“How about if we get Farrah and Wonder Woman and they’re both nipping out? And we’ll get Howard Cosell to call the action.”
It probably wasn’t the longest pitch meeting ever held. “That’s gold, Jerry!”
Jill Munroe vs. Richie Cunningham in a running race? No bras allowed? Why, yes, I am interested, thank you for asking!
You TV historians would note that both of those characters were on team ABC, so they’d be running together. I guess that wasn’t as important as the second question posed. “Battle of the Network Stars” premiered tonight in 1976. Happy fucking birthday America! We learned as nation as we got older and in time “Baywatch” gave us all we wanted out of “Battle…” in it’s opening credits, but damn, was this a good idea when it hit. The first of 19 competitions was highlighted by…. well, Farrah… but as far as the competition, this ridiculous run-off. In my memory (made up), Howard says, “Bah, Bah Blacksheep? How about, Bye, Bye Blacksheep?”
What was not-so-great television was an afternoon fight on CBS today in 1982. Ray Mancini defeated Duk Koo Kim in fifteen brutal rounds. Kim would die of brain injuries four days later. His mother would commit suicide four months later and the referee of the fight, Richard Green, would also commit suicide eight months later. Mancini was never the same as a fighter and the WBC would be the first branch of boxing to reduce fights from 15 to 12 rounds.
Tonight in 1979 Darryl Dawkins of the Philadelphia 76’ers threw down one of the most famous dunks in NBA history, shattering the backboard over Bill Robinzine of the Kansas City Kings. Dawkins later named the dunk, “The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam.”
The Walt Disney Company delivered something completely different today in 1940, releasing “Fantasia.” Loved by critics, the film didn’t perform well at the box-office because nobody was going to movies because of the war, and many felt Disney had gone highbrow. “Fantasia” has been released many times since then and more than made it’s money back and is considered an all-time classic. Disney struck again today in 1991, releasing the first animated movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture, “Beauty and the Beast.”
Also released today in 1991 was a movie of a different sort. Also a remake, this beast made the one in the Disney movie seem like a pansy.
DeNiro was 48 when “Cape Fear” came out.
Greg Maddox became the first pitcher to ever win 4 straight Cy Young awards today in 1995. Nobody ever accused him of cheating either.
Birthday wishes to Garry Marshall (78) and Joe Mantegna (65). Their five best:
Marshall
1. Happy Days
2. Overboard
3. Pretty Woman
4. Laverne and Shirley
5. Nothing In Common
Mantegna
1. Searching For Bobby Fischer
2. Criminal Minds
3. Alice
4. Things Change
5. House of Games
— Bill Hubbell