Blog

Briefly.

Words cannot express how limited my vocabulary is.

Trivia #1: When was the last time both the Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball teams failed to qualify for the NCAA basketball tournament?

Trivia #2: When was the last time both the Duke University men’s and women’s basketball teams failed to qualify for the NCAA basketball tournament?

Trivia #3: After last night’s 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, David Krejci moved into 8^th place all-time in points (702) for the Boston Bruins. Which two players are not in the top five? – Brad Marchand, Rick Middleton, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Esposito

Trivia #4: Why are their two play-in games amongst 11^th seeded teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?

Trivia #5: When was the last time the Duke men’s basketball team did not win 20+ games in a season? (they were 13-11 this year) – ’95-’96, -’01-’02, ’11-’12, ’87-’88, ’99-’00, ’78-‘79

So much for Michigan State’s men’s coach Tom Izzo leading the Spartans to the Final Four in my bracket!!! – Good thing the deadline is today at noon for entry.

Nearly 99% of NCAA men’s basketball games were played this past season. That’s pretty remarkable given the COVID-19 protocols.

The f*ckin’ Catalina Wine Mixer.

The last team left out of the men’s basketball tournament, Louisville, is on stand-by in case a team needs to drop due to COVID-19 protocols. Now, the chair of the tournament selection committee was Mitch Barnhart who happens to be the athletic director at Kentucky. Kentucky don’t like Louisville, go figure.

Good news: Traci Carter has done more than lead the University of Hartford to their first NCAA men’s basketball tournament appearance. Carter, a 24-year old graduate transfer, started The Anchors Camp after his brother was slain last summer in their hometown of Philadelphia. City kids travel to a farm near tiny Madison, New York, where they participate in traditional camp activities but also tour Colgate University to learn basic skills such as plumbing, electrical work, or how to cut hair.

Quote for the week: “Part of me wishes he was here so I could rub it in his face a little bit more.” – Justin Thomas referring to Tiger Woods last Sunday after Thomas had won the Players Championship.

Well that was quick! Last week we reported that Alex Ovechkin had scored his 715^th goal to move within two goals of Phil Esposito for 6^th all-time. Ovechkin now has 718.

The effort was there… I guess. Anastasia Hanson, 56, of California, started a GoFundMe page to pay off the mortgage on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s $14.6 million California estate. After raising a measly $110, ($5 from her!) the page was shut down.

Tom Brady has given out what allegedly is his cell number. He said that sharing his number will be a tool to allow him to communicate more directly with fans and followers. Rule number one, “no texting on game days.” It is unclear whether a text to the number is actually delivered to Brady’s personal cell hone. I have not, and will not, text him, but for you – (415) 612-1737.

The “’Old ball-n-chain?” A Ukraine couple (28 and 33 years old) handcuffed themselves together on Valentine’s Day as a pledge to strengthen their on-again, off-again relationship. They have pledged to be handcuffed to each other for three months. Amongst other daily activities that takes getting used to, the couple say they take turns using the bathroom, their hand stretched inside.

So this is the time for “Legal Tampering” in the NFL. Gotta love that term!

Call me a homer, I am, but I have to laugh at the critics who think the New England Patriots will suck this season because teams that spend wildly on free agents typically don’t fair well. Now that’s sound reasoning!

Article I’ll skip: “Reason for A-Rod/J-Lo split revealed”

Nice resume, Mr. Hendrix. But, are you experienced?

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A Fargo, North Dakota, man says he’s been receiving threatening letters from his condo association over complaints that his American flag is making too much noise on windy days.

R.I.P. Dick Hoyt (80) – Dick, of Sturbridge, MA, was a legend since the early 80’s pushing his son in his wheelchair through Boston Marathons, Hawaii’s Ironman Triathlon as well as running/biking across the country as part of a fundraiser. His son, Rick, suffered from cerebral palsy and is now in his 50’s. Dick once pushed Rick in under three hours in the Boston Marathon!

Trivia #1 answer: When was the last time both the Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball teams failed to qualify for the NCAA basketball tournament? – 1995

Trivia #2 answer: When was the last time both the Duke University men’s and women’s basketball teams failed to qualify for the NCAA basketball tournament? – Never happened

Trivia #3 answer : After last night’s 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, David Krejci moved into 8^th place all-time in points for the Boston Bruins. Which two players is not in the top five? – Brad Marchand, Rick Middleton, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Esposito – Brad Marchand and Bobby Orr

Trivia #4 answer: Why are their two play-in games amongst 11^th seeded teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament? – The four teams that play in the 11-seed play-in games are the last four “at-large” teams that qualify for the tournament, as opposed to the last four teams overall. Those four teams play in the 16-seed play-in games.

Trivia #5 answer: When was the last time the Duke Men’s basketball team did not win 20+ games in a season? (they were 13-11 this year) – ’95-’96, -’01-’02, ’11-’12, ’87-’88, ’99-’00, ’78-’79 – The answer is 1995-1996 (18-13)

Be careful out there and enjoy the games.

“Gimme the ball
I’ll go one-on-one against the world, left-handed
I could stuff it from center court with my toes
I could jump on top of the backboard,
Take off a quarter, leave fifteen cents change, I could,
I could dribble behind my back
I got more moves than Ex-Lax, I’m bad
I could dribble with my tongue
Here I go down the court, try to stop me
You can’t stop me ‘cause I got a Basketball Jones
Here I come, that’s my hook shot with my eyebrow
Yeah, I could dunk it with my nose
I’m, I’m bad as King Kong,
Gimme the ball. I’m hot, I’m hot as… I’m hot as… uh, uh, uh, uh, uh

Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones, Basketball Jones”

– Cheech and Chong (featuring Tyrone Shoelaces)

Briefly.

Remember, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… except for bears. Bears will kill you.

