Christmas cards are great in any form

One if by Land. Two if by Sea. Three if by Drone. Four if by Email. Nobody will remember how it got here, only that it did.

It all started so innocently. My sister Helen was in Las Vegas for a conference in February of 2012. In the lobby were a few men at a table talking baseball and signing autographs. The two former major leaguers were trying to generate some interest. They asked for questions from the relatively small audience. My sister called me and asked for some baseball trivia. Talking about baseball never goes out of season. The guy at the table closest to my sister asked for her phone. First, a question to me followed by a few jokes, and the two hours flew right by.

I knew the ending, but I had to look up the career for left handed pitcher, Dave Dravecky. 64 wins with 57 losses. Lifetime Earned Run Average - 3.13. Fewer hits than innings pitched. 0.60 postseason ERA. One National League Championship Series shutout. One lifetime home run. Spending eight years in the big leagues(The Show). We shared the same birthday (Valentine's Day). I was mesmerized as we spoke.

Dave Dravecky underwent his first operation Oct. 7, 1988, after a cancerous tumor was diagnosed in the primary throwing muscle of his left arm. Doctors conducted an eight-hour operation to remove a malignant tumor and nearly half the deltoid muscle, and told him he never would pitch again.

Ten months later, on Aug. 10, 1989, Dravecky pitched seven shutout innings for the San Francisco Giants in a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

But five days later, while pitching against the Montreal Expos, his left arm snapped and he collapsed on the mound in agony.

The bone healed and Dravecky was considering another comeback when the arm was broken again, this time during a freak on-field celebration with his teammates when the Giants clinched the 1989 National League pennant with a victory over the Chicago Cubs.

"As soon as the doctor told me the cancer had returned , I knew the score. He was my friend and it wasn't easy on him. I trusted him. I had faith in him. He did what was best for me and my family and I am grateful."

"In as much as there is a certain amount of fear involved in losing my arm, it is a sense of almost relief that I feel," Dravecky said. "The pain and discomfort of that time is now about to end and I look forward to once again doing the things I enjoy."

After recovering from the surgery, Dravecky went on to begin a new career as a motivational speaker. He has written two books about his battles with cancer and his comeback attempt: Comeback, published in 1990 and When You Can't Come Back, coauthored with wife Jan and Ken Gire in 1992.

Those are my stocking stuffers. Merry Christmas to all.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

J-E-T-S are not even close to rockbottom

Imagine the reception awaiting the head coach of the New York Jets, a four-time champ for a franchise that, until he took over, hadn't won it all since LBJ was in the oval office. Imagine how Belichick would be celebrated in the big city after serving as an invaluable defensive coordinator for Bill Parcells' two title teams with the Giants and then taking the Jets places Parcells could not take them.

Bill poetically penned that he was quitting as “HC of the NYJ. "I resigned because I wasn't comfortable with the situation with the Jets."

On Thanksgiving Day November 22, 2012, QB Mark Sanchez had his infamous Jet moment, running into the backside of offensive lineman Brandon Moore and fumbling the football on national TV.

To add insult to injury, New England Patriots' safety Steve Gregory scooped up the fumble for a touchdown en route to a 49-19 rout over Gang Green.

"I want to kiss you."

The words spoken by Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath on the sidelines on December 20, 2003 to Suzy Kolber were taken from the single hit All the Young Dudes by Mott the Hoople. The song, written by David Bowie, was given to the struggling rockgroup. Bowie gave them the record in May of 1972 because he thought they were great, and didn't want them to breakup. Joe Namath was dealing with the breakup of his struggling marriage. "I couldn't care less about the team strug-gle-ling."

All the young dudes
Carry the news

The stars were aligned on January 12, 1969 when Joe Namath led the New York Jets to a 16-7 guaranteed victory over the Baltimore Colts. “That Super Bowl Game III, which we lost by nine points, was the critical year (for the AFL),” Colts defensive end Bubba Smith famously told Playboy. “The game just seemed odd to me. Everything was out of place. I tried to rationalize that our coach, Don Shula, got out-coached, but that wasn’t the case. I don’t know if any of my teammates were in on the fix.”

The lead guitarist for Mott the Hoople, Mick Ralphs left the group in 1974 to form the band Bad Company. He must be a J-E-T-S fan.

How poetic.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Mike Zimmer becomes the first head coach to behave like normal

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was back at practice on Tuesday, after two operations last week on a detached retina in his right eye. While the coach said doctors "haven't told me I can't do anything," he added he'll be smart about his eye going forward. I understand the seriousness of the issue. Zimmer will be able to travel on the team flight to Florida this weekend, and Zimmer said there is no gas bubble on his eye to push his retina back into place.

This is a completely different approach than the original one for the Vikings' head coach. Zimmer had his first eye surgery in early November. The issue came about after he had trouble with his vision, and scratched his eye during an Oct. 31 game at the Chicago Bears. That’s when he was diagnosed with a torn retina. The Associated Press report said he was at risk for blindness if he didn’t get treatment right away. Zimmer wanted to put off the operation until after the Dallas Cowboys' game last Thursday, but doctors won the battle and emergency surgery was performed.

On January 10, 1983, Dick Vermeil, describing himself as ''emotionally burned out'' after seven years of self-imposed workdays of 18 and 20 hours, resigned today as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. "I'm my own worst enemy," said Vermeil, who made a practice of sleeping on a cot in his office at least three nights a week during the season. "I'm far too intense, far too emotional."

