John Dillinger, Cubs Fan

Today would have been John Dillinger's 114th birthday. Here's our story about his Cubs-love from Just One Bad Century...

~John Dillinger 1902 (Cubs fan 1902-1934)
He was Public Enemy #1--so hounded and hunted by the FBI that he underwent drastic plastic surgery to change his appearance. The surgery left him disfigured, but didn't do a very good job of disguising his appearance. Other bank robbers and gangsters tended to lay low while they were "on the lam," but die-hard Cubs fan Dillinger couldn't stay away from Wrigley Field. In the weeks before he was shot, in June and July of 1934, Dillinger attended several games. He went to Wrigley on June 8th, and again on June 26th. He was convinced his new face was fooling everyone. At that June 26th game against the Brooklyn Dodgers, a fan in the stands (Robert Volk from Crown Point) couldn't keep his eyes off the man sitting two seats away from him. There was something familiar about him, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Was it possible? Was that...no, it couldn't be. It looked like it could have been him. He introduced himself to the man, who shook his hand and introduced himself as Jimmy Lawrence. A reward was being offered for Dillinger's capture dead or alive, so Volk considered turning him in, but he couldn't be sure. Would John Dillinger really take a chance by going to a Cubs game? Nah, it couldn't be him. On July 8th Dillinger went to his final Cubs game. Jim Weaver was on the mound for the Cubs. He was the fifth starter on the team that year, an 11-game winner at season's end. But it wasn't the Cubs pitching that drew fans to the ballpark that year; it was their hitting. Future Hall of Famers KiKi Cuyler and Gabby Hartnett paced the most feared offense in the league. They pounded the Pirates that day, 12-3. The next day the Cubs left on their longest road trip of the season.

They were only three games out of first place on July 22, 1934. (Photo: The Biograph in 1934) That afternoon they played an extra inning game against the Phillies in Philadelphia. Dillinger probably didn't know that the Cubs had blown it in the bottom of the 12th inning because he was in one of the only cool places in Chicago--the Biograph Theater. He was watching the movie "Manhattan Melodrama" with his girlfriend. When he emerged from the theater and back into the scorching heat (it was over 90 degrees that day), he felt a different kind of heat. FBI Agent Purvis related what happened next. "I was about three feet to the left and a little to the rear of him. I was very nervous; it must have been a squeaky voice that called out, 'Stick 'em up, Johnnie, we have you surrounded.'" Dillinger ran to the alley and allegedly reached for his gun, but he was cut down quickly by the agents on the scene. Agent Purvis was among the first ones to examine the body. "Probably I will never forget, although I would like to, the morbidness displayed by the people who gathered around the shooting. Craning necks of curious persons, women dipping handkerchiefs in Dillinger's blood. Neighborhood business boomed temporarily. The spot where Dillinger fell became the mecca of morbidly curious." Cubs fan John Dillinger went to his grave thinking that 1934 might be "the" year for the Cubs. Needless to say, it wasn't. They ended the season in third place, eight games out of first.

Chicago Streetcars

If you've ever been in Chicago neighborhoods, you've seen train tracks in the middle of streets that seem to go nowhere. Those are the old abandoned street car tracks that were used for the last time yesterday in 1958.

DNA Info has a great piece about that.

This is obviously before my time, but I do wonder if the choice to move to buses was the correct choice in the long run.

Ringo's Plan

pic.twitter.com/tbqqrl7PL9

— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) June 21, 2016

Michael vs. Lebron

We get very protective of our heroes here in Chicago. This was sent to me by "KM"...

Germans

I love this quote from Angela Merkle in the Washington Post today. She was asked what made Germans special, and responded: “No other country can build such airtight and beautiful windows.”

That could be the most German response I've ever heard. (I'm allowed to say that...I'm German myself)

Notre Dame Moves to AM 1000

This little tidbit was also announced yesterday. WLS has lost the broadcast rights to ESPN 1000 in Chicago. From Radio Ink...

As part of the just-announced multi-year deal, ESPN Chicago 1000 will broadcast every Notre Dame football and men’s basketball game beginning with the 2016-17 seasons. The station previously carried the games from 1999-2005. WLS carried the games up until this new deal. ESPN Chicago 1000 will produce Notre Dame basketball games, while IMG will produce Notre Dame football games, as part of IMG’s Notre Dame Football Network.

