The Greatest

The SEVEN
June 27th, 2011


I. Greatest Of All Time

Last time I wrote in this space I was preparing to go to Boston and see the Elements of the Universe, Earth Wind & Fire, in concert at the Bank of America Pavillion. EWF was celebrating their 40th year in the business...which led me to think about the late and still King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who died exactly two years ago after forty years in the public eye on a day that I will always remember, June 25th - which happens to be my anniversary...which is why I was in Boston.

Now and forevermore Michael's music will be highlighted in and around the date of his death - and whenever his music is played, it is impossible to come away from it with anything but the realization that MJ - like Ali, another Greatest - is "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be." With that said, back to Earth Wind & Fire.

It was a little cooler out there than I would have preferred, and the Bank of America Pavilion is a covered, yet outdoor, amphitheatre - so I was a little concerned prior to the beginning of the concert. But not to worry after all; Earth Wind & Fire lit that place up so tremendously that the temperature was never an issue again! To a man, they were incredible - individually and collectively!

The group's original leader, Maurice White, no longer tours with the group, but their other original members - Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and Phillip Bailey - have it totally under control along with the other fantastic musicians that make up the rest of the band. You may not remember or realize how many hits they recorded - and I say that because I was out there thinking about what else they would have to sing, and I found I had forgotten many essential EW&F tunes. Truly they are one of the greatest musical ensembles of this or any era...so if you have a chance to catch their show, don't miss it.

II. Greatest Playoffs

The supposed deadline prior to an NBA lockout is June 30th...which is fast approaching. Coming off of what has to be one of the most entertaining playoffs of all time, the league must realize...or at least they should...that this is not the time - from a PR/momentum standpoint or from the standpoint of being in the midst of a struggling economy - to present internal labor issues between what are essentially groups of affluent people. David Stern and the NBA owners need to take heed of the negative impact the NFL lockout is having on its business, go ahead and take the lockout off the table, and then sit down and get a deal done.

III. Not Nearly The Greatest or No Way

To the surprise of no one, Rep. Michele Bachmann announced her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination today...and as a Democrat and supporter of President Obama, I am about thisclose to sending her a donation to further her efforts. I would love it were she to go deep into the primaries - much less win the Republican nomination; in my opinion, an Obama-Bachmann race would produce a Nixon-McGovern type result in the presidential election, and sweep the Democrats back into control of the House.

I'm still not too pleased about her implying that Obama was un-American and terming his administration a "gangster government" - and I'd hate to think it's because he's Black - but for now all I'd say to her is that before you attempt a presidential run, you have a debate challenge on the floor already from a sixteen-year-old high school sophomore from New Jersey named Amy Myers. Amy has challenged Bachmann to a debate on U.S. history and the Constitution - and considering Bachmann's track record of statements, I might have to bet on Amy.

IV. Way or No Surprise

Rep. Bachmann's displeasure notwithstanding, anyone that can count should have realized that ultimately the Gay Marriage measure would pass in New York State. Better stated, any New York politician that can count - votes, that is - knew this day would come. And anyone that can count money - specifically the $140 million that has been estimated to flow into the NYC economy this year as a result of the bill's passage - knew this day would come.

V. Greatest Surprise

Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman quit abruptly last week, and will be replaced by former New York Mets manager Davey Johnson. No, Nats fans, Johnson will not be bringing Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Keith Hernandez and the rest of the 1986 guys along.

All kidding aside, the Nationals have been playing much better this year - and all this before their great prospects Strasburg and Harper have come up to make their respective impacts. Riggleman was apparently upset that management would not reward him with a longer/better contract in light of his good work...but once again, we see another situation where folks can't iron out differences offstage to the benefit of all.

VI. October Surprise

The real surprise in baseball would be if the Philadelphia Phillies did not win the National League East this year. If the truth be told, they have a five game lead at present and haven't really played to their capability. But there are a few teams to watch that may very well come back and cause trouble in their respective divisions:

American League - Tampa Bay Rays, Chiacgo White Sox, Los Angeles Angels.

Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees have pulled away in the East, which gives opportunity to the Rays, who still await better play from B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. The Central division is definitely up for grabs, and the Twins' injuries have dug the frequent Central champs into a big hole - so look out for Ozzie Guillen to get his North Side crew into the hunt. Same for the Angels of Anaheim.

