Sports this 'n' that

 Earlier this week, it was reported that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had met with the Philadelphia Phillies, as he is trying to sell the idea of one thing MLB doesn't have, unlike other major sports leagues.

A salary cap.

That didn't sit well with slugger Bryce Harper, who got up in Manfred's grill, and the two had a heated exchange that turned the air blue with coarse language.

A salary cap, of course, would be anathema to Harper's agent, Scott Boras Badenov, who has a jillion clients in MLB.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there, because ESPN bloviator Stephen A. Smith had to weigh in, prompted by Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on First Take on Wednesday.

Smith reportedly wants Harper suspended for his comments and behavior.

Ladies & gentlemen, a professional moron.

Honestly, nothing is going to happen, so Screamin' A should stay in his lane.

And Russo gave up a cushier gig on MLB Network for this?

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Baseball's trade deadline is 6 pm (ET) tonight, and teams are already making moves toward the stretch run.

The NL East leading Mets, in the course of getting swept by San Diego, sent reliever Jose Butto and prospects Blade Tidwell (who had 2 cups of coffee with the big club this year) and Drew Gilbert to San Francisco for reliever Tyler Rogers. Four more minor leaguers were sent to St. Louis for reliever Ryan Helsley.

Philadelphia picked up Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran for minor leaguers.

The Yankees acquired ex-Giant Austin Slater from the White Sox for a minor league pitcher.

Boston got ex-Met Steven Matz from St. Louis for a minor leaguer.

Rogers' brother, Taylor, was shipped from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh as part of a package for 2d generation star Ke'Bryan Hayes.

And there'll be more moves for sure in the next few hours.

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When the NFL makes its 2nd annual trip to Brazil in September, YouTube will carry the game, and veteran announcer Rich Eisen (NFL Network) could be doing play-by-play. Ex-QB Kurt Warner was already named as a color analyst.

The game takes place September 5.

Meanwhile, the league's preseason television schedule starts tonight with the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, between the Lions & Chargers (NBC, 8 pm ET).

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ESPN will formally say good-bye to retiring College GameDay analyst/court jester Lee Corso on its season premiere August 30. Corso has become more known for donning mascot heads when he makes his headline pick of the week than for his past as a college coach. In all probability, Pat McAfee will take over as the resident clown.

Videos of Summer: Tracy (1969-70)

 It wasn't enough that Ron Dante had scored a #1 hit as the lead voice of the Archies on "Sugar Sugar". The king of pre-fab pop added another studio band to his resume with The Cuff-Links, who scored with "Tracy".

The clip is taken from John Byner's short lived Something Else, as Byner appears near the end of the video.

Sports this 'n' that

 The Yankees will have to forge ahead without their top superstar, Aaron Judge, for a bit due to a flexor strain in his elbow. There was a collective sigh of relief from the team and their fan base when they learned that there was no damage to the UCL ligament in the elbow, which otherwise would've resulted in Tommy John surgery for Judge, and that was the last thing the Yankees needed, as they're chasing Toronto for the AL East lead.

On Saturday, some small time jobroni on YouTube tried luring viewers in by implying the worst, and Judge was out for the year. Trolls like these also have wrestling "news" channels in order to get clicks, and, if they're lucky, likes. Avoid them at all costs.

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As it was, the Yankees avoided getting swept by Philadelphia, which is trying to take back the lead in the NL East. The Mets said, thank you very much, and called broom service to dispose of San Francisco, 5-3, on Sunday Night Baseball. The Mets enter play tonight with a 1 1/2 game lead on the Phils in the division.

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Back in April, rapper Travis Scott, at the urging of the People's Sell Out, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, helped John Cena dethrone Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania. Scott hasn't been seen since, and now, we know why.

Seems Scott was there as a favor to his friend, TKO Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel, but this is how he pays Emanuel back? There were plans for a PLE tag team match with Cena & Scott vs. Rhodes and a partner, but after first Johnson, then Scott, disappeared, that match is out.

There've been celebrities over the years, from Snooki from Jersey Shore to Logan Paul to Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll, who will stand across the ring from Paul this weekend at Summerslam, who have put in the necessary work in the gym and at the WWE Performance Center outside of Orlando. Scott, it seems, wasn't willing to do that. With Jelly Roll and Paul, WWE will still get on ESPN to get the mainstream attention.

Seems to me that what was originally thought to be a bit of a power play by Johnson over the winter turned out to be a lemon.

Donald Trump campaigned on releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein, but now, he won't, and he's up to his usual tricks

 Everyone knows Donald Trump ran for another term last year to avoid prison, to avoid accountability for his many failings and crimes. He even campaigned on the promise that he'd release official government files on his late friend, Jeffrey Epstein.

Unsurprisingly, he's decided to reverse course, and do what he does best, lie, deflect, distract, and play golf.

The most immature president this country has ever had is in Scotland this weekend, playing golf, and trying to escape the Epstein scandal, dangling a pardon at Epstein's partner, Ghislane Maxwell, by sending deputy AG Todd "Bleached" Blanche, to interview Maxwell over a two day period.

But, it gets worse.

Now, according to reports, Trump wants Rev. Al Sharpton, singer Beyonce, and former VP Kamala Harris prosecuted. Why? Because, in Trump's warped mind, Sharpton, Beyonce, and Oprah Winfrey were paid for their endorsements.

"WAAAAHHHH! You can't pay for endorsements! WAAAAAHHHH!"

Considering that Trump's endorsements came from has-beens like Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and the late Hulk Hogan, among others, he has nothing to say. He just wants to take public attention away from Epstein, but it isn't working. It's a tired act, and everyone knows it. Trump refused to answer questions in Scotland about Epstein.

Get over it, Donnie. Assuming the Democrats take over Congress after the 2026 mid-terms, and that is entirely possible, given the general apathy toward the GOP of late, your goose could be cooked before 2028.

