Friday Jukebox 9.28.12: A Small Tribute to Andy Williams.

As you are all aware, Andy Williams passed away on Wednesday, aged 84. A great singer, his original cover of "Killing Me Softly," from his 1974 album, The Way We Were, has spawned off various covers. Before there was Roberta Flack, before there was Al B. Sure, before there were the Fugees, there was Andy Williams.

Chris Economaki, 91, Motorsport Journalist.

Link.

'The Dean of American Motorsport Journalism,' he was known as the editor of the publication National Speed Sport News.

In addition, he has done television work, doing pit road for the Indy 500 on ABC, the Daytona 500 and other Winston Cup events on CBS and Turner Sports, and also did F1 on ESPN.

First Opie, Now Half-Sack.

The only difference: one's character dead in real life. Not a good week for SAMCRO.

The NFL Referee Lockout is Over!?

This is not the reason, but the 'bullshit' chant from the Ravens supporters on Sunday night, definitely was the factor.

Now we don't have to see such weirdos as Don King (pictured) working NFL games anymore. Only in America have we seen such stupidity from a referee named Don King (see Saints/Chiefs).

BELLATOR Returns Friday: Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinals

BELLATOR kicks off Season 7 on Friday night with BELLATOR 74. The four televised bouts are all quarterfinal matches in the welterweight tournament, to determine who is the #1 contender for Ben Askren's championship title shot in the near future.

CARD

Welterweight tournament quarterfinal

(170lb/76.5kg)

Tim Welch v Michail Tsarev



Andrey Koreshkov v Jordan Smith

Nordine Taleb v Marius Zaromskis

Jim Wallhead v Lyman Good

 

LIVE on MTV2 and epix HD Friday night!

 



AFL & NRL Grand Finals 2012 on Saturday!

The biggest sporting day in Australia is almost coming! It starts Saturday afternoon with the AFL Grand Final, with the Sydney Swans, in their first appearance since their bitter defeat in the 2006 Grand Final to the Eagles, and Hawthorn returning for the first time since their 2008 win. Swans look great throughout the season, so I'm picking them to win. Prediction: Swans by 2 goals.

Speaking of AFL, their annual Brownlow presentation was earlier this week. Congrats to Jobe Watson of Essendon as he is the 2012 Brownlow Medalist for best on the ground performance this season!

Go Bombers! Here is the presentation:

 

Then the nightcap as the annual NRL Grand Final will be contested between Melbourne and Canterbury. Melbourne were runner-ups in 2010, while the Bulldogs haven't been in this stage in eons. Storm by 6 is my prediction.

Both finals can be seen on Fox Soccer Plus in the United States (DIRECTV 621). Live radio, timing and scoring for both are here and here.

I think this is the last Saturday Grand Final for NRL, because of the new deal with 9 and Foxtel, the Grand Final is shifted to Sundays beginning 2013.

Bullshit! Part 2

Even more bullshit in the latter stages of Round 3 2012 in the NFL. Was this an interception? I think so!

If this was at Lambeau, would the 'bullshit' chant be in effect? I hope so!

Jerry Lawler Update: Listen!

A quick update from the 'King' posted on YouTube last week following his health scare at RAW in Montreal:

Bullshit! Part 1

NFL Round 3, 2012. Check out the Ravens Stadium crowd with the 'biggest manure chant' ever in the final quarter of the apparent Ravens win!

Ryder Cup 2012 This Weekend!

This is the trophy. This is what all golf fans are waiting for. It's almost here...the Ryder Cup! USA vs Europe!

In 2010, Europe defeated the US by one at Celtic Manor. This year's Ryder Cup is at Medinah Country Club, just miles from Chicago. This year's squads for both look interesting, packed with major tournament winners and veterans of the Ryder Cup. So without further addue, here are the rosters:

USA
CAPTAIN: Davis Love III
ASSISTANT CAPTAINS: Mike Hulbert, Jeff Sluman, Scott Verplank and Fred Couples
Steve Stricker
Matt Kuchar
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Brandt Snedeker
Keegan Bradley
Jason Dufner
Jim Furyk
Webb Simpson
Bubba Watson
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods

EUROPE
CAPTAIN: Jose Maria Olazabal
ASSISTANT CAPTAINS: Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Darren Clarke
Justin Rose
Paul Lawrie
Nicolas Colsaerts
Peter Hanson
Luke Donald
Francisco Molinari
Lee Westwood
Martin Kaymer
Sergio Garcia
Ian Poulter
Graeme McDowell
Rory McIlroy

Thursday and Friday coverage is live in the states on ESPN, Saturday and Sunday coverage is on Golf Channel on NBC. If you visit their official website, there's radio commentary by the BBC as well as live scoring! GO USA!

Adlington on Rio 2016: No Mas!

At 23, she gives up on the Olympics... But she will focus on the Fina worlds!

**RANT** Universal & EMI to Merge.

Kylie, Coldplay and others are dropped from EMI as a result of the merger.

 

 

Both FTC and EU approve it.