National League - Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies

Likewise, the NL Central and West lack dominant teams this year - with apologies to the World Champion San Francisco Giants, in part due to the season-ending injury to catcher Buster Posey - which provides an opportunity for the defending Central champion Reds to come back. In the West, Colorado has a history of being a strong second-half team, so being six games out may not be insurmountable for them.

VII. Once The Greatest

The Williams sisters were both eliminated at Wimbledon today. I'm not one that races home to watch tennis, but I certainly watched more during the past few years that the sisters dominated women's tennis. Hope they can make it back to the top.

Shining Stars

The SEVEN

June 21, 2011

I. Finally, Part 1

Congratulations...and it's about time! Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the champion of progressive TV, is back on the air at its' regular time of 8:00 p.m. on Current, channel 358 on DirecTV. MSNBC has some competition now...and I'm looking forward to seeing next week's ratings. Memo to Current: Hire Melissa Harris-Perry!

II. Finally, Parts 2 and 3

Congratulations to Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry, the Dallas Mavericks' veteran stars who have finally gotten a championship ring. And congratulations - quite frankly, on the other end of the success standpoint - to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who introduced Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio to the press today, a press conference two years in the making. I don't know if Ricky will be in the mold of Steve Nash or Rajon Rondo or J-Kidd (who Ricky shouted out in the press conference), but if he is anywhere near the type of player many say he can be, his presence should help the Wolves head back up the charts in the Western Conference, a conference in which many of the top teams - including the champion Dallas Mavericks - are veteran teams, creating opportunity for young teams to fill the void at the top over the next few years.

III. The Silver Goes To...

There's no shame in losing in the NBA Finals, as did the Miami Heat, especially given that twenty-eight other teams would have loved to have a chance to compete for the silver medal. With that said, I'm reminded of a situation with a team I coached, in which a player named Gene McCoy was upset about missing two foul shots with about a second to go which would have either put us ahead and likely enabled us to win the game (had he hit both), or tied the game at the least. Interestingly enough, Gene had just virtually saved us on two occasions; first he had gotten the defensive rebound down at the other end which gave us one more possession. Then, after our best shooter missed a jumper, Gene got the offensive rebound, pump-faked the guy up in the air and got to the line.

What Gene failed to realize in the midst of his disappointment is that despite the highs and lows of his last thirty seconds, he didn't lose the game on his own at the foul line nor would he have won it on his own had he made them. You win as a team, and lose as a team. Why, then, is LeBron James being blamed for the Heat's loss? Is it because he is, in the words of Biggie, "so paid?"

LeBron is by nature a distributor, a pass-first all-around kind of player. True, he and D-Wade must learn to work together better (as opposed to taking turns being better that their opponents), but by no means can the Heat's loss be placed on his shoulders.

IV. All Stars

Be sure to vote for the 2011 All-Stars at mlb.com by the end of the week or so...and when you do so, a few suggestions are Matt Kemp, Prince Fielder, Curtis Granderson, Lance Berkman, Adrian Gonzalez and, of course, Jose Reyes.

V. GOP No-Stars

Just a word about the GOP candidates and potential candidates. I heard some commentators say that asking about the Mormon religion of Mitt Romney (and just announced candidate John Huntsman) was not relevant or something that should be on the table. Well, if your religion feels Blacks are inferior in some respects, I believe that questions are warranted. If they questioned Obama about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, these guys need to be questioned about the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

VI. That's The Way of the World?

Why is it that I get emails from E-Harmony...especially in light of my upcoming twenty-third anniversary this week? Do they know something I don't know?

VII. Happy Feelings

I'm going to assume they don't, so in my next blog I'll be talking about seeing Earth Wind & Fire in Boston in celebration of the aforementioned anniversary.

Heat On Miami

The SEVEN

June 12, 2011

I. The Best?

The NBA Finals are usually very good and often excellent, but this year is on another plane. I almost wish this were best of 17 as opposed to 7.

