Thirty Years Gone-Alydar’s Passing Still Hurts

by Terri Bey

Before I start this blog, I want to emphasize that the absolute TWO WORST days of my life was when I lost my parents. No two days in my life were as bad as those two days. I write this disclaimer, so no one gets the wrong idea.

Tomorrow will be the 30th “anniversary” of one of the worst days of my life. I remember it all too well. On the evening of November 15, 1990, I was at home in Edison, NJ, where I was living with my mother at the time. My father had passed four years earlier and my mother would pass away around seven years later. Anyway, on this particular evening, we had the local CBS news on and my mother was lying down and waiting for me to finish cooking dinner. I had just closed the the oven after checking on the chicken we were going to have, when I heard CBS sportscaster Warner Wolf say something about Alydar, the famous rival of 1978 Triple Crown winner of Affirmed.

As Alydar’s my all-time favorite racehorse, I had to go see what Warner Wolf had to say. In the back of my head, I was hoping it wasn’t bad news. After all, a couple of weeks earlier, three horses had died at the 1990 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, including the brilliant 3YO filly Go For Wand and the legendary Secretariat had died 13 months earlier from laminitis. Unfortunately, Warner Wolf announced the news that I didn’t want to hear. Alydar had to be euthanized one day after surgery. He was 15. Wolf also showed the 1978 Belmont, where Alydar and Affirmed had that famous head to head battle with Affirmed just holding off Alydar for the win and the Triple Crown.

I remember shouting, “No!” My mother was semi-awake and asked, “Who died?” I told her it was Alydar. She was a bit sad about it. I could not believe it. I was absolutely heartbroken. I cheered him on during the 1978 season. I followed just about all of his sons and daughters, such as Althea, Miss Oceana, Easy Goer and Alysheba, and every horse that had him in his or her family. As we horse people say, he was and still is my “heart horse.” I didn’t want to believe that my beloved Alydar was dead. I remember switching to the two other channels, NBC and ABC, as all three local networks ran their sports news at about the same time. Both reported Alydar’s passing and showed the 1978 Belmont. Here I am. I am changing the channels, as if the news was going to be different on the other stations. Grief certainly does do a number on you. It certainly did a number on me that night.

I was also a student at Middlesex County Community College at the time and it was very tough for me to get through my homework that horrible night. After going to bed, I got up and went downstairs just in time to hear Warner Wolf announce Alydar’s passing. I cut out the small article about Alydar’s passing in the News Tribune, our local paper. The next morning at the bus stop, I saw a man with the New York Post in his hand and I could see the sports headline saying, “ALYDAR DEAD.” Seeing that was like a punch to the gut. It was so final. My favorite horse ever was gone and I had to accept it.

As most racing fans and those in the industry know, the official word from the legendary Calumet Farm who owned and bred Alydar was that Alydar kicked his barn door and broke his right hind cannon bone. An operation was done and Alydar’s leg was put in a sling. In the recovery room, Alydar was fighting the sling and also got attracted to some mares outside and the sling was removed. Alydar tried walking and unfortunately slipped and broke his femor and had to be euthanized. I don’t want to get too into this, but as sad as I was about what happened, I realized that these things are unfortunate and do happen. However, when rumors of some suspicious activities surrounding Alydar’s injury started circulating, I was stunned. You can read more in, “Wild Ride: The Rise and Fall of Calumet Farm Inc. , America’s Premier Racing Dynasty” by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach. I am NOT saying the suspicions are fact, not at all, but I found them to be interesting and IF true, to be quite upsetting. Ms. Auerbach’s book definitely is a recommended read and has shaped my opinion of the racing and breeding business and of business in general.

To get through my grief, I knew there would be a few more crops of Alydar’s offspring to come. One particular offspring did bring a lot of joy to my broken heart and his name was Strike the Gold. Strike the Gold was bred by Calumet, but due to the farm’s financial difficulties, he was sold as a yearling to B. Giles Brophy, William J. Condren, and Joseph M. Cornacchia for $500,000. Trained by Nick Zito, Strike the Gold broke his maiden, meaning won his first race as a 2YO, ironically, on November 15, 1990, the very day Alydar died. This is a great example of a symbolic passing of the torch, if I ever saw one.

The passing of the torch would be an omen of good things to come because as a 3YO the following year, Strike the Gold would go on to finish second in the Florida Derby, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby to Fly So Free, the prohibitive 1991 Kentucky Derby favorite Three weeks later, Strike the Gold turned the tables on Fly So Free and won the Bluegrass Stakes, a race his late sire Alydar had also won back in 1978 In the 1991 Kentucky Derby, despite being about a dozen or so lengths back, Strike the Gold with the late Chris Antley aboard, made his move down the backstretch and was about 5th or so at the top of the stretch and was way outside. Coming down the stretch, Strike the Gold took the lead and won the Kentucky Derby.

I was cheering Strike the Gold all the way. I was jumping up and down and crying. I was so happy that Alydar had sired another Derby winner, Alysheba being his first. Even though Strike the Gold would not win another race for almost a year, even though he did run a valiant second to Hansel in the 1991 Belmont, I still cheered him on and over the years, I was still able to “follow Alydar,” by looking at horse’s pedigrees. There have been many horses I love who have Alydar in their family, like Gio Ponti, Point Given and Hard Spun. What I mean is that it has to go through the horse’s dam, as stallions can have many offspring and mares can only have one a year on average. I will “cheat” a little and be happy if Alydar is in the horse’s sire’s family also, like Blame, who is sired by Arch who has Althea on his (Arch) dam’s side.

Even so, every time November 15th rolls around, I can still remember the sadness of losing Alydar. After all, he was only fifteen when he died. Whatever the circumstances of his injury were, he was robbed of at least another 5-10 years of life. As a stallion, he was robbed of at least five or six years of breeding and the racing and breeding world were also robbed as well. Alydar was undoubtedly a champion sire. Alydar’s influence on the breeding world was and still is greatly missed as he is a Classic Chef-de-race, according to the Roman-Miller dosage system. While his sons didn’t turn out to be good sires, he was an awesome broodmare sire.

Why do I mourn Alydar or a racehorse, for that matter? Well, it is the same concept as why I and many of my fellow rock fans are mourning the loss of guitar great Eddie Van Halen or mourning the loss of drummer Neil Peart. It is why fans of any celebrity or sports star mourn the loss of their favorite when said favorite passes. Well, Alydar grabbed my heart and I just loved how he never gave up against Affirmed. As human celebrities become part of our lives and in many ways parts of our family, so do racehorses to us horse racing fans. To us horse rans, these brave horses are athletes just as much as humans are. We horse fans cheer for them and are happy when they win and are disappointed when they lose, just like our favorite human athletes. We horse racing fans even have debates over horses, just like other sports fans who debate which team or which athlete is better. When a racehorse dies, we fans mourn them, too.

Alydar has meant so much to me. Like Seattle Slew before him, he was one of the first heroes I ever had, before the human ones came along, one being Muhammed Ali and a little rock band called KISS, both of whom I am sure you have heard of. Losing Alydar was like losing a part of my childhood, when I heard the news, back in 1990. Thirty years later, the pain is there, but I realize that I am grateful for the time that Alydar was on this earth and through some of today’s horses, his legacy remains.

Thanks Alydar for everything. I will see you again.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this blog. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

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My Observations of the 2020-21 NFL Season at the Halfway Mark

by Terri Bey

As tonight, November 5, 2021, kicks off the second half of the 2020-21 NFL Season with the Thursday night matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, which I expect the Packers to easily win, I will be writing about the first half of the current season. If you have been following the season, you will notice that this season has been unusual to say the least. There have been teams who have been unexpectedly good and unexpectedly bad. There are teams with quarterback issues. NFL fans are seeing an MVP-like performance from two of the usual suspects and a certain 43 year-old quarterback that we all know. Lastly, the COVID pandemic has turned the NFL season upside down and backwards.

In this blog, I will be discussing the first half of this crazy season. I will be discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of the first eight weeks of the 2020-21 NFL season. I hope this blog will be an enjoyable read. Feedback is welcome and encouraged, so without further ado, here is the good, bad and the ugly of the 2020-21 NFL Season.

THE GOOD:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-0.

How about that, Steeler Nation? Keep waving those Terrible Towels, as your boys are the only undefeated team standing. Star QB Ben Roethisberger is back and is playing well. Roethlisberger has a new WR in rookie Chase Claypool. I am very impressed with Claypool so far. The defense for the Steelers, led by T.J. Watt has been very good as well. While I expect them to defeat the struggling Dallas Cowboys, my concern is that the team needs to play a great game in its entirety. In Week 8’s game against the Ravens, the offense didn’t play well in the first half, but came alive in the second. I’d like to see some consistency. Can this team run the table? We will see.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow has great potential.

I realize he plays for the Bengals, but from what I have seen of their rookie QB Joe Burrow, I am very impressed. This young man can play. I know they are 2-5-1, but I love Burrow’s poise, his ability to get out of the pocket and his accuracy. Burrow also knows where to go with the football. The team definitely needs to put pieces around him. Once this young man gets pieces around him, I think he definitely can be a top QB, provided the Bengals don’t screw this up.

Washington QB Alex Smith’s Return.

Now, I realize that Ben Roethlisberger is the logical favorite for the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award. After all, Roethlisberger is returning from a severe elbow tear. However, and I love Big Ben, if I were to give out the award, I would give it to Washington QB Alex Smith, who returned on October 11th to replace the injured starter Kyle Allen in a 30-10 loss to the L.A. Rams, nearly two years after suffering a gruesome, life-threatening leg injury suffered against the Houston Texas. Smith took hits and was sacked against the Rams. Even though he and Washington didn’t win, the fact that Smith was able to even take the field was a victory in and of itself.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady all playing at MVP levels.

There is a three man race for the AP MVP of the League between three amazing quarterbacks. Those men are Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Seahawks QB Russ Wilson and some “old” guy. Oh, what is his name again? He’s that hot-looking quarterback who is married to Gisele Bundchen. Oh, I keep forgetting. Oh, I KNOW. It’s Buccaneers QB Tom Brady.

