GA Russell

Nancy Pelosi's husband is funding a new developmental league called the United Football League which will begin play this fall. We talked about this earlier when Raleigh was in the running for a franchise. It is not clear whether the league will continue to be a developmental league. Mark Cuban is still involved on the periphery, and you know that he won't sit idly by with a minor league team. The Wikipedia article says that the plan is to give give NFL players a place to play if the current labor contract expires without an agreement reached. The league is going to outbid the CFL for its players. It had its first draft over the weekend. The only name I have heard of (not that that means anything) is JP Losman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Footba...eague_(planned) http://www.ufl-football.com/ http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090...PORTS/906210319 ***** The Stamps have released JuJuan Armour for undisciplined (read rough) play at camp. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/stam...article1192409/

Happy Birthday 2009 Rosco!

Happy Birthday 2009 Parkertown!

Happy Birthday 2009, paps!

Lala: Joe Locke and David Hazeltine - Mutual Admiration Society 2 The Righteous Brothers - The Very Best of... (Unchained Melody)

If I read it right, they are saying that for the price of two albums a month, you can download as much music as you want from the entire Universal catalogue. That sounds like eMusic from a couple of years ago with OJCs.

The LA Times has published a second obituary of Bob Bogle. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,4769304.story Bob Bogle dies at 75; co-founded rock band the Ventures Email Picture Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times Bob Bogle, left, co-founded the Ventures with Don Wilson in 1959, when the two were working as bricklayers. The influential band's hits included 'Walk -- Don't Run' and the theme from 'Hawaii Five-O.' By Dennis McLellan June 17, 2009 Bob Bogle, the co-founder and original lead guitarist of the Ventures, the influential instrumental rock band whose hits included "Walk -- Don't Run" and the "Hawaii Five-0" TV theme, has died. He was 75. Bogle, a resident of Vancouver, Wash., who suffered from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, died Sunday in a local hospital, said Don Wilson, who co-founded the Ventures with Bogle. The Ventures "His last four years have not been pleasant at all; it's kind of a blessing he doesn't have to endure that pain anymore," Wilson said. "I never had a brother, but he's the brother I never had. But he was much more than a brother to me. He was one of the kindest men I ever met." Bogle and Wilson, who first met in Seattle in 1958, were doing masonry work together in 1959 when they formed their band. The original members of the Ventures included Bogle on lead guitar, Wilson on rhythm guitar, Nokie Edwards on bass and Skip Moore, who was soon replaced by Howie Johnson on drums. Renowned for their "big guitar sound," the Ventures first hit the Billboard singles chart in 1960 with "Walk — Don't Run," which peaked at No. 2. "That song started a whole new movement in rock 'n' roll," said John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival in 2008. "The sound of it became 'surf music' and the audacity of it empowered guitarists everywhere." Said Wilson: "Any guitar player would tell you, Bob isthe most unique-sounding guitar player ever. The way he used to do the whammy bar -- that vibrato bar. He kept his little finger on it while he played it all the time. He'd make it sound, like at the end of a chord, Wow-wow. We were the first ones to ever get recognized for doing anything like that. "When you heard him play, you knew it was him." The Ventures returned to the top 10 in 1964 with a new version of "Walk -- Don't Run," "Walk -- Don't Run '64," with Bogle having earlier switched to bass and Edwards to lead guitar. The Ventures' only other top 10 hit was the theme, which peaked at No. 4 in 1969. But between 1960 and 1972, the Ventures charted 37 albums in the Billboard top 200. "We got pegged as a surfing band because there was a scene then with the Beach Boys, the Chantays ['Pipeline'] and so on," Bogle told the Buffalo News in 1998. "But before we got to L.A., we'd never even heard the phrase 'surfing music.' We were doing weddings, house parties and night-job gigs for a year before we recorded. So we had a pretty broad base." Guitar Player magazine once called the Ventures "the quintessential guitar combo of the pre-Beatles era, [who] influenced not only styles, but also a generation's choice of instruments." "The Ventures, like the Beatles in a way, made an entire generation of people pick up guitars," Howard Kramer, curatorial director at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, told The Times on Tuesday. "But more to the point is they literally instructed you in how to play a guitar." Indeed, the Ventures recorded a number of guitar instructional albums, each of which hit the top 100 charts. "You could play along with them," Kramer said. "Not merely did these guys possess tremendous technical expertise, they made these appealing smash hit records that also inspired people to pick up instruments." The Ventures continue to record two or three albums a year for Japan, where they've had 20 No. 1 hits, Wilson said. They leave for a three-month tour of Japan in July. Bogle, who was born Jan. 16, 1934, in Wagoner, Okla., was working as a bricklayer in 1958 when he walked into a Seattle used car lot where Wilson was a salesman. "I said, 'Can you get me a job?' " recalled Wilson. "I was working on commission, and I wasn't doing very well and wanted a weekly paying job." Wilson quit the car lot to work as a hod carrier for Bogle. About a month after they started working together, the two discovered they had both once owned guitars and could play a few chords. They bought two guitars at a Tacoma pawnshop and, while learning to play, began entering talent contests together. After four or five talent shows, they started winning. Perseverance, more than anything, led to their success, Wilson said. "You've got to want it," he said. "We really wanted it. We wanted to pick up nothing heavier than a guitar and make a living at it." They kept their day jobs, however. "Even when 'Walk -- Don't Run' was on the radio, we were still doing brick work," Wilson said. Bogle toured with the band until about four years ago, although he continued to record until about two years ago. He is survived by his wife, Yumi; his children, Gary, Mike, Paul, Kathy, Randy and Brandon; his brothers, Clarence, Dennis and Curtis; his sister, Sybil; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A private funeral will be held Friday.