II. Be Careful What You Ask For

Not that DeShawn Stevenson asked for a LeBron James resurgence, offensively speaking, when he stated that James had "checked out" during the fourth quarter of Game 4 - but the possibility exists that it could occur as the series returns to Miami with the Heat down 3-2. Then again, this is not the first instance of talk from Stevenson to or at LeBron, so the singular motivation factor may not be there.

III. Pip, are you sure?

Naturally a lot has been said about Scottie Pippen's statement about James with respect to Michael Jordan, but as I thought about it I wondered if, in the words of Barry Manilow, "could it be Magic?"

I recently pulled up stats from the career of Magic Johnson, a player that I feel was the greatest leader and winner on the court in my remembrance and one whose stats, I also believe, did not tell the entire story. Looking at the years of 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991, Magic's averages during those years were about 20 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds, right around his career averages of 19.5, 11.2, and 7.2. In 1983 Magic only averaged 16.8 points per game, and of course in the 1980 championship game he scored 42...which is to say that he scored what was needed when needed, but his game was a well-rounded game.

So while the airwaves have been buzzing these last few days about the lack of production by LeBron - even in the midst of his recording a triple-double in game 5 - the question is whether he and his natural game should be compared to Jordan or to Johnson.

IV. Advantage On The Sideline

One reason the series returns to Miami with the Heat down is that Rick Carlisle has out-coached Erik Spoelstra so far. From the usage of the zone which has helped keep games from becoming a dunk-fest, to his manipulation of his roster (such as the usage of Barea and seating of Peja Stojakovic), Carlisle has taken the edge and this edge has made the difference in these so-close games.

V. Disadvantage On The Sideline

I truly loved Mike Bibby and Peja during the Sacramento Kings years - but the fact of the matter is that they aren't money like they used to be. Carlisle has shut Peja's minutes down, but meanwhile Bibby continues to start for the Heat. Bibby ought be down to spot duty in favor of his brother-in-law, Eddie House. Meanwhile, if the Heat were to utilize Big Z for some minutes, they would be in position to benefit from Ilgauskas knocking down the 18-footers that would make the Dallas bigs come out, loosening up the middle somewhat for some more drives by Dwyane Wade and James. I realize Joel Anthony is a tremendous defensive player, but he will only score a very few points, tempting his man to let him go totally and be in place to help on those two guys. With Z out there that cannot happen.

VI. Going Forward

With all the money committed to James, Wade and Chris Bosh for years to come, the Heat may be very competitive for all these years - but just as in this year, the rest of the roster may continue to be patchwork.

VII. Prediction

Not about this series...I predict that if they can keep it together personnel and ego-wise, the Thunder will be hoisting the trophy at some point in the near future.

Celebrations Galore

The SEVEN
June 7th, 2011


I. Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to all of you whose birthday is today - especially one of the world's greatest writers, my mother, Winnie Williams. She's "internet-free" at this point and, as such, is unlikely to read this...but if you know her, hit her up with a birthday call!

II. Celebration!

Another person with reason to celebrate today is ex-New York Giant wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who was released from prison yesterday after serving almost two years for shooting himself in the leg (and his team in the behind) with a firearm he was unlicensed to carry. Those who now only associate Plaxico with prison forget that he was one of the great receivers in Giant history, and of course, the man that caught the game-winning touchdown pass in their incredible and almost unbelievable Super Bowl victory over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots.

Michael Vick has shown that two years off - even in prison - is not a death sentence to one's career, so we can be almost certain Plaxico will get a look from some NFL team...and why not the Giants?

That is, if there is an NFL.

III. In Case You Missed It

The NHL finals continue, with the Vancouver Canucks leading the Boston Bruins two games to one. Not that I will be gravely upset with either outcome, but due to the love of the sport that Canadians have as opposed to that of Americans, I hope Vancouver wins. Vancouver and Canada will be overjoyed if they win, and if the Bruins lose...well for their fans, there's still the Red Sox and the Patriots and the Celtics.

IV. Congressman Weiner

With all the uproar over Anthony Weiner's now-acknowledged tweets, can you imagine what would be happening if there were really any truth to the birther argument?

