History Bracketology: The Final 4

I just tabulated the votes...

Final 4

Confucius over Ramses

Jesus over Newton

Final

Jesus over Confucius

#50 Elvis Costello

Elvis came from the London pub scene. He combined rock with punk with new wave in creative ways. He has the ability to reinvent himself on a dime and is one of rock’s edgiest writers. Costello’s look has been described as a “menacing Buddy Holly.” His first great song , “Allison” is sarcasm wrapped in pop. Throughout his career, Costello has delved into soul, country, baroque, and politics. Recently, he toured with The Police.

Rock n Roll Moment: Elvis got banned from SNL in 1977. He was a last minute replacement for the Sex Pistols (visa problems-go figure). Instead of playing a song the record company wanted, Elvis broke into “Radio Radio” instead. For that, he was banned for a dozen years.

Essential Elvis Costello:

My Aim Is True (1977)
This Year’s Model (1978)
Armed Forces (1979)
Get Happy (1980)
Imperial Bedroom (1982)

Costello’s Top 10:

Alison
Pump It Up
Radio Radio
I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down
Shipbuilding
Watching the Detectives
Accidents Will Happen
Peace, Love, and Understanding
Veronica
Oliver’s Army

History Bracketology Elite 8

Elite 8

Confucius over Peter the Great

Ramses the Great over Hammurabi

Jesus over Augustus

Newton over Einstein

Top 10 Baseball Moments

Good topic for a holiday weekend.

Here are my top 10 baseball moments (regular season only). These are games I saw on TV or Radio as opposed to at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull or the Copa.

Arranged Chronologically:

1. Tigers go 35-5 (1984). We will not see this again.

2. Morris throws a No-Hitter (4-7-84): The signature moment of the 35-5 start.

3. The Sandberg Game (June 23, 1984): A third moment from 1984?? Bruce Sutter was unhittable. Sandberg hit 2 game tying homers off Sutter in a comeback. This was a signature moment for the 1984 Cubs. Then came Garvey...

4. Mets: 16 Braves: 13 (7-4-85 and 7-5-85): A marathon in the rain. 19 innings! Atlanta scored 4 in the 8th to take the lead. Mets tied in the 9th. Keith Hernandez went 4 for 10 and hit for the cycle. Each team scored twice in the 13th. Mets took the lead in the top of the 18th. Pitcher Rick Camp hit an 18th inning homer to tie the game. New York scored 5 in the 19th. Atlanta scored twice and had the tying runs on when Ron Darling struck out Rick Camp to end it. A postgame fireworks show followed...at 4am. A fan summed it up best with a sign "What the Hell is going on?"

5. Pete Rose gets hit 4192 (9-11-85): 1985 was the year of the milestone and Rose finally passed Cobb. Amazing for a guy people said had no talent. If you google, Pete Rose and 4192, a billion sites pop up hocking memorabilia and autographs. Who wants that honey, Pete needs money. (Smashing Pumpkins reference there!)

6. Bob Horner hits 4 home runs in a game (7-6-86): and we saw it on tape delay...Ted Turner's idiotic Goodwill Games (designed to end the Cold War and bring peace and harmony to the universe) preempted the game's normal start time.

7. The Comeback: Detroit: 1 Blue Jays: 0 (October 4, 1987):The Tigers trailed the Toronto Blue Jays by 3 1/2 with a week to go. Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic homer off Tom Henke in Toronto to propel the Tigers to a comeback. Detroit did not lose another game until the LCS. Toronto did not win another game that season. The comeback was capped by Frank Tanana's 1-0 victory on the season's final day. Larry Herndon's 2nd inning homer off Jimmy Key was the game's only score.

8. Nolan Ryan. I don't know where to start...No hitter #5 (1981), #7 (1991), Strikeout #4000 (Danny Heap of the Mets), the now legendary pummeling of Robin Ventura...

9. Ripken passes Gehrig (9-6-95) : This was a night. Ripken passed Lou Gehrig, the number was unveiled on the warehouse, Cal hit a homer, he did a victory lap around the field. Bill Clinton showed up, but who cares? Joe Dimaggio was there!

