Green White News

Super proud of this news about Green White Soccer Club. As a lifelong member, and current board member and coach, I've always known Green White was a 5-star program, but it's nice to see official Illinois and US soccer authorities agree. My book about Green White's history ("Gruen Weiss Vor! 60 Years of Green White Soccer") will be out in about a month. All proceeds from the sales of that book will go to the club.

Green White has been named a 5-star competitive program (one of only 5 clubs so honored). The Illinois 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition recognizes the top Illinois Youth Soccer member league clubs for promoting coaching education, referee development, goal safety, kid safety, and positive sideline behavior.

Green White Girls Rec League has been named a 5-star program (one of only five in the Midwest region). The 5-Star US Youth Soccer Region II Recreational Program Recognition is awarded to a US Youth Soccer member recreational organization from the 14 states in the Midwest Region that promotes coaching education, referee development, goal safety, kid safety, and positive sideline behavior.

I've always wondered this

From PaulMcCartney.com, Paul answers a question I've always wanted to ask him about the song "Here Today" which he wrote right after he heard John died...

“In the song ‘Here Today’ you say, ‘What about the night we cried’. Can you tell us anymore about that story?”

“Thanks for your question, Kate. Well we were in Key West with The Beatles and we had been diverted there because there was a hurricane at Jacksonville, where we were supposed to play. So we had to take a couple of days off while the hurricane passed. We ended up in Key West, which at that time was sort of like the ends of the earth! I understand now it’s all very built up and it’s a bit like Miami. But back then, there were just a couple of huts there – and we were in one of them! We had a drunken night where we sang and talked and cried, at one point. All four of us.”

He recently played it for Jimmy Fallon...

Halloween in Old Chicago

Great stuff in Chicago Magazine. They went through old news files from the turn of last century to see what sort of Halloween stories made the news.

Here's one example...

Happy Halloween

My co-publisher Dave has a potential second career impersonating Uncle Fester...

War of the Worlds Didn't Actually Lead to Panic

It's such a well-known story that everyone believes it's true. The story is that Orson Welles' broadcast of "War of the Worlds" led to widespread panic in America in 1938.

According to this guy, that's a myth. Didn't happen.

Spoilsport.

Radio Hall of Fame

About a month ago I was asked to produce the Radio Hall of Fame program this year, but I had to decline because of previous commitments. Looks like whoever is producing it has lined up some great presenters. From the RAMP Newsletter...

Next week's 2015 National Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony is nearly sold out! The distinguished Class of 2015 will be inducted by an equally impressive line-up of radio pros, and let's meet them now -- Neal Boortz, a National Radio Hall-of-Famer himself, will present to Clark Howard, host of the Clark Howard Show on WSB/Atlanta; Blair Garner, host of America's Morning Show presents to a fellow Nashville resident, Dave Ramsey, host of The Dave Ramsey Show; Mickey Luckoff, former President/GM of KGO/San Francisco will present to KGO's Ronn Owens; Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms, iHeartMedia will present to Elvis Duran, host of Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, based at Z100/New York.

Hang on, there's more -- Dan Mason Jr., most recently OM of Cox Media Group Tampa will present to his father, Dan Mason, Sr., recently retired President/CEO of CBS Radio; Kurt "Big Boy" Alexander of KRRL (Real 92.3)/Los Angeles will be honored by two of his longtime producers, William "Fuzzy" West and Jason Ryan; Chris Wheat, former GM of WFBQ/Indianapolis and Rick Green, current iHeartMedia Indianapolis Market President will present to Bob Kevoian & Tom Griswold, hosts of The Bob & Tom Show, and Norm Winer, PD of WXRT/Chicago will acknowledge Scott Muni, the late legendary air personality of WABC and WNEW/New York.

As the Taylor Turns

A few weeks ago I wrote about a lawsuit featuring a former disc jockey in Denver who was fired after he allegedly groped Taylor Swift at a radio station meet-and-greet. He said the he was misidentified, and sued, blaming his former boss for being the groper. Yesterday Taylor Swift responded by filing a countersuit. From Radio Online...

The countersuit claims that "Ms. Swift knows exactly who committed the assault -- it was Mueller -- and she is not confused in the slightest about whether her long-term business acquaintance, Mr. Haskell, was the culprit."

"Resolution of this Counterclaim will demonstrate that Mueller alone was the perpetrator of the humiliating and wrongful conduct targeted against Ms. Swift," the countersuit alleges, "and will serve as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts."

The papers allege that "Mueller did not merely brush his hand against Ms. Swift while posing for the photograph, he lifted her skirt and groped her." After the alleged incident, Swift was "surprised, upset, offended and alarmed," and informed her photographer, tour manager and security team.

