Sunday, July 10, 2011

Yes, I admit it, Jeter is a Hall of Famer

Get ready for something you'd never thought you'd see from a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan.  I'm going to tell you why Derek Jeter is a first ballot Hall of Famer, no question about it.  It took me awhile to come to this conclusion, because during the Yankees run in the late 90s, Jeter was always the quintessential Yankee, a.k.a. the guy on whom I could direct all my hatred towards.  Now I look at him differently, perhaps because he's in the twilight of his career and I can appreciate him more.

I was having a conversation about Jeter a few weeks back with Jason Powles, born and bred Yankee fan and I admitted I thought Jeter was a first ballot Hall of Famer, but thought his numbers were overrated.  It was an interesting conversation, because we looked up his numbers that night and I discovered that his numbers are pretty good.  Not long after that I read an article in ESPN the Magazine by Peter Keating talking about Jeter being "overrated by fans, but underrated by statistical analysts."  For instance, he has a .306 average and an .845 OPS with runners in scoring position and two out throughout his career.  He also has averages of .324/.785 with the bases loaded and .309/.850 in the postseason.  Another interesting stat Keating mentions is Jeter's 1,719 runs scored in about 15 seasons, which is higher now, so it's even more impressive.  And in that time he's also reached base more than any other player.  He now has over 3,000 hits (after going 5-5 Saturday vs. the Rays) and will likely reach base 4,500 times before the end of his career (according to Keating).  That is impressive.

Most of my fellow Sox brethren have said that Jeter's numbers are inflated, especially his runs scored, because he played with guys who could knock him in.  But he still had to get on base and quite frankly the guys on his team weren't the big name big hitting guys he has now.  There were no A-Rods, Teixeiras or even Grandersons or Canos.  It was the Tino Martinezes, the Bernie Williamses, the Paul O'Neills and even the Scott Brosiuses.  Some of them were great players, but none of them Hall of Famers, except maybe Jorge Posada.  In fact, the Core Four, Jeter, Posada, Mariano Rivera and maybe even Andy Pettite (though he might be a stretch) should all be in Cooperstown someday, but they're probably the only members of the '96-'00 championship teams that will be there, as opposed to the '09 team, which could have eight in the HOF by the time they're done.

The reason Jeter is overrated by fans is that he hasn't deserved to make as many All-Star teams as he's made and he certainly shoudn't be a five time gold glover.  Maybe earlier in his career you could convince me that he was a better fielding shortstop, but that didn't happen, because his first came in 2004.  He's also one of those poster boys for the 21st century male athlete, meaning he's one of the reasons that non-baseball fans watch.  (i.e. women are interested because he's a good looking guy.  BARF!)  And that's the reason he gets endorsement deals, because companies know he'll help them sell their products.  So he's a great ambassador for the sport, like Tiger Woods used to be in golf and the way Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are for tennis, Sidney Crosby is for hockey and even Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are in basketball.  In fact, Jeter was the first, the one that set the standard for all the rest of these guys.  I personally don't really like any of them, because I think they come off as too wooden, too rehearsed, too perfect.  Give me Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Big Papi and Pedro Martinez, Zdeno Charra and Tim Thomas, even old school Bill Parcells, the guys that aren't afraid to unload every now and then to speak their mind.  Hmm, can I think of any non-Boston examples?  I suppose Terrell Owens would be the best one, even though I can't stand him either. 

Over the past few months the subject of Jeter has come up in Cooperstown and all the guys I've heard talk about him say he'll be in when the time comes.  I specifically asked Goose Gossage about Jeter and he talked about him as if he was already a part of the group.  (Granted he's a fellow Yankee, but still I think he was being sincere about it.)  Even without the 3,000 hits I think #2 would have been a shoo-in.  Still, given the things Jeter's done already and all the thrills he's delivered to the Evil Empire, Saturday's performance may have been the best yet. 

His first inning single to give him 2,999 was average, ordinary, nothing special.  Number 3,000 was the opposite, a home run, just the third of the year for the light hitting Captain.  The only other player in MLB history to get 3,000 on a long ball was Wade Boggs, when he was with the Rays.  Can you believe that?  Jeter and Boggs seem the least likely of the 28 who have reached 3,000 to do it with a home run.  (I actually saw Boggsy get #2,000 live in person back in his Red Sox days at Fenway.  It was one of the lamest hits I've ever seen, with Boggs sliding into first.  Oy.)  But more importantly, #3,000 tied the score with the Rays at one.  Later, Jeter got a double to left to surpass the great Roberto Clemente for 27th all time on the hit list.  A single by Curtis Granderson allowed Jeter to score, another run created by the Captain.  He was a perfect 4-4 when his last at bat of the game came in the 8th, with the score tied at four.  Eduardo Nunez was on third, playing at third in place of an injured A-Rod.  There's a lot of talk that Nunez will be the eventual replacement at short for Jeter.  It was poetic as #2 came through again, with an RBI single up the middle to plate Nunez and give the Yankees a 5-4 lead, which Mo Rivera protected with a 1-2-3 9th. 

Jeter had come through again, like he's done so much during his career, helping the Yankees keep pace with Boston, just a game back in the AL East.  It was a fitting way for the Captain to make history and just another reason why the baseball world will someday converge on the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown to pay homage to the man and the legacy he will have left on the national pastime.  I hate to admit it, but it's true.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

A little late, but still proud to be an American

Okay, so I meant to write this on Tuesday, the first of two days off, but I ended up having a crazy "weekend."  So this is a little late, but I still wanted to talk all about 4th of July weekend.  I've had the holiday off only once since I started working in the business, in 2008 when I was in West Virginia, although I had a bunch of days off around it the following year when I was in Albany.  (That year I went back to Boston for a few days, went back to Albany on the 4th, anchored the shows, stayed at my place overnight, then went back to Boston for a few more days the next morning.)

4th of July is one of those holidays that always seems fun to me, whether I'm working or not.  (And while I enjoy the fireworks displays, I really don't care about checking them out every year.  Kind of a waste of money we all can't afford anymore, wouldn't you say?)  This year I was even more content to work the holiday weekend, mainly because I just got back from a mini-vacation back in Boston, so I was ready to get back to work.

There's nothing that gets me in gear on the 4th more than the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.  I remember when ESPN starting carrying it every year, it was a big deal, because it's one of those crazy "not really a sport" events that for one day a year carries as much interest as the big sports.  Plus they had a little pipsqueak guy from Japan who kept winning every year.  Unfortunately Takeru Kobayashi has missed the event the last two years because of a contract dispute with Major League Eating.  I think it's just a ploy and he was just sick of losing the "Super Bowl of Eating" to Joey Chestnut, who won his fifth straight title this year.  In any case, it's a thrill to scarf down a few hot dogs of my own while watching the event, though I don't usually take the time to figure out how many I could eat at one sitting.  (I did this year though.  Probably no more than six, though I can't eat red meat anymore, so they'd have to be turkey dogs.)