Nick Saban responded to a question about the 2016 presidential election by saying that he "didn't even know yesterday was Election Day." Alabama coach Nick Saban says he forgot about Election Day, not about voting. He says Tuesdays are the busiest day of the week for the coaches.

Former Providence College head basketball coach Pete Gillen always preached teamwork and togetherness. "This isn't open-heart surgery. We want to win, but we also want to have fun and enjoy playing together. The hard work is always there. The stress, the anxiety and the sacrifice ... that's all part of it. But if the journey is all pain and misery, then, to me, you're missing a big ingredient to life."

Gillen may not have always practiced what he preached. When the elementary school called Providence Athletics one day to inform the coach that his young son was injured on the playground, Gillen did not know his son's social security number, date of birth or teacher's name. Fortunately, somebody at the college was able to look up the vital information. Gillen's wife was out of town.

Oakland Raiders' head coach John Madden retired as a Super Bowl winning head coach at 42. He was the youngest coach ever to reach 100 career regular season victories, a record he compiled in only ten full seasons of coaching. The Raiders did not make the playoffs in his final season. When informed by his wife Virginia that their oldest son needed a car for college, Madden replied" I didn't know he had his license." The kid had been driving for two years.

Barry Switzer coached the Dallas Cowboys for four seasons, winning one Super Bowl in his tenure. His motto was " Tail-lights at Two O'Clock." His interest had waned significantly following his 16 years at the University of Oklahoma. Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones tolerated Switzer's behavior because the team was successful.

In August 1997, Switzer was arrested after a loaded .38-caliber revolver was found in his luggage at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Switzer said there were children at his Dallas home and he put the gun in his bag to hide it from them. He said he accidentally forgot to remove the gun from the bag before heading to the airport.

I wonder if Nick Saban knows that Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November or that February has only 28 days. No chance of teaching him about Leap Year. We won't touch it.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

It never gets old listening to the Greatest Generation

One for the Ages

The best part of being in the U. S. Navy is meeting new people from all over the country. The close quarters on the ship put you right next to some guy who talks with an accent. The bunks go three high and two across taking up about five feet of space way down below the ocean's surface.

With today being Thanksgiving, the three F's are in play: Family, Food and Football. The average person will consume 4500 calories. 88% of Americans will eat the traditional turkey dinner at home or on the road. 75% will attend or watch a football game. The average weight gain will be 1.3 lbs. To work off those calories, it will take six hours of running or 45 miles of walking.

The guy with the funny accent was from Chattanooga. I slept right next to him and we would tell stories most nights well past midnight.

Jerry was a running back for his high school team who were appropriately named the Volunteers. In their Thanksgiving week rivalry game, they were matched against the Tigers from across the bridge. Most rivalries are really not because one team generally dominates the other.

Jerry's team had lost the past three years to the Tigers, and his senior year was probably going to be a clean sweep.

With the score 14-6 at the half, the Volunteers kicked off to the Tigers. Normally, the tee used on the kickoff is retrieved by some youngster. This time, the team manager decided that he would run out and grab the tee. Mike Wilson was the team manager and a high school senior. It would be his only chance to get on the field.

As Mike went onto the field to pickup the kicking tee at the 40 yard line, he worried that he might be in the way of the game. Mike was born with only one leg. He moved so fast that his leg fell off and he hopped to the sidelines with the tee. He then went back on the field and grabbed his leg, triumphantly raising it over his head to show the 12,000 plus fans that he was alright. The roars were deafening.

They say football games can change on the results of a single play. The good looking, wise cracking Mike Wilson had made his appearance for that one shining moment count.

Volunteers 26 Tigers 24

Latin plays English, Classical plays English, and Concord should still play Lexington. Enjoy the games and the day. It is by far the best day of the year.

This article was replayed due to the urging of my longtime friend, Jerry.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

The Greatest Generation versus The Millenials, no contest

A Cook County judge on Wednesday turned back a legal challenge by Fenwick High School to overturn its disputed loss in a football playoff game last weekend.

The ruling by Judge Kathleen Kennedy came in a lawsuit filed by Fenwick against the Illinois High School Association, which had refused to hear an appeal by the private Catholic school in Oak Park, citing a bylaw declaring that decisions by officials shall be final.

A mistaken decision by officials with no time left allowed Plainfield North to tie last weekend's game with a field goal in regulation and then win 18-17 in overtime on a two-point conversion.

Near the end of regulation in Saturday's semifinal game, Fenwick was clinging to a 10-7 lead and had the ball at its own 15-yard line. With four seconds left, the Friars' quarterback threw a deep pass on fourth down for an incompletion, seemingly ending the game.

But the officials ruled that play to be intentional grounding, a penalty. With no time left on the clock, the officiating crew then awarded Plainfield North one play, allowing them to kick a game-tying field goal.

Several hours after the game, the IHSA issued a statement stating the officials erred when they gave Plainfield North one final play after the passing penalty. The IHSA cited bylaw 6.033 states that "the decisions of game officials are final."

The Fifth Down Game was played on November 16, 1940 between Cornell University and Dartmouth College. The college football game was conceded by the victor after films confirmed that errors by the game officials had allowed an unpermitted fifth down as the last play of the game.

