Merry Christmas from the Geese, 2009 Edition

I wrote this poem in December of 2007 on the spur of the moment, and decided that this will be an annual event for me. I send this out to everyone of my readers(all three of you), as well as my family who are scattered across this country.





Christmas In Montebello, or A Visit from the Christmas Geese

'Twas the day before Christmas,
And all through the town,
People were shopping and running around.
Last-minute gifts were purchased with haste,
Not wanting a moment to go to waste.
And around our little home, Mom was finishing up,
Wrapping the presents and gifts and stuff.
Dad was busy, getting many things done,
Prepping for their El Paso trip, still yet to come.

And Tommy, My brother, stopped in for a bit,
Taking a break from his work because he saw fit.
And Myself, what did I do, you say?
I waited for sundown to come this way.
For still to be finished were the lights 'round the big tree,
Putting the final touches for all to drive by and see.

The full moon, how it glowed brightly on the river below,
shimmering as the Canadian geese honked and glided along, oh so slow.
The cars slowed down as they drove through the night,
Looking in awe as I made things right.
And Out on the lawn I gave out a shout,
"Mom, Dad, Tommy, You gotta come out!"

My family came running, thinking something's gone wrong,
But what they found was Me dancing and singing a song.
They watched as I danced and placed the last of the lights,
My breath easily seen on this cold winter's night.
"What's wrong?" said Dad "You give us a fright."
Mom just looked and laughed as I continued my flight.
Tommy looked down, embarrassed to see,
How graceful a quarter-ton Hippo like me could be. (I kid, I'm not THAT big)

When, from the spreading grounds, there came an incredible sound,
As gaggles of geese made landings all around.
We listened and watched as they crossed through the moon,
Their wings, opened wide, their calls all in tune.
Below them, their cousins answered their call,
As they glided onto the water, to come together one and all.

We stood there, all quiet, on the bank above,
Watching as Nature played a Winter song of love.
But, before long, it was time to go inside,
After all, none of us really had a winter-proof hide.

So we gathered round a burning Yule Log,
And listened as the Geese scared off the fog.
And so, let Me say, as I crawl under the sheets.
"Merry Christmas to all, but beware of cold feet."

Merry Christmas everyone, from Me and the family.

Please enjoy A Currier & Ives Christmas

LIVE BLOGGING: World Football Challenge, ROSE BOWL

Hey everyone, It's Tony, coming to you from the pressbox of the historic Rose Bowl in sunny Pasadena, California. I've been here since around 2:30 and I took in the sights and sounds of the Fan Zone until it was time to get my credentials and head up into the press box.

Before I forget, a quick shout out to the folks of Second Life's Battlestar Mercury, who are following along tonight from the Elysian Fields. Captain Anax Barbosa sends his regards to the crew and the fleet and will be back on duty tomorrow.

So far, there has already been a celebrity charity match featuring the Hollywood United Football Club, which included former soccer stars like Eric Winalda as well as movie and TV stars like Skeet Ulrich and Anthony LaPaglia.

Hollywood United's Brendan Bourke on the
Rose Bowl "Red Carpet" before the charity match

So far, both Chelsea and Inter Milan have taken the field for warmups. The biggest surprise so far was seeing Inter Milan coach Jose "The Special One" Maurinho, who is probably one of the Italian Serie A's best dressed coaches, wearing one of the team's training tops, or practice jerseys, for those of us less familiar with the futbol vernacular.

"The Special One" goes casual in the hot Pasadena evening

7:47 Both teams are elavingthe field, warm ups are done, and we're read for the pre-game ceremonies. So far the rosters have been released and like Sunday's match against Club America, Inter Milan's starting goaltender, Francesco Toldo, is not in the lineup, however, Zlatan Ibbrahimovic will come off the bench. For Chelsea, coach Carlo Ancelotti has only three players off tonight, including Michael Ballack and Yuri Zhirkov.

8:00 Player Introductions underway. Drogba, Lampard and Terry among the starters for Chelsea...

8:07 - Charlize Theron is honored for her work with one of the charities she runs in South Africa. The LA Futbol Club, which organized the event, presented her with a jersey. She looks awesome in her black, semi-backless toga dress... (wipes drool from keyboard)

8: 10 Will Ferrell comes out dressed in a Blue Arsenal jersey to do the coin toss. He gets heckled for his last film as he leaves the pitch. We're Off!! Balotelli and Motta of Inter get the action going...

