Hey There:
Last week, Timmy's class had a Living Wax Museum at his school. Each of the kids chose a famous person, created a display, did research, wrote a speech and then had to dress up like the character and when you came to their spot, you stepped on a "button" and they gave their talk.
Tim chose Paul McCartrney as his historical figure. Some people laughed when I told them that, but think about it. What constitutes a historical figure? In the most general terms, it's someone who changes the world around us. I can't think of too many people who did that to a greater degree than the Beatles did in the 1960's. The changed the way people wore their clothes, their hair and that's even before we get to what they did musically. I'm biased, because a) he's my kid and b) I'm a Beatlemaniac, but his choice was solid.
But having said all that I'm proud of all these kids. I got to go there with my mom and dad, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The work that these 9 and 10 year olds did was tremendous. I saw how hard Timmy worked on this, and I know all the kids worked hard. They had to.
And while he was working hard to memorize his lines, part of me felt bad for him. Then I started to remember the plays we put on in St. Mary's and how many lines I had to memorize, even in 1st and 2nd grade.
But what these kids did was harder.
When I was up on the stage, I knew the people were looking at me, but I had the option of looking back towards the balcony. These kids had to recite an entire speech, with a big doofus like me right in front of them. That could not have been easy.
But they did it. All of them.
I wish I could post pictures of all the kids in their characters, but obviously I wouldn't want someone posting Timmy's pic without permission. Here he is..
There is so much crap in the world right now, and as Billy Joel once sang, "I find that just surviving is a noble fight", but between seeing these kids on Tuesday, and then watching Timmy receive his badge from the Cub Scouts on Friday, I quote another historical figure... "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Maybe not. But pretty damn lucky.
Who is not lucky? That be our New York Mets.
BASEBALL: The hitless wonders...
I had it pointed out to me this week by the great Keri DeAngelo that the Mets starting pitchers ERA was 1.76 over the past 10 games. Their record in those 10 games? 2-8. And that was a few days ago. It's only gotten worse.
People are encouraging me to declare the season over. That way, like in 2015 when they made it to the World Series and 2016, when they just missed the playoffs after I said they were done, they may go on another tear. And therein lies the rub.
They can go on another tear.
It's impossible to see now, especially when they are getting trashed by the Yankees, but if the starting pitching holds serve, and the bats get going, they can get right back in this thing.
Where I will totally lose my $h-t is if the injuries start to pile up again, like it's beginning to look like they are. That I can't stomach. I can't go through another year of my fellow Met fans lamenting "Oh, if Cespides wasn't hurt" or "Oh, wait till we get Thor back," or "I can't wait to see Matz when he's healthy."
No, no, NO!
Syndergaard needs to come back and stay healthy, if he can't do that, send his a$$ packing. La Famillia is back on the DL too, and he's already on my $h-t lost for blowing saves, if he can't stay healthy or close out games when he is, then hasta la vista to him as well. My first instinct with Cespedes was to let him walk, both after 2015 and 2016, but I'll admit I was happy when they signed him. Now I wish I had stuck with my first instinct.
If the team was legitimately lousy like they were in 2011 and 2012, you just look for bright spots and hope for the best. But when you have guys like Jacob deGrom pitching their hearts out only to be betrayed by a lousy bullpen and non-existent bats, it's doubly aggravating. Part of me wants to throw in the towel, part of me wants them to see if they can get another bat in here to kick start the offense and hold our noses and pray for the bullpen. Part of me thinks I should just stop watching sports all together.
Then what would I have to write about?
So on we go....
After Tim's Cub Scout ceremony, I went with his den leader, Paul, and our good friend Dan (No Shot) Unverzagt to jPaul's where I caught a bit of the end of the NBA Finals. The night before, the hockey season came to an end with the Caps hoisting their first Stanley Cup.
