved coach, the late Dan Veglia (top row, left) caved into the whining of somebody else, who was actually the best bowler on the team. I stunk, but I was a true captain - a leader. And lead them I did - to something called the Big Ten title (or something like that).

And don't start - we were a cool bunch. My great friend Scott is right above me, holding a pin and wearing his Kiss shirt. Our bus rides were one laugh riot, and they were great times. Besides, I got to be a captain and participate in something. Not everybody gets to do that, right?

Anyway, why oh why am I writing about bowling? To be honest, I hadn't stepped onto a lane in 12 years, but The Son (you remember him, right?) was invited to a bowling party at Carmel Lanes, the site of my one and only 200 game. I could only stay for a portion of the party, but when I found out that the adults could roll a game, well I had to see what I had left.

First, let's talk about Sean. He did just fine, despite getting his finger pinched between two six-pounders on the ball return. He'll live.

Did you know that they have these ramps now for kids? None of that roll-between-the-legs-jive that I did at the same age!

(True story - at one time, I could actually bowl ambidextrously, before I turned back to being a righty only. I'm weird.)

Sean recovered from his bout of finger pinching to roll an 83 (at least that's the rumor). His mother seemed to only have vague memories, as the whole experience was like being in an Iraqi prison for her - even with her sister there. The two of them were like characters out of "Where's Waldo?", except both of them were Waldo's.

Sore thumbs, anyone?

Now back to the '86-87 captain. I stepped onto the lane for the first time, rather nervously, considering I was the only player to bring my own bag, ball, and shoes (although they were flaking - they're 23 years old!). I positioned myself like I had so many times, pumping the ball near my right hip four times before beginning my advance. I pulled the ball bag, wound up, and finished with my patented leg kick, and...

A near gutter ball that produced a three.

It did get better, as I would strike a couple of times, and hit several nines that should have been strikes or, more importantly, that I should have converted into spares. I changed where I stood and the old form returned. No matter - I was having a blast, and felt some old competitive juices kick in. Hopefully nobody noticed a few of the fist pumps.

In the end, I finished with a 133 (right around my average) and dashed out the door to go call Greenwich-Stamford hockey, leaving Sandi and Lauren behind, looking like two Tiffany's shoppers waiting at the jewelry counter in K-Mart.

Good times. It actually made me think about wanting to get back into a league. Bowling=beer. Good times indeed.

Well at least we got rid of the Cowboys this weekend. Isn't it just so sad to see that pained look on Jerry Jones's face? If only the Jags could have done the same to Robert Kraft and the Patriots. Not going to happen, of course. 19-0 is on the way. And another fine playoff performance by the Colts. One Manning will play next week in the conference championship, and sadly it ain't Peyton.

Quick Update: Al Strikes Again

In my last post, I spoke of Kelly Tilghman, the Golf Channel reporter who made a comment about lynching in relation to Tiger Woods. The Woods camp called it a "non-issue" and the Golf Channel seemed to agree, and the issue seemed ready to die. Then Spokesman for all things African American Al Sharpton got involved, and that's when the Golf Channel showed they have the same spine as MSNBC, NBC News, and CBS Radio (those are Mr. Imus's old employers). They have suspended Ms. Tilghman for two weeks.

When oh when are people going to stop giving Sharpton any credence? As one African American said to me, "who allowed him to become the spokesman for all blacks? I don't want him speaking for me."

A Couple of Quick Hits (from the "Off the Bench" File)

Some pictures are just too funny. This one made me laugh out loud.

The real issue though is this: what are you people thinking? This is not, REPEAT! NOT!, a political blog, but I just can't see the upside to pulling the level/hanging the chad for Satan (remember, that's Mr. Imus's name for her). Is it that you want the return of the Clinton years, because things were so good under Bubba? If that's the case, would you have voted for Jackie, because maybe JFK's ghost would reappear?

There have got to be better options to run this country.

Tiger Woods is a smart guy - and he knows better than to get caught up in racial foolishness. So good for him for not overreacting to Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel, who suggested that younger players "lynch him in a back alley." If said about a white player, it just gets laughed at, yet I understand the sensitivity when it is said about a black player. Fair enough. Yet Tiger's agent said it was nothing.

Good for them.

BCS=Boring College Sports. Come on, people! College football would be better off scrapping the whole thing and returning to the days when the last games were played on New Year's Day, then we all debated the polls. This system isn't working, and it isn't compelling. I was so disinterested in a championship game being played on January 7th. Apparently many of you weren't into it either, since the ratings stunk.

Roger, I want to believe you. I'm gullible, and I admit it. For some reason, I give people the benefit of the doubt, even when the evidence looks bad. Yet with you, I'm not buying it. I don't believe Bonds, I didn't believe Palmiero, and I don't believe you. I'm not that gullible.

I was nearly in an accident last night in Bedford, NY. Somebody stopped short in front of me and I had to stand on me brake. By the grace of somebody, I didn't hit him, and the car behind me didn't hit me as well. Why am I telling this? Because the driver in front of me got out of his car, made sure I was OK, and apologized. Once in a while I still see a sense of decency in this world.

