"The most trusted man in America", iconic CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, passed away earlier tonight at 92. It would be appropriate to attach the term "icon" to Cronkite, who was the first newsman to be billed as an anchorman when he took over the CBS Evening News in 1962. Cronkite broke the news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, and anchored CBS' coverage of the Republican & Democratic conventions and Apollo moon missions.
Cronkite also stepped away from the anchor desk to serve as host of the historical re-enactment series, You Are There, and the historical magazine series, The 20th Century. Today's generation of youngsters may be familiar with Cronkite as the voice of Benjamin Franklin on Liberty's Kids, which has aired in syndication the last few years after a 1 year run on PBS (2003-04). To viewers who grew up during the 60's, 70's, and early 80's, he was "Uncle Walter", the calm, reassuring voice of reason in times of chaos. It feels as though we've all lost a member of our families.
Good night, Walter, and thanks for all the memories. God bless you.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The beast has been freed from his cage......
By now, everyone's heard about what happened after Brock Lesnar defeated Frank Mir at UFC 100. Lesnar had a flashback of sorts to his brief WWE career (2002-04) when he flipped off the crowd and disrespected a sponsor, among other things. UFC President Dana White took Lesnar aside and virtually took him to the woodshed, prompting an apology out of his champion.
But in the aftermath, there is one glaring truth that White must deal with. He is going to run into this problem again and again in the long haul, as long as there are other wrestlers making a transition to UFC. Bobby Lashley doesn't feel he's ready for UFC yet, so he's working for a smaller MMA promotion. Smart thinking on Lashley's part. Current TNA Champion Kurt Angle, forever trading on his 1996 Olympic gold medals (which he counts among his world championships, but that's another story for another time), has claimed in interviews several times in the last three years that he wants to try MMA. With Angle's medical history, it's little more than smoke & mirrors. Kimbo Slice, the face of the now defunct Elite XC promotion, is angling to enter UFC by taking part in the next cycle of Ultimate Fighter. In White's eyes, that's the only way the internet phenom will enter his promotion, especially after Slice was exposed in a loss on Elite XC's final broadcast for CBS last November.
To that end, however, White exposes himself as MMA's answer to Vince McMahon of the WWE. UFC is the premier MMA promotion, just as WWE remains the lone major league of pro wrestling remaining. (TNA? Don't be ridiculous!) By forcing Slice to go through Ultimate Fighter, White is sending a message. He is letting personal opinions on certain fighters, such as Slice, cloud his judgment. Lesnar didn't have to go through this program to get into UFC, and he was a bigger name in terms of recognition than Slice. In his line of work, White should not, nay, cannot allow personal prejudices get in the way of long-term growth for his company.
When Lesnar entered UFC, Spike TV, UFC's cable partner, was able to generate crossover coverage by having Angle, among others, talk up Lesnar on TNA Impact. Lashley has appeared briefly on Impact, when they teased he was coming in to join Angle and his "Main Event Mafia" group, but hasn't been seen since. If he does go to TNA, I just don't see him being allied with Angle and his over-the-hill mob. Again, that's for another time. That TNA & UFC have not done enough business together in conjunction with Spike speaks volumes not of UFC, which gets bigger ratings for the network via Ultimate Fighter, but of TNA's corporate ineptitude, which knows no boundaries.
Would Lesnar eventually appear in TNA? I doubt it. TNA's more likely to fold its tent before Lesnar is even invited to attend a taping in Orlando. Of course, stranger---and in TNA's case, dumber---things have happened.
But in the aftermath, there is one glaring truth that White must deal with. He is going to run into this problem again and again in the long haul, as long as there are other wrestlers making a transition to UFC. Bobby Lashley doesn't feel he's ready for UFC yet, so he's working for a smaller MMA promotion. Smart thinking on Lashley's part. Current TNA Champion Kurt Angle, forever trading on his 1996 Olympic gold medals (which he counts among his world championships, but that's another story for another time), has claimed in interviews several times in the last three years that he wants to try MMA. With Angle's medical history, it's little more than smoke & mirrors. Kimbo Slice, the face of the now defunct Elite XC promotion, is angling to enter UFC by taking part in the next cycle of Ultimate Fighter. In White's eyes, that's the only way the internet phenom will enter his promotion, especially after Slice was exposed in a loss on Elite XC's final broadcast for CBS last November.