Trivia #1: The Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scored his 715^th career goal last night moving him two goals shy of 6^th place Phil Esposito (717). Who is #5 (731)?

Trivia #2: Last week we learned Cameron Champ has the longest drive on the PGA tour this season (424 yards). Champ is 4^th overall in average driving distance. Which two golfers are not ahead of him in the top 3? – Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Wolff

Trivia #3: What MLB player has the most career Opening Day hits? – Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Ted Williams, Willie Mays

DYK: Of the top 12 goal scorers of all-time, Alex Ovechkin is second with 262 PPG’s and dead last with only 4 SHG’s.

I hope you up here in the Northeast enjoyed yesterday’s 70 degree weather. The next day forecasted to be above 60 degrees is April 15.

Opening Day – 20 days away.

A true classic, I see that Geico is replaying an old commercial with Dikembe Mutombo blocking everything from trash being thrown at a trashcan to a box of cereal being thrown into a shopping cart. Great one!

It’s Madness, I tell you! March Madness!

Good news: A man was walking his 5-year German Shepard (Diesel) when the dog began to bark. The dog’s owner, who was wearing earbuds, knew something was up. He removed his earbuds and heard a man crying for help. A 22-year old man had fallen through the ice on a nearby pond. The dog owner called 911 and, along with another man, pulled the victim from the ice with a branch.

Are you filling out a bracket this year???

Since letting up 13 goals in back-to-back games two weeks ago, the Bruins have let up 7 goals in their past 6 games, shutting out the Rangers last night.

Interviewer: “What’s your greatness weakness?”
Me: “Honesty”
Interviewer: “I don’t think that honesty is a weakness.”
Me: “I don’t give a shit what you think.”

Be appreciative for what you have.

Quote for the week: “…And I feel terrible that I’m getting stopped, accosted, asking for passes, everybody in this building should know who the hell I am…” – Poor Patrick Ewing who was stopped by security in Madison Square Garden

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: In its latest update, Dictionary.com added hundreds of new words including two, “cromulent” and “embiggen”, both inspired by a 1996 episode of The Simpsons.

Kyrie Irving (40 points) came back to haunt the Celtics once again as the Brooklyn Nets beat up on the Celtics 121-109 last night. The Celtics need to make at least one move in order to hang with the Nets.

Trivia #1 answer: The Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scored his 715^th career goal last night moving him two goals shy of 6^th place Phil Esposito (717). Who is #5 (731)? – Marcel Dionne (731)

Trivia #2 answer: Last week we learned Cameron Champ has the longest drive on the PGA tour this season (424 yards). Champ is 4^th overall in average driving distance. Which two golfers are not ahead of him in the top 3? – Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Wolff – Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff

Trivia #3: What MLB player has the most career Opening Day hits? – Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Ted Williams, Willie Mays – Pete Rose (31)

Be careful out there and have a Happy Selection Sunday!

“I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name”

– U2

Briefly.

Remember, the only thing standing between you and your dreams are your appearance, lack of talent and general personality.

Trivia #1: What two schools are not in the top five of NCAA men’s basketball tournament championships? – Kentucky, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Indiana, UConn, North Carolina

Trivia #2: What school has the longest drought between appearances in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament? – Bowling Green, Toledo, Harvard, Yale, Rice, Brown, Dartmouth

Trivia #3: Who has the longest drive so far on the PGA tour? – Matt Jones, Cameron Champ, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Connor Syme, Sergio Garcia

Baseball is starting, the NBA and NHL are in full swing, the Masters is just around the corner and NCAA men’s basketball is about to enter the conference championship season. What a great time for sports!

Did you hear about the guy whose young daughter needed to put on weight but she wasn’t eating/nursing? He made a “formula bong”, complete with funnel, and fed the baby frat-style. It worked! Brilliant!

What? You’re asking what the Red Sox’ 2021 schedule looks like? Opening Day is home, Thursday April 1 vs. Baltimore. April is their most home-friendly month with 16 games at Friendly Fenway. The month also includes their longest homestand at 10 games. They are on the road for 15 games in July with their longest road trip (9 games) running from July 30 thru August 8. Now, they don’t play the yankees until 57 games into the season, June 4 (35% into the schedule). They then go on to play them 19 times, at least twice in every remaining month and 8 times in July. Interleague games, not a fan, Mets, Philly, Atlanta, Miami and they end the season at Washington. All yawns.

Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, 22 yaers old, just had his rookie card sell for a cool $6 million. Averaging 28.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9 assists while shooting from the field (47.5%), three (35.15) and foul line (75.9) thru 31 games. I’ve heard him being compared to Larry Bird. He’s 22 years old.

I think you have had to attend an exhibition baseball game in warm weather to truly appreciate it. Baseball is back!

Good news: Volunteers for a California nonprofit that helps veterans and their families have finished building a wheelchair ramp for a disabled Coast Guard veteran who hadn’t left his home in two years.

For a handful of us, today is JBDD Day – John Belushi did not die day. On today’s date in 1982, Belushi was found dead of a drug overdose.

Quote for the week: “I was telling my wife, I had a root canal and my identity stolen last week and I think those were the two of my better days in the last eight days.” – Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens after the Celtics’ recent three-game losing streak amidst a 5-9 run. (The Celtics have just rebounded and won 4 in a row)

Quote for the week, part deux: “You’d get arrested these days for wearing shorts like that.” – Celtics’ commentator Mike Gorman after watching a clip of an 80’s Celtics team.

I hope I never get to the point where I need to workout in front of a mirror. I think, the older I get, the further I get from that.

The interviewer: “Can you perform under pressure?” Me: “No, but I can try Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The NBA Allstar break is upon us already. That was fast! Will anyone beat Steph Curry in the 3-point contest??

Speaking of the NBA… 4’2” Payton Pritchard of the Celtics (OK, he’s a little taller than that) is fun to watch. Quick as a cat he is a little gnat on defense.

