Wrigley Usher on Bob & Marianne

Heading over to WGN Radio at 1pm to accompany our author Bruce Bohrer. He'll be discussing his book, "Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher" with Bob and Marianne. I'll be there snapping photos and chronicling the event...

How popular is the World Cup?

ESPN's Live stream of the USA-Germany match crashed during the game.

From Variety:

An ESPN rep said the sports programmer was “investigating some limited issues due to unprecedented demand.” WatchESPN viewership for the first half of the USA-Germany match peaked at more than 1.4 million concurrent viewers. During the match, WatchESPN peaked at 1.7 million concurrent users — a record for the service

Obama's Brilliant Diversion Plan

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

Dan Burns at the Beverly Arts Center

If you're on the southside tonight, here's an evening you might enjoy...

~An Evening with Dan Burns at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W 111th St, Chicago, IL, June 26th, 7pm
Dan Burns will be questioned by the BAC’s gifted interviewer Penny Golden, will take questions and discuss his book with the attendees book-club-style, and will sign and sell copies of his Eckhartz Press novel “Recalled to Life”.

Feel Free To Copy and Use

Loyalty Divided

I'm going for the USA, but I won't be upset with a tie...



(Oh, and by the way, no calls on Thursday please)

Supreme Court Kills "Aero"

"Aero" was a start up company with investors like Barry Diller, who tried to offer network programming on the web. The networks sued, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court. Today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the networks. From CNBC.com...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that online TV service Aereo, backed by media mogul Barry Diller, violates copyright law by using tiny antennas to provide subscribers with broadcast network content via the Internet. On a 6-3 vote, the court handed a victory to the four major TV broadcasters and cast Aereo's immediate future into doubt.

Most Watched Soccer Game in US TV History

How big were the ratings for the USA-Portugal game this weekend? 18.2 million people watched. That makes it the most watched soccer game in US television history.

Guilty and Not Guilty

The verdict finally came in for the phone hacking Rupert Murdoch confidantes in England.

One of them, former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was found guilty. Another one, the incredibly guilty-seeming former News of the World editor Rebekkah Brooks was found not guilty.

I followed this trial pretty closely and I really thought it would go the other way.

America's Newest Golfer

I took my 11-year-old son Sean out golfing for the first time yesterday. He was part of my foursome at the Green White golf outing. Sean loved it--turns out he's a natural. We probably used five or six of his shots (it was a scramble), including a few drives. He also kept track of the number of times he out-hit his dad, which sadly, happened quite a few times. But as soon as it was over, he was ready to hit the sack.

WIND Cuts the Mike of Joe Walsh

Who knew America's most abrasive politician would say something on the radio that would get him in trouble? What were the odds? From Radio Online today...

Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh has been suspended from his two-hour show on Salem's WIND-AM (AM560 The Answer)/Chicago reports Politico's Jonathan Topaz. The suspension came down during a discussion about the Washington Redskins' team name, when he repeatedly attempted to use racial slurs on air to make a point about the Redskins name controversy. During the discussion, he wrote on Twitter that the station repeatedly cut his sound as he used the slurs. "And here comes to the General Manager," Walsh tweeted, after noting that the station kept muting his sound. "It appears I can say Redskins, which is supposedly offensive, but when I say other words, commercial." Walsh appeared to be protesting his ability to use the term "Redskins," but not other racially sensitive terms. "Just got kicked off the air until further notice," he later posted on Twitter. "Tried to have honest discussion about racist terms and management censored my language."

Eddie & Jobo to WLS FM?

From this morning's RAMP Newsletter...

Are Chicago morning radio vets Eddie and Jobo being romanced by Cumulus Classic Hits WLS-FM? That's the word from Chicago media maven Robert Feder, who reports the guys have had several meaningful conversations with Cumulus about a possible return. Eddie Volkmann and Joe Colborn (a.k.a. Bohannon) are best known for their nearly two decades of service on CBS Radio's WBBM (B96) until November of 2008. In March of 2011 they were rehired by CBS to do mornings on Classic Hits WJMK (104.3 K-Hits), but that venture ended in December of 2012, and the guys have been on the radio beach since then. Both gentlemen have suddenly become very chatty on Facebook about their supposed imminent return, with Colborn going as far as to post this giddy message, "So, Eddie and I have an INCREDIBLE offer on the table to return to Chicago Radio…I mean INCREDIBLE. I'm wrestling with this decision 24/7." Cumulus SVP Jan Jeffries wouldn't comment on all the speculation.

Of course one of the reasons Jeffries can't comment on the speculation is that WLS-FM has a current morning host. His name is Brant Miller.

