All week, the word has gone around that president Trump was planning to address the nation tonight, and it'd been leaked out that he was using this address to, again, whine about getting screwed in 2020, despite the fact that the case has been litigated so many times, with Trump losing every time.
Listen, fella, if that was true, you wouldn't be in the White House now.
Anyway, we just got this:
What this means, from this writer's perspective, is that Trump will only be able to get his message out if conservative networks like Newsmax agree to air the speech, or, he'll cancel, which will lead to more "TACO" (Trump Always Chickens Out) jokes.
And you know you're getting this:
"WAAAAAHHHHH! I'm being censored again! WAAAAAHHH!
No, Donald, you're not being censored. No one wants to listen to the same, tired garbage being spewed for the zillionth time since 2020. Most of us have better things to do.
During the 70's, Hal Williams had the role of a lifetime as one of the most relatable cops on television, playing Officer Smith in 22 episodes of Sanford & Son, then returning for 5 more in the later Sanford series (1980-1).
Officer Smith, or, "Smitty", to friends like the Sanfords, often had to translate the misspeaking of his partners, whether it was Officer Swanhauser (Noam Pitlik) or Officer Hopkins (Howard Platt).
However, there was that time when Fred was at loggerheads with his dimwitted neighbor, Grady (Whitman Mayo), over a stolen TV....
Because it was a recurring role, Williams left Sanford & Son for a co-starring role in the ABC prison comedy, On The Rocks, which didn't last too long. After that, he appeared in both the movie and subsequent TV series, Private Benjamin, before scoring again with 227. Ironically, Williams also guest starred on the original S.W.A.T., and his last role was in the reimagining of Matlock.
Williams passed away on Wednesday at 91. Rest in peace.
The finals of the FIFA World Cup are now set, after Argentina rallied to beat England, 2-1, earlier today. Lionel Messi & Argentina now will play Spain on Sunday (3 pm ET, Fox) at the Meadowlands.
However, there are headlines away from the pitch, with reports that singer-talk show host Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem prior to the game Sunday, despite the fact that the US was eliminated 9 days ago. Figure FIFA head Gianni Infantino got that idea from his friend, president Trump, who, unfortunately, will hand out the championship trophy.
The National League was held to 2 hits as the American League won the All-Star Game, 4-0. The Yankees' Cody Bellinger drove in the game winners in the first inning, and the AL pitching & defense made it stand up, such that Bellinger was named game MVP.
St. Louis' Jordan Walker, who won the Home Run Derby by outpointing the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, which made the partisans very unhappy, to the point where they booed Walker when he entered last night's game.
Talk about a tough crowd.
By the way, Netflix has taken over the Derby beginning with Monday's broadcast. The landscape of baseball on television continues to change.
While he's being used in a daffy sci-fi story arc on Smackdown with Danhausen, the Miz (Mike Mizanin) is very active away from the ring.
Miz is at the ESPY's tonight, and made an appearance on SportsCenter to promote SummerSlam, coming up August 1-2 in Minneapolis. Three days earlier, he was finishing up at the American Century celebrity golf championship, and may have gotten on ESPN's top 10 plays list with this shot:
We know some wrestlers like to play golf. We've seen Miz play softball during the All-Star break in the past. The dude has some skillz.
With ESPN now in charge of NFL Network programming, they've decided to end the syndicated version of Good Morning Football after 2 seasons.
Good Morning Football-Overtime is being bounced for the usual reason---low ratings, compared to the parent program. Well, it does get redundant over time (pun intended).
After MTV jettisoned The Basement Tapes, the network decided to find another outlet for alternative music.
British producer-DJ Dave Kendall gave them 120 Minutes, and even spent 3 years as series host (1989-92) before moving back behind the camera. At first, the regular VJ's were rotating in the host position until they settled on Kevin Seal around 1988. Kendall took over the next year, and they were off and running.
120 Minutes had its original run end around the turn of the century, then moved to MTV2 for a couple of years before being cut. One last go-round came a few years later with Matt Pinfield, who'd succeeded Kendall, returning as host.
Following is a sample episode from 1990.
In memory of Kendall, who has passed away according to media reports out this morning. Rest in peace.
Sometime in the early 80's, Robin Williams incorporated a brief excerpt of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire", which later became a hit for the Pointer Sisters, into his stand-up act. Less than a minute of pure bliss.
Woke up this morning to learn that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, 71, had passed away on Saturday after a brief, sudden illness. Reports have it that Graham had suffered cardiac arrest in his Washington home.
While flags are likely at half-staff in Washington and throughout South Carolina, not everyone is mourning Graham's passing.
Conspiracy theorist "Loopy" Laura Loomer is pushing an idea, with no basis in truth or reality, of course, claiming that either Iran or Russia was looking to assassinate Graham, 10 months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was murdered.
Loomer is also stirring up controversy surrounding Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, who has been hospitalized for nearly a month under a cover of secrecy. She keeps poking into things where she doesn't belong to extend her 15 minutes, but, sooner or later, the more she cries wolf........!
Earlier this week, singer Bonnie Tyler had passed away. Tyler's hits included "Holding Out For a Hero", "Total Eclipse of The Heart"., a #1 hit in 1983, and 1978's "It's a Heartache":
Finally, actor Randolph Mantooth passed away, 2 months shy of his 81st birthday. Mantooth shot to fame on Emergency! as paramedic John Gage following guest appearances on The Bold Ones and Owen Marshall, Counselor-at-Law. This led to a daytime spin-off for kids, Emergency! Plus 4 (1973-5), which represented Mantooth's only cartoon work. He also appeared on Operation Petticoat, Detective School: One Flight Up, & All My Children during his career.
Producer Don Taffner had acquired the rights to adapt Thames' Man About The House into Three's Company, 50 years ago. However, the first pilot didn't have the familiar trio of roommates that we'd all remember. Oh, sure, John Ritter is here, playing an aspiring filmmaker named David, instead of Jack Tripper. Norman Fell (ex-Dan August, 87th Precinct) and Audra Lindley, as the Ropers, are here. But, who the other two roomies?
Samantha (Suzanne Zenor) wants to be an actress. Jenny (Valerie Curtin) works for the DMV.
The plot remains the same. Samantha & Jenny find David in the bathtub after a party the night before......
If Valerie Curtin's name sounds familiar, well, she's the paternal cousin of Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live). Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H) developed & wrote the pilot, his only involvement with the series.