The bummer about this news is that Chet Coppock has lost his gig. He posted this on his facebook page yesterday: "bad day in the office. WLS has lost the rights to Notre Dame football to ESPN 1000. thus my 10 year run as host of N.D. football on 'LS is history. Will truly miss the gig. ‪#‎GoIrish‬."

Edward R. Murrow Awards

The Edward R. Murrow Awards were announced yesterday afternoon, and our very own WBBM-AM was a big winner. Congrats to the newstaff there. WBBM-AM was awarded "Best Breaking News Coverage" for their continued coverage following the public release of the video capturing the shooting of Laquan McDonald.

Also, WBEZ won another. This American Life won for Continuing Coverage (with WBEZ) and Documentary.

We still have some quality radio in this town.

Eight Days A Week

Must. See. This.

Weirdest Video Ever

I have no explanation for this...it just appeared on my facebook feed.

Why Aren't More Women in Sports Radio?

That's a question posed by the Chicago Tribune, and I think it's a good question.

Good article written by Shannon Ryan. I particularly like this quote...

"Sports radio is sort of the last bastion of the bro, frat-boy culture," said Julie DiCaro, an update anchor at WSCR-AM 670 who occasionally hosts shows. "I feel like every (other medium) has moved on. There's such an untapped audience of people who want more intelligent conversation and want to hear from women. But nobody is going down that road. I don't know exactly why that is."

NBA Ratings

The Warriors/Cavs Final was the highest rated NBA Finals since the Michael Jordan era.

I'm not surprised. It was the only NBA Finals I can recall people talking about while it was going on...at least here in Chicago.

Dan Sorkin

Just heard the sad news that Dan Sorkin passed away in California. You may not remember Dan's name, but he was a superstar in Chicago radio in the late 50s and early 60s. I was lucky enough to interview him in 2010. He was such a gentleman. He told me that if I ever came out to California to look him up...I was welcome to stay with him if I needed a place to crash.

Below is that interview, re-run in honor of his impressive life...

In the 50s and early 60s everyone in Chicago knew the name of Dan Sorkin. He was an important figure on the radio dial; the morning man at WCFL. He's retired now, and living in California.






Rick: A few years ago I interviewed former WLS great Fred Winston and asked him to put together his all-time dream lineup, and he chose you as his morning man. His description: "Way ahead of his time. Very funny--a true personality." How would you describe your old WCFL show to those that never got a chance to hear it?

Dan: Satirical, whimsical, JAZZ, Big Band, current, relevant.

Rick: People still talk about that old WCFL lineup today, fifty years later. You led off the "all-day personality parade." Putting together that much talent and ego and creativity could have led to some combustible moments. Did it?

Dan: No! My best friend in that line up was JAZZ great Mike Rapchak. We shared an office together.

(Photo: Mike Rapchak from his WGN days--1980-1995)



Rick: One of my former colleagues had a copy of your 1960 book "The Blabbermouths" (co-written by Joe Price, who sadly passed away last year, with a foreword by Shelly Berman). That book was hysterical. I particularly enjoyed your description of the 9 types of disc jockeys. What do remember about that experience?

Dan: Joe Price sat in the WCFL studio behind me in a comfortable chair taking notes. In 6 months it was a book.

(Photo: Joe X. Price. Price later wrote another book; a biography of Redd Foxx, and he worked for years as a music writer for the Daily Variety. He was good friends with Dean Martin).

Rick: The late 50s and early 60s was an exciting time in Chicago history. The swinging Playboy Mansion and Club were brand new, but some of that glamorous old Chicago, like the Chez Paree and the Pump Room were still places to see and be seen. You were a young man, well-known around town. You must have some stories from those days. Have any that you'd share with us?

Dan: I went to the Chez Paree once with a date. She wanted a toy bear the lady with mesh stockings was selling. It cost almost all the money I had.

For dinner I had water, she had steak and drinks. I never saw her again.

I conducted Interviews in the Ambassador East Hotel Pump Room. The most memorable was with the Adler Planetarium Director as we dissected the "Big Bang Theory" and Quantum Physics.

Rick: One of your claims to fame was discovering a mild mannered comic/accountant named Bob Newhart. I saw an interview of Newhart a few years ago and he gave you credit for giving him his big break. How did you and Bob initially cross paths?