Cornell entered the contest with 18 straight victories. Dartmouth managed to corral Cornell's potent offense for nearly the entire low-scoring game. Dartmouth scored first, kicking a field goal early in the fourth quarter.

With less than a minute remaining in the game, Cornell got the ball on Dartmouth's six-yard line. Cornell had four chances to win the game. On first down, FB Mort Landsberg gained three yards. A second down run by HB Walt Scholl moved the ball to the one-yard line. On third down, Mort Landsberg tried to run up the middle, but gained only a few inches. On fourth down, Cornell was penalized for delay of game, and Referee Red Friesell spotted the ball just over the 5-yard line in order to replay the fourth down. With nine seconds left on the clock, quarterback "Pop" Scholl threw an incomplete pass into the end zone. Normally, the ball would have gone to Dartmouth, which would have used up the remaining seconds and won the game, 3–0.

But following the fourth down, Linesman Joe McKenny signaled that it was first down and that the ball should go to Dartmouth at the 20 yard line. Referee Friesell did not agree and gave the ball to Cornell and placed it on the six-yard line on fourth down when in actuality it was "fifth" down. Making the most of the unexpected opportunity, QB Scholl threw a touchdown pass to William Murphy, and following the extra-point kick, Cornell won the game 7–3.

Officials discovered their error after reviewing the game films. Head Coach Carl Snavely, acting athletic director Bob Kane, and President Edmund Ezra Day, a Dartmouth alumnus, agreed that Cornell should send a telegram to Dartmouth offering to forfeit the game. Cornell players voted unanimously to award the game to Red Blaik's Indians. Dartmouth accepted.

Although there is some doubt whether the 1940 Cornell forfeit was "official" according to NCAA rules, the game is regarded as a 3–0 Dartmouth victory, instead of a 7–3 triumph by Cornell. This is the only time in the history of football that a game was decided off the field.

Here's hoping East St. Louis High beats Plainfield North fair and square in the state championship game. We only have eight justices on the United States Supreme Court.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

We have nothing to fear, but the next four years

"Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear." - Dan Millman

It has been only two weeks, but it feels like a lifetime. Swearing off watching, reading or listening to the President-elect requires skill. "What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career". They will be put to good use in the next four years.

The bet was for only $50.00. That I could go one month without watching, listening or talking about sports. The honor system was in play. I'd like to tell you it was the easiest 50 bucks I ever made, but that would be untrue. And to top it off, it was during the football season. The biggest motivating factor was that I was dealing with the cheapest person on the planet. One who would take the batteries out of his transistor radio during lunch so nobody could listen.

It isn't the product that turned me off, it was the customer treatment. To deny a $500.00 prize because some poor soul didn't have all the bottle caps from the same bottling plant in spelling PEPSI was cruel and unusual. Finding a needle in a haystack would have been easier. It has been 42 years, and even having Cindy Crawford in your commercials couldn't bring me back. I hope the pour soul appreciates my support.

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. Giving up alcohol, donuts, chocolate cake, meat on fridays, smoking, swearing, candy or telling lies are too easy. Without Sundays, it is only 40 days.

It was July 18, 2015 when Donald Trump put me on the road to nowhere. After the flamboyant businessman turned presidential candidate belittled Senator John McCain’s war record, many Republicans concluded that silence or equivocation about Mr. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric was inadequate.

Mr. Trump upended a Republican presidential forum here, and the race more broadly, by saying of the Arizona senator and former prisoner of war: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Mr. McCain, a naval aviator, was shot down during the Vietnam War and held prisoner for more than five years in Hanoi, refusing early release even after being repeatedly beaten.

If John McCain can endure 5 1/2 years at the Hanoi Hilton, I can easily play games for the next four years turning channels, shutting off the radio, avoiding breaking news, walking away from conversations and not reading any of the daily newspapers.

I already got the ball rolling by purchasing three new remotes for the television from the cable company. Like the Dollar Shave Club, I signed up to have triple AAA batteries sent directly from the main office to my home on a monthly basis.

If by chance he wins a second term, I will grab a PEPSI and go to Plan B. If it lasts more than four years, I will call my doctor about the side effects of: nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue and stomach pain.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Every picture tells a story, don't it

Heath Nielsen, 47, is free on bond following his arrest earlier this month on a misdemeanor assault warrant stemming from an attack on Nov. 5 in which a sportswriter was grabbed by the throat and pushed away from a player after the Bears’ 62-22 loss to TCU. Nielsen is in his 17th year at Baylor University, works directly with the football program “and is responsible for management of the public image of the program.”

““I was leaning back to take the photo. About that time, they came in and tomahawk-chopped, trying to knock the phone that I had taken the picture with out of my hand. They were unsuccessful in trying to do that, and when they couldn’t do that they came up and they grabbed my throat, and I pulled back. Whenever I looked up, I saw that it was Heath Nielsen.”

Following the rehearsal dinner, it was back to Cambridge for pictures of the wedding party.

Past tense: shooed; make (a person or animal) go away by waving one's arms at them, saying “shoo,” or otherwise acting in a discouraging manner.

My father's mother kept my mother out of the picture because she only wanted a photo of her five children. I don't ever recall my mother visiting the Cambridge residence when we were kids. She wasn't like the hotheaded Sonny Corleone or Heath Nielsen of Baylor. It was Silent Night for my grandmother.