Baseball is also perfect for the 4th, because it's still the national pastime and when the whether nice, I get a huge thrill from watching the game, whether it's on TV or in person.  I had the chance to do both this year, as I shot an NYCBL game at DeLutis Field in Rome, between the Thunderbolts and the Utica Brewers.  Captured a home run, some big hits as well as a few great catches before I left in the bottom of the fourth.  (The 4-3 Rome lead ended up holding up, so I guess I left at the perfect time!)  At night, I saw the return of #2 Derek Jeter to the Yankee lineup after a stint on the DL.  The Evil Empire was visiting Cleveland and despite the Yankees taking the lead, Jeter went 0-4, not gaining any ground towards his 3,000 hits (Which will likely happen this weekend.  Great, now I'll have to report on that.), and the Indians came back to win.  (Oh happy day!  But not too happy, because the Red Sox lost.  By the way, it's amazing how after everything that's happened this season, Boston and NY are still the top two teams in the AL and are only separated by a half game.)

I also have to mention the exciting 4th of July Weekend, with David Ragan getting his first ever Sprint Cup win (yeah Roush Fenway!), Novak Djokovic beating out Rafy Nadal in the men's final at Wimbledon and the US Women's Soccer team winning another game at the World Cup, throttling Columbia.  (The ladies then proceeded to royally suck against Sweden yesterday, meaning they have to beat a hungry Brazil team on Saturday in the quarters, otherwise the tourney's already over for the US.)  On the down side, the great Maria Sharapova lost in the Wimbledon women's final to Petra Kvitova, which is only a downer because of how tough it was to get Kvitova's name right every time I tried.  Oy.

On the local scene, Saturday morning I went over to Stonebridge Golf & Country Club, where I frequently go to drive golf balls, to shoot a tourney with some of the greatest Mohawk Valley hockey players ever.  I interviewed and subsequently followed former Clinton high coach Dave Litz (whom I haven't seen since I interned here back in 2006) and the hilarious Dick Popiel, whom I met a few weeks earlier, at the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame.  Popiel is a reporter's dream, because he has so many great moments and quotes.  At first I figured this would just be what we calll a vosot, but instead it became a nat-pack, because of all the great video I shot of Popiel and the group.  I'd never actually been out on the course at Stonebridge before, so it was cool to see it firsthand.  (I ended up going back there Tuesday to play my first real round of golf there.  I wasn't good, but had a few nice shots and after all, isn't that what playing golf is all about?)

Also this weekend, the MLB All-Star rosters were released.  I never thought I'd hear Yankee fans say that Derek Jeter didn't deserve to make it, but that's because C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira were both snubbed.  (Granted, Sabathia had already said he wouldn't play in the game, but so did Justin Verlander and he still made it.)  Still, I think they got it right for the most part and I love that Toronto's Jose Bautista had the most votes, because it shows that a lot of baseball fans do actually follow the game.  (Ryan Braun from Milwaukee had the most votes in the NL, that too is pretty cool!  The Jays and Brew Crew having the most votes?  Amazing.)  The one thing that bothers me is that when fans are confused about who to elect at a particular position, they seem to go with the Yankee.  Why?  Because they're lazy when the offensive numbers don't point out the best.  Welcome to the post-steroids era, where PEDs are still in use (Andrew Jones even says that in ESPN the Mag this week), but offense is down and fans forget or don't fully know what makes a great player, other than how many homers he's hit.

By the way, the NBA began its lockout this week and there's good reason to expect them to lose the whole season.  Meanwhile, the NFL seems to be heading down the final road to end its lockout.  While I originally said I wouldn't mind not having football this year, I realize how dumb that would be.  What the heck would I run on Sunday nights at 11 for Sports Extra without the Giants, Jets, Bills and even the Saints and a few extra games here and there?  Yeah, we really do need the NFL.  It's a perfect time filler!

Here's a few links to the stories I did over 4th of July weekend. 
First, it's the hockey alumni golf tourney at Stonebridge: http://www.wktv.com/sports/Hockey-alumni-reunion-hits-the-links-124926499.html 
Second, highlights of the Brewers and Thunderbolts:  http://www.wktv.com/sports/Thunderbolts-hang-on-to-beat-Brewers-124986489.html 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Sunny Days in Cooperstown

I love Cooperstown.  One day, if I make enough money, I would love to live there from May-November.  It's such a beautiful place during the summer and since they play up the "birthplace of baseball" bit, I love it even more.  Some people say that Abner Doubleday didn't really invent the game there, but does that really matter?  It's the idea that this little town in the middle of New York state was the place the national pastime was born and thus it fits perfectly. 

The Baseball Hall of Fame is easily the best of all the Halls of Fame, because of its history and how it's run.  Jeff Idelson is the president of the Hall and I've spoken with him on several occasions.  He seems like a good enough guy, but most importantly, under his guidance, the Hall is constantly evolving.  If you go to the museum every year, it won't be the same from visit to visit and that's what's so cool.  They have exhibits that come for a year then leave, ones that have been around for years but change given new artifacts and results of the current MLB season. 

The Hall of Fame Classic was an idea that came to fruition two years ago, probably before that actually, because they couldn't do the old Hall of Fame Game anymore.  That was an exhibition between two Major League teams held at Doubleday Field that was fun while it lasted, but the one time I was there, the players weren't all that keen on it, especially the media session.  At the HOF Classic, the ex-players seem pretty stoked to be taking part and that shows in the interviews I've conducted in the game's first three years.  Mike Timlin, one of the key relievers on the 2004 Red Sox World Series team, made his second appearance.  "The Spaceman" Bill Lee was here two years ago and I got a hilarious quote from him then and another one this year.  (So funny we used it to open the 11pm show Sunday.)  Among the new participants I spoke with were Reggie Sanders, Frank Catalanotto, Willie Wilson and old Red Sox favorite Dave Henderson.  (Hendu in 1986 was interestingly enough on the Mariners when Roger Clemens struck out 20, then on Boston later in the year for their run to the World Series, even hitting a key home run in Game of the ALCS against the Angels, to keep the Sox alive, down three games to one.)

I didn't actually talk to any of the Hall of Famers on Sunday.  Instead, I went to Cooperstown on Saturday for a "Voices of the Game" program, where I grabbed Andre Dawson, Goose Gossage and Jim Rice (one of my idols growing up) before they shared memories of the game with fans at Doubleday Field.  I wish I could've stayed for the entire program, but I had to get back to Utica to shoot some highlights of the Yard Dogs football game with Glove Cities.  (Thank you Mike Mason for your 41 yard run at the start of the second quarter!  If I didn't get that my highlights would've been pretty boring.)  Rice was a challenge, because when I asked him about his expectations for the HOF Classic, he was either playing dumb or really didn't know what to expect.  Good thing Dawson was right there, because they joked about being old and fat and unable to play at all.  (That wasn't true with Rice.  He played the entire game and got a few hits!!)