Dan: Playhouse 90 writer Jim Gallagher and I were friends. Jim and Bob had put together and were selling to radio stations a 5 minute taped comedy "man on the street show" for $5 a show. It cost them $7 a show to produce. The more successful the sale, the more money they lost. I loved the comedy routines and asked Jim to Bring Bob to the WCFL studios for a live interview.

He did.

Bob performed several of his routines on air.

When Warner Bros. President Jim Conkling came to Chicago I performed Bob's routines for him and suggested a contract. Jim Conkling contracted and had Bob booked into the Tides Hotel in Dallas and recorded live, "The Button Down Mind Of Bob Newhart".

Rick: Bob later asked you to be a part of his first television show. How was that experience?

Dan: Wonderful. Every Friday after finishing my WCFL Morning Show I would cab to the roof of the Merchandise Mart where a helicopter took me to O'Hare Field in time to Catch a Continental Non-Stop to Burbank where I had a Honda Motorcycle stashed at the air freight office. I strapped my bag to the Honda and drove to the NBC Burbank sound stage where I arrived in time to announce the Bob Newhart TV Show. It was a wonderful year!

Rick: Your life took an unexpected turn, almost literally, in 1964. You were working as a disc jockey in San Francisco at the legendary KSFO when you suffered a terrible motorcycle accident. How did that change your life?

Dan: It improved it considerably. Because of a broken back and left leg amputation my outlook on life and the value and perspective of day to day living took on new meaning. The motorcycle accident grew me up. It gave me a wider understanding of how others cope with life. It sharpened my sense of humor & purpose. It caused me to found a whimsical global amputee support network called Stumps 'R Us (www.stumps.org). Stumps 'R Us is now in 15 countries & 22 states. I also decided to earn an Instrument Flight Instructor's Certificate at age 75 (7 years ago). I teach 2 to 3 days a week at Buchanan Field in Concord, CA using a Peg Leg to fly. My students think it is cool!

Everybody in Stumps 'R Us is either an amputee or the spouse or significant other of one. We meet once every two months to Fly, Ski, roller blade, tour museums, take San Francisco Bay Cruises on an 1891 Scow Schooner named ALMA or simply have lunch or barbecue. The venues are always different but the theme is the same. We socialize & share experience POSITIVELY. We usually have a speaker on anything from Medical Hypnosis to the latest state of the art of Prosthetic design.

(VIDEO: Dan Sorkin being interviewed about his great work with Stumps R Us.)

Rick: I know you're retired and living in California, but you keep busy, don't you?

Dan: Yes. In addition to running Stumps 'R Us, I teach Instrument Flying, teach Computer Science to Rossmoor Residents (where my wife Jody & I live) in Walnut Creek, Ca and play a lot with a Rag Doll cat named Ella, (for Ella Fitzgerald) our cat sings a lot. That & enjoying life with the most wonderful girl in the world (my wife of 30 years Jody) keeps me busy & engaged.

King Trump

The king of the radio DJ parody songs, Bob Rivers, has a new song about Trump.

Cleveland's Long Nightmare is Over

52 years of no championships is a very long time. Congrats to Cleveland (even Lebron) for winning it all. I was at the Cubs game last night, and people were keeping an eye on the game on their phones. As Cubs fans, we had a natural affinity for Cleveland's long drought.

Of course, 52 years is nothing for Cub fans.

But as my friend from Cleveland always point out to me--Chicago has had a Bears championship, a White Sox championship, three Blackhawks championships, and six Bulls championships since the last time any team from Cleveland won it all.

Finding Dory

I don't have little ones at home any more, so I'm probably not going to see this latest Pixar hit, but it looks like the folks at Disney have another megahit on their hands. "Finding Dory" earned $136.2 million on it's opening day.

It's summer. Families with kids need stuff to do. Everyone already knows the character. It's voiced by the incredibly popular Ellen DeGeneres. This was a no-brainer.

And because Disney let the actual Pixar people write it, it's also very good (according to the reviews). Here's one from the Wall Street Journal...

What was a fertile comic notion in the original—Dory’s short-term memory loss—is now at the core of her seriously affecting, though sometimes repetitive, search for her parents. This sequel redefines the notion of loss leader. Dory lost track of her mother and father long ago; Marlin and Nemo, having lost and found each other, help her on her quest. Still, the movie’s main source of energy is screwball comedy. “Finding Dory” can be touching, sweet and tender, but it’s compulsively, preposterously and steadfastly funny.

