...But, remember my open letter to Playboy Editor-In-Chief Hugh M. Hefner when I offered my services as a writer for the all-new, fully-clothed edition of his mag? I was just stumbling around the place when what to my wandering eyes should appear but a rough draft of what would have been my first column for Playboy had Hef responded to my offer. Before Playboy's new nude-free format debuts, (WITHOUT my column, grumble, grumble.) I thought you'd like a glimpse of what could have been.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO STEVE
Welcome to MY World
Greetings and salutations, PLAYBOY readers, I am Steven Long Eisenpreis, author, curator, editor, and all-around boss of "Steve's Blog," now playing at steveneisenpreis.BlogSpot.com, and I would like to extend a warm welcome to you, O Lucky Reader, to the all-new, all different PLAYBOY and "The World According To Steve."
Like the Blog, this frankly fantastic feature is an omniumgatherum (or hodgepodge, if you're not one of those who bought or claimed to buy the old PLAYBOY for the articles) of comments, critiques, and snappy patter.
Before I go any further, I would like to thank our Esteemed Editor-In-Chief,Mr. Hugh Marston Hefner, for giving me the once-in-a-lifetime (actually once-every-other-month) opportunity to say whatever I want about whatever I want. Of course, the new PLAYBOY would not be possible without the old PLAYBOY (Duh!) and this maiden effort is dedicated to all those who made the nudie rag that bore the name of this fine publication an American institution.
Like any young man in post-60's America, I had always wanted to visit the Playboy Club and see the Playboy Bunnies up close. Not only did I get my wish in 1976, but I, and the lovely Rosemary Steigman (who has since gone her own way) were photographed by our very own Camera Bunny. How cool is that?
Since then, I have immersed myself in the history of the Playboy Bunny and even collected photos such as the fampis Burt Reynolds cover wherin he attempted to take both (Bunny) ears and the tail from Cover Bunny Gig Gangel, the photo of Sonny Bono at Playboy Mansion West surrounded by sexy Bunny Cher and cute Bunny Chastity (We will not discuss what happpened to her? Him? It?) in matching Bob Mackie creations.One advantage of working as a Bunny had to be that you could never be docked for working out of uniform. Everybody knows Debbie Harry of Blondie worked as a Bunny at the New York Club, but other alums include actress Susan Sullivan, author Kathryn Leigh Scott, CNN meteorologist Valerie Voss, and the voice of both Pebbles Flintstone and Betty Rubble, B.J. Ward, who used to greet Keyholders by reading Shakespeare, to prove that Bunnies were more than just pretty faces.
If truth be told, I wanted to sell articles to the old PLAYBOY and even its less savory competitiors,but what stopped me was all those women who were not exactly dressed. You would have to get through all of them to get to my collumns, and I would be standing in this space, arms akimbo and stern expression on my face clearing my throat. ("AHEM!") I realize a lot of men are going to miss the nudes, but as far as I'm concerned, this can only be good.
Welcome to the World According to Steve. It may not be Disney World, but,hey, it ain't Westworld either.
Any comments? Any critiques? Any questions? Any answers? Any rags, any bones, any bottles today? Don't let the little Groucho Marx allusion prevent you from getting in touch with me in care of this fine publication or PLAYBOY's social media platforms.
This is me again telling you DON'T send your comments to Playboy but DO get in touch with me via the comment box or @SteveCountry1 or @StevesBlog1. See you in the coming year, congratulations to the New York Jets on beating the New England Patriots in overtime, (Good luck in Buffalo next week! Hope you make the playoffs!) and...
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
5 Breaking News
Relax, Steveophiles! This has nothing to do with what's going on in San Bernadino (BTW, my heart and prayers go out to the survivors and the families of the victims who didn't make it, and I mean it.),the break-in at Simon Cowell's pad. (I doubt it was revenge from some guy he dissed on the air!) or Kanye and Kim's latest bundle of joy, (I COULD tell you what I REALLY think about the Kardashians, but it would be rated NC-17.) This has EVERYTHING to do with what to expect from Welcome To Steve Country when it comes back from holiday vacation.