 

Bad move. Now there will be three major labels that will be able to sign and maintain cheaper talent. As a result of the merger, some big names-Kylie and Coldplay-among others, are dropped from the EMI library. Stupid ass Katy Perry remains. Unsure of the future of some UMG artists-including Roman Lob and Nina Zilli, who competed in this year's EUROVISION Song Contest. Keep in mind, EMI has the Pink Floyd and Beatles libraries as well. EMI also used to run a film unit (co-distributed Convoy and Highlander) and a TV unit that produced made for TV movies in the United States, but no television series.

 

I wonder what will happen to those released from EMI and Universal in the near future? Hopefully they'll go independent.

 

In my honest opinion, we're in for one super-major record label that will only sign and maintain cheaper talent in the next few years when Universal/EMI merges with Sony-Bertelsmann and WMG. Hopefully this will be the end of the major record labels as they all go bankrupt for good. Once and for all.

 

As Crustified Dibbs would put it back in '94:

 

 



...And I'm Feeling Like a Criminal!?

Arrested for hash?

Friday Jukebox 9.21.12

I found this nice gem from 1978 by the German group Boney M. If you know about Russian history, then "Rasputin"-a ballad about the life and times of Rasputin himself-is right for you. Typical disco that still sounds great to this day.

From their 1978 album, Love for Sale.

Summer is over, today (9.21) is the first day of fall.

Cecil Gordon, 71, Winston Cup Privateer

Link.

The first driver in Cup that carried the number 24 whose last name is Gordon (figure that one out-both not related). His last Cup start was at what is now Richmond International Raceway in February 1985.

Years before Chrysler's exodus from Cup after the 1985 season, he was one of the last to race Chrysler products (along with Buddy Arrington among others) in Cup until its return to that division in 2001.

Steve Sabol, 69, President of NFL Films

Brain tumor.

Quite a genius that made NFL Films what it is today.

Friday Jukebox 9.14.12

A post-EUROVISION effort from Soluna Samay Kettel, in which "Come Again (The Quetzal)" would have got the Danish representative a better position in the final than "Should've Known Better" (and I like both). The raw power is displayed here in this follow up, which was released in June. English and Spanish are the languages (she and G.G. Kettel are both from Guatemala, but based in Denmark) here.

They're Back!

The Chaser are back for another season of The Hamster Wheel on ABC1 (Australia) later this month. What is the Hamster Wheel? It is the Chaser's show dedicated to the flaws in the media, where not only they attack newspapers as well as televsion, where they attack their own network (ABC) as well as their rival (SBS) and the commercial networks (7, 9 and ten), but media outside of Australia as well, including here in the United States.

Here's a promo for the new season of the Hamster Wheel:

ABC Gets 'Slimed' by bpi!

And no, it's not the Nickelodeon 'slime'.

On the other hand...ABC News' statement.

The Food Lion scandal of '92 all over again...

It's Just a Movie! Or is it?

 

US Ambassador killed in rocket attack as a result of protests of this:

As a result the above trailer is blocked in certain countries.

The Best of the Democratic National Convention 2012.

In case you missed out on the speeches (I was watching the US Open), here's what you missed:

55 more days!

Justin Bieber Gets an Ice Hockey Contract.

Link. What is more farcical? His music or his career on the ice? I think both.

The 'King' Suffers Heart Attack LIVE on TV.

In case you haven't heard by now, Jerry 'the King' Lawler is still in a Montreal hospital undergoing tests and CAT scans following a scary moment on Monday Night RAW this past Monday:

Here you see King being stretchered out during a match.

Very scary indeed. Read on TMZ just now that he is awake and alert. Good news.

Friday Jukebox 9.7.12

I was getting bored at what I want as far as Friday Jukebox this week, until something came up. A song I haven't heard in a while, that is still great to this day-"You Never Know" by Marly, an 'alternative house' single from 2004 that faired okay in the UK charts.

 

 

Released by all around the world, whose recordings in North America are distributed through ultra Records.

 



Art Modell, 87, Super Bowl Champion Owner

Link.

I like the Ravens. However he had some pros and cons of the move from Cleveland to Baltimore after the 1995 NFL season. The pros of the relocation was that the franchise finally won a Super Bowl, first for Baltimore in almost 30 years, and one of the most beautiful stadiums in the NFL, beginning the 1998 season (hosted the NCAA D-I men's lacrosse championships, Army/Navy football and has hosted a UEFA Champions League preliminary match last year, I think).

However his relocation to Baltimore had at least one con. The con was that it ended the CFL's US era, in which the Stallions came off of their Grey Cup win in 1995, the first and only US franchise in the CFL to win Coupe Grey. After Modell's announcement, Jim Speros, the Stallions owner relocated to Montreal, thus the return of the name 'Alouettes.'

He will be missed.

American Le Mans Series To Merge with Grand-Am! A Shocker! *Mini-Rant*

Link.

I really hope that this merger will most likely kill Grand Sham more than ALMS. Panoz and Atherton knows better to merge with a shitty series. Will it kill sports car racing, similar to the Champ Car/MindyCar merger killed open wheel racing? Maybe.