Father's Day at Wrigley Field

Had a great time at the ballpark yesterday with my oldest son Tommy and wife Bridget. Thanks for the memorable Father's Day...

A Father's Day Song from Groucho

Theo, Madden & Coaches Rock with Eddie Vedder

It's a Neil Young tune...

Father's Day

As the Sumner Turns

Another day, another dramatic story in the life of 90-something Sumner Redstone...

After taking weeks to line up all his pieces in his battle with Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, Sumner Redstone has finally made his big move to regain control of his company. Today, his National Amusements, Inc., which controls Viacom and CBS Corp., announced that it had removed five members of Viacom's board of directors—including Dauman—and had elected five new independent directors. The massive board overhaul also sets the stage for Dauman's eventual dismissal as Viacom CEO.

You can believe that Sumner is making this power play himself as he sits in a near vegetative state in a wheelchair, or you can believe someone else is doing it, but there's never a dull moment in this on-going story.

10 Years of Blogging: The Reason I Write

This year marks my tenth anniversary as a blogger. To celebrate that anniversary, I've been going through my archives to repost a few of my favorite pieces from that decade. This one goes back nearly ten years. One day I sat down to write a column about the inspiration for my column "Father Knows Nothing". I had no idea this is what would come out. I decided to use it for the final chapter in the book. I call it "Why I write". I'm re-running it today because it would have been my dad's 81st birthday. That's a photo of Eckhard. He's been gone now more than half of my life...



Losing a parent has a tendency to change your outlook on life. I know it happened to me. When my father died, I was 25. That’s a pretty young age to become fatalistic, but I’ve chosen to look on the bright side of being fatalistic. For one thing, I no longer take things for granted because I know that my time on this earth is limited.

I know this is going to sound bad, but I wish my father had been a little more fatalistic. Of course, it’s totally unfair to say that about a man who walked into a hospital emergency room one day at the age of 54, and never came out again. His mindset was understandable. Both of his parents were still alive when he died. He had no reason to ever think about death. And even if he had, all three of his children were already adults (25, 24, and 19), and he had done a pretty good job of raising relatively normal functional members of society. Why would he bother thinking about what life would be like without him?

I know I’m being greedy here. I realize that. He gave me all he could give...and then some. But now that I’m a father myself, I find myself wanting something I never wanted before. His advice. I always considered Dad to be a source of wisdom, even when I strongly fought against it. He was a reasonable man, a thinker, someone who gave quite a bit of thought to his words before they came out. He wasn’t always right, but he was never rash or emotional. In short, he was the perfect kind of person to ask for advice.

And I never did.

And now that I’m a father myself, I have a million questions.

That’s probably one of the reasons I have so overcompensated with my own boys. I’ve tried to use my father as a model—his steady temperament and his guiding hand, while trying to give them what he couldn’t give me. It’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to stay home and raise them. I’m part of virtually every phase of their lives, and I’m constantly giving them unsolicited advice about every subject under the sun just in case they ever need it someday.

Unfortunately, I don’t quite have the fountain of wisdom my father had. He had knowledge that came from a difficult childhood of emigration and language barriers and hardship that I couldn’t even imagine. You learn things when you experience difficulty—and he must have learned so much. Most of those lessons learned, however, died with him. I didn’t have the foresight to ask about them, and he didn’t have the foresight to commit them to paper.

So I write.

That way, what I know will not go away when I go away. Even if my boys choose to ignore it for most of their lives, I’m fairly confident there will come a time when curiosity will get the best of them, and they will seek out wisdom from their father. When that time comes, there’s a possibility I won’t be around to deliver it in person.

The son spends his life trying to distance himself from his father, trying to make his own way in the world, trying to become a man. There’s nothing wrong with that—it’s part of growing up. I certainly don’t take it personally when my boys ignore my advice and insist on making the same mistakes I made. Some kids just learn better that way. I know I did. But there will come a day when they need me. And I just can’t bear to think that I won’t be there when they do.

So I write.

When they do seek me out, even if I’m not around, my words will still be here, to bring me back to life. They won’t have to wonder what was going through my mind when I was in their shoes--because they can read it. And if they end up having boys just like themselves—and my experience tells me they just might—they can see how and why I did what I did.

Why do I write? I know that part of the audience for every word I write includes three grown men I’ve never met. Three men who may one day want to ask Dad for advice. I only have my time, my love, and my words. I give those with all of my heart.

That’s why I write.