And further speaking of the Red Sox… JBJ is gone, off to Milwaukee. Damn. Just two years ago the Sox had what was seen as the greatest outfield in baseball – young, talented, the sky was the limit. Now, not only has the outfield been broken up, but they are all gone – Betts, Benintendi, Bradley Jr. What a shame.

Tuukka/Halak – The hottest Bruins’ goalie combination in recent memory. I mean, do you ever say “Damn, Halak’s in net tonight?”

The Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use by the DFA. Great news! The vaccine was 72% efficacious in the U.S. while the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines had more than 90% efficacy. Now I understand there are some variants in those comparisons but I hope the J&J vaccine isn’t looked down upon for any reason. I can see pick-up games now: “OK, let me have all the Moderna’s over on this side and all the Pfizers over there. What kid, your Johnson & Johnson? OK, get out to right field, you’ll bat last.”

Speaking of hockey… I’m much to lazy to check for myself but is there a statistic for shots missed, as in missing the net? Now I understand some are missed on purpose for the sake of a tip-in or a rebound off the boards, but some guys just miss the net, period! There should be a stat.

Have you seen the pictures sent back from Mars by the probe Perseverance? Now look, I get it. It’s science, right? Looks to me like rocks and dust, but their telling me it’s a hole that was filled with water 3.5 billion years ago. Hmmm. There seems to be a lot of middle ground there.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Dr. Seuss’s books seem more popular than ever amid the controversy over a small selection of titles that will no longer be sold because they were deemed to have “Insensitive and racist imagery.”

I saw an ad the other day that read: “Radio for sale, $1, volume stuck on full.” I thought, “I can’t turn that down!”

Trivia #1 answer: What two schools are not in the top five of NCAA men’s basketball tournament championships? – Kentucky, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Indiana, UConn, North Carolina – Kansas & UConn

Trivia #2 answer: What school has the longest drought between appearances in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament? – Bowling Green, Toledo, Harvard, Yale, Rice, Brown, Dartmouth – Harvard (66 years – 1946-2012)

Trivia #3 answer: Who has the longest drive so far on the PGA tour? – Matt Jones, Cameron Champ, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Connor Syme, Sergio Garcia – Cameron Champ (424 yards)

Be careful out there.

“Did you have any bad dreams, did you break any glass?
Would you be my companion, is there even a chance?
You been talkin’ in circles since I been able to cry
There’s never been any reason
For never tellin’ me why, yeah

Save my life, I’m going down for the last time
Woman with sweet lovin’ better than a white line
Save my life I’m goin’ down for the last time”

– Head East

Briefly.

She texted me, “your adorable.” I responded with, “no, you’re adorable.” Now she thinks I like her when all I did was point out her grammar mistake.

Trivia #1: What starting Goalie won the Stanley Cup as a rookie? – Steve Mason, Evgeni Nabokov, Andrew Raycroft, Cam Ward, Nikolai Khabibulin

Trivia #2: What stocks make up FAANG (an acronym for five prominent American technology companies)?

Trivia #3: True of False – Golf is the only sport to have ever been played on the moon?

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about the Fan Controlled Football?” – I’ve tried but just can’t into it. I’m curious if any of you have. I received an email  from the league entitled “Sports Just Changed Forever.” Ah, no they haven’t. You created something new and are hoping it works.

PGA golfer Tony Finau is a top 15 golfer in the world and could arguably be top 5, if he could only pick up a win. Finau’s only PGA win was the 2016 Puerto Rico Open. Since then, after last week’s sudden death loss, he has 37(!) top 10 finishes, but zero wins. The next most top 10 finishes without a win is 16.

People also often ask me, (well maybe once… actually never), what is the status on Tim Tebow? The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback retired last week from professional baseball. At 33, Tebow signed with the Mets after not playing baseball since high school. He made his way to the highest minor league rung in 2019 but did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic.

We have solar panels on our house, had them since early 2015. Each month we have to input the meter reading to an online site. Due to a combination of snow and dark skies, this past month was not only our lowest monthly reading, but it was 80% below the next lowest! Now that’s dismal!

On a positive note, the month of March begins on Monday, we set the clocks back an hour the following Saturday, the first day of spring is 23 days away and the Red Sox Opening Day is 34 days away, April 1. We’re getting there.

Good luck to Tiger Woods in his recovery from injuries in this past week’s car crash. You read the extent of his injuries and wonder if he will ever walk effortlessly again, let alone play golf. At 45 years old his next tournament, if at all, might be on the senior tour.

Government stimulus? Nah. Italy’s mafia reportedly provided stimulus for some struggling small businesses in the country during the pandemic.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is set to go off next month. All games will be played in an Indiana (where else?) bubble. Players, coaches and staff will need to show 7 consecutive days of negative COVID-19 tests before they can enter the bubble. Once in the bubble, they will be tested daily. Question to the more astute gamblers out there, are there odds on whether teams will have to bow out once in the bubble or, how many teams?? Could be a(nother) shitshow.

I saw a job advertised “Problem Manager.” Trust me, I am not qualified!

German professional women’s beach volleyball players Karla Borger and Julia Sude said they would not be playing in Qatar this weekend because the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) said that teams would wear long shirts and trousers “out of respect for the culture and traditions of the host country.” Now, if you’ve watched women’s beach volleyball before you know they wear practically nothing. Anyway, the Qatar Volleyball Association made it clear that they did not make any demands regarding athletes’ attire and worked with FIVB who later did an about-face. Their decision though was too late for the German pair as the deadline for registration had already passed and they will not be playing. DOH!

In news related to nothing else here: Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open

As with any great movie, the “1986 Celtics Rewind” is a can’t-turn-the-channel event.

Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, is raising wages for 425,000 of its nearly 1.5 million employees. The wages for 425,000 store associates in the digital and stocking workgroups would increase to a range of $13 to $19 per hour. Walmart currently pays an hourly minimum wage of $11 per hour, with the exception of where the state minimum starting wage is higher.

Quote for the week: “We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

I boiled a funny bone once. It turned into a laughing stock. That’s a humerus joke.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A school employee in Maryland won’t face charges after he was allegedly spotted masturbating during a Zoom session with special education students this week. Police said the alleged behavior “did not rise to the level of a criminal offense under Maryland law”

Trivia #1 answer: What starting Goalie won the Stanley Cup as a rookie? – Steve Mason, Evgeni Nabokov, Andrew Raycroft, Cam Ward, Nikolai Khabibulin – Cam Ward (2005-2006, Carolina Hurricanes)

Trivia #2 answer: – What stocks make up FAANG (an acronym for five prominent American technology companies)? – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google

Trivia #3: True of False – Golf is the only sport to have ever been played on the moon? – False, on Apollo 14 an astronaut tossed a javelin

Be careful out there.

“I will remember you
Your silhouette will change the view
Of distant atmosphere
Call it morning driving thru the sound and even in the valley

In and around the lake
Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there
One mile over we’ll be there and we’ll see you
Ten true summers we’ll be there and laughing too
Twenty four before my love you’ll see I’ll be there with you”

– Yes

Briefly.

Friendly tip: Save business cards of people you don’t like. If you ever hit a parked car accidentally, just write “sorry” on the back of the card and leave it on the windshield.

Trivia #1: What entertainer performed at Rush Limbaugh’s fourth wedding – Bon Jovi, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Aerosmith?

Trivia #2: What is Canada’s national sport?

Trivia #3: What are the only two states to in the United States that have yet to send a team to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?

Though nary an inch of snow, I went out and “shoveled” the driveway and cleared my 27-year old’s car. Why? Not because I’m a nice guy. That’s certainly not the case! I did it because a) I knew he wouldn’t and b) I didn’t want his footprints in the driveway. Can you relate??

Back to the Super Bowl – Did you see Jim Nantz after the game wearing his fask mask below his nose? What a buffoon! And Commissioner Roger Goodell not wearing a mask at all after fining teams hundreds of thousands of dollars during the season? Another buffoon.

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about the Fan Controlled Football?” – No, I didn’t watch last week. Apparently, there is a draft each week. Interesting, but I don’t get it.

Twitter line of the week: “Dunking on Ted Cruz is like dunking on a 3-foot rim.” – Dan Rather

Have you ever heard a woman say to another woman “Hey, girlfriend!” OK, now have you ever heard a man say to another “Hey, boyfriend!” Just sayin’.

DYK: Male ladybugs are called ladybugs. Really.

It’s not too late to put in for your SPTO day – St. Patrick’s Day Paid Time Off

Record-breaking cold and severe winter weather across most of the U.S. has forced the cancellation of American Red Cross blood drives in approximately 30 states – impacting approximately 16,000 blood, platelet and convalescent plasma donations this month. Convalescent plasma is given to coronavirus patients in an effort to boost their immune response – antibodies in the plasma from a coronavirus patient are infused into a patient still fighting the disease.

Across all of sports, season tickets holders are now referred to as season ticket “members.” Really, are they trying to make people feel less like their being screwed?

In Paul Simon’s song “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”, he mentions 5 of them! Five! Don’t tell us there are 50 ways and then only give us 5!

Is the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young’s hair falling out, or is it me?

Quote for the week: “The bank is open and taking deposits!” – Celtics color commentator Brian Scalabrine after the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown hit a long, buzzer-beating, 3-point bank shot.

“Perseverance”, the most technologically advanced robot NASA has ever sent into space, traveled 293 million miles to reach, and land on, Mars. It will remain on Mars for nearly two years, searching for signs of ancient life and exploring the planet’s surface. Look, don’t get me wrong, I do hope scientists find something, but really, look around you. There is a reason aliens refuse to communicate with us.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Staff at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, have been encouraged to ditch the terms “mother” and “father” with the hope of being more gender-inclusive. ANU’s Gender-Inclusive Handbook has requested fathers be referred to as a “non-birthing parent” and the term “mother” be replaced with “gestational parent”, when discussing childbirth.
This week’s sign of the apocalypse, part deux: Valparaiso University is looking for a new identity after announcing this week that it will retire the Crusaders name, logo and mascot because of “Negative connation and violence” associated with the imagery that it says has been adopted by “hate groups” and in “hate speech.” Gee whiz, I really hope “hate groups” don’t start using the term “Patriots!”

R.I.P. Rush Limbaugh (70) – Conservative media icon who for decades used his perch as the king of talk-radio to shape the politics of both the Republican Party and the nation. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and in 2019 had an estimated 15.5 million listeners. Forbes Magazine had his earnings at $84.5 million per year and once listed him as the fourth most generous celebrity.

Trivia #1 answer: What entertainer performed at Rush Limbaugh’s fourth wedding – Bon Jovi, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Aerosmith? – Elton John

Trivia #2 answer: What is Canada’s national sport? – Lacrosse (got ya??)

Trivia #3 answer: What are the only two states to in the United States that have yet to send a team to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament? – Alaska and Maine

Be careful out there.

“Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free”

– Paul Simon

Briefly.

Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender yelled “last call!”

Trivia #1: What NBA team has Noah Vonleh NOT played for – Portland Trailblazers, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls?

Trivia #2: Billy Conigliaro won a World Series ring with what team?

Trivia #3: With the new NHL division alignments, the Boston Bruins could meet the Montreal Canadians in the Stanley Cup Finals this season. When is the last time that happened? Bonus, what was the result?

Haverhill’s own Noah Vonleh has signed on with the new ‘Beasts of the East’, the Brooklyn Nets. It is Vonleh’s 7^th team since his rookie campaign in 2014. With teammates like Harden, Kyrie and KD, my advice to Noah would be “if you touch the ball, hold on to it because you ain’t getting it back.”