To that end, however, White exposes himself as MMA's answer to Vince McMahon of the WWE. UFC is the premier MMA promotion, just as WWE remains the lone major league of pro wrestling remaining. (TNA? Don't be ridiculous!) By forcing Slice to go through Ultimate Fighter, White is sending a message. He is letting personal opinions on certain fighters, such as Slice, cloud his judgment. Lesnar didn't have to go through this program to get into UFC, and he was a bigger name in terms of recognition than Slice. In his line of work, White should not, nay, cannot allow personal prejudices get in the way of long-term growth for his company.
When Lesnar entered UFC, Spike TV, UFC's cable partner, was able to generate crossover coverage by having Angle, among others, talk up Lesnar on TNA Impact. Lashley has appeared briefly on Impact, when they teased he was coming in to join Angle and his "Main Event Mafia" group, but hasn't been seen since. If he does go to TNA, I just don't see him being allied with Angle and his over-the-hill mob. Again, that's for another time. That TNA & UFC have not done enough business together in conjunction with Spike speaks volumes not of UFC, which gets bigger ratings for the network via Ultimate Fighter, but of TNA's corporate ineptitude, which knows no boundaries.
Would Lesnar eventually appear in TNA? I doubt it. TNA's more likely to fold its tent before Lesnar is even invited to attend a taping in Orlando. Of course, stranger---and in TNA's case, dumber---things have happened.
The best value for the sports fan
In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that you don't have to go to Yankee Stadium II, Citi Field, or even hallowed Fenway Park to take in a good ballgame. Not when it's economically more feasible to stay at home and support the New York-Penn League's Tri-City Valleycats, the short-season affiliate of the Houston Astros.
The Valleycats are mired in last place in the Stedler Division of the NYPL, but they are still a consistently solid draw. Attendance is actually up this year, it seems, and a big reason for that may be that the 'Cats don't have a radio outlet for their games anymore. They ended their association with Siena College's radio station, WVCR, after last season, with all of the games now being streamed on the internet through the team's website. Those that don't have computers but want to keep up with the team find themselves gravitating to Joe Bruno Stadium more frequently than they have in previous seasons. Even though the 'Cats are not likely to make the playoffs for the 3rd straight season, they are giving their fans lots of reasons to be there with their between-innings promotions. It's a sense of community that has people spending as much time on the concourse chatting with friends as they are in the seats watching the game.
You can actually hear the internet broadcast being played in the restrooms, believe it or not. It's weird, I know, but it allows for some continuity so you don't miss a second of the action.
Meanwhile, across the river, there is doom & gloom for the Albany Firebirds in Arena Football 2. The reincarnated Firebirds (who were the Albany Conquest from 2002-08) got off to a terrible start---again---and with the home season completed, the 'Birds have a slim chance of making the playoffs in what could be the final season for AF2 in Albany. Owner Walt Robb also owns the AHL's River Rats, and has lost a lot of money in recent years, prompting speculation about at least the 'Birds' future. The Rats are, for now, secure, especially now that they've got a local rivalry to heat things up next season, with the Phantoms moving from Philadelphia to Glens Falls. The Conquest/Firebirds have become a league doormat since winning back-to-back division titles in 2002-03, and the name change, marking the 10th anniversary of the original 'Birds winning the Arena Bowl, hasn't changed their fortunes as much as they'd like. AF1 is on hiatus due to money issues, but---and I hate to say it---maybe this is the end of indoor football in this generation.
The New York Buzz of World Team Tennis changed home courts for the 2nd year in a row, playing their home matches at UAlbany's SEFCU Arena. Like the 'Cats, the Buzz are in last place in their division in the short-season league, but what also hurts may be the insistence on raising ticket prices when better known players like Venus Williams or Martina Navratilova hit town. You'll get the hardcore tennis fans with the credit cards to burn, but Joe Fan gets left out of the loop if he can't afford to spend upwards of $45 per seat for "special attractions".