After some serious deliberation, (and an AWESOME Judy Collins concert that I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC) I've decided to add two special editions to Steve Country, folk (such as Judy, the late great Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and his famous father Woody) and the blues. (Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and you CAN'T talk about the blues without the immortal BB King!) Country purists may disagree, (and if you do, just tweet me, reply on my comment box and find me on Facebook. It's a free country, or in this case, a free internet!) but I think fans of all three genres may enjoy the change. A New Year's about to rear its tousled head, and we here at Steve's Blog Central intend to be ready with new content you'll want to read and share with your friends. (Hey, you can even share 'em with your enemies!) As for what you'll read when we actually kick off the new blogs, our folk blog will review the Judy concert (from both sides, now, of course!) and our blues blog will feature "Walkin' In Memphis," an account of my visit to the land of the Delta Blues. See which of your favorite shows is on Winter hiatus, then make an appointment to check in with our VERY special country, folk, and blues blogs, coming in 2016 to an internet near you!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled holiday celebration, already in progress.
Happy Holidays!
Steve
After some serious deliberation, (and an AWESOME Judy Collins concert that I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC) I've decided to add two special editions to Steve Country, folk (such as Judy, the late great Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and his famous father Woody) and the blues. (Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and you CAN'T talk about the blues without the immortal BB King!) Country purists may disagree, (and if you do, just tweet me, reply on my comment box and find me on Facebook. It's a free country, or in this case, a free internet!) but I think fans of all three genres may enjoy the change. A New Year's about to rear its tousled head, and we here at Steve's Blog Central intend to be ready with new content you'll want to read and share with your friends. (Hey, you can even share 'em with your enemies!) As for what you'll read when we actually kick off the new blogs, our folk blog will review the Judy concert (from both sides, now, of course!) and our blues blog will feature "Walkin' In Memphis," an account of my visit to the land of the Delta Blues. See which of your favorite shows is on Winter hiatus, then make an appointment to check in with our VERY special country, folk, and blues blogs, coming in 2016 to an internet near you!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled holiday celebration, already in progress.
Happy Holidays!
Steve
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
4 Le Blog de Etienne
First of all, I would like to send my best wishes and prayers to the people of France as they recover from the worst attacks in their recent history,
Secondly, I would like to thank them for supporting my new Steve Country blog. I've always been fascinated about how much uniquely American art forms such as country have become part of the French landscape, whether it's Mirelle Mathieu's beautiful cover of Linda Rondstadt's "Blue Bayou", Franck Pourcel and his Orchestra's clever version of Anne Murray's "Snowbird," or even Quebecker Yvon Ethier, better known as Patrick Norman, who I first discovered during July 4th vacation in Salem, MA. (I saw him on CBC Quebec, via Xfinity.)
Thirdly, I'd like to share some of my experiences in that beautiful country. I have been to Paris four times (1984, 1989, 1998,2000) and I have seen most of the must-sees, the Louvre, the Crazy Horse, the Champs-Elysees,the Golden Arches of Triumph (OOPS, I'm getting ahead of myself! I meant the Arc de Triompfe.), and even a few places not usually in the tourist guidebooks, such as CNN's Paris bureau, the Cousteau Oceanographic Center, and those aforementioned Golden Arches. (Hope my fast-food-hating trainer doesn't see this!) I've also been to Disneyland Resort Paris, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEY HAVE A PARK IN FLORIDA! I've had the pleasure to stay at the Hotel New York in Disney Village, which was designed by Frank Gehry and the Walt Disney Studios Art Department,and despite the lack of Noo Yawk accents from the cast members, the lobby and rooms were JUST like home, so much so that I tried calling Radio Disney New York from my room only to be told that 800 and 888 calls were only toll free in the US and Canada and my call couldn't be completed as dialed. OH WELL!
I DO like French food, but sometimes I get a little homesick. During my last visit to France (and CNN Paris) I answered bureau chief Peter Humi's question about what I had planned for the day by telling him I planned on having lunch at Chilli's on the Champs and although he hails from Australia, that guy shook his head as if he was one of the hometown crowd questioning the tastes of those crazy Americans. In 2000 I also visited Procope, a legendary inn which counts philosopher Voltaire as one of its all-time legendary guests. My friend Jonathan B. Bell, the elder statesman of Z100 New York's Morning Zoo from 1983 until two-thousand-something, liked to joke about his "friend Voltaire." During that trip I sent him a postcard saying, "Hey Bell, the Maitre D was asking about you!" He loved the postcard!