10. Craig Biggio's 3000th Hit (6-28-07): Biggio is known for his messy helmet, being an all-star at two positions, and for being a hard nosed player. He played the game the way it should be played. He singled for hit 3000 and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. He finished the game with 5 hits and helped the Astros to a win. After the hit, Biggio called longtime team mate Jeff Bagwell out to share his moment.

Rock Countdown Recap 51-100

51. The Yardbirds
52. George Harrison
53. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
54. Billy Joel
55. Paul McCartney
56. Paul Simon
57. CSNY
58. REM
59. Radiohead
60. Prince

61. The Sex Pistols
62. Aerosmith
63. Pearl Jam
64. Guns n Roses
65. Sly and the Family Stone
66. Bob Marley
67. Sam Cooke
68. The Grateful Dead
69. Wilson Pickett
70. Jeff Beck

71. Steely Dan
72. CCR
73. Blondie
74. Ozzy Osbourne
75. Rush
76. Bill Haley and The Comets
77. The Animals
78. Fats Domino
79. Dion
80. Genesis

81. Bon Jovi
82. Carlos Santana
83. ZZ Top
84. The Mamas and the Papas
85. Lynyrd Skynrd
86. Allman Brothers Band
87. Dire Straits
88. Judas Priest
89. Coldplay
90. Green Day

91. KISS
92. Smashing Pumpkins
93. Rage Against The Machine
94. Soundgarden
95. Motley Crue
96. Def Leppard
97. Weezer
98. Tool
99. Foo Fighters
100. Ringo

History Bracketology Sweet 16

Sweet 16:

Confucius over Chu Hsi

Peter the Great over Lao Tzu

Ramses over Aesop

Hammurabi over Menes

Jesus over Caesar

Augustus over Aristotle

Newton over Galileo

Einstein over Gutenberg

Turning Points in History: Confucius (551-479 BC)

Confucius is one of history’s great philosophers. His teachings have influenced China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Japan. All he wanted was a government job. He never got it and thought his life a failure.

Confucius lived in an unstable time in Chinese history. It was a period of corruption and endless warfare. He wanted to return China to a golden age. So, he pushed for conservative reforms. The Chinese sage emphasized governmental morality, justice, and correct social etiquette.

His rules for behavior were strict. They dealt with personal morality and ethics. He also believed in merit and learning. His thoughts slowly gained strength and were ascendant about 300 years after his death. In the 20th century, the Maoists attempted to eliminate all Confucian thinking from China. They believed it antiquated. They failed and Confucius remains important to China and the Far East to this day.

Important writings include: Analects and The Five Classics.

#51 The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds produced three of the top 15 guitarists in rock history. They were the link between British blues and the psychedelic movement. They began with the blues and covered Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, and others. Their biggest hit was their third single, “For Your Love.” This was not blues. The move to pop caused Clapton to leave the group in protest. They continued with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.

A band with two guitar gods can not survive. Beck was fired. Page continued on and like Beck, continued experimenting with new sounds. Everything they did was new at the time. They pioneered distortion, feedback, and fuzz tone. The band laid the groundwork for Led Zeppelin.

Rock n Roll Moment: This band produced Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton.

Essential Yardbirds:

Having a Rave Up (1965)
Roger the Engineer (1966)

Yardbirds Top 10:

For Your Love
My Girl Sloopy
Train Kept A Rollin’
Ten Little Indians
Smokestack Lightning
I’m a Man
Over Under Sideways
Down
New York City Blues
Happenings
Ten Years Time Ago
Heart Full of Soul

History Bracketology Round 2 (Part 2)

Western Bracket

Isaac Newton over Elizabeth I
Johann Gutenberg over Napoleon
Albert Einstein over George Washington
Galileo Galilei over Charles Darwin

Ancient & Medieval Western Bracket

Jesus Christ over - William the Conqueror
Julius Caesar over St. Paul
Aristotle over Alexander the Great
Augustus Caesar over Constantine the Great

Assorted Ramblings

Item: Protesters meet Barack Obama at Notre Dame

Thoughts: First, the Tea Parties and now this? Conservative protesters strike twice in one year? These are two different groups of conservatives. The Tea Protesters were concerned about ridiculous spending and high taxation. Notre Dame was a social conservative event. Either way, something might be afoot and it's at the grass roots level. This is not a top down movement right now. If Conservatives are protesting, are the 60s not far behind?

