Still a Going Concern After 5 Years

It was five years ago today that Yours Truly formed The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, and after all these years we're still going strong.

Whether it's my Red Sox rantings, my Trivia Night wrapups, my 9/11 remembrances, funny Irish Christmas messages or even people finding out about Doug Mirabelli's day, so many of you have come here, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for doing so. I had no idea back in 2006 I would still be doing this in 2011.

We've had over 277,000 hits here since April of 2006. And I especially thank all of you who come back from time to time to read my posts. It really means a lot to me.

So once again, thank you for stopping by. Hopefully we are off to bigger and better things in the future. (And by the way, the Doug Mirabelli post is still the most popular thing I have ever posted on this blog. Even with Doug a few years into his well-earned retirement, I still have folks coming here looking for it.)

A Unique Way To Make a Buck

As many of you know the iPad 2 went on sale yesterday at the Apple Store. And whenever something like this makes its debut, it attracts a crowd that just has to be first to get it.

A woman named Amanda Foote was first at the store in line, and she was there for nearly two days before she sold that "coveted" first spot to a guy from Brazil for $900. (That is worth nearly doubled what the new iPad sells for.)

I'll never understand this "I've gotta be first before anyone else to get this new gizmo" mentality. And to wait outside and brave the elements for days to be first is even more stranger. But Ms. Foote turned it into a money-making thing, and I can't blame her too much for that.

Here is a clip of the story:



But the big question I have of this whole story is: where was Greg Packer, that professional pest who once posed as a fake Red Sox fan at the Riviera the night the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series and big time media whore (far bigger than me) in this whole thing? He always seems to turn up at these things.

Have the Apple people finally gotten wise to this guy?

Players Coming, Players Going

The Red Sox made their first round of cuts to their roster, sending a whole slew of players to their minor league camp. No real surprises here:

Catchers Ryan Lavarnway and Tim Federowicz; Infielders Oscar Tejeda, Brent Dlugach and Hector Luna; Outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin; and pitchers Jason Rice, Alex Wilson, Kyle Weiland, Tony Pena Jr, Stolmy Pimentel, and Cleveland Santeliz.

Today the Red Sox take on the Florida Marlins in Ft. Myers, but the big news is that Adrian Gonzalez plays in his game action with the Red Sox this spring. He will play first base and bat third, and should get just a couple of plate appearances before taking the rest of the game off.

I Love a Challenge

And here it is: can a Red Sox fan like me write an impartial review of a Derek Jeter book?

I'll do my best.

The good folks at Press Box Publicity offered me a copy of "Derek Jeter: From the Pages of the New York Times". At first I was reluctant as you might have guessed, but then I looked at it as a kind of challenge. Could I write a fair and balanced review of this new tome about Captain Intangibles?

I've read a number of books about Yankee legends, like Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. They've generally been well-written books, fairly written bios about their good and bad sides, and enough time has elapsed since they played in the Bronx to read them without getting violently ill. But with Jeter still active in pinstripes, this would be a bit different.

Well, here goes.

It's not really a biography, but a coffee table book about the Yankee captain and shortstop, with a number of articles written by many of the New York Times sportswriters like Dave Anderson, Tyler Kepner and Jack Curry. It draws from a number of days in Jeter's career, with many insights from people like his late boss, George Steinbrenner, his mentor Mr. Joe Torre, and teammates like Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, his former good buddy, Alex Rodriguez.

It contains about 100 photographs from Jeter's career, such as when that kid, who will remain nameless, interfered with the Orioles' Tony Tarasco in the outfield in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, giving Jeter a home run, to the night in 2004 when he made the third best defensive play of the night on July 1st against the Red Sox, robbing Trot Nixon of an RBI hit and landed in the stands. (You remember the plays A-Rod and Pokey Reese made in that game, don't you?)

If you have a Jeter fan in your life, I'm sure he or she will enjoy the book.

Now I just have to decide which Jeter fan I will give this book to now.

So, was that fair and balanced enough?

Trivia Q&A: March 8

On the night of Mardi Gras, we had 21 teams in for Trivia Night, a really loud and boisterous crowd as well. (Strange thing. I handed out 27 sheets, and I thought we might set a new record for teams at Trivia Night, as the current high is 26. But six of those sheets never came back to me.) And yes, references to Charlie Sheen, winning and Tiger Blood in team names were in full force.

It was a mixed bag night of Trivia. The scores were rather low for Odd Numbered Trivia, rather high for General Knowledge, and in the middle for the other two categories going into the final round. But the IQ round proved to be the toughest of all, as no team got more than two questions correct. The team of No Fly Zone, who led in the previous two rounds, was one of those teams who got two right and held on and won by just a single point, with 39 in total. Congratulations to Emily and her friends on another Tuesday night victory lap.

Second place went to Libya Is Gaga For Tiger Blood and third place went to They Continue To Breach, Like So Many Whales, three points behind with 36.

Best Team Name: The Only Team Name Not About Charlie Sheen, Tiger Blood Or Winning..Oh Wait.

Current Events
1. Frank Buckles of West Virginia died last week at the age of 110. What was the great significance of Mr. Buckles' passing?
2. What country is objecting to the logo for the 2012 Olympics, calling it "racist" and may boycott the games next year?
3. What actress filed a $50 million libel suit against Star magazine after they published a cover story insinuating she is a drug addict?
4. What female pop singer announced last week she was donating the money she made appearing at a party for Muammar Khadafy's son in 2007 to charity?
5. Suze Rotolo, the onetime girlfriend of a rock icon and who also gained fame by being featured on the second album he put out in 1963, died recently at the age of 67. Who was the rock icon?
6. What legendary rock guitarist is putting 70 of his guitars on the auction block this week to benefit an alcohol and drug treatment center he founded in Antigua?
7. What company, according to the Wall Street Journal, recently passed McDonald's as the world's largest restaurant chain?

March 8th Trivia
1. In 1974, the current sixth largest airport in the world opens in Paris, which is named for what famous person?
2. On this date in 1862, the famous Confederate ironclad warship, the Merrimack, was relaunched under the name of what Confederate state?
3. On this day in 1973, what rock superstar was fined $240 after pleading guilty to growing marijuana outside of his Scottish countryside farm?
4. Hines Ward, NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl XL MVP from what team was born on this day in 1976?
5. William Howard Taft, 27th President of the US who, in 1921, was named to what important position eight years after the leaving the White House, died on this date in 1930.
6. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan, in a Florida speech, gave the Soviet Union what nickname?
7. In 1957, the Ba'ath Party came to power in what Middle Eastern country after left wing army officers staged a coup d'etat?

Odd Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. This is the number of billiard balls in a standard game of eight-ball pool.
2. This was the number worn by NBA Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
3. Andrew Johnson was this number US president.
4. The silver wedding anniversary is celebrated after this number of years.
5. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were both assassinated at this same age.
6. Baskin-Robbins ice cream has this number of flavors.
7. Aquarius is this number astrological sign of the Zodiac.
8. Both the Mets and Yankees retired this number in honor of their manager Casey Stengel.
9. The last Super Bowl, played last month in Dallas, was this number.
10. This is the number of points in a pentagram.

General Knowledge
1. Who played Rooster Cogburn in the original version of "True Grit?" ( 1 pt)
2. What is the capital of New Hampshire? (1 pt)
3. The country of Namibia is found in what continent? ( 1 pt)
4. What English rock band has had a record 36 top ten albums in the US charts? ( 2 pt)
5. What US president served in between the two non-consecutive terms of Grover Cleveland? ( 2 pt)
6. What celestial body is known as "The Blue Planet?" ( 2 pt)
7. What songstress of the 1940s and '50s was known as "The First Lady of Song?" ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Before it was officially taken out of circulation in 1969, what US president was on the $1,000 bill? ( 5 points)
2. Which album by Billy Joel was the first pop album ever released on compact disc in 1983? ( 4 points)
3. What country has the world's longest set of land borders with other countries? ( 4 points)
4. According to UNICEF, what African country has the most land mines in the world? ( 4 points)
5. In the 1993 film "Groundhog Day," what song awakens Bill Murray's character on the clock radio every morning? ( 3 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Last living WWI veteran; 2. Iran; 3. Katie Holmes; 4. Nelly Furtado; 5. Bob Dylan; 6. Eric Clapton; 7. Subway.

March 8th Trivia
1. Charles de Gaulle; 2. Virginia; 3. Paul McCartney; 4. Pittsburgh Steelers; 5. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; 6. "The Evil Empire;" 7. Syria.

Odd Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. 15; 2. 33; 3. 17; 4. 25; 5. 39; 6. 31; 7. 11; 8. 37; 9. 45; 10. 5.

