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BY JIM DAWSON, OCTOBER 6, 2020 ONE QUARTERBACK AWAY – PATRIOTS LOSE TO KC 26-10 Against all odds: No Cam Newton at QB after testing positive for COVID-19. Same day flight to KC (3 hours in air) on two separate jets. Injuries to OL. No Sony Michel (IR). Despite these bad odds (the Pats started the week as 7 point underdogs; after the loss of Cam Newton the spread was 11 points), the Patriots played a great game against the high scoring Chiefs and their MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Forget the final score of this game. Instead, consider that the score was 6-3 KC at the half and that was only because interim QB Brian Hoyer pulled a rock and was sacked instead of throwing the ball away as time ran out (with no NE timeouts left). That error from a veteran quarterback deprived the Pats of attempting a short, tying field goal (the ball was on the KC 13). I was ready to replace Hoyer after the half with Jarrett Stidham. Bill Belichick, who probably felt the team had the best chance of winning with Hoyer, didn’t make that move until the end of the 3rd quarter. Why was Hoyer finally replaced? Because he didn’t get rid of the ball on a blitz, was sacked and fumbled on the KC 10 (field goal range). That fumble led to KC’s 1st TD and a 13-3 lead. Time for Stid the Kid. Behind the running of Damien Harris (a 41 yarder), the Pats drove to the KC 24. Stidham’s first pass was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone but Mathieu was called for pass interference on N’Keal Harry and the ball was placed at the KC 8. On 3rd and goal, Stidham lofted a perfect fade to N’Keal Harry for the TD and it was 13-10 with most of the 4th quarter left. Then the Pats Defense needed a stop. Instead, successive penalties on Kyle Dugger (on a 3rd down pass to Kelce) and a horrible one on Deatrich Wise Jr, who grabbed Mahomes’ shoulder out of bounds gave KC the ball at the NE 40. A TD pass to Mecole Hardman made it 19-10 (Butker missed the extra point). From the NE 25, Stidham’s 1st down throw went off Edelman’s hands and Mathieu had a gift pic six. 26-10 KC. Game over. This after the score was KC 13-10 with 13:45 left in the 4th quarter. POINTS AFTER Stidham’s stats weren’t great – 5 for 13 with 2 INTs. However Edelman should have had the throw that broke the game open. Facing a big deficit, NE was one dimensional and KC’s pass rush attacked Stidham leading to his 2nd INT. Hoyer’s stats were better – 15 of 24. However he messed up the play before half that cost them 3 points, and then his 3rd quarter fumble on the KC 10 led to KC’s first TD. Hoyer also overthrew TE Izzo and was intercepted with the ball returned to the NE 23. Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins, but Stephon Gilmore punched the ball out with JC Jackson recovering. If not for that, Hoyer’s miscue could have led to more KC points. If I’m Belichick, Stidham is the backup QB and Hoyer never sees the field again. As if the Pats didn’t have enough going against them, they had to re-shuffle the Offensive Line. The week before it was LT Wynn, LG Onwenu, C Thuney, RG Mason and RT Eluemunor (with help). Monday it was LT Wynn, LG Thuney, C Ferentz (off the practice squad), RG Onwenu and RT Herron, the latter two rookies. Mason was Inactive and Elumenor was active but didn’t play. Despite that disruption to the O Line, the team ran for 185 yards (to KC’s 94). 2nd year man Damien Harris (just activated off IR) led the way with 100 yards. The Patriots were jobbed by refereeing in the 2nd quarter with the score 6-3 KC. Winovich sacked Mahomes at the KC 35. The ball popped out and Shalique Calhoun grabbed it. Romo said it was either a fumble or INT. Gene Steratore, the officiating analyst, said it was an INT. The ref ruled that he blew the play dead as Mahomes was in the grasp. It was a terrible call and costly to the Patriots. And it was non-reviewable. You knew this might not be the Patriots night when Devin McCourty missed an INT on the very first KC series. It could have been a pic 6. The Pats often used a 3-man rush, dropping 8 defenders. It helped to slow down KC. James White returned after the car crash death of his father and led the team with 7 catches on 8 targets. Byrd had 5 on 10 targets. Edelman and Harry had 3 on 6 targets. There was a great catch by Gunner Olszewski, just off IR, who caught a deflected pass off Edelman’s hands. Edelman isn’t the same Jules and looks to be playing with injuries. On the play before Hoyer was sacked by Taco Charlton (who with Frank Clark beat LT Isaiah Wynn a few times), and Hoyer fumbled, FB Jakob Johnson was called for a false start. Johnson is from Germany. I swear that I heard Tony Romo sat ‘That’s the Kraut.” EMAIL Good Zine Jim. I enjoyed Zevon's Bad luck streak in dancing school! Vic Vic, if you haven't heard it yet, look for Zevon (on Letterman, I think) doing Mr. Bad Example. - Z My trivia guess... Simon and Garfunkel Kristin Kristin, good guess but no, not Simon and Garfunkel. - Z Jim, Great stuff! You are writing better than ever. I’m going through the great duos over the years whether I liked them or not doesn’t matter stuck on Simon and Garfunkel, Righteous Brothers, Everly Brothers for an answer I think I’ll go with S and G. Garry Gillett Garry, thanks for the support. All your duos are good choices but none of them are the correct answer. - Z Great zine, Jim, and thanks for the half point nod on last issue’s music trivia. This time around I’m going with my gut on the trivia- Simon and Garfunkel? Mark Allio Mark, Simon and Garfunkel are an excellent choice but unfortunately incorrect. - Z Dang- will put on my thinking cap- it better not be Brooks and Dunn! Mark Allio No it's not Brooks and Dunn, either, Mark - Z . Trivia question - another educated guess; Simon & Garfunkel.  # of hits and albums seem about right, HOFs stuff a no-brainer - Hollywood WOF no clue. Peter Bortolotti Nice try, Peter, but no, it's not Simon and Garfunkel. - Z Jim, Good 'Zine ! Glad to see the Patriots' running game 'bust out'. Eric Wilbur (Globe writer) didn't have many kind things to say about Sony Michel recently....after only 2 games into this crazy season. I responded to Wilbur's article to say give the kid a chance and don't judge someone after just two games. I know that many players on the Pats dedicated the last game to James White. Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz The Celtics were beaten by a good Miami team....some excellent shooters on the Heat. Hope the Celts can reload (they have 3 picks in the first round of the NBA Draft....which I believe is now in November. Red Sox might have two future solid starters in Houck and Pivetta. They need the help. I'll try The Everly Brothers for the quiz question. Brad Brad, Everly Brothers is a good answer but incorrect. - Z Jim, Thank you for another week of coverage and lightening the mood around all of the chaos in medicine, politics, and weather (drought & wildfire out west). We sure need a break from all of that baloney. Looks like the Lakers are gonna steamroll the Heat if they continue unchecked on defense. They just have too much depth, experience, and muscle to be denied another banner. LeBron seems to be unstoppable when the fourth quarter rolls around (that and he gets the "elite" calls from the refs on D and well as the O side of the ball). Another abbreviated season over. Good for the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Cup. I'm certainly glad that they defeated Dallas. I would have chosen Brayden Point for the Conn Smythe. As I explained in an earlier communique to you, they are not in my list of favorite hockey franchises. I still think they stole one when Brett Hull poked the puck home while he had a skate in the crease (a violation) and by Hasek for the game 7 winner many years ago over Buffalo (they have never won the Stanley Cup). Learned that Bob Gibson died yesterday from the scourge that is pancreatic cancer. He and Don Drysdale were a pair of the most intimidating pitchers that dominated during their times in the majors. Gibson was a sphinx off the field and a demon when on the mound; his speech was slow and measured, his face unemotional, and lived games in silence from his teammates, opponents, and even the umpires. He and Lou Brock were the tag-team that just killed my expectations that the Sox had in the '67 World Series. Total physical and mental intimidation from one of the most focused competitors ever...in any sport of any era. Butkus also comes to mind. His statistics are of legend. He even hit well when pitchers actually stepped into the box. Rest well, Bob. So, on to music trivia.  Simon and Garfunkel is my answer for this week's question. Ding ding? "Big White" Bill LaPlante Hi Bill, have not watched the NBA Finals but was glad to see the Heat won Game #3. I saw a blurb that if the Lakers win, they'll tie the Celtics with 17 NBA championships. However 5 of those were when they were the Minneapolis Lakers, so does that really count? Well as you know Paul and I were rooting for the Lightning so glad that they won the Stanley Cup. Brayden Point was good. Their goalie was even better. The '67 Red Sox might have won the World Series if not for Bob Gibson. R.I.P. to one of the most ferocious competitors ever, in any sport. Gibson had a 'death stare'. Good guess on the quiz but no it's not Simon and Garfunkel. Now that a Florida team has won the Stanley Cup, wouldn't it be funny (or fluky) if a Florida team won the NBA (Miami), MLB (the Rays or Marlins) and the NFL (Tampa Bay)? - Z As much as I want to say Hall & Oates I think the correct answer is Simon & Garfunkel.  I own the collective works of both so its a win/win for me.   Matt Dawson Hi Matt, your first guess is the correct one. - Z Hi Jim - Another great football weekend, eh? Bills scared the hell outta me - 4th qtr. was CRAZY! Thanks for the ink! Got me to guessing this week's trivia, but all I could come up with is The Everly Brothers, or maybe Hall and Oates. Buffalo Steve Lenz Good guesses Steve, it's the latter group. I was hoping that the Bills would lose since they are 1 up on the Pats but it wasn't to be. Stupid Rams come all the way back and lose with 15 seconds left. Aargh! Still trying to figure out what happened to that Buffalo defense. - Z Hello Jim, Great work as always. I’m going to go with Hall and Oates for this week’s quiz answer. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve been forwarding the Zine to my son Tommy and a friend and Pawtucket native Jeff Blais. Jeff texted me yesterday and said to go with Hall and Oates and I can take that to the bank. If that’s correct I’m already giving credit where it’s due. Cheers, Tom Robinson Tom, your friend Jeff gave you good advice. The answer indeed is Hall and Oates. Glad you are sharing Sportzine with your son Tommy and friend Jeff. You both will get a mention. - Z THE HOT CLUB My thanks to Dr. John for loaning me two DVDs – Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays and The Last Play at Shea – Billy Joel. I recommend both to readers of the Zine. The Billy Joel DVD covered not only Joel’s musical career but also the history of Shea Stadium which closed at the conclusion of the ’08 season. That did mean that I had to watch the replay of the 10th inning of Game #6 in 1986. Joel’s concert was the last event at Shea. Kristin admitted that many times she wears only one of her contact lenses. Friday she said she had both in. Captain Jack said to her (of him and me): ‘We must look twice as good then.’ We were talking about the issue of whether Tom Brady or Bill Belichick has had the most impact on the Patriots dynasty. I said that you have to give Belichick the credit as the greatest NFL coach, and I pointed to the year that Brady got hurt and Belichick had Matt Cassel as his QB and the team still won 11 games. Some of us felt that the last couple years, we’ve seen Brady aging and his skills start to erode. Referring to the last few years and the effect on Belichick, Bob said “Brady sucked the life out of him.” Mark Allio was stumped about last issue’s trivia question answer until I gave him an extra clue – the duo is known for blue eyed soul. Mark knew it was Hall and Oates. Jack Moore was similarly stuck until I gave him the info that the duo hails from Philly. Jack instantly said Hall and Oates. So Mark and Jack get partial credit for getting the answer. ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION So who is the duo that has sold almost 40 million albums, have had 6 #1 hits, 7 platinum albums and 6 gold albums plus are in the Songwriters and Rock Halls of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Hall and Oates. Tom Robinson, with help from friend Jeff Blais, had the answer. Matt Dawson and Steve Lenz get ½ credit since they submitted the names of two duos. Al Vallese got it after saying he didn’t think it’d be Hall and Oates, and I smiled. THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION This band started out with 5 platinum albums. In fact, their debut did so well they had to wait to release their 2nd album which had already been finished. They were named by Rolling Stone as Best New Artist (’78), and won MTV’s Video of the Year (’84). They are in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Name?