V. Election Day

This is a primary election day in a number of places, and while I hope those of you in these areas exercise your right to vote that so much blood, sweat, and tears were shed for you to have, my soapbox today is about the MLB All-Star ballot. Go online and vote for Jose Reyes...because my contention is that Met management will be unable to trade him with the year he's having and his being an All-Star.

VI. Celebration Again!

Congratulations to Mark Jackson, one of the great point guards in NBA history and now the newly-named coach of the Golden State Warriors. If he leads his team from the bench the way he led the Knicks and Pacers on the court, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

VII. Game Four

The Mavericks will have their collective backs to the wall should they lose tonight. I am envisioning a great performance from Jason Terry and a Dallas win to tie the series up at two games apiece.

NBA Finals - Game 1 & More

The SEVEN

June 2nd, 2011

I. The Biggest Two

Here's the skinny on Tuesday night's game...although it's the exact same recap you could have read any number of times throughout these playoffs: Led by a fourth-quarter charge by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the Miami Heat took a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks with a 92-84 win in Miami. A month ago you could have filled in the blank with "Philadelphia 76ers;" two weeks later, "Boston Celtics;" last week, "Chicago Bulls."

This Miami-Dallas series presents yet another compelling matchup. Obviously the up-and-coming Sixers were a little over-matched, but both the Heat-Celtics and Heat Bulls series promised to be exciting contests, each in their own way...and naturally the Heat-Celtics may have proven to be even more exciting had Rajon Rondo finished the series with two good arms.

Can Dallas win: Yes, they can. Any team that can sweep the Lakers off to vacation and Phil Jackson off to retirement in the way that they did can beat anyone...but they must be able to get the same type of contributions from their bench as they have against their Western Conference foes - and on Tuesday, sixth-man Jason Terry, their number two (and sometimes number one) scorer had but 12 points on three of ten shooting, while super sub J.J. Barea shot one for eight for 2 points, and Peja Stojakovic had a donut. Those three will have to do better in order for Dallas to be successful.

II. Shaq

The last time Miami played Dallas in the finals, the Mavericks' efforts were thwarted, in part, by Miami's Shaquille O'Neal who, in helping series MVP Wade lead the Heat to victory, won his fourth ring. This year, had Shaq not been injured and Rondo gotten injured, he may have thwarted the Heat's efforts coming off of the Boston Celtics bench.

And now he's hanging up the jersey after nineteen seasons. Was he as skilled as some other centers? No, he wasn't. Was he more dominant than most? In the words of one former governor, you betcha!

Rate them where you would, but when talking really great centers, you have to include him in the discussion with Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Olajuwon, and David Robinson. As far as personalities are concerned, he's numero uno. Truly he will be missed...but then again, I have a feeling we havedn't seen the last of Shaq Diesel/The Big Aristotle/Shaq Fu/ The Big Shamrock, etc.

III. Pip

Another retired player has made news, this being Scottie Pippen after stating that LeBron James might be a better all-around player than Michael Jordan. After any number of people swore Pip is crazy, he tried to walk it back to what he should have said at first, which is that James has a chance to become better than Jordan.

But let's just say that Pippen was right, and that LeBron is a better all-around player than Jordan. In that case, I would make the claim that Kobe Bryant is the greatest player ever. I always told people that folks needed not look to the distant future for the heir apparent to MJ; he was, in fact, right here wearing number 24 - and now, perhaps Scottie has proven this for me. Pippen is speaking about James at his best, which is now - but I would submit that James' best play to date has not reached the level of Bryant's best years, say 2005-2009. Therefore, if James is better than Jordan, and Kobe was better than James, then Kobe is the G.O.A.T...except for Magic.

IV. Chris Christie

For those of you who don't know, Chris Christie is the governor of New Jersey, and one of the "flavors of the month" of the conservative Republican set. I'm neither conservative nor Republican, but I am a father - and I must give Christie his props for taking time out of his busy schedule to watch his son's baseball game earlier this week. Being the governor is important, but being an active father is important as well. Good job, Mr. Governor.