Minutia Men, Episode 7

This week's episode features Naked dining, Paul McCartney, Father’s Day extravaganzas, a Cubs stalker, and Rick’s brush with John Travolta.

Listen to it here.

Terry Boers Out for Two Months

Robert Feder has the details about Score afternoon host Terry Boers. He announced that he has to take care of a medical condition that requires surgery, and therefore won't be on the air for the next two months.

As the Sumner Turns

Another day, another twist in the twisted life of Viacom/CBS chairman Sumner Redstone. From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

“Sumner Redstone says he no longer trusts Viacom board or CEO.” Forget Alice in Wonderland - Things in Redstone-world just keep getting stranger. Redstone – who’s been absent from public view for a year – emailed Viacom board member Fred Salerno to say “I no longer trust [Executive Chair/CEO Philippe Dauman] or those who support him.” The Viacom board has requested a meeting with Sumner, but all they’re getting so far is this email. The Wall Street Journal reports the blunt email (from a typically blunt Redstone), and also the response by Salerno – “We could clear a lot of this up if Sumner would share his thoughts with me face to face.” Dauman questions Redstone’s mental capacity, and some in his camp suspect that Sumner’s daughter Shari is behind his recent change of mind about Viacom management and the board. But an amazing thing happened last week – the Journal says “after spending more than a year in seclusion, Mr. Redstone emerged to make a trip to Paramount’s Hollywood lot, where he chatted briefly with studio chief Brad Grey.” And this – “On Tuesday, he made a similar trip to CBS Chairman/CEO Leslie Moonves.” The Journal’s Joe Flint says “both conversations took place in the van transporting Mr. Redstone, who needs a nurse to translate his stroke-impaired speech.” A Viacom rep says the van-visits were “legal and publicity ploys.”

Record Producer Missing in Wilderness

Elliot Wolff, a producer/song writer for the likes of Paula Abdul, Aretha Franklin and Taylor Dayne has disappeared without a trace. This news comes from the Sante Fe New Mexican...

Wolff, who has an address in Santa Fe, planned to hike and camp in the area, Pierce said. A fishing spot, the Dalton Canyon picnic area, is approximately 6 miles north of Pecos on N.M. 63 in a rugged section of the Santa Fe National Forest. When Wolff did not return, police launched a search Thursday that included crews on horseback and foot, some with dogs. State police also used a helicopter during the days-long search, Pierce said. Thunderstorms hampered their efforts Friday, but the search continued through the weekend, yielding no clues, according to police.

Without any leads, authorities suspended the search Sunday.

Bill Maher Will Cover Both Conventions

Maher will host live versions of his show "Real Time" at both the Republican Convention in Cleveland, and the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

Deadline has the details.

Maher may or may not be your cup of tea (I waver back and forth myself), but he is quite good at live coverage. His show is actually live every week.

Late Night Turns on Trump

It used to be funny ha-ha. Trump was an easy target for jokes. But now, it's taken a bit of a turn...

Um, thanks?

Got this in my e-mail box. Thanks to "JB" for this one...

Alligator Drags 2-Year-Old Boy into Water at Disney

This is a horrible story. I can't even imagine how these parents felt. They saw an alligator drag their 2-year-old son into the water at a Disney resort. The father tried to rescue the boy, but he was no match for an alligator.

Have I mentioned I'm going to Disney in a few weeks?

Orlando is starting to sound like a very dangerous place.

Wanna Meet Paul McCartney?

There's an auction going on right now via ebay. The package is incredible. It includes: a pair of passes to attend a sound check; a meet-and-greet with Sir Paul; two tickets to one of his concerts (select dates in July & August); an official photo (sent to the winner after the show) and two round-trip Delta One Business/First-Class tickets within the Continental U.S. The auction runs through 8am PT on June 23.

You can check it out here.

As of this writing, the price was only $15,500.

Roe Conn Signs Extension

WGN-AM afternoon host Roe Conn has signed an extension. From Radio Online...

WGN-AM/Chicago inks a contract extension with afternoon host Roe Conn into the year 2020 from 3-7pm. A lifelong Chicagoan, Conn has been one of the city's top rated radio personalities for the last two decades. Conn began hosting weekday afternoons at WGN Radio in late January, 2015. Daily contributors to the show include WGN-TV news anchor Mark Suppelsa and chief meteorologist Tom Skilling with Anna Davlantes as co-host.