He's baaaaack

From Radio Online...

Cumulus Media/San Francisco appoints Kevin Metheny as Operations Manager of News/Talk outlets KGO-AM and KSFO-FM, effective July 14. Metheny currently serves as Program Director of co-owned News/Talk WJR-AM/Detroit. Before WJR, Metheny was with Tribune's WGN-AM/Chicago which he left in 2010. He also spent ten years with Clear Channel/Cleveland as VP/Programming and OM. Metheny is a career content creator whose other recent work includes the successful launch of CBS Radio's Country KMNB-FM (BUZ*N@102.9)/Minneapolis.

I would have written it slightly differently. My lede begins with "Former WGN program director Kevin Metheney, known for fire-bombing an institution and turning it into just another radio station, has somehow managed to get hired again. Yes, the same guy Howard Stern called 'Pig Vomit' in his memoirs. That guy. Hired again."

Rejected

Middle son (age 16) rejects Cubs tickets with Dad. Dad currently revising his will and Xing middle son out of all family pictures. Going to Cubs game with son #1, who wisely jumped at the chance. For those of you keeping score at home, in the photo below, simply place an X over the little boy on the right in this photograph.

Five Years Ago Today

One of the fun things about writing for my website Just One Bad Century is that I'll occasionally stumble across a Cubs anniversary that brings up wonderful memories. For me, today in 2009 was one of those days. I wrote about it at the time.

You can read it here.

I enjoyed re-reading it, because I'm going to the ballpark with the same kid tomorrow, and he's 16 now. Let's just say it will be an entirely different experience.

Another Celebrity with Another Eckhartz Press book

"Life Behind the Camera" author Chuck Quinzio with Rob Reiner...

The "Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher" Book Launch Party!

Bruce Bohrer was a Wrigley Field usher for nine seasons, and during that time he saw it all. Brushes with greatness, marriage proposals, creative signs and cheers, unique crowd control issues, and the sheer awe and excitement of Wrigley patrons are captured beautifully in the pages of this book. Maybe you'll even recognize yourself, because after all, the real stars of "Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher" are not the players on the field. They are the people who come to the shrine called Wrigley; everyday fans who bleed blue for their beloved Cubs.

Come out to the launch party this Saturday from 3-6pm at Tavern on 60 in Mundelein, Illinois! Bruce will be there signing copies of his brand new Eckhartz Press book.

Here's the link to: Tavern on 60

Here's the link to: "Best Seat In The House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher"

Yes, they do serve beer at Tavern on 60.

Once again, we remind you that the attendance of Eckhartz Press publishers Rick Kaempfer and David Stern and the similtaneous easy availability of beer on tap is completely coincidental.

Another Balding Handbook Fan

This salty bald man knows a great self help book when he sees one...

America Has Soccer Fever!

From TV Newser...

Monday night’s USA-Ghana match was the most-watched men’s soccer match ever on ESPN or ESPN2, drawing 11.1 million viewers per minute.

Empires

My cousin Derek's wife Stacey's brother Sean is in this band (seriously). Big thrill that they made it on Late Night with David Letterman...

Eckhard

My Dad's been gone 25 years, but today would have been his 79th birthday. I took this picture of him on Christmas Eve 1988 when he opened my gift to him. I got him an autographed picture of Channel 7 anchor Mary Ann Childers (his favorite). He passed away a few months later. When we cleaned out his office after his death, Mary Ann's photo was on his desk. His secretary told me Dad joked with everyone that Mary Ann was his girlfriend. Eckhard was a great guy. I wish he could have been around to meet his grandsons. They would have loved him as much as I did.

McCartney Letter

Thanks "BP" for sending me this. Paul's the nice Beatle, but if this letter is authentic (and it looks like it is), he was not a happy camper when Phil Spector and Allen Klein changed "The Long & Winding Road" after he handed it off to them.



For the record, McCartney was totally correct. The version on "Let it Be" is sappy and awful. The version on the Beatles anthology (the way Paul wanted it originally), is waaaaaaay better. Listen below...

New Programmer at the Drive

Robert Feder has the details. His name is Curtiss Johnson, and he's from the West Coast. He'll be replacing Patty Martin, who stepped down after 13 years. (I interviewed Patty a few years ago, if you're interested.)

Happy Birthday Bridget!

Happy birthday to my lovely wife, Bridget. I was looking through some old pictures this morning and found this one. It brought a smile to my face. She's working today and we've got baseball and soccer practice tonight, so we'll have to celebrate this coming weekend instead.