Item: Nancy Pelosi has been lying about the CIA.

Thoughts: She is in deep trouble. First, she has po'd the bureaucrats, and they protect their own. Second, her speakership is in danger. Third, this could distract the congress for months. Last, her resignation would be the best thing for the country. She's too loony to be speaker.

Item: Dick Cheney won't go away.

Thoughts: If the GOP was able to get a message out, he could retire!

Item: My house has lost $100,000 in value.

Thoughts: ouch!

Item: Star Trek made lots of money at the box office.

Thoughts: Amazing what hype can do. In one weekend, this film doubled the entire take for the last film. That one did not have the ad campaign and was up against Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

History Bracketology Round 2 (Part 1)

There was a general anti-Islamic feel on the boards...

Asia and Russia Bracket

Confucius over Sun Tsu
Chu Hsi over Shih Huang Ti
Peter the Great over Genghis Khan
Lao Tzu over Joseph Stalin

Middle East, Near East & Africa Bracket

Hammurabi over Muhammad
Aesop over 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
Ramses The Great over Cyrus the Great
Menes over Saladin

#52 George Harrison

George was the “Quiet Beatle” and the most underrated. John and Paul ignored a lot of his work. The end result was the seminal triple album “All Things Must Pass.” In 1971, he put together the first major rock benefit concert for Bangladesh. He produced films and recorded into the 80s. By the late 80s, George was everywhere. His “Cloud Nine” album with hits such as “Got My Mind Set On You” was a blockbuster and he joined the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. George passed in 2001 from lung cancer and posthumously released the well received “Brainwashed.” His son Dhani continues the Harrison legacy as a performer in his own right.

Rock n Roll Moment: George was the first to put together a major benefit concert.

Essential George:

All Things Must Pass (1970)
The Concert for Bangladesh (1971)
Cloud Nine (1989)
Brainwashed (2002)

George’s Top 10:

My Sweet Lord
What is Life
All Things Must Pass
All Those Years Ago
Got My Mind Set On You
When We Was Fab
This is Love
Cheer Down
God
Cockamamie Business

History Bracketology: Round 1

5 vs. 12

5. Louis Pasteur - 12. Napoleon Bonaparte (Nap 6-1)

5. Constantine the Great 12. Homer epic poet (Con 6-2)

5. Cyrus the Great 12. Mohandas Gandhi (Cyrus 4-3)

5. Lao Tzu 12. Han Wu Ti- (Tzu wins 4-3)

6 vs. 11

6. Galileo Galilei over 11. Adam Smith

6. Alexander the Great over- 11. Charlemagne

6. Saladin-over 11. Cheops

11. Chu Hsi over 6. Sun Wen Ti

7 vs. 10

7. Charles Darwin over 10. Karl Marx

10. William the Conqueror over 7. Pope Urban II Catholic

10. Ramses the Great over 7. Nelson Mandela

7. Joseph Stalin over 10. Lenin

8 vs. 9

9. George Washington over 8. Martin Luther

9. Julius Caesar over 8. St. Augustine

9. Menes over 8. Zoroaster

9. Peter the Great over 8. Mao Zedong

#53 Tom Petty

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been around since 1976. His string of hits from the 70s through the 00s have received heavy radio airplay. Petty’s music hearkens to the 60s and is influenced by the Byrds, Southern Rock, and the Beatles. Petty recorded a solo album in 1989 which became one of the best albums of the decade. "Full Moon Fever" made Petty a superstar. He returned to the Heartbreakers for the tour and further recording. In the 00s, Petty joined the cast of King of the Hill and hosted his own XM radio show. The Heartbreakers last big hit was 2006’s “Saving Grace.” In 2008, they played the Superbowl.