"Roe's passion for relevant stories and magnetic characters has turned afternoons on WGN into a must-hear daily ritual. He's become the ring leader for one of my favorite radio ensembles," said VP/Programming and Content Todd Manley.

"Being at WGN has been the most special experience of my career," added Conn. "People make the difference and this station has the most diligent, professional and collegial folks I've ever worked with. But what continues to amaze me every day is WGN's dynamic, engaged and loyal audience. It's an incredible honor to be a part of their day."

How the Late Night Shows Covered the Shooting

This writer watched all the late night shows yesterday and compiled a list of how they handled the horrible Orlando shooting.

All of them were quite respectful, and handled it well.

Trump Revokes Washington Post Media Credentials

There have been presidential candidates who avoid speaking to certain media outlets before, but this is the first time a candidate has completely revoked media credetials for a major well-respected newspaper. Even President Nixon, who was driven from office by the Washington Post, wouldn't have dreamed of doing something like this.

Donald Trump is a new kind of politician. He did it because he said the Washington Post was dishonest in reporting his completely crazy insuations yesterday, when he implied that President Obama had some sort of "other" reason for not saying the words "Radical Islamic Terrorism". It was a clear insuation that Obama must be Muslim, and/or somehow sympathetic to the terrorist cause, which of course, is completely outrageous, ignorant, and moronic. That's what the Washington Post was pointing out. If that's not exactly what he meant, perhaps he should explain it, rather than banning an entire newspaper (one of the three or four finest papers in the country) from attending his events.

You can't just say crap like that anymore, Mr. Trump. That's why we have a free press in this country. To hold our politicians accountable. If someone said that about you, you'd be in court right now.

This a great Washington Post article about the way Trump spreads inuendo. It's called "A lot of people are saying".

Here's another piece by Post columnist Dana Milbank. He has even more examples.

RIP Judy Jetson

The voice of Judy Jetson, Janet Waldo, passed away over the weekend. She was 96 years old.

Janet also was the voice of Josie (from the Pussycats) and Penelope Pitstop.

Orlando Shooting

Horrible horrible events in Orlando over the weekend. My heart goes out to the victim's families.

I'm actually vacationing in Orlando in a few weeks. Ironically, I'm going there to watch European Cup soccer matches instead of going to France (where they are taking place). The reason I chose not to go to France was that I considered it too dangerous.

There really isn't anywhere safe anymore.

Dish Network Blacks Out WGN

From this morning's Deadline Hollywood...

The impasse in negotiations between Tribune Media and Dish Network over market rates was unable to be resolved before the expiration of the deal between the two companies, and Tribune channels have now gone dark in 33 Markets on Dish. The companies failed to reach agreement on an extension of the current deal that would continue service while a new deal is worked out.

There are more details at the link, but this is strictly a hardball negotiation.

Slow Jamming with the Prez

Beatles Hot Wheels

In honor of the 50th anniversary of "Yellow Submarine" the Beatles have combined with Hot Wheels to make a Yellow Submarine Hot Wheel. But they're also making a bunch more.

Must. Have. This. Don't know what I'd ever do with them. My kids are too old to play with them now, but doggone it, they are cool.

How Big is the Bundesliga?

The Bundesliga is the highest German soccer league, and features teams like powerhouse Bayern Munich.

How popular are they? They just signed a record-breaking $5.3 billion (with a b) TV-rights deal.

Big Day in the Campaign

It started with this video...



Continued with this tweet by Donald...

Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary. He wants four more years of Obama—but nobody else does!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2016

Look at the number of retweets. Quite a few. Then Hillary tweeted this as a response...

Delete your account. https://t.co/Oa92sncRQY

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 9, 2016

And the internet exploded. Look at the retweet numbers there.

It's beginning to look like Donald has a pretty big fan base, but the anti-Donald crowd is much bigger. The question is--Will they show up to vote?

RIP Gordie Howe

Before Gretzy came on the scene, Gordie Howe was considered the greatest hockey player ever. The man played professional hockey into his 50s!

He passed away yesterday at the age of 88.

This is my only Gordie Howe hockey card. It came out during the 1971-1972 season. When the WHL formed in the mid-70s, Gordie jumped leagues. At one time, he was on the same team as two of his sons.