The NBA got what it deserved... a lousy NBA Final between two teams we're all sick of. Shame on the Celtics, Raptors and Pacers for not knocking the Cavs out sooner. I realize LeBron is a one man wrecking crew, but $h-t that team was ripe for the picking.
And I'm sorry, but I still won't put the Warriors on the list of all time great NBA Teams. The Celtics and Lakers of the 1980's, the Bulls of the 1990's and the Heat from a few years ago were all better than this Warriors team. Don't get me wrong, they are worthy champs, but they are big fish in a small pond.
As for the Stanley Cup, Washington deserved to win, I just didn't want them to. And the Golden Knights picked a damn good time to play like the expansion team that they are.
One thing that always blows my mind is that on the rare times where a team wins the Cup in the opposing teams barn, the fans don't leave. They stay for the initial celebration, the handshake line (which I always think is cool) and the awarding of the playoff MVP. (the Conn Smythe Trophy) That's followed by, as my friend Ed Robinson points out, the only time in sports that an inanimate object is introduced as if it's a person (Ladies and Gentlemen-The Stanley Cup) followed by the requisite booing of Gary Bettman, followed by Bettman's presenting the Cup to the winning captain. Folks, I love to boo Bettman as much as anyone, but if I was at the Garden when the Rangers lost the Cup, I would be halfway between Woodside and Jamaica on the LIRR by the time Bettman handed the Cup over.
When the Mets blew a playoff shot for the second year in a row back in 2008, they had a ceremony to close Shea Stadium down. I was home with Tara and baby Timmy that day, but my dad and Kate were at the game. I told them I would have left after the last pitch and they said they were honoring the old guys, not the current team. My dad and my sister have much more class than I do. I would have been long gone.
HORSE RACING-Triple Crown!!
In a previous life, I worked at NYC OTB. One of these days, when I know all the people I worked with there are no longer with us, I may write some stories about what went on while I was taking bets there, but even though it's been almost 20 years since I worked there, I was told what went on behind the counter stayed there.
One thing I can tell you is that in the three years I worked there, each Belmont Stakes had a potential Triple Crown Winner. In 1997, Silver Charm had won the Derby and the Preakness, before falling in the Belmont. The following year, Real Quiet took the first two legs. In 1999 it was Charismatic.
None of those three won the Belmont.
In 2002, I actually made my way to Belmont Park to see if War Emblem could win the Triple Crown. Not only did he not, I ended up watching the race on TV, cuz where I was standing I couldn't see the track. (I did get to shake hands with Governor Pataki and legendary broadcaster Jim McKay.)
In 2004, the Belmont was held the same day Liam McGarvey was baptized. I went home from the christening to watch the race, and was pissed that Smarty Jones lost the triple crown by a nose, till I realized that by wheeling the exacta, I had won $300 bucks.
In 2008, Big Brown was considered by many to be the horse to finally end the 30 year hex. He was listed as a huge favorite, but a bum hoof wouldn't even allow him to finish the race.
It was at that point I seriously began to believe that we would never again see a Triple Crown winner in horse racing.
2012, I'll Have Another. Scratched before the Belmont. The hex continued. 34 years and counting.
The 2014 Belmont would be what I would call A Rough Day in Sports. California Chrome lost a chance to win the Triple Crown, the Rangers lost Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Kings, and the Mets lost a game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
So when American Pharaoh was getting ready to run in the Belmont in 2015, I didn't really get into it. Shoot, even after he won, I thought maybe the doctors had given me some funny medicine to fix my heart and I was actually seeing things. I had been screaming that we would never see it happen.
Now, we've seen it twice.
Damn.
I didn't watch any of Anthony Bourdain's cooking shows, and I wasn't really familiar with Kate Spade, but their suicides this week were a harsh reminder that we just really never know. I don't know if this is what George Harrison had in mind when he wrote about "the people who gain the world and lose their soul." But that's what came to mind when I saw that these two successful people took their lives this week.
I usually like to end these on a positive note, but please folks, take it easy.
Have a Great Week
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