If you read a past post or listened to five minutes of my radio world, you know that Wordsmithing is one of my favorite pastimes. The English language is maddening with synonyms and multiple meanings to words (not unique to English, but you get the point), so there’s a sizable playground at hand.
I’ve referenced Colin Hay in past entries in this space. Big fan of his storytelling and rich lyrics, to be sure. I recall a Men at Work classic as I ponder yesterday’s outing. “People just love to play with words.”
The word of the day is —- LIVE
In context, you know how it’s being used and how to pronounce it. However, I think both in stand-alone should become part of your everyday mantras. Stick with me a second.
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Live - “Show me how to live!” - Soundgarden lyrics.
Live - “You are looking LIVE!” - classic Brent Musberger intro to calling a sporting event and setting the scene.
Living - Actions, words, interactions with others, and processing day-to-day events and activities and the emotional responses. Getting out and about and experiencing people, places and things.
Live - Being in the moment, that sensation that accompanies stimuli and loud noises (well, in my business, anyway), power chords, choruses, ensembles and front men/women. That feeling that resonates in your soul - singalongs or a big bass line (see the previous entry on “It’s So Easy”).
We got out on Sunday night and watched Hamilton, a return to LIVE theater in Hollywood. It was like seeing it again for the first time, the electricity flowing through the audience and that response to the opening number and specific phrases and songs. Full nerd out —- Peggy Schuyler, Hercules Mulligan, Thomas Jefferson and King George are family favorites, and subtle turns of phrase and gestures b added levity and texture.
Thanks to Taylor Iman Jones, Wallace Smith, Simon Longnight and Rory O’Malley and the rest of the cast. I could
In my last piece, I posted a sweet shot off Dockweiler Beach - sunset and the rolling waves.
It’s the beautiful metaphor for so many things in life, and a big part of the ending of “The Good Place,” which I finished a fresh viewing of earlier this week. One of the characters named Chidi, a Professor of Moral Philosophy, talks about life and death while invoking Buddhist teachings.
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“Picture a wave in the ocean. You can see it, measure it — its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it passes through. It’s there and you can see it and you know what it is. It’s a wave. And then it crashes on the shore, and it’s gone. But the water is still there. The wave was just a different way for the water to be, for a little while. That’s one conception of death for a Buddhist. The wave returns to the ocean — where it came from, and where it’s supposed to be.”
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With that quote and quiet time on the beach as the backdrop, so much of the past week wove together for me. I took a couple days away from the radio show to get the mind and body right and gather some data points together ahead of the NFL marathon. I probably slept more than I should have, thereby leaving a number of things undone, but the cries of a sleep-deprived body were finally heard.
The concert gods gave me a date with Guns N’ Roses at the beautiful Banc of California Stadium. Now, I’ve been adamant about the need to celebrate those meaningful artists on the proverbial soundtrack of your life. At this point, the checklist of “Seeing favorite artists LIVE” is littered with marks, and I’ve been blessed to see a couple wicked GNR shows through the years. So, I thought of skipping it. But my daughter put it best. “Crazy year, and these guys fought a long time.”
I found a ticket and made my way to the stadium. Mammoth WVH, Wolfgang Van Halen’s band, had begun their set when I arrived. Here’s a sample of their work - “Don’t Back Down”
After a brief pause - no, seriously - GNR hit the stage just before 8pm. The mini-movie on the screen delivered Duff McKagan’s unmistakable bass line from “It’s So Easy,” and that was it. I was in a perfect space for the next three hours. Songs spanning some 35 years came at me in waves, and happily, I could pass any mental acuity test tied to lyric retention. The setlist included a bevy of gems, from “Appetite” through “Chinese Democracy,” with a couple turns into covers like “Wichita Lineman” and “The Seeker.”
Axl even joked about the release of a new song, “Absurd,” that’s charted well. He essentially said, “No! Really! New music!”
I could have cleaned up on bar bets with some of the fans around me if we’d wagered on which song would flow out of a Slash lick. Again, decent ear and memory - just wished I’d learned to play. But that’s a lamentation/project for a future date.
