Well baseball seems to be its own worst enemy again.  As big of a fan as I am, what we are seeing now is nothing short of a disgrace.  I don't usually write tough articles, but here it's apt. And to sugarcoat this, would be indefensible.

C-19 has changed much in all of our lives for the moment, and of course safety is very important, but with that said this is dealing with the issues outside of the virus. With tens of millions out of work, and the USA needing the good news to continue in our recovery, MLB is in a very enviable position. To take the sport-light and the spotlight and provide the lighthouse to guide us through these foggy times. To do some real good. Instead, they are back to baseball as usual, millionaires and billionaires arguing about money, and how neither side has enough. Oh, yeah, and only over a half of a season. There is no defense for any of this.

I know, the NHL and the NBA have about worked out their deals and they look to be returning, but they are not baseball.  Baseball has the feel of new, of beginning, of spring, of hope.  It starts as the weather is waking up from the freeze. The NBA, and NHL begin as the days become short, and cold. Baseball has therapeutic qualities that they do not. I understand too the NFL is the big dog in town, and baseball is no longer the #1 sport in America, but even football does not bring the hope that baseball does. 

MLB is in a position right this minute to create something very good for the masses, even more than usual. But it's letting it get away.  But, again baseball isn't rich enough, and neither are the players it seems, and that's too bad for all of us fans.  I am a 20 game season ticket holder for the Tribe and I love going to the games, but not this year because of C-19, and that was tough enough to swallow. Now this,.... this debacle.

It's interesting how most of us love going to a ball game and plopping down a ton of money to simply enjoy it.  It's just too bad the players don't love going to the exact same game they are getting about $100,000 that day to simply play it.

Shameful, sad and self destructive. 

Fathers Day is Sunday and I hope you're ready for dad this week.  Lots of Fathers Day talk this time of the year. How much we spend on dad compared to mom on Mothers Day.  What dad wants for his day.  You know the drill.

Fathers Day has really changed over the years I feel.  The running joke has always been, dad doesn't want anything. "I have everything I need, don't spend your money..."  You know the lines.  And being honest, all dads used to say that.  My dad did, and he meant it.  Older dads, who are now granddads, or older, still feel that way.  They grew up in the depression, or WWII, The Korean War, or Vietnam. They arrived in adulthood earlier, and fatherhood later, and simply could not understand the fuss over themselves.  Or at least wouldn't admit it.  And we bought into it.

But those dads are now 75 plus and dad is far different now.  Oh yeah, he'll still embarrass you to no end with his ..well...many things, but he came from a different time.  A time where I feel dad DOES want something now for Fathers Day.  He DOES want to be remembered and thought of as special. He just grew up in a different era where things were very different in the world, and in our daily lives. 

My Dad -Way Back -  I Think This is the Roadway Trucking Copley Road Terminal Site - Before Built.

Dad is still portrayed as a nincompoop on TV shows, and commercials and that's fine. Dad doesn't mind when the joke is on him, and he'll take it for the team.  But in reality, dad is NOT a nincompoop.  He's a good guy and important.  Whether you are a dad, or a step of sorts, you are valued probably more than TV would lead you to believe, and that is a relief to us all.

I am not a biological dad, but I am the son of one that passed on way too soon when I was very young. And I remember just enough to know that it was good to have him in my world.  I don't wish for much, and being honest I don't sit around wishing he was around for Fathers Day, that would be a waste of time, and he would think so too.  Things work out the way they do for a reason.  Two of the best things that ever happened to me were my dad living  - and my dad dying.  I had to take early the important things he tought me, and grow up to use them.  It wasn't always easy, but in the long run, it was what I knew and the way it was.  You may not completely get what I just said, and I'm glad for that.  It's better to have your dad.

But I do wish for this. That you can see your dad on his day and that you are happy to do it.  And that you'll see him next year on his day, and so on and so forth.  He may still not ask for much this year, and that's OK, you'll know better. 

Go DAD!

I'm sure by now you have heard that Garth is doing a huge "live" show for Drive-In Movie Theaters on June 27th.  What a very cool thing!

Garth At The Dusty!  What A Great Time!

There are about 350 Drive-In's left in the USA, and this special full band concert will be on about 300 of them. Plus, he is doing the show from a Drive-In.  So about every single one the country will be in use for this.  $100 per car or truck.  This is about as aware as you can be. But, leave that to Garth.  Since his stadium tour has been closed down, this is the next best thing.  There have been a couple others that have done something similar, but they are not Garth Brooks!

Click Here For Information

I have heard some comments too, that "I'm not payin' 100 bucks to go to a Drive-In for this."  That's OK, there will be plenty that will. And if you have 4 people, that's $25 a piece to do something really cool and unique.  And I think that many are really looking for that kind of thing to do.  With the huge interruption in all of our lives, we are looking for something to do that we will remember for the good.  And this is one of them

Local Drive-Ins

Garth gets it. What a cool and bold move to connect with fans and with an industry (Drive-Ins) that can use some love.

WELL DONE!

The Beautiful Windy And I Had A Great Time AT Garth!

Garth Brooks – Doing a concert made exclusively for 300 Drive-In movie theaters on June 27. $100 per car!  Being done at a drive in!   STORY HERE!

WOW - JULY movie release- Mulan (7/24)   BTW - NO MUSICAL numbers in movie.