Great news, Phil! I'm looking forward to it!

Happy Birthday CJ!

BClug, I'm a little surprised to hear that, because wasn't Steve Buratto the offensive coordinator during Printers' days with the club? He hasn't been with them in years. I would have thought that in the three years that Printers has been away, the Lions' system would have changed. ***** Wednesday I was able to verify the websites of all eight flagship stations for the teams' radio broadcasts. As in the past, you can listen to the games at no charge. Remember, in order to listen you must first download Windows Media Player. So without further ado... Montreal Alouettes http://www.cjad.com/ Toronto Argonauts http://www.fan590.com/ Hamilton Tiger-Cats http://www.900chml.com/ Winnipeg Blue Bombers http://www.cjob.com/ Saskatchewan Roughriders http://www.620ckrm.com/ Calgary Stampeders http://www.am770chqr.com/ Edmonton Eskimos http://www.630ched.com/ British Columbia Lions http://www.team1040.ca/

I didn't know that, Lon. Which would you recommend?

I don't know, BClug. What do you think? My guess is that nobody wants him because he has the reputation of not getting along with his teammates. However, you can be sure that the Bombers would have preferred to start him over Ryan Dinwiddie in the Grey Cup! So my thinking is that the first team that has a big injury problem at the QB position (except Hamilton) will sign him if he agrees to a low price. If he holds out for big money, I don't think he will catch on with anybody.

Edmonton 45....Saskatchewan 12 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edm...838111-sun.html Calgary 37....BC 30 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Cal...838011-sun.html

All eight teams played tonight. Montreal 37....Toronto 24 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Gam...9833781-cp.html Winnipeg 32....Hamilton 22 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Gam...9834066-cp.html

The Pre-Season starts tonight. If I have a chance over the next couple of weeks, I will try to listen to all eight teams' broadcasts to verify that the URLs for last year are the same for this year.

Thanks for stopping by and providing some input, Laurie!

I like Laurie too. I wish there were more widows in the position to promote their husband's music. JL, I don't get your reference to double entendre. I get that the releases selected by Laurie reflect her taste in Art's recordings. What other meaning are you thinking of? The phrase double entendre often refers to sexual imagery. Is there some sexual pun that I am too naive to pick up on? (Very possible, I know!)

Bobby Broom has a new album out called Plays for Monk. It is made up entirely of Monk tunes, except two (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Lulu's Back in Town) which he associates with Monk. I have Broom's last three cd's, and I like this one the best. I read an interview of Sonny Rollins in which he said that he told the young Jackie McLean that he sounded too much like Charlie Parker, and that everyone's goal should be to develop his own sound. Of course Broom is Sonny's guitarist, and I think it is fair to say that he has developed his own sound - both in his heavy-handed strum and the chords he likes to play. I wish more people would record albums of Monk songs. I enjoy very much Chick Corea's. I have heard cuts from Steve Lacy's Riverside album which I have liked. Not only are the songs good, but Monk had such a unique style of piano playing that anyone else who comes along can make an album with those songs and do his own thing, not worrying about deliberately trying to sound different from the original. In this case, you don't have to already be a Bobby Broom fan to enjoy the album. It's refreshing to hear the familiar songs played in a new way. By the way, the album photos are by our own Mark Sheldon!

Dave, I'm going to disagree. I think they took a hatless photo of everybody. Most of the cards were printed before spring training photos could be taken. Topps did not want the card to show the player wearing a cap from a different team. (I can think of a few exceptions. I think Gino Cimoli's 1960 card was one.) So if a player was traded or played for a first-year expansion team, the hatless photo was used. For example, after the 1960 season the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota. For 1961 the new Washington Senators and the Los Angeles Angels expansion teams were created. So in 1961, all of the players for those three teams were hatless until about card #500. In regard to Hal Woodeshick, the 1961 hatless card has him with the expansion Washington Senators. The 1962 hatless card has him with the expansion Houston Colts/Colt .45s. The Astro card (1965?) was the first year that the team was called the Astros, so Topps didn't want to show everyone wearing a cap with ".45s" on it. Another trick they used (I remember the 1959 Vic Wertz card) was to have the player tilt his cap back, so that you saw the green underside of his visor, which blocked the logo.