Biden Congratulates US Team

World Cup Fever

What an incredible day of World Cup games yesterday. First the Fatherland spanked Portugal, then U.S.A hangs on to win a dramatic and exciting game over Ghana (my fingernails are nubs).

I hear there are people who still don't like soccer. For the life of me, I can't imagine what their reasons are.

And I thought I worked at radio stations with behind-the-scenes drama

From Tom Taylor's column today. This sports talk station in St. Louis takes the cake...

A fistfight at the station, on-air racial comments about a fellow host, an arrest – now a missing GM. Followup on last week’s story about “bad vibes at Grand Slam’s all-sports KFNS (590)” in St. Louis. Fifteen-month GM Dan Marshall has stepped down from that job, after he needed a hospital visit pursuant to that fistfight involving talk host Brian McKenna. The police were called out and McKenna was arrested and spent the night in the hoosegow. Though the Post-Dispatch carefully notes that as of last Thursday, McKenna hadn’t actually been charged. The main thing is the ongoing condition at the station. Ops manager Mike Calvin is temporarily in charge, and he says “I consider it a massive project…We’ve lost a lot of good talent in the last week that needs to be replaced somehow, with zero to little budget.” Among other talent departures is middayer Jay Randolph Jr., who’s moving over to C H Holdings’ talk KTRS (550). The goings-on at KFNS and sister KXFN (1380) are keeping Dan Caesar at the Post-Dispatch very busy. He says “the fight came after [KXFN’s Nick Trupiano] ridiculed McKenna on the air, saying he overstated his recent skin cancer diagnosis.” Trupiano also rapped about another KFNS personality who was mentioned in an earlier Post-Dispatch story – African-American personality Charlie “Tuna” Edwards. Trupiano says “He’s a scumbag and I hope he dies of…sickle cell, cancer, whatever, I don’t care.” Trupiano also called Edwards “that token black guy” and said perhaps the reason the show has sponsors is for “that minority tax writeoff.” (That one’s a mystery.) Sounds like the bad vibes were both on and off the air, and that Mike Calvin has a mountain of work ahead.

Who holds the Guinness Record for Most Game Shows Hosted by the Same Presenter?

Alex Trebeck!

Over 6,800 episodes.

NBC Developing Event Series About The Beatles From ‘The Tudors’ Team

You'd think I'd be sick of hearing this story, but no sir. I'm in.

It's going to be an eight-day event.

Details at Deadline Hollywood.

RIP Casey Kasem

He passed this morning on Father's Day. His son Mike posted it on Facebook...

Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad. With love, Kerri, Mike and Julie.

Blogging Lite

It's day two of summer vacation for my boys, and it's already become obvious that I won't have much time to blog this summer. I will still blog whenever I get a chance (I find it therapeutic, believe it or not), but the posts will not be as frequent.

Just One Bad Century continues to be updated daily. If you want to follow that more closely, please follow me on Twitter or click like on the Just One Bad Century facebook page. I'm not going to be posting it here every day anymore.

Eckhartz Press has five books coming out between now and the end of the year, including my own (yikes!). So I've got some serious editing/writing to do. I'll update here when we have some new books ready to go. (The usher book is going to be ready today, I believe).

My Illinois Entertainer column comes out the first of every month. I'll still post the links here. Bob Stroud is my next interviewee.

If you send me funny links or pictures or polls or whatever, I'll still post those. I appreciate you sending those.

But other than that, I'm afraid I'll be taking a mini-hiatus from blogging this summer. Isn't Friday the 13th the perfect day to decide that?

Just One Bad Century--June 13

We've got kind of a light day at Just One Bad Century today.

There are only two Cubs born on this day, and neither is really a Cub of note. One was nicknamed "Lefty", and the other is on the current roster.

Today in Wrigley history goes back to 1942 and 1980.

Today's Historical Event is the creation of Miranda Rights. Where were the Cubs?

And the A/V Club is Babe Ruth's farewell address to Yankee Stadium.

So today is a bit light, but this weekend will be jam-packed. Tomorrow's the anniversary of the Eddie Waitkus shooting, and Sunday is the anniversary of the Lou Brock trade. Plus there were tons of Cubs greats born this weekend, including one of my all-time favorites, Billy Williams. We'll also post a new This Week in 1908 and This Week in 1945.

It's worth a visit.

Have a great Father's Day weekend!

World Cup Fever

I'll be busy for the next month. Feel free to leave a message.

Just One Bad Century--June 12

We posted a new week's worth of Historical Events on JOBC. Today's entry is the birth of President George H.W. Bush. Where were the Cubs?