General Knowledge
1. John Wayne; 2. Concord; 3. Africa; 4. Rolling Stones; 5. Benjamin Harrison; 6. Earth; 7. Ella Fitzgerald.

IQ Trivia
1. Grover Cleveland; 2. "52nd Street;" 3. China; 4. Egypt; 5. "I Got You Babe."

Vino For a Good Cause

My friends over at Longball Cellars are releasing two more Red Sox player wines that benefits charity, and this time features two of the newest mainstays of the Red Sox rotation: Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester.

Both wines will go for $14 a piece, and the players will forward all profits to charity.

For Clay, it will go to the Jimmy Fund. Clay's wine is called "ChardonClay."

For Jon, his profits will go the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. His wine is called "CabernAce."

The wines will be available this coming May. Retailers can place their orders now. They can be purchased online at www.charitywines.com.

There will be a launch party for the wines on May 11th following the Red Sox afternoon game that day at the Foundation Room at House of Blues on Lansdowne Street. The lovely and talented Heidi Watney will emcee the festivities.

The Red Sox player-themed wines have been very successful in the past, and these sound like a winner once again.

Odd Numbers On An Even Numbered Night

This Tuesday night we will be featuring a category that we do from time to time: this day in history. So our Special Category will be "March 8th Trivia." It will be seven questions connected to the day in history in some way, shape or form.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Odd Numbered Trivia." It will be 10 questions whose answer is a number between 1 and 50. (OK, 1 and 49.)

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Who played Rooster Cogburn in the original version of 'True Grit'"?

And of course the answer is NOT Rosie O'Donnell. You maybe wondering why I have a photo of her head on top of that murdering terrorist's body? None really. I found it while doing a Google search and it cracked me up. No other one really.

We get going at the usual time of 9 PM. Hope to see many of you for what should be a great night of Trivia on Tuesday night.

Does "The Winner" Really Own The Babe's Ring?

Everyone knows what a circus Charlie Sheen's life has become since he took to the airwaves and decided to go after everyone who has done him wrong in the whole "Two and a Half Men" mess.

My friend Pete Nash has a really good article at Deadspin about Tiger Blood's claim that he owns Babe Ruth's 1927 World Series ring. Sheen is a big memorabilia collector, and once owned the infamous ball that Mookie Wilson hit that ended Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. With all his trouble and rehab stints, he sold off most of his collection, but held on to the Ruth ring.

Ruth's descendants don't believe it's the genuine article.

It very well maybe Ruth's ring, but Sheen claims to have gotten it from the now-disgraced collection of Barry Halper, who Pete has chronicled in the past at his Hauls of Shame web site.

Good Guys In Red 3, British Evil Empire 1

The biggest match of the season for Liverpool happened today at Anfield, and their opponent was their longtime rival Manchester United.

It was like the Red Sox vs. Yankees at Fenway. And it was no contest.

It was a case of Men vs. Boys, and Liverpool dominated the match, on the backs of Dirk Kuyt's hat trick, as Liverpool rolled to a 3-1 win over ManU.

Kuyt scored in the 34th and 39th minutes of the first half, and the rout wwas on. Kuyt scored his first hat trick in six years twenty minutes into the second half, and it was all over but the shouting. It was the first hat trick by any player in the rivalry since Peter Beardsley did it for Liverpool in 1991.

United avoided the shutout in injury time with Javier Hernandez' goal. In American terms, this was like the Red Sox beating up on the Yankees 10-0 at Fenway, with New York breaking the shutout with two outs in the ninth. Here's more on the match from Soccernet.

Liverpool is now sixth in the Premiership, and trail Tottenham by five points for fifth and Chelsea by six points for fourth place and a place in the European Champions League.

Beating the Westboro Bastards

Nice clip here of a group of biker veterans forming a human shield at a fallen soldier's funeral in Kansas to protect the family from those miserable, publicity-seeking creeps. They do it with flags and patriotic music:



There's just not enough bad things in this life that can happen to these brainless Westboro morons that would satisfy me.

Bench Guys 5, Other Team's Stars 3

It was good to see the Red Sox playing for the first time last night, against the Yankees at Tampa. 2011 baseball is finally under way.

I watched it at Professor Thom's with many of my comrades in Red Sox Nation-New York. But this being New York City, the NESN feed was naturally blacked out, so we had to deal with YES and their notorious Yankee shill, Michael Kay.

They got off to a dubious beginning, as the first game action they showed was Ryan Kalish up at-bat with one out already. So, what did Darnell McDonald, the lead-off hitter do in that at-bat? I had no idea until my friend Dan sent me a message on Facebook later that he grounded out. Terrific.

My friend Joe also told me that Kay was whining on his radio show earlier in the day about the fact the Red Sox left just about all their stars back in Ft. Myers. He thought they were somehow "cheating" those fans who had come out for last night's game. Listen, I'm sure when the Yankees play the Sox later this month, they will leave most of their star players back in Tampa. That's just a fact of life in spring training. Kay needs to get a life.

And to round out this night with the Yankee Shill, in the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a deep fly ball to left that appeared it might go out. Naturally, it was a big moment for Kay, and you could hear him start his annoying "See Ya" home run call with "Ssss..." when the ball fell short of the left field wall and Slappy pulled in with a double. He never ceases to be a total ass. (Talking here about Kay, not Slappy. Well, Slappy too.)

Fortunately, by the fifth inning, the bar had the good sense to turn the sound off and but on some music. Thank goodness. A night in hell with Michael Kay came to a merciful end.

In the end it was Red Sox B-Team 5, Yankee Stars 3. I don't get too excited about spring training games, but a Red Sox win any time of the year over The Evil Empire is a nice thing. Nobody got hurt, so we move along.

Putting The Heated Rivalry Aside

Here's a nice story from the Wall Street Journal the other day about the horrific injury Red Sox first base coach Ron Johnson's daughter suffered last year, and who came to the family's aid when they needed help: the New York Yankees.

Ron's daughter lost a leg when she was riding a horse and car ran into them. It happened last year and Johnson missed a good part of the season attending to his injured daughter. When Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long found out the Johnson family needed financial help, he gathered the Yankee players together for a meeting and told them what had happened.

Long and Johnson were old friends, as Johnson had helped Long get his first job in coaching. The Yankee players wrote out checks and sent them to Long, who sent them to the Johnson family.

Very classy and heartwarming move by Kevin Long and the Yankee players.

"Scorecasting"

I recently read a very interesting book called "Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won" by Tobias J. Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim.

They are childhood friends: a college professor from the University of Chicago and a writer from Sports Illustrated, and they take on some of the cherished "myths" of modern day sports and turn them on their head.

For instance:

Is there really momentum in sports? What really drives home field advantage? Does defense really win championships? Why are .299 hitters more rare than .300 hitters? And one of my favorite chapters: "Are the Chicago Cubs really cursed?" (The authors are both Cub fans and give an interesting take on them.)

The authors challenge all kinds of sports "truisms" and traditions and reveal many of the hidden influences of the game. And they do it with some good humor as well. (Being Cub fans I guess that is expected.) The book is centered on the three biggest sports in America, baseball, football and basketball, but the authors also look into sports like golf, hockey and soccer.

After reading this book you'll think differently about such things as coaches "icing" opposing field goal kickers, 3-0 pitches in baseball, and teams punting on fourth down and short yardage. And of course, why the Cubs are now without a World Series title in 102 years.

The book will definitely make you think differently about sports, and the authors also go beyond all the stats and explore areas like how biases affect sports as well.

"Scorecasting" is definitely worth taking the time to sit and read. It's thought-provoking and fascinating, and will make you think of both "Moneyball" and "Freakonomics" at the same time.

Bravo, gentlemen.

Happy Birthday Compact Disc

It was 28 years ago today that the compact disc was introduced to the world, and it revolutionized the music industry.

And it put vinyl records (remember them?) out of business.

Billy Joel's "52nd Street" album was the very first pop album released on CD, and shortly after that 16 titles from CBS Records were released to the public. The explosion was on, and by 1988, a staggering 400 million CDs were printed that year.

I have a very soft spot in my heart for CDs. I worked at Tower Records in Greenwich Village and got to see CDs take off first hand. In late 1985 I became the store's pop/rock/soul CD buyer, and it was amazing to see it happen. I remember when the Beatles CDs came out for the first time in early 1987, and the publicity surrounding the release was pretty intense. I was interviewed by many media outlets that day, on TV and radio and in print. (My media empire began that day.)