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BY JIM DAWSON, OCTOBER 6, 2020 ONE QUARTERBACK AWAY – PATRIOTS LOSE TO KC 26-10 Against all odds: No Cam Newton at QB after testing positive for COVID-19. Same day flight to KC (3 hours in air) on two separate jets. Injuries to OL. No Sony Michel (IR). Despite these bad odds (the Pats started the week as 7 point underdogs; after the loss of Cam Newton the spread was 11 points), the Patriots played a great game against the high scoring Chiefs and their MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Forget the final score of this game. Instead, consider that the score was 6-3 KC at the half and that was only because interim QB Brian Hoyer pulled a rock and was sacked instead of throwing the ball away as time ran out (with no NE timeouts left). That error from a veteran quarterback deprived the Pats of attempting a short, tying field goal (the ball was on the KC 13). I was ready to replace Hoyer after the half with Jarrett Stidham. Bill Belichick, who probably felt the team had the best chance of winning with Hoyer, didn’t make that move until the end of the 3rd quarter. Why was Hoyer finally replaced? Because he didn’t get rid of the ball on a blitz, was sacked and fumbled on the KC 10 (field goal range). That fumble led to KC’s 1st TD and a 13-3 lead. Time for Stid the Kid. Behind the running of Damien Harris (a 41 yarder), the Pats drove to the KC 24. Stidham’s first pass was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone but Mathieu was called for pass interference on N’Keal Harry and the ball was placed at the KC 8. On 3rd and goal, Stidham lofted a perfect fade to N’Keal Harry for the TD and it was 13-10 with most of the 4th quarter left. Then the Pats Defense needed a stop. Instead, successive penalties on Kyle Dugger (on a 3rd down pass to Kelce) and a horrible one on Deatrich Wise Jr, who grabbed Mahomes’ shoulder out of bounds gave KC the ball at the NE 40. A TD pass to Mecole Hardman made it 19-10 (Butker missed the extra point). From the NE 25, Stidham’s 1st down throw went off Edelman’s hands and Mathieu had a gift pic six. 26-10 KC. Game over. This after the score was KC 13-10 with 13:45 left in the 4th quarter. POINTS AFTER Stidham’s stats weren’t great – 5 for 13 with 2 INTs. However Edelman should have had the throw that broke the game open. Facing a big deficit, NE was one dimensional and KC’s pass rush attacked Stidham leading to his 2nd INT. Hoyer’s stats were better – 15 of 24. However he messed up the play before half that cost them 3 points, and then his 3rd quarter fumble on the KC 10 led to KC’s first TD. Hoyer also overthrew TE Izzo and was intercepted with the ball returned to the NE 23. Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins, but Stephon Gilmore punched the ball out with JC Jackson recovering. If not for that, Hoyer’s miscue could have led to more KC points. If I’m Belichick, Stidham is the backup QB and Hoyer never sees the field again. As if the Pats didn’t have enough going against them, they had to re-shuffle the Offensive Line. The week before it was LT Wynn, LG Onwenu, C Thuney, RG Mason and RT Eluemunor (with help). Monday it was LT Wynn, LG Thuney, C Ferentz (off the practice squad), RG Onwenu and RT Herron, the latter two rookies. Mason was Inactive and Elumenor was active but didn’t play. Despite that disruption to the O Line, the team ran for 185 yards (to KC’s 94). 2nd year man Damien Harris (just activated off IR) led the way with 100 yards. The Patriots were jobbed by refereeing in the 2nd quarter with the score 6-3 KC. Winovich sacked Mahomes at the KC 35. The ball popped out and Shalique Calhoun grabbed it. Romo said it was either a fumble or INT. Gene Steratore, the officiating analyst, said it was an INT. The ref ruled that he blew the play dead as Mahomes was in the grasp. It was a terrible call and costly to the Patriots. And it was non-reviewable. You knew this might not be the Patriots night when Devin McCourty missed an INT on the very first KC series. It could have been a pic 6. The Pats often used a 3-man rush, dropping 8 defenders. It helped to slow down KC. James White returned after the car crash death of his father and led the team with 7 catches on 8 targets. Byrd had 5 on 10 targets. Edelman and Harry had 3 on 6 targets. There was a great catch by Gunner Olszewski, just off IR, who caught a deflected pass off Edelman’s hands. Edelman isn’t the same Jules and looks to be playing with injuries. On the play before Hoyer was sacked by Taco Charlton (who with Frank Clark beat LT Isaiah Wynn a few times), and Hoyer fumbled, FB Jakob Johnson was called for a false start. Johnson is from Germany. I swear that I heard Tony Romo sat ‘That’s the Kraut.” EMAIL Good Zine Jim. I enjoyed Zevon's Bad luck streak in dancing school! Vic Vic, if you haven't heard it yet, look for Zevon (on Letterman, I think) doing Mr. Bad Example. - Z My trivia guess... Simon and Garfunkel Kristin Kristin, good guess but no, not Simon and Garfunkel. - Z Jim, Great stuff! You are writing better than ever. I’m going through the great duos over the years whether I liked them or not doesn’t matter stuck on Simon and Garfunkel, Righteous Brothers, Everly Brothers for an answer I think I’ll go with S and G. Garry Gillett Garry, thanks for the support. All your duos are good choices but none of them are the correct answer. - Z Great zine, Jim, and thanks for the half point nod on last issue’s music trivia. This time around I’m going with my gut on the trivia- Simon and Garfunkel? Mark Allio Mark, Simon and Garfunkel are an excellent choice but unfortunately incorrect. - Z Dang- will put on my thinking cap- it better not be Brooks and Dunn! Mark Allio No it's not Brooks and Dunn, either, Mark - Z . Trivia question - another educated guess; Simon & Garfunkel.  # of hits and albums seem about right, HOFs stuff a no-brainer - Hollywood WOF no clue. Peter Bortolotti Nice try, Peter, but no, it's not Simon and Garfunkel. - Z Jim, Good 'Zine ! Glad to see the Patriots' running game 'bust out'. Eric Wilbur (Globe writer) didn't have many kind things to say about Sony Michel recently....after only 2 games into this crazy season. I responded to Wilbur's article to say give the kid a chance and don't judge someone after just two games. I know that many players on the Pats dedicated the last game to James White. Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz The Celtics were beaten by a good Miami team....some excellent shooters on the Heat. Hope the Celts can reload (they have 3 picks in the first round of the NBA Draft....which I believe is now in November. Red Sox might have two future solid starters in Houck and Pivetta. They need the help. I'll try The Everly Brothers for the quiz question. Brad Brad, Everly Brothers is a good answer but incorrect. - Z Jim, Thank you for another week of coverage and lightening the mood around all of the chaos in medicine, politics, and weather (drought & wildfire out west). We sure need a break from all of that baloney. Looks like the Lakers are gonna steamroll the Heat if they continue unchecked on defense. They just have too much depth, experience, and muscle to be denied another banner. LeBron seems to be unstoppable when the fourth quarter rolls around (that and he gets the "elite" calls from the refs on D and well as the O side of the ball). Another abbreviated season over. Good for the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Cup. I'm certainly glad that they defeated Dallas. I would have chosen Brayden Point for the Conn Smythe. As I explained in an earlier communique to you, they are not in my list of favorite hockey franchises. I still think they stole one when Brett Hull poked the puck home while he had a skate in the crease (a violation) and by Hasek for the game 7 winner many years ago over Buffalo (they have never won the Stanley Cup). Learned that Bob Gibson died yesterday from the scourge that is pancreatic cancer. He and Don Drysdale were a pair of the most intimidating pitchers that dominated during their times in the majors. Gibson was a sphinx off the field and a demon when on the mound; his speech was slow and measured, his face unemotional, and lived games in silence from his teammates, opponents, and even the umpires. He and Lou Brock were the tag-team that just killed my expectations that the Sox had in the '67 World Series. Total physical and mental intimidation from one of the most focused competitors ever...in any sport of any era. Butkus also comes to mind. His statistics are of legend. He even hit well when pitchers actually stepped into the box. Rest well, Bob. So, on to music trivia.  