Rock n Roll Moment: In 1979, his record company was sold to MCA. Petty refused to go, filed suit in court, and even filed bankruptcy rather than surrender control to the corporate suits.

Essential Tom Petty:

Damn the Torpedoes (1979)
Full Moon Fever (1989)
Into The Great Wide Open (1991)
Wildflowers (1994)

Tom Petty’s Top 10:

Breakdown
American Girl
Refugee
Don’t Do Me Like That
The Waiting
Don’t Come Around Here No More
Free Failing
I Won’t Back Down
Running Down a Dream
Mary Jane’s Last Dance

Chuck Daly (1930-2009)

Chuck Daly was the greatest coach in Pistons' History and one of the greatest coaches in the history of Detroit sports. He got the best out of his players and even kept Dennis Rodman under control. As a result of his coaching style, Detroit won 2 Titles (1989 and 1990) and really beat those Lakers in 1988 if it weren't for a phantom call in Game 7. Daly's stylish suits earned him the nickname "Daddy Rich" from John Sally. Daly may have moved to Florida in his retirement, but he remained in Detroit in spirit. The best tribute came from Charles Barkley: "I never understood how a great man, a nice guy coached the Bad Boys."

Top 10 Tiger Games I attended

In Chronological Order:

1. Detroit: 7 Chisox: 2 (August 8, 1983): First game I remember attending. Larry Herndon homered; Jack Morris beat Jerry Koosman. It was the second game of a DH.

2. Detroit: 8 Twins: 0 (July 14, 1985): Walt Terrell had a no hitter into the 7th. Tom Brunansky broke it up with a double with 2 outs. Herndon, Darrell Evans, and Alan Trammell homered. Terrell beat Frank Viola.

3. Tigers: 4 Blue Jays: 2 (October 2, 1985): Toronto had not clinched the division yet. Morris beat Dave Steib. Darrell Evans hit his 40th homer of the season and Kirk Gibson followed that with an inside the park homer.

4. Tigers: 7 Twins: 6 (October 10, 1987): ALCS Game 3. Tigers are down 2 games to none in the series and down 6-5 in the 8th of Game 3. Jeff Reardon (The Terminator) is pitching. Pat Sheridan hits a 2 run shot. Mike Henneman retires the Twins in the 9th. Tigers are back in the series for 24 hours.

5. Tigers: 3 Boston 1 (Game 1); Tigers: 3 Boston: 2 (Game 2) (August 5, 1988): The longest doubleheader ever. It had several rain delays and I got home at 5 am. Darrell Evans hit the only Tiger homer of the twinbill. I went to the final game of the series that Sunday (8-7-88) as well. Bruce Hurst pitched a 10 inning shutout for Boston and Detroit lost 3-0. Tiger starter Jeff Robinson also pitched into the 10th. When was the last time 2 starters pitched into extras?

6. White Sox: 11 Detroit: 8 (12) and Tigers: 4 Sox: 2 (April 13, 1997): COLDEST GAME EVER!!! I bought pizza to use as a leg warmer. This was colder than the 2006 World Series. I only remember Chris Snopek hitting a big home run and Vince Coleman getting picked off right before Travis Fryman went deep.

7. Boston: 7 Tigers: 4 (August 7, 2004): Pedro struck out 11 and was dominant. Francona pulled him with a 7-2 lead (1 Tiger run was unearned) and Detroit scored off the Sox pen.

8. Detroit: 11 Royals: 2 (April 4, 2005): Dmitry Young hit 3 homers on Opening Day. Notorious Brandon Inge also homered. Bonderman fanned 7 in the win.

9. Tigers: 6 A's: 3 (October 14, 2006): Game 4 of the ALCS. Tigers fall behind 3-0, come back to tie, and then Maggs hits his second homer of the game...a 3 run walk off Pennant Winner. Tigers are going to the Series! They ran around the field, Polanco was wrapped like a mummy, and Kenny Rogers sprayed the crowd with champagne.