I was there during the Bicentennial in 1989. I was SUPPOSED to get Mom some Tylenol at the local pharmacy, but somehow I got lost and wound up at a Bicentennial block party with Quincy Jones ("Killer Joe," "We Are The World," "I'll Be Good To You," "You Gotta Do It Yourself," among others) as the headliner. After the closing fireworks, I faced a distinctly New York problem: I NEEDED A TRAIN OR A TAXI BACK TO THE HOTEL AND STAT! I DID get a cab...AT 6 AM THE NEXT DAY! I also got a nice cup of warm tea...and word from my Mom that she had Paris' Finest looking all over for me! OTHER THAN THAT, I had a great time during that particular vacation!
Well, mes amis, that's it for now, but remember, #PrayForParis, pray for our troops and our allies, and stay tuned for our regularly scheduled blogs!
Steve out!
Secondly, I would like to thank them for supporting my new Steve Country blog. I've always been fascinated about how much uniquely American art forms such as country have become part of the French landscape, whether it's Mirelle Mathieu's beautiful cover of Linda Rondstadt's "Blue Bayou", Franck Pourcel and his Orchestra's clever version of Anne Murray's "Snowbird," or even Quebecker Yvon Ethier, better known as Patrick Norman, who I first discovered during July 4th vacation in Salem, MA. (I saw him on CBC Quebec, via Xfinity.)
Thirdly, I'd like to share some of my experiences in that beautiful country. I have been to Paris four times (1984, 1989, 1998,2000) and I have seen most of the must-sees, the Louvre, the Crazy Horse, the Champs-Elysees,the Golden Arches of Triumph (OOPS, I'm getting ahead of myself! I meant the Arc de Triompfe.), and even a few places not usually in the tourist guidebooks, such as CNN's Paris bureau, the Cousteau Oceanographic Center, and those aforementioned Golden Arches. (Hope my fast-food-hating trainer doesn't see this!) I've also been to Disneyland Resort Paris, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEY HAVE A PARK IN FLORIDA! I've had the pleasure to stay at the Hotel New York in Disney Village, which was designed by Frank Gehry and the Walt Disney Studios Art Department,and despite the lack of Noo Yawk accents from the cast members, the lobby and rooms were JUST like home, so much so that I tried calling Radio Disney New York from my room only to be told that 800 and 888 calls were only toll free in the US and Canada and my call couldn't be completed as dialed. OH WELL!
I DO like French food, but sometimes I get a little homesick. During my last visit to France (and CNN Paris) I answered bureau chief Peter Humi's question about what I had planned for the day by telling him I planned on having lunch at Chilli's on the Champs and although he hails from Australia, that guy shook his head as if he was one of the hometown crowd questioning the tastes of those crazy Americans. In 2000 I also visited Procope, a legendary inn which counts philosopher Voltaire as one of its all-time legendary guests. My friend Jonathan B. Bell, the elder statesman of Z100 New York's Morning Zoo from 1983 until two-thousand-something, liked to joke about his "friend Voltaire." During that trip I sent him a postcard saying, "Hey Bell, the Maitre D was asking about you!" He loved the postcard!
I was there during the Bicentennial in 1989. I was SUPPOSED to get Mom some Tylenol at the local pharmacy, but somehow I got lost and wound up at a Bicentennial block party with Quincy Jones ("Killer Joe," "We Are The World," "I'll Be Good To You," "You Gotta Do It Yourself," among others) as the headliner. After the closing fireworks, I faced a distinctly New York problem: I NEEDED A TRAIN OR A TAXI BACK TO THE HOTEL AND STAT! I DID get a cab...AT 6 AM THE NEXT DAY! I also got a nice cup of warm tea...and word from my Mom that she had Paris' Finest looking all over for me! OTHER THAN THAT, I had a great time during that particular vacation!
Well, mes amis, that's it for now, but remember, #PrayForParis, pray for our troops and our allies, and stay tuned for our regularly scheduled blogs!
Steve out!
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Mister Pope Goes to Washington (and New York and Philly)
How can one man unite and divide so many people at the same time? That's the question I ask concerning Jorge Mario Bergolio, or as he's better known, Pope Francis and his recent visit to the United States. As a proud member of New York's legendary (and as my friend Patty Steele puts it, "GORGEOUS!") Temple Emanu-El, I believe that no matter what names we use to call him, there is one guy upstairs guiding our destinies, and any guy who can deliver his message (and who DOESN'T wear a Rolex on his television show, for all you Ray Stevens fans and Jim Bakker haters) is OK with me! (BTW, Google Search Ray Stevens and Jim Bakker if you haven't already) To clarify, I refer you to a recent op-ed cartoon in the New York Daily News by Bill Bramhall in which one hipster tells the other, "I loved the Pope before I found out he was Catholic," as well as a Jewish cabbie who recently drove me home and said, "Thank God the Pope's gone." HELLO!
