Tag: basketball

Friday, November 15, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find it annoying when someone just keeps talking while I’m trying to interrupt.

Trivia #1: The first US law school was established at which university? – University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Northern Essex Community College
Trivia #2: Who is Kool-Aid McKinstry?
Trivia #3: Who is Jesse Bongiovi?
Trivia #4: Which NFL franchise is the oldest in professional football history? – Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Chicago Bears

On this date: November 15, 1925, 1st hockey game at Madison Square Garden, NYC: Montreal Canadiens 3, NY Americans 1
November 15, 1939, “Gone With The Wind”, drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clarke Gable and Vivien Leigh, premieres in Atlanta (Best Picture 1940, inflation not adjusted highest-grossing film of all time)
November 15, 1944, American bandleader Major Glenn Miller (US Air Force) was lost over the English Channel
November 15, 1979, Chris Haney and Scott Abbott develop the board game, Trivial Pursuit

The Washington Redskins lost last night.

And I’ll be rooting for Buffalo to knock off Kansas City on Sunday, ending their undefeated season.

Go away: In-season NBA tournaments

Don’t be that guy. Don’t be turning on your Christmas lights now. Go ahead and set them up, but don’t be turning them on until after Thanksgiving. Don’t do it!

Good news: A breast cancer vaccine could be closer to reality, according to Cleveland Clinic, as its researchers have announced some encouraging results. At the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer earlier this month in Texas, researchers shared updated findings from a study of a new vaccine designed to target triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive type of cancer.

Not good news: A 1-year-old was found dead in a vehicle outside of a Florida middle school after a relative allegedly forgot to take the 15-month-old child to daycare. Deputies with the Sumter County Sherrif’s office were called to South Sumter Middle School in Webster around 4 p.m. on Nov. 1. The child was left unattended in a vehicle parked at the school and was later found deceased. Webster is about 50 miles West of Orlando. Temperatures in the city reached a high of 86 degrees Fahrenheit that day. This devastating event marks the 37th child to lose their life in a hot car nationwide this year, well above last year’s total of 29. On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998. The highest number of deaths occurred in 2018 with 54 reports.

I used to love watching Mike Tyson fight and tonight is no different. The 58-year-old takes on 27-year-old Jake Paul in Tyson’s first professional fight since 2005. I’m rooting for him, but I don’t know…

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Any information regarding the NBA in-season tournament. More proof of the uselessness of the NBA regular season. They’ll try anything to get our attention. (Jeez Ed, let it go!)

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Reports that several universities across the nation canceled classes and provided safe spaces for students to recover from the presidential election prompted a wave of criticism that these schools aren’t preparing students for the “real world.” Georgetown University in Washington D.C., drew mockery on social media after news broke the college invited students to a “self-care suite” last Wednesday to recover from the stress of the 2024 presidential election. 

In case you missed it, the Notre Dame marching band played a tribute to Bon Jovi during halftime of ND’s thrashing of FSU. Jon Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse, was a walk-on at Notre Dame in 2017

Article I’ll skip: Bill Clinton reportedly opens up about fallout from Lewinsky scandal in new memoir

College GameDay, just a great show. And I do like the addition of Pat McAfee. Like him or not, the “Kicking Contest” segment is a hoot. Catch them tomorrow at the University of Georgia. (Expect a lot of signs and general moaning regarding Georgia’s slip to #12 in the CFP rankings. Poor Georgia…)

Speaking of tuning in, “Making Manson”, a docuseries about Charles Manson, premiers on Peacock on Nov. 19th.

Can anyone figure out the Bruins?

Trivia #1 answer: The first US law school was established at which university? – University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Northern Essex Community College – The University of Pennsylvania
Trivia #2 answer: Who is Kool-Aid McKinstry? – Kool-Aid is the New Orleans Saints’ 2nd round draft pick last year, a cornerback out of Alabama
Trivia #3 answer: Who is Jesse Bongiovi? – Jon Bon Jovi’s son
Trivia #4 answer: Which NFL franchise is the oldest in professional football history? – Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Chicago Bears – The Cardinals started playing professional football in 1899 in Chicago under the name of the Morgan Athletic Club.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do.

Happy National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day!