We're also hearing there's some issues-----again---between Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who declined the GOP's offer (or was it a request) to run for Senate next year vs. Jon Ossoff, opting instead to nominate former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley. Trump ain't digging that Kemp is proving to be wiser than he is.

"Do as I say, Kemp!"

Kemp is in his final term as governor, and I think he wants to do things on his own terms. If only Trump would understand that, but he has the total comprehension of a gnat. Read the room, Donnie. Man up, and shut up for once. Stop meddling in things you have no control over.

Musical Interlude: How Much I Feel (1978)

 Ambrosia made its first major impact on the charts with 1978's "How Much I Feel". Soothing music on a hot day.

Former lead singer David Pack was last seen doing infomercials a few years back, and left the group for good in 2000.

A Classic Reborn (again): Match Game (2025)

 Match Game is back again after a couple of years away, this time with Martin Short (Only Murders in The Building) taking over for scandal-scarred Alec Baldwin as host. The format and attitude remain the same, nearly a decade after Baldwin was brought in to revive the franchise for ABC.

For the opener, Short is joined by Murders co-star Selena Gomez, Kevin Nealon (ex-Saturday Night Live), BD Wong (ex-Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), and Anthony Anderson (ex-black-ish, To Tell The Truth, Law & Order), among the panel. A running gag had Short having problems with the machinery that brings the questions forward. Short, like Baldwin before him, doubles as co-executive producer.

Here's a network promo:

Comfort food at the end of a long workday, folks.

Rating: A-.

Remember Josephine the Plumber? (1963-74)

 Former child star Jane Withers came out of retirement to appear in "Giant" with James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor. 8 years later, Withers created an advertising icon as Josephine the Plumber, shilling for Comet cleanser, at the time a product of Procter & Gamble.

Withers essayed the role of Josephine for 11 years (1963-74) before retiring the character to attend to her mother and her failing health. In this 1973 clip, Jane is joined by Hattie Winston (The Electric Company).

P & G sold Comet a few years later, as they began downsizing their lineup of household products.

Hulk Hogan (1953-2025)

 It was reported earlier this morning that wrestler-actor-musician Hulk Hogan (Birth name Terry Bollea) had passed away at the age of 71, just weeks shy of his 72nd birthday.

Hogan made his debut in what is now WWE in 1979 as a rulebreaker (heel in wrestling parlance), under the management of Fred Blassie. This first stint culminated in Hogan's first high profile match vs. Andre The Giant at Shea Stadium in the summer of 1980. Hogan had earlier worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, and appeared as Sterling Golden on Georgia Championship Wrestling, then moving on to Memphis to work for the Jarrett family.

After a successful tour of Japan in 1981, Hogan signed with the American Wrestling Association, and, after a short heel run managed by Johnny Valiant (who'd later return to WWE himself), Hogan became a babyface, a role he'd play for the next 15 years. Hogan returned to WWE in the winter of 1983-4, and unseated the Iron Sheik in January 1984 to win the WWE title for the first time.

During his 2nd run in WWE, and, before that, while with the AWA, Hogan took up acting, making his screen debut in "Rocky III", where he met Mr. T, whose co-star role in the film led directly to The A-Team the following winter. During season 4 of A-Team, Hogan made two appearances as himself on the show. Following is a clip from one of the two episodes.

Everyone knows the rest of Hogan's wrestling story, as he'd revitalize his career in WCW (1994-2000), including co-founding the New World Order. Hogan appeared in the movies as well, in cameo appearances in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch", "Spy Hard", and having a supporting role in "3 Ninjas: High Noon on Ninja Mountain". Vince McMahon managed to land him some lead roles, but "No Holds Barred", designed to segue to a pay-per-view card, was the only one to actually be considered a hit. "Suburban Commando", with Shelley Duvall & Christopher Lloyd, plus an appearance by Mark Calaway (Undertaker) as a different character, and "Mr. Nanny" were less successful.

The darker side of Hogan emerged in recent years. WWE rescinded his initial Hall of Fame induction in 2015 after it'd gotten out he'd made some racist remarks. He'd be reinducted as a member of the NWO a few years later. His support of current president Donald Trump soured fans on Hogan, such that when he returned to WWE one final time in January to mark the promotion's debut on Netflix, he was booed out of the building in Los Angeles.

Hogan would launch Real American Beer, which sponsored Arena Football 1, and WWE, and was set to kick off Real American Freestyle Wrestling, which will have its first show at the end of August, but without Hogan, leaving Eric Bischoff to try to run things by himself.

WWE will likely honor Hogan tomorrow on Smackdown. TNA will also give some time on Impact tonight.

Rest in peace.

Sports this 'n' that

 Every so often, catcher's interference is called during a baseball or softball game. Rarely, though, is it called with the game on the line.

On Monday in Philadelphia, the Phillies walked off Boston thanks to such a play. Boston's Carlos Narvaez was the guilty party. Check the video highlights:

Adding to the weirdness, Narvaez was called for catcher's interference again Tuesday in the 1st inning against Philadelphia. The Phillies are clinging to a 1/2 game lead in the NL East, trying to avoid falling behind the Mets.

Speaking of the Mets, they made it 2 in a row over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Frankie Montas (3-1) shrugged off an early homer by Jo Adell, and the Mets came back late for the 2nd straight night to win, 3-2.

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We won't be seeing transgender athletes in the Olympics or Paralympics as long as President Bigot (Donald Trump) remains in office.

The USOC announced Monday that "had an obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Bigot earlier this year. 

The culture wars need to stop. President Bigot and his minions need to stop lying about things and discriminating against the LGTBQ+ community. Yesterday.

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NFL training camps have opened, with preseason games not too far away. However, there are issues.