All photos matter.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Every picture tells a story, don't it

Heath Nielsen, 47, is free on bond following his arrest earlier this month on a misdemeanor assault warrant stemming from an attack on Nov. 5 in which a sportswriter was grabbed by the throat and pushed away from a player after the Bears’ 62-22 loss to TCU. Nielsen is in his 17th year at Baylor University, works directly with the football program “and is responsible for management of the public image of the program.”

““I was leaning back to take the photo. About that time, they came in and tomahawk-chopped, trying to knock the phone that I had taken the picture with out of my hand. They were unsuccessful in trying to do that, and when they couldn’t do that they came up and they grabbed my throat, and I pulled back. Whenever I looked up, I saw that it was Heath Nielsen.”

Following the rehearsal dinner, it was back to Cambridge for pictures of the wedding party.

Past tense: shooed; make (a person or animal) go away by waving one's arms at them, saying “shoo,” or otherwise acting in a discouraging manner.

My father's mother kept my mother out of the picture because she only wanted a photo of her five children. I don't ever recall my mother visiting the Cambridge residence when we were kids. She wasn't like the hotheaded Sonny Corleone or Heath Nielsen of Baylor. It was Silent Night for my grandmother.

All photos matter.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

No longer does he have his eyes wide shut

The retirement party on Saturday was superb. All the featured speakers were spot on in praising our friend, George. He was getting out of the airline business after 36 years. There was a break in the action following the speeches and the place emptied out. It is hard to believe so many were headed outside to smoke cigarettes. I went out to listen to the stories.

One of the great storytellers was just a few feet from the door. John had been a heavy drinker for over 40 years. He knew the day would come sometime so he decided to quit when he was wife got sick. This seemed like the honorable thing to do. It was much easier than he anticipated.

With extra time on his hands, John mapped out his next mission. He sat down and wrote a letter for the first time since he was a teenager in the United States Marine Corps. Dear John.

The goal was to perform one act of kindness every day. That will be 7300 nice gestures over the next twenty years if they let me stick around that long.

There have been easy ones like paying for a stranger's coffee or letting somebody go ahead in line. A favorite was giving directions to an elderly Irish woman. "She didn't understand me and I didn't understand her. So I lifted her into my truck and put her in the passenger's seat while I put her pocketbook on the console. In five minutes, she was at her destination."

I used to speed up when I went by the church or blow through red lights when I was running late. I had no patience for anybody when I waited in line at the store. I couldn't wait to get out of work and always had excuses to cut out early. I used to think that the library was just a big building with a bunch of bricks.

And now, I can't believe I just got my first library card. It looked as though I were headed to AA. And now I'm a member of AAA.

Hey buddy, need a lift. I'm headed that way.



Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

It appears civility in today's society may be dead

14 years is not nearly enough time for Genesis drummer and solo artist, Phil Collins to forget the treatment he received from Paul McCartney. The Beatles had been a major early influence on Collins, including their drummer Ringo Starr. The party at Buckingham Palace in 2002 where Collins approached Paul McCartney ended whatever hero-worshipping that may have existed.

"McCartney came up to me with Heather Mills and I had a first edition of 'The Beatles' by Hunter Davies. ‘Hey Paul, do you mind signing this for me?’ And he said, ‘Oh Heather, our little Phil’s a bit of a Beatles fan.’

Phil Collins' credits include eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists. He is one of three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band. He has won seven Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, an Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award.

In 1999, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010, and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2012.

I just finished listening to all six minutes 36 seconds of Sussudio. The title of the song by Phil Collins was named for a stutterer who could not pronounce studio. Sussudio is an imaginary girl's name. The song is about having a crush on someone when you are young. He used Sussudio as a name to encompass any girl.

Phil Collins found it important enough to acknowledge those who are not perfect. Collins has battled numerous physical ailments over the past decade. He lost the ability to play drums due to the considerable pain this caused. He lost the feeling in his left leg following surgery and walks with a cane.

I am swearing off listening to any Paul McCartney songs. Let the moratorium begin. It was pretty easy in changing the dial for Hey Jude.

It has been 43 years since I have knowingly purchased any Pepsi products due to their misguided customer treatment. With 310 channels on Sirius Radio, I am well equipped to give Paul McCartney the same treatment.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Nobody has been able to lay off one, yet

Peter Pan was the top movie in theaters in 1953, with a lifetime gross of over $87,400,000. It was 60 cents to go to the movies. The Massachusetts schoolboy baseball tournament was held at Fenway Park, and there was no admission required.

The tournament featured powerhouse Bay State schools from: Somerville, Newton and Milford. The fourth school represented were the diminutive Patriots from Concord. Enrollment was barely 100 students, and that encompassed three other towns(Bedford, Carlisle and Lincoln). Concord was in the midst of a 59 game winning streak on the gridiron, but baseball had never been its strong suit.

Future Cleveland Indians' draftee, lefthander Dave Bouchard got Concord off on the right foot with a complete game victory over previous State Champion Somerville, 3-2. The game featured a two run homer into the left field screen by stocky catcher, Dave DiRuzzo. The ball was belted just to the left of the flagpole atop the center field wall and scored Ken Olsen from first base who had reached on a single.