The advent of the mp3 and iPods in the early 2000s changed the way people buy music and CD have dropped considerably over the last decade. I finally joined the revolution and got an iPod in 2008. But I still have my CD collection, and it totals about 1,000. These days I go to a number of used CD stores in New York to get cheap CDs I've never owned to fill in the iPod. (My goal is to hit 10,000 songs by the end of 2011. Right now I have just over 8,800.) It's cheaper than having to fork over 99 cents (or $1.29) to iTunes for every song.

And besides, I like having the CD. Brings back fond memories of my Tower days.

Happy Birthday, CDs. You'll always have a place in my home.

Henry Was Fined By Thin-Skinned MLB Overlords

John Henry revealed yesterday that he was fined $500,000 by MLB for comments he made back in 2009 about baseball's revenue sharing system.

With thanks to the Joy of Sox, here is a story from the Boston Globe from December 2009 about what Henry originally said.

It boggles my mind that you can criticize the President of the United States, but you don't dare criticize Bud Selig or any of his minions. I guess if you aren't in perfect lockstep with them and have a different opinion they don't like, they will separate you from your money.

And now, MLB may actually levy some kind of punishment on Henry for revealing that he was fined for his original comments.

Beyond unbelievable.

Trivia Q&A: March 1

We had 14 teams in for Trivia Night on Tuesday. It's been like a pendulum lately: one crowded night one week, the next week a bit less. Haven't been able to finger on exactly why.

The numbers for Current Events were as low for that round as I have ever seen them. (Did I make it too difficult this week? I really didn't think so.) But there was a nice bounce back for Q Tip Trivia, as the scores were generally on the higher side.

They were again on the so-so side for General Knowledge, but one team did well throughout the night and pulled away to a very comfortable win: Just Plain Tater Tots and Square Pizzas wound up winning by eight points, and they got four of five correct in IQ Trivia. It was there first win on Trivia Night. (I understand many of the members of that team belong to Mensa. I hope they come back to defend their title, as I do love a challenge.)

We also had an odd coincidence tonight. As soon as IQ Trivia ended, "Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life" came up on my iPod (and it was on shuffle), which is connected into the bar's sound system. The question about George Harrison and Handmade Films had just been asked, and he started the company to get "Life of Brian" filmed, which included that song as its finale. I think George might have been watching us.

Second place went to I'm On a Drug, It's Called John Quinn with 45 points, and third went to Better Than Bacon with 44 points.

Best Team Name: I'm On a Drug, It's Called John Quinn (and yes, Charlie Sheen was a popular figure for team names)

Current Events
1. What major US city had a light dusting of snow, its first significant snowfall in 35 years last Friday?
2. What South American country became the first country to break relations with Libya last week?
3. What Asian electronics giant rolled out a new digital camera last week that allows posting pictures and videos directly to sites like Facebook and YouTube?
4. What space shuttle went on its 39th and final mission last week?
5. What US state legalized same-sex civil unions last Wednesday?
6. What pop star debuted a new hair style last week and immediately lost nearly 80,000 followers on Twitter?
7. What British actress was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire last weekend, and was later punched in a scuffle with paparazzi at her hotel?

Q Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following planets have satellites? a. Mars; b. Saturn; c. Venus; d. Uranus.
2. Which of these states did not secede from the Union before or during the Civil War? a. Missouri; b. Tennessee; c. Kentucky; d. Arkansas.
3. Which of these rock groups was Eric Clapton once part of? a. Buffalo Springfield; b. Cream; c. Traffic; d. Blind Faith.
4. Which of these countries are currently in the top 10 of the most populous countries in the world? a. Nigeria; b. Japan; c. Pakistan; d. Indonesia.
5. Which of these countries are not in the European Union? a. Switzerland; b. Russia; c. Iceland; d. Hungary.
6. Which of these rock icons died outside of the United States? a. Jim Morrison; b. Sid Vicious; c. Kurt Cobain; d. Jimi Hendrix.
7. Which of these US currency bills does not have a president on them? a. $10; b. $20; c. $50; d. $100.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Strawberries have more Vitamin C than oranges.
2. Niagara Falls is the highest waterfall in the world.
3. The leopard is the fastest mammal on earth.
4. The San Diego Zoo has the largest collection of animals in the world.
5. Cows have four-chambered stomachs.
6. Fort Knox is located in Tennessee.
7. A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
8. During WWII, the Oscars were made of plaster.
9. Plato was the teacher of Socrates.
10. The entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed in New Zealand.

General Knowledge
1. The island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea belongs to what country? ( 1 pt)
2. What country awards the Nobel Peace Prize? ( 1 pt)
3. Who was the last US president to serve in the 19th century? ( 1 pt)
4. What explorer gave the Pacific Ocean its name? ( 2 pt)
5. What country is the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world? (2 pt)
6. What "Saturday Night Live" sketch was turned into a hit feature film in 1992? ( 2 pt)
7. "Eureka" is the motto of what US state? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Lara Lor-Van was the biological mother of what famous fictional character? ( 3 points)
2. What onetime presidential candidate was the subject of the 2006 documentary film "An Unreasonable Man?" ( 4 points)
3. What 1995 action film, which bankrupted its production company, is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of all-time? ( 5 points)
4. Conchology is the scientific study of what? ( 4 points)
5. What late rock superstar produced a number of feature films for, as well as founded, Handmade Films? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. San Francisco; 2. Peru; 3. Samsung; 4. Discovery; 5. Hawaii; 6. Justin Bieber; 7. Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Q Tip Trivia
1. a,b,d; 2. a,c; 3. b,d; 4. all; 5. a,b,c; 6. a,d; 7. a,d.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false, Angel Falls; 3. false, cheetah; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, Kentucky; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, Socrates taught Plato; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. Italy; 2. Norway; 3. William McKinley; 4. Ferdinand Magellan; 5. Great Britain; 6. "Wayne's World;" 7. California.

IQ Trivia
1. Superman; 2. Ralph Nader; 3. "Cutthroat Island;" 4. seashells; 5. George Harrison.

An Unlikely Rivalry

My good friend and Governor of Red Sox Nation for New York State Chris Wertz has a terrific article on his site "The Governor's Sox" about an interview he did with the late Otey Clark, who pitched for the Red Sox in 1945 and was one of the oldest living major leaguers until his death last October at the age of 95.

Mr. Clark pitched to Jackie Robinson, Sam Jethroe and Marvin Williams in their April 1945 tryout at Fenway Park. The article is called "Otey and Jackie: An Unlikely Rivalry."

It's definitely worth the time to read.

A Fraud, and Some Good Stuff

Another fascinating article from Pete Nash and Hauls of Shame. This time the auction house Sotheby's sold a fake Jimmy Collins Red Sox jersey to a Boston collector in 1999 for $26,000. Collins is a Hall of Famer and one of the great third basemen in baseball history.

It's yet another item from the late Barry Halper's collection.

The Red Sox won their first game of the spring yesterday against MLB competition, a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins, that featured a three-run blast from David Ortiz. The Sox are now 1-1 in 2011. Josh Beckett got hit in the side of the head by a ball during batting practice yesterday, but fortunately just suffered a mild concussion. Sounds like he will be fine.

And the new book from Harvey Frommer, "Remembering Fenway Park" is now currently available. Yours Truly is proud to be quoted three times in the book. It's a wonderful book with many rare photos and 140 folks connected with the club are in it. It's worth every cent.

The Ricky Vaughn Trainwreck Tour Is In Full Swing

It would be hilarious if it didn't portend such a disasterous ending. He's now going from show to show, and each one is more bizarre than the previous one. Somebody needs to stop him. Now.

Here's Charlie Sheen on Good Morning America on Monday.

By the end of this year, he will either return to the California Penal League as a manager or will be taking the dirt nap.

Count on it.

Q Tip Trivia Kicks Off March

The Special Category for Trivia Night this Tuesday is the monthly installment of "Q Tip Trivia." That is when I ask you seven multiple choice general knowledge questions and the answer can be one, two, three, all four or none of the choices. You get a point for each correct answer you give, but should you make one wrong choice, you get no points for that question. So you have to be very careful in that round.

The Q Train lightning round will be "True or False Trivia."

The Sneak Peek question is:
"The island of Sardinia in the Mediterreanean Sea belongs to what country?"

We had a tremendous turnout last week, and hopefully we will have a similar crowd tomorrow night. The weather should be fine, and we get going at 9 PM, and I hope to see many of you then.

So Long Duke

I was saddened to learn tonight of the passing of a true Brooklyn icon, the great Duke Snider.

He is the answer to a great trivia question: "Who hit the most home runs in the decade of the 1950s?" Most people wouldn't think of Snider right off the bat (most would probably say Willie Mays, Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle).