I will say that this year we seemed to have less time for interviews than usual.  That's probably not true, but it felt like that.  And more importantly, I didn't get to talk with Ozzie Smith, which bothered me a little.  Perhaps he just didn't want to do TV interviews and I certainly wouldn't blame him if that's true.  (Phil Niekro didn't do any interviews at all!  Good thing I met him a few weeks back at the opening of the records exhibit.)  That being said, there was plenty of time and access to the fun all the guys were having on the field before the first event on Sunday, the Home Run Derby, won by Dmitri Young.  (Young also won the Player of the Game award, named after the late Bob Feller, who played in the first two Classics.) 

I feel like this year there also weren't as many fans, though the folks at the Hall told me they thought there were more this year than last.  Don't know if that's true, but it certainly could be.  I seem to remember the weather was hot last year, but this year there was a brisk wind that kept it bearable.  As we were leaving the stadium, my intern, Chelsea, suggested me get some Hawaiin ices afterward.  I've never had one before, but it was very good.  (Kind of a like a slush with multiple flavors, thank you Chelsea!)

The game itself wasn't actually that interesting, which is what you'd really expect from retired players.  But they played up the entertainment aspect of it, (I loved Niekro's Dude Love-like knee dance and Jon Warden's goofy antics.  Lee was pretty funny, too.) so overall it was another great time at the Classic.

Unfortunately this may be the last time I go to the Coop this season.  I may end up there at some point during Induction Weekend this year like I did last year, though probably not for the ceremony.  Even so, I've been lucky enough to visit the birthplace of baseball a lot this year.  Besides, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Check out the story I did on Sunday's festivities here: http://www.wktv.com/sports/Players-fans-enjoy-3rd-HOF-Classic-124169724.html.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Boston is still the center of the sports world

Unbelievable.  I am now watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the day after, since I didn't have a chance to do that live from start to finish last night.  Considering how this series started, I can't believe how the Bruins turned this series around and specifically how the officiating changed as well.  When the NHL didn't suspend Burrows for the biting incident in Game 1, he became the hero in Game 2.  Then Rome pulled that cheap shot in Game 3 and was suspended for the series as the Bruins picked up a blowout win.  Then there was word that the officiating would change, making sure it was tighter.  I figured these were all signs that the Bruins season would be over soon and the Stanley Cup drought would reach 40 years.

But then something strange happened.  What I figured was one bad game for Roberto Luongo became a regular shooting gallery of goals.  With the exception of a Game 5 shutout at home, Luongo was awful after those first two games of the series.  When the Bruins forced Game 7, I like many viewers, figured Luongo would get the magic back, but I also thought that something was, pardon the pun, brewing.  (Or is that, "bruin...")  My head said the Canucks would win, but my heart said somehow Boston would pull out the win and the Cup.

After nearly fifteen minutes of shutout hockey, Brad Marchand found Patrice Bergeron for the first goal of the game.  The next day, my buddy Double J, the biggest hockey fan I knew, said he knew it was over at that point.  Maybe, but this team has a history of giving up leads.  One thing about this goal:  I didn't see it live, because I was at Utica College covering the opening night of Kings of Kings, the summer basketball league that brings in huge college stars, like this year's headliner, Brandon Triche from the Syracuse Orange.  (There are a ton of local guys playing, too.  As soon as I walked through the door I saw Matt Welch from NY Mills as well as Walkery and Maurice Mills from Proctor.  Later I interviewed Pat Moore from ND & Colgate, Dave Golembiowski from Holland Patent and SUNYIT as well as Sean Burton from ND, who also went to my alma mater, Ithaca College.  Apparently he now plays pro hoops in the Icelandic league.  Sweet!)

Last year I was amazed at how busy the summer season is in the Mohawk Valley.  Between Baseball Hall of Fame events, the Boilermaker, the Turning Stone Resort Championship/the Notay Begay III Foundation Challenge, High School Football Previews, as well as college level and legion baseball.  Now we did lose the TSRC, but the NB3 is going to be much bigger this year, unless Tiger Woods pulls out, as expected because of his injury.  But even so, there's so much to cover and so little time to get it all done.  And quite frankly I love it.

Technically the summer began offically last weekend with the High School State Championships for all the Spring sports.  But in reality it really began with the final game of the last fall/winter sport, which is usually the NBA Finals, but not this year.  I'm now watching the B's skate around with the Cup and it's amazing.  Double J keeps telling me the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best in any sport and the celebration is also better than any others.  I definitely agree that one, the Stanley Cup is the best trophy, which he's also said, and seeing my team skating around with it is incredible.  I'd still say that NCAA March Madness is still a more exciting overall playoff, but nothing compares to the NHL in pro sports.  (I mean, last year I even got excited for the Blackhawks, of all teams.  And I really wanted Philly to win, because that's Double J's team.)

The Vancouver fans in the arena were actually pretty gracious and most of them stuck around to watch the Bruins parade around with the Cup.  (They even cheered for Milan Lucic, who was born in Vancouver and won a Memorial Cup with the Giants of the WHL.)  They gave their team a standing ovation that was probably undeserved given how pathetic they were, losing 4-0 at home in Game 7.  But still, it was a pretty classy gesture by the fans inside the building.  Outside, however, was another story, as fans rioted and caused a lot of damage, with over 100 people injured.  I really don't understand the whole, we're passionate fans, so let's get drunk and destroy things, mentality that occurs in these places.  I mean sure, Boston fans can get pretty rowdy and do some stupid things, but it's usually, as Boston Mayor Tom Menino would say, "a few knuckleheads."  (While we're at it Mumbles, how about a nice "They did it through teamwork" quote for the Bruins!  "They worked every day at it!")  This was just awful and I just don't get it.

In any case, I said before this series started that if the Black & Gold won, I wouldn't go crazy on the championship merchandise.  There's just a few problems with that.  First, the locker room shirt is really cool, with a cartoon trophy and I can totally see myself getting it.  Plus, both Father's Day and my nephew's birthday are coming up, so they'll make perfect gifts.  Amazing really, because I'm going to end up shelling out money I don't have for my #4 team, because quite frankly, they may not win again in my lifetime and the celebration, complete with the coolest trophy in sports, needs to be remembered.

So there you have it, The Boston Bruins are your Stanley Cup Champions.  That makes seven pro sports championships for Boston in a decade.  Plus four more NCAA Hockey titles by Boston College and Boston University makes it eleven major titles.  How does your favorite city stack come compared to that?  I know, you're all sick of hearing this, but you have to admit it's true.  Right now, Boston is the center of the sports world.  And you know what's scary?  The PATRIOTS have the longest drought.  Oy.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Boxing HOF and Nowitzki's Silver Hammer

I'm a very happy sports guy today.  I've been singing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" all morning, thinking about how Dirk and the Mavs were allowed to deliver the knockout blow to the "Heatles" last night in the NBA Finals:  Bang bang, Nowitki's Silver Hammer came down on their head...  Bang Bang, Nowitzki's Silver Hammer made sure, they were dead! 