My lightheartedness aside, NFL fans are seeing three great performances by three great quarterbacks. Russ Wilson, who has NEVER won the MVP, is playing out of his mind. His star WR D.J. Metcalf is the NFL’s best wide receiver and it’s not close. The Seattle defense is not all that great, so Wilson is pretty much carrying the team. Mahomes is doing what Mahomes does. What else is there to say. Mahomes is special. He makes magic with all the weapons around him, from TE Travis Kelce to WR Tyreek Hill to WR Sammy Watkins. Mahomes’ 21 TDs and 1 INT is mind-blowing. Seeing Buccaneers QB Tom Brady just killing out there is amazing. Brady has thrown 20 TDs and 4 INTs. He also has thrown for 2189 yards and has a passer rating of 103.1 Seeing Tom Brady play virtually just as well as he ever has after 21 years in the NFL is a thing of beauty.

THE BAD:

COVID screwing up everything.

Due to breakouts in various teams’ facilities, several games had to be moved around and that messed up teams’ bye weeks. The Tennessee Titans had about twenty three players and staff become infected and that turned everything on its head. The Steelers and the Ravens Week 7 game had to be on Week 8, and the Steelers had to play the Titans Week 7. There was a mini outbreak in New England and the game between the Patriots and the Denver Broncos was moved twice. Also, New England QB Cam Newton came down with COVID for Week 3, but somehow, the NFL just HAD to have the Patriots face the Chiefs, so the Patriots came down on Monday afternoon, the day of the game. The Patriots had two planes, one for those who had no contact with Cam and the other for those who did. The Chiefs won, of course.

The NFL brass also threatened coaches who didn’t wear masks with fines and such, as well as teams. A few coaches did get fined, like Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks. The Titans were fined 330,000 by the NFL for COVID violations. I thought for all the trouble they caused, they should have lost a draft pick as well. The NFL also tightened their COVID protocols as well. The Oakland Raiders were also investigated for potential violations.

Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield’s erratic play.

Even though the Cleveland Browns have a somewhat decent record this year of 5-3, questions surround QB Baker Mayfield. There were games where he played very well, but then there were games where he played very poorly, like in the game against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and against the Oakland Raiders. Here are the Oakland Raiders coming from Las Vegas in a 1:00pm game in an Eastern Time Zone and Baker could not have taken advantage of that. Do the Browns move on from him? We will see.

THE UGLY:

Cam Newton and the New England Patriots

When 2015 NFL MVP and former Carolina QB Cam Newton joined the New England Patriots this past offseason, there were a lot of Patriots fans who were skeptical and others who loved the decision. From the looks of things, it does appear that the skeptics might have won the day. In the first two games, Cam Newton was on fire. He threw the ball well and ran well. Newtown functioned well within the offense. Newton nearly led the team to victory in a passing battle with Russell Wilson in Seattle. Unfortunately, Cam Newton contracted COVID and his playing has crumpled ever since, even though he played much better in the narrow loss to the Buffalo Bills in their Week 8 matchup.

As many scientists and medical professionals are still learning about COVID, it is very difficult to determine whether Newton’s recent poor play is due to the disease’s effects, such as the “brain fog,” the constant headaches, etc. Newton is saying the right things by taking full responsibility and saying that “I have to play better.” However, only the medical staff really knows. I admit that I am just speculating and I am not a medical expert in anyway. Another reason could be something I suspected, the reason that no team wanted him was because they sensed that he didn’t have the skills to play at a high level any longer.

The Patriots are in a very un-Patriot Way, as they are 2-5. Coach Bill Belichick made an interesting admission, recently. “Look, we paid Cam Newton $1 million. I mean it’s obvious we didn’t have any money. It’s nobody’s fault,” he said, via WEEI.com. “That’s what we did the last five years. We sold out and won three Super Bowls, played in a fourth and played in a AFC Championship Game. This year we had less to work with. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact.” “I found the “sold out” part kind of amusing since many commentators had wondered if the Patriots had “sold their souls to the Devil to get their Dynasty.”

All references to the Devil aside, one could say that this is just an excuse. I feel part of this is true and part of it is not. After all, while Newton is struggling for some reason, there are barely any weapons around him, even Julian Edelman is injured quite frequently and is on the temporary IR with a knee surgery. This is the same bunch of players that now former QB Tom Brady had to work with last year and he just about made the playoffs.

However, I do feel that the Patriots have always played and played well, no matter what the circumstances were with no excuses. It didn’t matter whether Brady and half the team were on IR in 2008. It didn’t matter that the team went through SpyGate. The team played well and went undefeated in the regular season. It didn’t matter that the NFL Office didn’t know basic physics and suspended Brady for four games, based upon a trumped up charge. That team kicked butt and came back from a 28-3 deficit to win SB51. Now, the team is 2-5 and Belichick is saying it’s due to the cap? I get that, but there are lots of teams who have had cap problems and they win games. This team needs to evaluate itself and start winning games without excuses.

I also want to add that while I don’t really want to contribute to the Brady vs. Belichick narrative, as I think that is silly. They both equally contributed to that dynasty. I will say that the absence of Brady can not be overstated. In my view, the Patriots will take a very long time to get a franchise QB like Brady, like the Dolphins are STILL trying to get a franchise QB like Dan Marino.

The Dallas Cowboys. Oh, Make it the NFC East.

To paraphrase Oscar and Hammerstein, “How do you solve a problem like The Cowboys?” Oh, brother. Don’t worry. I won’t be overbearing like ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, but this team is a hot mess. Owner Jerry Jones would not pay QB Dak Prescott. Prescott bet on himself, so to speak, and was setting the NFL on fire with his passing game. He would likely have won the passing title had he not suffered a similar gruesome leg injury ala Alex Smith against the New York Giants in Week 5. The team has backup Andy Dalton, formerly of the Bengals who leads them to a 37-34 victory. Dalton got hurt with a concussion vs Washington, when John Bostic gave him a cheap shot in the game. Now, the team is down to Ben DeNucci at quarterback.

This team has to be one of the worst teams ever. The only reason they beat the Atlanta Falcons was because the Falcons’ hands team thought that kicked ball was the equivalent of the atomic bomb, so they were afraid to touch it. When Dalton was hit by Bostic, NONE of them got in Bostic’s face. NONE. Shame on you all. RB Ezekiel Elliott has such a terrible fumbling habit, you would think the ball has grease on it. I’d like to know what Jerry Jones was drinking when he hired Mike McCarthy. None of those Cowboys players want to play for McCarthy. Now, people should understand why Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was so miserable.

To fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington, and the New York Giants, you all should not be laughing because YOUR TEAMS STINK. The Eagles need to do something, anything about their QB Carson Wentz. He will make a great throw or an interception. Your defense is awful as well. How you all are in first place, I don’t know. You are lucky that the rest of the division is awful. Washington is a total mess. They aren’t even worth discussing. The New York Giants have potential as far as their new head coach in Joe Judge, who was a coach for New England. He has that team competing every week. The Giants are able to stay in games, but they keep screwing it up in the dying moments of the game. QB Danny Jones needs to be more consistent and more careful with the football.

New York Jets crashing.

I just can’t finish this blog without mentioning the J.E.T.S. JETS JETS JETS. This team is crashing faster than the RMS Titanic crashed into that iceberg. What does the NY Jets brass see in Adam Gase? Gase failed in his tenure in Miami, so what did he do to get the Jets’ head coaching job? Just because he came with the recommendation from Peyton Manning doesn’t mean Gase would be a great coach. Sure, Gase would have been a great coordinator with Peyton Manning. That would be like a trainer with his/her brand new trainer’s license having Seattle Slew in her barn. Gase is in love with his scheme. Gase ruined QB Sam Darnold. The team is more likely to go 0-16, as they keep getting their butts beaten. Gase needs to go.

Well, that is my recap of the first half of the 2020-21 NFL Season. I hope you enjoyed this blog. See you all for my recap of the second half. Feedback welcomed and encouraged.

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My Top Ten Van Halen Songs in Tribute to the Late Eddie Van Halen

by Terri Bey

Let me start by saying that 2020 has to go down as one of the worst years ever. We are experiencing a terrible worldwide pandemic, which has pretty much shut down the world, especially rock concerts. We have lost many celebrities this year as well. The death of the brilliant RUSH drummer Neil Peart, back in January of this year was one of the toughest deaths, I as a rock fan had to endure. I was just stunned that he was gone and many rock fans and rock musicians were as well. It was just heartbreaking to lose a top musician like that.

This afternoon, however, rock fans and rock musicians got the horrible news that influential rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist for Van Halen, tragically died from cancer this morning at the age of 65, as announced by his son, Wolfgang. Mr. Van Halen died with Wolfgang and his wife Julie by his side. Even though I knew that Eddie Van Halen was battling tongue cancer and then throat cancer for a few years, this is still so sad. I am still stunned. Tributes to Mr. Van Halen came in from former bandmates, like David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, Gene Simmons of KISS, who discovered the band in a club and tried to get them signed with then KISS manager, Bill Aucoin, to no avail, and many others. Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen’s former wife and mother to their son, Wolfgang, paid a touching tribute to her former husband and father of her son on her social media. Fans also paid tributes to Eddie Van Halen all over social media and on YouTube, as well

I also happen to be a huge fan of Van Halen and I am absolutely devastated. I had the pleasure of meeting Eddie Van Halen when he and and the band, with Gary Cherone (Extreme) as their singer, did a CD signing of their new album “3” at a NYC record store. The whole band was very nice as was Eddie, who was just quiet. It was an honor to meet one of the greatest guitarists ever. It was an experience that I will never forget.

Due to Michael Anthony’s signing in Eddie’s spot, Eddie’s signature is in the RIGHT BOTTOM Corner. Copyright: Terri Bey

In this blog, I will be listing my personal top ten Van Halen songs in tribute to the late guitar master, Eddie Van Halen. These will not be in any particular order. As I want to just let the music do the talking, there won’t be any explanation, with the exception of a brief quote from a lyric from each song. If my readers want to know more about the life of Eddie Van Halen, here is a nice write up about him in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/arts/music/eddie-van-halen-dead.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage . I hope you enjoy the blog and please remember Eddie Van Halen’s family, friends and fans in your thoughts and prayers.