2nd Minute Florent Malouda nearly gets a shot off but is blocked. A corner kick into traffic is sent high over Inter's goal...

9th Minute: Frank Lampard of Chelsea makes a strike to didier Drogba but Drogba can't turn the corner, turnover Inter Milan

10th Minute: Inter Milan answers with a run by Sulley Muntari but his pass to Davide Santon is wide and they lose the advantage...

11th Minute: GGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!
Didier Drogba with the shot from outside the box, riccochets off goalkeeper Vid Belec into the corner. Chelsea 1-0.

13th Minute: Lampard again with a run but the ball gets away and Inter clears it... Lampard again with the shot, just to the left of the Inter Milan goal

16th Minute: Branislav Ivanovich gets a pass to Drogba but the shot on goal is stopped by Belec

17th Minute: Inter with a shot but Petr Cech makes the save.

21st Minute: Drogba on an attack is fouled, setting up a free kick for Lampard. The kick sails right into Belec's arms

23rd Minute: Salomon Kalou gets through three defenders on his way for a shot but is tripped up and loses the ball just outside the goal box...

25th Minute: Lampard on the move gets taken down outside the goal area, a little pushing as he and the Inter defender go down into the boards. KAlou tries a shot but Belec catches it...

28th Minute: Balotelli of Inter Milan threads his way towards the Chelsea goal but the ball is knocked away

30th minute: Michael Essien is called for an illegal block while trying to move the ball, turnover Inter...

33rd Minute: Balotelli sets up for a free kick as the Wave rolls through the nearly full Rose Bowl crowd. His first shot is blocked but another Chelsea foul sets up a second one, also blocked off.

37th Minute: Kalou gets another opportunity for Chelsea but his attempt is knocked away from him inside the outer box.

42nd Minute: LAmpard sets up Kalou deep inside the goal crease but he's tripped up before he can get the shot off

45th Minute: only 30 second stoppage time, no action. Halftime score, Chelsea 1, Inter Milan 0


HALFTIME SUBSTITUTIONS:
Chelsea - IN- Deco, Daniel Sturridge, Alex, Nicolas Anelka
OUT- Ricardo Carvalho, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou
Inter Milan - IN- Diego Milito OUT - Obi
46th Minute: Second half underway, teams have switched sides for the second half, Chelsea staqrts off with the ball...

48th Minute: Sturridge gets close for a scoring attempt, but his shot is blocked and Chelsea is awarded a Penalty Kick

49th Minute: Lampard to take penalty kick... GGGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! Lampard scores with the Penalty kick to the right of the goal, faking Belec to his left. Chelsea 2, Inter Milan 0

53rd Minute: Essien with a push down the right side, gets tripped up but stays with the ball but it's knocked away for Inter Milan

55th Minute: Baslotelli tries a spin kick shot but it sails high over the goal.

56th Minute: Nicolas Anelka gets in deep and gets two shots off but both are blocked and the second goes flying out of the box back into play

59th Minute: YELLOW CARD - Chelsea, Branislav Ivanovich
SUBSTITUTIONS- Inter Milan:
IN - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessandro Mancini
OUT - Thiago Motta, Cristian Chivu

62nd Minute: Deco with a shot to the right corner of the Inter Goal, Belec with the diving stop. Mikel Obi and Aptrick Viera collide, Viera stays down but touched the ball when down, no foul

63rd Minute SUBSTITUTION Chelsea-
IN - Ross Turnbull(Goal), Julian Belletti, Michael Mancienne
OUT- Cech, Ivanovich, Essien

66th Minute: Lampard with a screamer right into Belec's hands

70th Minute: Deco takes a cross pass and tries to bend a shot into the right end but gets too much on it, sending it flying out of bounds.

74th Minute: Deco again with a shot from the right side but Belec is there to catch it and end the threat

75th Minute: Michael Mancienne with a shot from the top of the box but it goes just wide left of the goal.

77th Minute:Balotelli launches a shot fro near mid field but Turnbull easily scoops it up and sends it back into play

78th Minute: Inter Milan is a man down as Ibrahimovic gets work on a cut on his hand. Lampard attempts to take advantage but his shot from the top of the box is deflected out of bounds on the left.

79th Minute: SUBSTITUTION - Chelsea -
IN - Sam Hutchinson
OUT - Ashley Cole
Inter Milan
IN - Ricardo Quaresma, Rene Krhin
OUT - Esteban Cambiasso, Mario Balotelli

81st Minute: Tonight's Attendance: 81,224...