In sharp contrast, the Valleycats' ticket price range ($6-$10 on game day) makes a lot more sense. $10 will get you a seat behind home plate at The Joe, and it also gets you an end zone seat at Times Union Center, where the Firebirds play. Except that in the latter, it costs at least $40-$50 for a seat at the 25 yard line. And they wonder why attendance at the TUC is down.
I gave up on Arena football long ago, largely because there was something that didn't feel right. If baseball is to regain it's place as America's "National Pastime", it needs to start giving back to Joe Fan and stop catering to the corporate suits who can afford the exorbitant ticket prices at, say for example, Yankee Stadium II. More than anything, baseball is the people's game. Big business, which is at the heart of Major League Baseball, needs to realize this.
The Valleycats are mired in last place in the Stedler Division of the NYPL, but they are still a consistently solid draw. Attendance is actually up this year, it seems, and a big reason for that may be that the 'Cats don't have a radio outlet for their games anymore. They ended their association with Siena College's radio station, WVCR, after last season, with all of the games now being streamed on the internet through the team's website. Those that don't have computers but want to keep up with the team find themselves gravitating to Joe Bruno Stadium more frequently than they have in previous seasons. Even though the 'Cats are not likely to make the playoffs for the 3rd straight season, they are giving their fans lots of reasons to be there with their between-innings promotions. It's a sense of community that has people spending as much time on the concourse chatting with friends as they are in the seats watching the game.
You can actually hear the internet broadcast being played in the restrooms, believe it or not. It's weird, I know, but it allows for some continuity so you don't miss a second of the action.
Meanwhile, across the river, there is doom & gloom for the Albany Firebirds in Arena Football 2. The reincarnated Firebirds (who were the Albany Conquest from 2002-08) got off to a terrible start---again---and with the home season completed, the 'Birds have a slim chance of making the playoffs in what could be the final season for AF2 in Albany. Owner Walt Robb also owns the AHL's River Rats, and has lost a lot of money in recent years, prompting speculation about at least the 'Birds' future. The Rats are, for now, secure, especially now that they've got a local rivalry to heat things up next season, with the Phantoms moving from Philadelphia to Glens Falls. The Conquest/Firebirds have become a league doormat since winning back-to-back division titles in 2002-03, and the name change, marking the 10th anniversary of the original 'Birds winning the Arena Bowl, hasn't changed their fortunes as much as they'd like. AF1 is on hiatus due to money issues, but---and I hate to say it---maybe this is the end of indoor football in this generation.
The New York Buzz of World Team Tennis changed home courts for the 2nd year in a row, playing their home matches at UAlbany's SEFCU Arena. Like the 'Cats, the Buzz are in last place in their division in the short-season league, but what also hurts may be the insistence on raising ticket prices when better known players like Venus Williams or Martina Navratilova hit town. You'll get the hardcore tennis fans with the credit cards to burn, but Joe Fan gets left out of the loop if he can't afford to spend upwards of $45 per seat for "special attractions".
In sharp contrast, the Valleycats' ticket price range ($6-$10 on game day) makes a lot more sense. $10 will get you a seat behind home plate at The Joe, and it also gets you an end zone seat at Times Union Center, where the Firebirds play. Except that in the latter, it costs at least $40-$50 for a seat at the 25 yard line. And they wonder why attendance at the TUC is down.
I gave up on Arena football long ago, largely because there was something that didn't feel right. If baseball is to regain it's place as America's "National Pastime", it needs to start giving back to Joe Fan and stop catering to the corporate suits who can afford the exorbitant ticket prices at, say for example, Yankee Stadium II. More than anything, baseball is the people's game. Big business, which is at the heart of Major League Baseball, needs to realize this.
Dallas McKennon (1919-2009)
I've been made aware that actor Dallas McKennon has passed away, just shy of his 90th birthday. For those who don't know, McKennon played shopkeeper Cincinnatus on Daniel Boone, but he may be better known for his cartoon work, including a 10 year run as the voice of Riverdale teenager Archie Andrews (1968-78). McKennon's other toon credits include Gumby and Courageous Cat. I don't have any other information at the present time.