10. Tigers: 8 Yankees: 3 (October 7, 2006): Game 4 of the ALDS. Jeremy Bonderman has a perfecto going until he who shall remain nameless opened his mouth...Robinson Cano got a hit leading off the 6th. Tigers win the game and the series anyways. This came after Kenny Rogers amazing start in Game 3. Craig Monroe and Magglio Ordonez homered.

History Bracketology

2 vs. 15

2. Gutenberg over 15. Locke

2. St Paul over 15. Dante

15. Hammurabi upset 2. Buddha

15. Sun Tsu over 2. T’Sai Lun

3 vs. 14

14. Elizabeth I over Columbus

3. Aristotle over Plato

3. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab over 14. Darius the Great (Khattab 3-0)

3. Shih Huang Ti Chinese Emperor- over - 14. Liu Pang (Han Kao Tsu)


4 vs. 13

4. Albert Einstein physicist over 13. Thomas Edison

4. Augustus Caesar ruler; founder of Roman Empire over 13. Justinian I

13. Aesop upsets 4. Asoka

4. Genghis Khan Mongol conqueror over 13. Kublai Khan

#54 Billy Joel

The Piano Man is the sixth best selling artists of all time and a prolific songwriter. He had Top 10 Hits in three decades before retiring from pop music in the early 90s. Joel continues to tour (currently with Elton John).

Joel struggled in his early years before releasing “Piano Man.” Eventually, he became a monster in the late 70s with hit after hit after hit. Joel is one of those artists everyone seems to like or has gotten drunk to. It is probably his every guy New York persona combined with the songs that appeals to fans.

Rock n Roll Moment: Billy Joel married Christie Brinkley. Then, he divorced her because he felt he could do better(!?).

Essential Billy Joel:
Piano Man (1973)
The Stranger (1977)
52nd Street (1978)
Glass Houses (1980)
The Nylon Curtain (1982)
Greatest Hits (1985)

Billy Joel’s Top 10:

Piano Man
Captain Jack
New York State of Mind
Movin’ Out
The Stranger
My Life
Only the Good Die Young
Big Shot
You May Be Right
It’s Still Rock n Roll To Me

The Trojan War (1200 BC)

Did the Trojan War occur? If so, did it happen in the way Homer describes? What is the evidence?

The places Homer names all exist and they are located as he describes. Next, during the period in question, the dominant Greek cultures engaged in raids. So, it is possible Homer's account is a glorified instance of Mycenaean Greeks plundering Troy.

Next, Troy was found over a century ago. At one level, there is evidence of a catastrophe which dates to the alleged war's era. So, there was a conflict at Troy at about the right time. However, there is no evidence that the people portrayed in the war exist. Considering the time elapsed since the Sack of Troy, it is logical to assume that evidence may no longer exist or has not been discovered yet. Also, the characters may have been a literary invention.

The most famous character was a woman. Helen supposedly launched a thousand ships. However, women were little better than property at this point in Greek history. It is unlikely Greeks would war over a woman UNLESS it was an excuse to plunder.

So, did the Trojan War occur? Probably. Was it as Homer describes? Probably not. What probably happened? Mainland Greeks used Helen's kidnapping as an excuse to raid and plunder Ilium (Troy). They burnt the city to the ground and killed all the inhabitants. The glory of the Trojan War comes from Homer and those that passed the stories down to us as opposed to the actual historical events.

Greatest Person ever Tournament

This one may take awhile to do...64 people....4 brackets...names came from a list of the 1000 greatest people in history. I placed this on multiple message boards and tallied the votes.

Here are the 1 vs. 16 winners.

The Western Bracket: Newton defeats Cortes

The Ancient Bracket: Jesus over Leif Ericson

Middle East, Africa: Muhammad over Mehmet the Conqueror

The Far East and Russia: Confucius over Sun Yat-Sen

#55 Paul McCartney

Yeah, he was in the Beatles, but Paul McCartney also had a very successful solo career. He broke the Beatles up and promptly released his first solo album. As the 70s wore on, McCartney mostly followed the trends and remained popular. In August 1971, he formed Wings (which led to a now very dated joke).