Simon and Garfunkel is my answer for this week's question. Ding ding? "Big White" Bill LaPlante Hi Bill, have not watched the NBA Finals but was glad to see the Heat won Game #3. I saw a blurb that if the Lakers win, they'll tie the Celtics with 17 NBA championships. However 5 of those were when they were the Minneapolis Lakers, so does that really count? Well as you know Paul and I were rooting for the Lightning so glad that they won the Stanley Cup. Brayden Point was good. Their goalie was even better. The '67 Red Sox might have won the World Series if not for Bob Gibson. R.I.P. to one of the most ferocious competitors ever, in any sport. Gibson had a 'death stare'. Good guess on the quiz but no it's not Simon and Garfunkel. Now that a Florida team has won the Stanley Cup, wouldn't it be funny (or fluky) if a Florida team won the NBA (Miami), MLB (the Rays or Marlins) and the NFL (Tampa Bay)? - Z As much as I want to say Hall & Oates I think the correct answer is Simon & Garfunkel.  I own the collective works of both so its a win/win for me.   Matt Dawson Hi Matt, your first guess is the correct one. - Z Hi Jim - Another great football weekend, eh? Bills scared the hell outta me - 4th qtr. was CRAZY! Thanks for the ink! Got me to guessing this week's trivia, but all I could come up with is The Everly Brothers, or maybe Hall and Oates. Buffalo Steve Lenz Good guesses Steve, it's the latter group. I was hoping that the Bills would lose since they are 1 up on the Pats but it wasn't to be. Stupid Rams come all the way back and lose with 15 seconds left. Aargh! Still trying to figure out what happened to that Buffalo defense. - Z Hello Jim, Great work as always. I’m going to go with Hall and Oates for this week’s quiz answer. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve been forwarding the Zine to my son Tommy and a friend and Pawtucket native Jeff Blais. Jeff texted me yesterday and said to go with Hall and Oates and I can take that to the bank. If that’s correct I’m already giving credit where it’s due. Cheers, Tom Robinson Tom, your friend Jeff gave you good advice. The answer indeed is Hall and Oates. Glad you are sharing Sportzine with your son Tommy and friend Jeff. You both will get a mention. - Z THE HOT CLUB My thanks to Dr. John for loaning me two DVDs – Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays and The Last Play at Shea – Billy Joel. I recommend both to readers of the Zine. The Billy Joel DVD covered not only Joel’s musical career but also the history of Shea Stadium which closed at the conclusion of the ’08 season. That did mean that I had to watch the replay of the 10th inning of Game #6 in 1986. Joel’s concert was the last event at Shea. Kristin admitted that many times she wears only one of her contact lenses. Friday she said she had both in. Captain Jack said to her (of him and me): ‘We must look twice as good then.’ We were talking about the issue of whether Tom Brady or Bill Belichick has had the most impact on the Patriots dynasty. I said that you have to give Belichick the credit as the greatest NFL coach, and I pointed to the year that Brady got hurt and Belichick had Matt Cassel as his QB and the team still won 11 games. Some of us felt that the last couple years, we’ve seen Brady aging and his skills start to erode. Referring to the last few years and the effect on Belichick, Bob said “Brady sucked the life out of him.” Mark Allio was stumped about last issue’s trivia question answer until I gave him an extra clue – the duo is known for blue eyed soul. Mark knew it was Hall and Oates. Jack Moore was similarly stuck until I gave him the info that the duo hails from Philly. Jack instantly said Hall and Oates. So Mark and Jack get partial credit for getting the answer. ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION So who is the duo that has sold almost 40 million albums, have had 6 #1 hits, 7 platinum albums and 6 gold albums plus are in the Songwriters and Rock Halls of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Hall and Oates. Tom Robinson, with help from friend Jeff Blais, had the answer. Matt Dawson and Steve Lenz get ½ credit since they submitted the names of two duos. Al Vallese got it after saying he didn’t think it’d be Hall and Oates, and I smiled. THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION This band started out with 5 platinum albums. In fact, their debut did so well they had to wait to release their 2nd album which had already been finished. They were named by Rolling Stone as Best New Artist (’78), and won MTV’s Video of the Year (’84). They are in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Name?

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BY JIM DAWSON SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 PATRIOTS RAID LAS VEGAS 36-20 Ooh Las Vegas...Patriots fans were concerned coming into this game as their Center David Andrews had been put on the IL with a reported broken thumb in his right, hiking hand. What would Team Belichick do? Well, they switched LG Joe Thuney to Center and put OL Mike Onwenu (6th round pick in 2020) at LG. Thuney had played Center at NC State, but that was a while ago. The Pats got off to a slow start going 3 and out and what would have been another 3 and out except for a Raiders penalty that earned them only 3 more plays. Meanwhile the Raiders Josh Jacobs was running well getting 6 yards or more a carry. However after LasVegas got to the NE 12, LB Shilique Calhoun stripped Jacobs of the ball and JC Jackson recovered. It was the first NE BAP (Big Ass Play) of the game. Then Cam Newton, who did not have a great game throwing the ball (he threw a near pick forcing it to Edelman who had 3 guys on him), was intercepted and the Raiders had it at the NE 14. The Pats D stiffened and Las Vegas settled for a FG. 3-0. On the next NE possession, they put 5’6” JJ Taylor in at RB and that sparked the running attack. Newly activated Isaiah Zuber helped with an end around for 13 yards helped as did a facemask on one of Taylor’s runs. It led to a tying FG. 3-3. Next came the 2nd Pats BAP as Chase Winovich stripped Carr of the ball and Lawrence Guy recovered. Behind Taylor’s running, the Pats got another FG, 6-3. Taylor’s running seemed to inspire Sony Michel as he started to run harder and Burkhead began his awesome day with a screen pass which he carried into the end zone vaulting over the Raiders’ Nevin Lawson. It was 13-3 with 34 seconds to the Half. Then the Pats Defense did the inexplicable – allowing the Raiders to score a TD. A bad penalty on Stephon Gilmore set the Raiders up at NE’s 33. Two passes to Hunter Renfrow set up their TD. Aargh! 