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. You have to admit, his career has been incredible, to say the least. (there, I said it)

Of all the Bucs to score in the Super Bowl – Brady, Gronk, Brown, Fournette and Succop, none of them were on the Bucs last year.

Tom Brady now owns 15 Super Bowl records.

Serious question, will Patrick Mahomes bounce back from the Super Bowl?

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about the Fan Controlled Football?” – Opening Day is tomorrow. Tune in on Twitch (I have to rearrange my sock drawer and may miss it)

Twitter line of the week: “Brady’s kids take yearly trip to the Super Bowl stage like it’s grandma’s house”

OK, full disclaimer, I have never eaten at a Sonics. The reason may very well be because their food looks disgusting on their commercials.

Tom Brady stat of the week: Tom Brady has a better chance of making the Super Bowl (10 of 21 seasons – 47.6%) than Steph Curry does of making a 3-pointer (career average 43.4%)

Good news: 7-year old Michael Martinez was born with cerebral palsy, leaving him unable to walk, is being hailed a hero after crawling into his parents’ bedroom and to alert them of the sound of a carbon monoxide alarm going off downstairs. All seven family members who live in the house were asleep at the time.

I love to make lists. I also like to leave them on the kitchen counter and then guess what’s on them while at the supermarket.

What have you done for me lately? On Tuesday morning, less than two days after the Super Bowl, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on ESPN’s “Get Up” program – “What moves the Bucs need to make in the offseason.”

What have you done for me lately, part deux: The Red Sox have parted ways with outfielder Andrew Benintendi. I am a Benny fan, not all/many are. Once pegged as the league’s best (and young) outfield with Benny, JBJ and Mookie, JBJ is all that remains with the Red Sox and he may or may not return in 2021. Benintendi was home grown in the Red Sox’ farm system and was one pegged as the second-coming.

Speaking of Benintendi… Red Sox newly acquired outfielder Franchy Cordero (acquired in Benintendi trade) has struck out 110 times in 284 career at-bats. Wowza!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Tom Brady, on his 2^nd team, won his 7^th Super Bowl, in his 21^st season – 2/7/21, the date of the Super Bowl

Quote for the week: “If there’s one thing I know, it’s never to mess with Mother Nature, mother-in-law’s and mother f*cking Ukrainians.” – Skinny Pete in ‘The Italian Job’

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A Lawrence (MA) task force shut down a barbershop where a goat was slaughtered with machetes last year

R.I.P. Mary Wilson (76) – Founding member of The Supremes, the most successful female pop group of the 60’s.

R.I.P. Billy Conigliaro (73) – Drafted 5^th overall by the Red Sox out of Swampscott High School in 1965, he is best known for caring for his brother Tony and helping to keep Tony’s legacy alive. DYK, in his first start big-league start in 1969, Billy hit two homeruns and one the next day. He only hit one more that season.

Trivia #1 answer: What NBA team has Noah Vonleh NOT played for – Portland Trailblazers, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls? – The Sacramento Kings

Trivia #2 answer: Billy Conigliaro won a World Series ring with what team? – The Oakland Athletics (1973)

Trivia #3: With the new NHL division alignments, the Boston Bruins could meet the Montreal Canadians in the Stanley Cup Finals this season. When is the last time that happened? Bonus, what was the result? – 1978, Canadians won 4 games to 2.

Be careful out there.

“Why do you keep a-coming around
Playing with my heart?
Why don’t you get out of my life
And let me make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me, hey

Set me free, why don’t you, baby
Let me be, why don’t you, baby? (ooh-ooh-ooh)
‘Cause you don’t really love me
You just keep me hanin’ on (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Now you don’t really want me
You just keep me hangin’ on”

– The Supremes

Briefly.

I saw a guy at Starbucks yesterday. No iPhone, no tablet, no laptop. He just sat there, drinking coffee… like a psychopath.

Trivia #1: In Super Bowl XXXVII, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers intercepted the Raiders’ Rich Gannon a record five times en route to a 48-21 victory. How many of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns?

Trivia #2: In Super Bowl LIV, what record did the Kansas City Chiefs break in their 31-20 win over the 49ers – Most passing yards, Most third-down conversions, Most fourth down conversions, Most third quarter points, Most fourth quarter points?

Trivia #3: Tom Brady will break a Super Bowl record when he steps onto the field on Sunday. What is the record and who is next in line?

Here you go: Tampa Bay 40, Kansas City 36 (yes, I have a 6,0 square)

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about the Fan Controlled Football?” – Opening Day is February 13. Some notes: it is 7-on-7 on a 50-yard field; no kicking or special teams and the games are 1-hour long

Here are some Super Bowl prop bets, all associated on the coin toss. Heads/Tails, coin toss winner (team), player calls toss correctly, result of coin toss and game winner. I mean, really!

No two snowflakes are alike. Well, so far!

Kansas City’s left tackle Eric Fisher, all 6’7”, 306 lbs of him, tore his Achilles in the AFC Championship game two weekends ago. Step-up Mike Remmers, who was already filling in for injured right tackle, Mitchell Schwatz, will now start at left tackle. Big deal for Sunday’s game?? Tune in…

If you don’t think of Forrest Gump when you hear “Sweet Home Alabama”, you haven’t watched the movie enough times.

Good news: Let’s just wait until Sunday and see how many squares I hit

Good for them! At last week’s Farmers’ Insurance Open, Patrick Reed took controversial relief from an embedded ball on Torrey Pines’ 10^th hole. On-site rules officials declared Reed’s action to have been within the rules and he went on to win by 5 shots. Well, not really. It turns out he cheated.         PointsBet, an online sports book that partners with the PGA tour is offering a refund. It posted on its Twitter account that it would refund pre-tournaments bets on all players other than Reed.