New DVD – Impractical Jokers 

Drive Ins – Locally they are open!  -  And Booming!   (Local Drive-Ins)

Music, TV , And Film  - Production can begin again in California today!  (Info)

NASCAR - Live Sports! Sunday  -  NASCAR Cup Series: Dixie Vodka 400, FOX/FOX Sports App (3:30) (Info)

LIVE Sports PGA – The Charles Schwab Challenge on CBS  (Info)

Hallmark Channel – Record Ratings lately and they debut a new movie Saturday Night, Love In The Forecast   (Info)

90 Day Fiance – Various editions are setting record ratings for TLC  - And there is a NEW one - B90 Strikes Back  (Info)

Bill And Ted 3 - The first trailer hit the the internet this week for its August 21^st theater release date!

Brad Paisley was the musical guest Tuesday night (June 9) on Late Night with Seth Meyers! If you missed it, check out his performance... 

A couple weeks ago a great listener, Amy, sent me a message asking about a band from the 1980's in Country Music she had forgotten, that ending up being Southern Pacific.  And I wrote about them.  In that article I referenced The Desert Rose Band too, and this week Paula asked, after reading my blog,  if I remembered them as she  -  sort of did.

Yes, I played all their songs on the radio on various country stations around the country.  They hit the scene in the mid 1980's and had a similar story to Southern Pacific.  The DRB were former members of the rock band, The Byrds, and the cult favorite group, The Flying Burrito Brothers.  Although, as I remember they had a few members come and go over the years, but the core I believe stayed in tact.

Their pedigree was very strong and recorded some really fine music for a number of years.  They had an interesting mix of folk, and California rock and were very "country" all at the same time. I thought they melded a wonderful sound that was really theirs.  They had some good success, including a couple number ones!  In fact in 1987-89 they had a great run of a bunch of top 5 songs.  They really broke through with a song called Love, Reunited #6, then One Step Forward #2  and He's Back And I'm Blue #1.  Their album,  Running, was a really great album, worth a download.

Summer Wind - Another Song That Should Have Been #1

They kept rolling with a great song, Summer Wind #2, and I Still Believe In You #1.  Also, I loved their hit Start All Over Again #6.  That song was, and this second song list in my view was the zenith of their run.  I thought it was a very underrated song that deserved a number one plaque.  But then, the run slowed down and the success was declining.  These were incredibly talented guys and had a wonderful sound.  They suffered the same fate in the end as Southern Pacific.  They may have been just a bit early for many hard core Country fans to totally embrace for a long term run. 

Start All Over Again -  GREAT song!!

Their vocals were amazing, and their song choices was terrific as well.  I always felt they picked perfect songs for who they were.  I emceed them a few times and always thought it was fun to see seasoned musicians who had been together a long time play together.  They were great.  They had many great songs not listed here as well, and were consistent on the charts for about 4 years and then disbanded in the mid 1990's

The Desert Rose Band. Like Southern Pacific, worth a few downloads to add to your playlist.

Lots of yack lately about men's shorts going back to being "short" again.  I'm not so sure we need this!

Look, I'm no fashionista, but I have been through a number of men's trends as far as clothes are concerned, and that includes the short shorts debacle. Didn't we get that out of our system a number of years ago, and with good riddance?  As you can see from the pic above, I too had my run with short shorts, as we all did. Looking at NBA footage from the 80's is brutal enough, with Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson running up and down the court in meaningful games in what looked like bathing suits - and bad ones at that.

Shorts are an interesting thing.  "Shorts" can be entirely too short on guys - Ala Magic and Bird - and ME from 1985.  And they can be ridiculously too long too, when they are not "shorts" anymore - but  "longs".   I don't want to walk around with Capri pant like shorts either.  Can't we get this right?   Short that are just right?  We've had it right for like 30 years now, let's not blow it - again!  This is not rocket science.  We're talking about shorts for cryin' out loud.

Story Is Here!

It's the rare individual that wants to see any dude running around the area with short shorts.  We don't need "incredibly hairy thigh guy,"  (I mean, who's that hairy?)  we don't need "material lost in the folds guy,"  and we don't need "unfortunate large gap, sorry I saw that guy."  I thought we had rid ourselves of those guys forever.   Some things are just better left alone.   Golf shorts, casual shorts, just shorts, are one of them.

The Beautiful Windy and I like to travel when we can. But like you, recent events have taken that from all of us, and it has been a while since we have gotten away.  So we started with the Lake Erie Islands for a quick over-niter!

I have lived many places around the country, and I have yet to see a place quite like them.  When there, you really do feel like you are a long way away, and you're really not.  We are just about 90 minutes or so from this beautiful paradise.  We went to the Marblehead Lighthouse, and hit a few wineries, and found a really great B & B to stay in Saturday night.

Twin Oast Brewing - Great Brick Oven Pizza And Nice Brews!

We then hopped over to Put-In-Bay on Sunday for a few hours, rented a golf cart and grabbed a Bloody Mary at a fun joint called Joe's!   It was a very good time and it really helped recharge our batteries that were running low after a number of months of not doing a great deal. 

Beautiful Place!

Think about the Islands for a easy and fun getaway!  You'll love it, and you'll be back.

Tim McGraw was the musical guest Wednesday night (June 3) on Late Night with Seth Meyers. He performed his new single "I Called Mama" from home... 

Many people have been asking when the Dusty Armadillo may be opening back up. Well, Sunday Fundays on the big outdoor patio is already happening again and has been since the Sunday before Memorial Day!

It'll be going on every Sunday from noon til 7pm, complete with full bar, great food off the grill, their world famous Bloody Mary's and (now) Mimosas! All while observing all of the social distancing requirements.

As far as the Dusty being open on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday...well, not just yet, but we'll keep you posted!

Get more info at the Dusty Armadillo's website here!