Friday, February 7, 2025

Payback or the birth of a new dynasty: Super Bowl preview

 Two years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles to win their 2nd Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era. After downing San Francisco last year, the Chiefs are poised for something that hasn't happened since the introduction of the Super Bowl after the 1966 season, a three-peat.

The Eagles stand in their way again, this time with a new weapon added since last season, that being running back Saquon Barkley.


While much of the attention has been on the Chiefs in the run-up to the game, especially with continuing conspiracy theories accusing the NFL of undue favoritism toward Kansas City for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity for the first three-peat in the Super Bowl era. The Green Bay Packers had been the defending NFL champions prior to the 1st Super Bowl in 1967, and, thus, are the last team to 3-peat in the NFL. With the NFL's media partners (Fox is carrying the game this year) becoming more prominent, helping to fuel some of those conspiracies, in recent years, it's understandable to think that Fox or any other network would believe the quest for a 3-peat would lead to higher ratings.

But, this year's game is historic for another reason, as president Donald Trump, already scheduled for a pre-game interview on Fox, will be attending the game. His detractors will say that he's doing that to negate the presence of singer Taylor Swift, who likely will be in New Orleans for the game to support her honey, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, who has said it's an honor to have the president in attendance. Granted, Kelce is being diplomatic, not looking to get on the president's bad side. Air travel restrictions in place due to Trump's visit prompted LSU women's basketball coach Dawn Staley, a big time Eagles fan, to cancel plans to attend the game.

Speaking of the Eagles, would they have gotten this far without Saquon Barkley? That would be debatable. Everyone assumed Detroit would represent the NFC, but the Washington Commanders spoiled those plans three weeks ago, only to get spanked by the Eagles in the NFC title game. Barkley, in turn, has motivated Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia's quarterback, to elevate his game. This year's rematch puts two of the best defensive units in the league against each other, and the Eagles might not need the controversial "Brotherly Shove". Then again, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo might have a cure for that, anyway.

Assuming the Chiefs' defense keys on Barkley early, that will free Hurts to go to the air, and handle the bulk of the running himself, and if the defense shifts its focus to Hurts, then Barkley can be turned loose. I don't think Kansas City can contain both Hurts & Barkley. If they do, Spagnuolo would be nominated for sainthood in Kansas City.

My advice: Skip the pre-game marathon, including the twinkie-munch with Trump. Yoga would be a better option.

The pick: Philadelphia ends the Chiefs' run.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Pete Alonso re-ups with the Mets. Be very afraid of the Mets in 2025

 Mets fans throughout New York breathed a sigh of relief with the news that All Star 1st baseman Pete Alonso re-upped with the team for 2 years and $54 million. Unfortunately, it comes with an opt-out after this season, but if Alonso puts up monster numbers, that opt-out may not be necessary.


Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

There are those who are already predicting that Alonso will dump the ultimate parasite, Scott Boras Badenov, whose machinations didn't get him the deal he wanted to broker for Alonso. Boras is not the genius he thinks he is, and hasn't been the last few years. 30+ years of fleecing owners has finally caught up with him.

As for Alonso, the 2-time Home Run Derby champ, consider the lineup the Mets can put out on Opening Day.

Alonso would be in the midst of a star studded lineup with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, and rising star Mark Vientos. The five of them together could combine for anywhere from 100-200 homers after Soto hit 41 for the Yankees last year. If you thought Soto with Aaron Judge & Giancarlo Stanton in the Bronx was scary, well..........!

Training camps open soon. Pre-season games will start in about 2-3 weeks. We'll get a good idea about these Mets sooner rather than later. 'Til the season begins, be very afraid.

Sure signs that the president is mentally ill

 2 1/2 weeks into his 2nd (and final) term, Donald Trump is showing signs that he is not 100% healthy from a mental point of view.

Just weeks after he nominated a long time family friend, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, to head up the Department of Education, Trump now wants to dismantle that same department----before McMahon even faces confirmation hearings!

Why would this deranged 70-something man-child do that? Bad advice.

Trump has also said he wants to take over the Gaza strip in the Middle East.

SAY WHAT?

We're talking major overreach here, as this isn't his call to make. 


"We can run Gaza better than the Palestinians & Israelis combined!!"

Y'sure about that, Fraud Fauntleroy?

Even after his hand-picked drone at the FCC, Brendan Miller, strong-armed CBS into turning over footage from an October 60 Minutes interview with then-VP Kamala Harris, Trump wants the series and the network taken off the air, all because he thinks they've been mean to him.

Here's a news flash, jackass. You were offered the same opportunity to appear, and you wimped out.  Three months after being re-elected, you're still holding a grudge. Get over yourself.


"WAAAAHHHH!!! CBS hates me! WAAAAHHH!"

Even money says you never took a journalism class in school, fella. You've bullied the media into bowing before you, out of fear of reprisal. To paraphrase Dalton (Patrick Swayze) in the 1989 "Road House", you're too stupid to realize you're wrong.