Here's what the greatest NHL coach of all-time, Scotty Bowman, had to say about Gordie: “I pick Gordie as my No. 1 all-time player. He played the longest. He was the toughest player of his era. He was the best offensive player and defensively he was used in all situations. He could play center, right wing, and defense. He could shoot right and he could shoot left. If you could make a mold for a hockey player it would be him. I never thought there was another player close to him.”

Dan McNeil Leaves The Drive

Everyone could see that this day was coming. Here's the press release announcing his departure...

Hubbard Radio Chicago Vice President/Market Manager John Gallagher and WDRV Program Director Rob Cressman announced today the departure of Dan McNeil as co-host of its 5am-9am program, “The Morning Drive.” McNeil joined WDRV in February, 2015.

On the decision to step away, McNeil says, "It was an incredible chapter in my radio tour. I got to be a part of a terrific air staff... some really wonderful people. The Drive paid me go to movies, to take listeners to see AC/DC and the Who. I've been wanting to write a love letter to rock and roll publicly for years and I got to do it on one of the most sparkling classic rock stations in the country."

Hubbard Radio Chicago VP/Market Manager, John Gallagher, commented “Dan did a great job for us. His knowledge of sports combined with his passion for Classic Rock was an inspiration to our team. We expect that Dan will thrive in his future endeavors. He is a knowledgeable and talented radio host.

WDRV Program Director, Rob Cressman added “We look forward to what lies ahead for The Drive. Pete McMurray and the team have assembled a strong foundation. Our plans include a search for the chemistry and content mix that our audience has clearly requested. The considerable research and appraisal that accompanied the former incarnation of The Morning Drive will continue to determine where future opportunities exist to super-serve Chicago’s Classic Rock enthusiasts in the morning.”

Minitua Men, Episode 6

EP6 – Babe Ruth’s big bat, Stevie Wonder’s elevator tricks, Muhammad Ali minutia, Gravedigger races, Cubs nicknamed Little Eva and Bridget, and Rick’s brush with Michael Dukakis and Jim Belushi.

Click here to listen.

All-Star Game is Gonna Be Great This Year

Check out the leading vote getters, and the vote totals aren't even close...

Here is a look at the latest NL balloting updates for the 2016 MLB All-Star Game presented by MasterCard. pic.twitter.com/oA5gjMCJss

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 8, 2016

The Score Sued for Text Spamming

I wasn't a regular listener of the Score until they got the Cubs, and I've never texted them, so I never got these spam texts. If I did, I probably wouldn't have sued. But someone did. From today's Tom Taylor column...

CBS is sued over unwanted texts from Chicago’s WSCR/670. The all-sports Score just had its best age 6+ PPM share ever, powered by the Cubs. But in a federal court in Wisconsin, attorneys filed a potentially costly class action suit on behalf of Elaine Bonin, alleging that the Score sent numerous unsolicited texts to her TracFone. She says she never shared her cellphone number with CBS, but somehow got texts from 67011 – the Score’s texting address. Those SMS text messages about Super Bowl scores and NBA Bulls games ate into her TracFone allotment of monthly time, she says. Since the suit alleges they were sent to Bonin’s phone using an “automatic telephone dialing system for non-emergency purposes,” it believes CBS violated the TCPA. The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act is what iHeart ran into last year in a suit filed in Cook County, Illinois court – and which led iHeart to settle for $8.5 million (June 6 NOW Newsletter). In that case, the court granted class status and gave targets of unwanted texts by stations like Washington DC’s “Hot 99.5” WIHT until September 8 to file a “valid claim form.” That’s probably where Wisconsin’s Ademi & O’Reilly law firm wants to go – yielding fees for the firm, and discouraging other companies from supposed text-spamming.

Joe Scarborough Rants

He completely lost it this morning about Trump...a guy he has previously endorsed.

Mount Prospect store caters to adults who like to wear diapers

That's a real headline.

And that's my home town.

So proud.

Around the Publishing World (June 8)

At Chicago Author Solutions (a division of Eckhartz Press), we stay on top of happenings/trends in the publishing world to help out busy writers who are spending their time doing what they should be doing: writing.


1. Top Writing Tips
From that killer first line to dealing with writer’s block, children's author Chris D’Lacey shares his top writing tips

2. How to Write a Great Opening Line
It's probably more important not to have a bad first line, but it sure does help to have a great one. This article gives you tips on how to write one. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

3. A review of Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest often features reivews, but how many times have you seen a review of Writer's Digest? Here's one.

