We’ve tried to build a better ark, in the absence of Beto Duran (who is on assignment this week) and give you two shorter shows that would normally be jam-packed into one hour-long extravaganza (as was Episode 7).
Here, too, are the notes worth noting:
Part 1 (04/24/18)
*Today’s history lesson: The Great Western Forum wasn’t always Great or Western until a bank bought the naming rights and started this whole trend in 1988 as Jerry Buss found a way to monetize the joint.
*Keenan Thompson, as LaVar Ball, back on April 14 on SNL:
*Whatever happened to Sonny Gray? A name that sounds like …
*You can get your own Stanley Cup 25oz plastic mug to drink distilled water from just like Eric did. Find it here.
*And as long as Jon is talking about Coachella, here’s a story about how Prince got booed off the Coliseum stage opening for the Rolling Stones in 1981. It happened. We were there.
Part 2 (04/25/18, with a haircut)
*The Buster Olney piece for ESPN about why the Giants should consider dumping Madison Bumgarner … to the Dodgers? For Corey Seager?
* Our favorite tweet about the over-coverage of the NFL Draft coming up:
* How the NFL Draft could be someday covered like a presidential election, with all networks involved.
*The weekly illustration by Jim Thompson, on Mel Kiper Jr.’s intersection with Jimmy Clausen (he went with that bubble quote rather than the other):
*There is something to be said for the ability to purchase male dominant raccoon pheromone on the internet.
*The USA Today headline is true: ‘Zombie’ raccoons are terifying residents in Ohio … not just Ohio … but Youngstown.
*Here is Jon’s recommendation for “Binging With Babish,” the trailer:
*The Youngstown Clothing Company does have some sweet Tees.
*Some of the stunning work by ManCave Pictures:
*A Washington Post story about how PitchingNinja is back in the MLB’s good graces.
A special Part 3 just added:
* We catch up with Joe Torre at his Safe At Home fundraiser at the Hotel Bel-Air tonight, where he explains his personal reasons for getting behind this project, as well as answer a question about what changes have to be made to the game in order for the next generation to embrace it:
Thanks Joe and good luck with the fundraising this year. Thanks as well to David Wells, Todd Zeile and Joe Cohen for the conversation. And to Al Michaels for recording a new into for “The Drill” to come …
Aw, let’s go ahead and show it, even if Al isn’t happy that he’s not wearing makeup for this quick shoot:
Tom Hoffarth's The Drill: More Farther Off the Wall 