November 4, 2022
GOD BLESS UKRAINE AND THE USA!!!!
HOME SWEET HOME!
The Denham Springs HS Yellow Jackets make their long awaited debut in their newly renovated Yellow Jacket Stadium tonight! Coach Brett Beard’s Denham Springs Yellow Jackets, at 7-2, 3-1 In District, play host to Walker HS in their regular season finale. Sport N Center Yellow Jackets Warmup comes your way at 6:00 pm this evening. Josh Ward and Mitch Covington are on the call. I’ll be contributing to pre-game, half-time and post-game. Tune in to Family Radio, 91.9 FM, Baton Rouge or on the net at JonFineProductions.com
ESTEEMED GUESTS
Sport N Center Jackets Warmup includes Jackets Track coach Andy Maclean. The A&A Discount Tires Half-Time Report will feature an interview with Livingston Parish News Sports Editor Rob DeArmond.
A GREAT JACKET
Hat’s off to Livingston Parish Clerk of Court Jason Harris. Jason won last week’s 50-50 raffle at the DSHS vs Dutchtown game and donated his winnings back to the Jackettes. Jason, you’re a great man!
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TODAY’S COLUMNS:
The World Series is great. Kyrie Irving is not. Please scroll down to see FINE IDEAS below.
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FINE IDEAS
If Paul Volcker, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, is to increase the Money Supply to help curtail inflation, how would you respond to this policy?
The Eagles are undefeated. The Phillies are contending for a World Championship. The Union is on the verge of possibly winning a championship. So, Philly is the city of champions some say. To me, this line of thinking is, at best, premature… at worst, specious.
The 2022 Phillies place in history is secure. They are a great story, one for the ages. After firing their manager earlier in the season, they eked into the playoffs as the last Wild Card team and have made it to the Fall Classic. Their place in history is secure no matter what transpires in the balance of the World Series.
The Eagles have gotten off to a great first half. But, at 8-0, they, obviously, have not secured a playoff berth. If they go 20-0 and join the Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated team in the Super Bowl era, then the Iggles will go down as the #1 team in the Super Bowl Era. The 1972 Miami Dolphins, as you know, only had to play 17 games to become an unsullied champion. To make its mark on history, the Eagles do not need to go 20-0, don’t even need to win the Super Bowl. If they are NFC champions and lose in the Super Bowl, they have still made their mark on history. But they are a long way aways from achieving this.
The Union? For the uninitiated (most of us I reckon), they are a soccer team in Major League Soccer (MLS). They are playing for their championship (MLS Cup) on Saturday. Win, lose or draw, they should not be part of this analysis. Until the MLS is truly Major League (large crowds, major television contract, widespread media coverage, in the consciousness of the random sports fan at a random sports bar nationwide), they should not be part of this championship equation.
The Flyers and the Sixers should enter into this mix. The Flyers were 25-46-11 in 2021-22 and did not make the NHL playoffs. The Sixers were 51-31 and were eliminated in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
So the Phillies are on the doorstep. Great start for the Eagles, but they have a long way to go before securing their place in championship lore. The Flyers did not sniff the Stanley Cup. The Sixers were viewed as underachievers. If the Eagles make the Super Bowl, there is, possibly, some merit to the Cheesesteakers claiming it is the 2022 sports capital of the world. Anything less than that, then all this City of Philadelphia being the city of champions is mere hyperbole.
Perhaps the most recent claim to being a city of champions would be Champa Bay—as some called Tampa Bay in 2020. With the NFL Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl in 2020, the NHL Lightning being Stanley Cup champions in 2019-20 (and 2020-21) and the Tampa Bay Rays making the 2020 World Series (falling to the Dodgers in 6 games), I can buy into Tampa laying claim to this Champa Bay sobriquet in 2020. (Tampa Bay did not/does not have an NBA team. However, the Tampa Bay Titans compete in The Basketball League. Not that this is relevant, but no word on who won the 2019-20 The Basketball League championship. We will be assigning Joe Mannix on the case.)
Ironically enough, maybe the greatest year a city ever had was in the City of Brotherly Love in 1980. The Phillies were world champions. The Eagles were NFC champions, losing to the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl. The 76’ers were NBA Finalists, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Flyers were Stanley Cup Finalists losing to the New York Islanders. What might clinch this sports supremacy for Philadelphia? Rocky Balboa was the Heavyweight champion of the World, winning it in 1979 in Rockey II.