83rd Minute: Jon Mikel Obi fouls PAtrick Viera, setting up a free kick. On the kick, the ball is redirected by Ibrahimovic but hits the side of the net. No Goal

85th Minute: Quaresma is knocekd off the ball, settiting up a free kick for Inter Milan, Ibrahimovic with the kick and it's blocked by Turnbull right in the gut.

87th Minute: SUBSTITUTION- Chelsea: IN Franco DiSanto OUT - Lampard
Lampard goes out of the game to a roar from the crowd

88th Minute:Deco again from the right side, but is knocled of the ball as Inter recovers and sends it back into the attacxk zone.

90th Minute: Three Minutes Stoppage time.

92nd Minute: Deco gets a pass to DeSanto right in the crease, but De Santo's attempt is way high and out of bounds

93rd Minute: FINAL SCORE Chelsea 2, Inter Milan 0

Tonight's Man of the Match is Didier Drogba

Spotted on the Inter Milan bench according to Allesandro Melti of GMTV, Actor Malcom McDowell was seated on the Inter Milan bench throughout the match. My intrepid Photographer Rich King got a photo with Alex DeLarge himself.

Happy Birthday America!!!

For 233, you don't look too bad!!!

Seriously, it's a great day today, I had my family come out and the little cousins all hit the pool for a couple hours while I cooked steaks and hot dogs for everyone. WE had a fireworks show planned, but the kids were complaining they were cold so everyone went home, which works out pretty well since Mom, Dad and my brother Tommy and I are sitting on the patio watching all the fireworks shows from across the river.

We can see shows in Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Whittier and all the way to Disneyland. But to celebrate, I wanted to share a clip from a very underrated musical, 1776. So sit back and enjoy this.

Who knew K.I.T.T. could sing so well? Certainly not "The Hoff"

Mollie Sugden: An Appreciation

Mollie Sugden: An Appreciation

I wanted to take a moment and pay tribute to one of the funniest women I ever saw on television. Anyone who has an appreciation for British comedy recognizes the Name Betty Elizabeth Slocombe, of the classic series, "Are You Being Served?" which ran on BBC Television in the 1970's and 80's. I first learned of her comedic genius when I discovered the show on one of the Local PBS Stations here in Los Angeles.

If you're not familiar with the show, I'll give you the Cliff Notes version. The series was set in a traditional British Department Store, Grace Brothers, and focused on the antics of the staff of the Ladies' and Gentlemen's departments, which were placed on the same floor at the beginning of the series. Mollie Sudgen played Mrs. Slocombe, the ehad of the Ladies' department and was the irascible fussbudget a "senior associate" was expected to be, according to the traditional views of the working classes in Engaland at the time.

The show was a delight, since it was the first time I started to get the subtlety of British Comedy. Before that, my exposure was mostly late-night showings of the Benny Hill Show, which did more for certain other, uhhh, "aspects" of my adolescence. I'd rather not go into detail, but suffice it to say, the show gave me an appreciation for stockings and garters, and leave it at that.

Anyway, the characters on the show, the late John Inman's iconic Mr. Humphreys, who was both MRs. Slocombe's foil and confidant, the late Wendy Richard's Miss Brahms, her junior associate and resident Eliza Doolitte sound-alike, Frank Thornton's Snooty Captain Steve Peacock, war veteran and Floor walker extraordinaire, and Trevor Bannister's Mr. Lucas, the young and impetuous youth who played off Richard's Shirley Brahms flritations, and was a constant thonr in Mrs. Slocombe's side int he early years of the show, all had a dynamic chemistry that you rarely saw on American sitcoms.

Since the British TV series are done differently in terms of the length of each season, as well as when they are broadcast, the show ran over the course of 13 years, but it became a favorite out there in the States thanks to Public Television. So if you were a fan of the show and want to honor the memory of some great television, why not make a donation to your local PBS Station in Mollie, John or Wendy's memories. If they show british comedies, so much the better.

A Sunday Cinema: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Since this past week marked the 32nd anniversary of the opening of the first Star Wars movie, and this weekend marked the 32nd anniversary of the day I saw it for the first time(Grauman's Chinese Theater, natch), I thought I would pay tribute to the movie I consider the direct ancestor of Star Wars, Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" as was posted on JOhn DeNardo's excellent website, SF Signal,  and its' weekly Sunday Cinema entry. 

Thanks to the good folks at blip.tv, a number of great films are now on the internets for everyone to enjoy. 