Come on downtown this afternoon. I’d love to serve you…

“But I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back
I play for keeps ’cause I might not make it back
I’ve been everywhere, (Oh yeah) still I’m standing tall
I’ve seen a million faces and I’ve rocked them all”

– Bon Jovi (Wanted Dead or Alive) – some pretty good guitar, here

Bonus: Glenn Miller

Friday, September 20, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly. I missed you all last week…

Fun fact: I do my best proofreading after I post.

The only thing I learned in geography is that Long Island has the best ice teas.

Trivia #1: Who was the first MLB player to have 200 or more hits in 6 consecutive seasons?
Trivia #2: Who is nicknamed “C Squared?”
Trivia #3: Who was Pudge Heffelfinger?

I checked my symptoms and it turned out I just needed to go camping.

On this date: September 20, 1814, the “Star Spangled Banner” was published as a song, lyrics by Francis Scott Key, tune by John Stafford Smith.
September 20, 1873, panic sweeps NY Stock Exchange (railroad bond default/bank failure) NY shut banks for 10 days due to a bank scandal
September 20, 1954, 1st FORTRAN computer program run. (1954?!)

Shohei Ohtani made MLB history last night becoming the only player with a 50 homerun and 50 stolen base season. And talk about doing it in grand fashion! Ohtani last night had arguably the greatest single game offensive performance ever – 6-for-6, 3 homeruns, 2 doubles, 10 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Insane!

Well, we saw a very small sample of the Patriots’ Drake Maye last night. Small yes, unimpressive, yes.

Their defense was lousy too.

Go away: Tua Tagovailoa. Nothing against Tua, but he will miss 4 games after suffering a concussion last week in a game against the Bills. Tua has a history of concussions and should just hang it up. My opinion.

Interesting?? Tua suffered his concussion last week after colliding with the Bills’ Damar Hamlin. Remember him??

Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox are 31-97. Make that 31-104! Make that 32-109. Make that 36-117.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A convicted serial sexual offender known as the “Pillowcase Rapist” is set to be released in California next month. Christopher Hubbart, 73, was convicted in 1973, 1982 and 1990 in both Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties for a series of rapes and other sex crimes.  He got his nickname because he used pillowcases to muffle the screams of some of his victims. Hubbart admitted to raping more than 100 women throughout California between 1971 and 1983.

Article I’ll skip: Students express concerns about the direction of America ahead of 2024 election.

Some interesting NFL tidbits. After the first two weeks, there have been more field goals across the league than touchdowns! Also, no rookie quarterback has thrown a touchdown pass so far. Hmmm.

A new roller coaster named “Siren’s Curse” features a tilt at 90 degrees and is set to open in 2025 at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. You gotta see this thing! Road trip!

Speaking of Caitlyn Clark… Her teams’ away game the other night drew the largest audience to ever watch a WNBA game. Clark finished the season with the most points by a point guard in a single season in WNBA history. She had already clinched the record for most points by a rookie and the league’s single-season assist record. As the single-season record holder and league-leader in assists this year, Clark is the youngest player to ever lead the league in assists. Clark also led the league in 3-pointers this year, and had the second most all-time in a single season with 122. On top of that, she broke the record for most All-Star votes for any player in WNBA history, and became the first rookie to ever record a triple-double. Wowza!

Good news: US to host first AI safety summit this year to boost international collaboration. Hey, it’s worth a shot.

Trivia #1 answer: Who was the first MLB player to have 200 or more hits in 6 consecutive seasons? – The Red Sox’ Wade Boggs
Trivia #2 answer: Who is nicknamed “C Squared?” – Caitlyn Clark
Trivia #3 answer: Who was Pudge Heffelfinger? – Pudge was the first paid professional football player. He was paid $500 to take the field for the Allegheny Athletic Association in an 1892 contest against the rival Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He helped popularize the game by publishing the annual “Heffelfinger’s Football Facts” from 1935 to 1950. It featured news, stats and schedules for both pro and college football. He reportedly played his last game at age 65.

More bacon.

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Pepperoni Pizza Day!

“Don’t wannna discuss it
Think it’s time for a change
You may get disgusted
Start thinkin’ that I’m strange

In that case I’ll go underground
Get some heavy rest
Never have to worry
About what is worst or what is best”

Van Morrison (Domino)

Bonus: Good Times by Gary Clarke. Great campfire tune.

