The New York Knickerbockers have fired team president Steve Mills.
Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category
Pumped up Knicks.
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020Obit watch: February 4, 2020.
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020Mike “Mad Mike” Hoare, legendary mercenary.
“Legendary”? Yes. At least, if you were reading SOF in the early 1980s like some people…
Mr. Hoare crossed seas on a sailboat and Africa (south to north) on a motorcycle. He searched for the fabled lost city of the Kalahari and retraced the steps of Victorian explorers to the sources of the Nile. He fought the Japanese in Burma in World War II, rescued hostages from rebel forces in Congo, found nuns and priests hacked to death in the bush and was imprisoned in South Africa for hijacking an airliner.
The exploits of Mr. Hoare, who was called “Mad Mike” for his recklessness under fire, were recounted in books by him and others, in a film starring Richard Burton, and in sheaves of foreign correspondents’ dispatches, now faded yellow in old newspaper morgues with datelines from far-off places.
The film in question was “The Wild Geese“. Burton’s character was based on “Mad Mike”.
Tiring of life as an explorer and safari guide, Mr. Hoare first hired out as a mercenary in 1960-61, leading a European force fighting for Moise Tshombe, whose Katanga province was trying to break away from the newly independent Republic of Congo.
His mercenaries, while paid to fight, were largely motivated by anti-communism and lust for adventure, crushing larger, less well-armed Congolese forces and sometimes saving civilians from massacres.
But news correspondents covering the mercenaries said some were racists who killed with gusto. Indeed, these soldiers of fortune were largely undisciplined, sometimes looting towns and killing indiscriminately — clearly war crimes, the correspondents said.
By his account, Mr. Hoare did not condone such atrocities but, vastly outnumbered by his out-of-control forces, he had been powerless to stop the carnage, though he claimed to have once shot off the big toes of a man as he was assaulting a woman.
…
Katanga’s secession failed. But in the chaos of killings and regional revolts that followed independence from Belgium, Congo faced a new crisis in 1964 when rebels — warrior-soldiers called “Simbas,” Swahili for “Lions,” backed by Cuban and Chinese Communist advisers — rebelled against the central government in Léopoldville, which by then was led by Mr. Tshombe, and seized half the country. The Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara joined his countrymen fighting in Congo in 1965.
Mr. Tshombe again hired Mr. Hoare, who recruited and trained 500 German, Italian, Greek, Belgian, Rhodesian and South African mercenaries, each paid $364 to $1,100 a month, to lead Congolese forces against the rebels. Emerging on the world stage in news reports for the first time, Mr. Hoare — or Colonel Hoare, as he called himself, replete in his black beret, military khakis and a cravat at his throat — drove the Simbas back to Stanleyville, their capital.
As the mercenaries closed in, fears mounted for thousands of Europeans trapped in the city. Belgian paratroopers were flown in, and most of the Europeans were rescued by the Belgians and Mr. Hoare’s forces. But the troops also found scores of hostages massacred, including nuns hacked to death and priests with throats cut.
You know, this is getting long. How about a musical interlude?
In 1981, when he was 62, Mr. Hoare again made headlines, leading a gaggle of over-the-hill mercenaries from South Africa, Zimbabwe and several European nations in a bizarre attempt to overthrow the Socialist government of the Seychelles, an Indian Ocean island republic.
Apparently with Pretoria’s connivance, they flew to the Seychelles posing as rugby players and members of a beer-drinking club, the Ancient Order of Foam Blowers, carrying equipment bags with false bottoms hiding weapons and walkie-talkies. But a customs agent spotted a gun muzzle and a firefight erupted.
After hours of combat, 44 mercenaries escaped by hijacking an Air India jet on the tarmac. They flew to South Africa, where most, including Mr. Hoare, were tried and convicted of air piracy. The affair had none of the glamour of his earlier exploits. A judge called it “a farce,” and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was released three years later under an amnesty for aging inmates.