Update, 3/20/26: Here's Dallas in one of his last acting roles for Filmation, in 1977's Space Academy.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
It feels like 1977 all over again
If it wasn't for the Washington Nationals' horrid start, the New York Mets would be plunging deep into the cellar in the National League East. Injuries have ravaged the Mets more than any other team, but at the same time, team management is making poor decisions that may be more responsible for the team's ultimate failure to make the post-season.
On Friday, the Mets traded outfielder Ryan Church to division rival Atlanta for outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Both are exceptional defensive players, and Francoeur has been among the league leaders in outfield assists in recent years. However, if press accounts are to be believed, both men have been in the doghouse of their respective former clubs this season. Francoeur strikes out too much, offsetting the power numbers he'd put up since joining the Braves 3 years ago. Church has been plagued by injuries since coming to New York from Washington after the 2007 season, and if you believe the tabloid press, he supposedly wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with Met manager Jerry Manuel.
The trade has all the stink of a June 1977 deal that sent Hall of Fame-bound pitcher Tom Seaver to Cincinnati, alienating the Mets' loyal fan base, and villified then-GM M. Donald Grant. History has shown us that any player who leaves the Mets via trade or free agency tends to haunt the team down the road. Oh, yeah, and the Phillies, according to reports, have expressed interest in Pedro Martinez. Hmmmm.
One wonders what went into the thought process in trading Church, who had been one of the more consistent players for the Mets when healthy. All-Star third baseman David Wright has been hot & cold, and a case can be made that Wright more than anyone has been trying to overcompensate for the injuries that have sidelined Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, & Carlos Delgado, three of the Mets' most important players. Bringing in Francoeur isn't going to be a quick fix, however.
It is open knowledge that owner Fred Wilpon was one of the victims of convicted swindler Bernard Madoff. One wonders if Wilpon lost enough money such that he suddenly can't afford to pursue higher level players to fill all the holes. If that's the case, then the Mets have fallen all the way back to the dregs of the late 70's. It's a worst case scenario, but it's one that's becoming more realistic with each passing day. And that's the worst part about it.
On Friday, the Mets traded outfielder Ryan Church to division rival Atlanta for outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Both are exceptional defensive players, and Francoeur has been among the league leaders in outfield assists in recent years. However, if press accounts are to be believed, both men have been in the doghouse of their respective former clubs this season. Francoeur strikes out too much, offsetting the power numbers he'd put up since joining the Braves 3 years ago. Church has been plagued by injuries since coming to New York from Washington after the 2007 season, and if you believe the tabloid press, he supposedly wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with Met manager Jerry Manuel.
The trade has all the stink of a June 1977 deal that sent Hall of Fame-bound pitcher Tom Seaver to Cincinnati, alienating the Mets' loyal fan base, and villified then-GM M. Donald Grant. History has shown us that any player who leaves the Mets via trade or free agency tends to haunt the team down the road. Oh, yeah, and the Phillies, according to reports, have expressed interest in Pedro Martinez. Hmmmm.
One wonders what went into the thought process in trading Church, who had been one of the more consistent players for the Mets when healthy. All-Star third baseman David Wright has been hot & cold, and a case can be made that Wright more than anyone has been trying to overcompensate for the injuries that have sidelined Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, & Carlos Delgado, three of the Mets' most important players. Bringing in Francoeur isn't going to be a quick fix, however.
It is open knowledge that owner Fred Wilpon was one of the victims of convicted swindler Bernard Madoff. One wonders if Wilpon lost enough money such that he suddenly can't afford to pursue higher level players to fill all the holes. If that's the case, then the Mets have fallen all the way back to the dregs of the late 70's. It's a worst case scenario, but it's one that's becoming more realistic with each passing day. And that's the worst part about it.
Filling the space between
On July 10, New York Governor David Paterson finally appointed a Lieutenant Governor, naming Richard Ravitch to the post. The real shocker is that few realized that there hadn't been a Lt. Governor since Paterson was promoted to Governor in March 2008 to replace the disgraced Eliot Spitzer.