As we hit the finale of “Paradise City,” there was only one word to describe the crowd and the band. Joyful. The band smiled through the set - I can only imagine what was on those signs or the view at the front of the stage - and played a raucous three-hour set. I mention that again because, well, that ain’t the norm in today’s marketplace, and we were all the better for the deep list.
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That ties to the sad news out of the rock world that came down on Tuesday. Lifetime Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at the agent 80. It had been previously announced that he wouldn’t be joining the Stones on tour this fall (we have our seats for October 17th), but fans held out hope for his recovery.
The tributes were plentiful from his contemporaries and those influenced. Most included a nod to his style - dress and playing - as “Cool.” Watts was a jazz drummer in the greatest Rock N’ Roll band in the world. Read any tribute to him from rock journalists and fans and there’s destined to be a note about being the cool player among the theatrics of the great “Rock N’ Roll Circus.”
My brother texted me the classic John Hiatt track “Slow Turning” after hearing the news.
“Now I'm in my car I got the radio on I'm yellin' at the kids in the back seat 'Cause they're bangin' like Charlie Watts”
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I’d already immersed myself in the Stones deep tracks ahead of the October date, but this news just made me hear it differently. Pick a tune from any Stones era and focus on the beat. Just listen to a couple tracks off of “Steel Wheels,” and Watts’ drumming sets it all. And that ties us back to GNR. GNR had several high-profile shows in Los Angeles opening for The Rolling Stones in 1989 as the “Steel Wheels” tour got underway.
Colin Hay posted to his Facebook account in tribute: “I think the universe skipped a beat yesterday, looked back and realized, sadly, that it had to carry on. RIP CW”
Keith Richards displayed a “CLOSED” sign over Watts’ drum kit.
I’ll be sorry to have only seen him perform live briefly, years ago in Las Vegas, before I lost consciousness and found myself in a medical facility. Guess I’ll have to wait for the Great Gig In The Sky.
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The Stones made news a couple times during the pandemic. The song “Living In A Ghost Town” became a top-10 hit. And then there was the famous Together At Home concert to bring awareness and funds toward healthcare workers. The Stones contributed a version of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and Charlie went viral. Check out the video — he just exudes coolness.
When I was in school, I could dial up pages of drivel (brilliance in my eyes at the time) about a sonnet, play or random historical quote. I was a top draft choice for group projects during my MBA run because of my ability to synthesize numbers and analysis. At the outset of my media career, I routinely cranked out multiple long-form columns without much trouble.
But trying to hammer out pieces regularly here has been a difficult task. Many false starts and quick one-liners more appropriate for Twitter have littered my “Drafts” queue.
It’s certainly a far cry from the warm, inviting glow of the red light in my radio world. Words flow, for lack of a better analogy, like water. While I’m not generally subject to what I term “hot take nonsense,” I’ve no problem deftly moving between sports topics and mixing in pop culture and social concepts (again, this man’s humble opinion).
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But I’m going to be better about trying. That’s the first step. And in these past two weeks, there was that pause, a moment of clarity, to perhaps unclog that blockage.
We got back to the beach. We met up with some old friends for a bonfire and celebration. Well, mourning for the girls as they pondered a new school year. But we spent ample time walking the beach, observing the chaotic existence of sand crabs scurrying in self-preservation and breathing.
Sure, there were a couple long dialogues on the greater meaning of life and aspirations and all, but it was about pausing from the race for a minute. We lifted the tech break to grab a couple of these shots. The reminder of the ebb and flow of the world spoke enough.
And bleeds into the next pieces —- my Rock N Roll circle.
Wrote this a couple weeks back … not sure why it hadn’t posted.
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“Peace and Love.”
That’s the phrase to utilize on 7/7 every year. It’s truly more than that - it’s a mantra to live by.
Or to try to live by.
Let’s face it. There are myriad externalities that churn into a massive ball of stressors. We struggle with our interpersonal relationships and work commitments as we fight to present our best selves. Say nothing of the internal struggles and vacillation of one’s “worth.” That’s a longer missive for another time - measuring systems, validation and seeking approval and all.