With that, sit back, put the picture on fullscreen and get your throwin' bone for Kubrick's non-cylon humanoid theory of evolution of the species known as man...

R.I.P. Dom Deluise

I Am Captain Chaos!! Dun Dun DUUUUNNN!!!

Boy these last two weeks have been really bad in terms of me losing people I look up to. First, as I chronicled on my racing blog, my dear friend and NASCAR Media colleague, David Poole died suddenly of a heart attack after finishing his daily NASCAR show on Sirius XM Radio. 

Then yesterday, while I was out in Manhattan Beach, celebrating Cinco de Mayo with my buddies from KLAC AM 570, I got a text message from my brother that Dom Deluise, the irrepressible comic actor  who was one of the funniest actors I ever had the privilege to meet, had died in his sleep the previous evening in a Santa Monica hospital. Yes, that's right I met him. I won't get into the details, but it happened back when I was volunteering at what is now known as the Northern Trust Open, the PGA's annual stop in Los Angeles, at the Riviera Country Club. He was as funny in person as he was on TV and in the movies. I got to tell him that I thought he was the funniest person I had ever seen, thanks to Captain Chaos. I wish I had a camera that day to take a picture with him.

He was in some of my most favorite movies, most importantly, "Cannonball Run," the seminal favorite all-star racing movie out there. Less serious, and deadly, than the David Carradine movie "Cannonball," the first Cannonball Run movie was not only my first exposure to humor like that, but it also would turn out to be the movie my late mentor, Mike Hollander, had a small cameo in, as a photographer at the finish line. 

I will always remember him every Halloween for as long as I live, for I will, from this year on, will don the now famous cape and cowl of his "alter ego" int he film, "Captain Chaos." 

Farewell, Dom. I was honored to meet you and I know that Dean and Sammy were there waiting for you to arrive.

ESPN Radio Host Named Calder Trophy Finalist

Congratulations to ESPN 710's Steve Mason for being nominated for the National Hockey League's Calder Memorial Trophy.It's the first time I can remember when a sports radio talk show host has ever earned the prestigious nomination. Given his heretofore unknown prowess at hockey's most challenging position, goaltender, especially at his age, belies a talent we have truly underestimated.

Also it really show his versatility to be able to not only work "between the Pipes" in the NHL, but also be able to put out the content a daily sports talk show needs, especially when you are travelling during the season. Good Job, Steve. We're all proud of you.

ESPN Radio's Steve Mason(Left) with former WWE Diva Candace Michelle and co-host John Ireland in 2005.

Wait a minute, what's that? it's not THAT Steve Mason, but ANOTHER Steve Mason? Okay, so the Steve Mason we're talking about was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2006, and earned 10 shutouts this season for the Jackets? and he DOESN'T work in Sports Talk radio?

Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Oh that's something different, okay, well, I feel stupid...

So, uh, Emily? would you be so kind?

Overreacting Idiots Flood Airwaves with Outrage over BK ads

You know I hate stupid people, especially when they get upset over the stupidest things. Like for instance, this controversy surrounding a couple of Burger King commercials that have set the PC Police into tactical mode.

First is a commercial for something called the "Texican Burger." This must be a regional offering in Texas because I haven't seen it out here in L.A. in the last couple months or so. The premise is a Mexican wrestler advertises for a roommate and a coboy, complete with horse shows up. The two get along perfectly, including enjoying a meal from Burger King. Here's the video that has the harrumph patrol up in arms

The second ad drawing fire is a remix of Sir Mix-A-Lot's classic rap anthem, "Baby Got Back" using elements of Spongebob Squarepants. In the video, which I'll post the "extended Dance Mix" version in a second, BK's creepy King mascot is dancing and Deejaying while a bunch of dancers dressed as America's favorite yellow sponge, complete with artificial square rears. This includes a very attractive woman in red, who also sports the aforementioned square derriere. 

  

Here's the 30-commercial version that includes Sir Mix-A-Lot in a cameo at the end.

So what are they complaining about this one? In a word, Sex. The organizations, like the vultures they are, decide that the hearts and minds of impressionable children are at risk to grow to be something other than the mindlessly obedient robots that these PC palookas want. Think of the society in "Demolition Man" that outlawed pretty much everything that people enjoy. That's the future these people are envisioning. 

I hope that if I run into one of these "concerned citizens" anytime soon, I want to rub their noses in the dirt and make them say they like the smell of their own farts. Gods, these people are annoying. 

Good-Bye, ABC and Good Riddance

You will please excuse the following rant, but it has to be said once and for all...