The next thing you know, the Senate is all whole again, the stalemate settled after 31 days, and the Democrats wasted little time in naming one of the chief weasels in the whole scandal, Pedro Espada, Jr., as Majority Leader, replacing Malcolm Smith. Now, it's Ravitch's job to keep Espada in line before anything else happens. Espada has already been villified in NYC, and it can be suggested that, perhaps, Espada coveted the role of Majority Leader, and somehow managed to convince his party that Smith wasn't the leader they wanted. It will take a very long time for the State Senate to recover from this, and they won't soon do so, as long as Espada has any sort of stroke that allows him to feather his nest at the expense of the Senate and the people he is supposed to represent.
The next thing you know, the Senate is all whole again, the stalemate settled after 31 days, and the Democrats wasted little time in naming one of the chief weasels in the whole scandal, Pedro Espada, Jr., as Majority Leader, replacing Malcolm Smith. Now, it's Ravitch's job to keep Espada in line before anything else happens. Espada has already been villified in NYC, and it can be suggested that, perhaps, Espada coveted the role of Majority Leader, and somehow managed to convince his party that Smith wasn't the leader they wanted. It will take a very long time for the State Senate to recover from this, and they won't soon do so, as long as Espada has any sort of stroke that allows him to feather his nest at the expense of the Senate and the people he is supposed to represent.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A funeral fit for a King........
And yet, Michael Jackson considered himself as a King in his own mind. The "King of Pop", that is. The media enablers bought into it, of course, just to make him happy.
Earlier today, Jackson, who succumbed to a cardiac arrest on June 25, was laid to rest in a memorial service in Los Angeles. The motorcade leading to the Staples Center was more befitting a funeral procession for a head of state, not a pop icon who'd sought to make a comeback at age 50. Of course, the stars turned out, including Mariah Carey, who'd recorded a cover of an early Jackson Five hit, "I'll Be There", nearly 20 years ago.
Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, chose not to attend, and, in hindsight, it was a good decision, on the heels of an incident recorded on video over the weekend of Rowe being besieged by reporters & photographers looking for a story. There have been conflicting reports about whether or not Rowe would seek to regain custody of the two children she had with Jackson, son Prince Michael and daughter Paris, but it seems as though she'd rather be left alone and away from the media glare. For now, the children are in the care of their grandmother, Michael's mother Katherine.
But while Jackson was laid to rest, the story isn't over just yet. Not as long as there is an investigation into exactly what led to the circumstances surrounding his death. The tabloids will continue to put Jackson on the front page until things cool down, and, given the Pavlovian curiosity of today's society, no one's sure when that will happen. And as long as the likes of the Globe continue to use Jackson to sell papers, it will be that much more difficult to separate the facts of the case from idle speculation and deluded fantasy.
Elvis Presley, long billed as the "King of Rock & Roll", didn't get this kind of sendoff 32 years ago. Then again, he didn't have 300 channels trying to record his every move for posterity, either.
Earlier today, Jackson, who succumbed to a cardiac arrest on June 25, was laid to rest in a memorial service in Los Angeles. The motorcade leading to the Staples Center was more befitting a funeral procession for a head of state, not a pop icon who'd sought to make a comeback at age 50. Of course, the stars turned out, including Mariah Carey, who'd recorded a cover of an early Jackson Five hit, "I'll Be There", nearly 20 years ago.
Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, chose not to attend, and, in hindsight, it was a good decision, on the heels of an incident recorded on video over the weekend of Rowe being besieged by reporters & photographers looking for a story. There have been conflicting reports about whether or not Rowe would seek to regain custody of the two children she had with Jackson, son Prince Michael and daughter Paris, but it seems as though she'd rather be left alone and away from the media glare. For now, the children are in the care of their grandmother, Michael's mother Katherine.
But while Jackson was laid to rest, the story isn't over just yet. Not as long as there is an investigation into exactly what led to the circumstances surrounding his death. The tabloids will continue to put Jackson on the front page until things cool down, and, given the Pavlovian curiosity of today's society, no one's sure when that will happen. And as long as the likes of the Globe continue to use Jackson to sell papers, it will be that much more difficult to separate the facts of the case from idle speculation and deluded fantasy.
Elvis Presley, long billed as the "King of Rock & Roll", didn't get this kind of sendoff 32 years ago. Then again, he didn't have 300 channels trying to record his every move for posterity, either.
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