The NBA Finals are over and Baby Bron Bron & Co. aren't the ones celebrating!  Could it be that the NBA really didn't want to hand the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Miami after all?  Although in thinking about it, I'd also say that Dirk winning the title is a much better fit for what the NBA is selling, legitimizing a top International player here in the states.  (See, even non-American players can lead a team to a title!)  Whatever the case, I am happy today, and more importantly happy for Dallas.  (I'll never root for any of their other three pro teams, especially the Cowboys, but also the Stars and Rangers, too.  I was pulling for the Giants in the World Series last year.)

How about Jason Terry, eh?  Dirk may have been named MVP, but Terry was the heart and soul of this team.  27 points to lead all scorers in Game 6, on 11-of-16 shooting.  That's a pretty telling stat, as were Lebron's: 9-of-15 for 21 points.  That's actually not that bad, but six turnovers, just four turnovers and six assists.  Plus, just four free throws attempted with only ONE made.  WOW!  The Heat were outscored by 24 points when James was on the court in Game 6 and the King's field goal percentage in the 4th Quarter during this entire series wasn't very good, just 7-of-21.  (He had 0 points in the last five minutes of every game that was within five points.) 

Wade, meanwhile, must have been hurt, because he shot just 6-of-16, though at least he actually looked like he wanted to win.  It's funny, because Chris Bosh, the third man of this "Big 3" that came together in the off-season has often been hailed as the third wheel, odd man out, etc., but he probably fits into Miami's team more than Lebron.  That's strictly opinion, though.  (I like Bosh, by the way.  Made sense for him to get out of Toronto and go to a team where he can be the second or third option.)  It was also funny to hear Lebron bash his critics, about how "All the people that were rooting me on to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had before.  They have the same personal problems they had to today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want with me and my family and be happy with that.”  Seriously Bron Bron?  Just shut your mouth and take it like a man.

I'll never like him, not just because he bailed on Cleveland, but the manor in which he did it, as well as his actual choice of teams.  If you were going to leave the Cavs Lebron, why not go to Chicago, which would've been a better fit?  Maybe because he was afraid to play in the constant shadow of Michael Jordan.  But tell me, were John Havlicek or Larry Bird afraid to play in the shadow of Bill Russell?  Were Joe Dimaggio or Mickey Mantle afraid to play in the shadow of Babe Ruth?  No, of course, not.  Which makes me believe that Lebron James, at least at this moment in history, will never be as good as all the experts said.  He's got the talent, obviously, but he'll just never be in the discussion of "greatest of all-time."  Unless of course the NBA bagjobs a title for him next year, if there even is a next year, with a possible lockout looming.  (Sound familiar NFL fans?)

Anyway, I digress, because the other big event yesterday, probably bigger for us sports folks in the Mohawk Valley, was the annual Boxing Hall of Fame Induction.  Some big names were enshrined, including Mike Tyson, Sylvester Stallone and Julio Cesar Chavez.  I ultimately didn't end up going myself, as one of our news photographers went for me, to make sure we got their speeches and I wouldn't have to leave early to produce my 6 p.m. show.  (Worked out well as I didn't get highlights from the Mets and NASCAR until late.)

The speeches didn't last long, though Stallone's was pretty good.  He talked about being a champion in your own life and of course, he finished with the obligatory "YO ADRIAN, I DID IT!!"  I still don't understand why people were knocking the Boxing Hall of Fame when Stallone was announced as an inductee last December.  He was elected as a screenwriter, not an actor.  Remember, he created the character on paper long before you saw him on screen.  A very powerful line from his speech was "it's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, because that's what really does make a difference in your life."  The character of Rocky Balboa was just as important in raising the interest in boxing during the late 1970s and 80s as virtually any real boxer.

Tyson, on the other hand, was out of his element.  He frequently stumbled over his words and abruptly ended his speech.  Oh well, couldn't really expect much more than that.  He was there, even with Don King, a former inductee and one of the people who contributed to the downfall of Tyson's life, sitting up on stage as well.  "Iron" Mike is a very polarizing figure, but he needed to be in this Hall of Fame.  The one thing that would've been nice, is a media session with the big inductees.  Granted, Chavez doesn't speak English and Tyson would be tough, but at the very least, Stallone and Referee Joe Cortez.  (Actually, I did talk with Cortez, Friday afternoon while I was shooting my preview of the festivities.)  Needless to say, the Boxing Hall of Fame is very different from the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Check out these links to our Boxing Hall of Fame stories on WKTV.com:
http://www.wktv.com/sports/Tyson-Stallone-among-Boxing-HOF-inductees-123723974.html
http://www.wktv.com/sports/Tyson-Stallone-extended-inductions-123725094.html

Speaking of which, next weekend is the Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown.  I'll be going down there both Saturday and Sunday to check out all the fun and to interview a few legends.  I've been there each of the first two years and it's been great each time.  (I remember last year a player throwing his glove in the air to knock down a shot, which he then caught bare handed.  Not a legal play, but it's the Classic!  Having fun is the first priority.)

Tonight, the Bruins try to extend their Stanley Cup Finals series with Vancouver, in Game 6 at home.  I'll be hoping for that to happen and maybe we'll have a Game 7!!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Flushin' the TP, Baby Bron Bron and More

This is one of those sports days that just makes me laugh.  You've got Red Sox-Yankees, with first place in the AL East on the line, Game 4 of the NBA Finals between Miami and Dallas, plus lots of newsmakers, including Tiger Woods, Isiah Thomas, Aaron Rome and Terrelle Pryor. 

There were also high school softball regional games, but that's part of my duties as a local sports reporter, and not amusing in the slightest bit.  Even if the team I was covering, Adirondack, had won the game, I wouldn't have described it as amusing.  Maybe thrilling, but not amusing.  Unfortunately the Wildcats lost their first and only game we've shot all year.  D'oh!  Luckily, Hamilton won their game down in Binghamton, though we weren't there to see it.

One exciting piece of news from the WKTV front:  I received my "credential acceptance" letter from the Baseball Hall of Fame for next weekend's Hall of Fame Classic.  It's like getting a college acceptance letter, except you know before you open it what the answer's going to be.  (Although when I applied to Ithaca early decision they actually called to congratulate me on being accepted long before the letter showed up.  So I guess the credential thing really is just like a college acceptance letter, at least for me.)

By the way, this Sunday is the big Boxing Hall of Fame induction in Canastota, with Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sylvester Stallone among another big class.  Should be a media frenzy there, which would be the opposite of last year, when Howard Cosell's grandson was the highlight of the day.  A lot of random boxing folks show up for the weekend and last year the good folks at the hall set me up with an interview with Tommy Morrison, aka Tommy Gunn from Rocky V.  I'd be interested to see him back this year, maybe nose to nose with Stallone.  Is Burt Young still alive?  Maybe ol' Paulie can stand in between them.

By the way, I feel horrible for the family and friends of Oneida County Sheriff Deputy Kurt Wyman, who was killed in the line of duty Monday night.  Our station is covering all aspects of this tragedy, though I'd like to know some more about this nut job who shot him and what caused him to do it.  There's not enough how's and why's in this world, too many who's, what's and where's.