RIP Eddie Van Halen. You are so loved and so missed. Thank you for the music.

Slight warning: Some images and language may be unsuitable for work and children.

MY TOP TEN VAN HALEN SONGS IN TRIBUTE TO EDDIE VAN HALEN

10. POUND CAKE from FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1991):

“Home grown and down home..”

9. UNCHAINED from FAIR WARNING (1981)

“Thought you’d never miss me till I got a fat city address.”

8. SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR from VAN HALEN II (1979)

“Somebody give me a shot!!”

7. ERUPTION from VAN HALEN (1978)

Note: The guitar solo that changed how guitar is played

6. FOOLS from WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST (1980)

“Well, I ain’t about to go to school…and I’m sick and tired of Golden Rules…”

5. PANAMA from 1984 (1983)

“Model citizen. Zero discipline.”

4. YOU REALLY GOT ME (THE KINKS COVER) from VAN HALEN (1978)

“You got me so I can’t sleep at night.”

3. AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK from WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST (1980)

“Have you seen junior’s grades?”

2. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME from WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST (1980)

“I always like those high heels, too.”

1. AIN’T TALKIN’ BOUT LOVE from VAN HALEN (1978)

“”…My love is rotten to the core…”

Well, that is it. I love many other songs, like “Running With the Devil,” “Jump,” “Jamie’s Crying and more. I really could have put the entire “Women and Children First (1980) album on the list, as that is my all time favorite Van Halen album in their catalog. No, my fellow RMS Titanic enthusiasts, the fact that “Women and Children First” is my favorite Van Halen album has NOTHING to do with the ship, nor the fact that “Women and Children First” was the evacuation protocol on the Titanic. How the band came up with this title, I have no idea. Nonetheless, it’s my favorite and I thank Eddie Van Halen for his contributions not just to this album, but to music in general. He also worked with one of my all time favorite guitarists, Dr. Brian May, of Queen in 1984, and is also famous for playing the guitar solo for the late legendary Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

I hope you all enjoyed this blog and please leave feedback.

Thank you, Eddie Van Halen for the music. Until we meet again.

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Encores:

This is about 28 minutes, but worth hearing two guitar greats.

Great pop song by a great artist featuring a great guitar solo by the late, great Eddie Van Halen

Why I Love the Martin Scorsese Classic, “Goodfellas”

by Terri Bey

Slight Warning: Some language used in this blog is not suitable for work or for young children as I use quotes from an “R” rated film.

On September 19, 1990, Warner Brothers released the classic film, “Goodfellas,” a mob film, based upon the book, “Wiseguy,” written by Nicholas Pileggi about the true story of an Irish/Italian kid named Henry Hill and his life in the mob. The film is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Ray Liotta as Henry Hill. The rest of the cast include Robert DeNiro as “Jimmy “the Gent” Conway,” Lorraine Bracco as “Karen Hill,” Joe Pesci as “Tommy DeVito,” Paul Sorvino as “Paul Cicero” and the late Frank Vincent as “Billy Batts.” This film is considered by many, including me, to be the most realistic movie about the mob. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Martin Scorsese), but won only one, which was for Best Supporting Actor for Joe Pesci. That year’s Best Picture was the overly long and boring “Dances With Wolves,” directed by Kevin Costner. This is the second time that Scorsese and his film have lost to a film directed by an actor. The first time was in 1980 when “Raging Bull” lost to “Ordinary People,” directed by Robert Redford. Raging Bull” was way better than “Ordinary People,” in my opinion. Regardless, “Goodfellas,” did win five BAFTA Awards, the British Oscars, if you will, including “Best Picture” and “Best Direction.”

“Goodfellas,” is not only an all-time great film and one of Martin Scorsese’s best, but is one of my favorite films. I have always loved mob and gangster films my entire life. I am talking about watching films featuring James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson, when they played gangsters, in films like, “White Heat,” “Angels With Dirty Faces,” and “Little Caesar.” Of course, I LOVE “The Godfather” Trilogy. Alright, I am not that huge a fan of “Godfather, Part III,” but you get the idea. “Goodfellas, was a game changer. This was realistic and I thought this film had everything from the over the top characters, violence and even some humor. This film is considered a classic.

As this year is the 30th anniversary of its release, in this blog, I will be making a list of the things that I love about “Goodfellas,” by Martin Scorsese. They could be scenes, characters, or lines or other aspects of the film. I want to emphasize that this is NOT a list,per se and is NOT in ANY order. I am just writing this blog as a tribute to one of my favorite films and letting my readers know why I love this film so much.

Of course, feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

WHY I LOVE MARTIN SCORSESE’S CLASSIC FILM, “GOODFELLAS:”

The Soundtrack: The use of great music, starting with “Rags to Riches,” sung by Tony Bennett and throughout the entire film was one of the great aspects of this film. The viewer heard all kinds of music from opera to classic rock to the crooners and the musical numbers were placed in the right spots to give the scene the right ambiance. The music is used SO effectively that when I hear some of those songs, I don’t think of them the same way.

The Food: Being that my mother was Sicilian, and many of the main characters were either from Sicily or Italy, food is a huge part of our heritage. The scene where Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) goes to Paul Cicero’s (Paul Sorvino) home for dinner and seeing all that food was typical of what Italians would serve. I liked seeing the scenes where Henry Hill is not only worried about the drug deal, but about the sauce he is making, near the end of the film.

“Maury:” Morris “Maury” Kessler (Chuck Low) is the wig maker, whose “wigs don’t come off,” who, at least per the movie, came up with the famous Lufthansa Heist. He was a pain in the neck. I knew he’d get “whacked” or killed. The scene where Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) are in Maury’s place and Conway comes from behind and strangles Maury with the phone cord is a great scene.

Billy Batts: Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) is a “made man,” or a full member of the Mafia. He was considered “untouchable.” In this nightclub, Batts and his friends are having drinks on one end of the bar and Henry Hill (Liotta) and Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro) are at the other end. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) walks in and is not happy to see Batts, who asks DeVito to give him a hug and DeVito reluctantly does it. Batts jokingly comments about DeVito’s ability to “shine shoes” and will “make shoes look like fucking mirrors.” DeVito shows his displeasure and eventually, Batts yells, “Go home and get your fucking shine box!!!” DeVito leaves and later returns and he, Hill and Conway beat Batts up and put him in the car and then kill him, like you see in the very beginning of the film.

Spider: I feel badly for this kid. Spider (Michael Imperiolli) first gets shot in the foot by Tommy DeVito (Peschi) for supposedly ignoring DeVito’s request for a drink at the card game. Pesci is awesome with, “I ain’t alright, Spider.” Later, Spider then gets killed by DeVito, when this kid gets the gumption to tell the hot headed DeVito, “Fuck You, Tommy.” If you want to see an acting clinic, watch Joe Pesci play this scene, right before his character pulls the trigger. After the Spider character tells him, “Fuck you, Tommy,” Pesci sits in a calm silence, while the other characters are like, “Ooohh.” Pesci acts with just his expression on his face. The Jimmy Conway character says to DeVito, “What’s the matter?” “You’re going to let him get away with that?” “What’s this world coming to?” Tommy DeVito fires his gun and poor Spider is dead. Great scene and great acting.

“Get the Papers.” “Get the Papers.” This is a great line. There is a scene where through narration, Henry Hill (Liotta) is showing all the mobsters who eat there and tells the audience about the high life that they all live and “to live any other way was nuts.” Hill then shows some strange characters, like “Tony Two Times,” who “said everything twice, like, “Get the Papers.” “Get the Papers.”

Lorraine Bracco’s Performance: Bracco’s portrayal of “Karen Hill” is a tour de force. I loved how Bracco played Hill as this naïve wife, who was sucked in by this apparently nice guy in Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). As she realized to what kind of man she was married, she started to rationalize why he did what he did, by saying, in narration, about how he and his crew “went out to get us the little extras.

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” What a great opening line, after the death of Billy Batts. Here is Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) stating how he always wanted to be a gangster, which leads right into the film, which starts with him narrating the story from how he started to hang out with the “wiseguys,” as a kid to his life as a gangster as an adult.

The Opening Scene: The rather shocking opening scene, where you see Henry Hill driving the car with Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito in the backseat wondering what the thumping was and realizing it was the not-quite-dead Billy Batts in the trunk, and then you see DeVito stabbing the pleading Batts to death and Conway shooting Batts had to be one of the most craziest things I have ever scene. I realized that this film was not going sugarcoat this Henry Hill’s story at all. This film was going to make many of James Cagney’s films look like Disney Films.

Joe Pesci’s Performance: I have seen acting performances and films receiving Oscars they didn’t deserve. However, if there were one that deserved the award, this one was it. His acting and portrayal of this psycho was incredible. I mentioned an example of how well he did so in the “Spyder” example.

Great Cast and Supporting Cast: What makes this film outstanding overall is the great cast, Robert DeNiro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta. They are all fantastic. What I loved about this film, though, was the supporting cast like Frank Vincent and Paul Sorvino and the many other actors who played the smaller roles, many of whom were onscreen for a few minutes. It is very important to cast the smaller roles correctly as well as the major characters. Depending upon the film, the smaller characters can make or break the quality of the film, in my view.

Scorsese’ Direction: This was a masterpiece. This film was one of Scorsese’s very best. The realism combined with getting great performances out of his cast was amazing. Credit also should go to Scorsese’s long time editor, Thelma Schoonmaker also.

Well, I hope you like this blog as much as I liked writing it. Feedback is below.

