by John Walters
It may be Wednesday, but Debbie Harry, who turns 70 today, will always be our Sunday Girl. Stay at home, Sunday Girl.
Happy 70th to the lead singer of Blondie. Related: Where do we sign up to be part of Camp Funtime?
Starting Five
A victory over Germany followed by a clinching of the championship versus Japan? It’s possible.
1. Germany Out, Bring on Japan (or England)
“We just beat the Jerrys in the World Cup — this IS the end of football!”
That last night I happened to see the Mad Men episode in which Lane Pryce watches the 1966 World Cup, in which England defeats Germany in the final (men’s), was pure whimsy. But, as you know, the U.S. women defeated world No. 1 Germany last night in Montreal, 2-0, to advance to Sunday’s final versus either Japan or England.
iCarli
Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored the go-ahead goal in the 2nd half on a penalty kick before assisting on an insurance goal to Broadway star Kelley O’Hara very late in the affair. Team USA has now gone 513 minutes without allowing a goal in this tournament.
A Germany-Japan double in the last two games? Possible. If that happens and the US wins, I’ll don my white sailor’s suit, head to Times Square, and smooch the first stranger I see. Happy days are here again….
2. Arsons of Anarchy
Seven black churches razed in nine days, all of them in the South.
Since the Charleston shootings on June 17 in which nine African-Americans were murdered at the Emanuel AME Church, SEVEN black churches have been put to flames. All of them in the South. We see you, KKK.
June 22: College Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Knoxville
June 23: God’s Power of Christ Church, Macon, Ga.
June 24: Briar Creek Road Baptist Church, Charlotte
June 24: Fruitland Presbyterian Church, Gibson County, Tenn.
June 26: Greater Miracle Apostolic Holiness Church, Tallahassee, Fla.
June 26: Glover Grove Baptist Church, Warrenville, S.C.
June 30: Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, Greeleyville, S.C.
3. This Could Be the Last Time
The Glimmer Twins, et al: Am I rough enough? Am I rich enough?
It’s July 1 and I doubt rock and roll will ever see a month quite like this again.
Here are the bands that you would be able to see live this month if time and money allowed (I’ll put EU in parens if band is in Europe): The Rolling Stones, The Who (EU), The Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney (EU and USA), Bob Dylan (EU), Van Morrison (EU), Billy Joel, Brian Wilson, Neil Young, Van Halen, Rush and U2.
4. Go! Go! Gunhild!
The Western States 100, which began in 1977, is the granddaddy of ultra marathons. Last weekend in northern California a grandmommy stole the show. Gunhild Swanson of Spokane, who was born in Germany, became the first woman over the age of 70 to complete the Western States. Moreover, she finished in 29:59:54, just six seconds shy of the race’s 30-hour cut-off.
My hunch is that Amelia Boone will probably win this race next year….
5. More Markazi!
The friendliest man we know…
I’m using No. 5 today to say congratulations to my good friend Arash “Guest List
Markazi, who is about to pull the Gabe Kotter routine and teach at his old school: the University of Southern California. Arash will also be moving up from ESPN LA to ESPN Original Recipe.
One of the true good dudes in the business, and just about the sweetest sportswriter (those words go together only in the rarest of circumstances: Arash, Dick “Hoops” Weiss and Bruce Feldman come to mind) you’d ever meet. Koala bears envy Arash his adorable nature.
Good for you, Professor Markazi. Knock ’em dead.
Music 101
You Suck
Right now there’s dust on my guitar, you ****/And it’s all your fault/Oh, you paralyze my mind/And for that you suck
Remember the early 1990s, when grunge and Lilith Fairy-ness battled it out during the last relevant days — as a music channel — of MTV? These are The Murmurs and they’re angry.
Remote Patrol
Whiplash
STARZ 9 p.m.
“Now play me that Pina Colada Song and make it bleed!”
“Were you rushing or were you dragging?” From what I’ve been told (I haven’t seen it yet), this will probably be the most fondly remembered film of 2014. Five years from now, this story of a jazz drumming prodigy and his martinet of an instructor will be the movie you’d be willing to watch on TV. Can’t say the same for Boyhood or Birdman.
You’re forgetting a birthday. A big one. One that is going to get you in trouble (or more trouble) with your list of Favourite Canadians. They are not impressed. Although not on the list, neither am I. And I’m not talking about Pamela Anderson but it’s her birthday too.
Since you like to note significant dates (Ha!) in Derek Jeter history, 11 years ago today he leapt into the stands after a Trot Nixon foul ball. Jeter came out bloody (so did the Yanks later that year) but the legend grew that day.
and if it’s England, think how much they will hate July 5th if they lose another global battle to the Americans.
Whoa. Now both Carly Simon and Debbie Harry are septuagenarians?
70 suddenly rocks!
I think they eat meat as well, Ruth….
So, the Summer of 2015 is a Rock n Roll-AARP fest! Walkerspalooza?
So happy about last night’s WC match! Based on all the criticism the USA team had been receiving from the TV (& other media) talking heads from the start of the World Cup, I wasn’t optimistic against powerhouse Germany. I do have 1 question – if Germany is ranked #1 in the world & the USA #2, why were we in the same WC bracket? Do they not seed the WC teams? Anyhoo, even though I’m far from a soccer “expert”, I thought the US team looked the best I’d seen of them in this WC. I did wish Abby had played more (what can I say, it’s her final World Cup & I want the friggin Hollywood ending for her!) & was a bit frantic when Germany got that 1st PK opportunity, but overall, it went great for the USA.
I’ve been thinking about your chasedown of the dinner-thieves the other night & while part of me is very impressed & wants to slap you on the back, the other part of me wants to slap you upside the head – it’s NYC! Are you CRAZY?! Thankfully, you are alive (&/or at least not pushed into the Hudson) to tell the tale. Question – if you had called 911 after you spied the lowlifes (& before confrontation), would cops have actually come for dinnercheck-skippers? I just assumed NYC cops wouldn’t get out of their cars for anything less than blood on the streets.
Speaking of “blood on the roads”, it’s 3 days till the Grand Departe of the Tour de France! ALLEZ, ALLEZ! This year’s race starts off with 3 previous champions (Contador, Froome, & last year’s survivor – Nibali). Plus, the Columbian mountain goat named Quintana (2013 runner-up & 2014 Giro winner who didn’t race the TDF last year) who is the pick of many since there is almost NO individual Time-Trial miles this year (just the Opening day short Prologue). Whether all 4 “favorites” make it to week 2 is the question. The 1st week is always carnage but this year the course is supposedly even more “challenging”. I can’t wait. 🙂
The Women’s World Cup is seeded based on what will sell tickets not on what will produce a 1 vs. 2 match up.
There was an article that France was mad about having to play Germany so early in the knockout round and it stated that FIFA wants ratings more than correct match ups
LOVE is STAYING IN CLEVELAND. Looks like he “fits in” after all. 🙂