Today in Wrigley history goes back to 1923 and 1979. A strong man's best day, and a soccer event (which is appropriate considering the World Cup begins today)

Today's Cubs birthdays include one of the most eclectic mixes you'll find anywhere: a pitcher who was electrocuted, a cup of coffee from the 1950s, the most German-sounding name in big league history, and a player who was born in the Czech Republic.

The Cubs try to salvage a series split tonight in Pittsburgh.

Green White Soccer Club

One of my on-going writing projects is writing the history of Green White Soccer Club, a club co-founded by my dad. 1988 in Green White history has been posted and features an interview with perhaps the greatest player in Green White history--Rudi Mayer--who retired after the 1988 season.

Read all about the soccer career of the 3-time player of the year, collegiate National Champion (at Michigan State), 1972 U.S. Olympic team member, and professional soccer player (with the Chicago Sting), and how much Green White soccer club has meant to him.

It's at this link.

I'm Just Happy Our Crib Wasn't Big Enough for Me

Although I feel this father's pain. Those first few years are so hard...

A Rare Good Comments Section

From DNAInfo yesterday...

School Shooting Map

This map represents all the school shootings in America since Sandy Hook. I was at a party recently when somebody actually worried out loud that his "second amendement rights were in danger". Take a look at this map. All of these shootings have happened in the last year, and not one single thing has happened to those precious second amendment rights. Not one. If anything, you have clear proof that nothing will ever happen to your gun rights. Not after first graders are shot indiscrimately. (There have been 74 more school gun incidents since). Not after a movie theater is shot up indiscriminately. Not after a sorority, a church, a school, a college, a McDonalds or hundreds of other places are shot up. Not after a president, a pope, a civil rights leader, a governor, or a rock star are shot. Nothing ever happens to your gun rights. Nothing. You can still get an assault rifle. You can still buy a gun at a gun show without registering it. There still is no database kept on gun purchases. The government is still banned from even researching the effects of guns. (This is not a joke...it's an actual law).

As long as the second amendment stays indoors and doesn't go out in the public where gun freaks can now openly carry weapons and shoot if they feel threatened, it will be perfectly safe.

It's the rest of us that are screwed.

Top 10 Ways to Give Your Kids a 1970s Summer

This blog post made me reassess my summer plan to work the boys until their fingers bleed. It did it by reminding me just how easy my summers were when I was a kid.

I must add one caveat, however. This does not apply to teenagers. We all had summer jobs when we were teenagers.

Great Advice from Jim Carrey

I can't believe I just wrote that headline, but this is good advice, kids.

More Chicago Radio Ratings

Robert Feder has the Chicago radio ratings leaders for...

Middays

&

Evenings.


Glad to see my old pals Greg Brown (#1!) and John Records Landecker (#8) on the list.

Just One Bad Century--June 11

At JOBC we posted a whole new week's worth of "The Week in Wrigley History". Today's entry goes back to 1952 and Hank Sauer's best day as a pro. We've even got the audio.

There are some really interesting Cubs celebrating birthdays today, including the Cub who quit on the day Warren Harding died, the Duke of Tralee, and Deek. Plus, did you that Jimmy Stewart and Frank Thomas were both on the Cubs? It's true. Check it out here. Jimmy Stewart is also featured in the A/V Club.

Today's Historical Event is a tragedy at Lemans in 1955. Where were the Cubs?

If they don't get rained out, tonight they'll be in Pittsburgh.

Bob Stroud

I turned in my latest Illinois Entertainer column yesterday. In the July issue I'll be talking music with Bob Stroud. Bob and I used to chat about music in the hallways of the Loop all the time, but I have never gotten any of his views on the page before. I think you'll enjoy it. The July issue will be out on July 1st.

John Oliver Rips FIFA

Nicely done. I agree completely...

Chicago Radio Ratings

Robert Feder has the Chicago radio ratings leaders for...

Mornings

&

Afternoons.

Other than the top three in both categories, there were some real swings here. I was a little surprised to see WILV's Brian Peck in fourth place in the mornings. Congrats to him. Also, Garry Meier goes out on top. He's in the top ten in the afternoon ratings.

I'm just happy that I'm not in the business anymore. When the ratings come out this often, and the ratings change this much each month, the pressure must be ridiculous.

World Cup Fever

ESPN is going big on the World Cup with the most ambitious digital World Cup coverage ever.

CNET has the story.

I'm getting very excited.

Just One Bad Century--June 10

I actually listened to the Cubs game on the deck last night and enjoyed the broadcast (if not the outcome). Ron Coomer is growing on me as the color man.