Jared Really Is a Sicko

Yesterday, the informant who tipped the feds about Jared being a pedophile made an appearance on Dr. Phil's show. She played tape recordings of phone conversations she had with Jared, which really leaves no doubt at all about Jared's guilt. In fact, it's really disturbing. He describes how he lures them.

Gawker has the Dr. Phil video and further details of the recordings if you are so inclined. Warning: It's incredibly graphic.

I can tell you one thing. I've made my last Jared joke.

Uh oh

Thanks for passing along this one, RD. What are you trying to say?

Your Job is Literally Killing You

That's the headline of this article in the Washington Post this morning. Stanford and Harvard did a study of workplace stress and determined that you can lose three years of your life due to workplace stress.

No word on what will happen to you if you also eat salami and/or pickles while you work.

World Series Ratings

I guess with a New York team we shouldn't be surprised, but the television ratings for the World Series are the highest they've been in five years.

Variety has the details.

Cumulus is in Big Trouble

The stock has tanked, the debt is onerous, and there don't seem to be many options to fix it. From today's Tom Taylor column...

Cumulus stock slid another 12% yesterday, down 8 cents to 55 cents. Just eight months ago, “CMLS” was regularly trading over $4.00. Berner’s problem is that turning around some of the important large-market stations probably won’t happen immediately, and even so, revenue trails ratings. She’ll probably have news on the call about the $200 million worth of tower-site sales in L.A. and DC, but Wall Street’s already taking that for granted. Berner may have some news about how she’ll structure senior management, since she’s an outsider to radio (though a seasoned manager of media properties). Right now, she needs to build up confidence – in the company and the stock. Lew Dickey used to tag troubled stations as “Code Red.” Now the stock of the company where he’s still the Vice Chair is at Code Red.

In Chicago Cumulus owns WLS-FM, WLS-AM, The Loop, and WKQX.

Restored Beatles "Day in a Life" Video

Pretty cool...

Sky Daniels

Thanks to my old boss Dave Logan for posting this on Facebook today. It's a classic clip of Sky Daniels from the Loop's first big era, the late 70s/early 80s. I was a devoted listener because they were rebels, man. Kind of funny in retrospect, but still a classic...



By the way, my next Illinois Entertainer column is about Sky's partner in crime at the time...Mitch Michaels. Should be coming out early next week.

Abbey Road Action Shot

Lenny Dykstra

When he played, I always hated Lenny Dykstra. There was just something incredibly unlikable about him. Later, when it was alleged he was one of the juicers, I wasn't surprised. When he got into financial trouble after his playing career, I wasn't surprised. When he got into legal trouble, I wasn't surprised.

So, I must say, I'm not too surprised by this report either. Here's the headline...LENNY DYKSTRA: I SPIED ON UMPIRES, Used Secret Gay Sex Against Them

Just an all-around classy guy.

Justin Kaufmann

If you're a listener of WGN you may noticed that Justin Kaufmann has been off the air for a few weeks now. The station said he had to attend to a personal matter when he first went off the air, and Kaufmann finally released a statement yesterday. Robert Feder has the details. Here's a small excerpt from Kaufmann's open letter to friends and family...

So here’s what I will tell you. I made a mistake. As a husband, I let my wife and my family down. And I will also tell you that this issue is between me and my wife.

Also please know that my lapse in judgement was not the reason I have been off the air. The fact that an individual tried to take advantage of my private situation, and make it public, was.

I happen to like Justin's show. It's the perfect 'sit out on the deck and listen to the radio on a nice summer night' show. It appeals to my nerd sensibilities.

I hope it all works out, but I have a feeling it won't end with this statement. If someone is trying to make something public, even if you manage to contain it temporarily, there's a very good chance it will come out eventually. Especially in this era of social media.

This is so wrong

Classy Move

After the playoff series with the Mets ended, the Cubs gave David Wright third base used in the series in honor of his many years of service to the Mets organization.

Classy move.

Proud to be a fan of this organization these days.

Pickles Too?

Oh boy. This headline might have just sealed my fate: Hold the Pickles--Are Some Types Carcinogenic?

Stick a fork in me. I'm a goner.

What is Jon Stewart Doing Now?

Would you believe he's opening an animal sanctuary?

It's true. The Hollywood Reporter has the details.

I'd like to donate a goat.

John Cravens

From this morning's Radio Ink...

John Cravens has been Vice President and General Manager at ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago since 2009 and picked up the additional title of VP of Local Revenue two years ago. Cravens is no longer with the company. He had been in a management position with the station for a decade. Cravens started out in radio as an intern at WLS-AM in Chicago. ESPN recently let go several hundred people. No word from the company on whether this was part of those layoffs.