Great finds, Jim!

The Globe & Mail has a big scoop: David Braley, the owner of BC (and the former owner of Hamilton) paid half of the $2 million franchise fee for the two Toronto owners in 2003, and since then has covered half of the team's annual operating losses. He has also received half the profits from the 2007 Grey Cup game held in Toronto. All this time, it has been a secret, and the two commissioners haven't known anything about it! "Braley acknowledged reviewing the Argos’ books at the end of last season, at the invitation of Cynamon and Sokolowski. He sat with their executives and accountants to inspect financial records and make budget suggestions." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/bral...article1183318/ Surprisingly enough, the fact that these dealings have been secret did not violate the league's constitution. So they are going to amend the constitution to require transparency. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/coho...article1184150/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/stat...article1184166/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/bral...article1183315/

I agree, Jack! I think their first two albums, especially the second, were their best. I'm surprised that Big Al hasn't chimed in yet!

I remember Hal Woodeshick well as a reliever for the Senators. I had his bubble gum card in 1960. Here's his LA Times obituary. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,1677663.story Hal Woodeshick All-Star pitcher led NL in saves in 1964 Hal Woodeshick, 76, who pitched for five major league teams during an 11-year career in which he was an All-Star and part of a World Series championship team, died Sunday in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Woodeshick has been in failing health for some time, according to an announcement from the Houston Astros. Known as a durable reliever, Woodeshick went 44-62 with 61 saves and a 3.56 ERA with Detroit, Cleveland, the Washington Senators, Houston (when the expansion team was known as the Colt .45s) and St. Louis. He was an original member of the Colt .45s and posted the second victory in Houston history. He later led the National League with 23 saves in 1964 as a member of the Colt .45s and was named to the National League All-Star team. Woodeshick had a quirk on the mound: Although he had an excellent pickoff move to first base, he had trouble throwing there after fielding comebackers. The problem became so pronounced that he eventually trotted toward the bag before making a soft toss. Woodeshick threw his final pitch in the majors for St. Louis, retiring Boston star Carl Yastrzemski on a grounder late in Game 6 of the 1967 World Series. The next day, the Cardinals won the title.

Bob Bogle, the co-leader of The Ventures along with Don Wilson, died Sunday. There were a couple of years, eighth and ninth grade, when I was the biggest Ventures fan in the world, and would buy their albums the day they came out. Walk Don't Run '64 was the second 45 I ever bought. I remember that they would put out four albums a year, although I once saw Duane Eddy say on TV that sometimes they had studio musicians cut the record while they were on tour. In those days, I listened to the radio a lot, but I spent my money on The Ventures. After a couple of years, I outgrew them and moved on to The Tijuana Brass for a year, and then on to jazz. I have two Ventures CDs that I can put my hands on, their greatest hits and their Surfing album. I'll have to put them on tonight. Here's his LA Times obituary. Bob Bogle dies at 75; co-founded rock band the Ventures The influential band's hits included 'Walk, Don't Run' and the theme from 'Hawaii Five-O.' Associated Press 10:25 AM PDT, June 16, 2009 TACOMA, Wash.-- Bob Bogle, lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band the Ventures, known for 1960s instrumental hits including "Walk, Don't Run," has died. He was 75. Don Wilson, the band's other co-founder, told the News Tribune of Tacoma that Bogle became ill over the weekend and died Sunday. The band sold millions of albums and heavily influenced other rock guitarists. It was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. The hall's website hailed the Ventures as "the most successful instrumental combo in rock and roll history." "Walk, Don't Run" reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1960, and a revised version, "Walk, Don't Run '64," reached No. 8 in 1964. Among the band's other hits were "Perfidia" and the theme from "Hawaii Five-O." The band got its start in 1958 in Tacoma. Bogle initially played lead and bass and Wilson played rhythm guitar. They were soon joined by Nokie Edwards, another guitarist, and drummer Howie Johnson, later replaced by Mel Taylor. "Our aspirations were to pick up nothing heavier than a guitar," Wilson said last year. "But it just mushroomed into something where we became internationally known." The Ventures were particularly popular in Japan, where Wilson and Bogle played as a duo during their first tour in 1962 because the promoter couldn't afford to pay the other two band members. The two Americans made such an impression, Wilson recalled last year, that when the band came back in 1964, "there were 6,000 people at the airport." He said he didn't realize at first that the Japanese fans were there to see the Ventures.

This one has Ezz-Thetic on it, which I humbly consider to be one of Prestige's most important recordings. Of course, YMMV.