Weasel of The Week: Tommy Tuberville

 It's been a week since the wildfires began in Los Angeles and surrounding areas in Southern California. Instead of pitching in, and trying to help, Republicans seem to have a problem, totally political in nature, that characterizes them as devoid of compassion.

This problem is embodied by Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who went on Newsnacks the other night, and said that California "doesn't deserve" disaster relief. There are Republicans in Cali, too, but we haven't heard from them, just the attention seeking weasels outside of the state, like Tuberville, who says that because California is a blue state (Democrat controlled), they shouldn't get anything. 

Oh? Alabama & Florida got disaster relief after those hurricanes last fall, but you don't want California to get money for those wildfires? Hypocrisy, thy name is Tommy Tuberville.

Here's Farron Cousins with more.

All Tommy is doing is scoring brownie points with the Oldest Baby in America, incoming president Donald Trump. What Tuberville gets is a set of Weasel ears for broadcasting his hypocrisy.

Notes from around town

 With one week in the books, WROW's new lineup has some positives, as well as, unfortunately, some negatives, at least in the short term.

Gone, at least for now, are sports scores & lottery numbers. Ben Patten only reads the news at the top of each hour between 5 & 9 am (ET). Gone as well are daily discussions with WRGB AM meteorologist Alyssa Caroprese, and local businessman Mark Cifarelli, whose 2010 Auto Sales remains a sponsor of Magic 100.5 FM/AM 590, who was heard 3 times a week. I'm guessing those chats may have been moved to Patten's solo shift at 10 am. The daily birthday list is gone as well. Caroprese's pre-recorded forecasts begin playing around 10 am.

Jaime Roberts introduced two new features on January 6. The Social Media Dilemma is an interactive segment between 7 & 8 am. The One-Hit Wonder of The Day, at 6:45 am, features an artist who had that one shining moment of fame (i.e. Carl Douglas, Five Stairsteps) on the charts. The Social Media Dilemma replaces The Almost Impossible Question.

This morning, Roberts filled in (we think) for John Gabriel from 7-9 am. We don't know if that's permanent. Albany Street host Bill Williams' profile page was taken down from the website, likely for an update. However, the schedule page hasn't been updated in some time, since Madison Wealth Managers' weekly show now airs on Sundays as well as Saturdays.

Stay tuned. The changes may not be over yet.

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After more than 6 years, the Knickerbacker Ice Arena reopened in Lansingburgh on Friday night. Mayor Carmella Mantello & Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin were in attendance, but are not in the following video.

I'll have something further to say on this over at Tri-City SportsBeat tomorrow.

Musical Interlude: I Thank You (1968-9)

 Sam & Dave's final hit for Stax Records was 1968's "I Thank You", which landed them on The Ed Sullivan Show in May of 1969.

ZZ Top would cover "I Thank You" on their 1979 album, "Deguello", four years before their breakthrough with the "Eliminator" album.

In memory of Sam Moore, 89, who passed away on Friday. Rest in peace.

A primer on express banking (1973)

After getting adjusted and accustomed to cable in the mid-70's, I first encountered this next gem.

Manufacturers Hanover was introducing express banking, and brought in Paul Lynde to help sell the new service. Oh, did he ever!!

I must've seen this a dozen times on WOR back in the day, and I've waited years to post this. 

A little of this and a little of that

 Sports agent and Niskayuna principal JR Rickert is throwing his hat into the political ring.

Two months ago, Rickert announced that he was running for Niskayuna town supervisor in the coming election. Best of luck to Rickert on this latest venture.

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Over at LaSalle Institute, classes are continuing despite the fact that a good part of the campus is without heat due to some broken pipes.

Principal Steve Sgambelluri has said he is hoping the repairs will be completed by next week. Another curiosity is whether or not Sgambelluri, also the former men's basketball coach at LaSalle, will honor his other gig and call tonight's LaSalle-Catholic Central game on WNYA (7 pm ET). We'll see.

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The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have led to not only mass evacuations of residents, but changes in other facets.

The Los Angeles Lakers were forced to postpone a game at the Intuit Dome Thursday night.

CBS postponed the premiere of Hollywood Squares to January 16, feeling the light-hearted nature of the franchise would not be appropriate in the midst of the disasters. I've a feeling that this won't be the only postponement.

Finally, Monday's NFL Wild Card game between the Rams & Minnesota, set for SoFi Stadium, has been moved to Stare Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The game will still air on ABC & ESPN, but it takes away the home field advantage for the 4th seeded Rams. The Chargers are in Houston tomorrow.

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Incoming president Donald Trump attended the funeral of the late Jimmy Carter on Thursday, which might've been the only good thing for him.