Well, anyway, I loved it that the Pope decided to visit my fair city of New York even if he DID force me to take Friday off from work, (I DID get paid for that day!) and prompt massive closures. I thought the highlights of his visit to Madison Square Garden were a reading in Spanish by Mo Rocca, whose work on THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, and THE HENRY FORD (Museum) INNOVATION NATION I have come to appreciate, as well as His Holiness' acknowledgement of MSG's history as a sports and entertainment destination. I may not agree with everything the Pope said about the economy and such, but, as I said earlier, I'm happy he spread God's word, whether you call him Adonai, Allah, or the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spigot. (Can I help it if I still love that Malapropism in "Four Weddings and a Funeral?")
In case you spent last week in a cave, the Pope started his tour of America in Washington, DC, meeting with President and Mrs. Obama before moving into his meagerly appointed private residence. The following day he addressed a joint session of Congress before hopping on Shepherd One for the Big Apple. (Some people claim that joint session caused John Boehner to resign as Speaker of the House. He IS a devout Catholic.) In addition to the aforementioned mass at MSG, he said mass at the brilliantly renovated St. Patrick's Cathedral (with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie as, for want of a better word, the warm-up act), addressed the United Nations General Assembly, led an interfaith service at the 9/11 Memorial, taught class at an East Harlem Catholic school, and waved to the crowds in Central Park, After thanking New Yorkers for their hospitality, (Did I mention that the New York Post changed its name to the NEW YORK POPE?) Papa Francesco headed for the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, where he hosted a family worship event on the closed-to-traffic Ben Franklin Parkway. (Among the guests were comedian Jim Gaffigan and actor and former rapper "Marky" Mark Wahlberg. The surprise of that particular event was when a little boy with the voice of an angel poured his heart into a beautiful spiritual and told Marky Mark, "I loved you in TED," which is Seth McFarlane's R-RATED movie about a man and his FOULMOUTHED talking bear. How that boy got into a movie like THAT beats the heck out of me.)
One of the most famous X-Men comic book covers says, "Welcome to the X-MEN, Kitty Pryde! HOPE YOU SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE!" Well, we welcomed Papa Francesco to New York and we didn't just survive the experience. I like to think we all learned from it.
STEVE'S BITS: Before I completely forget, I'd like to recommend to parents in search of something different on TV for the young 'uns, MAYA THE BEE, a honey of a CGI (computer graphics) animated show which has become a franchise in Europe for the past two years inspiring a movie, a theme park in Belgium, and more merch than you can shake a stinger at. Based on a popular eponymous German children's book and an earlier hand-drawn series, the main character is an inquisitive insect who grows tired of her hive and wants to live in the meadow. With a not-so-hidden educational message, (Don't follow the hive, but be yourself and never be afraid to learn new things.) this bee-you-tifully animated show doesn't attempt to be too modern (unlike the last two Smurf movies, for example.), but is destined to be a modern classic. (Mom and Dad, I forgive you if you can't resist the urge to sneak a peek.) American viewers can meet Maya and friends on Sprout during the all-new SUNNY SIDE UP show and see what all the buzz is about. (For times, check http://www.sproutonline.com , and ask your provider if they carry Sprout.)
D'OH! I thought Comic-Con was THIS weekend and I was already to prepare a report, but I found out it's (A) NEXT weekend and (B) SOLD OUT! In keeping with the Papal theme of this blog, Pray For Me!
Steve out!
Well, anyway, I loved it that the Pope decided to visit my fair city of New York even if he DID force me to take Friday off from work, (I DID get paid for that day!) and prompt massive closures. I thought the highlights of his visit to Madison Square Garden were a reading in Spanish by Mo Rocca, whose work on THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, and THE HENRY FORD (Museum) INNOVATION NATION I have come to appreciate, as well as His Holiness' acknowledgement of MSG's history as a sports and entertainment destination. I may not agree with everything the Pope said about the economy and such, but, as I said earlier, I'm happy he spread God's word, whether you call him Adonai, Allah, or the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spigot. (Can I help it if I still love that Malapropism in "Four Weddings and a Funeral?")