4. Productivity tips from superfast writers
Believe it or not, there are ways to make yourself write faster. There are two good tips in this article that I live by.

5. Tips for writing a book you'll love
And it's in the Huffington Post, so you know it's true. All snarkiness aside, there are some good tips here.

Baseball on the Radio

Look what happened in the Chicago ratings. The Cubs have propelled their new radio home. From Tom Taylor's Now column...

The combination of radio and Cubs baseball is a home-run for new affiliate “Score” WSCR, all-sports WSCR. Parent CBS transferred the Cubs from all-news WBBM to the Score starting this season, and the Score racks up its largest topline age 6+ AQH total-week PPM ever. Here’s one obvious reason – at night, WSCR improved from a tie for 17th place just two months ago to a third-place tie, and now an outright win, 7pm-midnight. (That’s with age 6+ AQH share.)

I'm one of those listeners. There's nothing I enjoy quite as much as sitting outside on a warm summer night listening to the Cubs on the radio.

Here's the rest of the Radio Ratings report...

Remember that since the Cubs shifted to the Score, WBBM no longer splits up its simulcast for baseball games. WBBM wins every daypart except nights, where it’s fourth. Second overall is iHeart’s urban AC “V103” WVAZ (5.8-6.1-6.1). Note that this book occurred before the sudden death of syndicated afternoon host and Chicago favorite Doug Banks. Third is Hubbard hot AC “Mix” WTMX (4.9-4.8-4.9). Then comes the Score at a 4.2. Tied for fifth are iHeart top 40 “Kiss 103.5” WKSC (4.0-3.7-3.9) and hot AC sister WLIT (4.9-3.9-3.9). “93.9 My FM” WLIT is third in middays. Aside from sports, the talk side includes Tribune’s talk WGN (3.8-4.3-3.7, and third in mornings). In the cume category, top 40 “Kiss” (2,180,800) cumes slightly higher than hot AC “Mix” (2,136,800).

Meat Clown

Thanks to "JFG" for this one, along with the caption "Does this meat taste funny to you?"

Ali's Last Photo Shoot

Muhammad Ali raised his fists one last time for a photo shoot a few days before he passed away.

If you'd like to see the photos, they were published today by The Sun.

Just found this video...George Carlin on Muhammad Ali.

President Obama To Appear on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

It's scheduled for Thursday night. This is sort of news that used to make conservative commentators apoplectic. "That's not presidential!" they would say. Kind of hard to make comments like that when your party is about to nominate Donald Trump.

Obama will probably make news during this interview. He's expected to endorse Hillary.

Buzzfeed Drops Ad Agreement Because of Trump

Buzzfeed had a $1.3 million ad agreement with the RNC, but dropped it yesterday because..."The Trump campaign is directly opposed to the freedoms of our employees in the United States and around the world and in some cases, such as his proposed ban on international travel for Muslims, would make it impossible for our employees to do their jobs.”

Details are here.

It's starting to happen. I think Trump crossed some sort of a rubicon when he started going after a judge presiding over his Trump University civil case because he was "Mexican," and then told his supporters to start calling reporters who give him a hard time about it "racists". So many layers of ick there.

A Tribute to a Great Career

What do you give to someone who has achieved all that Rich King has achieved in his incredible broadcasting career? Well, we gave him a framed cover of his Eckhartz Press book "Back in the Game" as a retirement present.

Best wishes to a great guy who we hope has a wonderful and fulfilling retirement. Thanks Rich for all you've done for us here at Eckhartz Press!

Dan McNeil

Robert Feder has a great piece today about Dan McNeil. According to this article, it sounds like the folks at the Drive are "pulling a Zagorski". That's what I call it, anyway.

In my novel "$everance" the lead character is a morning DJ in Chicago named Zagorski. Zagorski's boss was doing everything he could to get Zagorski to quit, so that he would give up his severance. On the flipside, Zagorski was doing whatever he could to irritate the bosses into firing him, so that he would collect his severance.

Not sure if Danny is Zagorski-ing his bosses, but his bosses are definitely Zagorski-ing him. Read about it at the link.

A Joke The Youngsters Might Not Get

Thanks to "RH" for sending this...

Congrats to Johnny

Another Kaempfer boy has graduated high school. Congrats to my middle son Johnny for his big day yesterday...

RIP Muhammad Ali

How big was Ali in his hey day? He had a hit song written about him. Johnny Wakeland recorded this in 1975...