It’s been a couple of weeks but if you haven’t seen the video of Steph Curry draining 105 straight 3-pointers after practice, look it up. I counted

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Continents shift at about the same rate your fingernails grow

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination, part deux: The National Chicken Council (yes, there is such a thing) speculates that Americans will devour a record 1.42 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, up 2% from 2020.

Hello darkness my old friend… I stood up too fast again.

Quote for the week: “What the hell is goin’ on out here?” – Vince Lombardi

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Several Wisconsin teachers have been suspended after having middle-schoolers determine punishment for slaves for an assignment given at the start of Black History Month. (what are people thinking??)

Trivia #1 answer: In Super Bowl XXXVII the Tampa Bay Buccaneers intercepted the Raiders’ Rich Gannon a record five times en route to a 48-21 victory. How many of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns? – 3

Trivia #2 answer: In Super Bowl LIV, what record did the Kansas City Chiefs break in their 31-20 win over the 49ers – Most passing yards, Most third-down conversions, Most fourth down conversions, Most third quarter points, Most fourth quarter points? – Most fourth quarter points (21)

Trivia #3 answer: Tom Brady will break a Super Bowl record when he steps onto the field on Sunday. What is the record and who is next in line? – Brady (43) will be the oldest ever to play in a Super Bowl, kicker Matt Stover (42) is the second oldest and played in Super Bowl XLIV with the Colts.

R.I.P. David “Munnsy” “The Chief” Munns (57), on May 19, 2017. Munnzy moved from Glastonbury, CT to Tampa, FL circa 1990-ish. He became a season ticket holder and devout Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. He would have been, and should be, at the Super Bowl this Sunday. Here’s to The Chief! Go Bucs!

Be careful out there.

“And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
“What’s going on?”

And I say, hey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey
I said, “Hey, a-what’s going on
And I say, hey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey
I said, “Hey, a-what’s going on?”

– 4 Non Blondes

Briefly.

I’m a perfectionist with a procrastinator complex. Someday I’m going to be awesome!

Trivia #1: I understand that those reading this are not all from Massachusetts, just many of you… Which three Massachusetts cities are listed in the top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. – Holyoke, Boston, Leominster, Springfield, Fall River, New Bedford?

Trivia #2: Hank Aaron is the all-time RBI leader with 2,297. What two active players are in the top 25?

Trivia #3: Who is Lawrence Harvey Zeiger?

Can you see it? Years from now when we reminisce about holidays from 2020, instead of looking at photos are we going to replay saved Zoom meetings??

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about the Fan Controlled Football?” – You too can now own a piece of the pie. For a minimum investment of $150 you can buy into the league. (no thanks)

Another all-around nice win for the Bruins last night.

Super Bowl – It’s the GOAT vs. The Kid – get it?

Good news: (for the most part) – 11 of the 22 Chinese miners trapped at least 2,000 feet underground since January 10 were rescued and hauled up one-by-one in baskets from the mine in Qixia. The other 10 miners are unaccounted for. China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest and, even after a series of safety improvements, there were still 573 mine-related deaths in 2020.

Quote for the week: “A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking the record of an all-time baseball idol.” – Vin Sculley, April 8, 1974 as Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’ career homerun record.

Quote for the week, part deux: “I can’t imagine what Hank Aaron went through in his lifetime. He had every right to be angry or militant… but he never was. He spread his grace on everything and every one he came in contact with. The epitome of class and integrity. RIP Henry Aaron.” – Former Atlanta Braves third baseman, Chipper Jones

I came across my July 23, 2007 Sports Illustrated on which Hank Aaron donned the cover. The article, written by Tom Verducci, was entitled “The People’s King.” Barry Bonds was on his way to breaking Aaron’s homerun record but Verducci wrote what was true, that Bonds’ career was marred with steroid use and Aaron’s record would remain intact for true baseball fans.

Also in that July, 2007 SI issue was an article on Philip Francis, the “can’t-miss kid”, then the reigning U.S. Junior Golf Champ and freshman-to-be at UCLA. He won 140 junior events. Guess what? He missed. What little I could find on him he played in a few PGA events on sponsors’ exemptions, tying for 34^th at the ’08 John Deere Classic. Last I saw he missed the cut in his only PGA tournament in 2011 and was playing on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada in 2014. Can’t miss.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame, I don’t feel bad that Curt Schilling lost his chance to get in by a vote or two. I don’t feel bad because he is a blow-hard and that is why some baseball writer’s black-balled him. Having said that, that is not a reason to be left out. He deserves to be in.

Lastly, and I’ll get off the baseball HOF, how can anyone read recent stories about Hank Aaron and turn around and vote for steroid users for induction into the HOF???

People who write “u” instead of “you”, “r” instead of “are”, etc. What do you do with all the time you save?

22,000 fans will be in attendance for Super Bowl LV at   Raymond James Stadium, including 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who are invited as guests. Nice!

The University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball team is 5-10.

Said the middle school teacher to the student: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Student: “Oh, I don’t know. Probably a backup MLB infielder or a bought-out SEC football coach.” – That’s right. Last season in 211 at-bats, A’s infielder Marcus Semien batted .223. This week he signed a one-year, $18 million deal to play for Toronto.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Target won’t sell Thai coconut milk after probe shows product made by forced monkey labor. Two PETA investigations found that the primates are forced to pick coconuts all day with chains around their necks.

Budweiser, and now many other companies, has chosen to forgo airing its iconic commercials during the Super Bowl and will instead donate money to the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative Vaccine Education Initiative, a public health communication campaign and additional efforts to support vaccine adoption efforts. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch will continue to run ads for other products in its beverage portfolio, including Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade, Michelob ULTRA, Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer and ads in select markets for Stella Artois and Cutwater spirits.