Mr. Hoare passed away at the age of 100 in a nursing home in South Africa. As Borepatch said when I sent him this clipping, “Damn, who would have seen THAT coming?”
Willie Wood, Hall of Fame defensive back for the Green Bay Packers during the Lombardi era.
Playing for the Packers from 1960 to 1971, Wood did not have much speed and he was only 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds at best. But he was an outstanding tackler, often hitting opponents around the ankles when he was not intercepting passes or batting them down. Roaming the secondary at free safety, he was quick to dissect plays and get to the ball. He was also a league-leading punt returner.
A key figure in the Packers’ dynasty built by Coach Vince Lombardi, Wood was a first-team All-Pro five times and was selected for eight Pro Bowl games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and selected to its all-decade team of the 1960s.
Daniel arap Moi, former ruler of Kenya.
But after suppressing opposition and consolidating power in a single-party state, he began a 24-year dictatorial reign. Mr. Moi — with his nimbus of silver hair, buttonhole rose and ivory baton — dominated life in Kenya. He put his face on bank notes, ordered his portrait hung in offices and shops, enriched his family and tribal cronies and, as investigations showed, stashed billions in overseas banks. For much of his tenure, it was illegal even to speak ill of him.
Kenya remained an island of political stability in East Africa, but a democracy in name only, and a land of stark contrasts: dire poverty and fabulous wealth, natural beauty and decaying infrastructures, luxury safaris for foreigners and vast slums for Kenyans, who faced unemployment, crime, epidemic AIDS and one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates.
…
…
As Mr. Moi retired, his successors found even more corruption and human rights abuses than had been suspected. A 2003 inquiry exposed torture cells at Nyayo House in Nairobi, a government building where dungeons yielded evidence supporting the accounts of victims.
Mr. Moi was never prosecuted, though corruption inquiries implicated him and his family. Kenya in 2003 found $1 billion in stolen funds in overseas accounts. Others in his administration were pursued, but Mr. Moi was treated as an elder statesman.
Obit watch: January 31, 2020.
Friday, January 31st, 2020Fred Silverman, famous TV executive at CBS, ABC, and NBC.
He was responsible for the success of “All in the Family”:
“I couldn’t believe I was seeing what I was seeing,” Mr. Silverman recalled in an oral history recorded in 2001 for the Television Academy Foundation. “Compared to the crap that we were canceling, this was really setting new boundaries.”
He credited Robert Wood, president of CBS at the time, with putting the show on the air in January 1971. But it was Mr. Silverman who rescued it from its original, deadly Tuesday night time slot, stacking it on Saturday nights with another savvy series, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
“These were the first building blocks,” Mr. Silverman said, leading to other successes like the spinoffs “Maude,” from “All in the Family,” and “Rhoda,” from “Mary Tyler Moore.”
He went on to ABC:
At NBC. he was responsible for airing hits such as “Supertrain”, “Hello, Larry”, and “Pink Lady”. He also gave us the Jean Doumanian era of SNL.
Okay, that wasn’t 100% fair. He was also responsible for David Letterman’s daytime show, “Hill Street Blues”, and “Shōgun”.
After NBC, he went on to become an independent producer, whose credits included “Matlock”, “Jake and the Fatman”, “In the Heat of the Night”, and “Diagnosis: Murder”.
I actually managed to find a video of the legendary “A Limo for a Lame-O” sketch. I can’t embed it, but you can find it here. I can embed this:
Remember when Al Franken was funny?
John Andretti, member of the Andretti racing family. (Hattip: Lawrence.)
Obit watch: January 26, 2020.
Sunday, January 26th, 2020Oh, those Texans…
Monday, January 20th, 2020Even though Houston teams will always break your heart, I thought the Texans did pretty well this year: they went to the playoffs, they beat the worthless Buffalo Bills, and while they lost in the divisional round, it was to Kansas City (who seems unstoppable).
