Phillies Fever Once More!

My lovely wife and I were in the stands as Saturday afternoon turned into Saturday evening, when the Philadelphia Phillies won their second straight National League East Division Championship! What an exciting afternoon, what a great game to watch, and an unbelievable experience, being there in person. I've been around a few championships in my life (you don't spend 15 years as a student then employee at Villanova in the Athletic Department without your share of celebrations) but other than attending the 1993 National League Playoffs and the 1993 World Series games in Philadelphia, this was the first time I've been to a Phillies game that was truly a championship! Thank you, Phillies, for another great season -- now, let's take the Brewers! (PS: Somebody somewhere found the old, 1970s "Phillies Fever" song and created a YouTube page for it -- enjoy it!)

The Magic Number is ONE!

I'll see you in the stands Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park!

Great Phillies-Mets story from The Onion

This is a tremendously funny (to me) story about the Phillies and the Mets from The Onion!

A Superman Murder Mystery?

Author Brad Meltzer just published a mystery novel -- The Book of Lies -- about the death of the father of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel. On Sunday, August 31st, the New York Daily News published in their regular feature "The Justice Story" background on the case, entitled "Truth, Justice and a Stickup." It's interesting food for thought for a lifelong Superman afficianado such as me. I'm also looking forward to reading Meltzer's book, once I work my way through a deep pile of unread books already collecting some light dust on my bookshelf over the last couple months! (Click on this link -- The Book of Lies -- to order from my Amazon.com personal store and help yours truly earn a couple extra pennies!)

The Spinners on Video: "Games People Play" from Soul Train

Who is Rocky Bozell, What is the Intl Star Registry...

...and how important is it that the star you name is "recorded in book form"? What the heck do they mean by that? Do I spend way too much time listening to late-night talk radio? You tell me...And is he at all related to Billy Blaze?

12:45, Headed for the subway home...

Another favorite has passed...Pervis Jackson, the bass singer for The Spinners, passed away recently...From the obit: "Known to friends and associates as 'Mr. 12:45' -- a nod to his trademark lyric in the hit 'They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)' -- Jackson was heralded as a consummate professional, making time to mingle with fans and serving as the group's de facto spokesman."...I was able to see The Spinners a few times in the late 1980s/early 1990s, including one memorable concert at Villanova's Pavilion on a double-bill with the Four Tops (both acts got the building late, and argued about which group would open and which would close, leading to a long delay before The Spinners took the stage first)...My affection for The Spinners had to have grown out of that early '70s phase when they would record in Philadelphia, and appear on the "Mike Douglas" show...I just downloaded the entire "Spinners Live at the Latin Casino" on iTunes, back-to-back with "Isaac Hayes Live at the Sahara Taho." Don't get much better than that!

West Point Atmosphere from Army-Temple Football Game