R.I.P. Gregory Sierra (83) – The native of Spanish Harlem in New York City played the role of Julio Fuentes in “Sanford and Son” and also played Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amanguale in “Barney Miller.”  His notable film credits include “The Towering Inferno”, “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” and 1988’s “Vampire.” His career was also full of guest spots on iconic shows like “Magnum P.I.”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The X-Files.”

R.I.P. Hank Aaron (86) – Hall of Fame right fielder primarily with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. A 21-time all-star, league MVP in 1957 (finished 3^rd 6 times), 3-time Gold Glove, 755 career homeruns considered by many to be the all-time champion. A career .305 hitter. Aaron became one of the first African-American’s to hold an executive position in MLB and was corporate Vice President of community relations for Turner Broadcasting Systems. The Hank Aaron Award was created in 1999 to honor the hitter who is deemed the most effective hitter in each league.

Trivia #1 answer: I understand that those reading this are not all from Massachusetts, just many of you… Which three Massachusetts cities are listed in the top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. – Holyoke, Boston, Leominster, Springfield, Fall River, New Bedford? – Springfield, Holyoke, Fall River

Trivia #2 answer: Hank Aaron is the all-time RBI leader with 2,297. What two active players are in the top 25? – Albert Pujols (3^rd with 2,100, 40-years old) and Miguel Cabrera (24^th with 1,729, 37 years old)

Trivia #3 answer: Who is Lawrence Harvey Zeiger? – Larry King

Be careful out there.

“What you get and what you see
Things that don’t come easily
Feeling happy in my vein
Icicles are in my brain

Something blowing in my hair
Winter’s ice, it soon was dead
Death would freeze my very soul
Makes me happy, makes me cold– Black Sabbat

Briefly.

To those who still wear their mask below the nose, it’s almost a year now, it takes less time to potty train a toddler.

Trivia #1: Who is Stefani Germanotta?

Trivia #2: With a win on Sunday, Tom Brady would join what three quarterbacks as the only ones to lead two different franchises to a Super Bowl appearance?

Trivia #3: How many times zones are there in Canada – 3,4,5,6,7? Bonus: Name them?

Trivia #4: As of May 2020, of the 326 players in the NFL Hall of Fame, how many played for just one franchise throughout their career – 84, 99, 117, 133, 159, 182, 221?

Trivia #5: What 1965 hit is said to be the most played on radio and television in the 20^th century?

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about Fan Controlled Football?” – The following are the winning hashtags of each team chosen by you, the fans: The Beasts – #BeastModeBeatDown, Glacier Boyz’ – #IcedOut, The Wild Aces – #TheAceIsWild, the Zappers – #ZapEm.

At 9:21 P.M. last night it was the 21^st minute of the 21^st hour of the 21^st day of the 21^st year of the 21^st century.

Good news: I’m really trying here…

Good Bruins “win” last night. I mean, another shootout… As a friend recently said “why don’t they just cut cards?”

Brady/Rodgers, NFC Championship, Lambeau Field – ‘nuf said

Speaking of Tom Brady, for a Patriots’ fan, it is a little surreal that A) the Pats weren’t in the playoffs at all and B) Brady is in the playoffs only with another team.

I don’t think a healthy Mahomes can beat the Bills. I’ll take the points and the I’ll take the points in Lambeau. Brady’s kind of weather. Didn’t I just say “’nuf said???”

Headlines…

Say what? – Oklahoma Rep. introduces bill to create Bigfoot ‘hunting season’

OK??? – Skipping dinner might lead to weight gain, new study says (now I can see skipping breakfast or lunch but who skips dinner?)

Say it ain’t so: IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics, now set to open July 23, will be cancelled. Tokyo has already spent about $25 billion to organize these Olympics, most of which is public money.

Tiger Woods is on the shelf yet again after he announced that he underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve. He hopes to be ready for the Masters in April.

Tesla Inc. CEO and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk yesterday took to Twitter to promise a $100 million prize for development of the “best” technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions. Let’s get a 30-pack and see what we come up with?!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Carli Lloyd, one of the faces of U.S. Women’s Soccer, received backlash from a reporter after standing during the national anthem. (For standing!)

I wrote a song about Elton John… it’s a little bit funny

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Adele reaches divorce settlement with estranged husband nearly 2 years after split.

Soooo many postponements and cancellations in the NFL and the NBA. Very discouraging.

Speaking of which, the NHL Dallas Stars finally get under way tonight to start their season after their first four games were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Quote for the week: “Some birds are just not meant to be caged” – Red (in Shawshank Redemption) – can’t get enough AMC these days

It’s not about how far apart we are but how close we can be.

R.I.P. Phil Spector (81) – Legendary music producer; Spector’s “Wall of Sound” – merging vocal harmonies with lavish orchestral arrangements – revolutionized music production in the 1960’s, and John Lennon called him “the greatest record producer ever.” And oh ya, he died while serving a 19 years-to-life sentence for murdering actress Lana Clarkson.

Trivia #1 answer: Who is Stefani Germanotta? – Lady Gaga

Trivia #2 answer: With a win on Sunday, Tom Brady would join what three quarterbacks as the only ones to lead two different franchises to a Super Bowl appearance? – Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Craig Morton

Trivia #3 answer: How many times zones are there in Canada – 3,4,5,6,7? Bonus: Name them? – Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland

Trivia #4 answer: As of May 2020, of the  326 players in the NFL Hall of Fame, how many played for just one franchise throughout their career – 84, 99, 117, 133, 159, 182, 221? – 133

Trivia #5: What 1965 hit is said to be the most played on radio and television in the 20^th century? – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” – written by Phil Spector

Be careful out there.

“Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And now you’re starting to critize the things I do
It makes me feel just like crying (baby)
‘Cause baby, something beautiful’s dying

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone… gone… gone… woah”– The Righteous Brothers

Briefly.