Anyway, back to the matters at hand.  The Red Sox scored three runs in the first inning against the Yankees and John Stirling and Susyn Waldman were ready to concede the game already.  (I turned the game on in my final few minutes coming back from the aforementioned high school softball game.)  They sounded just like my cousin Robert, the Yankee fan, during the 2003 ALCS.  (3-0 in the second inning, Robert: I concede, I concede!  Me: Robert, it's only the second inning!)  Then they got really pissed when Lester hit Teixiera on the knee.  It's only the first inning and the Boston bats got him a three run lead.  You really think Lester wants baserunners?  Anyway, despite the best efforts of Johnny Crapelbon, the Sox held on for the 6-4 lead.  Now we have a tie again for first.  (By the way, the AL East is still the closest in all of baseball.  Tampa is 2.5 out, Toronto 3.5 out and Baltimore 5.5.  Long way to go still.)  Apparently Joe Girardi is mad at Big Papi for flipping his bat after a home run.  I think he was still peeved that his first baseman went down and that meant Jorge "they don't respect me" Posada had to play first the rest of the game.  Seemed to work out okay for the Bombers though, because Jorgie went 3-for-3 with a ribbie and a run scored.  (By the way, Paps was only playing because he's appealing a three game suspension from his meltdown last weekend.  He may be the second youngest to reach 200 saves, second only to Eck, but I have doubts on whether he can get 200 more, or even 100.  Hope I'm wrong.)  It seems weird, the Sox and Yanks playing mid-week, but it's cool, the Boston nine are now 6-1 vs. NY this year.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals, I didn't watch, but saw the result.  Hahahahahaha, oh sorry I just saw Baby Bron Bron's stat line for the night.  8 points, EIGHT??  Wow, that's just hilarious.  Bosh and Wade both had good nights, though Bosh, like Lebron, had a poor shooting night.  James did have nine rebounds and seven assists, so in reality he had a decent game.  But other than that (can we call them something else other than the "Big 3?"  I mean seriously, I like ESPN's nickname for KG, Allen & Pierce, "The Boston Three Party."  Though it's actually a Four Party now with Rondo.  Can't we come up with something for these overrated, egotistical d-bags?), the Heat had nothing, while Dallas had several guys step up, especially Shawn Marion, although ironically, Miami shot much better as team than the Mavs.  Jason Terry made some big contributions, though he had an awful stat line from the field, 6-15.  Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 11 rebounds, but I guess he was battling a fever and wasn't great until the fourth quarter.  Guess the Heatles blew it again in the fourth and Dirk hit a big shot with 14 seconds left.  I like the idea that Dallas could actually win this series, not just because I'm a die hard Celtics fan and want the Heat to lose, but because it would be great for the overseas market, which I know David Stern loves.  I just thought he and the rest of the NBA Powers That Be wanted Bron Bron to win a title more.  This one really could go either way, because Miami just doesn't want to play in the fourth quarter.  You give a team like the Mavs an opening, they're going to take it.  It really could be 3-1 Dallas, but the Heat were lucky that Dirk missed his chance in Game 3.

Speaking of finals, Vancouver's Aaron Rome's been suspended for the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals after his head shot on the Bruins' Nathan Horton.  Too little, too late, though, because Rome's not the impact player that Horton is.  The NHL had a chance to send a message by suspending that punk Alex Burrows for his rendition of "Tree Bites Man," but instead the Canucks not only got away with it, but Burrows ended up being the hero of Game 2.  Everyone who thinks the Bruins are back in the series because they scored eight goals at home in Game 3 need to think again.  The refs will be clamping down on everything in Game 4, which means lots of penalty mintues and that doesn't favor the B's.  I'm thinking 5-2 Vancouver, with the series ending in five back in Canada.

So Tiger Woods is officially out of the U.S. Open, which is bad news in two big ways.  First, it means lower ratings for our coverage of the Open next weekend, but it's also likely that Tiger will be pulling out of the Notay Begay III Foundation Challenge at the Turning Stone on July 5th.  Can you imagine the media coverage if it ends up being the first event back or maybe even a test for him?  It would get so crazy up here, I can't even imagine.

I guess the Pistons are thinking about hiring either Isiah Thomas or Bill Laimbeer as their next coach.  Wow, is that story real?  Actually, Laimbeer might not be a bad choice.  He's actually had some success, albeit in the WNBA, but still, maybe a smart move on Detroit's part, though I still hate his guts.  But seriously, Isiah?  What is it about this guy that keeps landing him jobs?  He's terrible at everything having to do with basketball except playing the game, and as a Celtics fan, I would argue that he was overrated there.  Hey, I don't like the Pistons, so more power to you, morons.  Go and hire Isiah, see how many players you overpay and oh the games you will lose...

Finally, let's talk about Terrelle Pryor.  I remember when I worked in West Virginia and Rich Rod was trying to get him to go there and then when RR left WVU for Michigan, Pryor decided to go to the Wolverines' biggest rival, Ohio State.  Nothing amuses me more than major Division I College Football.  It's so obvious how corrupt it is, yet no one either wants or can do anything about it.  That's why I watch the games, enjoy the players, matchups and rivalries, but never really take a full rooting interest.  And I certainly don't worry about how many games a team has won, or whether they'll make a bowl game, unless of course, I'm covering said team, in which case, that's part of the package.  But Division I-A, sorry the FBS, is dirty, there's no getting around it.  That's why it's so funny to me when I see how shocked people are when a scandal erupts at one of these big schools.  If the NCAA really wants to send a message and make sure no one does it again, you give "The" Ohio State University the Death Penalty.  The same one given to SMU back in the 80s.  But it will never happen, because there's too much money at stake.  Ohio State is in the Big 10, which has a cable network that brings in a ton of moolah.  Pryor has been banished from being a Buckeye, doing exactly what he said he wouldn't do, mainly because he's being forced into it, and worse, he can't go into the NFL Draft, because that's already happened and they're still locked out anyway.  But I'm not crying for him, because he knew exactly what he was doing, he made his bed, yada yada yada.  He's not the first to cheat, he's just the latest, biggest name to get caught.  And unfortunately he won't be the last.

Hmm, I really don't want to end this on a downer, so how about a movie quote:  "El Guapo, here come the guns!"  -Three Amigos

Friday, June 3, 2011

Three Days in the 'Cuse

So I have to write some thoughts on the last three days, when I hauled arse out to Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse, home of the Chiefs, AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.  The Section III High School Baseball finals were held there and quite frankly, two of the three games I shot had no business being there.  I mean seriously, Cooperstown vs. Sauquoit and NY Mills vs. Brookfield really should have been at either DeLutis Field in Rome or Murnane Field in Utica.  They should've figured something out to change those venues.  Anyway I digress, because we got highlights of all four games we needed, including Whitesboro winning their third Class A final in four years and Clinton falling in the overall B final.