13-10 NE. Las Vegas had the ball to start the 2nd half and got close enough for a 41 yard FG try but Daniel Carlson missed it. The Raiders would be held to a FG and a late meaningless TD. After that missed Raiders FG, the Pats drove for the TD that made it 20-10 behind a 38 run by Sony Michel and the receiving and running of Burkhead who ran it in from the 5. The Pats held and added to their lead with another Folk FG of 32 yards. Sony Michel had a 48 yard run that set up the score. 23-10. Next came the Raiders FG that made it 23-13. They had reached the NE 7 and had 4th and 5. I thought they should have gone for the TD, but was glad they didn’t. The Patriots would then salt the game away in the 4th quarter as they had an 86 yard drive for a TD. This time Cam Newton contributed by hitting N’Keal Harry for 27 and Rex Burkhead for 11. Cam then scrambled for 21. Burkhead ran for 14 and 2 for the TD. It was the first 3 TD game in Burkhead’s career. His effort was something to behold. Just in case Derek Carr and company thought they could rally, NE snuffed out that delusion when Carr was stripped of the ball in his own end zone by Shalique Calhoun and Deatrich Wise, Jr. with Wise getting the TD. BAP! With 5:09 left, and the score 36-13, it didn’t matter when Las Vegas scored another TD. POINTS AFTER The Patriots found another way to win on a day that Cam Newton struggled throwing the ball much of the game. They amassed 250 yards rushing with Sony Michel having 117, Burkhead with 49 and Taylor 43. Keys to the game were holding bruising RB Josh Jacobs in check (71 yards) as well as scary TE Darren Waller (2 meaningless 4th quarter catches). The Pats double teamed Waller most of the game. Jacobs had 54 of his rushing yards in the 1st half. After coming in with only 6 penalties in 2 games, the Raiders matched that in the game. Bill Belichick used all 3 of his 2nd half timeouts by the beginning of the 4th quarter. I had never seen that happen. Someone like Andy Gresh may have some insight into that. Jon Gruden is now 0-3 versus the Belichickian Patriots. He lost the ‘Tuck Rule’ game as Oakland’s head coach, another with Tampa Bay and yesterday’s with Las Vegas. Nick Folk hit on 3 field goals. He missed an extra point. I hope that Justin Rohrwasser gets healthy soon because Folk’s range is only from about 45 yards out. My good friend Paul asked me if the NFL might do away with the extra point try. I said I didn’t think so because since they’ve moved that kick back to the 15 yard line, there have been misses and blocked tries. Yesterday, besides Folk, Washington, Arizona and Atlanta missed extra points. Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay had extra points blocked. BULLETS • Once the Celtics got down 3-1 in games versus the Miami Heat, you knew they were in trouble. Sunday, the Heat ended the Celts’ ‘bubble season’ winning Game #6 125-113. Inconsistent defense, Miami’s zone and their hellacious 3-point shooting contributed. • Now that Chaim Bloom has let Ron Roenicke go as manager, will Alex Cora return in that role? I’m willing to forgive Cora for his transgressions. He has a special bond with many of the Red Sox players. This team needs Cora. Roenicke as Cora’s bench coach? • The Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont (9/27) had a great interview with Derek Sanderson. Sanderson had a drinking problem and thought he lost his two Stanley Cup rings. His business partner at Daisy Buchanan’s, Joe Cimino, had taken them for safe keeping. Sanderson was thrilled that Cimino had them. His two sons now have those rings. EMAIL Top of my head, Muddy Waters.  There is no Queen Album called Bohemian Rhapsody. It is a Night At The Opera, and it is a classic and in my top five.  The best albums are always by the Beatles. The top two, non-Beatles, albums are Live At The Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers and Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs. Matt Dawson  Muddy Waters is incorrect but thanks for the correction on A Night At The Opera which was named after the Marx Brothers movie because Queen loved them. - Z Hi Jim, love the “long-format” zine. For this issue’s music trivia quiz, I’m going with B.B King! Mark Allio Hi Mark, good guess but No, it's not BB King. Thanks for the kind words. - Z Quick guess on the trivia question: Paul Butterfield. Saw in Newport (I think it was the '69 Jazz Festival that also had Jethro Tull, but my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.)   Glenn Dewell Hi Glenn, Paul Butterfield is a good guess, but incorrect. - Z Good writing James. I’m thinking Muddy Waters is the answer to your quiz. Don’t know when he was at the Newport event, but possibly our compadre Wild Bill Shea was there!   Mike Curtis Mike, a good guess but incorrect. Did more research as you are a Blues savant. I researched Muddy Waters vs. my answer. The one difference I could find is that McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (based on a list I found – I looked under both names). Other than that, Muddy would have fit the description. Muddy Waters has a star but at a different place in Hollywood. https://totally-la.com/rockwalk-the-walk-of-fame-for-rock-stars/ - Z Hello Jim, outstanding Zine this week. Great story about Terry Nau and Fleet Pete. Quiz guess would be BB King. Keep up the good work. Tom Robinson Hi Tom, sorry but BB King is not the answer to the quiz. Thanks for the kind words about the Fleet Feet Pete and Terry Nau story. While Pete is from Foxboro and Terry originally is from the Pittsburgh area, they have lived here long enough that they can be considered Rhode Islanders. You've heard of Kevin Bacon's 6 degrees of separation. In Rhode Island, it's 1 degree of separation. - Z The RI - 1 degree of separation gets even better in that story. Terry Nau was the Sports Editor of the Pawtucket Times. That job was held for many years by Ted Mulcahey, my father in law and Mike’s (Tanya McIntyre and the Professors) Dad .I’ve attached a great picture of Ted from what had to be the late 50s. I know two of the people but I’m still trying to figure out the guy on the right. I’ve been thinking that it’s possibly Manny Almeida. Any idea? It’s a small world. Tom Robinson Tom, besides Mike's dad Ted Mulcahey, that's Rocky Marciano on the left. My guess is the man on the right is either a boxer or a boxing promoter. Will send to Terry Nau and see if he has any idea. Tom, Terry emailed: “That is Jim Murphy, a Times editor, father of Sheila and Greg, who confirmed this.” - Z Thanks Jim - sure this will go over well with the gang! LOL. Trivia educated guess: by your description three names popped into my head - Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon. I think John Lee Hooker. Peter Bortolotti You deserve it. Yes it's John Lee Hooker. One bourbon, one scotch, one beer. - Z Is this the longest Sportzine you’ve ever written? No wonder you were “late”.  And BTW...it was terrific. Richard Flinn Rich, yes I think it is the longest regular Sportzine- 7 pages. I think special edition #700 was 8 pages because of the photos. Lately I have been getting more email and putting them in the Zine as I think they inform. Also after Peter made that connection with Terry Nau I felt like that had to be in there. I even left out a photo of that beer race with Peter smack dab in the middle. Thanks as always for your positive feedback and kind words.-Z Hi Jim - Thanks again for another awesome 'zine, even though there was absolutely NO mention of the (current) AFC East leader...