For starters, Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson is holding out for a contract extension, similar to or larger than the ones given to teammates Ja'Marr Chase & Tee Higgins in March. With former college coach Al Golden (Miami) in as defensive coordinator, that should be enough to entice Hendrickson to report, but it isn't.

It happens every year.

Cincinnati's 1st round pick Shemar Stewart is also holding out. Someone tell his agent to get a clue.

The Jests & Steelers effectively swapped quarterbacks in the offseason, with Justin Fields going to the Jests, and Aaron Rodgers, still trying to prove he's not washed, in Pittsburgh. 

After finishing last season in Minnesota, Daniel Jones is now in Indianapolis competing with 3rd year pro Anthony Richardson for the starting job. The Giants, meanwhile, drafted Jaxson Dart after signing Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh) & Jameis Winston (New Orleans) as free agents. The Cowboys (Dak Prescott), Vikings (JJ McCarthy), & 49ers (Christian McCaffrey) are all hoping to come out of training camp without more significant injuries.

The Hall of Fame game can't come soon enough.

Musical Interlude: Close My Eyes Forever (1988)

 Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne teamed up for a top 10 hit with 1988's "Close My Eyes Forever", the 2nd single off Ford's CD, "Lita".

Sadly, Osbourne's eyes have closed forever, for real. It's been reported that the metal icon has passed away at 76 after a long bout with Parkinson's Disease. Rest in peace.

Videos of Summer: Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (1996)

 We haven't heard all that much from 90's country star Neal McCoy in recent times, but the other day, I ran across this video, in which Neal covers The Casinos' "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye". The fact that it's a cover was lost on YouTubers.

The Guardians & Commanders have thrived since their current team names were adopted. Someone wants that reversed. One guess.

 America's foremost liar, Donald John Pinocchio Trump, is looking for an excuse to avoid discussing the growing scandal surrounding his late friend, Jeffrey Epstein.

This next attempt at a distraction isn't going to land very well at all.

First, we'll let Forbes' YouTube channel fill you in.

As we've previously established, when Trump claims "many people" have said this or that, he's usually lying. The only sure thing is that there are voices in Trump's head telling him these things.

Consider:

As the Washington Football Team, the current Commanders won the NFC East in 2020. They've since reverted back to being a middle of the pack club that contends, then fades.

The Cleveland Guardians are the defending AL Central champions, and have been contenders even before the name change took effect prior to the 2022 season.

So why is Trump doing this? Pandering to the Native Americans, but, more likely misrepresenting the case, which is on brand for Trump. The Commanders are looking to build a new stadium where RFK Stadium once stood in Washington. That means Trump is trying to gain some leverage by demanding a reversal of their team name. As usual, he comes across as a spoiled, entitled brat trying to bully his way into getting what he wants.

Does he succeed this time? No, and, knowing Trump, he won't allow the Commanders to return to Washington, meaning any plans for a new stadium would be on hold until at least 2029, unless Trump is removed from office before then. And that's still a viable option.

Sports this 'n' that

 David Wright, who played 15 seasons, all with the Mets, had his number retired Saturday at Citi Field, the fourth such retirement ceremony at Citi in the last three years (Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, & Darryl Strawberry).

We pick up the ceremony in progress from the Mets' YouTube channel.

Come game time, however, the Mets, for the 2nd straight day, tanked an early 2-0 lead, and dropped a 5-2 decision to Cincinnati. Someone pointed out on Reddit that the Mets historically have lost games on the days where they honor their former stars, such as Hernandeez and Gooden.

The series concludes today with the Mets looking to snap a 3 game losing streak.

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Wrestler-actor Marc Bagwell was back in the news recently, but not in a good way. 

Bagwell, who came up with WCW in the early 90's, had his leg amputated after a recent accident. Bagwell wrestled for WCW up until the company was acquired by what is now World Wrestling Entertainment in 2001, and had one match for his new employers before being released in July 2001.

As an actor, Bagwell made guest appearances on Charmed (1st series) and Burke's Law (2nd series), and appeared in a number of films for Andy Sidaris.

We wish Marc a speedy recovery, and the best for the future.

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One time Little League phenom Mone Davis is getting back on the diamond.

Wire service reports state that Davis has signed on to play in a women's baseball league, which will launch next year. She has done some TV work in the interim since her college career ended.

We'll see how far this goes.

CBS cancels the Late Show, claims they're bleeding money. The reality is, they're about to merge with a company owned by a friend of the president

 May 2026 not only sees the end of Stephen Colbert's current contract with CBS, but the end of The Late Show after 33 years. Colbert moved in when David Letterman retired in 2015 after 12 seasons.

Published reports have cited statistics claiming that the top-rated late night program is losing money, to the tune of about $40 million due to "rising production costs". That this comes days after Paramount Global settled a lawsuit with president Trump over a 60 Minutes piece that aired in October, however, suggests that this was more of a capitulation to the most immature chief executive in history.

Skydance Media, which is seeking to acquire Paramount Global, is owned by David Ellison, whose father, Larry, is a long time friend of Trump. Paramount wants this merger to go through, and needs approval from Trump and the White House.

Colbert explains what happened.

Unsurprisingly, Trump took a victory lap, gloating about this.

Couple this with the fact that Congress just approved legislation that would defund National Public Radio and PBS, just because President Onions thinks they skew too far to the left, and you start to wonder what happens next.

We know this. Trump doesn't know how to take criticism without complaining. For a man who claims to be a Christian, he doesn't do what Jesus taught his followers back in Biblical times. Turn the other cheek. Trump never has any "receipts" to verify his claims, and just expects his followers to nod like bobbleheads.

Let's remind that Irwin Shaw titled his sequel to Rich Man, Poor Man as Beggarman, Thief. Which of those terms best describes the president? I think we know the answers.