Something weird happened on the first day, an afternoon contest between Mills and Brookfield for the D final.  Usually when you walk up the steps to the main concourse at ABS, you get a face full of wind.  But this time, it was so brutally hot with no wind that I felt nothing!  Setting up my camera at ABS is interesting, because you have to go behind home plate, with the net in front of you and if there's anyone sitting there, you're S.O.L.  That first day I had to go a little to the side of home, which unfortunately was directly in the sun.  While I remembered to put some sunscreen on my face, I really should've brought a hat.  What's really pathetic is that I could've done that all three days and guess what?  I forgot one every day!  Whoops.  Luckily the games were late enough in the day that the sun moved out of sight as to not sunburn my face at all.  On the third day I misplaced my sunscreen, so I got a little roasted.

Interesting note on Brookfield.  They're in our coverage area, are a little bit farther away than Sauquoit, closer than Mt. Markham, but we never ever shoot them.  I guess they don't have that many teams, but more importantly, never call in scores.  However, their baseball team is still undefeated, having beat Mills Tuesday to win the section and advance to regionals.  Even better, they'll be playing at DeLutis Monday, the only team in regionals playing in our area.  So that's a plus.

What can I say about Whitesboro?  They were down against Bishop Ludden, looking just anemic on offense in the early inning.  Down 2-0, 4-2 and 5-4, the Warriors rebounded every time and eventually exploded with a four run inning.  Ryan Watson shut the door in relief, channeling Pedro Martinez in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS against Cleveland, striking out nine in just four innings.  This is head coach Bill DeCoursey's final run at the helm, so his next loss will be his final game, unless Whitesboro wins their first ever state championship, which is certainly possible.  Watson then channeled A.J. Burnett in DeCoursey's post-game interview, hitting his coach in the face with a pie while we were talking with him!  I probably should have just left, without talking to the players, because they had a post-game meeting after DeCoursey's interview and it was already 10 p.m.  But I really wanted to talk with Watson and starter Matt Engler and needed some more sound for the rest of the weekend.  So at 10:15 I headed back to Utica, barrelling across the NY State Thruway, praying I wouldn't get pulled over.  Luckily that didn't happen and we were able to get highlights and the pie in the face on for the 11 p.m. show.  Whew!

Thursday could've been worse than it was.  Not to be a douche or anything, but I'm glad Clinton lost in the first game.  I felt horrible that this was the first Warrior game we shot of this year, but I found out that they were a .500 team before playoffs, plus the spring was more erratic than usual with weather.  I would've shot their B-2 championship game vs. Ilion Monday, but it was at 11 a.m. and I had worked late the night before.  Plus I knew I'd be working every day this week, so sacrifices had to be made.  If Clinton had won, I would've had to shoot post, which would have made getting back later even harder.  Cooperstown and Sauquoit ended at about 9:45 p.m., the time I had decided in advance I had to leave to get back to Utica, no matter what the score was.  Cooperstown had the lead early, scoring two runs in the top of the first.  But the Indians slowly came back and they took the lead on back to back beanballs in the bottom of the sixth.  (Okay, so they weren't really shots to the head, but beanballs sounds better than "back to back hit batsmen.")  I was worried the game would go to extras, but Sauquoit bailed me out, even though I couldn't stay to get post-game interviews.

Thursday was also the only day of the three where it wasn't 90 degrees with the sun in my face and my sweating bullets.  Instead the wind was stronger and the weather about 45 degrees.  Good thing I brought a warmer jacket, though it wasn't quite frankly warm enough.  Also M.I.A. on Thursday were the spiders that attacked my camera and tripod on Wednesday night as soon as the sun disappeared and the stadium lights were all that was left.  I splattered four of them right in a row, including what looked to be a black widow hanging on the camera's viewfinder.  Another annoyance was the camera's constant habit of randomly shutting off.  The only time it screwed me over though was in the Whitesboro game, when I missed the Warriors tying the game at four on a two run hit.

Ah, the joys of being on the road in the local tv sports/news business.  On the plus side, DeCoursey channeled Mills boys basketball coach Mike Adey after the Marauders won the state title this year in telling me I'm a good luck charm.  Adey told me I can't ever leave, considering how much success they've had since I started working here.  I didn't have the heart to tell DeCoursey that I wouldn't be heading to Albany to shoot their first regional game next Monday.  Sorry coach, but on the plus side, if you win Monday, I'll be at DeLutis to shoot your second regional game Tuesday.  So you've got that going for you... which is nice.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend at the Hall

It's been an interesting Memorial Day Weekend.  I had it off last year to go to a wedding in Cleveland, but this time it's back to the norm on a holiday, anchoring from Friday through Monday.  If it was a boring weekend I probably wouldn't have been happy about it.  But that wasn't the case this time around, with baseball and softball sectional games all weekend, as well as the opening of a new exhibit on records at the Baseball Hall of Fame.  (And I apologize to the Whitesboro baseball team, because I had to sacrifice shooting your sectional semifinal game to go to Cooperstown.)

What interested me about this event was the opportunity to meet three Hall of Famers, namely Phil Niekro, Joe Morgan, and one of the all-time greats, Cal Ripken Jr.  (Now where's Mike O'Hara and Jimmy Flaherty from the movie Celtic Pride to kidnap him for being in a pennant race with the Red Sox...)  I'm always impressed by the job the Baseball Hall of Fame does with these types of events.  They always plan everything as perfectly as they can.  Memorial Day weekend is always huge for them, because it starts up their summer season, in which their hours are extended and they get ready for their two big events, the Hall of Fame Classic next month in which former players come to Cooperstown and play a seven inning exhibition, and the Induction Ceremony in July.  (This year's class includes second baseman Robby Alomar, pitcher Bert Blyleven and GM Pat Gillick.)

But back to the opening of One for the Books, which is the name of this new exhibit.  It's amazing and quite frankly anyone who's a fan of baseball needs to see it in person.  The displays are cool and I found myself checking them all out. (There's one that shows the average time it takes to drive from Yankee Stadium to Fenway Park, which is less than the time of the longest nine inning game in MLB history, in 2006 between the Yankees and Red Sox.)  The centerpiece is what's called the Top Ten Tower, in which you can not only find the all-time and active leaders in many categories, but also who were those leaders at any point in MLB history.  (Yes I did take a few minutes to check it out and I had to pry myself away from it, because I could have spent an hour there.)

The opening was pretty cool as well, because I got to interview Ripken, Niekro and Morgan.  While I had the honor of being the first to speak with Cal, I didn't monopolize his time, because the media members there all did seperate interviews and had a limited time to speak with him.  The Hall getting Cal to open this exhibit was perfect, given that he owns one of the most prestigious records in MLB history, consecutive games played.  There's a display for it that includes the clip of him breaking Lou Gehrig's record back in 1995, which Cal said brought back the memories of that game.  We also talked about the AL East, which is still the closest race so far in 2011, since he's a Baltimore guy.  Going against character, I didn't tell him I'm a Red Sox fan.  Weird, eh?  I did divulge that to Morgan, though, and we had a few laughs about that.  (I forgot to ask him about the '75 World Series, though.  D'oh!)  Niekro was very cool as well.  It's interesting, because he's been at each of the two previous Hall of Fame Classic games, but I've never spoke with him before.  (Guess there was always a bigger HOFer to grab.  Sorry about that Phil!)  Needless to say I'll be speaking with him again in a month when I go back to the Coop for the Classic.