I wasn't around when the Dodgers were here in Brooklyn, but he meant as much to Brooklyn as any athlete who has ever come from the borough or represented it.

Here's more from The New York Times.

Rest in peace, Duke. And thanks for the memories.

From all of Brooklyn.

Teaching Those College Boys a Lesson

It's now 21 straight over Boston College, as the Red Sox cruised to a 6-0 win over the Eagles at Ft. Myers today. The Red Sox pitchers allowed just one hit, in the seventh inning, and Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat in the first inning.

The first of many wins in 2011.

UPDATE (8:55 PM): The Red Sox came from behind to whip Northeastern in the second game of the twin bill at Ft. Myers, 13-2, erasing a 2-0 lead by the college guys in the fourth inning.

Bring on the pros.

Remember the 2/26 Victims

It was 18 years ago today that an explosion rocked the underground garages below the World Trade Center that killed six people and injured hundreds.

The six people were John DiGiovanni, Robert Kirkpatrick, Stephen A. Knapp, William Macko, Wilfredo Mercado and Monica Rodriguez Smith, who was pregnant with her first child.

The above picture is the original memorial to the six victims that was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the WTC.

Please say a prayer for them and their families today. They are never forgotten.

Happy 68th George

Today would have been George Harrison's 68th birthday. Still hard to believe that he's been gone nearly a decade now.

The Quiet Beatle also had a great sense of humor, and was also a huge Monty Python fan. He was the executive producer of "The Life of Brian" and also had a part in the very funny Beatles takeoff written by Eric Idle, "The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash." He played an interviewer named Eric Manchester, and in this clip he chats with Michael Palin while people are stealing from the Rutles company behind them, and he also interviews Ron Wood at the end of this clip.

We miss you, George.

Matt & Ben Want To Swap Unis To Swap Wives

I heard about this film a while back. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Academy Award winners who've never been confused with being Yankee fans, are attempting to make a film about the infamous wife swap that Yankee pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson did that made big news back in 1972.

The New York Post reported today that Damon and Affleck are currently in the middle of another rewrite, and that former Yankees of the early 1970s aren't cooperating with the project. No big surprise there.

I am curious about this film, as I remember this weird episode and I'm wondering what kind of film this will turn out to be.

And of course, I'd love to see what Damon and Affleck look like in Yankee uniforms. Probably beyond surreal.

Old Time Hockey, Futuristic Music

Here's a cool clip from one of my favorite films. It's a trailer from "Slap Shot", with the music of Hans Zimmer of "Inception", who is nominated for the Best Score Oscar for the film this year.



With thanks to the Hanson Brothers on Facebook for alerting me to the clip.

Trivia Q&A: February 22

Tuesday night was the biggest night of Trivia so far in 2011, as we had a huge crowd and 24 teams took part. It took nearly 2 1/2 hours to complete, but everyone seemed to enjoy the night.

The numbers for Oscar Trivia were pretty good, but only one team got more than one point in the final question, the extra credit question about the women who've won two or more Best Actress Oscar. (My apologies for not mentioning we were doing that kind of question ahead of time. The Omnipotent Q goofs up every so often.)

It was a close night all the way through, and we had something happen at the end that has never happened before. A four-way tie for second place! So we broke the tie with a question connected to the movies. I asked the teams to add up the ages of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and James Dean when they died and give me that number. The team of Badgers For Collective Bargaining hit it right on the nose with 102. (Marilyn was 36, Elvis was 42 and Jimmy Dean was 24.)

They finished three points behind the winners Buckle Up For Safety, who entered the winner's circle with 40 points and their first ever Trivia Night win. My congratulations to them.

Best Team Name: Phoebe's Freebies Give Me The Heebie Jeebies

Current Events
1. What American oil company was fined over $8.6 billion last week by a court in Ecuador for polluting the Amazon over a 20-year period?
2. David Letterman apologized on his show last Wednesday to what actress after it was announced Tuesday she would appear and publicly apologize but canceled the following day?
3. What artist's self-portrait was sold at auction in London for over 417 million last week?
4. What bookstore chain, the second largest in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy recently with plans to sell at least 200 stores?
5. What European country broke Iraq's record last week for going the longest time, over 8 months, without having a government?
6. 1970s pop singing duo The Bellamy Brothers are suing what current female pop singer for plagarism, accusing her of ripping off one of their 1979 songs in her latest single?
7. Trevor Bayne became the youngest person ever to accomplish what feat this past weekend?

Oscar Trivia
1. Who is the most nominated Best Actor never to win the Oscar? a. Peter O'Toole; b. Richard Burton; c. Cary Grant; d. Albert Finney.
2. What was the last film to win Best Picture without any acting nominations? a. The Hurt Locker; b. No Country For Old Men; c. Slumdog Millionaire; d. Crash.
3. What actress has the most total Oscar nominations? a. Katherine Hepburn; b. Bette Davis; c. Ingrid Bergman; d. Meryl Streep.
4. Which one of the following has won the Best Director Oscar twice? a. Clint Eastwood; b. Martin Scorsese; c. Woody Allen; d. Francis Ford Coppola.
5. Which one of the following films won all 11 Oscars it was nominated for? A. Titanic; b. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; c. Ben Hur; d. West Side Story.
6. Which of these films wasn't nominated for a single Oscar? a. Saturday Night Fever; b. Monty Python and The Holy Grail; c. The Shawshank Redemption; d. North By Northwest.
7. 12 actresses have won the Best Actress Oscar at least twice. Name 6 for one point, and one point for each one over six.

Actors Who Direct Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Apollo 13
2. Reds
3. Letters From Iwo Jima
4. The War of the Roses
5. A Bronx Tale
6. That Thing You Do
7. A League of Their Own
8. Quiz Show
9. Sling Blade
10. The Prince of Tides

General Knowledge
1. Who was the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence? ( 1 pt)
2. "Call Me Ishmael" was the first line from what classic novel? ( 1 pt)
3. Paul Simon recorded his hit 1986 album "Graceland" primarily in what country? ( 1 pt)
4. Which of the 4 major North American sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) contains the most teams? ( 2 pt)
5. "Exile On Main Street" is a 1972 album by what classic rock band? ( 2 pt)
6. How many fingers are there on a bat's wing? ( 2 pt)
7. What is the longest river in Europe? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Which state's automobile license plate boasts that it is the "Birthplace of Aviation?" ( 3 points)
2. What is the world's fastest racket sport? ( 4 points)
3. 24 Sussex Drive is the famous address of what person? ( 4 points)
4. What does a lepidopterologist study? ( 5 points)
5. What famous woman is the sister of Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Chevron (Texaco); 2. Lindsay Lohan; 3. Andy Warhol; 4. Borders; 5. Belgium; 6. Britney Spears; 7. Win the Daytona 500.

Oscar Trivia
1. a; 2. c; 3. d; 4. a; 5. b; 6. b; 7. Katherine Hepburn (4); Luise Rainer; Bette Davis; Olivia deHavilland; Vivien Leigh; Ingrid Bergman; Liz Taylor; Glenda Jackson; Jane Fonda; Sally Field; Jodie Foster; Hilary Swank (all twice).

Actors Who Direct Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Ron Howard; 2. Warren Beatty; 3. Clint Eastwood; 4. Danny DeVito; 5. Robert DeNiro; 6. Tom Hanks; 7. Penny Marshall; 8. Robert Redford; 9. Billy Bob Thornton; 10. Barbra Streisand.

General Knowledge
1. John Hancock; 2. "Moby Dick;" 3. South Africa; 4. NFL (32); 5. Rolling Stones; 6. five; 7. Volga.

IQ Trivia
1. Ohio; 2. badminton; 3. Prime Minister of Canada; 4. butterflies; 5. Michelle Obama.

More Tito News: He'll Head The Ship Through 2013

Jon Heyman tweeted today that the Red Sox will pick up Terry Francona's two-year option for 2012 and 2013 at $9 million. If it's true (it's from Heyman of course, but I bet it will happen shortly), it's another smart, no-brainer move by the Sox brass.

Tito also announced that Josh Beckett will start the MLB Grapefruit opener for the Red Sox this Sunday night against the Twins at Ft. Myers. Clay Buchholz and Brandon Duckworth will also get in some work on the mound for the Sox.

Tito's a Hall of Famer

He might get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame one day, but Terry Francona can now call himself a Hall of Famer. Today he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Dick Groat, Tim Wallach and five other oustanding collegiate players. Francona played at Arizona from 1978-80, and won the Golden Spikes Award for best collegiate player in 1980.

Here's who he'll be joining at the NCBHOF.

