Weekly Mail January 29, 2017

Hi There:

Last week, Tim made reconciliation for the first time.  I probably should have written about it last week, but I had my reservations. Obviously I'm proud as hell of my big guy, but I'm not a fan of this particular ritual.

Reconciliation, for my non Catholic subscribers, is a sacrament (a gift from the Almighty) in which one goes and tells a priest their sins. The priest counsels you a bit, then gives you a penance, (usually a couple of prayers) and then sends you on your way with a clean soul, and maybe a fresh conscience. I guess that depends on what you did.

Before Tara and I got married, we had to do pre cana, a series of chats about marriage in the eyes of the church. Most people knock it out in one sitting on a Saturday afternoon, but Tara and I spread it out over three Wednesday nights. I could probably write a whole book about the "sex talk" we had on the third week.(but I won't).  I remember the second week was the talk given by a priest. One of the things I remember him saying was "Make sure you go and have a good confession, before you get married." Unfortunately, I had just gotten done reading the Jimmy Breslin book The Church That Forgot Christ, about the sex scandals in the Catholic Church, and I decided Jesus would have to take my word for it that I was sorry for all the crap I've done.

In a sign of the times, all the kids who made confession last week, did so where us parents could see them. No confessionals (or sin bins as we used to call them) for these kids. There were two priests on the altar and two in the back of the church, all in plain sight. We couldn't hear what the kids were saying obviously, and I didn't want to. Besides what the hell could an 8 year old possibly have to confess?




TELEVISION-RIP The Sports Reporters?

According to several reports this week, ESPN has decided to get rid of my favorite Sunday morning talk show The Sports Reporters, with the last show set to air in May. I shouldn't be that upset about it, after all, I've got a million problems with the show, namely that they didn't take my advice and hire a new host after the untimely death of John Saunders. Instead they did exactly what I told them NOT to do, and made Mike Lupica the host.

I've been reading Lupica's Sunday column, Shooting from the Lip, since I was Timmy's age. It used to be hysterical, and Lupica used to be relevant. Now it's neither. And Lupica is considered by almost everyone in the biz as an obnoxious out of touch a$$hole.

 Another complaint with the Sports Reporters is that they used much of their own talent instead of what the show was originally supposed to be, which was a panel of sports columnists from around the country. And also, they only cover the sports that ESPN/ABC televise. Baseball/Football/Basketball, mostly, tennis and golf occasionally. Hockey? Maybe a blurb during the playoffs.

Still, it was a good way to kick off my Sunday, both back in my hangover days and now trying to wrestle control of the TV from Timmy and Nickelodeon. If it's true that it's going bye bye, it's going to put a cramp in my Sunday TV Viewing. I'll have to do something grownup and watch Face the Nation or Meet the Press. With all the $h-t going on in the world now, who wants to do that?


         **BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**

Lucky Bastard:My Life, My Dad, and the Things I'm not Allowed to Say on Television
By: Joe Buck

A few years ago, I read Al Michaels autobiography, and I told someone that if you thought Al Michaels was an d-ck before you read his book (which I did), the book wouldn't change your mind.

A lot of people I know think of FOX's Joe Buck the way I think of Al Michaels. And if you feel that way, I can tell you that you will still feel that way after reading his autobiography.

I in fact don't hate Buck the way a lot of people do. Sure, I think he hates the Mets, because he and I are close in age, and I grew up hating the St. Louis Cardinals, the team who his legendary father was the play by play man for. But can I say I ever heard him say anything disparagingly about the Mets? Not really.

And Yankee fans bitch and moan about him, but I call bollocks on that, because no announcer outside of the YES Network gave Derek Jeter more verbal love than did Buck. He even admits that in his book. I once heard him sing Happy Birthday to Jeter during FOX's Game of the Week.

Buck spends most of the book defending himself from the charges that he only got his job because of his famous father. He was broadcasting Cardinals games when he was 20 years old, so one could definitely draw that conclusion. But I always thought he had a great voice. I still do. And if he sounded like Gilbert Gottfried it wouldn't have mattered who his old man was, he wouldn't be calling sporting events.

Amongst the other things Buck talks about is his addiction to hair replacement surgery which almost cost him his voice (ergo his career) the crumbling of his first marriage (in which he suggests that had he been more of a cad than he already was-he may have gotten to hook up with Christina Applegate and Kate Hudson-do with that what you will)

He's not as funny as he thinks he is, but he still pretty funny. He tells some good stories. The evolution of his relationship with Tim McCarver was very interesting and to me quite enlightening.

Overall, not a bad read.

4 Auggies.


I felt awful when I heard about the passing of American Icon Mary Tyler Moore this week. I guess I'm hoping if I stop writing obituaries, people will stop freakin dying.  I realize how warped that logic is, but well, that's where I'm at.

That's all from here kids

Have a Great Week!