Like its 2022 version, the 1980 Phillies had the worst record of any team in post-season play. At 91-71, they edged out the Montreal Expos by one game in the NL East. The Phillies and Expos closed out the regular season in Montreal with the teams in a dead-heat. The Phillies took the first game 2-1. Game 2 was a thriller, as Mike Schmidt’s 11th inning 2 run home run catapulted the Phillies to a 6-4 victory and the NL East title. In the playoffs, the Phillies trailed the (then national league) Houston Astros 2 games to 1 in a best of 5 series and appeared to be down for the count in both game 4 (which they trailed 2-0 heading into the eighth inning) and game 5 (which they trailed 5-2 heading into the 8th inning with Nolan Ryan on the mound for the Astros). The Phillies rallied to win both games in extra innings. In the World Series, the Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals in 6 games. Mike Schmidt, the regular season NL MVP, also was the World Series MVP. Steve Carlton won the Cy Young award. For their penchant for coming from behind and pulling off miraculous wins, the Phillies were aptly dubbed the Cardiac Kids.
1979-80 was Magic Johnson’s rookie season and he started in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals at Center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic’s 42-point, 15-rebound performance elevated the Lakers to the NBA championship over the 76’ers. The 1979-80 76’ers were led by the elegance and grace of the incomparable Dr. J, Julius Erving. 2nd year point guard Mo Cheeks was often a perfect 10 (sorry Bo Derek… or future Phillies catcher Bo Diaz?...silly me. Where is our editor when we need him/her?). And the somewhat daffy Darryl Dawkins. Chocolate Thunder/Double D, would name his backboard shattering dunks. His most famous one being The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Glass-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Babies-Crying, Glass-Still-Flying, Cats-Crying, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Thank You-Wham-Bam-I-Am-Jam. Dawkins claimed he came from his own planet which he called Lovetron.
Still having vestiges of their Broad Street Bullies mid-70s back to back Stanley Cup championship heyday, the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers had a streak of 35 straight regular season games in which they did not lose, still a North American professional sports league record today. Bobby Clarke was their star. The Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell to the New York Islanders in 6 games.
Dick Vermeil’s 1980 Eagles went 12-4, winning the NFC East for the first time ever. The highlight of their season was the NFC Championship Game, where they dispatched with the hated Dallas Cowboys 20-7. The Iggles Wilbert Montgomery ran for 194 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys Tony Dorsett was held to 41 yards and was not a factor. In the Super Bowl, Philadelphia Ron Jaworski, then nicknamed the now politically incorrect The Polish Rifle, completed 3 of his passes to Rod Martin. Unfortunately, Martin played for the Oakland Raiders, who defeated the Eagles 27-10.
For those that persist in keeping the 2022 Philadelphia Union in this analysis
The 1980 Philadelphia Fury, in its last year of existence in the NASL (North American Soccer League) went 10-22.
For its legions of sports fans, the 1980 Philadelphia sports teams provided many long-lasting thrills. I know that, personally, as I was one of them. I was at the Vet for Game 2 and Game 6 (when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson, just after the crowd-controlling mounted horses had prematurely taken the field). I got in both games for $10 each, as an accommodating usher took this dough from me to let me in each time. I was at several 76ers and Flyers games in their glorious seasons. The Eagles I watched on the tube. Most of the sporting events I went to were the Philadelphia Big 5 Basketball Games, which, were a lot easier on the budget.--As a Penn college student radio station sportscaster, I got in for free! Those double-headers and triple-headers at the Palestra were some of the best misspent hours of my impressionable youth.
The question about Volcker increasing Money Supply to try to thwart inflation? That was the Essay question on my Finance 1A Finals. My answer was something to the extent of “Paul Volker is Chairman of The Federal Reserve Board, arguably, the most prestigious financial body of the whole world. I, on the other hand, am a failing Fin 1 college student. Who am I to question the policies of such a man?” That was not the correct answer and I got a 29 on that test and the only F I ever got in a course. Hopefully, my professor, Dick Start, got a kick out of my attempt at humor. Speaking of which
I often joke that my Penn GPA was so low that if you square it, it lessens. Untrue. My overall GPA was not less than 1.0. I’ve said that my 1980 Fall semester GPA was less than Steve Carlton’s ERA. True. My GPA was 1.6 that semester. Lefty’s ERA was 2.34 in 1980. Sometimes academia and sportsemia (sic) did mix. A Legal Studies professor was making a point and referenced Steve Carlton’s curveball. I had to correct him and tell him that Carlton’s out pitch was his slider! And, through all this, I did graduate in 2 terms. True. They were Carters and Reagans.