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2020-21 NFL Regular Season and Post Season Preview and Predictions-Pandemic Version

by Terri Bey

The 2020-21 NFL Season opens tomorrow night with the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans and as a massive NFL fan, I am very happen to see something that resembles some sort of sporting event that is close to “normal” return. I am looking forward to seeing the QB duel between the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Texans’ QB DeShaun Watson. Could these two be the next Manning vs Brady? We will see. I expect the Chiefs to roll in this game. The game airs on NBC and kick off is at 8:20pm, EST.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL has had a rather strange off-season, to say the least. There were no pre-season games. Players are tested left and right. The NFL draft was virtual. All the players had was training camp. This season will be very interesting indeed as many teams will start out with no fans and crowd noise at their home games. Some teams will have some fans, like in tomorrow night’s game, the Chiefs and the Texans will be playing in front of 16,700 fans, or so. Of course, we will have to see how and if the pandemic will affect the ability for the season to progress.

In this blog, I will just give the division winners, conference winners, conference champions and Super Bowl winners. I want to add that because of the pandemic’s affect on the off-season and due to some private issues related to the pandemic, I won’t be as detailed as usual. I apologize to my readers in advance, for the lack of the usual in-depth analysis, because I take a lot of pride in giving my readers a detailed analysis of the season. I hope you will enjoy this blog and feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

2020-21 REGULAR SEASON PREDICTIONS:

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

AFC NORTH:

Baltimore: 13-3 Pittsburgh: 9-7 Cleveland: 7-9 Cincinnati: 6-10

Analysis:

Baltimore is the obvious class of the division. QB Lamar Jackson is awesome. I would like to see Coach John Harbaugh have him run less and throw more. Can Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger get the Steelers back into the playoffs? It will depend upon whether his newly repaired elbow can last through the season. Cleveland is still disorganized and the Bengals have a rookie QB in Joe Burrow. Good luck to the two Ohio teams on that.

AFC EAST:

New England: 10-6 Buffalo: 10-6 New York: 8-8 Miami: 7-9

Analysis:

Yes, I KNOW the G.O.A.T, meaning Tom Brady has left the building. However, it looks like to me that the presumptive starting QB and former NFL MVP Cam Newton and coach Bill Belichick are getting along pretty well. We will see what happens on the field. The Patriots still have a pretty darned good defense and Belichick. Yes, Buffalo is the top threat. Did I say Bill Belichick is still the Patriots’ head coach? The Dolphins are going to be the Dolphins and start journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. I nearly left out the Jets. Well, they will always be the Jets. They may threaten a little bit, but like a lot of racehorses will do, they will just fade in the stretch.

AFC SOUTH:

Houston: 11-5 Indianapolis: 10-6 Tennessee 8-8 Jacksonville: 5-11

Analysis:

I expect DeShaun Watson, who signed a huge contract extension to have a huge year. I hope that offensive line does a better job of protecting him. Head Coach Bill O’Brien needs to do a much better job as head coach. Indianapolis signed Philip Rivers at QB. I do realize that he is aging and I notice the media is not talking about that fact. However, I DO feel his leadership, as fiery as it can be, can get this Colts team to ten wins and most likely the playoffs. I think Tennessee turns back into the pumpkin and is just an 8-8 team this year, as they had their moment last year. Jacksonville just came apart, literally. A couple of years ago, they were called “Sacksonville,” and were trying to trash talk their way to SB52, but were just out-played by the Patriots in the 2017-18 AFC Championship game. Now, the team is in tatters.

AFC WEST:

Kansas City: 13-3 Los Angeles: 8-8 Denver: 7-9 Las Vegas: 6-10

Analysis:

I think it should be obvious to anyone that Kansas City is obviously going to win the division. The Raiders are going to be in a new place, but the same old Raiders. Denver suffered a HUGE loss to their defense on the last day of practice. Von Miller, their star linebacker, suffered a severe ankle injury that was thought to be ending his season. However, the team is now saying Miller, who suffered from a case of COVID-19 this past offseason, will “be out awhile.” Von Miller is an amazing player and I wish him the best. I don’t know what QB Tyrod Taylor will do as the QB for the Chargers.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

NFC NORTH:

Green Bay: 11-5 Minnesota 10-6 Detroit: 9-7 Chicago: 7-9

Analysis: I think the second year of Aaron Rodgers and coach Matt LeFleur will produce a division title for the Packers. I still do not trust Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in a big game. The rest of the team is still pretty good, but when it is a crucial game, Cousins lacks a clutch gene. For the Detroit Lions, I think head coach Matt Patriots needs to put up or shut up. I don’t like to do this type of thing, but he is my candidate for a very early, “coach on the hot seat.” QB Matthew Stafford is a terrific passer, but Patricia has to put Stafford and that team in positions to win. Chicago’s QB situation is a mess. I am still shaking my head that the Bears took Mitch Trubisky over DeShaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Regardless, Trubisky will be starting Week One. I would have started the more experienced Nick Foles. but what do I know?

NFC EAST:

Dallas: 11-5 Philadelphia: 11:5 New York: 9-7 Washington: 4-12

Analysis:

I definitely think the race for the NFC East is between the Cowboys and the Eagles. QB Dak Prescott and company have a good team this year. Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz is healthy. Hopefully, Wentz will stay healthy. There was drama over Eagles RG Jason Peters’ not wanting to play LT. However, that has been resolved and Peters will play LT, per CBSSports.com.(https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/eagles-jason-peters-moving-to-left-tackle-after-all/) I expect NY Giants QB Daniel Jones to improve and it looks like the Giants are trying to improve their defense. Washington has undergone a tumultuous offseason. They will be undergoing a name change, as their former moniker offended many. The team also was hit with a sex scandal involving their cheerleaders, which is not being investigated by the NFL. In other words, NFL Commissioner is going to bungle the case, ala Deflategate, Bounty Gate, etc. No matter. Washington will still bring up the rear in the NFC East. The only positive thing I CAN say about Washington is the miraculous return of QB Alex Smith, who returns from a career and life-threatening leg injury suffered on the field against the Houston Texans on November 18, 2018. The injury became life threatening, when after the surgery to repair his leg, infections started.

NFC SOUTH:

Tampa Bay: 11-5 New Orleans: 10-6 Atlanta: 9-7 Carolina: 7-9

Analysis:

I am going to paraphrase a line from Led Zeppelin’s ,”Heartbreaker,” here. “Hey fellas. Have you heard the news. Tom Brady’s in Tampa Town?” (https://youtu.be/0hdQi2_HzAc) Yes, Bucs fans, I know it is Tampa Bay, but I am going for a moment. Seriously, though. The big story from the offseason is the legendary Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots, where he played for 20 seasons to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This should be a very interesting season to see him play in a different conference and in a new system, under head coach Bruce Arians. Arians is a QB guru, who has coached guys like Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. Brady has just turned 43, and many people has made a lot of that, too much of that, especially since there is ANOTHER 40-something QB in the same division. Anyway, their offense should definitely benefit from Brady’s experience. Their defense is one to watch out for, as they do need to pick it up quite a bit.

In speaking of the other 40-something QB, let’s get started with him. I am talking about the great Drew Brees. I definitely think that he and coach Sean Payton should definitely be able to make a run at the division. The two games Brees and Brady play against one another should be awesome. In fact, they kick off the season with one of them. As far as the other two teams in the division, Atlanta still hasn’t been the same since, 28-3. I mean, Super Bowl 51 or the equivalent of what would have happened had Secretariat fell down in the 1973 Belmont. I think the Falcons will be just alright this year. I don’t think much of Carolina, either.

NFC WEST:

San Francisco: 12-4 Seattle: 11-5 Los Angeles: 9-7 Arizona: 6-10

Analysis:

The race for the division is between last year’s Super Bowl NFC representative San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. I do think that the 49ers win the division, though. 49ers QB Jimmy Garappolo improves greatly from last year. I expect Russel Wilson to be the great QB that he has been. I am not crazy about the Rams this year and Arizona is a mess. I feel badly for Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald having to play on such a terrible team. Will he retire this year? We will see.

Caveat to my Post Season Predictions:

There are going to be a lot of factors going into this season, obviously. There will be injuries to star players. Like I said, Von Miller (Broncos) is already out indefinitely. How will not having a full offseason, due to the pandemic, affect players’ conditioning? Staff and players’ getting COVID will also impact games. My predictions for the Post Season is based upon as little interruption of the regular season as possible.

POST SEASON PREDICTION:

AFC CHAMPIONS:

Kansas City Chiefs

Reason:

The only other team that has a chance to challenge them for the conference is Baltimore, despite Baltimore’s surprisingly early playoff exit last post-season. I think Baltimore will improve, but not enough to take away the Chiefs’ spot in the Super Bowl. I don’t think Houston, even with all their talent would be able to be much of a challenge to the Chiefs, either. Does everyone remember last year, when they had their shot, until O’Brien choked? You could and should never count out the Patriots under Bill Belichick. The Patriots possibly may get into the playoffs, and make some noise. The conference is the Chiefs to lose, however. Unless injuries and/or COVID causes a mass interruption, book the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game.

NFC CHAMPIONS:

Tampa Bay Bucanneers

Reason:

I think Brady can get this team to the Super Bowl. His experience and the weapons on offense, along with Arians will get the team to the big dance. Some “experts” aren’t too hot about their defense. I think they do need to improve. I know last year, they did let former and now Saints backup QB Jameis Winston down quite a bit. On a side note, I do feel that while Winston made a ton of bone-headed INTs, I do feel many of the losses were due to the defense. The defense must make key plays to help to get the Bucs there and I think they will. Many experts like Dallas. I am not a massive fan of Stephen A. Smith, but he is right about one thing. Dallas can not handle success. Something always goes wrong with Dallas. Somehow, someway, Dallas stubs their collective toe and screws everything up.

SUPER BOWL WINNER:

Prediction:

While the Chiefs have all the superior weapons and overall, are the better team. I also think that Patrick Mahomes is an amazing person and an amazing QB. I think very highly of him, as he has become a thoughtful person off the field and will become the face of the NFL for a long time. However, I do think think, because of his weapons, leadership, experience and his knack for coming up big in big games over his 20 plus years in this league, it will be QB Tom Brady holding up his 7th and final Lombardi.

Your winner of SB 55 is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

SB MVP: QB Tom Brady.

I hope you enjoyed this blog. Feedback is welcome.