Friday, June 21, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly. (I forgot my power cord up north here and aren’t very good at this on my phone)

It’s a 5-minute walk from my house to the pub. It’s a 35-minute walk from the pub to my house. The difference is staggering!

Trivia #1: The shortest player ever in the NBA (Muggsy Bogues) was how tall/short? – 4’11”, 5’3”, 5’5”, 5’8”, 5’10”

The Celtics have won the World Championship, banner #18! Don’t expect them to apologize because the playoffs were often a downer due to all the injuries up and down the conference. Not after all of the championship-or-bust pressure that had been thrust upon them. Not after going 64-18 winning the East by 14 games, finishing 80-21 and holding the high-powered Dallas Mavericks under 100 points in four of the five NBA Finals games.

Speaking of the Celtics, I’ve been wearing baseball caps backwards since I was about 13-years-old, but can’t get out of my head the image of Dallas coach Jason Kidd giving speech after speech to the Mavericks’ team with his cap on backwards. How do you look at, and respect, a coach who looks like a 13-year-old?

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Quick, efficient and with a bird’s-eye view of any scene, more police departments are embracing the use of drones to carry out law enforcement work, with some cities now even using them to respond to 911 calls.

Article I’ll skip: Taylor Swift’s favorite menu item, according to restaurant owner who saw her monthly.

Speaking of the Celtics, they last won the NBA Championship on June 17, 2008, after winning this past week on June 17, 2024 – 6/17 – the area code for Boston (617). Whoa!!!

R.I.P. Willie Howard Mays (94) – Considered one of the best all-around player in MLB history. Mays played 21 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and the Mets, batted over .300 10 times en route to a .302 career average, 3,283 hits. He was MVP in 1954 and 1965, a 24-time all-star and won 12 Gold Gloves. He led the league in homeruns four times, stolen bases four times, slugging percentage five times, total bases three time and triples three times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
R.I.P. Donald Sutherland (88) – Canadian actor whose career spanned more than half a century from “M.A.S.H.” through “The Hunger Games”, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. He received an Emmy in 1995, two Golden Globe awards and an honorary Oscar in 2017. His breakthrough was “The Dirty Dozen”, then the 1970 “Kelly’s Heroes (one of my all-time favorites) and then “M.A.S.H” which catapulted his career.

Trivia #1 answer: The shortest player ever in the NBA (Muggsy Bogues was how tall/short? – 4’11”, 5’3”, 5’5”, 5’8”, 5’10” – He was 5’3”

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Wagyu Day!

The three stages of life: Birth, WTF is this, Death.

“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 (Roundabout))

Friday, May 31, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly.

Somewhere, somebody out there is thinking of you and the tremendous impact you made on their life. It’s not me… I think you’re an idiot.

Trivia #1: What is the Walter Cup? Bonus: Who is it named after?
Trivia #2: Which of the following teams was NOT a Negro League baseball team? – Atlanta Black Crackers, Homestead Grays, Cleveland Black Barons, New York Cubans, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Indianapolis Clowns
Trivia #3: Last night’s Rolling Stones concert at Gillette Stadium was a milestone show. How many total shows have been at the venue? 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200 – Bonus: Who played the first show at Gillette?

I will not sleep until I find a cure for my insomnia.

On this date: May 31, 1879, Madison Square Garden opened
May 31, 1893, Whitcomb Judson of Chicago, patents a hookless fastener (zipper)
May 31, 1968, movie star James Stewart retires from the US Air Force after 27 years of service

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Red Sox are 9-0 on Sundays this season with a +38 run differential.

Go away: People who think others give a shit about how they feel about the Trump conviction

Stop complaining: You haven’t a clue what the person next to you is going through. It ain’t always about you.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: More than three-fourths of American adults believe that abuses involving the use of artificial intelligence systems will affect the outcome of the presidential election.

Your Boston Celtics are favored to win the NBA Championship over the Dallas Mavericks. Giddy-up! LFG!

A couple of weeks ago, I neglected to note the DOW Jones Industrial Average hitting the 40,000 for the first time. Well, it’s back down below 38,000. DOH!