Musical Interlude: Where The Boys Are (1961)

 Connie Francis serenades our armed forces with "Where The Boys Are" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

As we noted yesterday, Connie passed away earlier this week at 87. Rest in peace.

Give up the facade, Mr. President. Stop hiding the truth

 Behind the bluster of a 79 year old grifter posing as the president is a scared little boy.

Donald Trump's inner child has erupted again after the Wall Street Journal, one of Rupert Murdoch's holdings, ran an article that brought up links between Trump and deceased, convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a long time friend. To the shock and surprise of, well, no one, Trump is threatening a lawsuit against Murdoch, and this is despite the fact that there is way more evidence out there of Trump & Epstein at various functions than there were about Trump and E. Jean Carroll, whom Trump still denies ever knowing, even though he's on the hook for millions of dollars.

"WAAHHHH!!! I'm not a pedo!"

For someone who reportedly expressed interest in hypothetically dating his own daughter, well, that's a little hard to buy.

Trump, who writes (we think) a lot of his Truthless Social posts in the 3rd person, thinks he can rise above the fray. However, because his public image was destroyed long ago as his peculiar, ah, interests came to light, few outside of his brainwashed base will willingly buy his bull. The pictures & videos are out there, easily accessible. Trump can deny all he wants, but denial is a waste of time.

Now, this could've been a spin-off: Pop legends on Hollywood Squares (1979)

 The syndicated evening edition of Hollywood Squares was running on fumes as the 70's were nearing its end.

In 1979, before they changed the classic theme music, 8 music legends, plus Dick Clark (American Bandstand, Pyramid), are on the panel, with Clark occupying Paul Lynde's center square seat. The rest of the panel consists of Little Anthony, Freddy Cannon, Fabian, Patti Page, Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Martha Reeves, and Bobby Vee.

In memory of Connie Francis, 87, who passed away after an illness. No rating out of respect.

Classic TV: Was Sherlock Holmes actually real? (In Search Of..., 1978)

 From season 3 of the original In Search Of.......:

Series host Leonard Nimoy looks at the belief that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, was based on a real person or persons. The episode also includes a brief bio of Doyle's own life.

Whomever is in charge of Wikipedia needs to correct one fact in the series history. The original series was syndicated, not a network program.

Rating: A.

Musical Interlude (I Just) Died in Your Arms (1986)

 Cutting Crew's debut single, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", released in 1986, is getting some regular rotation on oldies channels, nearly 40 years after it climbed the charts.

Videos of Summer: Ray of Light (1998)

 Madonna raced up the charts in 1998 with a song that illustrates what a day would look & feel like at the speed of, well, a "Ray of Light"....

Sports this 'n' that

 I'll let Brian Tyler Cohen paint the word picture for our first entry:

Donald Trump and that self-serving, shiznit eating grin had no business at MetLife Stadium other than to bigfoot the moment for Chelsea. He had to have a photo op. Wife Melania was likely waiting to go home, and Dumb Donald overstayed his welcome, not even taking the hint when he was booed out of the joint. I'll bet anything at all he never played soccer, and if he claims he did, he'd, of course, be lying, since he would amount to little more than a waterboy on the pitch in his youth, anyway.

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The Boston Red Sox go into the All Star break on a 10 game winning streak, and suddenly, they're back in the thick of the AL East race.

But, that ain't all.

All Star Alex Bregman was a winner at the race track, too, on Sunday.

Bregman co-owns Governor Sam, who won the Quick Call stakes Sunday at Saratoga. We'll have more on this over at Tri-City SportsBeat. This marks the 2nd straight year a horse with ties to baseball has won at the Old Spa.

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Injuries are a reality in pro wrestling, just like everything else. Saturday's smorgasbord of action ended with two top stars ending up on the shelf.

During AEW's All In event in Arlington, Texas, TNT champion Adam Cole (Austin Jenkins) vacated the title due to injury. It would later be reported that Cole has suffered his 2nd major concussion since signing with AEW a couple of years ago. The last one kept him out of the ring for nearly a year, and, aware that this might end his career, Cole told the crowd that he wasn't sure what the future would hold. Can't blame him. He's also had foot problems since coming from NXT.

Later Saturday, WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event saw men's Money in The Bank winner Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) suffer a knee injury during his match vs LA Knight (Shaun Rickert). Knight, on an audible, won the match after Rollins consulted with manager Paul Heyman and ref Jessika Carr. 

Rollins has had a history of knee & back issues, and even worked with a torn meniscus in his left knee during last year's Wrestlemania. The worst case scenario is that Rollins may have torn the ACL in his right knee, and could be gone until next April. He stayed in Atlanta to support his wife, Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quin-Lopez) during Evolution last night, and is set to meet with doctors in Birmingham, Alabama today.

A 2nd WWE talent definitely has a torn ACL, and will be out until next year. Aria Bennett, currently assigned to the Evolve division, blew out her knee in training recently. Prayers for speedy recoveries for all concerned.

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The starters for Tuesday's MLB All Star Game were announced Sunday. 

Detroit's Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, will oppose Pittsburgh's 2nd year phenom, Paul Skenes.

Predictably, some pitchers previously announced for the game have withdrawn due to having pitched on Saturday, including Jacob deGrom (Texas) and Max Fried (Yankees), the latter of whom left Saturday's game vs. the Cubs with a blister. Karma?

This week in GOP stupidity

 It's one thing to go to bat for a friend, but it's another thing entirely to meddle in another country's business because of a friend.

Earlier this week, president Donald Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil if they didn't back off prosecuting their former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who left office after losing a re-election bid in 2023. What Trump doesn't comprehend is that this is none of his concern, and shouldn't be, at all. Pretty sure Bolsonaro can handle his own defense in this case.

But, oh, that ain't all.