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My Analysis and Predictions for the 2020 Kentucky Oaks and the 2020 Kentucky Derby

by Terri Bey

If you had bet that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to turn everything upside-down, you would be the winner. The novel coronavirus has shut down the world and has wrecked havoc on people’s lives. All over the world, millions have contracted the virus and thousands have died. Countless businesses have suffered, from small mom and pop stores to nail salons to gyms to schools and university. The entertainment industry has been devastated by the pandemic.

Sports has also been adversely affected by this pandemic. The NBA, MLB and NHL had to put their seasons on months-long pauses. The NBA is playing in a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida to very good results, as no one, at this writing has gotten sick. MLB are playing in different stadiums, with mixed results, as some games had to be postponed because of outbreaks of COVID have happened to different teams. All three of these sports have no fans in the stands, but they put artificial crowd noise and they also insert placards of people in the stands. The NFL had a virtual NFL Draft, as they had to cancel their in-person 2020 NFL Draft. There were no OTAs and the pre-season games were eliminated. The NFL Season is scheduled to start on Sept 10th with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs playing to about 16,000 fans against the Houston Texans. Many other NFL teams will start the season with no fans in the stands, but hope to do so later.

Horse racing was not immune, either, as jockeys contracted the illness and/or the sport, like the other major sports, have continued without or with very little fans in attendance, depending on the state. Monmouth Park in New Jersey, for example, allowed up to, about 1000 fans, whereas Saratoga Racetrack and Belmont Park in New York, were not allowed to have fans, even though both tracks, particularly Belmont are enormous tracks. The Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, which are USUALLY run on the first Saturday and first Friday in May respectively, were both moved to this upcoming weekend in hopes of being able to have fans in the stands. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Louisville, where Churchill Downs, the racetrack at where the two races are run, became a COVID “red zone,” the plan to have 23,000 fans was canceled. It is very unfortunate that this year’s Derby and Oaks will be run without specatorts for the first time in the race’s history.

In this blog, I will give a very brief analysis of both the 2020 Kentucky Oaks and the 2020 Kentucky Derby and my picks for each race. I also want my readers to know that I did something a LITTLE different this year. When I give the prediction of the winner of each race, it will be in two parts. I will state who I WANT to win and who I PREDICT will win. This is one of my favorite blogs to do each year and I hope all the participants have a safe Oaks and Derby. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Now, that I got all of that out of the way, let’s get started with the nine horse field for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, as you can see in the figure below. The race is run at 1 1/8th miles. It is run on the Churchill Downs dirt track. The races is known as the “Lilies for the Fillies,” as the winning 3YO filly gets a blanket of lilies on her withers. The purse is $1,250,000. Post time is 5:45pm, EST on NBCSN.

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Swiss Skydiver (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	8/5
2	2Tempers Rising (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Dallas Stewart	50/1
3	3Donna Veloce (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Simon Callaghan	15/1
4	4Speech (FL)	Javier Castellano	121	Michael W. McCarthy	5/1
5	5Gamine (KY)	John R. Velazquez	121	Bob Baffert	1/1
6	6Bayerness (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Cherie DeVaux	50/1
7	7Shedaresthedevil (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	20/1
8	8Hopeful Growth (KY)	Manuel Franco	121	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	30/1
9	9Dream Marie (KY)	Joseph Talamo	121	Matthew J. Williams	50/1

Image: Blood Horse Website

ANALYSIS:

I have been a long-time backer of the Bob Baffert trained GAMINE. My only question is whether she can carry her speed for 1 1/8th miles. If SPEECH or SWISS SKYDIVER can challenge Gamine, I am not so sure. BAYERNESS is a nice longshot. She has defeated Swiss Skydiver, another of my favorites, but that was way back in November. DONNA VOLACE could be a sleeper here, as she has finished first or second in her last four starts. She hasn’t run since March, though Simon Callaghan has stated that she’s been off and was given 60 days to recover. I tend to be wary of horses who haven’t been in a race for such a long time. Unless she’s Da Hoss. TEMPERS RISING is trained by Dallas Stewart. Dallas Stewart has been known to win or hit the board on Derby AND Oaks Day.

PREDICTION: The top horses in this race are Swiss Skydiver, Speech and Gamine. Gamine is such a short price and I don’t like picking a horse that is so heavily favored. If I am going to go elsewhere, I would look at Speech, Donna Volace or even one of the two horses sired by Bayern, Bayerness or Tempers Rising, especially if you are playing exotics.

Winner:

Who I WANT to win: Gamine or Swiss Skydiver.

Who I PREDICT WILL win: Swiss Skydiver

Longshot Recommendation: Tempers Rising

Now here is the field for the 2020 Kentucky Derby. The race is run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. Post time is at 6:50pm, EST on NBC. The purse for the Derby for 3YOs is $3,000,000. The race takes place at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, KY.

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Finnick the Fierce (KY)	Martin Garcia	126	Rey Hernandez	50/1
2	2Max Player (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	126	Steven M. Asmussen	30/1
3	3Enforceable (KY)	Adam Beschizza	126	Mark E. Casse	30/1
4	4Storm the Court (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	126	Peter Eurton	50/1
5	5Major Fed (KY)	James Graham	126	Gregory D. Foley	50/1
6	6King Guillermo (KY)	Samy Camacho	126	Juan Carlos Avila	20/1
7	7Money Moves (KY)	Javier Castellano	126	Todd A. Pletcher	30/1
8	8South Bend (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	126	William I. Mott	50/1
9	9Mr. Big News (KY)	Gabriel Saez	126	W. Bret Calhoun	50/1
10	10Thousand Words (FL)	Florent Geroux	126	Bob Baffert	15/1
11	11Necker Island (KY)	Miguel Mena	126	Chris A. Hartman	50/1
12	12Sole Volante (KY)	Luca Panici	126	Patrick L. Biancone	30/1
13	13Attachment Rate (VA)	Joseph Talamo	126	Dale L. Romans	50/1
14	14Winning Impression (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	126	Dallas Stewart	50/1
15	15Ny Traffic (NY)	Paco Lopez	126	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	20/1
16	16Honor A. P. (KY)	Mike E. Smith	126	John A. Shirreffs	5/1
17	17Tiz the Law (NY)	Manuel Franco	126	Barclay Tagg	3/5
18	18Authentic (KY)	John R. Velazquez	126	Bob Baffert	8/1

Image by The Blood Horse

ANALYSIS:

When Churchill Downs changed the date of the Derby, lots of races got all mixed up. The prohibitive favorite, TIZ THE LAW, owned and trained by the same connections that gave racing fans FUNNY CIDE won the shortened Belmont Stakes, and Travers. This horse seems to be unstoppable and is the deserved favorite, despite being given #17. Even though the #3 hole is technically the #1 hole, no horse with #17 has won the Derby. Can Tiz the Law overcome all that? We will see. Trainer John Shirreffs of ZENYATTA fame, has brought another favorite in HONOR A.P., a handsome son of HONOR CODE. Honor A.P. finished a closing second in the Shared Belief, last time out.

Of course, we can’t not leave out any Derby discussion without Bob Baffert. Baffert has two horses in the race, AUTHENTIC and THOUSAND WORDS. Let’s start with Authentic. He drew the far outside post 18. Yes, American Pharoah won from that post. Authentic is a nice horse, but I don’t think he is American Pharoah. In the Haskell, NY TRAFFIC nearly beat him at the wire. I definitely think, tactics-wise, Authentic is going to have to go to the front. There is no doubt in my mind. The other horse, Thousand Words, who won the Shared Belief on the lead may have to stalk or rate. He is a son of one of my favorite stallions, the late Pioneerof the Nile, who sadly passed away in March of 2019. He sired American Pharoah. Can he sire another Derby winner? We will see. Thousand Words had a bit of a slow spot, as Baffert stated, “He soured on me.” However, the horse appears to be getting back into the swing of things just at the right time.

The rest of the field are a lot of horses that are long-shots and those who I would call “no-hopers.” Some may surprise and hit the board, if you like longshots. KING GUILLERMO, owned by former MLB player Victor Martinez, is what I call the “wiseguy horse, a horse on the improve and has a huge following. He has had four months off, and people seem to like him and give him a big chance. Unless he is Da Hoss, who won the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Mile after a year off, I just don’t see it. Some horses who my readers may like to consider in their exotic bets: NY Traffic, MAX PLAYER, and MAJOR FED.

PREDICTION:

Tiz the Law has don’t nothing wrong this year. He has done everything asked of him. Yes, his sole loss came at Churchill Downs as a 2YO. However, he is a way different horse. He has beaten a good portion of this field. He will be a tough customer. However, from a betting perspective, I certainly am going to try. After all, this IS the Kentucky Derby and anything can happen. I thought my beloved Point Given was a cinch as well.

The Kentucky Derby is known for that mad dash for the first turn. The race will be using the new one piece starting gate so it will be interesting to see if it plays a factor as well. Authentic, as I said earlier, will definitely go to the lead. Tiz the Law and I believe Honor A.P. will be forwardly place. They should get decent position as long as they don’t get crushed by that mad dash to the first turn. For Thousand Words to have a chance he has to be hustled out there as well. Depending on how fast the pace is upfront, I could definitely see a scenario where a deep closer like NY Traffic will pick up the pieces and hit the board.

WINNER:

Who I WANT to win: Thousand Words and Tiz the Law

Who I PREDICT WILL win: Tiz the Law

Longshot Special: Max Player

Well, those are my picks for the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Oaks. Good luck to all participants and horses. For those betting, bet with your head and not over it.

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The Discovery of the RMS Titanic, 35 years later

by Terri Bey

Today, September 1, 2020, is the 35th Anniversary of the discovery of the most famous shipwreck of the world’s most famous ship, besides Noah’s Ark. The ship is, of course, the White Star liner RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912 at 11:40pm and sank the following morning, the 15th at 2:20am. There were 1496 deaths and 712 survivors, who were picked up by the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia of the Cunard Line. Titanic victims included famous people, such as millionaires John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, Second Class passengers, such as Joseph LaRoche, believed to be the only Black passenger on board the Titanic, along with poor immigrants in Third Class, such as the Goodwin family of eight which consisted of Frederick, his wife Augusta and their six children and Margaret Rice and all five with her children.