My editor says tht I repeatedly make typoes. What a bunch if crap.

If you put the vaccine in beer and opened up the pubs, the whole country would be vaccinated by next Thursday. Hey, I’m just trying to help.

Trivia #1: Which quarterback is the oldest amongst this weekend’s AFC playoff quarterbacks? Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen

Trivia #2: What percentage of Libya is desert? – 60%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 95%, 99%

Trivia #3: While many U.S. presidents have been featured in Sports Illustrated, only four have graced the cover. Who are they? Bonus: Who is the only one to make the cover twice?

Trivia #4: Who is Bianca Smith?

People often ask; “Ed, what can you tell me about Fan Controlled Football?” – So I signed up. You pick your team, one of four, and answer questions about the league. The latest was how playoffs will work. You answer questions about format, seedings, etc. and it returns the percentages of fans’ selections. I came in a tad late so I missed the selection of team uniforms. Interesting to say the least.

Good news: Dr. Anne Hampton recently jumped at a chance to join a medical team that was to inoculate residents at The Steppes care home in Gloustershire where her father was a resident. She hadn’t been able to see her father in the past 10 months due to lockdown until she gave him his vaccine shot on January 1.

On Sunday, Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) takes on Baker Mayfield (Cleveland) in what we hope is an epic rematch. The two last met in 2016 when Mayfield (Oklahoma) came out on top of Mahomes (Texas Tech) 66-59. The two combined for 1,279 passing yards while Mahomes was 52 of 88 for 819 yards and Mayfield threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns.

Headlines…

Oxymoron headline of the week?: “‘Survivor’ contestant Angie Jakusz dead at 40”

What a way to be remembered: “Tim Lester, former NFL fullback who blocked for Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, dies from COVID-19 complications”

Useless headline of the week: “Trinity Rodman, daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, taken No. 2 in NWSL Draft”

In other useless news, the Rockets finally rid themselves of James Harden. Harden joins Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn forming the new ‘Big Three’ in the NBA. The three will earn a combined $112 million this season. A very interesting mix of characters indeed.

Nice to see professional golf back. Tell me, does any player look more uptight than Bryson Dechambeau? Man, lighten up!

Let me explain. If you open a new loaf of bread and take the first slice, you are not taking the ‘end’, you are taking the ‘beginning’.

The Bruins are undefeated having beat the Devils in a shootout last night. Go B’s!

Speaking of hockey… Now I ain’t no Nostradamus or anything but I’m guessing a whole lot fewer fans will be struck by errant pucks this season than in past seasons.

After the Kansas City/Cleveland game on Sunday the weekend wraps up with Tom Brady and Tampa vs. Drew Brees and New Orleans. So much theater for this one. I won’t be disappointed if Tampa wins, and I would then root for them to win it all, but I will be rooting for the Saints.

The line  on last Saturday’s Bucs/Redskins game had the Bucs favored by 8. 8, an odd number for a spread?? Final – Bucs 31, Redskins 23. The bookies win again!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Local city Lawrence has suspended all high school sports at Lawrence High School due to the pandemic and local infection rates while private high school Central Catholic, also located in Lawrence, is forging ahead with their sports programs.

The Green Bay Packers Jared Valdheer missed out on a chance to make NFL history. Last weekend, Valdheer was called up from the Colts practice squad and played in the Colts’ loss to the Bills. Because he was technically a practice squad player, he was able to sign with another team, the Packers, and would have been the first player to ever play for two different teams in the same playoff season. Instead he tested positive for COVID-19. DOH!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The most popular dog names in 2020 were ‘Cooper’ (male) and ‘Luna’ (female)

The cryptocurrency bitcoin is stored in digital “wallets.” Stefan Thomas has 7,002 bitcoin valued at about $260 million. The problem for Stefan is that the digital keys to his digital wallet are stored on his IronKey, an external thumb size storage device, and he has forgotten his password. IronKey gives you 10 attempts to get your password correct before the content is lost forever. Stefan has tried 8 times and has little hope in himself that he will remember his password.

You know it’s cold outside when you go outside… and it’s cold.

Quote for the week:

R.I.P. Tommy Lasorda (93) – Lasorda won two World Series as Dodgers manager in 1981 and 1988 while compiling a 1,599-1,439 managerial record and two NL Manager of the Year awards (1983, 1988). DYK, in 1948 while with the Schenectady Blue Jays, Lasorda struck out 25 in a 15-inning game setting a then professional record. In his first start in the majors for the Dodgers he lasted one inning after tying a major league record with three wild pitches in the inning being spiked while covering home plate. He was sent down and never pitched for the Dodgers again.

R.I.P. – Jeff ‘Vandy’ Richardson (58) – I had only seen Jeff once since high school and really never knew him very well, but his death hit home. Way to young. He was a real good guy and his passing brought back memories of growing up in the old neighborhood where you could safely go where ever you wanted as a kid and drink from the garden hose… without having to take off your mask.

R.I.P. – Siegfried Fischbacher (81) – Of the famed ‘Siegfried and Roy’ magic act. His partner Roy Horn died just 8 months ago.

Trivia #1 answer: Which quarterback is the oldest amongst this weekend’s AFC playoff quarterbacks? Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen – Baker Mayfield (25)

Trivia #2 answer: What percentage of Libya is desert? – 60%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 95%, 99% – Libya is 99% desert

Trivia #3 answer: While many U.S. presidents have been featured in Sports Illustrated, only four have graced the cover. Who are they? Bonus: Who is the only one to make the cover twice? – Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan (twice)

Trivia #4 answer: Who is Bianca Smith? – Bianca was recently hired by the Red Sox making her the first black female coach in professional baseball

Be careful out there.

“Take a bottle
Shake it up
Break the bubble
Break it up

Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C’mon, fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
I can’t get enough

I’m hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet”– Def Leppard