Taking My Medicine

I remember how good I felt when they were up 31-10 with eight minutes to go, then Manningham fumbled on the sideline and the pile-up began. I'm lying, if I say I'm not in pain today. It feels horrible. This team who doesn't know I'm alive, I give them unyielding support, suspend my disbelief for no other professional sports team, imagine they care that I care, vicariously enjoy them, letting my world go up and down with theirs.

As a boy, three teams ruled my universe: New York Giants, New York Yankees and the New York Rangers. Steinbrenner took the joy out of the Yankees, and the Rangers lost my respect when they traded Jean Ratelle for Phil "Let's Stand in Front of the Net" Espositio.

After Sparky Lyle departed the Yankees, my heart only belonged to the low flying Giants. I'm a life long parishioner in the Church of Mara. Today, the chapel is dark.

*************************

Heard sad news this afternoon, Clay Cole died. His Saturday night rock and rock show on Channel 11 was the TV highlight of the week in the 1960s. Clay was a sweet generous talented man and hopefully he will enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the near future.

I wrote about Clay last year on the blog, I will miss him:

JUNE 8, 2009

The Clay Cole Show

Mom's got that crazy hair dryer going that comes out of a little hard plastic suitcase. It's larger than a portable typewriter, but smaller than a day tripper. Regardless, it looks like a heart lung machine to me.

Dad's loiters with a scotch as Mom gets ready.

I want them gone. Cindy, my babysitter, is the prettiest girl in St. Stephen's eighth grade and for a whole night she's mine and Rory's.

As Mom & Dad walk out the door the Clay Cole Show comes on Channel 11. He's cool, he's handsome as James Bond, and everybody in music comes and sings on his show. I'm 8 yrs old. All those girl groups!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSwe17Z1njo&feature=related

I want him,
I need him.
And someday, someway...whoooa...I'll meet him.
He'll be kind of shy.
And real good looking too.
And I'll be certain, he's my guy,
By the things he'll like to do.
Like walking in the rain,
And wishing on the stars up above,
And being so in love.

I Wanna Find One Face That Ain't Looking Through Me

Yesterday, I linked to Don McLean, "American Pie." It's opening lyrics reflected my mood related to seeing live music in 1978, when I was 24.

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

Early that summer, I went to a Bad Company concert, and

sat through it like a work meeting. Bored. I was leading up to that, because the last few live shows I went to made me feel the same way. Empty. I thought I'd lost my musical inspiration.

(Bruce pix by Jeffrey Havas)

That August, my girlfriend, Yvette & I went to see Bruce Springsteen for the first time at Madison Square Garden. We got there two hours early and split an eight pack of Miller nips, watching people traffic and scoring the winners.

Inside, the energy was electric but I didn't know why yet. Then the band took the stage and ripped into "Badlands." I found religion in that four minute song. It felt like 1964, I was ten years old again, watching all the girl groups on the Clay Cole Show, watching Roy Orbison singing "Crying," and "Pretty Woman." It didn't matter it was a crappy little TV, those artists week after week tore my heart open, moved in, bought furniture and never left. Springsteen woke everybody up in there, and they haven't left me since 1978.

The next night, I went back to MSG alone, and bought a $6 ticket for $15 from a scalper. Starting from my blue heaven seat I ended up in the third row in the orchestra by the third song and stayed there crouched on the floor between two girls for the entire show including the three encores.

Tons of great shows followed: Garland Jeffreys, John Hiatt, J Geils Band, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Willams, Mary Lee's Corvette, Losers Lounge, and on... When I die, tickets for my next live show will be in my dresser. Somebody pick them up, don't waste them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGWs6jzKUg&feature=related