In case you spent last week in a cave, the Pope started his tour of America in Washington, DC, meeting with President and Mrs. Obama before moving into his meagerly appointed private residence. The following day he addressed a joint session of Congress before hopping on Shepherd One for the Big Apple. (Some people claim that joint session caused John Boehner to resign as Speaker of the House. He IS a devout Catholic.) In addition to the aforementioned mass at MSG, he said mass at the brilliantly renovated St. Patrick's Cathedral (with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie as, for want of a better word, the warm-up act), addressed the United Nations General Assembly, led an interfaith service at the 9/11 Memorial, taught class at an East Harlem Catholic school, and waved to the crowds in Central Park, After thanking New Yorkers for their hospitality, (Did I mention that the New York Post changed its name to the NEW YORK POPE?) Papa Francesco headed for the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, where he hosted a family worship event on the closed-to-traffic Ben Franklin Parkway. (Among the guests were comedian Jim Gaffigan and actor and former rapper "Marky" Mark Wahlberg. The surprise of that particular event was when a little boy with the voice of an angel poured his heart into a beautiful spiritual and told Marky Mark, "I loved you in TED," which is Seth McFarlane's R-RATED movie about a man and his FOULMOUTHED talking bear. How that boy got into a movie like THAT beats the heck out of me.)
One of the most famous X-Men comic book covers says, "Welcome to the X-MEN, Kitty Pryde! HOPE YOU SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE!" Well, we welcomed Papa Francesco to New York and we didn't just survive the experience. I like to think we all learned from it.
STEVE'S BITS: Before I completely forget, I'd like to recommend to parents in search of something different on TV for the young 'uns, MAYA THE BEE, a honey of a CGI (computer graphics) animated show which has become a franchise in Europe for the past two years inspiring a movie, a theme park in Belgium, and more merch than you can shake a stinger at. Based on a popular eponymous German children's book and an earlier hand-drawn series, the main character is an inquisitive insect who grows tired of her hive and wants to live in the meadow. With a not-so-hidden educational message, (Don't follow the hive, but be yourself and never be afraid to learn new things.) this bee-you-tifully animated show doesn't attempt to be too modern (unlike the last two Smurf movies, for example.), but is destined to be a modern classic. (Mom and Dad, I forgive you if you can't resist the urge to sneak a peek.) American viewers can meet Maya and friends on Sprout during the all-new SUNNY SIDE UP show and see what all the buzz is about. (For times, check http://www.sproutonline.com , and ask your provider if they carry Sprout.)
D'OH! I thought Comic-Con was THIS weekend and I was already to prepare a report, but I found out it's (A) NEXT weekend and (B) SOLD OUT! In keeping with the Papal theme of this blog, Pray For Me!
Steve out!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Long Live Pharoah!
"I was there,my friend!"
Those words were uttered on more than one occasion by Arthur George "Art" Rust,Jr., a veteran of radio stations WWRL, WMCA, WINS , and WABC, NBC-TV, the New York Daily News and Amsterdam News, and author of "Get That N-----r Off The Field!", "Recollections of a Baseball Junkie," "Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black Athlete," and the co-author of "Joe Louis, My Life" and "Daryl" by Daryl Strawberry. He used to say them, often dramatically, when recounting an important event such as the Brown Bomber's (as Louis was known) defeat of Max Schmelling, and many critics, such as WFAN's Steve Somers (who called him "Art Rust-O-leum,Jr.") and (FULL DISCLOSURE!) my bud Scott Shannon and the Public Service Director at Z100, "Professor" Jonathan B. Bell, used to see him as overly self-important and ripe for ridicule. To be perfectly honest, anybody who just tosses out those words as easily as "Good Morning," "Thank You," or "How Are You?" is worthy of a good kick in the nether regions without genuinely conveying any of the emotion felt by someone who actually WAS there.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, dogs and cats, American Pharoah broke the losing record for 37 years without a Triple Crown, or without victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, horse racing's signature events, and, (Wait for it,wait for it,) I WAS THERE, MY FRIEND!