As Farron Cousins reports, some officials in El Salvador have turned on the Trump administration, going so far as to suggest that the administration lied about jurisdiction as it relates to unlawfully deported individuals sent to El Salvador.

Couple this with the fact that so-called "border czar" Tom Homan went on Fox News the other day, implying that they can arrest people based on their appearance alone.

"I don't think I like your face."--Mr. Mister, "Uniform of Youth", 1985.

That line alone illustrates the attitude of Homan and Homeland Security. Apparently, it doesn't matter to them that some of these folks are actual citizens, or are innocent. Homan, and, by extension, Stephen Miller, are showing the rest of the US that they want to, well, whitewash this country. They're out of bounds here, that's all there is to it.

As for El Salvador, I've a feeling multiple Cabinet members will take the fall for this farce.

Finally, the long standing feud between Trump and actress-comic Rosie O'Donnell, who now lives in Ireland, reignited after O'Donnell took to social media to blast Trump and his "big, beautiful bill", which gives and extends tax breaks to the wealthy. Trump, claiming that O'Donnell is "not in the best interest of our country", wants to revoke her citizenship.

The problem with that? It's not legal. The Supreme Court, pre-Trump, ruled years ago that the government cannot revoke a person's citizenship in the US. Trump can't let go of grudges. We know that (see also Joe Biden), but he is clearly overstepping his authority just because he believes he can. He's overdue for a reality check.

Insight Sundays: Second Chorus (1979)

 After today, we're going to be pausing Insight Sundays for the rest of the summer (returning in September), and we're going out for now with a good one.

60's icons John Astin (The Addams Family, fresh off Operation Petticoat) and his wife, Patty Duke Astin, headline "Second Chorus" as a divorced couple who find that it may be time to give married life a second chance. Marcia Wallace (ex-The Bob Newhart Show) and Wesley Eure (Days of Our Lives, ex-Land of The Lost) co-star.

That time the Gong Show judges went into the audience (1977)

 Gene Gene The Dancing Machine (Gene Patton) had shuffled his way on stage to do his bit, with bandleader Milton DeLugg providing the music, after the intro by Chuck Barris. As had become a habit at the time, the Gong Show cameras would pan the crowd. Ah, looky here!!! Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H) has gone into the crowd, and it appears he took fellow panelists Jaye P. Morgan and Anson Williams (Happy Days) with him.

Must've been a real party at the taping.

Musical Interlude: Tom Sawyer (1981)

 Wrestling fans of a certain age will recognize Rush's seminal "Tom Sawyer" as the entrance theme for the late Kerry Von Erich in World Class Championship Wrestling. Von Erich's in-ring nickname was "The Modern Day Warrior", culled from the opening lyrics to "Tom Sawyer".

"Sawyer" was the first single from Rush's 1981 album, "Moving Pictures", and was the track that introduced me to the Canadian legends.

I think local radio had this in extra heavy rotation for most of the decade.

Origin of a Classic: A Tale of Wells Fargo (Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, 1956)

 Bob Terry & Westerns on The Web uncovered the pilot for Tales of Wells Fargo about three years ago. Originally presented during season 6 of Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, "A Tale of Wells Fargo" stars Dale Robertson as agent Jim Hardie. Our supporting cast includes three co-stars who'd go on to play lawmen themselves later on---Ray Teal (Bonanza), Paul Fix (The Rifleman), and John Beradino (The New Breed).

Presented as a public service. No rating.

Sometimes, you reap what you sow

 Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is not as popular as he thinks he is (sound familiar?).

Nearly 3 weeks ago, McLaughlin was dining at Paolo Lombardi's in Wynantskill when he was interrupted by an elderly woman, clearly upset with county politics. She yelled at him, banged on her own car, and when the McLaughlins left, she gave him a hug that wasn't asked for.

                                             

                                       File photo courtesy Wikipedia (yes, he has a page).

The anonymous woman was arrested, and faces a pending court date. There are better ways to handle a dispute, but confronting a politician in a public dining space isn't one of them.

In a classic case of GOPer deflection, McLaughlin, on social media, accused the woman of having Trump Derangement Syndrome. Wake up to reality more often, bubbelah, and you'll find that isn't always the case.

Classic TV: National Geographic specials (1965)

 It used to be a tradition, dating back to the mid-60's, and ending sometime in the 80's or 90's.

The National Geographic Society partnered with producer David L. Wolper to produce a series of primetime documentary specials, first for CBS, then PBS. However, swapping out CBS for PBS proved to be a fatal blow for the Society, as the specials eventually ended.

I remember seeing a few of these in my youth with the parents, but I'm not sure if this one was one of them. From 1974, here's "The Big Cats", narrated by Leslie Nielsen (ex-Bracken's World, The New Breed).

If you can find them on DVD, share them with your kids.

Rating: A.

Things that make MAGA go, "duh"

 James Gunn's rebooted "Superman" officially opens Friday. In the run-up to the release, including a Hollywood premiere on Monday, conservative idiots are whining about Gunn's remarks about the Man of Steel, describing Superman as an "immigrant", because, well, technically, he is.

Fox No News' Kellyanne Conway led the complaints there, branding the hero as "Superwoke". As per usual, conservatives use "woke" as a buzzword without offering any definition or context as to why. It's just an excuse to have something to complain about to rile up their low information viewer base.

Look, if you're basing your argument on just the filmmaker's remarks, having not screened the movie yourselves, then you've got nothing, as usual. Take the time to see the film, then whine. It's that simple.

True story. A friend relayed to me the tale of how the late Doug DeLisle, long time film critic for El Cheapo Media, gave the first "Star Wars" movie a bad review when it came out. After DeLisle showed up at the grocery where the friend worked after school, and got excoriated for his perceived ignorance, DeLisle went back and took a 2nd look at what is now an iconic franchise, and changed his tune.