Many members of the crew were also lost in the disaster, including all of the engineers, who kept the ship’s lights and power going, so passengers had a chance to get to the lifeboats, stewards, stewardesses, the entire Titanic band who played bravely until the end and those who worked in the bowels of the ship, men like William Bessant who were stokers/firemen, trimmers and greasers. These men did the hard, backbreaking work to keep the ship’s engines running. Because these men were constantly covered with soot from the dirt and coal, they were called, “the Black Gang.” Mr. Bessant perished in the sinking. His great-granddaughter, Julie Cook, wrote a book, “Titanic and City of Widows It Left Behind,” about him and how his widow and other widows of these men dealt with life before Titanic and after the disaster. I mention this particular book and recommend the book, because the “Black Gang” are just glossed over in movies, documentaries, etc., about the sinking. Their stories need to be told also. You can find Ms. Cook’s book on Amazon and at Barne’s and Noble.

Ever since the Titanic sank, there have been different degrees of interest in the disaster. There have been films, documentaries, etc. If you have read any of my past blogs, you will know that I am obsessed with the ship. I am not what Titanic enthusiasts would call a “rivet counter,” meaning knowing which room was at which deck of the ship or how a certain part of the bridge looked. I am more interested in the overall story of her being built and the story of the sinking. Of course, I think she was and is the most beautiful man–made object ever built. That being said, I always wondered, like a lot of people, if her wreck would ever be found. After all, she was more than two miles down in the North Atlantic. I didn’t even think Jacque Cousteau could have found her.

I didn’t think the RMS Titanic would EVER be found. I figured that the closest thing I would get to “see the Titanic” would be anytime the film “A Night to Remember” (1958) was shown on television. I just thought the wreck was never to be seen by human eyes ever again. There is that old saying, “Never say never.”

“THEY FOUND THE TITANIC!” My father, who was about three weeks away from his eight birthday when the Titanic sank, shouted those words up to my bedroom, while I was listening to music. I was thinking, “No way,” but ran down the stairs and there was the news. The wreck of the Titanic was found. As the next few days progressed, a gentleman by the name of Dr. Robert Ballard, a marine geologist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, discussed his discovery of the wreck. Before I continue, I should mention that even though Dr. Ballard has been credited with the SOLE discovery of the wreck, the search for the Titanic was a JOINT expedition by an American AND French Team, led by French Oceanographer Jean-Louis Michel from IFREMER, who also should get as much credit as Dr. Ballard for finding the wreck.

Anyway, I just could not believe it. The ship I loved, thanks in part to my dad, has been found. I was so excited. I read every article I could find. I don’t have them anymore, sadly. I couldn’t stop talking about it, when I started my senior year at high school. Sadly, my father passed away about a month before I graduated high school. The only comfort I had is that the discovery of Titanic was one of the last things my dad and I were able to enjoy together.

Ever since it has been found, I have read and watched more movies and read more articles. I also kept up with the news about salvage expeditions. I used to be so anti-salvage as I thought the wreck was a gravesite. However, I started to change my mind when I went to Las Vegas in 2000 and the Luxor Hotel had their Titanic Museum. I saw all those artifacts from the ship. I learned quite a bit. I felt, if I and others learned, why can’t future generations? I just saw the violin that Titanic bandleader Wallace Hartley played that fateful night. It was very emotional. I respect that this is a very sensitive issue and I respect everyone’s opinion on the matter.

Reflecting on the discovery of the Titanic after thirty five years, I think it has definitely put the ship back in the public consciousness. Of course, through many expeditions, we have learned more about the ship, especially how the ship may have met her doom. Upon finding the wreck, everyone learned that Titanic broke in half and not in one piece, when she sank, like survivor Jack Thayer III and other witnesses said. Many so-called “sinking theories” have sprung up, some way better than others. The wreck, as of a 2019 expedition, is not in the greatest shape, but you can still tell it’s the Titanic. The wreck still has secrets to tell. It will be interest to see what else researchers could find from the wreck.

As long as I live, I will always remember my father shouting, “THEY FOUND THE TITANIC.”

Thanks dad.

Feedback is welcome.

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A Film Tribute to the Late Hollywood Legend Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020)

by Terri Bey

Dedicated to my dear friend, Louis Antonelli.

On July 26, 2020, the entertainment world lost one of Hollywood’s last living legends of the “Old Hollywood” Era. Dame Olivia de Havilland, known for her roles in such movies as “The Snake Pit,” “The Heiress” and, of course, “Gone With the Wind,” passed away in Paris, France at 104. Olivia de Havilland died of natural causes. Ms. de Havilland was the last of the “Golden Age of Hollywood, and until her death, was the oldest living Oscar winner. She appeared in 49 feature films and the large part of her film career spanned from 1935 to 1988. Olivia won 2 Best Actress Academy Awards, one for “To Each His Own” (1946) and for “The Heiress” (1949). Her younger sister was the late Joan Fontaine, who also won Best Actress for “Suspicion” (1941). Both women are the only siblings to have won Academy Awards and the only sisters to have won major Academy Awards. Olivia de Havilland has also done work on Broadway and on TV. Olivia de Havilland was named a Dame Commander in Queen Elizabeth II‘s Birthday Honors list in 2017, just before her 101st birthday, hence her being Dame Olivia de Havilland.

Olivia de Havilland was one of my all time favorite actresses. I always enjoyed her ability to play different roles. I also loved how she was able to adapt to television and the stage, as well as the silver screen. Olivia de Havilland won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Movie or Series and received an Emmy Nomination in the same category for her role in the 1986 miniseries, “Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna.” Olivia deHavilland also appeared in the 1979 miniseries, “Roots: The Next Generation.” On Broadway, she appeared in “in Romeo and Juliet (1951), Candida (1952), and A Gift of Time (1962).

Olivia de Havilland was an amazing and versatile actress and the last of the “Golden Age” of Hollywood. They certainly do not make them like her, anymore. I certainly will miss her and to honor her, I will list some of my personal favorite films in which she starred or co-starred. I hope you will enjoy this list. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Favorite Films Featuring the Late Olivia de Havilland:

“The Male Animal” (1942)

Directed by: Elliott Nugent

This film features a very funny love triangle and a battle about free speech on campus, starring Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland as Tommy and Ellen Turner, who live in a college town, which is crazy about its college football team. Tommy Turner (Fonda) is a college professor, whose desire to read the sentencing statement by Bartolomeo Vanzetti gets him in hot water with the trustees, led by a one Ed Keller (Eugene Pallette), who wants to fire Turner. At the same time, there is a huge football game, and the former football hero, Joe Furgeson (Jack Carson), comes to visit and he is Ellen Turner’s (de Havilland) former beau. Furgeson and Ellen Turner revisit their old romantic feelings and at the same time, Tommy Turner (Fonda) has to deal with trying to keep his job.

This is a very funny and somewhat lighthearted film. I enjoyed seeing the de Havilland character and the Carson character having some quasi-romance and here is the poor Fonda character trying to keep both his marriage and his job at the same time. It’s not one of de Havilland’s Oscar winning performances, but I like her lightheartedness in this film. I also enjoy the free speech on campus battle as well. Does Tommy Turner get to read Bartolomeo Vanzetti’s speech and keep his job after all? Watch this film and see.

Olivia de Havilland as Ellen Turner, Henry Fonda as Tommy Turner and Joan Leslie as Patricia Stanley in this scene from “The Male Animal” (1942)

“The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938)

Directed by: Michael Curtiz and William Keiley

This film features Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and Olivia de Havilland as Lady Marian in this swashbuckling tale of Robin Hood. Most of my readers know the plot of this film, but for those who don’t, the film is about how Robin Hood (Flynn), a Saxon Knight, in the absence of King Richard leads a rebellion with a guerrilla band against King John (Claude Reins), who along with the Norman lords, are oppressing the Saxon commoners. The film features a cast of well known actors, such as Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck, an uncredited Sam Jaffe, and Alan Hale, Sr. as John Little, a.k.a. Little John. On a side note, Alan Hale, Sr. is the father of Alan Hale, Jr., who played The Skipper on “Gilligan’s Island.”

This is a fun, action-filled romp. I love Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in this film. The duo actually made several films together. I think they had great chemistry. I loved how at first, Lady Marian was against Robin Hood and, then she accepts his good intentions, and then he has to rescue her. Of course, as we all know, Robin Hood marries her. I love how de Havilland and Flynn work off each other. Her scenes with Basil Rathbone (Sir Guy of Gisbourne) are awesome, also. I enjoy this film and for those who haven’t seen this, I recommend it.

Olivia de Havilland as Lady Marian and Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938)

“Hold Back the Dawn” (1941)

Directed by Mitchell Leisen

I love this film, which stars Olivia de Havilland as Miss Emmy Brown, a naïve school teacher, who was in Mexico with fifteen boys on a class trip and falls in love with a Romanian gigolo named Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), who unbeknownst to her, is only marrying her to get a US Visa, so he can work in New York with his former dancing partner Anita Dixon (Paulette Goddard), who also is in love with Iscovescu and tells him that she married an American to get a US Visa and she quickly divorced him as soon as she got it, hence his idea to use Emmy Brown (de Havilland). A couple of complications come when Iscovescu (Boyer) marries Brown, he actually falls in love with her and an Immigration Inspector Hamel (Walter Abel), who looks for con artists like Iscovescu gets right on his tail as well. The film is told by Iscovescu (Boyer) in flashback to a Hollywood screenwriter. You will have to see this wonderful film to find out the reason.

I love the chemistry between Olivia de Havilland and Charles Boyer. Even though Boyer was considered what we would call a “sex symbol,” as he was extremely handsome, Boyer was an excellent actor. Boyer definitely held his own against de Havilland. The scene featuring Paullette Goddard, where her character, Anita Dixon tells Emmy Brown, Olivia de Havilland’s character, the truth is a great scene, as well. The film, “Hold Back the Dawn” was nominated for six Academy Awards, including “Best Picture” and “Best Actress” for Olivia de Havilland, one of her five total Academy Award Nominations.