The Lions from Newton were the semifinal opponent for Concord. The game was tied 3-3 in the eighth inning when Newton's Mike Oliver blasted a line drive over the head of Concord centerfielder, Don Cullinane. The shot one hopped the wall as Oliver raced around the bases. The speedy Cullinane retrieved the ball off the wall and threw in the air to the cutoff man. Shortstop Ken Olsen made a perfect throw to third baseman Dave Wade who applied the tag on the hustling Oliver.

A late tally by Concord in the bottom of the inning gave them the lead and they hung on for the win, 4-3. The winning pitcher was righthander, Al Stockelberg. Concord would face Milford in the finals. Righthander Ralph Lumenti would be pitching for Milford. Ralph was just three years away from professional baseball with the Washington Senators in the American League.

Milford led throughout the contest and held a 5-4 lead into the ninth inning. Concord had rallied in the eighth, cutting the deficit to a single run. Lumenti had struggled mightily with his control and walked two batters
while getting two outs. He faced Arthur Duggan with hot hitting Ken Olsen on deck. Duggan worked a 3-2 count and time was called while the Milford manager, the catcher and infielders huddled at the mound. Duggan walked over to the ondeck circle for some instructions from Olsen.

"Whatever you do, don't swing. He can't find homeplate with a compass. Take your walk and I'll either tie or win the game."

Hoosiers - In 1951, Norman Dale arrives in the rural southeast Indiana town of Hickory to become a high school teacher and head basketball coach. He was hired by Cletus Summers, the principal and a longtime friend of Dale's. Dale, just out of the Navy, had been a champion collegiate coach until he struck one of his players. The coaching position in Hickory is a last chance for him.

The school enrollment is so small that Dale has only seven players on his squad. At his first practice, Dale quickly dismisses one, Buddy Walker, for not paying attention and talking while the coach is talking. Another, Whit Butcher, walks out in support of his friend, leaving Dale with only 5 players, the minimum needed to play.

Hickory shocks the state by reaching the championship game in Indianapolis. In a large arena and before a crowd bigger than any they've seen, the Hickory players face long odds to defeat the defending state champions from South Bend, whose players are taller and more athletic. But with Jimmy Chitwood scoring at the last second, tiny Hickory takes home the 1952 Indiana state championship.


The same can not be said for Concord. Their best hitter remained in the ondeck circle. Arthur Duggan did the opposite of what he was told, chasing the 3-2 curveball in the dirt that was a foot off the plate. 63 years may have moved the cost of a movie ticket to $7.92, but it hasn't moved Ken Olsen from wondering, "what if"?

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Concord Can't Close Cold Case

Jim Greer of Concord, MA was an executive for The Raytheon Company (a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics). The company has a planned shutdown for the first two weeks of July. The Greer family was on Cape Cod as the race for President in 1964 heated up.

It rankled some of the youngsters in the neighborhood that the Greer family had life so easy. The two cars in the yard, the freshly painted house, and a bumper sticker supporting Barry Goldwater on the fancy gray Rolls Royce was too much for David Baker, Ted Murphy and Danny Hurstak. With the family away for a few weeks, why not bring show them a thing or two about politics in Massachusetts? Two extremely large LBJ 64 signs were sprayed on the hood and trunk of the polished Rolls Royce.

In modern times, paint (particularly spray paint) and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's permission is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime.

All the mothers of the boys, Elizabeth Hurstak, Evelyn Baker and Helen Murphy, may have all been complicit in "SprayGate." The mothers did purchase some paint thinner and ordered the boys to rub the paint off the Rolls Royce, but the oil based primer that the boys used would not budge. The women laughed when the Greers returned from their vacation. The family was aghast when they witnessed the damage.

The local police heard through the grapevine about the destruction on Garden Rd. and dispatched two rookie cops to assess the situation. Danny Hurstak, a future United States Marine, did the talking for the group. He was easily able to hoodwink the young policemen and the investigation was closed shortly, thereafter.

While the statute of limitations has long expired for Baker and Murphy, it is possible for charges to still be filed. Charges were brought against Hurstak because he moved out of state to Hawaii in 1978. Under state law, the statute of limitations is suspended if a person moves out of state, meaning charges could still be filed decades after the alleged incident.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley had no comment on the case. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Hurstak will cower and turn state's evidence against choirboys, Baker and Murphy. Danny Hurstak became a successful businessman in the 50th state, and clearly would not want his past criminal behavior to surface.

When asked why he did not call the police, Jim Greer replied, "I didn't want those hooligans to deep six my other vehicle in the Concord River, which was just two blocks away."

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Florida State football reaches alltime low

How far will a school go to protect a star athlete from rape allegations? Ask Florida State.

Our film The Hunting Ground and the New York Times have already detailed the extent of FSU’s derailment of Jameis Winston’s rape case, but a recently released, explosive deposition shows how top-level administrators were actively involved in this cover-up.

The Tampa Bay Times published the complete testimony of FSU Victim Advocate Director Melissa Ashton that was given in the just-settled case of Erica Kinsman versus Florida State University. Ashton’s testimony revealed that:

1. Jameis Winston (now the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has been identified in the sexual assaults of two women, and
2. The Florida State Chief of Police and the Dean of Students colluded to stop the investigations of Winston.