But this one’s about swiping that to the side with the speed and dexterity of a fearsome NFL pass rusher.
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Sometimes you need to just pause, select an artist and let the playlist be your guide. I got some great work in, a thriller with England over Denmark in the semifinals of the Euro2020 tournament and I streamed myriad Ringo Starr songs.
Sir Richard Starkey turned 81 on Wednesday. I celebrate the Beatles catalog and have always revered the stylings of Ringo’s solo career. My daughters and I have seen Ringo and his All-Starr Band twice, and his appearance at a 2019 Paul McCartney show in LA remains a near-religious experience.
So, dialing up myriad live renditions of “Photograph,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” put me in the proper mindset to dominate a day. I whipped up a beautiful chicken divan, took a long stroll with the dog and crushed a four-hour national radio run on FSR.
Positivity. On Wednesday, the dips on my roller coaster - a crude analogy, without a doubt - seemed to pass more quickly, and I leaned into the turns. There’s no promise that Thursday will be a repeat. But I’ll try.
But for a moment … I present the legend of “I’m The Greatest.”
I spent a lot of time at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with my older daughter when she was little. Doctor consultations ahead of surgical procedures and the yearly checkups made for a day’s adventure. And for my daughter, an immersion into a world with kids of every race and nationality, all there to find some support for myriad conditions. I loved watching the kids become fast friends - watching the videos on the television, sharing coloring supplies or, as she aged, my daughter holding court and reading to the younger kids. It was a community of folks, all anxious about what that day’s news would be, but finding a moment of peace in the laughter of the little ones.
So, on some small level, I feel the connection to the family of former NFL tight end and new FOX Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen. His son TJ was born with a condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The short of it is that the left side of the heart does not form correctly.
According to Olsen, eight-year old TJ had undergone three open heart surgeries and lived with a modified heart. This past week, TJ received a heart transplant. The journey, and his family’s wave of emotions, was chronicled in short form for People Magazine. And, this sweet video post-surgery that brings you back to basics:
I can’t wait to see the updates on TJ’s story. Tales of hope and positivity speak to our humanity and bond us all. I speak of the power of that communal energy found in concerts and sports and theater, and energy akin to that felt in prayer services. And like those moments in the waiting room at Children’s.
There are some days when everything crashes around you. I’ve long had the ability, propensity and let’s face it, stupidity, to grind days until I had nothing left. You think you’re helping in the moment to get things done and, as I’ve always said, “to keep the line moving.” But, at some point, you hit the swing into negative returns and cause some frustration and pain to those around you.
And, you find your own health compromised. The more elaborate tales of this ilk will arrive in book form sometime in the future.
Suffice to say, the first win of Monday is simple ... nap. Nap for 15 minutes. Stretch it out to an hour if you can. Mine felt like a second half to a night’s sleep, leading to a rally for the day.
What else happened?
1. Nice long walks with the dog. Put on some tunes and just get the body moving. I carry a wide array of songs and artist in my playlist, a collection termed “The Devil’s Jukebox” long ago. So, Monday’s journeys included some Gutter Twins, Elton John deep cuts, Warren Zevon, Roger Waters and a block of Jethro Tull.
One of the songs at the start of the walk was a Gutter Twins cover of Jose Gonzalez’s “Down The Line.”
I always forget the surroundings or, more likely, don’t much care and start singing along:
2. I finally finished the draft for my Will. Psychologically damning and that recognition of age and how spread out your money can get. Diversification is a good thing. Just make sure you’ve got your spreadsheet of sites and logins handy. I do need to add one or two instructional lines — think Shawshank Redemption, and to produce the latest in the farewell playlist. Oh, and to procure a lot of mini-bottles of booze for the global toast.
3. Finally, the FSR show on Monday had its twists and turns. The band “Jimmy Eat World” became part of the soundtrack because of the band’s appearance at halftime of the Suns-Nuggets game. We argued about the ongoing Aaron Rodgers saga, chronicled two blowouts in the NBA and celebrated Kevin Durant and the resurgent Blake Griffin.