The furor over "Superman" will not have died down fast enough for conservatives to latch onto something else to complain about, involving another iconic franchise.

2nd generation model Lila Moss, daughter of Kate Moss, created a variation on Mattel's iconic Barbie, one diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which the younger Moss has. 

Already, there are goobers posting on Yahoo!, complaining about the new doll, exposing their ignorance. As a type 2 diabetic myself, I look at "Diabetic Barbie" as a teaching tool, and, parents, you should, too. As they used to say in the commercials back in the day, the doll "comes with everything you see here", referring to the image above.

It's just a matter of time before we hear some whining on Fox No News, Newsnacks, et al. Just sayin'.

Notes from around town

 There was some work being done on the El Dorado building June 28-30, but that work has stopped, and the doors are locked again, pending a resumption of repairs.

Typical in Troy. Start & stop operations, likely due to money.

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"Yacht rock"?

WROW devoted the July 4 weekend to dusting off soft rock tracks under the "yacht rock" umbrella, with artists like Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and solo tracks by Michael McDonald added to the playlist, likely in the hope that they'll be added to the rotation in short order.

You have to remember, too, that there was a time when WROW began playing soft, non-Muzak tracks back in the 80's. By the way, the station retired it's "Good times, great oldies" slogan in April in favor of "The Capital Region's classic hits". Their automated playlist schedule was shrunk after John Tesh's show moved to midnight a few weeks back.

Autoplay now runs from 5-6 am on Saturdays, Midnight to 6 am on Sundays, and 10 pm-5 am on Sunday night/Monday mornings.

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When Tuscan Oven opened its restaurants in Menands a few years back, they used Golden Grain pizza.

Now, Golden Grain is coming to Troy. 

For months, there's been a sign suggesting Golden Grain would take over the former Roxy Cleaners on Hoosick Street and Oneida Avenue, but no work's been done that we can see in recent weeks. Hmmmmm.

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Sunday marks the start of the Music Haven concert series at Central Park in Schenectady. Promoter Mona Golub (Price Chopper/Market 32) has been doing this since the 90's, and this year's lineup is, for lack of a better description, loaded. To wit:

Sunday: Red Baraat w/Quadrature.

July 18: SUNY Schenectady Faculty Jazz Combo featuring Nestor Torres.

July 20: Bamba Wassoulou Groove w/Ballet Waramba.

July 26: WEXT presents Wild Adriatic, Sawyer Fredericks, Tops of Trees, Daisybutter, & Ganella. Show starts at 2 pm.

July 27: Solas w/ Matt & Shannon Heaton.

August 3: Blues BBQ w/Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Selwyn Birchwood & Annie & The Hedonists. Show starts at 5 pm.

August 9: "Classical Mystery Tour", a tribute to the Beatles w/the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra.

August 10: The Steeldrivers w/Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band.

August 16: WAMC on The Road Hudson River Sampler w/Wanda Fischer, Michael Jerling, Kate McDonnell, Dan Berggren, & Joe Jencks.

August 17: Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience w/Keith Pray's Mohawk Brass Band.

August 24: Season finale with Edmar Castaneda World Ensemble and special guests Brian Melick & Friends.

Showtime is 7 pm, unless noted otherwise above.

Music Haven will also have movies, starting at 6 pm on these dates:

August 15: "Respect" (Aretha Franklin bio).

August 22: "This is Spinal Tap".

August 29: "Wicked", with karaoke subtitles.

Did Vince McMahon make wrestling relevant in the mainstream in the 80's? Uh, wait a minute...........

 It might've been just 3 minutes of a puff piece, but well before Hulk Hogan returned to the World Wrestling Federation in the winter of 1984, the National Wrestling Alliance, via Georgia/World Championship Wrestling, got television's attention first with a short piece on Entertainment Tonight back in 1982. Gordon Solie, Roddy Piper, & Don "Magnificent" Muraco (misspelled as the country of Morocco) are interviewed, the latter two in character, and it sounds like Muraco is trying to emulate Piper's rapid fire method of talking......

Intro by Mary Hart and her original co-anchor, Ron Hendron:

Piper & Muraco would later sign with the World Wrestling Federation, but this was their TV debut away from TBS.

Rockin' Funnies: Junk Food Junkie (1976)

 After hearing this on the radio today, I thought I'd try to find our next item on YouTube. Sure enough, there is a clip, from The Rich Little Show.

Singer-songwriter & radio personality Larry Groce hit the top 10 with "Junk Food Junkie". He may be better known for his work on National Public Radio, where he's been hanging his shingle since "Junk" left the charts.

Until today, I hadn't even heard this song. Sounds like Groce was making mockery of health food mavens like Euell Gibbons, and celebrating the sweet tooth we all have.

Baseball this 'n' that

 The Washington Nationals haven't made the playoffs since winning the 2019 World Series. The frustration has gotten to the point that, with a week before the All Star Game, manager Dave Martinez & GM Mike Rizzo were given the gate late Sunday after the Nats were swept by Boston. The Nats have been jockeying with Atlanta for 3rd place in the NL East behind Philadelphia & the Mets. Haven't heard who will run the show in the interim in DC. 

At least ownership didn't have to hear from the only man less popular than the team in DC.......

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The Subway Series ended with some controversy Sunday, but not between the teams. No, it was what fans call "The Ump Show" getting in the way in the home 9th at Citi Field.

Mets are down, 6-4, with Yankee closer Devin Williams on the mound. Home plate ump John Bacon isn't exactly a genius, but on a hot, humid Sunday afternoon, with the game swelling to an "unmanageable" 3 hours and change, as Michael Kay would say, Bacon essentially screwed the Mets.

Lindsay from Close Call Sports explains:

Williams had already gotten his revenge on the Mets in round 1 in the Bronx in May, but this was a tainted save. Bacon has less than 10 years experience as an umpire, and the least he could've done was tell the players going into the 9th that "it's getting late, let's finish this so we can all go home", or something to that effect.