Congratulations, Tito. One more World Series championship will put Tito into Cooperstown, as every manager who has won at least three World Series titles is enshrined there, except for Joe Torre (and that is just a matter of time, when he is officially retired from managing).

Tito also announced that Kyle Weiland, who pitched in 2010 for the Portland Sea Dogs, will get the start in the first game of Saturday's opening twin bill, the 1 PM game against Boston College. Stolmy Pimentel, who pitched at Single A Salem last year, will start the second game against Northeastern at Ft. Myers.

Not One But Two Movie Categories This Week

We have a rare event for Trivia Night this week, as both rotating categories will be on movies, in honor of the Academy Awards ceremony being held this coming Sunday night. The Special Category will be "Oscar Trivia." No, there will be no questions about everyone's favorite sportswriter from the New York Herald (pictured), but it will be seven multiple choice questions about the history of the movies' highest honor.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Actors Who Direct Trivia." I will give you ten well-known films that were directed by people better known as actors and actresses. You just have to identify them.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Call Me Ishmael" was the first line from what classic novel?

We'll get going at the usual time of 9 PM. I hope many of you can come out, especially those of you who know your movies.

Can't Tell The Players Without a Scorecard

For those of you curious about the new Red Sox players in 2011 and what numbers they'll be wearing, here they are, courtesy of Pete Abraham of the Globe and The Joy of Sox:

Carl Crawford - 13
Adrian Gonzalez - 28
Andrew Miller - 30
Matt Albers - 32
Dan Wheeler - 36
Curt Young (pitching coach) - 40
John Lackey - 41 (he wore 40 last year)
Tony Pena Jr. - 46
Bobby Jenks - 52
Alfredo Aceves - 91 (will be the highest number ever worn by a Red Sox player)

And in case you'd like to see more information on the Red Sox and who has worn what numbers in their history, check out this page at RedSoxDiehard.com.

BTW, the picture I posted has Carl Crawford's number 13 home jersey with his last name on the back. To whoever is selling this jersey, the Sox don't have their names on the backs of their home uniforms. I'm a stickler for accuracy and a traditionalist, and would never wear a Sox home jersey with the names on the back. So there.

The Greatest Catch I've Ever Seen

Jim Edmonds announced his retirement from MLB yesterday after 18 seasons with six teams. I'll always think of him as being the man who made the second out in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, when Keith Foulke struck him out.

Edmonds retires with 393 home runs, and 1199 RBI. I can understand why he wanted to give it one more go, to reach the 400/1200 plateau. But his legs gave out on him, and he comes up short of a couple of worthy offensive milestones. I'm sure he will merit some serious Hall of Fame consideration in 2016.

Edmonds was simply one of the greatest center fielders in baseball history, as he won eight Gold Gloves (and I'm sure he deserved every one). In my opinion, he made the single greatest single catch in history, in Kansas City off the Royals' David Howard in June 1997. I think it's better than the famous Willie Mays catch in the 1954 World Series: full extension away from the plate on the dead run, bearing in on the center field wall, and he grabs it.

Here is the catch, included in MLB Network's "Prime 9" of the greatest catches. They agree with me it's number one. (It pops up at about 1:45 of the clip.)

Enjoy your retirement Jim.

Two Comic Legends Leave Us

The weather's better here in New York, and it was an amazing 62 degrees yesterday, and it will be close to that again today. (And 34 degrees with snow showers on Tuesday. Winter ain't done yet.)

The position players are now in camp, and the first spring training games are still two weeks from tomorrow. Nothing earth shaking to report. Most baseball news of any kind of import seem to center around the Mets financial problems and Albert Pujols' outrageous contract demands. (Does he really think anyone is going to pony up $300 million for 10 years? The Red Sox and Yankees both have first basemen, Mr. Poo Holes.)

Sad week for celebrity passings, as we lost both Franz Liebkind and Uncle Leo.

My sympathies to the families and fans of both Kenneth Mars and Len Lesser.

Thanks for the laughs, gentlemen.

An Overreaction, No?

I was looking at some YouTube videos yesterday, and stumbled across this one. English soccer has a yearly tournament called the FA Cup, and it is the world's oldest soccer knockout tournament. Not only the pros take part but hundreds of amateur teams get a shot at winning the trophy.

The Cup reaches Round 5 this weekend, and the behemoths known as Manchester United were drawn against a squad called Crawley Town, who play in the Conference, which is the fifth division of English football. It's a classic matchup of David vs. Goliath. (And coincidentally, both teams are nicknamed the Red Devils.) Crawley is second in the Conference, and 93 places below ManU in the overall English rankings.

The Crawley club put together a video to support their boys featuring fans of the club. And a lot of controversy erupted when a fan on the right of the following video (wearing a baseball hat) made gestures of an airplane, and an airplane crashing that upset many United supporters. (Back in 1958, eight United players were killed in a plane crash in Germany after a European Cup match.)

After the video hit YouTube, Crawley Town took action, banning the offending fan for life from attending any matches, and now the police are looking to arrest the fan on charges of "suspicion of harassment, alarm and distress." Arrested? Really? That seems like a gross overreaction to me. (And why didn't the video makers catch this? Guess they don't know too much about ManU.) Banning the offender for life from the club's matches sounds like severe enough punishment to me.

Well, judge for yourself. The clip is titled: "Crawley Town FC FA Cup Song, Complete With Scumbag." Remember to look to the right, the guy with the baseball hat:

Trivia Q&A: February 15

It looked like we would have the smallest crowd for Trivia Night in some time on Tuesday night, but fortunately we had some folks come in as we were playing, and had 11 teams take part in total. (My friend Jim had a theory before the night started that we might be suffering from some post-Valentine's Day blues, with many folks staying home. I think he was right.)

The bar was crowded when we completed the night and it got louder and more spirited as the longer it went on. We had a really close race to the finish, with four teams withing three points of each other heading into IQ Trivia. But the team of Happy Birthday Abe and Mike! managed to squeak out the win by just two points, getting a total of 41 points. Nice job getting back to the winner's circle, guys. And a happy birthday to trivia regular Mike as well!

Second place wound up a tie at 39 points between What's Berlusconi's Age Divided By 2 Plus 7 and Snow: Part II The Snow-Quel. So we broke the tie with this tie breaker question: What is the total number of the age of the oldest US president on his last day in office plus the age of the youngest US president on the day he took the oath of office? The answer was 119 (Ronald Reagan was 77 and Teddy Roosevelt was 42.) What Berlusconi's Age nailed it on the nose and got second place.

Best Team Name: What's Berlusconi's Age Divided By 2 Plus 7

Current Events
1. What country's prime minister has been ordered to stand trial on prostitution charges and is facing 15 years in jail if convicted?
2. Evo Morales, president of what South American country, had to abandon an event in the south of his country after protesters threw dynamite at him in protest?
3. Jerry Sloan, the longest tenured coach of any of the 4 major North American sports, resigned last week. What NBA team did he coach for 23 years?
4. What Asian country last Friday directed its embassies to appeal to foreign governments for aid to feed a population close to starvation?
5. Chris Lee, a Republican congressman from what state was forced to resign after it was revealed he emailed a shirtless photo of himself to a woman and it ended up on the internet?
6. For the second straight year, what Republican congressman won the presidential straw poll of the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend with 30% of the vote?
7. What Oscar-winning actor got into a fight with his former manager at an Usher performance in an LA nightclub last Thursday?

Presidential Trivia
1. Who was the last US president elected to two terms who failed to complete the second term?
2. What number president was John F. Kennedy?
3. Who was the only president who did not live in the White House?
4. Who was the shortest US president?
5. Who was the last president born in the 19th century?
6. What 20th century president studied nuclear physics at the Naval Academy at Annapolis?
7. What Elvis Presley tune did Bill Clinton play on the saxophone when he appeared on "The Arsenio Hall Show" in 1992? ( 2 points)

Even Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. This was John F. Kennedy's age at the time of his assassination.
2. This is the number worn by sports Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Sandy Koufax, Magic Johnson and OJ Simpson.
3. The total number found in a score.
4. In a normal deck of cards, there are this number of red cards.
5. In the Bible, this is the number of days between Jesus' resurrection and ascension.
6. Visa bank cards have this many digits.
7. This is the total number of men who have walked on the moon.
8. Most half-hour sitcoms on US TV today are this many minutes with the commercials removed.
9. The second point won in a game of tennis is this number.
10. Mariano Rivera is the only player to wear this number in professional baseball, as it has been permanently retired.