FSU’s victim advocate office had 113 sexual assault reports over 2014, yet FSU’s administration reported only 14 sexual assaults to the federal government. QB Jameis Winston Winston won the Heisman Trophy and in early January, 2014 led his team to the national championship.

Florida State opened the 2016 season at home against the Ole Miss Rebels. Trailing 21-6 at halftime, head coach Jimbo Fisher had Jameis Winston give the Seminoles a pep talk. The speech worked to perfection, and Florida State rallied, winning easily, 45-34. A 52-8 win against creampuff, Charlestown Southern gave the Noles a 2-0 record. They held the number two ranking in the NCAA College Football poll.

On the road against upstart University of Louisville this past Saturday, the wheels came off the bandwagon. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson accounted for five touchdowns, and a 35-10 halftime lead reached 63-10 in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals made no attempt to increase the 53 point margin. Florida State scored a TD with just five minutes remaining to close the gap to 63-17. If the score held, it would supposedly be the worst loss in Florida State football history.

With two minutes remaining in Saturday's contest, Louisville punted to Florida State. The Seminoles mounted a drive into Louisville territory that reached the 16 yard line. 51 seconds were left on the clock at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium when FSU kicker Ricky Aguayo booted a 33 yard field goal to make the final score, 63-20.

Florida State was under the assumption that a 45 point loss was their worst beating ever. The Seminoles worst loss remains 49-0 to Florida in 1973. The loss Saturday was the worst since 47-0 to Miami in 1976, in Bobby Bowden's second season as the Seminoles head coach.

The word on the street for Florida State fans used to be that " they would have one shirt and a 20 dollar bill, and change neither for the weekend." The team, when faced with adversity, is not even at that level.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Trot Nixon used all 24 hours on 9/11

Trot Nixon, then an outfielder with the Boston Red Sox, was in Florida where the team was to play the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. But Nixon had made the team aware that he might at a moment's notice to attend the birth of his child. He received the call he was waiting for from his wife in Boston at 6 a.m. on Sept. 11. He got on a 7:05 a.m. flight to Boston. But he wasn't going to get back to Boston by air on this day.

The flight was forced to land in Norfolk, Va. He called his wife, Kathryn, to tell her that he would not be able to be on hand for the birth of their child, but be with her in labor. He did not think he could be completely specific about the tragedy that had disrupted travel.

The airline pilot came on the intercom and said we are going to have ground our flight in Norfolk, Virginia. There has been an unfortunate tragedy in New York. And he said the terrorist attacked. He didn't relinquish that it was two airplanes crashing into the towers.

"So the plane did a U-turn -- you know a quick turn -- and started heading back. Meanwhile, as I read stories this past year, a lot of the flight attendant and airline pilots were kind of not so much scared, but didn't know what to expect, didn't know if there was someone on our flight or not. None of the passengers paid any attention to it.

"Then Kathryn called me. I remember it was 1:32 p.m. and she told me we had a little baby boy, Chase," Nixon said. "I started crying. I am not afraid to cry. She put him up to the phone. He was screaming and yelling. It was awesome. Just to hear him was a relief. To know that Kathryn was fine and everything went well during the delivery, and the baby was healthy. He's got 10 fingers, 10 toes -- everything that you sit there and pray day in and day out that you have a healthy baby."

The one fortunate part of the story was that Nixon had family in the area. He recruited his mother, father and sister to drive with him to Boston. There were highway closings and related complications along the way, and Nixon had only two hours of sleep the previous night after traveling to Tampa. But Nixon got to Boston about 3 a.m. the next day, and he got to hold his newborn son. In the midst of a day of death and devastation, his family had been given the gift of life.

"We will not forget what happened that day," said Trot Nixon. "We will not forget the people -- the men and women who sacrificed their lives to save others, who where there working 24 hours a day, seven days a week since it happened. We will honor those people. But we are also going to treat it as a celebration of Chase's birthday."

Chase Nixon is now 15 years old. Let's hope he has the same fine career as his father, and famous relative, James "Catfish" Hunter. Catfish had a Hall of Fame career as a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. He died at 53 of ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

We can handle the truth if we hear it

The Toronto Blue Jays named Tim Johnson as their manager for the 1998 season following the firing of Cito Gaston and the interim management of pitching coach Mel Queen. Queen remained on as pitching coach under Johnson and the two reportedly feuded extensively, despite Johnson's reputation as a good communicator. Johnson also had rumored differences with several of his players, including Pat Hentgen, Ed Sprague, and Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.

It was revealed that Johnson lied about horrific experiences in Vietnam, when in fact there was no truth to them at all. And not only did Tim Johnson fabricate lies about his experiences in Vietnam, but he also lied about being an All-American basketball player who turned down a chance to play for UCLA.

One of the incidents in question was when Tim Johnson opted to use Rogers Clemens instead of Pat Hentgen to pitch a series finale in Boston. After Hentgen responded unfavorably, Johnson quipped back saying something to the effect of “you don’t know anything about tough spots … pressure is in Vietnam.”

Of all people, it was actually Roger Clemens who discovered Tim Johnson’s secret. At the time, Clemens was a good friend of Johnson; and knowing of his wartime stories and that he was a big motorcycle fan, wanted to get him a present any veteran would be honored to receive – a motorcycle helmet featuring the logo of his combat unit.

