RIP Tony Curtis

Rest in peace to Tony Curtis, who passed away yesterday at the age of 85.

Many will cite such movies as "Spartacus", "The Defiant Ones", and "The Boston Strangler" when mentioning Curtis' greatest roles, but for my money, Curtis will be best known forever for his role as Joe/Josephine in Hollywood's all-time greatest comedy (according to AFI), Billy Wilder's 1959 classic, "Some Like It Hot."

We can also thank Curtis and the first of six his wives, Janet Leigh, for producing a wonderful daughter, the delightful Jamie Leigh Curtis.

Do they make movie stars like the Bronx's Bernie Schwartz anymore?

Shocking News from Altoona

This past season, the Pirates Double-A affiliate Altoona Curve put up a record of 82-60 and won the Eastern League Championship. Let me repeat that: THE CURVE WON THE EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Today comes news that the Pirates informed Curve manager Matt Wallbeck that his services would no longer be required. The Pirates, in the person of minor league director and Marine Drill Instructor Wanna-be Kyle Stark fired the manager of a team that just won their league's championship.

Also yesterday, the Pirates, led by the dundering John Russell lost their 102nd game of the season.

What can you say about this latest mysterious move by our Beloved Buccos? I mean, Rod Serling in his prime wouldn't have been able to make this stuff up.

Sports Talk Radio, Big Poppy, and More Fall TV

Those local readers of The Grandstander have no doubt noted the demise earlier in the week of local ESPN Radio outlet, 1250 AM. The station is still broadcasting all national ESPN radio programming, but all local shows and talent, most notably Stan Savran and Guy Junker, have been given their pink slips, and on January 1, the station will switch to Disney Radio. Good-bye Mike & Mike in the Morning, hello Hannah Montana and Justin Beiber. As Bob Smizik noted the other day, the radio station of Myron Cope is no more.

This now leaves 93.7 The Fan as the major player in sports talk radio in town. Yes, I know that 970 AM does Fox Sports with some local programming, and that Mark Madden spews his vile brand of commentary on some head banger FM station, but let's face it, The Fan is where most of the 1250 listeners will now gravitate. This action has also silenced the best of the sports talk jocks in town, Stan Savran. Of course, while Stan appeals to me, I realize that 59 year old listeners are not among the coveted demographics that radio stations are seeking. Let's hope that Stan finds a home somewhere on the dial, and soon.

*****

Thanks also go out to Loyal Reader - and frequent commenter - Big Poppy for pointing out to me that the actor on the new CBS series, "The Defenders," Jerry O'Connell (who I called a piece of "eye candy for female viewers" a few posts back) was the same actor who, as a young boy appeared in Rob Reiner's excellent movie from 1986, "Stand by Me." Nice to see that the years have been kinder to Mr. O'Connell than they have been to his co-stars. Corey Feldman has been known for cheesy reality TV shows, Howard Stern appearances, drug busts and not much else, and River Phoenix is dead.

That, as they say, is Show Biz.

*****

I finally caught up with the DVR recording of the new ABC series "The Whole Truth" with Maura Tierney and Ron Morrow, and I really liked it. Very good legal drama where it appears that each week Driven Prosecutor Tierney will square off against Hot Shot Defender Morrow in a highly controversial criminal trial. Last week, Tierney won the case, but it would appear that that Morrow will also win his share as the series continues. The key is that the result is not telegraphed to the audience (at least it wasn't last week), and that makes for a compelling story. Oh, and it seems that Tierney's and Morrow's characters share "a past" together that will no doubt lead to some degree of sexual tension, which, if acted upon, will no doubt ruin the series (reference "Moonlighting"/Cybil Shepard/Bruce Willis).

The bad news is that "The Whole Truth" goes head to head with "The Defenders" on Wednesday nights, which is bad news for one of these shows. Until then, fire up the VCR's and DVR's and enjoy both shows.

*****

I enjoyed the opening half of Ken Burns' "The Tenth Inning" on PBS last night. It was difficult to watch the piece that opened the show: Ninth Inning, Game 7, 1992 NLCS. You Pirates fans out there need no further information to know what I am talking about. Facebook Friend Dan Bonk has admitted that he turned off the the show at that point. Too bad, because the show was very good, and I look forward to watching Part II this evening.

*****

Can't believe that I just completed a posting that included the name of Justin Beiber.