Speaking of golf, Auburn beat Florida State the other day for the NCAA Golf Championship.

Defending yourself, you’re doing it wrong. A Michigan judge was astonished when a defendant charged with driving with a suspended driver’s license dialed into a virtual court hearing while behind the wheel of a car. So he revoked the defendant’s bond and ordered him to turn himself in to the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that day. 

Article I’ll skip: ‘Aliens’ that landed in family’s backyard used ‘cloaking device’ to hide from humans: expert

Tickets for Wednesday night’s Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) championship game between Minnesota and Boston were going for as much as $3,930 apiece! Minnesota won 3-0.

They said it: “The Celtics gave me not only my career back… they gave me my life back.” – Bill Walton

Good news: Tilton Elementary School, in Haverhill, held its annual Memorial Day Concert last week. Most of the 456 students attended and several fourth graders addressed the crowd and spoke of the history of Memorial Day and its importance to our nation while recognizing the sacrifices made by members of the military. Hey, at least some kids in our country are being taught correctly!

R.I.P. Grayson Murray (30) – Grayson was the second-youngest golfer in history to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour before eventually turning pro in 2015. He was a 3-time winner on the Kron Ferry Tuor and 2-tme on the PGA tour. He withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge during the second round last Friday citing an illness. Grayson died by suicide.
R.I.P. William Theodore “Bill” Walton III (71) – Bill was eulogized this past week as a 6-foot-11 hippie covered in tie-dye T-shirts Grateful Dead tunes. But he was so much more. He was the first and only high school player to ever make the USA Senior Men’s National Basketball Team and play in the World Championship and/or Olympics. He still holds the national all-time high school record for field goal percentage at 79 percent and is still the No. 3 all-time rebounder nationally in the history of high school basketball. He is in the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. He won the NCAA Player of the Year Award all three years he played in college (UCLA), which has led to his induction into the UCLA Hall of Fame. Walton was the starting center under John Wooden’s teams that compiled an 88-game winning streak, and brought the Bruins two undefeated championship seasons. He is a member of the NCAA’s All-Time Basketball Team. He earned Academic All-America honors all three years, and went on to become a member of the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1994. Walton was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers, and was the Finals MVP after winning his first NBA championship in 1977. He was a Boston Celtic for his last four seasons and won his second NBA championship in 1986, the same season he also won NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. Walton is the second of only five players in NBA history to lead the league in both blocked shots and rebounding in the same season. He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1977 and 1978 and he is a member of the NBA’s All-Time Team as one of the league’s 50 Greatest Players Ever.

Trivia #1 answer: What is the Walter Cup? Bonus: Who is it named after? – The championship trophy for the PWHL, named after the Walter family. LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter, PWHL’s primary financial backer, launched the league by buying out the rival Premier Hockey Federation in 2023.
Trivia #2 answer: Which of the following teams was NOT a Negro League baseball team? – Atlanta Black Crackers, Homestead Grays, Cleveland Black Barons, New York Cubans, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Indianapolis Clowns – The Cleveland Black Barons (They were actually the Birmingham Black Barons, Cleveland did not have a team)
Trivia #3 answer: Last night’s Rolling Stones concert at Gillette Stadium was a milestone show. How many total shows have been at the venue? 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200 – Bonus: Who played the first show at Gillette? – It was the 100th show at Gillette and the first was also played by the Rolling Stones.

I don’t always lose stuff, but when I do, it’s because my wife moved it.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Macaroon Day!

“I’ve got ta cool myself down
Stompin’ around
Thinkin’ some words I can’t name ya
Meet ya half way
Got nothin’ to say
Still I don’t s’pose I can blame ya”

– James Gang (Walk Away)

Friday, March 15, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly.

I had sex for an hour and 40 seconds last Saturday night. Thanks, daylight savings!

Trivia #1: What is “Tokophobia?”
Trivia #2: How many golf balls have been hit into the water surrounding the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, the site of THE PLAYERS (being played this weekend) since 2003, in THE PLAYERS tournament? – 602, 699, 723, 802, 868, 909, 973
Trivia #3: Longwood University punched their ticket to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. What state is the university located in and what is their nickname?

“She had twenty-three masts, and she stood several blasts, and they called her the Irish Rover.”