😜 (I wonder how long THAT will last, eh?) No, not gonna try the quiz again - I hit my limit with one win. Just wondering if you're still accepting "favorite album" input? If so, and now that you've opened it up to ALL music, here are four of my all-time faves: Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, Billie Holiday-Lady Sings the Blues, Bob Dylan-Nashville Skyline, and Beatles-Abbey Road. Oh - and anything Bach! Stay safe, my friend! Buffalo Steve Lenz  Steve, great album choices. While Buffalo is 2-0, they gave up 17 points to the Jets and 28 to Miami. What happened to that defense? - Z Great 'Zine, Jim. Even though we lost yesterday, I can see some encouraging signs for the Pats. Cam looked OK but he can use some additional receivers. And we need to stop the big pass plays. We almost pulled it off but we have had some close games with Seattle over the last few years (Malcolm Butler comes to mind). Lots of injuries around the NFL yesterday, especially involving the knees (something I am very familiar with at the present time). Brady had his problems yesterday but the Bucs still won. The lack of a preseason is responsible for a lot of this. Still a long season. I feel confident in the Pats. Walt Dzialo Walt, we'll see if the Pats trade for a veteran receiver. I was heartened at how many catches Harry and Byrd had. Cam has been working hard with these guys. Brady never trusted the young receivers that much. He still looks off in his passing game and winged one so high over Gronk's head that even he couldn't catch it. A lot of this (Brady and Brees looking human) has to do with the lack of proper preparation because of COVID-19 shutting down camps. The injuries are also starting to accumulate, much of them for the same reason. - Z The Pat’s last play was predictable. Even I called it. Russell Wilson was truly amazing. May we meet again. Mike Hunt Mike, I agree that the last play was telegraphed. Would like to see a pass/run option. - Z https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hockey_League Mark Allio Thanks Mark, I wondered about that 31 teams (See the Hot Club section). Now I understand. Las Vegas was the 31st team. There will be a 32nd in 2021. - Z When I was going to college in Toronto from 75-77, I went to York University and its Glendon College (the original York), created to emulate the Canadian ideal of a bi-lingual bi-cultural society. It was comprised equally of French and English Canadians. I was the only Yank followed by my brother Paul a year later. I ran mainly with the Quebecois, and we would attend hockey games played by the Nordiques from Quebec City. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Nordiques. They never won a Stanley Cup, and in 1995 the franchise was sold to Colorado, who promptly won the Stanley Cup in their first year! Some Canadians think that the US has taken over Canadian hockey, a sore spot to discuss indeed.  Mark Allio While writing this Sportzine I listened to John Prine’s last CD, 2018’s The Tree of Forgiveness (great music and a fitting conclusion to a fantastic career). Also I played Robbie Robertson’s solo debut album released in 1987 (thanks Peter). Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz THE HOT CLUB Brought up that I had seen Warren Zevon at the Paradise Theater in Boston many years ago. ‘Waddy’ Wachtel was his lead guitarist/band leader. Session man Rick Marotta was the drummer. On the stage there were stairs going to a dressing room beneath. During Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, a roadie down below threw fire crackers onto the stage. Marotta got down from his drum kit, descended the stairs and you could hear punches – bap, bap. Marotta came back up, and resumed playing drums on the song. So Dr. John told us about when he was at UMass-Amherst and in a band with Taj Mahal. They were playing a gig at Dartmouth and were the last band on. By then all the college kids in the audience were drunk. So the band huddled up trying to figure how to get the attention of the audience. Voila. Taj threw a cherry bomb and that got their attention. They then played The Twist. John said they were invited back every year. We were talking about the Stanley Cup Finals between Tampa Bay and Dallas. I noted that once again a Canadian team would not win the Cup. I said it must be 15-20 years since a Canadian team won the Cup. Mark looked it up – Montreal won it in 1993. So actually 27 years ago. Mark asked how many Canadian teams there are – we checked – there are 31 teams. 24 are American, 7 Canadian. That led us to the American Olympic hockey team winning in 1960 and 1980. Peter pointed out that professional hockey got a big boost when the NHL allowed their players to go to the Olympics. We checked – it was 1998 and continued thru 2014. ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION So who was that blues man who debuted at the Newport Folk Festival, is in the Rock and Blues Halls of Fame and who has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame? Peter Bortolotti was the only one who got it, with Mark Allio getting half credit for saying that John Lee Hooker came to mind but he didn’t think it was him (HC). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock n’ Roll had John Lee debuting in Newport (1960). Hooker was in The Blues Brothers movie. Two of his songs, Boogie Chillen and Boom Boom, are in the Rock Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. R.I.P John Lee. THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION This duo has sold close to 40 million records. They’ve had six #1 hits (Billboard Hot 100), 7 platinum albums and 6 gold albums. They are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock Hall of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Name the duo.

SZ730

BY JIM DAWSON SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 ONE PLAY AWAY – SEATTLE EDGES PATRIOTS 35-30 The Patriots had the ball on Seattle’s 1 yard line after a 12-yard catch by N’Keal Harry. .03 seconds left. Cam Newton tried to run behind fullback Jakob Johnson, but a Seahawk submarined him (Adams?), and Cam was stopped short by LJ Collier. Earlier Seattle had seen Cam score behind FB Johnson’s block, and Cam had passed to Johnson for a 1-yard TD. The Seahawks were probably keying on Johnson as a result. To me this loss has a silver lining for the Pats. Should they meet again, NE knows that they can beat Seattle. When you are down 35-23 with 4:32 left in the game, you shouldn’t be one play away from winning. One play. Of course, it’s good to have Pete Carroll as the coach on the other sideline. After the Pats had scored to make it 35-30 with 2:16 left, Seattle had a 3rd and 1. They tried a long pass to Lockett who was well covered by Jonathan Jones. The Seahawks had at that point 154 yards rushing and Chris Carson had 72 of those. Naw we’ll pass. Thanks Pete. If you look at the stats, you wonder how the Patriots were in this game, never mind one play away from winning. Russell Wilson was 21 of 28. He hit 5 different receivers for TDs: Metcalf for 54 yards against Gilmore. Moore for 38 vs Jason McCourty. In my notes, I wrote ‘Great pass’ or ‘hell of a pass’, including a 16 yarder to Lockett that also beat Jason McCourty. 21 yards to Swain. 18 yards to Carson. 