Hometown Heroes and Huckleberries

The US Food and Drug Administration passed legislation to remove Red Dye 3 from all US products by 2027.  This ruling affects iconic brands like Heinz 57 ketchup and one of the M&M’s. Europe banned the dye years ago but not here.  US Secretary of Human and Health Services RFK Jr. has been a champion of the cause leading to passage.  He has targeted these artificial additives as part of his campaign to make America healthy again. We sincerely hope the first effort he makes is to remove this additive from his face. The quivering head, gravelly voice and wild eyes are not good optics on the red backdrop. Bob, just a thought to help drive your agenda. Start at home and all that. 

The Donald was channeling his despotic bad self, following his military birthday parade.  With tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue and soldiers, horses and two mules for Sister Sara, it was quite the spectacle.  You couldn’t burn $45 million faster in an incinerator. Before the bills were paid, Israel was bombing Iran and DT was war lord by proxy. We own the skies, possible assassinations, and other rhetoric roared from our strongman. We have it on good authority blabbering Pete Hegseth was kept outside the ropes for this operation.

Rock and Roll lost two industry visionaries in Brian Wilson and Sly Stone this past week.  The Beach Boys and Wilson cultivated the Southern CA beach sound.  With images of sports cars, surfers and hot girls, Wilson lyrics with his family band was beyond the Yard youth’s orbit.  In the Glendale suburbs, surfing was for cool kids with access to cars.  Hot girls were with those surfers and those cars. The Beach Boys sang of a world that was foreign to this youth.  Sly and his Family Stone preached to me.  I wanted to go higher with them.  I was an Everyday People.  The funk, rock gospel impresario colored my soundtrack of suburban life. He was the coolest band leader I had ever seen with his multiple instruments, dancers and alternating lead vocals.  The Beach Boys were clean cut white kids in frigging cardigans.  Sly was a force of nature that rocked until he didn’t.  The Beach Boys influenced the Beatles among others. Sly influenced generations of artists from multiple genres that still resonate today.  Pet Sounds they are not. We were shocked they both lived to 82!

The San Diego Padres are officially now the Dodgers’ Huckleberry. Just like the late Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday sweating and pale taking out the bad guy.  The Dodgers did the same last fall when all seemed lost in Paradise on the border.  San Diegans cheering wildly for their only hope in professional sports.  It was excellent to see them dashed. The great mustard colored hope flailed when it mattered.  Dodgers off the mat and to the title.  Watching Fernando Tatis at the plate is terrifying.  Watching Tatis play right field is hilarious.  Yard played a lot of RF back in the day for the same reason Tatis does.  Where do you play that glove? He thought he was a shortstop.

Fifty years ago this month, the Glendale Hoover High Tornadoes baseball team beat mighty Lakewood High school for their first CIF-SS Title.  Ricardo, a Yard Patron, was on that team. We all grew up together playing Little League around town.  The Yard was a big observer even back then.  We were at that championship game at Dodger Stadium. Lefty Chuck McMichael pitched the greatest game of his life in the 2-1 victory. It was astonishing to watch these local legends lead Hoover to the title that night. It has not happened since, but it was a special night for the kids from Glendale.

 

Controlling interest in the Lakers being sold for $10 billion to Mark Walters was a surprise today but not shocking.  The Jerry Buss progeny have been sucking on the family teat for decades.  When Doctor Jerry was still alive, he hired basketball people to run the basketball operations.  He put everyone else on the payroll and there were many. The boys could shadow him, and Jeannie could do community outreach. The cousins could find their niche. Jerry West saw the future without Jerry Buss and departed at the top. The leadership abyss following Jerry’s passing has been comically tragic.  The problem is too many Busses on the payroll sucking operational cash flow and not providing value. The Lakers are not the same cash cow for the Buss family that they were a decade ago.  With this deal, everybody gets paid and off the payroll.  Now the Lakers can move beyond the Buss family and write the next chapter.  The Buss Family still owns a third just like Frank McCourt still owns the Dodger parking lot. Magic will be everywhere from the Ravine to Crypto and back. Jeannie’s husband Jay Mohr is thrilled.  Courtside seats with cake.

 

Extra Period:  Hockey is the national sport of Canada. It has been some time since Lord Stanley’s trophy has crossed the border for a visit.   1993 to be exact was the year.  South Florida has won four titles in the past six years. Las Vegas has one also.  Oh, hail Canada but what the hell happened with your national pastime? Even Florida man is kicking your ass!