Captain’s Log — or whatever the hell title I take on ...
Gotta keep up on the wins. They’re like Billy Mack sang in Love Actually —- they’re all around us.
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1. Watched some tremendous soccer action as I did show prep, read and got a workout in. Villarreal took down Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League Championship. The 1-1 game was decided by penalty kicks ... by the goalies. That’s right. The game went to the 11th penalty kicks, thereby goalie-on-goalie strikes ended the game. Geronimo Rulli drilled a shot to give Villarreal their 11th PK score, and then defended a shot by Man U goalie David De Gea to secure the victory.
2. Made a nice chicken divan dish for dinner. Chicken with a broccoli sauce - cream of chicken soup and, yes, mayonnaise at its base.
3. NBA Playoff action. I’ll go deeper in video form on SwollenDome.com in the miserable activity of a couple fans that marred an otherwise fantastic night of NBA Playoffs action. The biggest event on Wednesday’s slate occurred at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks rallied from a 13-point deficit to upend the Hawks, and the crowd in the “Basketball Mecca” hit a level of raucousness not seen in quite some time. The Knicks last won a home playoff win in 2013. We’ve had big baseball and spring football crowds, a decent-sized crowd in Tampa for the Super Bowl. No, this registered differently.
The Dodgers are calling a June home date - “ A Grand Reopening.” I think the Knicks beat them to the punch.
I’m trying to be better about logging and acknowledging the good that comes on a daily basis. It’s easy to get caught up in the negatives - the (perceived) slights, lost sleep, schedule issues and so on. And sure, not every day contains some groundbreaking, life-altering greatness.
But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t little chunks of bliss during the day or that they’re even different events from the day(s) prior. Repetition and routine make up some of the positivity we experience. Right? Dependability and consistency are treasured ... until they become a rut.
Without further ado, the reintroduction of the elemental “Find Your Wins” experience.
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1. Creative space - blueprint for the evolution of this site, tied to pursuits in musings about sports, entertainment and the never ending search for the meaning of life (which may just be a good nap).
2. Homemade gyros. Second iteration of a recipe turned out well. Perhaps needs a dash more salt in the mix. But, fresh ingredients made for a great flavor and aromatics. And that goes into #3 ...
3. I was able to smell the world around me a bit longer. No, not a Covid-19 thing. Since a cruise in the summer of ‘19, I’ve had some issues with my sense of smell. Doctor tied to Type-2. So, more weary miles and dietary adjustments to come (less gyros, more greens).
4. BONUS - my Terra Core workout equipment came. Road to swoll intensifies.
Without a doubt, the pandemic provided its share of heart-wrenching stories. We know them all too well - job and business losses, racial divisiveness, sicknesses, deaths and isolation.
But we also celebrated the best of humanity, with leaders stepping up to create food banks, fundraising to support those out of work and those displaced or affected by the aforementioned ills. And I’ll do it here.
Charles Barkley has been the focal point of NBA coverage on TNT seemingly forever now. “Inside The NBA” has been one of the industry standards alongside FOX Sports’ “FOX NFL Sunday,” providing great content on coaching, strategy, game breakdowns and, let’s face it, grabass at its finest. The principals of the show don’t take themselves too seriously, and it oftentimes feels like you’re sitting around and listening to your buddies torment one another.
I appreciate the brilliance of Charles Barkley & Shaquille O’Neal in building off of their on-court NBA careers (yes, they did play basketball, and Barkley’s abilities are criminally underrated) from merchandising and commercials and business pursuits. Seriously, do a Google search on the empire that O’Neal built.
Both Barkley and O’Neal are also known for their generosity and using their platforms to address larger issues. Here, I spotlight a story of Barkley’s support to the Leeds City School District. Charity begins at home, they say. Barkley continued his efforts to support the educators and support staff of his hometown school district, providing $1,000 to each employee for their efforts in difficult times. AL.com reports that there are 226 individuals employed within the system.