Elsewhere in Washington, the Supreme Court turned down Trump's request to halt his sentencing, scheduled for today, in the NY hush money case. Barring another last second appeal, Trump will be sworn in January 20 as a convicted felon, the first president to hold that distinction, and it's something he desperately wants to avoid, but it appears he has no recourse now.

NFL Wild Card preview

 And, lo, the silly season begins.

The NFL playoffs begin Saturday with the Wild Card round, and a pair of AFC matchups.

For the first time, Amazon enters the picture, and will carry one of the Saturday games, to be encored to death starting Sunday on NFL Network.

Saturday:

Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston (CBS, 4:30 pm.).

The Chargers finished 4 games in arrears of Kansas City in the AFC West, while Houston won the South. This one's a pretty even matchup, as QB's Justin Herbert & CJ Stroud will direct air traffic control. Expect this one to be a high scoring affair.

Pick: Chargers in an upset.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (Amazon Prime, 8 pm).

3rd meeting of the season between the AFC North rivals, with each team having won one in the regular season. However, the Steelers, particularly Russell Wilson, may have peaked a bit too early, and that will be costly.

Pick: Baltimore.

Sunday:

Denver @ Buffalo (CBS, 1 pm.).

Too bad this isn't on Amazon, else Al Michaels can dust off a crack about "Ice Station Zebra" from a few years back. Anyway, they'll likely be shoveling snow off the field at Highmark Stadium prior to the game, assuming they get more snow in Buffalo/Orchard Park than the 518 on Saturday. Denver QB Bo Nix can make a strong case for Rookie of The Year even stronger, even though the votes will have ended with the regular season, with a solid showing here. Josh Allen & the Bills are on a "misson from God", a la the Blues Brothers. Expect the score to be a little on the lower side.

Pick: Buffalo.

Green Bay @ Philadelphia (Fox, 4:30 pm).

It won't matter who's at QB for the Eagles, be it Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee, or the Man in The Moon. Just feed the ball to Saquon Barkley, who's making the Giants look like fools every time he scores. It's not exactly the Ice Bowl vs. Dallas many moons ago at Lambeau Field, but Green Bay will be in this until the 4th quarter......!

Pick: Philadelphia.

Washington @ Tampa Bay (NBC, 8:20 pm).

The Commanders peaked a bit too early behind rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Tampa's Baker Mayfield has hit his stride at just the right time. Experience is always an x-factor with the Bucs.

Pick: Tampa Bay.

Monday:

Minnesota @ Los Angeles Rams (ABC/ESPN, 8:15 pm).

The Rams enter this game on a downer after losing to Seattle on Sunday. Minnesota QB Sam Darnold is making his playoff debut as a starter, pretty good for someone who was supposed to be a backup to rookie JJ McCarthy. The Vikings are hoping for a 3rd matchup with North champ Detroit, and, yeah, it might happen. This game, though, could be relocated due to the ongoing wildfires in LA.

Pick: Minnesota.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Nearly 41 years later, Hulkamania means beer, MAGA, and not knowing when to walk away from wrestling

 You all know by now how poorly received Hulk Hogan was in Los Angeles on Monday for the Netflix debut of Monday Night Raw. He couldn't even read the room, as he cut his usual self-promoting gaga in front of a sellout crowd that wanted nothing to do with him, even with nemesis-turned-BFF Jimmy Hart waving Old Glory in the background.

Photo courtesy WWE/Netflix.

Five months after bending the knee to incoming president Donald Trump at the GOP convention, here was Da Huckster, promoting his new brand of beer (What? Where was Stone Cold Steve Austin? What?), before removing the tearaway shirt to reveal one that read, "Netflix gets Raw".

WWE has entered into a partnership with Hogan to have ads for the beer in the arenas, particularly in the ring, with Hogan joining Logan Paul (he of the Prime energy drinks) in having ads on the mat or in the arena. They had hoped that, as close as they were to the 41st anniversary of Hogan's 1st world title, fans would celebrate.

Nope. The link between Hogan and MAGA is still strong, and too fresh in people's minds. In a "blue state" like California, a stale act like Hogan should've known that his allegiance with Trump was going to get him in trouble with his "Hulkamaniacs", most of whom have grown up over 41 years. It's the latest in a string of personal missteps for Hogan, whose ill-timed remarks regarding daughter Brooke's choice of boyfriends, and other racially tinged statements, as well as some questionable sexual issues involving another man's wife, got him in trouble nearly a decade ago.

Real American Beer is likely going to flop, marketed opposite established brands like Budweiser, Miller, Coors, et al. Hogan will likely end up breaking off from WWE yet again the second he says something he shouldn't. Well, at least he has that in common with fellow serial liar Trump.......