As I could not find an actual scene from “Hold Back the Dawn” (1941), I found this fan-made tribute using scenes from the film with Olivia de Havilland as Emmy Brown and Charles Boyer as Georges Iscovescu. Credit: Monique Classique

“Gone With the Wind” (1939)

Directed by Victor Fleming

If you have not heard of “Gone With the Wind” (1939) or the Margaret Mitchell 1936 novel, upon which the classic film is based, you must be living under a rock. This nearly four hour epic, set during the Civil War, is a historical-fictional drama about a strong-willed and spoiled Southern belle named Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) who strongarms her way through family relations, etc., and finally finds love and marriage with a Southern gentleman, named Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).

However, before O’Hara (Leigh) marries Butler (Gable), O’Hara is, at least in this author’s opinion, becomes one of the most destructive and mean-spirited characters ever. O’Hara pretty much destroys everything and everyone, in her path, including her marriage to Rhett Butler. Scarlett also goes after and continues to obsess over someone she knows she can’t have. That someone is Ashley Wilkes (a terribly miscast Leslie Howard) who gets married to Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland).

Melanie Hamilton Wilkes is one of the only characters in this film that I genuinely liked, besides Rhett Butler (Gable) and Mammy (Hattie MacDaniel) Olivia portrayed her with such a quiet grace and such strength, when the character needed it. One scene that sticks in my head is where after the news and gossip got out where at Scarlett’s and Ashley’s store, they were in a comprising position, Scarlett was forced to go to the party in that red dress, and Melanie (de Havilland) greeted her as if nothing had happened. I loved how Olivia de Havilland played that scene.

I admit that I am not as big a fan of this film, as others are. However, Olivia de Havilland, Clark Gable and especially Hattie McDaniel make this film watchable. McDaniel gave a brilliant performance, which won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Academy Award, beating out her co-star, Olivia de Havilland, who was also nominated in the same category. Max Steiner’s brilliant score is an amazing highlight as well.

Scene from “Gone with the Wind” with Olivia de Haviland as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes and Ona Munson as Belle Watling

“The Heiress” (1949)

Directed by William Wyler

Olivia de Havilland won her first Academy Award for the 1946 film, “To Each His Own,” where she played an unwed mother who gives up her child for adoption, but she keeps up with events in his life from a distance. I personally think she also should have won for her thrilling performance as a mental patient in “The Snake Pit” (1948). However, that is how the Academy Awards go sometimes.

However, in this 1949 film, “The Heiress,” based on a 1947 play, “The Heiress,” by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, suggested by Henry James novel called “Washington Square” (1880), not only did Olivia de Havilland earn her second Academy Award, but she turns in a tour de force performance as Catherine Sloper, a meek and rather simple daughter of a renowned Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), who is not only mentally cruel, but constantly compares Catherine to her late mother. Aunt Lavinia Penniman (Miriam Hopkins), who has a very lively personality, moves in to try to encourage Catherine (de Havilland) to be more gracious and to be more out-going. Montgomery Clift portrays Morris Townsend, who is a very handsome young man, but has no money and no career prospects, but Catherine Sloper falls in love with him. Her father, Dr. Sloper (Richardson) has a suspicion that Townsend (Clift) is a fortune hunter and should Catherine marry a man that the doctor doesn’t like, she will lose her inheritance and the money will go to the clinic, instead.

This is one of Olivia de Havilland’s best performances. What makes it so awesome is the eventual transition from her character, Catherine Sloper, being this meek little mouse, who is so shy to the point of being awkward to becoming an astute woman, whose heart has been hardened. When she realizes that her father was right about Townsend (Clift) and at the same time developed her father’s cruel nature, it is a delight to watch from a viewer’s standpoint. The rest of the cast is fantastic. Montgomery Clift is amazing as this scoundrel, who just wants Ms. Sloper’s money. Ralph Richardson is awesome as Dr. Sloper. The scene where Dr. Sloper and Morris Townsend have that confrontation and then Catherine Sloper joins in, asking Morris to be respectful. That is a great acting scene, all around. I highly recommend this film.

A brief scene from “The Heiress” with Montgomery Clift as Morris Townsend and Olivia de Havilland as Catherine Sloper

These are my personal favorite films featuring the late, great Olivia de Havilland. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this blog and watching the videos. I hope that this blog will inspire my readers to get on either Vudu, Amazon Prime, Google, or whatever service you have to see these and other films in which she starred. My contact information is down below. Thank you for reading.

Thank you, Dame Olivia de Havilland for all your contributions to the film industry. May you Rest In Peace.

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LIVE AID 1985 Remembered and How Queen Stole the Show

by Terri Bey

On September 13, 1985, a transcontinental concert promoted, produced and planned by musician Sir Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats and performing arts promoter Harvey Goldsmith called “Live Aid,” took place, both at London, UK’s Wembley Stadium and at the then existing John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, simultaneously. “Live Aid” was a benefit concert to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia. The estimated attendance at London’s Wembley Stadium was 72,000 fans and at Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium, there was an estimated attendance of between 90,000-100,000 fans. The event raised $127 Million dollars and won a Peabody Award.

As many music fans and my readers know, many famous artists played at “Live Aid.” In Philadelphia, fans were treated to artists such as Hall and Oats, The Power Station, Madonna, Black Sabbath, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins and Robert Plant (more on these two later). In London, fans got to see such artists as Elton John, The Who, David Bowie, Howard Jones, Dire Straits, Phil Collins and an up and coming band from Ireland called U2. Oh, yes, there was another band named Queen who played as well, who wound up stealing the show. There will be more on them later.

In this blog, I will be highlighting a few of these acts. I will be discussing my own thoughts on the event and my own memories. I certainly will be discussing the legendary Queen who stole the whole show. I hope you will enjoy this walk down my personal memory lane of that seminal event that took place 35 years ago, called “Live Aid.”

When the event took place, I was going to be a senior in high school. My parents were certainly NOT rock fans, but I watched the event on TV. I thought, over all, it was a pretty fun event, even though I had regular television. I watched it on ABC, which was showing it in the States. I was 17 years old, so I unfortunately do not remember many of the artists who were aired on the Eastern Time Zone, as I went to high school in Edison, NJ at the time, so I apologize for not listing all the acts that were aired during that entire day and evening. I do remember a couple that will be mentioned, next.

Highlighted Moments of Live Aid 1985:

The Phil Collins Show

Phil Collins, either for his devotion to charity or ego or a little of both, was the only performer to play on both continents, via the Concorde. For this reason, I jokingly called “Live Aid,” the “Phil Collins Show.” Phil Collin was all over “Live Aid.” I mean, the man was EVERYWHERE. He was in ALMOST EVERYONE’S act. For example, Collins played “In the Air Tonight” in Philadelphia (https://youtu.be/DEWu59OPAbQ) . Collins played, “Against All Odds” in London (https://youtu.be/7A8NgPVizP4) Collins played with Sting at Wembley (https://youtu.be/V8fs2nZw2aI) and with Eric Clapton at Philadelphia (https://youtu.be/f9myqi7VL9s). Collins also participated in one of the events more famous or infamous moments in “Live Aid,” depending upon how you look at it, which I will discuss next.

Thinking it over in my mind, I am sure I saw a few of those performances on TV, although I can’t remember exactly which ones. All joking aside, Phil Collins was a fantastic drummer and I definitely can see that he was sought after for his skills.

Led Zeppelin’s Reuniting Didn’t Sound Very Good

I apologize for the pun, using Peaches and Herb’s “Reunited,” to describe the complete debacle of a reunion of one of Rock’s greatest bands, Led Zeppelin, but it was a debacle and they didn’t sound very good. Guess who pops up again? If you guessed Phil Collins, you are correct. The buildup to this was huge, and to be expected. The band had broken up five years prior and to see a legendary band get back together for such a great cause was really exciting to see. I remember seeing some of this performance and I was excited to see them.

However, it was a shame that the performance didn’t live up to the hype. The band sounded horrible, but there were a few things I want to point out in their defense. In discussing this notorious performance, I will do a condensed version of the now defunct ESPN Show, “Five Reasons You Can’t Blame,” which attempts to debunk narratives about popular sports mishaps, like Bill Buckner and Steve Bartman, so I will do that with Led Zeppelin’s performance at “Live Aid,” but a condensed version.

Robert Plant did have a medical excuse. He had been singing several solo shows in a row and it was hot, so his voice was definitely worn down. Bassist John Paul Jones was the only musician in good form. The band only had about 30 minutes or so of rehearsal, or from other accounts, not rehearsed much at all. I think it was hard to expect a typical top-level Led Zeppelin performance from a band that hadn’t played together in years. I WILL say that I didn’t expect that BAD of a performance though. The band also played with the late drummer Tony Thompson and Phil Collins. I know Collins was Plant’s drummer in his band, but as great as he is, I was puzzled why he was there. I am not knocking Thompson, as he was a great drummer in his own right, but Thompson was placed there and he didn’t know the songs and like I said earlier, they were barely rehearsed. This was a recipe for disaster right there.

I know that Phil Collins is the scapegoat for the whole debacle and I don’t think that is right. As I said, they were barely rehearsed and you had a drummer that didn’t know the material. Plant was hoarse. Jones played alright. The last person to discuss is Jimmy Page. I know he is a musical “sacred cow,” in the sense that no one dares to criticize him without getting flak, but here goes. The man was just blasted. He was loaded on alcohol and drugs. I mean, come on. Yes, I KNOW for “Stairway to Heaven,” he was handed a guitar that wasn’t tuned and that was NOT his fault, and I realize he had a serious drug and alcohol problem. However, the man’s playing was just atrocious.

I have all the respect in the world for Jimmy Page. He is one of rock’s greatest guitarists and has influenced everyone from KISS legend Ace Frehley to guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and many others. Page is in the argument for the greatest ever and some think he IS the greatest ever. I totally respect all those opinions. However, concerning this performance, I think Page deserves some of the blame as well and this again, is my opinion, because of his stature, he has escaped blame for his own poor performance.

Here’s the whole thing. I know Led Zeppelin are “sacred cows,” but they were terrible, but they did have some issues that weren’t all their fault.

Led Zeppelin at Live Aid 7-13-1985

Fun Times with Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton and others.