You can click on the link below to see the full detail of Barkley’s history in his hometown.
The goal here at FYW is to highlight the good that we see in our respective spaces. You can drop us a line and let us know of the good in your community. And remember, just because the masks are coming off as we approach the summer months, there are still people around us that could use a call, text or invitation to just watch the world go by for a moment. You never can tell what’s going on behind the smile.
Every day, I take to the airwaves on the grand FOX Sports Radio stage for four hours of laughs, information, insights and distractions from the real world. That doesn’t minimize the impacts of the highs and lows for the athletes, coaches and staff by any stretch. But for us, on-air or viewer/listener, we’re looking for levity, entertainment, debates and, as Billy Joel sang, “To forget about life for a while.”
And like our teams, we’re constantly scouring news across the sports landscape and our world at large to Find Our Wins.
With a nod to the efforts being made to seek help, understanding and empathy during this Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to highlight a baseball comeback story.
Last year, Drew Robinson attempted suicide.
The 29-year-old Robinson had been playing minor league baseball since 2010 (4th-round selection of the Rangers) with a couple of call-ups by the Rangers and the Cardinals. He’d battled suicidal thoughts and depression for years and had sought support. Those efforts didn’t quell those thoughts or provide relief. In April of 2020, the pandemic began to wreak havoc, decimating numerous lives and complete industries, including minor league baseball. Robinson wrote a note explaining everything to his family and attempted to take his life. He lost his right eye in the process.
But he survived. And he called 911 before making a second attempt.
Robinson Talked To 8 News Now
The long road back has begun, trying to heal both physically and mentally, and Robinson’s telling his story to try and support those harboring similar thoughts and impulses.
And he’s gotten back on the diamond. Robinson signed with the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. On Tuesday, May 11th, Robinson returned home to Las Vegas with the River Cats and launched his first home run of the season. That makes for quite a homecoming, and another step in his recovery.
The long road back begins with the first step, and for Robinson, a trot around the bases helped to bring his story to a larger audience. As I’ve written for a long while here, and have certainly said it with great regularity from my seat on FOX Sports Radio, check in on your people. Let them vent. Let them know that they have a safe space.
I had a sweet, next morning account of the Rodon no-hitter scripted in this spot. Like a dope, I failed to save it and, well, we know what happens then.
So, I’ll shorten it up for this one.
I’ve been blessed to occupy a seat at the national table with Jason Smith in prime time on FOX Sports Radio now for over seven years. We start our show as East Coast games wind down and the opening bell sounds for West Coast action. We prepare to debate the news of the day and extend storylines that are building ... like a good drama serial. But, the live action creates new stories, new arguments and the heart of the show. I argue that we build events and break down the developing drama better than anybody in the business. You can disagree with the assessments and post-game analysis, but there’s a power to that definitive, decisive way of storytelling. We don’t have the benefit of sound (we’re on the radio), nor do we get the overnight to watch replays and read accounts from myriad sources.
Nope. LIVE and in living color. Championship celebrations, shocking deaths and scandals, legal quagmires, we’ve covered it all.
Last week, we celebrated Kobe Bryant’s final game, the 60-point gem he offered as his goodbye to the game. We were on-air for that game, and we reveled in every made shot - and because we’re based in LA - the excitement of all our colleagues dancing and jumping around the halls. I cited it as my favorite on-air effort as we recounted that day and played some highlights.
It was displaced 24 hours later as Carlos Rodon pitched an absolute gem against the Cleveland Indians. He was dominant, resolute and reached back for gas in the 8th and 9th innings, throwing harder than he had the rest of the game. It took everything I had to not let the fanboy in me take over fully.
Rodon’s road the past several years has been difficult, and that’s a gross understatement. Surgeries and rehab limited him to 11 appearances total between 2019 and 2020, and then he was non-tendered this offseason before re-signing with the team. My brothers and I celebrated his retention. And on April 14, they watched Rodon enter the ninth inning with a perfect game intact LIVE at Guaranteed Rate Field. I watched while screaming on-air to 600 affiliates nationwide.