General Knowledge
1. What country had an "Islamic Revolution" in 1979? ( 1 pt)
2. What is the smallest ocean in the world? ( 1 pt)
3. American pilot Francis Gary Powers was once captured as a spy by what country? ( 1 pt)
4. What is the official summer sport of Canada? ( 2 pt)
5. What is Aurora Borealis more commonly known as? ( 2 pt)
6. Acrophobia is the fear of what? ( 2 pt)
7. In what venue were chariot races held in Ancient Rome? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Which of the following is heaviest: an NFL football, an MLB baseball, an NBA basketball or an NHL hockey puck? ( 3 points)
2. What R&B star was anointed "The Godson of Soul" by James Brown at the 2005 Grammy Awards after they did a duet together? ( 4 points)
3. The Saffir-Simpson Scale measures the intensity of what? ( 5 points)
4. What animal has the strongest bite of any known living creature? ( 4 points)
5. What southern US city is the largest city in area in the contiguous 48 states? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Italy; 2. Bolivia; 3. Utah Jazz; 4. North Korea; 5. New York; 6. Ron Paul; 7. Jamie Foxx.

Presidential Trivia
1. Richard Nixon; 2. thirty-five; 3. George Washington; 4. James Madison (5'4"); 5. Dwight D. Eisenhower; 6. Jimmy Carter; 7. "Heartbreak Hotel."

Even Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. 46; 2. 32; 3. 20; 4. 26; 5. 40; 6. 16; 7. 12; 8. 22; 9. 30; 10. 42.

General Knowledge
1. Iran; 2. Arctic; 3. Soviet Union; 4. lacrosse; 5. Northern Lights; 6. heights; 7. Circus Maximus.

IQ Trivia
1. NBA basketball; 2. Usher; 3. hurricanes; 4. Great white shark; 5. Jacksonville, FL.

A Cool Fenway E-Guide

I was recently contacted by a baseball fan named Kurt Smith, who has written an e-guide to Fenway Park.

Officially called "Ballpark E-Guides: Fenway Park," Kurt has written a terrific guide to America's Most Beloved Ballpark, and he's really done his homework as well. It is well-researched, and especially helpful if you are a Red Sox fan and have never been to Fenway Park. He covers just about every cost imaginable to going to a game, from all ticket prices (and where to get those tickets), how to get there, finding a place to stay, parking, the best seats in Fenway, etc. He also provides a section called "Tightwad Tips," some unique ways to save a little cash as well.

Kurt writes his guide with lots of good humor, too, and definitely from a common man's perspective.

Kurt also has a section about the establishments around Fenway, and even goes into great detail about the food of Fenway.

Kurt has written many E-Guides for other parks, like Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. I definitely recommend "Fenway Park" to you, especially if you have never been to Fenway and are planning to go to a game in 2011. It is 25 pages long and goes for just $5. It can be an invaluable resource for your trip to the great Fens, whether it's your 20th time or your initial visit there.

Here is the link to the E-Guides web site, and to Fenway in particular.

Love

On this day, a simple, beautiful song from John Lennon sums it all up.

We Hail The Chiefs On Tuesday Night

This Tuesday night, we'll have as our Special Category "Presidential Trivia," in honor of Presidents Day, which will be next Monday. We will have seven questions about those men who have occupied the White House, with the last question being a special two point question.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Even Numbered Trivia." It will be ten questions where the answer will be a number between 1 and 50. (OK, 2 and 50.)

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What country had an "Islamic Revolution" in 1979?

We will get going at the usual time of approximately 9 PM. I hope to see many of you come out for a great night of Trivia on Tuesday.

Fresh Air Is Good For You

My friends at the Fresh Air Fund are looking for runners to compete in the New York City Half Marathon, which will be held on March 20th. They are some good folks doing some very good work for the youth of New York City.

Please check out this link if you'd like to take part.

They are also looking for host families to sponsor low income children this summer and help them out and give them a vacation they'll never forget. Please go here if you'd like to sponsor a child this summer.

Welcome to Florida

The weather's getting better, the dirty snow on the street's finally melting, and pitchers and catchers reported to Ft. Myers today for the Red Sox.

The first workouts will be held on Tuesday, and the position players will report this coming weekend. The first Grapefruit League game won't be played for another couple of weeks (February 26th to be exact, against the college kids from Boston College and Northeastern.)

But there's light at the end of this snow-covered tunnel.

A Quirky Little Film

Last night I had the pleasure to attend a viewing of the new movie "Certifiably Jonathan" at the Quad Cinema in Manhattan. I had heard so much about the making of the film from my good friend Matt Fortnow, who was an executive producer on the project, as it was conceived back in 2003.

It's about the legendary comedian Jonathan Winters. Director Jim Pasternak conceived a documentary about him after meeting Jonathan and seeing some of his art work, which has been one of Jonathan's lifelong passions.

The movie begins as a documentary, but it evolves into a "mockumentary" in the "This Is Spinal Tap" sort of way. (A man who saw the film before us made that same comparison after seeing it, and absolutely loved the movie.) Jonathan is commissioned to do three paintings for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but disaster strikes, as one of his most beloved paintings is stolen out of a gallery in L.A., and he loses his sense of humor and can't paint.

So the hunt is on getting it back. And Jonathan takes us on quite a ride.

Many comedians and fans of Jonathan make cameo appearances, like Robert Klein (who spoke at the Q&A live after the film), Robin Williams, Jimmy Kimmel, and Tim Conway. It was also a pleasure to see some old clips of Jonathan on the Jack Paar Show, and an appearance by him and his family with Edward R. Murrow back in the late 1950s.

The film is a loving tribute "through the surreal mind of a comedy legend" and the filmmakers explained afterwards that it was Jonathan's idea to go the route they did. The movie has received lukewarm reviews so far, but don't let that stop you from seeing the film. I enjoyed the movie, and I'm sure Jonathan's loyal following will, too. It will be playing at the Quad, which is on West 13th Street in Manhattan, until next Thursday.

Don't Mess With The Babe

Another fine article from Hauls of Shame recently went up about the crumbling reputation of the late Barry Halper, and this one is about what appears to be a fake Babe Ruth autograph (pictured) on his famous "500 Home Runs Sheet," which includes the autographs of many of those players who reached the famous plateau (up until Reggie Jackson).

This article is quite interesting to read, especially Halper trying to get Jackson to sign the sheet in 1984.

Pete Nash continues some excellent work exposing the frauds that have been pervasive in the collectibles industry of baseball.

"Certifiably Jonathan" Opens This Friday

A good friend of mine, Matt Fortnow, has been working on a project for six years that is finally coming to fruition called "Certifiably Jonathan", which is a film taking its audience on "a surreal trip through the mind of a comedy legend", namely that of the great Jonathan Winters.

The film also features such comedy stars as Jimmy Kimmel, Tim Conway, Howie Mandel and Rob Reiner.

I've been looking forward to seeing the film, which is released this Friday. I will be going to a screening on Friday at the Quad Cinemas in Manhattan, at 34 West 13th Street, and it will be there for a one week run, and I will of course be talking about it here on my blog after I see it.

(BTW, my pal Matt is still the only person I have ever known who was confident the Red Sox would come back after being down 0-3 to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS to win.)

Here's more on the film at its official web site.

And here is the film's trailer:



BTW, did you know that many of Jonathan's fans have been trying to get NBC to have him host Saturday Night Live? Well, now you do. It's been gaining steam on Facebook. They are also having a rally at NBC in Rockefeller Center later today at 4 PM to promote the cause.

Thanks for all the laughs, Mr. Winters.

Trivia Q&A: February 8

We had another fine turnout on a really cold night in Manhattan, with 18 teams coming for the Trivia. It was close all night, with some very high scores for the Grammy Winners Trivia. But they were brought down a bit by General Knowledge, as the most anyone got in that round was 9 of 12. (And few people remembered that England ran Florida until 1783.)

We had a rare event: three teams tied for the lead going into IQ Trivia. But one of those teams, 10 In Your Hand Is Better than 4 In Her Bush, got four of the five correct and wound up a two point winner. Second place went to Mubarak Mu'Problems with 52 points and third Cairo Let 'Em Go with 47.

It was the first win for the team of my friends Bob and Peter, and their friend Carey. Nice job guys.

Best Team Name: We May Not Win But At Least We Are Not The Cleveland Cavaliers

Current Events
1. Elton John, in the latest edition of Rolling Stone, said that this friend and fellow musician needs more rehab for his alcohol problems and that in his past rehab he "got off light."
2. What coach won the NFL Coach of the Year for 2010 for the third time in his career last week?
3. What Grammy award and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award winner will be performing live on the Grammy Awards ceremony for the first time next week, but without his band?
4. Two people were killed and over 200 injured during celebrations in what world capital city to welcome the Lunar New Year last Thursday?
5. What female R&B singer's current video has now been banned in 11 countries, flagged by YouTube and edited down by MTV over its' racy content?
6. John Barry, and English-born Oscar winning composer, died last week at the age of 77. What series of films was he best known for doing the score for?
7. What digital media giant acquired the web site The Huffington Post for $315 million earlier this week?

Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Thunder Bay, ONT in 1949. He's a musician, actor, author and comedian. He's released two solo albums and played on many recording artist's albums. He's been a musical director and was also the first person to say the "F" word on "Saturday Night Live."
2. This woman was born in Heworth, England in 1934. She is one of the most respected actresses of her generation. She's won an Academy Award, a Tony, 2 SAG awards and she 's best known for appearing in many of the James Bond films.
3. This man was born in Bridgeport, CT in 1977. He is a musician and songwriter, with his first two albums, released earlier in the last decade, going multi-platinum. He's won 7 Grammys, including 2005's Song of the Year.
4. This man was born in Exeter, NH in 1964. He began his career pursuing a career in Hollywood and music in the early 1990s, even releasing a CD of his music. But he turned his attention to writing thriller novels and two of them were runaway hits and were adapted into controversial films in the 2000s.
5. This man was born in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1978. He's an actor, producer and former fashion model. he's best known for a Fox sitcom he starred on, a cable show he produced and hosted. He's currently producing a reality show, "Beauty and The Geek."
6. This woman was born in Boston, MA in 1929. She's an author and broadcast journalist. She was the first co-anchor of a network evening news program and she's hosted morning TV shows and a TV newsmagazine in her storied career.
7. This man was born in Houston, TX in 1981. He's a 4-time MLB All-Star and 4-time stolen base leader who tied the MLB record for steals in a game with 6 in 2009. he's now best known for signing the largest free agent deal ever for an outfielder this off-season.

In Q's iPod: Grammy Winners Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon and Garfunkel
2. Just the Way You Are--Billy Joel
3. What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers
4. What's Love Got to Do With It--Tina Turner
5. Streets of Philadelphia--Bruce Springsteen
6. Smooth--Santana
7. Change the World--Eric Clapton
8. Beautiful Day--U2
9. I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
10. Graceland--Paul Simon

General Knowledge
1. What is considered to be the largest river in the world? ( 1 pt)
2. What is the study of plant life called? ( 1 pt)
3. What European nation had control of Florida from 1763-83? ( 1 pt)
4. In 1824, the Goodrich company first introduced what foul weather item to the general public? ( 2 pt)
5. In what midwestern US state was Thomas Edison born? ( 2 pt)
6. In "Star Trek," what color was Mr. Spock's blood? ( 2 pt)
7. What month in the US has the highest birth rate? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What political figure did Arthur Bremer shoot at a Maryland political rally in 1972? ( 4 points)
2. Lyssa is another name for what disease? ( 4 points)
3. Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker were the two main characters in what classic film that won seven Oscars? ( 4 points)
4. What European country was attacked by the Russians in 1939, fought for the Germans after 1941, and was again defeated by the Russians in 1945? ( 3 points)
5. What food business tycoon started his empire out of gas station in 1930? ( 5 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Billy Joel; 2. Bill Belichick; 3. Mick Jagger; 4. Beijing; 5. Rhianna; 6. James Bond; 7. AOL.

Q Are You?
1. Paul Shaffer; 2. Judi Dench; 3. John Mayer; 4. Dan Brown; 5. Ashton Kutcher; 6. Barbara Walters; 7. Carl Crawford.

General Knowledge
1. Nile; 2. botany; 3. England; 4. galoshes; 5. Ohio; 6. green; 7. August.

IQ Trivia
1. George Wallace; 2. rabies; 3. "The Sting"; 4. Finland; 5. Colonel Harlan Sanders.

A Blessed Truck Day To You All

Amid all the snow and cold of this depressing winter, a little light at the end of the tunnel has arrived.

Today is Truck Day. It leaves from Fenway Park with all the gear at noon today.

Baseball for 2011 is officially under way.

Thank goodness.

Any Excuse To Play Music On Trivia Night

This Tuesday night's Special Category for Trivia Night will be the February edition of "Q Are You?" where I give all of you clues to the identity of a current celebrity and you have to tell me just who I'm talking about.

The Q Train lightning round will be "In Q's iPod: Grammy Winners Trivia," as the Grammy Awards will be held this coming Sunday night. (Not that I'll be watching or anything. But it's a good excuse to have our audio round this week.) It will be snippets of ten songs that have won either Song of the Year or Record of the Year. I will ask you for both artist and song title, so the category will be worth 20 points instead of just 10.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What is considered to be the longest river in the world?

We get going at 9 PM on Tuesday night. Yes, we are having some more rotten weather on Tuesday, but I've heard nothing about snow accumulating. So I hope you can make it out and enjoy all the fun on Tuesday night.

I'm Proud

Yes, I am tonight. Why?

Because on Sunday afternoon, I did not watch one single, solitary second of that Super Bowl pregame show. (Didn't it start at 6 AM or something?) I turned on the game just as the kickoff happened, so I missed Christina Aguilera butchering the National Anthem.

I also did not watch one single, solitary second of that miserable halftime show. I instead watched one of my favorite "Married With Children" episodes on my DVR, when Al Bundy (pictured) is visited by aliens and saves the world. (Unless somehow they can find a way to get the Beatles back together on a stage, I pass on the halftime show.)

I am also very proud because I did not watch one single, solitary commercial while the game was on. It made me appreciate the fact that when God invented television, He had the foresight to include remote controls as well. Hell, 75% of those commercials will never be seen again, so why bother watching them?

BTW, if you had said to me back in August that an NFC North team would win the Super Bowl this year...OK, I'll stop torturing myself.

Bring on The Truck on Tuesday.

A Lost Tradition I Wish Would Come Back

I miss the great Jonathan Schwartz' "Salute to Baseball," an hour-long tribute he used to do every Super Bowl Sunday on his WNYC New York radio program.

Jonathan's a huge Red Sox fan who was born in New York, and has been a fixture on New York radio for nearly 40 years. At about noon on this day, he would stop playing music on his show and play clips from ordinary baseball games, some Red Sox highlights (and a few lowlights on occasion) and a few baseball songs.

It was a real treat and I can remember as a youngster listening to it with my parents on our kitchen radio. It was a great alternative from the non-stop hype machine that is the Super Bowl.

In 2008, Jonathan ended the tradition, as he felt the "Salute to Baseball" "interfered with the music" they played on WNYC. That was such a shame.

I wish he'd bring it back one of these Super Bowl Sundays. Heck, no one plays a "Salute to Football" during the World Series!

Let me conclude with a great quote from Mr. Schwartz (via The Joy of Sox):

"I firmly believe that the most extraordinary human game is professional baseball, that it is a 12-month endeavor, and it deeply occupies the mind and heart even when not being played."

Amen to that.

Red Sox Add Reyes

No, not Jose Reyes, but Dennys Reyes, the 33-year-old hefty reliever from Mexico who has pitched for just about everyone: Dodgers, Reds, Rangers, Rockies, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Royals, Padres, Twins and Cardinals.

Team number 11 could be the Red Sox, as they signed him to a minor league deal.

If you're a lefty reliever, you can find work just about anywhere.

And another interesting article from Hauls of Shame about how the Hall of Fame may have been complicit in crimes involving stolen photos and letters.

Whatever Happened To This Commercial?

Last August I did a commercial for AT&T with about 200 other extras on Staten Island, at the Yankees single A affiliate ballpark. It was a commercial that featured two Yankee players: the newly-retired Andy Pettitte, and Nick Swisher.

I had to pose as a Yankee fan, which was a humiliating experience to say the least, but a job is a job. (I wore my 2004 World Champions shirt underneath my regular shirt, and I surprised some of my background actor friends after the shoot by showing them they had a spy in their presence the whole day.)

The shoot was actually pretty cool, and Swisher was friendly to everyone he came in contact with. Waived to all the fans, signed autographs, and had a great time it seemed. (Pettitte didn't seem as enamored with the process.)

With Pettitte retiring on Friday, it got me to thinking about that commercial again. It was filmed just about six months ago (it was August 5th) and I have never seen it anywhere. It looked like a high profile thing, and there was even a second commercial filming after the one I was a part of at the park, a Nike commercial with Robinson Cano (which I have seen a number of times).

I did some checking at YouTube, but only found this clip taken by a fellow actor, with scenes of the filming (and no, I don't turn up in any of them):



It makes me wonder if AT&T canned the commercial.

Well, at least I got paid for it.