Dear ABC/Disney,

I never thought I would be writing something like this, least of all to a TV network but it's time SOMEONE said this.

I grew up watching your network, going way back to the 70's. I have such fond memories of endless Saturday morning cartoons, so many afternoons of Wide World of Sports, spending my nights watching almost every show from Room 222 to Moonlighting. I mean. you brought me the greatest swear word ever, Frak, when you put on Battlestar Galactica. I endured all those "Afterschool Specials," even when I had no clue what they were about. I still get chills thinking about the movie "The Day After" and the mini-series "Amerika" about a Soviet-run US. I don't even have to Mention "Roots," that's something that everyone in my generation will still remember when we first saw it.

Even after I reached adulthood, I still watched. Friday nights, when it wasn't football season, I was there with you from Full House on. You held on to Tuesday nights with Roseanne, I mean come on, who was putting a show like that on? No one, that's who. But lately, you've made some really Stupid decisions regarding shows and not giving some great shows the chance to build.

Take George Lopez, for instance. What the Frak were you thinking in cancelling it in favor of a show about Cavemen? I mean really? really? Cavemen? even Fox wouldn't have been that stupid. Then you go and let Boston Legal fall to the wayside after only five years. There were so many stories still there that could have been amazing. But you keep a show like Lost on, or worse, you subject us to "reality programming" like The Bachelor and it's incestuous sibling, The Bachelorette. Did you not see how Seth McFarlane skewered in that episode of "Family Guy?"

But the last straw came this week for me when "Life on Mars" was cancelled after only one season. That did it. That was my breaking point. As of now, I'm officially through with you. Other than the Indy 500, the end of the NASCAR season and the College Football season, I won't be watching anymore. I'll get the DVD's for Ugly Betty, or better yet, watch the original novella, Betty La Fea, on Telefutura, but for all intents and purposes, I'm done watching ABC. Sadly, that also means no more Jimmy Kimmel as well, but some sacrifices have to be made to make a point.

So farewell, ABC. Don't let the door hit you on the ass as you leave...

I'm Still Standing...

Okay, you're all probably wondering where the hell I've been, well that's pretty easy to explain. Once again, my body's defenses were breached by one of my most vexing foes, bronchitis. Thos battle of respiratory wills has been going on all the way back to my childhood when I would, like clockwork, fall ill with it right when Halloween approached.

Just like Punxatawney Phil every February, I would come down with my annual bout with this nasty chest invader right around the middle of October. From First grade until Fifth, I would get the bad news from my doctor, home for two weeks at the end of October, and no going out for Halloween. It drove me crazy.

Every year, I had a great costume set up for the big day to wear and win the school's costume contest, and when the day came, I was laying inmy bed at home, coughing up a lung while everyone else at school paraded around in their finest. What was worse was hearing the doorbell ring all night and all my friends from school show up trick or treating. Third grade was the worst, I had convinced Mom to make me Chewbacca, which after the loss of my grandfather the previous month, was no trouble at all.

Of course, in the cruelest irony of the disease's progress, as soon as November 1 rolled around, my lungs were clear and I had to suffer through all the talk of what everyone got when they went trick-or-treating. Of course, everyone knew I had been sick that whole time, so my "real" friends always had a bag of treats waiting for me when I came back.

So fast forward to this century, and my old nemesis has returned with a vengance. A couple years ago, it hit me pretty hard, aggrivating the congestive heart fialure I was already suffering from. Of course, I don't think I've ever really gotten past it. I know my brother suffers from some type of chronic congestion, which I hear every night coming from his bedroom in the form of some really nasty coughing fits in the middle of the night. I have a persistent cough after I eat, which is quite odd, if you ask me. 

Anyway, right now, I'm putting all my energies into the book that my friend and I are writing. in two weeks, it will be one year since we first started to write it together, a little five paragraph story between us to keep ourselves occupied while we were separated because of some family obligations and our time online was limited to the evenings. I'll have an update on it soon,

So where were we?

So as the year was coming to a close, I had announced that I was going to change the name of this blog to one focused on motor sports. Well, I thought about it and it occured to me, "Why should I change this blog when I could just make another one?"

So I did. Now you have "Backstretch Burners" my new motorsports Blog. And th Diablos Sports Page will continue to bounce around the universe out there, but I'm still mulling a change to the name.

More later, but just remember one thing about me, "I don't work on January 8th, 'cause that's Elvis' birthday"

(anyone know where that quote is from? Show me how much of a Movie geek you are)