Gravity.

We need more Hercules Mulligan-types around ...

Washington’s own guard were willing to accept hard currency to betray their master.  They preferred to kidnap Washington, but the contingency plan was to poison the meal of buttered peas, lettuce and ham that Washington was fond of.   

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Mulligan hastily shooed out Mathews and sought to inform Washington. He made about half the three-mile trip to Washington’s headquarters on horseback before running into Hamilton, who relayed the information to Washington which, combined with the prison intelligence mentioned above from the conventional story, stopped the conspiracy. Hickey was hanged, while the remaining conspirators including Mathews, were jailed in Connecticut.

More HERE. 

Basket.

On this day in 1996, at the 1:15 mark of double overtime in Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals, then St. Louis Blues forward Wayne Gretzky lost the handle in the neutral zone and, The Captain, Steve Yzerman, collected the loose puck, skated toward the blue line, and put the biscuit in the basket from sixty feet away ... 

Ted Turner, Rest in Peace

Ted Turner has passed.

Fair winds and following seas, skip.

Happy Birthday, Mac

Darren McCarty was born on this day in 1972.

The game-winner in Game Four of the '97 Stanley Cup Final ...

America.

A kid with a runny nose and milk money danced up to the tiger and spit in his eye.

Looking for sports heroes?  Teach your kids about Jack O'Callahan: blue-collar, unsung leader.

Mickey Lolich, Rest in Peace

Mickey Lolich, my first sports hero, has passed.

The quintessential bluecollar player in a bluecollar town ...

Happy Birthday, Pappy Boyington

Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was born on this day in 1912.

From Arlington National Cemetery ...

A World War II fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient, Col. "Pappy" Boyington (1912-1988) shot down a total of 28 Japanese aircraft during his wartime service. Initially in Army ROTC, he joined the Marine Corps in 1935. In August 1941, however, he resigned his Marine commission in order to join the Flying Tigers (1st American Volunteer Group), organized by Gen. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force. Boyington rejoined the Marines in 1942 and commanded the "Black Sheep" squadron (Marine Fighting Squadron 214) in the South Pacific. On January 3, 1944, he was shot down, captured and then held in a Japanese prison camp for 20 months. Boyington's 1958 memoir, "Baa Baa Black Sheep," inspired the 1970s television series of the same name. 

Medal of Honor citation:

"For extraordinary heroism and valiant devotion to duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Central Solomons area from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. Consistently outnumbered throughout successive hazardous flights over heavily defended hostile territory, Maj. Boyington struck at the enemy with daring and courageous persistence, leading his squadron into combat with devastating results to Japanese shipping, shore installations, and aerial forces. Resolute in his efforts to inflict crippling damage on the enemy, Maj. Boyington led a formation of 24 fighters over Kahili on 17 October and, persistently circling the airdrome where 60 hostile aircraft were grounded, boldly challenged the Japanese to send up planes. Under his brilliant command, our fighters shot down 20 enemy craft in the ensuing action without the loss of a single ship. A superb airman and determined fighter against overwhelming odds, Maj. Boyington personally destroyed 26 of the many Japanese planes shot down by his squadron and, by his forceful leadership, developed the combat readiness in his command which was a distinctive factor in the Allied aerial achievements in this vitally strategic area."

What would Pappy Boyington have thought about blogging?  What about bloggers?

Open.

A few years ago, my Dad sent me an e-mail after we had a discussion about "the world today" ...

Dwelling on and blaming every day can take a physical and mental toll and eat up one's time. There is too much of this stuff along with other things in this world that are negative. This again is part of the problem(s) in this day and age. If it's on the internet in anyway, shape or form, it has to be true ... that's false ... but that is what "some are into" today.  Common sense says that some of this topic may be correct, but more data has to be generated and discussed on topics "in open discussion," not, "If you don't believe me, you are against me," etc.!!!

At this point, hate and blaming DOES destroy good days and DOES give many people headaches and loss of sleep and this is TRUE, this we know, we must try to overcome or be above it, which is VERY, VERY hard to do! 

These are some of my thoughts ... Dad.

Thanks, Pop!  I hope the Amish lady came today.

Strategy.

Strategy will compensate the talent. The talent will never compensate the strategy.

Marco Pierre White

Overnight.

Wyeth, N.C., Paul Revere's Ride, 1922

This evening, in 1775, Revere, Dawes, and Prescott were on their way to absolutely, positively getting it there overnight.

Tiger.

Sixty years ago, Willie Horton began his career as a Detroit Tiger.

Facing.

Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the gate:

"To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his Gods?"

Thomas Babington Macaulay, from "Horatius"

Greg Landry, Rest in Peace

My first sports hero, Greg Landry, has passed (I'm assuming it was a completion).

Gratitude.

FDNY Engine 28 Firefighter Mike Kehoe headed up on September 11, 2001.

In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Pleasure.

Don’t be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know and misbehave. 

Enjoy your cooking and the food will behave ...

... moreover it will pass your pleasure on to those who eat it.

Fergus Henderson, Nose to Tail

Happy Birthday, Gibby

Kirk Gibson was born on this day in 1957.

Gibby goes big-fly against Goose Gossage in the 1984 World Series ...

Barry.

True.

True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise – the other, loyalty.

Fielding H. Yost (top row, center), University of Michigan Head Football Coach, 1901-1923, and 1925-1926

Considerations.

Dr. Robert George against the world.  Who ya got?

On the Monday before the event, the college sent a campuswide email promoting the lecture. Shortly after, James Hall, an associate professor of English, emailed a student a link to George’s accountability profile from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or Glaad, which features several examples of his anti-LGBTQ remarks.

Information about George’s beliefs quickly began circulating across campus. The next day, a group of students distributed fliers promoting a protest.

Noelle Punte, a junior at Washington College and president of Encouraging Respect of Sexualities, a student group supporting the LGBTQ community, emailed Sosulski and called for the college to cancel the event.

Punte, who did not attend the lecture or protest, said in an interview that regardless of the lecture’s content, inviting George to campus undermines the college’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion — at a time, she added, when anti-LGBTQ laws are on the rise. Engaging with diverse perspectives is important, Punte said, but that can be complicated for queer students, who often feel their identities are attacked in the process.

“I’m not saying freedom of speech should be restricted,” Punte said. “But at the same time, in cases like this, there needs to be serious considerations about the ramifications and potential harm that inviting someone like Robert George on campus could cause.”

The day before the lecture, Sosulski sent out a campuswide email announcing that although he understood students’ concerns, canceling George’s lecture would contradict the college’s commitment to “liberal learning.”

Happy Birthday, Adams

Chappel, Samuel Adams, 1863

While a people retain a just sense of Liberty, the insolence of power will forever be despised.  A virtuous people cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties.

Samuel Adams, born on this day in 1722