In the mid-70s, Saturday Night Live offered the Beatles some cash to appear on the show. Paul was watching at the time with John Lennon. The two briefly considered wandering over to the studio, but decided against it. (George showed up the next week as a gag). Rumors began to swirl and then John was gone.

Paul’s solo career remained strong until the mid-80s. In 1989, he started touring once again and is still a major draw. That year, he released “Flowers In The Dirt.” The album was edgier than a lot of Paul’s stuff as a result of a collaboration with Elvis Costello.

McCartney continues to record and even scored a major smash with “Memory Almost Full.” He released the album through Starbucks in 2007 and quickly went Platinum. Even his videos appeared on the TV again. (Amazing what advertising and promotion can do!).

Rock n Roll Moment: Paul got busted in Japan with pot. At the time (1980), it was a big scandal.

Essential Paul:

Band on the Run (1973)
Tug of War (1981)
Pipes of Peace (1983)
Flowers in the Dirt (1989)
Flaming Pie (1997)
Memory Almost Full (2007)

Macca’s Top 10:

Maybe I’m Amazed
Band on the Run
Jet
Live and Let Die
Give Ireland Back to the Irish
Get it (with Carl Perkins)
No More Lonely Nights
Spies Like Us
Put It There
Ever Present Past

The Spanish Flu 1918-1920

The world experienced a major pandemic that killed between 20-100 million people from 1918-1920. The Spanish Flu struck even the most remote areas including the arctic. The outbreak may have begun in Kansas. Some soldiers incinerated horse manure. The burning poop let off a bizarre yellow tinge. People soon got sick. Seemingly healthy soldiers shipped to Europe and the trenches. The unsanitary conditions in the trenches created the perfect conditions for the flu to spread.

The Spanish Influenza was especially virulent and contagious. People walking the streets of Boston fell over dead. 5000 Philadelphians died in one week. People in out of the way places caught it and died. Mt. Pleasant, Michigan was hit hard despite being in the middle of nowhere. It even spread to the Pacific Isles and the Arctic. Some areas of Africa saw 20% of the population die.

The dead tended to be younger, stronger, and healthier. People in their 20s and 30s were especially susceptible. The older generation had some sort of immunity as a result of another epidemic from the 1890s. Also, young children seemed to be able to fight off the flu.

How does this apply to today's flu panic? First, the virus today is the same as 1918. Second, the virus operates the same way. Third, the first wave has been mild and there are fears a second wave could devastate come the fall.

How is it different? First, soldiers are not fighting in trenches. Second, modern health practices are superior to 1918. Third, the media reaches almost everywhere as opposed to 1918. Also, governments issued media blackouts during 1918. It is called the Spanish Flu because the Spanish media did not have such restrictions and reported events.

The Spanish Flu is largely forgotten except to historians and health professionals. People have short memories. Perhaps the hysteria over the current flu epidemic is less the fault of the media and more the fault of the population which chooses to forget or refuses to learn.

#56 Paul Simon

Paul Simon is of the 100 people that have shaped our world. (At least according to Time Magazine). What do you do when you’re the talented half of the greatest duo in music history? Go solo! Simon was wildly successful through the 1970s with songs such as “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” which struck a chord in a era with skyrocketing divorce rates. His popularity continued into the 1980s most notably with “You Can Call Me Al” featuring a video dominated by Chevy Chase. He also experimented with African music in his much acclaimed "Graceland" album. In the 1990s, he wrote a Broadway Musical. Today, he continues to write and record. His latest, “Surprise” is highly acclaimed.

Rock n Roll Moment: He married Princess Leia and then hippie Edie Brickel.

Essential Simon:

The Paul Simon Songbook (1965-UK, 2004-US)
Paul Simon (1972)
There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973)
Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
Graceland (1986)
The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
Surprise (2006)

Paul Simon’s Top 10:

You Can Call Me Al
Graceland
Slip Slidin’ Away
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
I am a Rock
Kodachrome
Late in the Evening
Still Crazy After All These Years
Loves Me Like A Rock