In any case, I had a great time.  You can check out the link to the feature I did for my Saturday night sportscast here: http://www.wktv.com/sports/Baseball-HOF-kicks-off-season-with-new-exhibit-122788204.html

Looks like I'll be working every night this week covering baseball section finals and that's a'ight with me!!  We've got Ilion, Clinton, Sauquoit Valley, West Canada Valley, Cooperstown, NY Mills and Whitesboro all playing and I'm already missing Ilion-Clinton because it's this morning.  But hopefully we'll get all the rest.  It would've been cool to see VVS make it back to the Class A final against Whitesboro, but Bishop Ludden was the top seed and took care of business.  So hopefully the Warriors will get it done again, in head coach Bill DeCoursey's last season.  We'll find out Wednesday!

Monday, May 23, 2011

In Memory of the Macho Man

It's been a tough weekend for me.  Not because of anything work related, in fact, work was great.  We now have the high school baseball and softball playoffs all set, so that will keep me busy the next few weeks.  But what made it so tough was how I felt all weekend like I lost a piece of my childhood with Friday's shocking news that Randy "Macho Man" Savage died in a car accident.  Although he hasn't made many public appearances in the last decade, the Macho Man was one of my idols growing up, and seeing him pass at 58 years old is tragic.

I haven't watched wrestling on a regular basis since the death of Chris Benoit, but I certainly have a lot of old tapes and DVDs of the classic days when Macho Man was one of sports entertainment's biggest stars.  I remember going over to my best friend's house to see Wrestlemania IV and rooting for Randy to win the WWF title tournament, which he did, beating Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, the One Man Gang and Ted Dibiase along the way.  I remember seeing him at the old Boston Garden, taking on Bad News Brown and dropping that amazing flying elbow to secure the victory.  I remember reconvening with the same friends who saw Wrestlemania IV a year later to see Macho defend the title against Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania V, and how mad I was when he was forced to give up the title he worked so hard for, so Hogan could keep his pants up with that belt around his waist.

I could go on for hours about all the great matches and moments I'll remember about the Macho Man.  His reunion with Miss Elizabeth at Wrestlemania VII after losing a "career ending" match with the Ultimate Warrior, still one of the most underrated 'Mania matches ever, brings tears to the eyes of most wrestling fans.  His feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts that started up Macho's wrestling career again, will always be remembered for that cobra nibbling on Randy's arm.  That's still hard to watch, even today.  His series of matches with Ric Flair, specifically at Wrestlemania VIII, as he won his second WWF title.  His numerous commercials for Slim Jim.  His jump to WCW and feud with Diamond Dallas Page.  His cameo as "Bonesaw McGraw" in the first Spiderman movie.  ("Bonesaw's ready!!")  His hilarious rap album, in which he both takes jabs at Hogan ("Be a Man") and also pays tribute to Mr. Perfect ("Perfect Friend").  And finally, his promo for the recent WWE All-Stars game, in which he appears as he died, as a roided up Santa Claus.  (It's a compliment, really!)

Those are far from the only memories I'll remember about the Macho Man, but the rest are just too numerous.  I've been watching a lot of his matches from my video library the last few days, and like many have done, here is a list of my favorites.

1. vs. Ricky Steamboat, Wrestlemania III, 3/29/87 - There just gets no better than this.  It was the greatest match in Wrestlemania history, and maybe of all time.  Savage was the most hated man in the world, even more than Andre the Giant, who faced Hogan that same night in the Silverdome, because of what he had done to Steamboat.  Weeks earlier Macho had used a ring bell to "crush" the throat of his challenger.  Steamboat ended up coming back and taking Macho's Intercontinental title after a series of near falls so amazing, you really just didn't know who would win.  The loss of his title ended up being a blessing for Savage, though, because he became a main event star as a result.

2. vs. Ted Dibiase, Wrestlemania IV, 3/27/88 - These two actually had much better technical matches, but I put this one this high because it was the first time I'd ever seen Macho in the ring and he won the championship.  He did get help from Hogan to win it, but that's wrestling.  The outcomes are predetermined, and it set up the ongoing storyline of friendship and then rivarly between the two biggest stars of the late 80s/early 90s.

3. vs. the Ultimate Warrior, Wrestlemania VII, 3/24/91 - As I already mentioned, it's the most underrated Wrestlemania match ever, with both guys giving their all, probably the last time you could say that about Warrior, and nobody knowing how it would end.  That part of it was probably the weakest, with Savage "knocked out" and Warrior stepping on him for the cover.  And the aftermath was great, with Elizabeth rescuing Savage from a beating by Scary Sherri was classic.  Plus, I don't think I've ever seen Macho give anyone the flying elbow drop as many times as he gave it to Warrior here.

4. vs. Ric Flair, Wrestlemania VIII, 4/5/92 - Just over a year after Savage's career "ended" at the hands of Warrior, he was not only back in the ring, but facing Flair for the title.  Props to the Nature Boy, Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan for selling the bad guy angle leading up to this match.  Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon's commentary is classic, especially duirng Flair's intro.  "Bobby: If you want to be fair to Flair, you gotta be fair and say that's a helluva a robe.  And only a man as fair as Flair would show up at Wrestlemania...  Gorilla:  Will you stop!!"  Macho won with a rollup to earn his second world title.  OOH YEAH!!

5. vs. Tito Santana, Boston Garden, 2/8/86 - This is the start of Macho's first title regin, the Intercontinental title, which lasted over a year, in one of my favorite places, the old crappy Boston Garden, home of the Celtics and Bruins.  I love seeing all those banners hanging up in the background.  It's funny because I heard Savage reference this match while doing a radio interview with Eddie Andleman and Dale Arnold of WEEI in Boston when Macho was doing PR for WCW's first ever visit to Boston for Monday Nitro at the Fleetcenter in 1997.  "Dale:  Macho Man Savage has got to be on the list of greatest athletes to win in Boston.  Sure Larry Bird won a championship and Bobby Orr won the Stanley Cup, but did either of them ever bash Tito Santana over the head with a foreign object to win the Intercontinental title?  Randy:  It wasn't a foreign object!  Dale:  Well, what did you hit him with?  Randy:  My 22-inch arms.  Eddie:  Pythons right?  Randy:  No, my rattlesnakes, got to go with another snake, python's not cool."  I still have this recorded on cassette and it was classic, complete with several bashings of Hogan, with whom he was buddies with in the nWo at the time.  But the match with Tito is great, too.  Still don't quite know what that object was Macho hit him with...