But that wasn’t well enough for some people. Lawrence tipped me off that Chris Olsen (senior vice president of football administration) and John Pagano, outside linebackers coach, were shown the door.
In addition, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel got replaced by defensive line coach Anthony Weaver.
Fallout II, Mets 0.
Thursday, January 16th, 2020Don’t have a lot of time for this right now (I’m stealing five minutes from work), but: Carlos Beltran out as Mets manager.
This seems to be being spun as a resignation, or a mutual decision, rather than an out and out firing.
Goofus and Gallant.
Wednesday, January 15th, 2020Goofus tells his players to high stick opponents.
Gerald Gallant gets fired by the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Fallout.
Wednesday, January 15th, 2020The MLB cheating scandal claims another head: Alex Cora out as Red Sox manager.
Cora was a former Astros bench coach, and was implicated in setting up the Astros cheating scheme: MLB has not announced any discipline for him yet, but there are allegations that he also set up a cheating scheme with the 2018 Red Sox.
There’s an interesting piece at ESPN about how other teams are reacting to Rob Manfred’s disciplinary actions:
Multiple ownership-level sources told ESPN that dissatisfaction with the penalties had emerged following a conference call with Manfred, in which he explained how the Astros would be disciplined, then told teams to keep their thoughts to themselves.
“The impression,” one person familiar with the call told ESPN, “was that the penalty for complaining would be more than Houston got.”
…
Firings watch.
Monday, January 13th, 2020I just got back from the doctor and don’t feel much like extended blogging, but I wanted to get this up:
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch fired.
This is in the wake of MLB’s findings on the 2017 Astros cheating scandal (they were using video cameras to steal signs: both men have also been suspended by the commissioner for a year.
More from ESPN:
In addition, the Astros lost their first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, and have been fined FIVE! MILLION! DOLLARS!
Firings watch.
Tuesday, January 7th, 2020Peter Laviolette fired as coach of the Nashville Predators, who are a hockey team in the NHL. (Also out: “associate coach” Kevin McCarthy.) He was 248-143-60 over a little more than five seasons.
In the “questionable firings” bucket: Wade Phillips contract as defensive coordinator with the Rams has not been renewed. (Also out: Skip Peete, running backs coach.)
And more firings…
Sunday, January 5th, 2020Technically, I’m not sure this is an actual firing.
But the word has come down form the mountain top for real: Jason Garrett’s contract with the Cowboys is not being renewed.
And what better time to announce it than on Sunday during the playoffs?
Firings watch.
Sunday, January 5th, 2020Running a little late on this one, but: Joe Moorhead out as coach of Mississippi State.
14-12 in two seasons, 7-9 in the SEC, and the team had internal and NCAA problems. But he did win the Egg Bowl.
Obit watch: January 4, 2020.
Saturday, January 4th, 2020Sam Wyche, former coach of the Bengals and Buccaneers. He was 61-66 (3-2 in playoffs) in Cincinnati and 23-41 in Tampa.
For the historical record: NYT obits for Jack Sheldon and Syd Mead.
Obit watch: January 2, 2020.
Thursday, January 2nd, 2020Don Larsen, pitcher for the Yankees and the only man ever to pitch a perfect game in a World Series. ESPN.
Jack “Only A Bill” Sheldon. Mark Evanier has a nice tribute up at his blog, with two funny stories about the late Mr. Sheldon (who, in addition to his “Schoolhouse Rock” work, did several appearances on the late 60’s/early 70s “Dragnet”).
Martin West. He did bit parts on a lot of stuff, including “Ironside”, “The Invaders”, and “Hill Street Blues”.
(Hattip on all three of these to Lawrence.)
For the historical record: David Stern. ESPN. Field of Schemes.
Firings watch.
Tuesday, December 31st, 2019On the road, but wanted to get this in.
John Dorsey out as the Browns general manager.
Cleveland.com is spinning this as the owners wanted him to take a reduced non-GM role, and he said no.