Today on JOBC we go back to 1908. How long ago was 1908? This is the week that Chicago decided on it's grid system of addresses, and declared that Madison & State Street was the center point of the city. All addresses were changed to what they are now. The Lusitania is also in the news, and the Cubs are in Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

Today in Wrigley History goes back to 1942. It was also a big day for Fergie Jenkins on this day in 1983, so we featured Fergie in the A/V Club.

Today's Historical Event is the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. Where were the Cubs?

There aren't that many Cubs celebrating birthdays today. Only two. Both of them have great back stories, involving being raised by deaf-mute parents, and working in a coalmine. Read their stories here.

Now that the dust has settled from the draft, here's a new look at the top fifteen prospects in the Cubs system. Is this the group that will help lead us out of darkness? I sure hope so.

How Good Was Karen Carpenter?

This good...



She was only 20 when she recorded this in one take.

I'm on my fifth cup right now

Thanks to "RW" for sending it...

People Hate Their Cable Companies

This Washington Post article should serve as an eye opener for cable companies: ‘A soup of misery’: Over half of people say they’d abandon their cable company, if only they could

Why won't it matter? Because cable companies have a monopoly in most markets.

And the F.C.C. is seriously considering a merger that would give even more power to cable companies. And they're also giving cable companies MORE power/control over the internet.

Sometimes you can only shake your head.

Bill Watterson is back?

The creator of Calvin & Hobbes has been off the funny pages for more than 20 years, but he recently returned in a stealth way.

This is the story behind his triumpant return.

For my money (and many other people's money), he is the greatest comic strip writer of all-time.

The Story Behind the Cubs Leaving WGN

Tom Taylor has a little more info this morning (via the Sun Times) regarding how and why WBBM wrestled Cubs radio rights away from WGN...

The Chicago Sun-Times says that by going into the concert business with CBS, any revenue from a big concert at Wrigley Field “would be exempt from [the] revenue-sharing calculations” that are reported to Major League Baseball. That would give the Cubs “a potential shelter for some of their local revenue,” by letting the team report that their rights fees from radio hadn’t increased. And CBS could make out by using its radio station assets to promote major shows at venerable Wrigley. Cubs Business President Crane Kenney says “nobody in Chicago has more access to more talent and the top artists than CBS Radio.” Just for starters, CBS has country “US 99.5” WUSN, adult alternative WXRT (93.1) and rhythmic “B96” WBBM-FM. That’s a lot of genres and potential bookings. And CBS could exploit the show well past the far-suburbs of Chicago. CBS Market President Rod Zimmernan mentions an event that CBS did at the Barclay’s Center back East in Brooklyn, which was promoted in 26 markets.

Printer's Row Lit Fest Photo Album

We couldn't have asked for better weather for this year's Printer's Row Lit Fest. Many of the Eckhartz Press authors were on hand, including Joel Daly, Randy Richardson, Chuck Quinzio, Dan Burns, David Stern, and Rick Kaempfer.

Here are a few photos of the gang...

Just One Bad Century--June 9

I went looking around this morning for reviews of the Cubs draft, and it doesn't appear the reviews are too strong.

SB Nation gave the Cubs an F for their first pick. Baseball America's analysis of him also won't exactly excite Cub fans.

Sports Illustrated named the Cubs and Pirates as the biggest losers of the draft.

This is really the only positive review I saw: Bleacher Report gave the Cubs a B+ in the draft.

I'm one of the people who bought into this whole rebuilding process, but I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't admit that I am beginning to have my doubts that they know what they're doing. I hope I'm wrong, but that stomach-rumbling anxiety is back again. I don't think it will go away until one of these draft picks actually shows up at the big league level and does some impressive things.

This past weekend while the Cubs were winning five in a row and celebrating the 1940s (with a return visit by 97-year-old Lennie Merullo!), This Week in 1945 was posted at JOBC. Read about the recommendation NOT to drop the A-bomb, Gwendolyn Brooks, George H.W. Bush, and a Cubs prospect taken away by the war. There's also a clip of a very politically incorrect Danny Kaye movie that came out this week.

Today in Wrigley history goes back to memorable games in 1963, 1977, 1978, and a memorable event in 2012.

Today's Historical Event is one of the biggest stories in Chicago history, the murder of Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle. There's also a bonus event--the moment Joseph Nye Welch confronted Senator McCarthy and said: "Have you no decency, Sir?" Where were the Cubs?

Today's Cubs birthdays include the Cubs shortstop just before Ernie arrived, a man who batted three times in one inning, cups of coffee from the 40s, 60s, and 00s, and one of the Cub players who contributed to the playoff run of '07 and '08. That player is also featured in the A/V club today.