Lifestyle Overhaul

Still reeling from the World Health Organization's report yesterday about processed meats causing cancer. I'm urging the scientific community to come up with a "bacon patch" while I work on putting together a twelve-step program. "Hi, I'm Rick and I'm a salami-aholic."

The local Jewel is going to wonder why in the world they have two and a half extra pounds of salami at the end of every week. My boys aren't speaking to me right now.

Chicago Radio Ratings

From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

Tie at the top between iHeart’s urban AC “V103” WVAZ (5.3-5.7-5.8) and CBS Radio’s all-news/Cubs baseball WBBM-AM (5.3-5.7-5.8). When they’re out of baseball season, WBBM simulcasts with WCFS/105.9, but they break apart when the Cubs are playing. WCFS holds 2.1-2.3-2.3. In third place is Hubbard’s hot AC “Mix” WTMX (5.6-5.4-5.3). Univision should be happy with fourth-ranked regional Mexican WOJO (3.1-3.2-3.7). Cumulus should be happy with seventh-ranked alternative WKQX (3.2-3.2-3.5). Former Cubs flagship WGN, the Tribune talker, sure would love to have ’em back (3.7-3.6-3.3). The classic hits matchup is CBS’ WJMK (3;6-3.3-3.4) versus Cumulus WLS-FM (3.0-2.9-3.3). The country combatants are CBS’ “US 99.5” WUSN (3.1-2.8-2.8) and iHeart’s newer “Big” WEBG (2.4-2.4-2.0). Weigel-run “Me Music” WRME-LP, a low power Channel 6 TV station presented as an FM and doing oldies, is a steady 1.8-1.6-1.7. Chicago’s cume lead is held by hot AC WTMX at 2,071,200.

Uh oh

My diet may be coming to end...in one way or another. This report is via AP...

The World Health Organization's cancer agency says that processed meats such as ham and sausage can lead to colon and other cancers, and red meat is probably cancer-causing as well.

Researchers from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, released an evaluation of more than 800 studies from several continents about meat and cancer.

Based on that evaluation, they classified processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans" — in the same category as cigarettes — and red meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

On the bright side, skipping the deli counter will save me hours of time every weekend.

Pandora's Very Bad Day

If you were following the stock market on Friday you may have noticed one media stock in complete and total freefall...Pandora. They missed their projected earnings, were downgraded by experts, and as Tom Petty once said they were "Free Fallin". At the end of Friday, their stock had lost a third of its value.

But if you ask me (and nobody is), the reaction by Wall Street is nothing short of insane. Their projected earnings were $312 million. They came in at $311 million.

This is why I don't invest in the stock market.

The Force Awakens

112 million views in 24 hours...I'm in.

Jenniffer Weigel

My old friend Jen Weigel has a new show. From today's Robert Feder column...

More than 50 years after John Weigel put WCIU-Channel 26 on the air, another Weigel is about to turn up on Chicago’s first UHF station. Jenniffer Weigel, granddaughter of the late founder (and daughter of the late Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel), has been tapped to host a holiday-themed shopping special. Titled “A Gift for U,” the half-hour special will air multiple times between Thanksgiving and Christmas on The U and The U Too.

I recently did a radio show with Jen--The Tony Lossano show...

Hillary's birthday

Today is Hillary Clinton's 68th birthday. I consider Hillary a big enough Cubs fan to make it into my "Every Cub Ever" listing at Just One Bad Century...

~Hillary Rodham Clinton 1947 (Cubs fan 1947-Present)
She grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, an unabashed Cubs fan. Even though she later claimed to have been a Yankees fan, there is documentary evidence to prove her Cubs love. In 1993, when she was the First Lady, she accepted induction into the Emil Verban society, the Washington-based Cubs Fan Club. Bruce Ladd, who is the founder of the Emil Verban Society, recently revealed the content of her letter accepting induction. If this isn't a Cubs fan, there is no such thing. She wrote:

"I am pleased to accept your generous offer of membership into the Emil Verban Memorial Society. In accepting I must say that the Tribune Co.'s decision to let Messrs. Dawson and Maddux go does not increase my optimism for 1993. This could be a truly grievous example of false economy, unless, of course, the Tribune uses the savings to acquire better editorial writers. I have been following the Cubs for over 35 years and have developed a set of expectations that will probably be met. However, hope springs eternal."

The following year Mrs. Clinton was even more obvious about her loyalties; she appeared at Wrigley Field on opening day 1994 to throw out the first pitch. She later sat in the booth with Harry Caray and sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with him. At one point, Harry grabbed her and gave her a big kiss. Only a Cubs fan could have survived that.