Fall TV Shows

I spoke a week or so ago about the new fall TV shows. We are now into the second week of the season, and here are my thoughts so far:

• Will definitely give "Hawaii Five-O" another shot tonight. It's a cop show with beautiful scenery, and I hope we don't become too caught up in Steve McGarrett's angst over his murdered father, but you just can't turn away form "Hawaii Five-O." Still, you can't shake the thought: Much like Dan Qualye was no Jack Kennedy, Alex O'Laughlin (whoever he is) is no Jack Lord.
• Will also DVR the NBC show opposite it, "Chase." I caught the show last week and it has possibilities. Lots of action and very fast moving. However, there was also foreshadowing about the lead character's, Annie Frost, troubled upbringing. Can't we be spared this stuff?
• Tuesday's "Detroit 1-8-7" with Michael Imperioli is definitely deserving of another viewing. Good cop show.
• Wednesday's "The Defenders" on CBS with Jim Belushi was also a good show. Liked Belushi's character very much (although he has troubling issues with his ex-wife; what is it with these kinds of issues on TV shows today?). I'm not totally sold on the guy who plays his partner, who is there for some male eye-candy for the lady viewers.
• I have ceded the TV on Thursdays to Marilyn for Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
• I still have a couple of shows on the DVR that I have not had the chance to sample yet.
• Until the next time, always remember these immortal words: "Book 'em, Danno."
• Aloha.

Sunday in Review

It was an afternoon well spent in watching the Pirates close out the 2010 home season with a 9-3 victory over the Astros. Figuring prominently in the win were Bucco rookies Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, and Neil Walker, and second year man Andrew McCutchen. Those four accounted for eight hits, five runs, and five RBI's among them. Whatever bad things you can say about the Pirates, and God knows we've said them all, they do have four very good young players in these guys, players that you can build a team around. It has been said that the lousy Pirates teams of the early/mid 1950's did have players in place (Groat, Clemente, Maz, Friend) that eventually grew into a championship team. Baseball was a very different game then, and the question is, can the Pirates current front office supplement these four talented young players and turn the team into something that it has not been for 18 seasons? That is the challenge.

Now on to the other hero of the day:

Thanks to that wonderful invention of the 21st century - the DVR - I was able to watch the Steelers thorough mauling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-13, led by a most improbable hero, Charlie Batch. An afterthought throughout the off-season and in training camp, Batch remained with the team only because of Byron Leftwich's injury in the final exhibition game, and got the nod in today's game due to Dennis Dixon's injury last week, and after not starting a game since 2007, he resurrects the Steelers heretofore moribund offense, fires three TD passes, and Rooney U. now sits at 3-0, headed to a home game with the hated Ravens next week, and an assurance of, at worst, a 3-1 record when the keys to the car get turned back to Ben Roethlisberger in three weeks.

When you are aware of the work that Charlie Batch does with at-risk youth in his native Homestead, today's heroics couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Sunday Plans

• Heading out to PNC Park today to take in the Pirates final home game of the season. It is Fan Appreciation Day, and a cynic would say that the Pirates damn well better appreciate the fact that I have attended 16 games during this god-awful season. However, with a Pirates win today, I will have witnessed the team go 8-8 in games that I have attended.
• Will set the DVR for the Steelers game, and will watch it later with the finger on the fast forward button. Here's hoping the Steelers defense will force some turnovers and give the offense some short field opportunities to actually score some touchdowns today.
• While almost no one in the world cares, I am hoping that Jim Furyk will win the Tour Championship today and also secure the FedEx Cup for 2010. After the classy way he handled his DQ from the first event of the PGA Tour's Playoff series, that would be a most deserving reward. And when you think of it, what name on the FedEx Cup would give it a greater cachet, Jim Furyk or Charley Hoffman?
• Very interesting column by Joe Starkey int he Trib today about the fortunes of Pitt football. How far has Wanny moved the program from the days of the "It's Not My Fault" Walt Harris Era? Check it out: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_701374.html
• Gene Collier in the PG also has a good column on the same topic: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10269/1090465-150.stm
• Enjoy the day, Everyone!

Loss Number 100

So, the Astros hand the Pirates Loss #100 last night at PNC Park. No shock as it was apparent since July that this day was inevitable.

Hearty congratulations go out to the smarmy GM who assembled this team and the charismatic manager who has led them through the '10 campaign.

The "good" news is that the squad will not match the 112 losses of the 1952 team. We await to see if they can lose enough remaining games to give JR 300 losses in his three tenure at the helm.

Did you see the interview with JR in the Post-Gazette yesterday? Seems that he hasn't given much thought to NOT coming back as manager in 2011, and that he looks forward to being back next year.

Purely from a business point of view, how can the Pirates possibly bring this fool back as manager next year and hope to generate ANY kind of buzz, much less sell any tickets, for 2011 in the off-season? What message would that send?

Haven't we suffered enough??