Roger Clemens asked around trying to gather some background info on Tim Johnson, to no avail. Clemens even went as far as to ask Johnson’s wife, but she apparently knew nothing about it. And that was the beginning of the end of Tim Johnson’s time with the Blue Jays

Ryan Lochte admitted in an embarrassing interview with NBC's Matt Lauer that he fabricated parts of his story that he was robbed at gunpoint while in Rio de Janeiro. "I over-exaggerated that story and if I had never done that, we wouldn't be in this mess. " The claim created a minor international incident and caused Lochte to lose a number of sponsorships.

"None of this would have happened," Lochte added about the aftermath in which three of his fellow swimmers were questioned by Brazilian police and one was ordered to donate nearly $11,000 to a Brazilian charity.

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady returned to practice after sitting out three days due to a clubhouse mishap. Brady cut his right thumb with a pair of scissors while cleaning his spikes. The accident occurred one hour prior to the exhibition game at Gillette Stadium against the Chicago Bears

The NFC Title game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco was played on January 10, 1982. The game featured "The Catch" by wide receiver Dwight Clark at the back of the endzone on the pass thrown by QB Joe Montana. The touchdown reception gave the 49ers the lead with 58 seconds to play. San Francisco held on for an exciting 28-27 victory, and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Four year old Tom Brady claimed he was at the 1982 NFC Title game, and he was in the stands in the endzone where Clark made the miraculous catch.

I guess Roger Clemens isn't the only one who "misremembers" important moments in history.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service. Founded on December 14, 2002, and launched on May 5, 2003 it is mainly used for professional networking. As of 2015, most of the site's revenue came from selling access to information about its users to recruiters and sales professionals. As of March 2016, LinkedIn has more than 433 million accounts, out of which more than 106 million are active.

One can meet all kinds of interesting people while networking through LinkedIn. I have become friendly with Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric. He is one of the few big shots who will actually send a reply if somebody sends him a response.

My friend, Richard Grande called me in early March of 1982. Richard was aware that I was part of a group of four who had season tickets to the Boston Celtics. He had two tickets in his possession, but was hoping to purchase an additional pair to reach his allotment of four. He had a client who was flying in from France who had never attended a professional game. At the time, the Boston Celtics were reigning NBA Champions, having defeated the Houston Rockets in six games the prior June.

I went to work on this matter for Richard right away. I struck out with two of the ticket holders who told me they would be attending the Sunday matinee at the Boston Garden between the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. With my ticket and the one from Greg Liddell, I could get what Richard coveted.

Greg had recently moved to South Carolina, but kept his apartment in Waltham just in case the new job didn’t work out. I left a message on his answering machine, and his roommate called me back. He gave me the phone number of the hotel where Greg was staying. I called the front desk and left a message.

It was Thursday night when Greg returned my call. He said I could have his ticket in exchange for a future game. The only problem was that the ticket was in his locked apartment and his roommate was skiing in Vermont. Greg gave me his landlord’s phone number. The message went to voicemail.

The landlord returned my call on Friday morning. He said that he could meet me by 4PM. After that, he was gone for the weekend. I told him I would call back. I called the Waltham District Court where my friend Tom Boardman was a court officer. Luckily, he answered. I gave him the landlord’s phone number and he called and setup a time for them to meet.

A few hours went by, and I called the Court, again. Tom had done his part. He would drop the ticket off for me, and I would owe him a case of beer.

I was delivering for Federal Express in Portsmouth, NH. I had a package for a job site that was getting ready to blast rock so that a new bridge could be built. I was 50 feet above the railroad tracks when I handed the package with the large drill bit to the foreman. I asked him if I could use the bag phone. I called Kidder Peabody in Boston and left a message for Richard to inform him that I would drop off the two tickets at his home on Peter Bulkeley Rd. in Concord.

I asked Jack Welch when he was going to close out the final transaction on my $32.00 worth of tickets. Kidder Peabody was purchased by General Electric in 1986, and sold to PaineWebber in 1994. I informed Jack that no money ever changed hands for that March, 14, 1982 sporting event.

I paid for all the phone calls, the case of beer and that future game payment turned out to be Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals with the hated Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics slaughtered the Sixers, 121-81 on Mother’s Day, May 9th.

The tickets went unused when the Frenchman couldn’t make connections on his flight to America. It’s too bad because he missed a 105-92 Celtics victory.

The late, great Howard Cosell carried an uncashed $1.50 check in his wallet. He won the money in a card game from billionaire Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of the American Football League. Howard said that “Lamar can never balance his books if I don’t cash it.”

Inflation has driven the 1982 $32.00 to today’s value of $80.52. Simple interest is money you can earn by initially investing some money (the principal). A percentage (the interest) of the principal is added to the principal, making your initial investment grow!

Good things come to those who wait.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Greatest Generation rolls over after Chris Sale fiasco

When Chicage White Sox ace lefthander Chris Sale returns to his team Thursday to face the crosstown Cubs at Wrigley Field, he'll find a clubhouse a little happier than the one he left.The last time Chris Sale was in the clubhouse he was carving up $13,000. 00 worth of throw-back jerseys that were part of a marketing promotion for the Pale Hose.