It's getting to the point where incoming lawmakers in Congress may need to pass a variation on the civil service test just to prove they're qualified. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Empty-G, Lauren Balloon, and Fibber Jordan especially. We may have to have Trump take one too, on national television.....

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Video Valentine: Always Something There to Remind Me (1983)

 England's Naked Eyes burst on the scene in 1983, garnering heavy airplay on MTV with their cover of "Always Something There to Remind Me", a Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition that had first been a hit for Dionne Warwick some years earlier.


Rob Fisher later became 1/2 of Climie Fisher, which wasn't quite as successful. Pete Byrne reformed Naked Eyes nearly 20 years ago, and the current iteration is usually on the nostalgia circuit.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Weasel of The Week: Raymond Arroyo

 A year ago, conservatives were having a collective cow because Beyonce released a country record.

Sunday, Beyonce captured the one Grammy that had eluded her, the Album of The Year, for that selfsame record, "Cowboy Carter".


Photo courtesy Getty Images/Yahoo!

Monday, some nothing happening author, Raymond Arroyo, went on Fox No News to whine to Laura Ingraham about it. The crux of Arroyo's lame argument was that Beyonce, with 35 total Grammys, had more than country icon Dolly Parton and the late Frank Sinatra combined. For the record, Parton, who is still an active artist, has won 10 Grammys over the course of her nearly 60 year career (she started as duet partner to Porter Wagoner). Sinatra won 10 during his active career, then was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award or some such, to finish with 11.

The truth is, and Arroyo was not willing to own up to it, of course, is that this was what conservatives were afraid would happen. That Beyonce, vilified a year ago for even daring to release a country record, had won. I think another reason Arroyo took the time to whine was because no one's heard of his books, and he probably hasn't smelled the best seller list, if ever. In other words, jealous much?

That said, Arroyo is a Weasel for making a mountain out of, not a molehill, but, rather, a mere divot in the ground.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

What Might've Been: American Dreamer (1990)

 Robert Urich hadn't done comedy since the 1st season of Soap. Better known as an action hero on TV (i.e. Vega$, Spenser For Hire), people forgot that Urich had some experience in comedy.

Gary David Goldberg, looking for something to complement Family Ties, sought to change that perception, and cast Urich in American Dreamer, which, unfortunately, lasted 1 season. Part of the reason for this, and I often come back to this, is that with Vega$ in syndication and/or on cable, ditto for Spenser For Hire, folks weren't ready for Urich in another sitcom.

Carol Kane (ex-Taxi), Jeffrey Tambor (ex-The Ropers), and Johnny Galecki, later of Roseanne and The Big Bang Theory, co-star. Let's take a look at a sample episode.


Urich was having a hard time transitioning back to comedy, and it showed.

Rating: B--.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Notes from around town

 Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin announced earlier this week he is running for a 3rd term. McLaughlin was first elected in 2017 to succeed Kathy Jimino. However, McLaughlin's got more than a 3rd term on his mind.

McLaughlin is still in the running for a special election in April to fill the Congressional seat being vacated by Elise Stefanik, and, according to Chris Churchill of the Albany Times-Union, he's also looking at the vacant presidency at Hudson Valley Community College. Former County Executive Henry Zwack served there a few years ago, prior to Dr. Roger Ramsammy, who was let go last spring.

What is it they say about a man's reach exceeding his grasp?
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The Troy Post Office was forced to close its service windows on January 24 when the Postal Service suffered an internet outage. It's, of course, since been resolved, but it is rare.
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WROW (Magic 100.5 FM/AM 590) has stabilized its schedule, even though the website is still a little bit slow in updating.


Weekend host Bill Williams, on his profile page, acknowledged he's cut his schedule so that he's on the air on Sundays only (Albany Street is recorded during the week), as he winds down his career, with WROW as his final stop, or so it'd appear.

The lineup, as of January 12:

Weekdays:

5-10 am: The Magic Morning Show.
10 am-2 pm: Ben Patten.
2-7 pm: John Gabriel.
7-midnight: The John Tesh Radio Show: Intelligence For Your Life
Midnight-5 am: automated playlist.

Saturdays: 

6-8 am, 9-10 am, 11-noon: John Gabriel.
8 am: Herzog Law Firm.
8:30: John Bevilacqua.
10-11: Madison Wealth Managers.
Noon-6: Ben Patten.
6-midnight: Brother Lou Roberts.
Midnight-6 am: automated playlist.

Sundays:

6 am: News, Views, & Interviews.
6:30: Albany Street.
7-9 am: Jaime Roberts.
9-10: Madison Wealth Managers.
10-Noon-The Sounds of Sinatra.
Noon-7: Bill Williams.
7-10 pm: The Doo Wop Stop.
10 pm-5 am: automated playlist.

Also, Patten went back to reading the previous night's lottery numbers a couple of weeks back, due, likely, to listener demand.
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There are more apartment complexes being built in the city, which, really, we don't need. We need something like a movie theatre filling the vacant space where the Uncle Sam Parking Garage once stood. One is being built on Congress Street, between Stewart's and the Rensselaer County office building, and the other on River Street.

How about giving the people what they really want?