The late, great David Bowie, with a wonderful performance of “Heroes,”(https://youtu.be/JFHC6t13hi0) and his other hits, wowed the crowd at Wembley Stadium. Elton John performed many of his hits and had great costumes on, during his Wembley set. Elton John brought out Kiki Dee to perform “Don’t Go Breaking My heart.” (https://youtu.be/8EwwYtA4WJ8) and the late Wham! singer George Michael to sing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” (https://youtu.be/ECN_wgw55lc) An up and coming band named U2 performed a very good set, including a very cool version of “Sunday, Bloody, Sunday.” (https://youtu.be/SCKcULlEydo) The Rolling Stones’ front man Mick Jagger had a great set of songs from his solo album, “She’s the Boss,” and songs from the Rolling Stones. One highlight was when Tina Turner came onstage to join him in a duet of “State of Shock.”(https://youtu.be/d2c4114eKGQ)

Another great highlight was the set of The Who. As most people know, a few years prior, The Who had split, but they were coaxed by Geldof to do this performance, somehow. Of course, the band members were still fighting with each other, even though they agreed to do the show. However, they somehow got their heads together and put on this fantastic set, which included, “My Generation,” and the legendary “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” In my opinion, this performance was the best performance on either continent, save one. Seriously, in my opinion, had Queen not played “Live Aid,” The Who would have stolen the show. If Queen were the 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed at “Live Aid”, I guess The Who had to play Alydar.

Anyway I love this version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” even though Who front man Roger Daltrey botches a lyric. It is a great live version. Check it out.

The Showstopper and Show Stealer Revealed.

Finally, we are going to talk about the artist who by many at the time said and by many, thirty-five years later, will still say, “stole “Live Aid” or “stole the show.” I agreed then and I agree now. They were the Showstopper then and still are, when I re-watch their performance and I am NOT talking about the WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. If my readers know their rock history and know something about “Live Aid,” I think you should know that the artist to whom I am referring is, of course, QUEEN. Queen put on a blistering and perfect 20 minute setlist containing a great mix of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Gaga,” “Hammer to Fall,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions.” Later on, front man Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May came on with a poignant performance of “Is This the World We Created?” This song is also very pertinent to today, as well. The band also appeared in the finale of “Live Aid,” singing “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

This performance was the sensation of the event. Many artists, including Sir Elton John, were commenting on how the band “stole the event.”Elton John told the band, “You bastards, you stole the show. “When my mother and I saw this performance, SHE was very impressed with Queen and that was saying a lot, because with the exception of The Beatles, she HATED rock music. The band must have done something right to impress my hard-to-impress mother.

Why is this particular twenty-one minute concert so brilliant and in the opinion of many, myself included, considered “the greatest concert ever.” After all, Queen has put on many great performances. There are a lot of other bands, such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and even my favorite childhood band, KISS, who have put on great performances in concert, and I mean in these bands’ respective primes.

Queen didn’t like to play in the daylight, as they couldn’t get soundcheck done, but they did pick the 6:41pm timeslot as it was just hitting UK’s primetime audience and the London satellite would just go global. This was a great tactical move. Queen wanted to show they were a great live band and their experience in huge stadiums also worked to their advantage. The band’s sound engineer, Trip Khalaf, also found a way to increase the band’s sound, so they were louder than everyone else. Queen also performed a perfect set of hit after hit.

Their performance overall was mesmerizing. Freddie Mercury just owned that crowd with his charm and performance. Mercury’s “Day-O” spot showed his vocal prowess. If I could go into a time machine, I would love to have been in that Wembley audience. Mercury was in command of that stage in the way he played with the camera man, and played to the crowd, when he dedicated “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” to “all the beautiful people.” Needless to say, Mercury’s voice was awesome, especially since he was battling a throat infection before and during the show, which makes the performance even MORE amazing. Freddie Mercury was just magical that night

The rest of the band were no slouches either. Dr. Brian May was awesome on guitar. May played blistering leads and solos during the set. Drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon laid down great rhythms. May, Taylor and Deacon played brilliantly as well. It was a totally perfect concert. I have seen many concerts in person and on TV, included my beloved KISS (about 45-50 times, since 1996, past their primes) and I have yet to see one as good or as perfect as Queen that night at Live Aid.

As I mentioned, Brian May and Freddie Mercury performed a poignant version of “Is This the World We Created?” Again, perfect.

Here is the legendary Queen Live Aid 1985 Concert, along with the performance of “Is This the World We Created?” and participating in the finale, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

Queen at Live Aid 1985

Freddie Mercury and Brian May performing “Is This The World We Created?”

Band Aid, including Queen and other bands performing “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

Well, that is my reminiscing about “Live Aid.” It was a fun blog to write and a great way to remember some of these artists who participated in a great event. I encourage feedback and I hope you liked this blog as much as I liked writing it.

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My Review of Andrew Sgambati’s “KISS: One Last Time Live from New York-the Movie”

by Terri Bey

Before I start this blog, I hope that my readers have been able to stay safe and healthy during the current COVID-19 pandemic. I also hope that my readers are doing the best they can during the lockdowns, especially those with severe depression and anxiety and those adversely affected financially. I pray for all affected. I also pray for the pandemic to end, and I ask you to remember that this too shall pass. I have other wishes, but that will be for another blog.

Now, let’s get to the blog at hand. As my readers already know, I have been a huge KISS fan since 1977, and have written various blogs about them. I have written concert reviews, album reviews, etc. As many of you know, I have been a proud member of the KISS ARMY since 1977. The KISS ARMY is the collective name of millions of the band’s most diehard and devoted fans. KISS also has many, what are called, “Super Fans,” who have seen this band multiple times, and travel all over the place to see them and get access to the band.

One such Superfan is Andrew Sgambati, from Cleveland, Ohio, who made this Youtube Video-Documentary, “KISS: One Last Time Live from New York-the Movie.” The movie is a documentary-style video discussing his fandom, with video primarily from KISS’ March 27, 2019 show at the sold-out Madison Square Garden in NYC during their “End of the Road” Tour, which started on January 31, 2019 in Vancouver, BC and the last show, as announced on KISS KRUISE IX, was scheduled to be played in New York in July 17, 2021. The band last played in Lubbock, Texas on March 10, 2020, as the tour has been suspended due to the current pandemic. The band’s KISS Kruise X also had to be postponed to October of 2021 as well, which may or may not affect the date of the “final show.”

Sgambati also inserts various past interview clips with the current KISS lineup, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer, ,in between songs or during songs and also takes the viewer on his journey of attending several concerts on the band’s Final Tour. Sgambati also talks about special backstage moments with Gene Simmons, who for some reason gave Sgmabti the nickname of “Paul McCartney.” A bonus concert of 13 complete tracks is included as well.

In this blog, I am going to discuss what I thought was good about Sgambati’s movie and what I thought could have been better. I am also going to give my overall impression and my recommendation. I will include the link to the documentary, and a link to the bonus concert as well. Feedback is welcome and encouraged. I hope you enjoyed this blog.

My Overall Impression of “KISS: One Last Time from New York- The Movie”

Generally, I found Andrew Sgambati’s work to be of excellent quality. The production values were very high. I loved the documentary-style presentation. The intersecting of past interviews with the concert footage was awesome. I loved how he started with his story about becoming a KISS fan and his inserting his fandom and encounters with Gene during the entire piece. I also appreciated that he included the bonus concert footage as well. I also tip my hat to the many folks who filmed the live concert footage, who are mentioned in the end credits.

What I REALLY LIKED about “KISS: One Last Time from New York-The Movie”

I loved how Andrew Sgambati put together events concerning the “End of the Road” Tour in chronological order, with the non-concert video clips. Sgambati started with the news of KISS lead singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley’s getting the trademark for “End of the Road to bassist/lead singer Gene Simmons’ at first denying it, but then confirming it. Sgambati then goes to the announcement on “America’s Got Talent,” and then some of the press conferences from “Good Morning America,” “Sirius Radio, etc”. I enjoyed that.

I liked seeing the backstage stuff with Gene Simmons and his Gene Simmons Soda and the Gene Simmons Vault. That was pretty cool.

One of my favorite parts of the entire piece is where a backstage segment from KISS Unplugged Rehearsals is shown and Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Bruce Kulick all are making fun of Tommy Thayer’s gait and are imitating how Tommy Thayer walked. Tommy pokes his head into the room and says with a smile, “Are you guys making fun of me?” This is worth the entire video. I heard Gene Simmons actually cackling. This was hilarious. I was almost crying. It is at the 38.49 mark or so in the film. I love Tommy to death, but that was funny.

Sgambati’s love and dedication to the band shows through the documentary. The viewer gets the impression that he loves this band.

I thought including a separate link for the bonus concert was a great idea.

Sgambati’s use of vintage footage of the original band to correlate with what Gene Simmons and/or Paul Stanley were saying was brilliant. I really enjoyed that.

What I thought could have been better about: “KISS: One Last Time from New York-The Movie”

I thought in some spots, there was a bit too much reliance of the old interviews. For me, hearing some of Gene’s and Paul’s hype and rhetoric got a little old. I would have liked to have seen more of the concert footage.

I would have liked to have heard more about Sgambati’s fandom, actually. I know he wanted to keep the piece to a certain length, as it ran about 1 1/4 hours, but I wanted to hear more about him.

I would have liked to have seen more of his own backstage clips with the other members, besides the one photo of his friend with the band, if there were any. I respect that Gene is likely Sbamgati’s favorite, but some more backstage stuff with the other guys, would have been cool.

RECOMMENDATION:

I highly recommend Andrew Sgambati’s “KISS: One Last Time from New York-The Movie.” This is an overall fantastic piece of work by a devoted fan of one of rock’s greatest and most bombastic bands. The piece is a fun story of a fan’s adventure with his favorite band’s final tour. I recommend this video for not only KISS fans, but for fans of all artists.

Link to: “KISS: One Last Time from New York-The Movie”

Film by Andrew Sgambati

Link to : “KISS: One Last Time Live in NYC Bonus Concert

Film by Andrew Sgambati

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