But, no, he couldn't be bothered. Suffice to say, fans might be hoping he doesn't work the All Star Game in Atlanta.

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The All Star rosters have been finalized, at least for now. In this day & age, players will drop out to rest or if injured.

Starters:

NL:

First Base: Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles) returns to Atlanta, where he started his career.

Second Base: Ketel Marte (Arizona).

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Mets).

Third Base: Manny Machado (San Diego).

DH: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles).

Outfield: Ronald Acuna, Jr. (Atlanta), Pete Crow-Armstrong & Kyle Tucker (Chicago).

Catcher: Will Smith (Los Angeles).

AL:

First Base: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (Toronto).

Second Base: Gleyber Torres (Detroit).

Shortstop: Jacob Wilson (Sacramento).

Third Base: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland).

DH: Ryan O'Hearn (Baltimore).

Outfield: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Riley Greene & Javier Baez (Detroit). The Tigers' gamble to convert Baez from infield to outfield has worked so far.

Catcher: Cal Raleigh (Seattle). Raleigh is the MLB leader in homers.

Pitchers:

AL:

Aroldis Chapman & Garrett Crochet (Boston).

Jacob deGrom (Texas).

Max Fried (Yankees).

Kris Bubic (Kansas City).

Josh Hader & Hunter Brown (Houston).

Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles).

Andres Munoz & Bryan Woo (Seattle).

Tarik Skubal (Detroit).

Shane Smith (Chicago).

NL:

Edwin Diaz (Mets).

Matthew Boyd (Chicago).

MacKenzie Gore (Washington).

Jason Adam (San Diego).

Clayton Kershaw & Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles).

Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee).

Robbie Ray, Randy Rodriguez, & Logan Webb (San Francisco).

Chris Sale (Atlanta).

Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh).

Zack Wheeler (Philadelphia).

Reserves:

Catcher: Alejandro Kirk (Toronto), Hunter Goodman (Colorado).

Infielders: 

Jonathan Aranda & Brandon Lowe (Tampa Bay).

Jazz Chisholm, Jr. (Yankees).

Alex Bregman (Boston).

Jeremy Pena (Houston).

Bobby Witt, Jr. (Kansas City).

Pete Alonso (Mets).

Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati).

Brendan Donovan (St. Louis).

Matt Olson (Atlanta).

Eugenio Suarez (Arizona).

Outfielders:

Bryan Buxton (Minnesota).

Steven Kwan (Cleveland).

Julio Rodriguez (Seattle).

Corbin Carroll (Arizona).

Kyle Stowers (Miami).

Fernando Tatis, Jr. (San Diego).

James Wood (Washington).

DH: Brent Rooker (Sacramento), Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia).

==================================

Interestingly, Schwarber & Alonso both have declined to compete in the Home Run Derby next week. That opens the field, don't you think?

Weasel of The Week: Kandiss Taylor

 At this writing, some 60-odd people have been confirmed dead from the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas, and some children in an all-girls camp, Camp Mystic, are still missing. This is a real-life tragedy, happening in real time, and, several miles away, a would-be Congressional candidate from Georgia is claiming the flood and the death are fake.

Kandiss Taylor claims to be a Christian, but this is not the behavior of a Christian.

When was the last time this scammer went to church?

Taylor is proof that some politicians pretend to be Christians in order to deceive the evangelicals to gain their votes, just like the faux Christian in the White House, Pecos Pampers (Donald Trump). Taylor felt she needed to piggyback on this tragedy to get attention back on her to stay relevant. Waste. Of. Time.

We're praying for the victims' families, as well as those of the survivors, and Taylor would rather disparage them. God ain't going to dig that.

Kandiss Taylor is not a practicing Christian. What she is, instead, is a Weasel. Full stop.

On The Shelf: An island for zillionaires? A new homage to Warren? What next?

 Penguin-Random House's Pantheon division is serving up a double delight from writer-artist Mattie Lubchansky.

Leading off this preview is Escape From Zillionaire Island, a sci-fi fable set nearly 60 years into the future. It would appear that Lubchansky's art style is modeled after the Cal Arts style favored by a number of current cable cartoons. That would suggest this is meant to be some sort of satire, but it hardly reads as such. If it's meant to be taken seriously, the Cal Arts look may not be the appropriate choice.

On the other hand, an earlier work, Simplicity, is sampled as the backup, and has been described by one fellow author as a cross between Philip K. Dick and Robert Crumb. Not kidding.

Rating: B+.

Unlike their competitors, Archie Comics is randomly selecting issues of their core titles for facsimile edition reprints.

The latest is Archie's Pal, Jughead issue 78, first published in 1961. It follows the format of the day with a series of short stories by Samm Schwartz that, to today's readers, flies by very quickly. Given the current management's lack of interest in their heroes, don't look for someone like The Fly to get the facsimile treatment any time soon.

Rating: A-.

Writer-artist Mike Hoffman launched Eyrie, a homage to Eerie, via Kickstarter last year, and on his website, he already has 30 issues completed, with most waiting to be released. Issue 1 was supposed to come out earlier this year, but has only just surfaced in the home town. The 2nd issue was advertised to be released in May, but, well.....! Anyway, Hoffman isn't sure who he wants to emulate on a regular basis, and, mind you, Warren put out some great horror comics back in the day, and had a great stable of artists. Hoffman picks different styles according to the storylines, and shares writing duties with Jason Crawley.

I wish I had a clue who was being honored in each story.

Rating: B-.

Not content with having Sam Wilson graduate to being Captain America on screen and in comics, Marvel wants to have it both ways, giving Steve Rogers another go as the Captain in a new series written by Chip Zdarsky. While I am accustomed to Chip writing humor (i.e. the last Jughead series), this is a little different, and shows that Zdarsky has some versatility. With Dynamite and Mad Cave running into some issues of late (more on that below), I think we'll give this a try. Opening arc looks good. So far.