On this date: March 15, 44 BC, Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by Brutus, Cassius and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March in Rome.
March 15, 1968, LIFE magazine calls Jimi Hendrix “the most spectacular guitarist in the world”
March 15, 1972, “The Godfather”, based on the book by Mario Puzo, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlin Brando and Al Pacino, premiers in NYC (Academy Awards Best Picture 1973)

‘Tis the season, and what a great season it is as “Selection Sunday” is in a couple days, followed by the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Opening Day in MLB across the country and then the NFL Draft. All the while in the midst of the end of the NBA and NHL regular seasons. Bring it on!

But first, let’s enjoy Championship Week(end) and THE PLAYERS.

Go away: Aaron Rodgers. He’s been here before. You’re 40-years-old, go jump into politics and leave the NFL/Jets alone.

Speaking of the NFL, how about the movement with players during the past couple of days?! The upcoming draft prospects just got juicier!

They said it: “You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year… unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.” – Bob Uecker

Guinness beer sales rose 20% in North America last year and stout in general is gaining in popularity. A 20% rise is unheard of for a mature brand with a deep distribution and can be partly attributed to a sharp rise in consumption by female drinkers as well as a hugely successful rollout of Guinness 0.0, its new non-alcoholic stout.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Celtics have 36 seasons with >=50 wins in their history, most of all NBA franchises, three more than the Lakers.

Good News: For Longhairs, a California-based men’s grooming brand, bigger is better. Or, in this case, longer is better. After setting a Guinness World Record five years ago for the “most hair donated to charity in a 24-hour period” during “The Great Cut of 2019,” the company is ready to surpass that record. The organization was successful in 2019, donating over 339 pounds of hair — but now the Longhairs team is hoping to surpass that record in 2024.

WTF: Some people may go to a church or chapel to get married — but one couple, Logen Abney and Tiana Alistock said “I do” inside the men’s bathroom at a local HOP Shops location in Verona, Kentucky, on Valentine’s Day. HOP Shops are known for their out-of-the-ordinary bathrooms that include a colorful light display at the press of a button.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has made the decision to remove the “Duty, Honor, Country” motto from its mission statement. In a letter sent to students and supporters, Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland said the phrase, which was first added to the mission statement in 1998, would be replaced with the words, “Army Values.” “Our responsibility to produce leaders to fight and win our nation’s wars requires us to assess ourselves regularly,” Gilland wrote in a letter to cadets and supporters on Monday. “Thus, over the past year and a half, working with leaders from across West Point and external stakeholders, we reviewed our vision, mission, and strategy to serve this purpose.”

Article I’ll skip: Doomsday preppers offer tips to thrive in future societal collapse

R.I.P. Eric Carmen (74), singer-songwriter and frontman of the power-pop band the Raspberries who went on to achieve solo success with songs such as “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes.”

Trivia #1 answer: What is “Tokophobia?” – The pathological fear of pregnancy and can lead to avoidance of childbirth.
Trivia #2 answer: How many golf balls have been hit into the water surrounding the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, the site of THE PLAYERS (being played this weekend) since 2003, in THE PLAYERS tournament? – 602, 699, 723, 802, 868, 909, 973 – 802
Trivia #3: Longwood University punched their ticket to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. What state is the university located in and what is their nickname? – The Longwood University Lancers are located in Farmville, Virginia.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Buzzards Day!

Today is also International Women’s Day. It was supposed to be yesterday but they took too long to get ready.

“May we all be alive at this same time next year.” Slainte!

“Before her love, I was cruel and mean
Had a hole in the place where my heart should have been
But now I’ve changed, and I feel so strange
I come alive when she does all those things to me”

– Raspberries (Go All the Way)

Friday, December 15, 2023

by fasted86

Briefly.

That fact that my entire body cracks like a glowstick whenever I move yet refuses to glow, is very disappointing.

Trivia #1: Mosi Tatupu played for the New England Patriots from 1978-1990. He played for another team in 1991. What was that team?
Trivia #2: On December 15, 1791, the first US law school was established at what university? – Pennsylvania, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Lowell
Trivia #3: B.B. King. What does “B.B.” stand for?
Trivia #4: What is Howard University’s nickname?

