“Yeah, well…. Sometimes nothin’ can be a real cool hand.”– Lucas Jackson
“Cool Hand Luke” hit theatres today in 1967. Paul Newman received his fourth Academy Award nomination for playing Luke, the rebel and prisoner who just wouldn’t stay down. All you need to know about Newman as in actor you can find in the opening minute and a half. Newman plays the “who cares if I’m drunk, I’m cool” as well as it can be played. His grin at the end of the scene sums up why Paul Newman is one of the biggest movie stars of all time.
“Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York” was released today in 1994, seven months after Cobain killed himself. It debuted at #1 on Billboard and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. Nirvana performed mostly covers and lesser known songs for a gig that became known as the best ever done for MTV Unplugged.
In other art forms, today in 1512 Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were shown to the public for the first time. The public was impressed.
William Shakespeare had two of his plays performed for the first time today; “Othello” in 1604 and “The Tempest” in 1611, both at London’s Whitehall Palace. “The Tempest” is thought to be the last play Shakespeare ever wrote on his own.
Today in 1800, John Adams became the first President to take residence in the White House.
Naked breasts were shown in National Geographic for the first time today in 1896. It’s been 116 years and still nobody has been turned on by naked breasts in National Geographic.
Today in 1938 saw the, “Match of the Century,” a horse race that matched the five-year old Seabiscuit against the 1937 Triple Crown winner, the seemingly invincible War Admiral. War Admiral was a 1-4 favorite and predicted winner by all the experts. With 40 million people listening on the radio, Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral by 4 lengths, even though War Admiral ran his best time over that distance.
From the “really not dumb” category, today in 1959 Jacques Plante, after getting hit in the face earlier in the game, became the first goalie to ever wear a mask in an NHL game.
In an NFL game for the ages, and one that would have had fantasy football players in a tizzy, the Cleveland Browns defeated the defending champion Baltimore Colts 38-31 today in 1959. Before the much-hyped ballgame featuring Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown, the Colts menacing defender, 6’6″, 285 pound “Big Daddy” Lipscomb said of Brown, “been waiting a long time to get my hands on that Cleveland cat.” Although Unitas threw for 397 yards and 4 touchdowns, it was Brown who stole the show, rushing for 178 yards and 5 touchdowns. A disappointed Lipscomb said after the game, “I’m still waiting to get my hands on that cat.” For you fantasy historians, the Colts Ray Berry had 11 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown.
Believe it or not, Anthony Kiedes turns 50 today. Believably, Lyle Lovett turns 55. Top five for each:
Kiedes: (I love the old school, I don’t mean to piss anyone off, but….)
1. Can’t Stop
2. Scar Tissue
3. Otherside
4. Californication
5. By the Way
Lovett:
1. Private Conversation
3. Nobody Knows Me
4. In My Own Mind
5. L.A. County
— Bill Hubbell