It seems if the ALMS/Grand Sham merger goes the way of the IndyCar/Champ Car merger in 2008, American motorsport at the pavement level will be dead. But if it dies, there's still hope for American motorsport by simply supporting your local race track.

And there's always F1, DTM, BTCC and even the Aussie V8 Supercars.

AFL, NRL Finals Series This Weekend!

The busiest sporting month in Australia begins this weekend as the sub-continent's two biggest sporting entities-Australian Football League and National Rugby League will have their finals series.

In the AFL, Hawthorn made a last month surge to the top to gather the number 1 seed. In the qualifying final, the Hawks will have a Collingwood side, in which both had injuries, including that of the Hawks' Buddy Franklin, who was out for at least a month. This match also marks Nathan Buckley's first finals appearance in his first year as the Magpies' head coach taking over for Mick Malthouse after the 2011 season. Malthouse is currently in talks to return to AFL head coaching with Carlton, taking over the position that Brett Ratten left behind.

The other qualifying final will boast an interstate matchup as the resurgent Crows will take on the Swans.

West Coast and North will be in one elimination final. Earlier this year, the Eagles held on to win by two, and was in the top spot for the first half of the year until injuries took their toll. The other WA club-Fremantle-will take on the reigning premiers Geelong in the second elimination final. Ross Lyon's first finals as Freo coach (he's been to the finals before with St. Kilda).

Meanwhile, the NRL finals will take charge as well, with top seeded Canterbury and Manly in one qualifying final, while Melbourne and South Sydney is in the other. North Queensland and Brisbane will play in one elimination final, while Cronulla and Canberra will play in the other. St. George-Illawara, last year's premiers, failed to make the top 8 this season.

Both AFL and NRL finals series matches are on Fox Soccer Plus in the United States, or follow along here and here.

NFL Regular Season Returns This Wednesday!

The NFL is back, and this year's kickoff night has moved from Thursday to Wednesday due to Obama's speech on Thursday in Charlotte. Pretty stupid.

Super Bowl champion Giants will host the Cowboys on a busy NYC night that will also see action across the river at Flushing Meadows with the U.S. Open.

Speaking of the U.S. Open, Sunday's men's final will headline a day on CBS marked by early NFL regional action, including the AFC champion Patriots, and the debut of #1 draft pick Andrew Luck as the Colts are in Chicago. Fox will have the round 1 doubleheader, with the 49ers/Packers as the headlining match.

ESPN will carry a doubleheader on Monday night to mark its 26th year of live NFL football-with the Ravens/Bengals and the late game with the Chargers/Raiders.

CBS will carry the Super Bowl this year, as the big game returns to the Superdome for the first time since the last second thriller at Super Bowl XXXVI.

NFL Sunday Ticket will return on DIRECTV at the lowest price.

So there you have it, and to all those involved in the fantasy games this season, good luck!

Democratic National Convention 2012: Three Nights of Tomfoolery.

This is Panthers Stadium (or Bank of America Stadium or even Ericsson Stadium, what it used to be known) where President Obama will speak on Thursday to headline the three days of tomfoolery known as the Democratic National Convention. This reason was why the NFL season opener between the Giants and Cowboys moved to tomorrow night.

Beginning tonight, the first two nights are in the Bobcats Arena (insert joke here, regarding the Bobcats). It's similar to the tomfoolery in Denver in 2008 where the (Coke's rival) Center and the stadium formerly known as Invesco Stadium at Mile High was where the DNC ended in '08. Same old shit, so please watch it on C-SPAN for better results.

Republican National Convention 2012: The Best Speeches.

In case you've been busy watching either football or the U.S. Open, and didn't catch not one minute of the Republican National Convention in Tampa last week, here were some of the best speeches of the three days:

Former Secretary of State Rice:

The Olympians (includes Mike Eruzione, Dan Jansen, and NBC analyst Rowdy Gaines):

U.S. Congressman Ryan, the Republican Vice Presidential hopeful:

Former Massachusetts Governor Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee:

Ann Romney:

And of course: Clint Eastwood and that chair!

It's halftime in America. The second half begins after the DNC.

'Pyramid' Returns Labor Day!

In a year where old TV favorites return (see Dallas), another old favorite returns Labor Day.

After eight years in hibernation, Pyramid returns, but not with Donny Osmond, because a new host is at the helm. The host for the new Pyramid is famiilar to the game show community-because Mike Richards is currently executive producer of Let's Make a Deal (Wayne Brady), a role that he currently has since the show's return in 2009 on CBS daytime. Pyramid is exclusive to GSN, at 5pm Central (6pm Eastern) Labor Day, so once you're finished watching the U.S. Open on CBS and CBS Sports Network, flip over to GSN!

By the way, Bob Stewart, the show's original executive producer, passed away earlier this year at age 91. Michael Davies of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? fame is executive producer (he was also EP of Chain Reaction with Dylan Lane-which also is (or was?) on GSN) of this version.

Here's a preview of what you'll see beginning Labor Day:

Here's your first subject...GO! I'm hoping 7-11 (all 7 right for $1100) and Mystery 7 (all 7 right wins a prize) will return as well.