Taco Boy Shocks Admitted HGH User

There is no joy in Yankeeland today, as Andy Pettitte has officially called it a 16-year career. Now the debate starts about whether he's heading into the Hall of Fame or not. Remember he made an admission a few years back that will surely come back to haunt him when he's first eligible in 2016...

In honor of his calling it a career, here's one of my favorite Pettitte moments, at Fenway Park on April 26, 2009, taken by a Red Sox fan sitting just off home plate toward third base. I'll never forget how incensed Mike Francesa was on WFAN the next day:



With thanks to my friend and fellow Red Sox fan Jim Monaghan for bringing the clip to my attention.

Happy 71st, Fran

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite all-time athletes, Fran Tarkenton. He is a big reason why I became a Minnesota Vikings fan in my youth. He was the NFL MVP in 1975, led the Vikings to three Super Bowls, and retired as the all-time leader in yards passing, completions and touchdowns. He's also still the only QB in history to throw 4 TDs in his debut, in September 1961, a 37-13 Vikings win over the Bears.

But unfortunately he seems to be forgotten these days when they talk about all-time great quarterbacks. If he could have won just ONE Super Bowl...

Here is a YouTube clip of Fran as the #91 Greatest Player in NFL History:



Today is also a somber day in history, as it was the Day The Music Died, 52 years ago, when a plane crash took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. It was immortalized in 1971 by Don McLean:

My Childhood, In Seven Minutes

On Wednesday night, I was on Facebook, and Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens, who I am friends with on FB, posted a really terrific clip and it brought back some absolutely wonderful memories for me, and for any us who grew up in New York City in the late 1950s or 1960s.

It is a montage of the shows of WPIX, Channel 11, which has been an independent station for many decades (and still is). They had all kinds of cartoon shows and classic sitcoms, and I watched almost all of them: "The Munsters," "The Odd Couple", "The Honeymooners", "F Troop", "The Little Rascals", "The Three Stooges" and so much more.

Remember Officer Joe Bolton, Bozo the Clown and Captain Jack McCarthy? They are all here in this clip. As are "Magilla Gorilla", "Dick Tracy", "The March of the Wooden Soldiers", "Abbott and Costello" and the six fingers of "Chiller."

It's a great walk down memory lane. Thanks for posting the clip, Pat.

Enjoy:

Cursed To Obsess Over Curses

When are these dimwit Yankee fans going to let stupid nonsense like "curses" go?

Probably never. Talk about being obsessed.

Some schmuck named Sam Cook (I bet he can't sing a lick) wrote an article for something called News-Press.com in Ft. Myers, FL saying that since the Red Sox are moving to a new facility for Spring Training in Lee County in 2012, they will be under a new "curse." (Or the old one will return. Logic isn't Cook's strong point in this article.)

Bloody hell.

Cook quotes Wilbur Smith, who brought the Red Sox to Ft. Myers in 1993:

"The Red Sox better win the World Series this year because after 2011, the curse is back,'' Smith says.

Right, pal.

Cook admits his Yankee fandom from the git go, and Smith just sounds like he's pissed because the Red Sox are leaving his beloved City of Palms Park after 2011.

So naturally these stupid boneheads have to resort to how the "curse is back" unless the Sox drop everything in building their new spring facility and remain where they are. I'm sure John Henry & Co. are just quaking in their boots with the idea how they are tempting fate by moving out of Ft. Myers.

I've said this for years, and I stand by it. YANKEE fans were totally obsessed with all that media-created nonsense before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. It was a taunting device, and nothing more. And in some circles many are still obsessed with it, and want it back desperately.

And some backwater columnists will write anything for attention.

Trivia Q&A: February 1

On yet another lousy weather evening in New York, we had a really good turnout of folks wanting their Trivia, and 15 teams took part in the festivities. People have to have their Trivia!

We had strong scores throughout the night, especially in General Knowledge, as 10 of the 15 teams got all seven questions right. (Too easy maybe this week?) True or False Trivia were excellent too, as well as Super Bowl Trivia, which I thought might go either way.

We had an amazing six teams separated by just a single point heading into IQ Trivia. But the team of Quiz In My Pants, Again managed to run the table and get all 20 points in the round and wound up winning by four points with 51 total. We had a tie for second place, which we broke with this question: "How many inches of snow were recorded in Central Park in January, a new record for the month?" The answer was 36, and the team of Wake Up Emily! We Need You Here! was closest, with the team of It's Good Thing We're Pretty coming in third. Nice job by all of you.

Best Team Name: Indefinitely In Stephanie

Current Events
1. The Advocate magazine put out a list of "The Gayest Cities in America" and surprisingly picked this northern Midwest city as its number one.
2. What American rock star took a nasty fall off the stage he was performing on in Australia last week and was knocked unconscious for nearly 10 minutes before being briefly hospitalized?
3. What Hollywood superstar actor recently dined with John Gotti Jr. to discuss details of Gotti's late mobster father's life, as he wants to portray his father in an upcoming film?
4. Which NBA team has now overtaken the Los Angeles Lakers and now the most valuable franchise in the league in terms of overall monetary worth?
5. What TV host and Lower Manhattan resident was named to a position on the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum board of directors last week?
6. What movie sequel was nominated for a high of 9 Razzie Awards, which honors the worst films of the year?
7. TNT apologized last Friday after what former SNL comedian made some racy remarks about Sarah Palin on its pregame show?

Super Bowl Trivia
1. What team won the first Super Bowl? a. Green Bay Packers; b. New York Jets; c. Kansas City Chiefs; d. Dallas Cowboys.
2. Which pop singer was selected to sing the National Anthem at this year's Super Bowl? a. John Mayer; b. Kelly Clarkson; c. Justin Bieber; d. Christina Aguilera.
3. Which NFL team has appeared in the most Super Bowls? a. Pittsburgh Steelers; b. Minnesota Vikings; c. Dallas Cowboys; d. New England Patriots.
4. Which of the following musical acts have never appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show? a. Paul McCartney; b. Lady Gaga; c. U2; d. Aerosmith.
5. Which of the following teams have never won a Super Bowl? a. Tampa Bay Bucs; b. Chicago Bears; c. New Orleans Saints; d. Buffalo Bills.
6. How many Super Bowls have been won by the two New York teams, Giants and Jets, combined? a. 3; b. 4; c. 5; d. 6.
7. Who is the only player to win the Super Bowl MVP award three times? a. Tom Brady; b. Terry Bradshaw; c. Joe Montana; d. Bart Starr.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. An Oscar statuette weighs more than the Super Bowl trophy.
2. The sweater worn by Fred Rogers on his PBS show was once put on display in the Smithsonian.
3. Gaul was the ancient name of England.
4. Horse racing is sometmes called "the sport of kings."
5. The earth rotates in the same direction as it orbits the sun.
6. Moroccan leather actually comes from Morocco.
7. Billy Crystal once played a gay character on TV.
8. Mick Jagger attended the London School of Economics.
9. The Cape of Good Hope is at the tip of South America.
10. US presidents William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison were father and son.

General Knowledge
1. In 1794, Eli Whitney was credited with what invention? ( 1 pt)
2. What was the name of the space shuttle that exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986? ( 1 pt)
3. Phillips and Flathead are two different types of what kind of object? ( 1 pt)
4. Croatia and Slovenia were both formerly part of what country? ( 2 pt)
5. In what city was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated? ( 2 pt)
6. Carlos Slim is the richest man in what country? ( 2 pt)
7. How many vowels are there on the bottom row of a typewriter? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 1970s sitcom spinoff ran for 253 episodes, 43 more than its Emmy-winning parent sitcom? ( 3 points)
2. What song was heard 250 different ways in a 1994 Ken Burns documentary? ( 4 points)
3. What African nations' Declaration of Independence was signed by 11 men in a Baptist church in 1847? ( 4 points)
4. The 2002 film "Auto Focus" is based on the life and death of what TV and movie actor? ( 4 points)
5. Huntington Avenue Grounds was the original home ballpark for 11 years for what current MLB team? ( 5 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Minneapolis; 2. Jimmy Buffett; 3. John Travolta; 4. New York Knicks; 5. Jon Stewart; 6. "Twilight 2: Eclipse;" 7. Tracy Morgan.

Super Bowl Trivia
1. a; 2. d; 3. c; 4. b; 5. d; 6. b; 7. c.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false, France; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, Nigeria; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, South Africa; 10. false, grandfather and grandson.

General Knowledge
1. cotton gin; 2. Challenger; 3. screwdriver; 4. Yugoslavia; 5. Memphis; 6. Mexico; 7. none.

IQ Trivia
1. "The Jeffersons;" 2. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame;" 3. Liberia; 4. Bob Crane; 5. Boston Red Sox.