154 yards rushing. The Patriots ran for 67 yards. Cam Newton again led the pack with 11 carries for 47 yds. However Cam also was 30 of 44 passing for 397 yards (to Wilson’s 288). Both passers had 1 INT with Devin McCourty returning it 43 yards for a TD (a deflection off Olsen). The Pats had a lead twice at 7-0 and 14-7, but each time the Seahawks and Wilson came roaring back. Seattle was more versatile with 22 first downs – 10 rushing and 11 passing (1 by penalty). The Pats had 29 first downs, 5 by the run and 22 by pass (2 by penalty). What Cam did with this thin receiving core is a sight to behold. That said, they need to trade for a veteran receiver. Edelman had 8 catches on 11 targets for 179 yards! Harry had 8 catches on 12 targets. And they didn’t have Harry for a while after a helmet to helmet hit by Quandre Diggs put Harry in concussion protocol. Diggs was thrown out. Damiere Byrd had 6 catches on 9 targets. The one Newton INT was a pass slightly off which Dunbar intercepted. Byrd needed to fight for the ball more so that if he doesn’t get it neither does the defender. Burkhead had 6 targets and 4 catches. A key here was the team missing James White who is a dual threat, running and receiving. White’s parents were in a horrible car crash that killed his father and put his mother in critical condition. May his mother survive and return to good health. POINTS AFTER Seattle strong safety Jamal Adams (a gift from the Jets) had a monster game. He blitzed to stop Cam on the two point conversion and also on a 3rd and goal which caused the Pats to settle for a field goal. He had 6 tackles and 4 assists (10) and had the only sack. The Pats were led by John Simon 5/3 (8) and Jonathan Jones 7/0 (7). Calhoun had a sack. Winovich and Rivers (who may have gotten hurt) split the other sack. The team had 8 QB hits, but time and again Wilson either ran or passed his team to a 1st down. There was a strange play where Cam Newton scored on a run and the refs totally missed it. Then Bill Belichick threw a challenge beanbag and the refs missed that too! So Newton calmly ran the ball in for a TD on the next play. Devin McCourty was miked for the game. When he returned his INT for a TD, he looked at the camera and said “28 We love you.” James White wears #28. Rookie DB Kyle Dugger got into the game and was in the line of vision of Wilson for a throw to the receiver who caught it. Had Dugger raised his arms, he might had deflected or intercepted the ball. BULLETS • R.I.P Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who after a long, courageous fight against cancer succumbed to complications from pancreatic cancer at age 87. Ginsburg is an icon to many for her life’s work and her tenure on the Supreme Court. She was a champion of women’s rights and gender equality. She graduated at the top of her Columbia Law School class but no law firm would hire her. That didn’t stop her. She was a giant at 5’1”. R.I.P. RBG. (Source - Wikipedia) • The Celtics overcame a locker room squabble and Miami’s zone to win Game #3 and now sit at 1-2 with the next game not until Wednesday. The other Final has to catch up. • The Atlanta Falcons need a new coach. Yesterday they blew a big lead to Dallas in the 4th quarter allowing the Cowboys to score two TDs and then a winning FG after the Falcons botched the onside kick. Falcons players failed to jump on the Zuerlein onsider which had not gone 10 yards until it had gone 10 yards and then the Cowboys recovered. • The San Francisco 49ers won a Pyrrhic victory yesterday as they thrashed the Jets 31-13. The 49ers had injuries to QB Jimmy Garoppolo (high ankle sprain), RB Raheem Mostert (knee), DE Nick Bosa (torn ACL?) and DL Solomon Thomas (torn ACL?). The Niners complained about the turf at the Jets Met Life Stadium. (per NY Post). • Tom Brady still doesn’t look comfortable to me in his new setting in Tampa Bay. He was 23 of 35 with an interception (a high throw over Gronk’s head). He also threw some passes into the ground in front of his receivers. SPOTLIGHT ON TALENT – PETER BORTOLOTTI Some of you may know Peter Bortolotti as a Marketing Professor at Johnson & Wales for 19 years (he just retired). Others may know Peter as the lead guitarist and singer in the rock band Tanya McIntyre and The Professors. Here is a different side. Peter went to U. Conn on a track scholarship. After graduation, he headed to Penn State to train with two former PSU grads including high school teammate Charlie Maguire and Greg Fredericks. Peter ran the 3000m Steeplechase. He was good enough to go to the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in 1976. Fredericks made the 1980 Olympics team but that team never went to Moscow. Peter also got his Teaching Certificate (English) at PSU and did some MBA work there. Last Friday at the Hot Club, I mentioned to Peter that I was reading Terry Nau’s book Reluctant Soldier...Proud Veteran about his experiences serving in Vietnam with the US Army. Peter immediately recognized Terry’s name and knew that he had written sports for a Pennsylvania newspaper. He asked me to contact Terry. Terry Nau is the esteemed ex-sports editor of the Pawtucket Times. When I contacted him, he indeed remembered Peter. Terry said he was the sports editor for the Pennsylvania Mirror at the time that Peter was at Penn State. Every year a fraternity would hold a charity fundraiser called the Phi Psi 500. According to Terry, the race was run through the streets and back alleys of State College’s bar district. Calder Alley, Beaver Avenue. Bars included the Rathskeller and Phyrst. It was a mile race and the runners had to stop along the route at 6 bars, chug one beer in each bar and then continue running. Peter said he ran the ‘mile’ in 5:13, with beers included. Pete said the Phi Psi 500 race motto was ‘Chugging for Charity’. In an email, Terry had this to say: “The Phi Psi was a fun race that began in the mid-1970s. People who could run and drink beer were good at it and Peter was the best. He beat a few serious runners along the way and set a course record, too. You should ask him what it was like to chug six beers and run a mile at the same time. Some of the smarter runners learned to just run into the bar, throw the beer into their face, and take off...Glad you are honoring Pete in the Zine. He is still a legend back in State College.” EMAIL Hey Jim…..it’s great to see football back, but it is weird to be rooting for a team led by Cam Newton. Who’d have predicted that? For this week’s quiz I’m going with Toots Hibbert of the Maytals. I’m not sure if he’s credited with naming the genre of Reggae but he certainly fits the time frame. I was at the Providence Civic Center in 75 or 76 when Toots and the Maytals were the opening act for The Who. They opened up with Country Roads by John Denver and were promptly booed off the stage. I guess RI wasn’t ready for a Reggae pioneer that night! Keep up the great work! Tom Robinson Yes Tom, the answer is Toots Hibbert of the Maytals. You are not only the first to get the answer but the first to respond to the trivia question. Your batting average is on the rise. Fortunate to see Toots a few times. He died last week at age 77 and it might have been from COVID-19. Thanks also for the kind words. - Z Frederick Hibbert. According to Meg Griffith (Sirius Radio/ Deep Tracks) Toots died of complications from Covid 19. Ken Forestal Right you are Ken. It's Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert. He coined the term reggae in one of his songs. Sad that Toots died of COVID-19. He and another legend, John Prine, were felled by that disease. - Z Trivia: "Toots" Hibbert seems to fit those credentials that you listed. One of the founding fathers of the reggae sounds coming from the sunny confines of Jamaica way. He was loved by Keith Richards and Otis Redding. The cult classic film "The Harder They Come" played at the Orson Welles Theatre in Harvard Square many a Saturday night for years during the early 70s when the air was filled with fun and the unmistakable scent of ganga during the film. "Pass it on, please" was the request of the night. Cough, cough...good shit man, thank you. Only saw it about 7 times with other nefarious hipsters of the night. Pretty rough and primitive cinematography, but it fit the Trenchtown backdrop of Kingston perfectly. Bill LaPlante Bill, yes the trivia answer is Fred 'Toots' Hibbert. Saw The Harder They Come a few times. Toots is in it and they play Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop in the movie. Some people think that the Jimmy Cliff character is based on Toots. - Z Jim, good Sportzine. I hope Cam Newton only runs the ball when necessary....we all know what can happen to run happy QBs (You don't have to refuse to go down Cam, unless it's the last yard for a first down!), but that ability of his will keep opposing defenses honest. If the Celtics play their hard-nosed defense against the Heat and contest their three point shooters...they'll advance to the Finals. The Celts have played better 'D' in the playoffs.  And rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. Which reminds me of an article in the Globe (I believe) which pointed to how Pat Riley and Danny Ainge have never liked each other.  Riley once said to his playoff team..."No rebounds, no rings!". My answer to the quiz this week is Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals. The movie, which we saw together (at the Palace in Providence?) and was part of a double feature, was "The Harder They Come" in which 2 of Toots' songs were part of the killer soundtrack. Do I get any bonus points for remembering the first feature film that night....the obscure...."Smile Orange"? We, of course, saw Toots and The Maytals together at the last version of Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. Slainte, Brad Yes Brad, it’s Toots Hibbert and the movie was The Harder They Come. I did not remember that movie Smile Orange. Toots always put on a great show. - Z  Jim: Back in '85, I worked a gig at Lupo's, with EmmyLou Harris playing. It was her 40th birthday. After the show, I was serving b'day cake & showed her a picture of our then, less than 1 year old son. She liked it and signed a balloon for him : " To Adam - Sweet dreams, EmmyLou Harris." I still have the balloon, which is now the size of my thumb! And may I say, she was as sweet as the icing on her cake! Tom Wallis Great story Tom. I have seen Emmylou a bunch of times including once at Tanglewood. I liked her so much I thought Willie Nelson was opening for her that night until I heard the strains of the first song. - Z What is your guesstemit on how many Pat fans were rooting against Bucs yesterday? Ken Forestal Hi Ken, good question. Cara is rooting for Tom Brady. Monica and Walt are not. I'm not rooting for him, just curious as to how he will do. He did not look good yesterday. Besides the two INTs, he threw 2 balls to the sidelines that were the worst I've ever seen him throw. No one could have caught them, not even Tacko Fall. Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz That Tampa Bay OL seemed to wilt as the game went on. My feeling is that Brady made a serious mistake leaving the Patriots. History will reveal if he was forced out or just stubborn about a 2 year contract. Going to a different team where you don't know the players is a huge disadvantage. He had a comfort factor with the Pats,knowing the offensive players especially the receivers and OL. Doubt that Gronk is going to help him much. I predict Gronk gets hurt early this 'season'. Go Pats! - Z Well, it's down to Dallas vs. Tampa Bay for Lord Stanley's prized silver Cup. I'll be rooting for the Lightning to take it in six games; I'm just not a fan of the Stars. I have always appreciated the play of Radulov for his savvy with the puck up the boards and behind the net. Jamie Benn is also a factor as a leader and just being in the right position on both ends of the ice. Pavelski? Have never liked him as he is a sneaky little shit who throws a slash here and there that doesn't get called enough. He reminds me of Chris Draper who used to play for Detroit during their many wars with the Avalanche.  I'll give them both their due being good teammates to their club and help in winning games, but there is something about them being a little too cagey for a tip of my cap. Vasilevskiy might just be the difference in the series over Bishop between the pipes. Will just see where it all leads in the next ten days or so; it'll be a good diversion from the rest of the babble surrounding the election. Bill LaPlante Hi Bill, should be a fun Stanley Cup series. Paul and I also like Tampa Bay. Have seen some 3rd periods of the games though not the 2 OT clincher by the Lightning. I saw the Dallas win when Khudobin (ex-Bruins goalie) stopped 38 of 40 shots. Not sure if it's he or Bishop in goal for Dallas. - Z It will be a good series to watch. I’m with you, Bill, on hopes that the Lightning take it. I worry about all the overtime periods they have put in. Dallas will be rested while Tampa has played at least 3 extra GAMES to get to Lord Stanley’s cup. Hope they have the legs. Paul Beaudette Jim, Well, the Celts have dug themselves a hole, I guess. I was hopeful that their defense, which had improved during the 'bubble playoffs', would be stout, but in these first two games vs Miami it has been sporadic. Key shots by Dragic and Butler at the end of the game were killers....and I believe Robinson shot 50% from 3 pt range during the game. The Celtics' 3rd quarter was atrocious. Brad Stevens said the zone D that the Heat has been using has given the Celtics trouble. I would say. Maybe, the Celts can bounce back on Saturday (like the Raptors did in the previous series Game 3) and extend this to a full 7 game series. They better do so or Pat Riley will be wearing a big grin that Danny Ainge would cringe at seeing. Brad Dawson THE HOT CLUB Well, we resumed the Name your 10 Favorite Albums. Originally I said rock albums. However Kristin didn’t like my expansive definition of ‘rock’. Said she was peacefully protesting by not offering any more of her choices. So we’ll change it to favorite albums. I did preface the session by stating that you couldn’t name a Greatest Hits album. Mark Allio’s next 2 picks were Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Band’s The Band album. Peter Bortolotti opted for The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers and The Beatles’ White Album. My choices were Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run and Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms. Dr. John also liked Springsteen’s Born to Run. His second choice was The Doobie Brothers’ The Captain and Me. Capt. Jack liked Billy Ocean’s Suddenly and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Big John Wayland was absent when we started this, so he was allowed to make 4 picks. He came up with 2: Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin II and The Beatles’ White Album. We were talking about the ProJo and local news. Dr. John said that local news is ‘a little blood, a little dirt and a little peak under the skirt.’ Kristin said that the best part of fighting with your companion is ‘make up sex’. ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION Last time I asked you about a pioneer who performed music for 6 decades. He’s credited with giving a music genre it’s name. He was in a groundbreaking movie and two of his band’s songs were on the soundtrack. A couple of you got it: Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert of the Maytals. Tom Robinson, Ken Forestal, Bill LaPlante, my brother Brad and Peter Bortolotti at the Hot Club all had the correct answer. Toots’ 1968 song Do the Reggay is widely credited with giving the genre it’s name. Hibbert was a multi-instrumentalist who could play every instrument in his band. Sadly Toots died of COVID-19 on 9/11/20. R.I.P. Toots. Thanks for the great music. (Source – Wikipedia). THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION This bluesman made his debut at the Newport Folk Festival. Many artists have covered his songs. He’s in the Blues and Rock HOFs. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Name?