6. vs. Jake the Snake, Saturday Night's Main Event, 11/29/86 - Obviously the later feud between the two was great, but at this time both were super heels and Savage was the I-C champ.  In the SNME DVD, Jake says that Dick Ebersol, head of NBC Sports, called the two into his office before the event and said "if the ratings drop commercial to commercial, this will be the last time you'll be on SNME and you'll be back in Poughkeepsie doing TV tapings."  Apparently that didn't happen, because this was a great match between two masters.  The fans actually got behind Jake big time in this match, chanting "DDT," Jake's finishing move.  It was probably because of the match that both were turned face within a few months.  I hadn't yet discovered wrestling when this match actually aired, but I'm guessing it was exciting, and at that time, you never saw a bad guy vs. bad guy or even good guy vs. good guy match, ever!

7. vs. the Honkytonk Man, Saturday Night's Main Event, 10/3/87 - The odds were stacked against Macho, with Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation helping out Honky in this match, so what did Elizabeth, Macho's manager, do?  Bring out Hulk Hogan for the first time to help her man.  Everyone in the crowd knew it would happen, but still, it was one of those old school OMG moments that you love to watch again.  Plus, the postmatch interview with the new "Megapowers" team is amazing, when Savage says, "The Mega-yeah, the Mega-yeah, the MEGAPOWERS!!"

8. w/Hogan vs. Akeem and the Big Bossman, The Main Event, 2/3/89 - This match actually sucked, big time.  It had the kind of ending I loathed, with Hogan coming back from a beating he never should have survived, to win.  Looking back, I still don't understand how could anyone have supported Hogan in the storyline.  He did exactly what Savage accused him of, which is stealing his woman/manager and the title from Macho nearly two months later, at Wrestlemania V.  (I didn't put that match on this list because of the horrible ending, but it was a great main event.)  During this match, Akeem throws Savage into Elizabeth (which they had to do twice because Liz moved right before Akeem threw Macho the first time), knocking her out.  With both Randy and Liz down, what does Hogan do?  Picks up Liz and carries her to the back, leaving Macho to the wolves.  Who does that?  They have medical personnel to help Liz!  But it was funny to hear Hogan practically humping Liz's hand in the back.  I love Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura's commentary when Hogan finally came back and Savage slaps the taste out of Hogan's mouth.  "Vince:  Hulk Hogan reaching for the tag, Randy Savage not tagging out.  What's he, OOH what a slap!  Jesse:  Wow!  Vince:  What was that for?  Jesse:  I don't know, but Savage struck Hogan!"  The postmatch drama made it even more hilarious, and obvious that Hogan couldn't improv his way out of a paper bag, and neither could Liz, not to mention Brutus Beefcake coming in too early to save Hogan.  Macho saved what was otherwise would have been the dumbest segment ever.  "If want to come after me man on man for the belt, I will beat you one, two, three, that would be okay with me."

9. vs. Hogan, the Main Event, 2/23/90 - One year later, Hogan was the champ and Savage was the "Macho King," after beating "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the "King of the Ring" title.  (Why was Jigsaw Jim given a title?  So he could lose it to Macho Man!!)  This match was basically the same as all Hogan-Savage matches during this time, except that James "Buster" Douglas was the outside ref.  For anyone who doesn't remember, Douglas had surprisingly knocked out Mike Tyson just 12 days prior to that, to become the World Heavyweight Boxing Champ.  Tyson was scheduled to be the ref for this match, but backed out at the last minute.  How the WWF was able to get Douglas on such short notice is still amazing to me, and while he wasn't much of an actor, he played the cheesiness as well as he could.  Yes, he did end up giving Hogan the win on a fast count pin, but it was Macho Man's reaction that was priceless.  He bobbed and weaved around the ring, ready to box Buster, and in the end, Hogan showed how low he really is, by pushing Savage into a knockout punch by Douglas.  Hilarious!

10. Any match vs. DDP.  Savage's time in WCW was, for the most part, a big waste of time.  He did have a great series with Flair, but none of those matches were as good as Wrestlemania VIII.  And every time he fought Hogan he was forced to lose.  It was really ridiculous.  The one guy that seemed to bring the best out of the Macho Man was the up and coming DDP, who was becoming a star, one of the few decent guys that WCW built themselves in the mid to late 90s.  Their match at Spring Stampede 1997 was great, because Savage lost the match while "snapping," specifically at WCW/nWo boss Eric Bischoff.  That summer Savage and Page fought again, with Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall getting involved, and then again that October at Halloween Havoc in a "Las Vegas Sudden Death Match."  Page just seemed to be the only one in WCW that brought the inner fire and that old school intensity out of Randy.

Well, there you have it.  It's been very sad, thinking about the passing of the Macho Man.  I would say that it's a travesty that he's not in the WWE Hall of Fame, but seriously, they're so screwed up it doesn't even matter.  The one good thing they did was produce the Savage DVD Collection, releasing it right around the same time as the Best of Saturday Night's Main Event, which featured many classic Randy moments as well.  Thanks to these clips I will always remember one of my favorite entertainers and how much I will miss him.  OOH YEAH!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

May the 4th Be With You

Wow, when I decided to start this blog over seven months ago I never thought it would take me this long to post another entry.  So since last September I've been to Orlando for my buddy Jeff's wedding, back to Boston several times to see the family (including an impromptu vacation in early December, my first in two years!!), to NYC to cover the Syracuse Basketball team in the Big East Tournament (had a much better time this year!), to Glens Falls where the NY Mills boys basketball team won the state championship and of course, to my own personal happiest place on earth, Cooperstown.  (I was just at the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday for Bert Blyleven's tour and media session!)

So life has been crazy, needless to say.  Today was May 4th, Star Wars Day (May The 4th Be With You!!) and I've had a weird week.  I was originally supposed to have Thursday and Friday off, but had to switch around my schedule, first because of the Liberty League women's lacrosse tournament, hosted by Hamilton, then because of all the rain.  (For the second straight week with this!  Seriously, has anyone noticed how awful the weather has become all over the world?  This really doesn't seem normal.)

This past Sunday was the final day for WKTV's outgoing weekend news anchor, Emma Wright, and fittingly enough, she had to wait an hour to start her last show, because of the announcement by President Obama about the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Wow people are getting revved up about someone dying and more importantly angry when someone doesn't get excited about it.  Hey, I'm an American Jew, high on the Taliban hit list, but I'm not jumping for joy.  While I'm happy he's gone, Bin Laden won't be the last face of a terrorist organization determined to bring down the US.  But at least those people who lost loved ones at 9-11 can get some closure, as he was responsible for what happened.  But you know what?  Everyone says that was such a dark day in US history, but I disagree.  I think it showed how Americans can come together, especially the ones who were in that last plane that crashed.  I like to think that those folks overpowered the terrorists and screwed up their plans.  In any case, that's all I'm going to say about that.

So in sports news, the Red Sox started 0-6 and are still under .500, the Celtics swept the Carmelo-led Knicks out of the playoffs and are now down 0-2 to Miami and the Bruins are up 3-0 again on the Flyers in the second round of the playoffs.  Should be interesting from here on out.

Hopefully it won't take me another seven months to post another entry.