I was actually there at Beautiful Belmont Park in the usually tranquil hamlet of Elmont in New York's Nassau County as American Pharoah, a Kentucky-bred bay colt owned and bred by Ahmed Zayat,trained by Bob Baffert, and ridden by Victor Espinoza, taught the other horses how to dance despite being a touch late coming out of the gate. (No rhyme intended, but don't feel offended.) He came out to an early lead and never looked back, and I had the pleasure to be in the stands for every memorable moment.
I also had the pleasure to meet another veteran sports talker (but WAY younger than Art, and fortunately, still with us since Art went to that great Garden in the sky in 2010), Anita Marks, who has graced YES (the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network), WFAN and, currently, NBC Sports Radio (Catch podcasts of her show on http://www.nbcsportsradio.com .) with her presence, and who volunteered to co-anchor ESPN New York 98.7 FM's show with Ryan Ruocco and Robin Lundberg from the Belmont Backyard. They talked with correspondents from the Worldwide Leader who followed Pharoah along his road to Belmont and stayed generally on-topic despite an exciting NBA Finals and the Yanks and Mets and THEIR early chances for a pennant. The Backyard is ideal if you want a quick snack, talk to a Belmont hall of famer, shake "hooves" with their mascots Belle and Monty, make a bet, get a T-shirt, or look out for (AHEM) Number One, (Nudge,nudge,say no more.) but there's nothing like watching a race at Belmont right on the track.
Sure there was a downside, (The day started out cold and rainy and many had traffic problems,) but,make no bones about it, the Triple Crown ended when American Pharoah was crowned King of the horse racing world...and I WAS THERE,MY FRIEND!
Steve not here!
Those words were uttered on more than one occasion by Arthur George "Art" Rust,Jr., a veteran of radio stations WWRL, WMCA, WINS , and WABC, NBC-TV, the New York Daily News and Amsterdam News, and author of "Get That N-----r Off The Field!", "Recollections of a Baseball Junkie," "Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black Athlete," and the co-author of "Joe Louis, My Life" and "Daryl" by Daryl Strawberry. He used to say them, often dramatically, when recounting an important event such as the Brown Bomber's (as Louis was known) defeat of Max Schmelling, and many critics, such as WFAN's Steve Somers (who called him "Art Rust-O-leum,Jr.") and (FULL DISCLOSURE!) my bud Scott Shannon and the Public Service Director at Z100, "Professor" Jonathan B. Bell, used to see him as overly self-important and ripe for ridicule. To be perfectly honest, anybody who just tosses out those words as easily as "Good Morning," "Thank You," or "How Are You?" is worthy of a good kick in the nether regions without genuinely conveying any of the emotion felt by someone who actually WAS there.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, dogs and cats, American Pharoah broke the losing record for 37 years without a Triple Crown, or without victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, horse racing's signature events, and, (Wait for it,wait for it,) I WAS THERE, MY FRIEND!
I was actually there at Beautiful Belmont Park in the usually tranquil hamlet of Elmont in New York's Nassau County as American Pharoah, a Kentucky-bred bay colt owned and bred by Ahmed Zayat,trained by Bob Baffert, and ridden by Victor Espinoza, taught the other horses how to dance despite being a touch late coming out of the gate. (No rhyme intended, but don't feel offended.) He came out to an early lead and never looked back, and I had the pleasure to be in the stands for every memorable moment.
I also had the pleasure to meet another veteran sports talker (but WAY younger than Art, and fortunately, still with us since Art went to that great Garden in the sky in 2010), Anita Marks, who has graced YES (the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network), WFAN and, currently, NBC Sports Radio (Catch podcasts of her show on http://www.nbcsportsradio.com .) with her presence, and who volunteered to co-anchor ESPN New York 98.7 FM's show with Ryan Ruocco and Robin Lundberg from the Belmont Backyard. They talked with correspondents from the Worldwide Leader who followed Pharoah along his road to Belmont and stayed generally on-topic despite an exciting NBA Finals and the Yanks and Mets and THEIR early chances for a pennant. The Backyard is ideal if you want a quick snack, talk to a Belmont hall of famer, shake "hooves" with their mascots Belle and Monty, make a bet, get a T-shirt, or look out for (AHEM) Number One, (Nudge,nudge,say no more.) but there's nothing like watching a race at Belmont right on the track.
Sure there was a downside, (The day started out cold and rainy and many had traffic problems,) but,make no bones about it, the Triple Crown ended when American Pharoah was crowned King of the horse racing world...and I WAS THERE,MY FRIEND!
Steve not here!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)