Rating: A-.

As noted Diamond Comics Distributors is having issues with its subsidiary, Dynamite. The latter isn't getting paid of late, and with Diamond dealing with Chapter 11, I'd not be surprised if both brands disappear. Previews, the phone book size monthly catalog, is now online only, at least here in town, but monthly catalogs from DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Mad Cave, and others are available, so ordering your favorite titles won't change all that much.

And that leaves us with a caveat emptor label for some forthcoming Dynamite releases. Cheetara, the sexy, speedy member of the ThunderCats, gets a 2nd miniseries, out in September. Dynamite also dips into the Hanna-Barbera library once more to bring back Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, also in September. Seems this time, Radley Crown, aka Blue Falcon, is leaving the big city behind to become a farmer, a la Green Acres back in the 60's. The rebooted origin goes from there.

Meanwhile, even though the entire series was released in two hardcover volumes, DC is going back to reprinting Super Friends in its new DC Fines line. The first 26 issues and a treasury edition will be released in November. They're better off doing Shazam! or Welcome Back, Kotter in that format.

The American Napoleon wants to be added to Mount Rushmore. Good luck making that happen

 I refer, of course, to Donald Trump, who is not satisfied with having desecrated the White House, and now we know why, so he can host a UFC card next year. It's not enough he had that flop of a birthday parade 3 weeks ago. The delusional president wants to have his face added to Mount Rushmore.

Trump first floated this idea during his first term, but realistically, he won't have this wish granted.

This is the closest President Pampers will get to Mount Rushmore.

Tennessee's Andy Ogles is pushing a fresh proposal, but past employees of the National Park Service warn that this fever dream is going nowhere. The heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, & Teddy Roosevelt were carved into the mountain 150 years ago, and there is no realistic way Trump can be added.

Trump, Ogles, and the rest of the MAGA goobers are delusional. We know that. Sooner or later, reality will be calling.

And a star is born: Blame it on The Bossa Nova (1963)

 From The Ed Sullivan Show:

Karen Valentine made her first primetime appearance, one week after winning Miss Teenage America, and replicated her lip-sync of Eydie Gorme's cover of "Blame it on The Bossa Nova". Keep in mind that this was six years before Room 222 made Karen a household name. And here, she was just 16!

Is nothing sacred? A UFC card at the White House??

 President Pampers has really gone off the deep end this time.

He announced Thursday that he'd like to see a UFC card take place at the White House next year, as part of the US' 250th birthday celebration. Now, we all know Trump is one of UFC's biggest, most high-profile fans, and hosted some early events at his now defunct Taj Mahal hotel in the 90's. But, it's not enough anymore for him to have champions of various sports (i.e. MLB, NFL, NBA) at the White House.

He wants Dana White to have a UFC card at the White House.

I think Dana wonders if Trump's actually all there.

Nearly 3 weeks removed from his 79th birthday, and the flop of a parade that came with it, Trump is still looking to destroy traditions for the sake of his own overinflated ego. And to fatten his wallet, because you know White will give him a share of the percentage, assuming this actually takes place.

And, you know, I don't think it does. Someone will convince Trump to move the card from the White House to the Verizon Center, which would make more sense.

Someone have Trump checked for CTE, too, because, in the words of Hank Hill, "that boy ain't right".

Classic TV: The Mark Russell Comedy Specials (1975)

 PBS hit a goldmine when they signed satirist Mark Russell to do a series of comedy specials for the network, beginning in 1975. This was when politicians had thicker skin than some do now. Russell, at the piano, would inject some infectious energy into these shows. Russell was so popular with viewers, he'd mosey over to NBC's Real People for a spell.

I remember sitting at home with the parents, laughing my head off. I wish I'd learned the lyrics to Russell's songs, though. 

This sampler comes from the 80's.

We lost Mark a couple of years ago. We could use his brand of humor and energy today.

Rating: A.

Musical Interlude: Rock On (1989)

 In case you thought General Hospital had the top 40 on lockdown in the 80's (i.e. Rick Springfield, Jack Wagner, et al), they weren't alone by the end of the decade.

Michael Damian, formerly of The Weirz, had joined the cast of The Young & The Restless in 1982. Seven years later, he had a #1 hit with a cover of David Essex's 1974 1-off, "Rock On", used in the movie, "Dream a Little Dream".

This clip comes from TBS' Night Tracks:

Michael is still on The Young & The Restless after all these years. Props to WROW's Jaime Roberts for some of the info.

Exhibit A in why fans shouldn't interfere with a game

 An Arizona Diamondbacks fan got a little too overzealous Monday night, taking a ball away from D-Backs outfielder Tim Tawa on a ball hit by San Francisco's Christian Koss.

Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

As replays would show, Tawa would not have been able to make the catch, for one, and, for two, had the fan not interfered, the ball would've stopped short of the yellow home run line. With this logic, the MLB replay center in New York ruled it a ground rule double for Koss. Arizona went on to win the game, 4-2.

It's one thing to try to get a ball as a momento from the game. However, this anonymous geek has done it five times now in four seasons (2022-5). This time, he was tossed from Chase Field, and likely loses his seat for the rest of the season.

Update, 7/2/25, 9:58 am (ET): The fan has been identified as Dave McCaskill, a season ticket holder, who has had his tickets voided for the rest of the season, but is eligible to return next year, provided he adheres to the code of conduct. In an interview, McCaskill said his ejection was his 3rd.

We don't have to deal with that here in the 518. At Tri-City Valleycats games, the berms in left & right field are up the hill from the bullpens. Maybe putting some barricades behind the outfield walls will deter fans down the line. Then again, maybe not.