V. Chris Christie Again

All is not well with that, however. Governor Christie flew a state helicopter directly to the game. I don't know where he was coming from, but I do know that ride was more expensive than taking New Jersey Transit. At a time in which Christie says that New Jersey is without resources to do or continue various things, perhaps that mode of transportation could be scrapped next time. Oh, and then after leaving the game Christie went to meet with potential donors from Iowa that want him to get in the presidential race. Iowa donors, before you spend any more of your hard-earned cash, ponder this: If Christie can't see the value - on any number of levels - of beefing up mass transportation in the state, how can he be counted on to make rational decisions on behalf of the entire country?

VI. Vancouver Up 1-0

No, the Grizzlies aren't moving back and didn't get a second life in the playoffs. The NHL finals have begun as well, and the Vancouver Canucks took a 1-0 lead over the Boston Bruins in game one for the Stanley Cup. NHL fans on this side of the border must be crazy over the relative lack of coverage their league receives.

But I have an idea for the NHL, which I shared in full in an earlier blog, Making "The Coolest Game" Cooler.

In a sense, my idea has its' roots in the old ABA, a league that in its' infancy was not at all 

averse to trying anything to garner attention.  One such thing was the establishment of the three-point 

shot.  Though ridiculed by basketball traditionalists, the three-pointer was loved by fans and 

now a vital part of the game and its' strategy at all levels.  When a crowd sees a player prepare

to take an open three-pointer, the noise level rises in gleeful anticipation if the shooter is 

on their favored team - or in fear if the shooter is an opponent.   So my idea is for the NHL to 

place a semi-circle within the offensive end - similar to the three-point line in basketball - 

behind which any shots on goal would be "two-point shots." I'm sure there aren't that many goals 

scored from out by the blue line, but I can also imagine the excitement as a great slap-shooter

 lines up a two-point shot.  And what about the team down a goal with a minute or so to go...now 

they pull the goalie to get a sixth skater on the ice to give them a better shot at getting the 

tying goal, but with the two-pointer available, they may try a couple of shots for the win.  

The way I see it, the two-pointer has a lot of potential.  Gary Bettman, you've got a NBA 

background...the ball's in your court...or should I say the puck's in your rink.

VII.  Macho Man

Both of these series, should they go the distance, will end close to Father's Day, 

and as it turns out, I recently was thinking about a Father's 

Day gift I got for my father some years back.  I thought about the many Saturday evenings 

at midnight that we watched Championship Wrestling

on Channel 9 - and to that end, I bought him a subscription to WWF Magazine.  Some of those very 

issues remain at my mother's house, and as I think back on those times and the era, I

 have to say RIP, "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

NBA Finals - Game 1 & More

The SEVEN

June 2nd, 2011

I. The Biggest Two

Here's the skinny on Tuesday night's game...although it's the exact same recap you could have read any number of times throughout these playoffs: Led by a fourth-quarter charge by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the Miami Heat took a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks with a 92-84 win in Miami. A month ago you could have filled in the blank with "Philadelphia 76ers;" two weeks later, "Boston Celtics;" last week, "Chicago Bulls."

This Miami-Dallas series presents yet another compelling matchup. Obviously the up-and-coming Sixers were a little over-matched, but both the Heat-Celtics and Heat Bulls series promised to be exciting contests, each in their own way...and naturally the Heat-Celtics may have proven to be even more exciting had Rajon Rondo finished the series with two good arms.

Can Dallas win: Yes, they can. Any team that can sweep the Lakers off to vacation and Phil Jackson off to retirement in the way that they did can beat anyone...but they must be able to get the same type of contributions from their bench as they have against their Western Conference foes - and on Tuesday, sixth-man Jason Terry, their number two (and sometimes number one) scorer had but 12 points on three of ten shooting, while super sub J.J. Barea shot one for eight for 2 points, and Peja Stojakovic had a donut. Those three will have to do better in order for Dallas to be successful.

II. Shaq

The last time Miami played Dallas in the finals, the Mavericks' efforts were thwarted, in part, by Miami's Shaquille O'Neal who, in helping series MVP Wade lead the Heat to victory, won his fourth ring. This year, had Shaq not been injured and Rondo gotten injured, he may have thwarted the Heat's efforts coming off of the Boston Celtics bench.

And now he's hanging up the jersey after nineteen seasons. Was he as skilled as some other centers? No, he wasn't. Was he more dominant than most? In the words of one former governor, you betcha!