Go away: Patrick Mahomes (Draymond Green with a close second)

DYK: Mosi Tatupu was posthumously diagnosed with CTE. He died of a heart attack at age 54. Bonus trivia: In a 2023 report, how many NFL players were diagnosed with CTE amongst the 376 who had their brains scanned? – 100-125, 126-150, 151-200, 201- 250, 251-300, 301-350

There’s still time to change the road you’re on.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A history teacher at a Seattle high school allegedly gave a student a failing quiz grade after he answered that only women can get pregnant and only men can have penises.

Fun fact: The world population is approximately 8,030,610,062. The number of people born to women is 8,030,610,062. The number of people born to men is zero. Look it up.

On this day: December 15, 1810, the first Irish magazine “Shamrock” was published in the US.
December 15, 2006, American blues legend B.B. King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush

They said it: “It’s tough to swallow. Not only from me, and football in general, to take away greatness like that, for a guy like Travis to make a play like that, you want to see the guys on the field decide the game.” – Patrick Mahomes. Wah-wah-wah

Really? Colorado attorneys for two men accused of stealing items from Kohl’s, including KitchenAid appliances, argued for lesser charges during the trial because some items their clients stole were on sale.

Shohei Ohtani signed on with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700M over 10 years. Reportedly, he deferred all but $2M annually until his contract ends. He will then receive the remaining $68M annually, paid WITHOUT interest, until 2043. So… beginning in 2034, he will collect approximately $1,863 per day for doing nothing, assuming he’s not playing in 10 years. Not a bad gig, if you can get it.

DYK: On December 15, 1980, the Yankees’ Dave Winfield became the highest paid baseball player, 10 years $15M.

I think I like the NFL more than the NBA is because the helmets cover up most hairdos.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Last night the Las Vegas Raiders scored 42 1st half points, the most in history for a team that was shutout the previous week. (They had the record at 35 and then chocked up another TD)

Good news: Bestselling author James Patterson has awarded $500 bonuses to 600 employees at independent bookstores across the United States. The employees were nominated by their store owners, managers, peers, community members and others for the holiday awards. “Booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in a statement. “What they do is crucial, especially right now. I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and their hard work this holiday season.

Article I’ll skip: Prince William’s romance with Kate Middleton faces renewed scrutiny

I went shopping for a pair of jeans the other day. My choices: Regular, straight, relaxed, relaxed straight, slim fit, classic fit, athletic, stretch. Look, I just want a pair of freakin’ jeans!

R.I.P. George McGinnis (73) – Played basketball in the ABA/NBA from 1971-1982. His accolades are numerous, I’ll skip the 2nd/3rd team honors here. 1969 – Indiana Mr. Basketball, first team Parade All-American, 2x ABA champion, 1973 ABA Playoffs MVP, 1975 ABA scoring champion & MVP, 3x ABA All-Star, ABA All-Time Team, 3x NBA All-Star, 1976 All-NBA First Team, No. 30 retired by the Indiana Pacers

Trivia #1 answer: Mosi Tatupu played for the New England Patriots from 1978-1990. He played for another team in 1991. What was that team? – The Los Angeles Rams
Trivia #2 answer: On December 15, 1791, the first US law school was established at what university? – Pennsylvania, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Lowell – The University of Pennsylvania
Trivia #3 answer: B.B. King. What does “B.B.” stand for? – Blues Boy – As a singer and disc jockey in Memphis, he was given the nickname “Beale Street Blues Buy”, later shortened to “Blues Boy” and finally to B.B. (If you were paying attention, I asked this same question on September 25, 2020)
Trivia #4 answer: What is Howard University’s nickname? – The Bison

Bonus trivia question: In a 2023 report, how many NFL players were diagnosed with CTE amongst the 376 who had their brains scanned? – 100-125, 126-150, 151-200, 201- 250, 251-300, 301-350 – There were 345 players diagnosed with CTE. Similarly, (shockingly) in a 2018 BU general population study, one person was diagnosed with CTE in 164 autopsies.

If alcohol can damage your short term memory, imagine the damage alcohol can do.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Underdog Day!

“Everybody wants to know why I sing the blues
Yes, I say everybody wanna know why I sing the blues
Well, I’ve been around a long time
I really have paid my dues”

– B.B. King (Why I Sing The Blues)