Please welcome my new great-niece, Miss Evelyn Ann, to the world. The spelling of her name might be wrong, and I have no further details about her. Apparently the Pony Express delivers baby news from California to New York. That would be the only way to explain why I only found out about the baby being born last night - via an off-hand remark in an email from my niece Steph (the newborn's aunt). It seems Evelyn was born on December 31st. My sister also didn't know.

Such is life.

Oh, before I run, I took a walk today around Cove Island here in Stamford. It is a gorgeously warm (albeit windy) day but it was a great way to refresh my mind and spirit. Plus it is a really nice place to take a walk. I was there because I was checking out phone lines at the adjacent Terry Conners Rink, where I will broadcast Saturday night's Greenwich-Stamford hockey tilt on WGCH. John Spang (and Nick Angotto) will unfortuately miss this game, but I will be joined by Dave Maloney - son of the former Rangers captain and current Rangers broadcaster. Dave Maloney (Sr, that is) also worked with us on WGCH at one time, so it's all in the family!

There's a Goose in the Hall

Richard "Goose" Gossage was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today, and it's about time. Long-considered one of the dominant closers - right up there with Eck, Sutter, and the Great Mariano, Gossage helped propel the Yankees to a World Series title in 1978. One thing about relievers - their failures are memorable also. You can think of George Brett and Kirk Gibson when you think of the Goose.

Finally, Goose Gossage is a Hall of Famer. Unofrtunately, Jim Rice is not, falling 14 votes shy. I don't get why.

Fox Sports has more here.

Steelers Done

Well I guess that was fun if you're a football fan. It wasn't fun if you're a Steelers fan (like I am). For the second time in about a month, the Steelers and Jaguars played at Heinz Field. The Jags built up a comfy lead, and the Steelers nipped away at it. In the case of last night's game, the Stillers actually came all the way back and took the lead. Yet in the case of each game, the Jags found a way to win.

Season over...drive home safely.

Barring a Tennessee win today, the Jags will play the Patriots next week in Foxboro. I wouldn't have liked the Steelers chances, but I would have been happy to have had the opportunity.

One of my rules of sports is that when you make a big comeback, you finish the job. The Steelers didn't do that. Give credit to the Jaguars and quarterback David Garrard (who went to East Carolina...where I almost went) for getting the job done.

Now I become an observer of the NFL for the rest of the playoffs. Of the remaining teams, only the Patriots and Cowboys are the ones that I don't want to win. Hence you have your matchup for Super Bowl XLII!

Enjoy the Sunday games.

I Love the 80's

Found this via the Stuck in the 80's Blog on TampaBay.com. Sit back and relax for just about 10 minutes and you'll be treated to some of the best videos that the 1980's had to offer. Oh don't worry, some of it is brutal, but that comes with the territory. I mean, who doesn't love the flashback to Tawny Kitaen and the white car (and you all know what I'm talking about)?

Before you ask, no, there is no Huey Lewis in there, but that's the creators' choice, and doesn't detract from this being fun to watch. You can only fit so many things into a montage like this. And, yes, "Take on Me" is in there - a song and band that I have brutalized for 20 years, largely because it was Sandi's favorite band. I shouldn't have done that, despite 20 years of Huey Lewis abuse. The video is still a classic.

Anyway, enjoy this flashback.

Welcome, 2008

So I did see the New Year in...sort of. By 11:30, I was falling asleep while watching the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on TV. I woke up just in time to hear the winning touchdown, and that kind of jarred me awake again. Unable to get back to sleep, I headed out to the couch, where I was flipping the dial before watching the Honeymooners. Fred (the erstwhile cat) made his last 2007 appearance at the back door, so I let him in. After getting him downstairs, I flipped over to one of the New Year's Schlocking Eve shows to see that 2008 had already begun...by maybe two seconds or so.

That brings me to Dick Clark. Sir, you are a legend. You are the same age that my father would be. You still look physically great, while sitting behind a desk. But it's uncomfortable to watch you. I remember you from American Bandstand (perhaps past its prime in the 70's and 80's, but it was still a Saturday staple). Listening to you talk was sad because the stroke that you suffered a few years back has sapped you of the bright broadcasting voice that we're used to.

Perhaps I'm being cold. I don't mean to, but it's hard to see people that we're used to fade away.

Onto brighter and happier things. The college football bowl bash is off and running. As always, it's just not the same. I used to love my New Year's Day consisting of the Citrus, Cotton, Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, and Orange Bowls. They didn't get played on January 2nd, or 3rd, or whatever. Those were your games. They weren't sponsored, and you could even predict what network had them and which broadcasters would call it. It's just not that way anymore, and oh well for that.

With that said, best wishes to Matt Hamilton and the Mizzou Tigers in the Cotton Bowl. They lead 7-0 as I write, and I think I spotted him at least once on the Mizzou sideline.

Oh, before I run...go here and check out Mr. Huey Lewis singing with some country star named Garth Brooks on "Workin' For a Living."