Rate them where you would, but when talking really great centers, you have to include him in the discussion with Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Olajuwon, and David Robinson. As far as personalities are concerned, he's numero uno. Truly he will be missed...but then again, I have a feeling we havedn't seen the last of Shaq Diesel/The Big Aristotle/Shaq Fu/ The Big Shamrock, etc.

III. Pip

Another retired player has made news, this being Scottie Pippen after stating that LeBron James might be a better all-around player than Michael Jordan. After any number of people swore Pip is crazy, he tried to walk it back to what he should have said at first, which is that James has a chance to become better than Jordan.

But let's just say that Pippen was right, and that LeBron is a better all-around player than Jordan. In that case, I would make the claim that Kobe Bryant is the greatest player ever. I always told people that folks needed not look to the distant future for the heir apparent to MJ; he was, in fact, right here wearing number 24 - and now, perhaps Scottie has proven this for me. Pippen is speaking about James at his best, which is now - but I would submit that James' best play to date has not reached the level of Bryant's best years, say 2005-2009. Therefore, if James is better than Jordan, and Kobe was better than James, then Kobe is the G.O.A.T...except for Magic.

IV. Chris Christie

For those of you who don't know, Chris Christie is the governor of New Jersey, and one of the "flavors of the month" of the conservative Republican set. I'm neither conservative nor Republican, but I am a father - and I must give Christie his props for taking time out of his busy schedule to watch his son's baseball game earlier this week. Being the governor is important, but being an active father is important as well. Good job, Mr. Governor.

V. Chris Christie Again

All is not well with that, however. Governor Christie flew a state helicopter directly to the game. I don't know where he was coming from, but I do know that ride was more expensive than taking New Jersey Transit. At a time in which Christie says that New Jersey is without resources to do or continue various things, perhaps that mode of transportation could be scrapped next time. Oh, and then after leaving the game Christie went to meet with potential donors from Iowa that want him to get in the presidential race. Iowa donors, before you spend any more of your hard-earned cash, ponder this: If Christie can't see the value - on any number of levels - of beefing up mass transportation in the state, how can he be counted on to make rational decisions on behalf of the entire country?

VI. Vancouver Up 1-0

No, the Grizzlies aren't moving back and didn't get a second life in the playoffs. The NHL finals have begun as well, and the Vancouver Canucks took a 1-0 lead over the Boston Bruins in game one for the Stanley Cup. NHL fans on this side of the border must be crazy over the relative lack of coverage their league receives.

But I have an idea for the NHL, which I shared in full in an earlier blog, Making "The Coolest Game" Cooler.

In a sense, my idea has its' roots in the old ABA, a league that in its' infancy was not at all 

to trying anything to garner attention.  One such thing was the establishment of the three-point 

shot.  Though ridiculed by basketball traditionalists, the three-pointer was loved by fans and 

now a vital part of the game and its' strategy at all levels.  When a crowd sees a player prepare

to take an open three-pointer, the noise level rises in gleeful anticipation if the shooter is 

on their favored team - or in fear if the shooter is an opponent.   So my idea is for the NHL to 

place a semi-circle within the offensive end - similar to the three-point line in basketball - 

behind which any shots on goal would be "two-point shots." I'm sure there aren't that many goals 

scored from out by the blue line, but I can also imagine the excitement as a great slap-shooter

 lines up a two-point shot.  And what about the team down a goal with a minute or so to go...now 

they pull the goalie to get a sixth skater on the ice to give them a better shot at getting the 

tying goal, but with the two-pointer available, they may try a couple of shots for the win.  

The way I see it, the two-pointer has a lot of potential.  Gary Bettman, you've got a NBA 

background...the ball's in your court...or should I say the puck's in your rink.

VII.  Macho Man

Both of these series, should they go the distance, will end close to Father's Day, 

and as it turns out, I recently was thinking about a Father's 

Day gift I got for my father some years back.  I thought about the many Saturday evenings 

at midnight that we watched Championship Wrestling

on Channel 9 - and to that end, I bought him a subscription to WWF Magazine.  Some of those very 

issues remain at my mother's house, 

and as I think back on those times and the era, I have to say RIP, "Macho Man" Randy Savage.