We texted throughout the game, talking atmosphere and just the overwhelming excitement to be in attendance for this game after the year away because of the pandemic ... and for Carlos. I did my best to convey all of that.
Smith and I marveled at “The Stretch,” an absolutely ridiculous play made by first baseman Jose Abreu doing the splits. His effort to get the out will be celebrated as one of the finest plays in White Sox history.
And Smith and I even got into a little bit of a fiery debate once the perfect game was lost to a hit batter.
“Did he try to get out of the way?” “Should he have made more of an effort?” And the age-old argument about unwritten rules.
Rodon would finish the no-hitter, and we stayed with this piece of history. The other stories and “hot take theater” could wait for another day.
It made for great theater and a beautiful symphony on radio. Our editing team rolled in the highlights from that ninth inning, and we played a long post-game back and forth between Rodon and the White Sox broadcasters. He was funny, introspective and real while processing the emotions of the night and the journey.
And I was glad to be there for the ride. It’s a night that will rank first in my memory of this job ... until the Sox win the World Series, of course.
There are several natural points in the calendar that beckon us to pause, reconsider choices and events of our lives, and to course correct. Opening day. First day of school. Spring break. Six weeks until spring break. Fourth of July. You get the point.
Perhaps you stared long and hard at your cell phone this holiday season. Since you worked from home and binge-watched so many shows, you convinced yourself that you needed that upgrade!
Maybe you’ve succumbed to the innumerable gym ads during the holiday season in years past. I don’t recall being inundated with such during the race to ‘21. I believe there were more ads telling you to spoil yourself this holiday season. And that’s a good thing. The large portion of America, I suspect, tacked on a pandemic version of the “Freshman 15.” (See what I did there?)
I know I certainly could have done better in the second half of the year. The age-old excuse of “it’s football season” entered the fray for me. With extra work commitments, radio show and podcast prep, compounded by a short sleep cycle, it becomes commonplace to excuse the extra spoonful of sugar in various forms. As Jim Nantz would say, “It’s a tradition unlike any other.”
The Super Bowl came and went, and the resolve returned as I viewed a reopening world in 2021. So, it’s on to the “Road To Swoll 2021.”
More workouts
Fewer sweets
More sleep
Less stress
More laughs and appreciation of the good
Less looks into the past
Some business cleaned up on “Fat Tuesday,” and I went in to have some blood work done. So, those were two steps forward into a new world. And then another 10,000 or so with the dog.
On some level, I’m buoyed by my Catholic upbringing and ponder the sacrifice and meaning of the Lenten season. “Fat Tuesday” is more than just the raucous partying in New Orleans. It signals another space in the calendar to pause, reflect and refocus energies. At the end of the 40-day period, we celebrate Easter and the Resurrection.
Family chides my attempts at positive reinforcement and pep talks. That’s fine. It’s meant with love to find a smile, a laugh or simple “You’re an idiot.” I’ll wear it.
And in the morning, I’ll do it again.
This blog/journal has been, as you can tell by the sporadic posts, an idea several years in the making. It’s time to make it a daily ritual and to carve out space in the calendar. Find some little wins each day and build community. I’ve got some ideas on features to add, but I’ll always find a way to incorporate the jukebox.
Here is, maybe a bit on the nose, “Resurrection Song” from Mark Lanegan.
“Resurrection Song” by Mark Lanegan
Day end of day Each hanging spiral Where is the shore From this clear blue silence Up to the heavens that you daydream Remembering the sun and the deep green ivy I know that sleep walking too In trying to be free Of all this damage in my eyes Making confusion in my mind When I hear a resurrection song
Night lays me down when I'm fading When I can't go home Because they hate me To sing that resurrection song
Day end of day Each hanging spiral What do you make Of this clear blue silence Now that the engine driver Has grown to be a deep sea diver And the street has got no end Better keep your heart strong little friend
Thought I heard a resurrection song Thought I heard a resurrection song