In my less than illustrious academic career, the 1980 fall semester was a nadir. But, I look back at that time with much fondness. Thank you to the Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, Eagles, Hawks, Explorers, Owls, Wildcats and Quakers. The Philadelphia Journal, Inquirer and Daily News sports sections (and the Page 7 girl in the Journal, which once featured a column by Double D!). My academic inadequacies notwithstanding, 1980 was a special time for me, the mostly sports-related memories I will always cherish.
Finally, I must disclose that besides the Philadelphia Fury’s futile 1980 season, there was a Philadelphia Football team that went 1-9. And, I had the privilege of interviewing Penn coach Harry Gamble for the Penn FB radio pre-game show. Coach Gamble, a great man, may he rest in peace.
In a true Fall Classic, the Astros defeated the Phillies 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 3 games to 2 advantage in the World Series.
Loved those powder blue uniforms the Phillies were wearing. This brought back memories of yesteryear. And, then, would history repeat itself? The Phillies had the Astros right where they wanted them to be Heading into the (Philadelphia) bottom of the 8th inning, the Phillies trailed by 2 runs (sort of reminiscent of when the 2 teams squared off in the 1980 NLCS). The Phillies did pull to within 3-2 and had the tying run on 3rd base with one out in the 8th, but came up short 3-2.
Astros centerfielder Chas McCormick made a remarkable play in the bottom of the 9th, robbing JT Realmuto with a spectacular run and catch at the wall. I don’t think I’m guilty of recency bias by opining that this catch is right up there with the NY Giants Willie Mays robbing the Indians Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series, Ron Swoboda’s 2 catches for the NY Mets vs the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 and the BoSox RF Dewey Evans robbing the Cincinnati Reds Joe Morgan in 1975. If the Astros should go on to win the World Series, this McCormick catch will be further immortalized. And, to make it ever more special is that McCormick grew up as a Phillies fan in West Chester PA.
One wonders how many Philadelphia fans were watching last night. The World Series was going up against the NFL, which, ironically enough, featured the Eagles vs the Houston Texans game on PRIME, which is a paid service. Baseball used to be the national pastime. Now, it is way behind the NFL, trailing the NBA in popularity too. The ratings for the World Series vs the NFL in Philadelphia would be instructive. Perhaps the only city that Baseball outdrew the NFL last night was in Houston, where the Astros are a lot more popular than the Texans (who trail UT and Texas A&M in following too)
A common theme that will come out in the aftermath of last night's World Series thriller is that Houston has all the momentum and wrapped up the Series with last night's win, as the Series shifts to Houston for Game 6 on Saturday night (and if necessary, Game 7 on Sunday evening) I don’t buy that. I am not saying the Astros will not win the Series. But, to use the cliché, momentum is your next day’s starting pitcher. In that regard, I do like the Astros chances with Framber Valdez on the mound. But, if Zack Wheeler, the Phillies presumed starter, is on his game, he is outstanding too. I would love to see the series go to 7 games. Of course, I might be the only person watching it, as Game 7 would run opposite Sunday Night Football.
An encouraging note for my Phillies fans (the ones I have not alienated by saying that Philadelphia is not Champ City 2022… at least not yet) out there. In 1980, the Royals shortstop was UL Washington, who was known for having a toothpick he would chew during games. 2022 finds Astros manager Dusty Baker often chewing on a toothpick. The Phillies defeated the toothpick in 1980. Is that a good omen for the 2022 TastyCakers?
That makes about as much sense as Kanye
I mean Kyrie Irving. A few years back, Irving maintained the Earth is flat. In 2021-22 he had to sit out Nets games because he refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The latest has Irving recently posting a virulent antisemitic film on his social media which promotes racist theories, expressing such nonsense that Jews are responsible for Blacks plight, among other absurdities. As Dan Wolken pointed out in his USA Today column, Irving has gone from an almost entertaining goofball to selfishly hurting the Nets last year to being dangerous.
There was a one-time Nets superstar named Erving (before Roy Boe sold him to the 76ers), referenced earlier in this column. Dr. J was not only a generational talent on the floor, but an articulate, intelligent first-class quality human being off the floor. Same sounding last name with Irving, with an I for an E. But, that is the only thing that Kyrie has in common with Julius. The great thing about sports is that they can bring people together—different religions, races, socioeconomic classes. Julius Erving is what sports should be about. Kyrie Irving is diametrically opposed to what sports should be. He is Garbage, an absolute disgrace, not only to the NBA, but to mankind.
Go Jackets!!
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