You've probably heard the story by now, incredible as it still seems, and read more than a few "Scissorshands" cracks on your favorite social media outlet. Sale, unhappy that the White Sox were planning to use throwback jerseys last Saturday proceeded to methodically cut those jerseys up. He said his beef was a competitive issue. The uniforms were uncomfortable and didn't allow him to pitch at his best.

As a youngster, I would watch football games on most Sundays in the fall in our backyard. The contests were generally three on three battles between the Hurstaks(3) and the Bakers(2). There was always one outsider who was chosen to make it even. Once in awhile, the squads played four on four.

The games were held in our backyard because we had the proper dimensions for a football field. Also, my father would referee the games so that the brothers wouldn't do bodily harm to each other. Ronny and Bobby Baker were always on opposing teams. None of the players wore helmets.

On one particular Sunday, the game got a late start because church had run longer than usual. Having gotten home late, Bobby Baker decided that he would play in his white slacks rather than going home to change. He knew he would face the wrath of his mother, but he didn't care. He couldn't wait to play.

One of the first plays was a run by Bobby around the right side. As he turned up field, he was tackled out of bounds by his brother, Ronny. The sibling rivalry was a thrill to watch. The two were always looking to upstage the other. As the two players got up, all the others started laughing. The Bakers' dog, Major had visited the out of bounds area while the game was in progress. (Dog Shit - 1.) Something that is worthless and of inferior quality. 2.) Fecal excrement left by a dog).

While play was halted, Bobby ran across the street to change his pants. When his mother saw him approach the front door, she told him to "stay out of the house", and tossed a fresh pair of pants out the window. He changed the pants in broad daylight on the front lawn, and hung the soiled britches on one of the hooks on the telephone pole.

The referee put the ball back in play and the game continued.

Paper will cover it, but scissors won't.

Touch football is a variant of American football in which the basic rules are similar to those of the mainstream game (called "tackle football" for contrast), but instead of tackling players to the ground, the person carrying the ball need only be touched by a member of the opposite team to end a down.

It's okay to play with kids but don't baby them. Just because your 7-year-old niece is playing quarterback doesn't mean you can't intercept her screen pass and run it back for a touchdown. She's got to learn sometime not to throw into triple coverage. The patriotic child in the photo wearing red, white and blue is
Chris Sale.

The count is five "Mississippi." And it's a full four syllables—not a rushed "MISS-IPPI." There is not a chance that Chris Sale will ever experience a hard tackle from his brother. Maybe a two hand touch, though.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Approval rating is not based on looks

An approval rating is a percentage determined by a polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program.

In October 1968, Cass Elliot made her live solo debut headlining in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, scheduled for a three-week engagement at $40,000 per week, with two shows per night. Elliot went on a six-month long crash diet before the show, losing 100 of her 300 pounds. According to Elliot, the weight loss led to a stomach ulcer and throat problems, which she treated by drinking milk and cream (and regaining 50 pounds in the process).

Reviews were harsh. Esquire magazine called the show "a disaster" that was "heroic in proportion, epic in scope." The Los Angeles Free Press called the show "an embarrassing drag." Newsweek compared the show to the Titanic disaster.

Critics were harsh, but in the end, it was Mama Cass Elliot who won the battle. In the Behind the Music documentary on the The Mamas and the Papas, a poll was taken from male adults. The survey was based on "how comfortable a male would be in having a sandwich and a beer with a certain celebrity." Cass' approval rating amongst men was 89%.

An oft-repeated urban legend claims that Elliot choked to death on a ham sandwich. The post-mortem examination found that Elliot had died of a heart attack, and no food was found in her windpipe, yet the false story has persisted for decades.

Heidi Klum is a German model, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional actress. The super model is not in the same class with Mama Cass Elliot.

In the same documentary from The Mamas and the Papas, it was revealed that Heidi Klum barely received a favorable evaluation. Her approval rating was only 54%. This was due to the fact that males could not relate to her, and would be disinterested in what she had to say.

The man in the middle with the black hat is Jack Hutchinson from Deerfield, NH. He is the architect for all the planning of the town's 250th anniversary celebration. He is the driving force in raising over $80,000.00 so the small non industrial town of 4,200 people can commemorate the community's historic birth.

The following events will take place over the upcoming weekend due to the work of the retired schoolteacher: Ham & Bean Supper, Variety Show, Cornhole Tournament, Encampments from the Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, Civil War, Excavator Rodeo, Antique Car Parade, Marching Bands, Old Timers' Baseball Game and Fireworks. If it rains, he has a Plan B. Jack's approval rating is just a shade behind Mama Cass.

Severino Trucking Co., Inc. is an excavation contractor with over 40 years of experience in road construction and site development. Working in southern New Hampshire, northeastern Massachusetts and southern Maine, our scope of work includes commercial site development, private subdivision roads, municipal road construction and NH DOT federally funded road construction.

Severino Trucking of Candia, NH just received the largest state contract for roadwork in Rochester, NH of $64 million. The Severino brothers, Ron and Tom are more than just Good Scouts. They are exceptional businessmen who value loyalty and trust in their employees. Having interviewed many Severino workers who will participate in the Deerfield 250th Excavator Rodeo, one can clearly see that they all thoroughly enjoy their work and their company.

If I could set the approval rating for Severino Trucking, it might reach three digits. As a matter of fact, if I could come out of retirement, I would choose this company over Heidi Klum, anyday.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy