The Shuffling Crew

They were fun. They were entertaining. They were the best football in 1985 and , possibly, in the history of the sport. We followed their every move. Colorful personalities that captured the fancy of the nation and the world. I give you, ladies and gentlemen, the Shuffling crew known as the 1985 Chicago Bears!.... I have always patiently listened to the talk of my seniors when they recall the great teams of their youth. Personal, joyous memories should always be celebrated. That is the heart of any sport and in entertainment generally. Relief from life's problems is the core of why we watch. It means something to pass along to the younger crowd on how great it was to see their team. I listened and learned and didn't fully appreciate the glory these teams give their fans until the 85 team came along. For those old enough to remember, it is a golden memory. For those too young or weren't yet born, the genesis of your Sunday love really started in that year... Please listen patiently, my young crowd. The pure fun that was unleashed on the public from these rascals is not something that can be replayed, but, I will try. Start at the top... The fire breathing, all intense coach named Mike Ditka. One hell of a player back in the 60's, a darn good assistant coach with Dallas in the 70's, and, then, a walking force of nature as a  head coach with the Bears in the 80"s. Looking at Ditka frightened the most aggressive of players. When he talked--- all street language and football logic-- you listened. Through sheer force, this giant parlayed a brand name of football to a bunch of rag ass kids you didn't want to fuck with. He had been to war as a player. As a coach, he became General Patton to his troops. The feeling he gave out? '' Make the play, protect your teammates, and, always be number 1.'' ... He talked, they played... At quarterback was an arrogant, talented, rabble rouser ''' punky QB known as McMahon.'' What a beauty he was to watch! A complete, anti-establishment , 'I don"t give a fuck player'. Jim McMahon showed up, after being drafted in 1982, with a beer can in his hand, tobacco in his mouth, and, an attitude to win. While injury prone, McMahon inspired victory and loyalty from his teammates. It is called chemistry. These fellow players would have jumped in front of a runaway bus for him. Interesting enough, many in the media wanted to push McMahon in front of that same bus. He didn't play the media game. It wasn't in his nature. And, when you don't play the media game, then you are '' trouble'' and a '' petulant child''. No one ever denied that McMahon could be like that, but, no one except the media seemed to mind. That devil may care way of his nature brought a new type of feeling to the locker room, and, that translated to the field. McMahon and Ditka had legendary confrontations. A headstrong father and rebellious son. The reason they fought so intensely is that they were essentially the same person separated by decades. In another time, they would have hit the town together as great pals. But, in 1985, one was the boss and one was the student. Which suited the team fine because McMahon became the buffer for the team when dealing with the management... All sweetness and great skill, at running back was the legendary Walter Payton. Check the records on Walter. He sure holds a lot of them, the most impressive being between the years of 1975 and 1987 he missed only one game. In football-- in any sport-- that I think is the most impressive thing about Payton. A complete football player: he ran,  he blocked, threw a football, and was the consummate teammate for a cast of characters. Walter always said that if they cast another version of the movie '' One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest'' they should just go to the Bears locker room... Walter only made it to one Super Bowl, that 1985 year. He didn't score a touchdown in that game, like he should have. Ditka gave that to the ''Fridge.''...  William Perry was big, fat, and proud of it. He was a defensive lineman from Clemson. The Fridge didn't have a lot of natural ability, but, he did have bulk. While it took two offensive lineman to block him, another player on defensive would sneak through and clobber whomever had the ball. Perry became a star on a Monday Night game against the Packers. He was put on offensive by Ditka as a gimmick. In goal line situations... Well, when given the ball, he would go head on with the poor, unfortunate opposing player, and knock him into Lake Michigan. On that manic Monday night, he became an overnight media sensation. Everywhere in the country people were talking about the Bears.He was the poster child for people who didn't care about their appearance. Plus, he had a gap toothed smile that melted the cynicism of the non fan.... There were other characters on that glory team: Hampton, Dent, Wilson, Gault, McMichael [ who loved to hunt rattlesnakes in the off season for fun], Wilson, Singletary, etc... They were on the news and in commercials. They did personal appearances with their adoring public. And, they did '' The Super Bowl Shuffle.''..... This video and song was for charity. It was done during the regular season. That was risky. While the song celebrated their greatness, it also could have caused internal ego problems. It doesn't appear to have happened. The song and video took off stronger then anyone would have thought possible. It actually charted in the Top Forty.... They went 15-1. The two playoff games were shutouts. The Super Bowl was a blowout. And, then it was over.... The following seasons showed the price of fame. Injuries, salary disputes, and, most importantly, ego clashes reared its ugly head. The fun and joy seeped out of this team. Friends became enemies. Success had breeded contempt. No longer were they Shuffling... No team in my lifetime has captured the public's fancy like that team did. The combination of incredible talent and raw charisma was intoxicating. My Grandmother, of all people, loved them. You planned your whole week around the game. They brought to surface the heart of being a fan.... I feel sorry for those too young to experience the magic... All I can say to describe them is ''They didn't come here looking for trouble...''

Brother Tom Part Three

Life went on after his death, but, it has never been the same. Dad grieved himself to death 6 months to the day after my brother's death. Mom lived another two years in both physical and mental pain before she died. And, now, they are all together up there.... In the years after my brother's death, my resentment of him ran high. I really didn't forgive him for how he treated me. I would make crewd jokes about his death as my release from the tragedy. But, they were just jokes, it was my way of working towards a resolution of my realtionship with Tom... Which came in a dream I had of him a few years ago. In the dream he looked great and was smiling a very peaceful smile. The dream made me feel peaceful also. After I woke up I felt my feelings differently. The long buried love I had for him so long ago on has stayed with me. I love my brother and miss him. I wish he was here so we could finally find understanding with each other. In the next world, we will sit down and work it out, I'm positive of that..... By the way, those two boys, the older brother and the younger, I am happy to say went back to playing ball together on that long ago day on Monroe Circle... And, they had fun!!!.... Two brothers....

Brother Tom Part Two

In high school he was the star. Looking back, I see this became a double edged sword for him. He was cheered and popular, but, as what happens to far too many high school stars, they are not used to things when the luster of fame wears off. After graduation, the spotlight turned off on him. No longer the''star'' in school, he became an ''extra'' in the real world. His dream of baseball never came true. A scout from the California Angels did see him and take his name, but, nothing came of it. His heart was broken because of what might have been... Tom tried college, but, flunked out after the first semester--- he just went to party anyway. He came back home and got various jobs in sales. He did quite well-- again, whatever he did, he did well. But, the bitterness of not being more than what he was set in deeply. The fights in the family became more pronounced. Dad took the heat from him, and, of course, I did too. However, I was no longer the little boy who took the abuse from him, I was a teenager who stood up for himself and answered him back. The fights grew in intensity. It became sadly obvious to me that my brother simply did not like me. My negative feelings towards him were reactionary, I was on the defensive. Once in a great while, we would share a good time, but, like when we were kids, it was illusionary... He found love in his early 20's. Her name was Lisa. I know they worked together and she seemed nice and good for him. Beyond that, I know nothing else. We didn't share confidences of women. In fact, the only area we had total agreement in was our privacy in our dating habits. We didn't go around bragging or gossiping about women. I do know he liked to have a good time with them, and vice versa... His relationship with his girl Lisa ended sometime in the late 80's. He took it hard, so hard, that I found him in the garage with the car running trying to committ suicide. He saw me, snapped out of it, and, drove away before I said anything. Later on, when he came home, he talked to me and wanted me to say nothing to our parents about what I saw. I refused. He obviously needed help. That became another fight. I did tell my parents what happened, and, that they should watch him.They spoke with Tom and a heartbreaking emotional scene transpired. Everybody started crying. My parents, understandably, were frightened. Tom assured them it was only a fleeting incident, and would not happen again... Life soon became normal again. Tom straightened up and got a great job in Ohio, where he met another woman and they became quite serious. Since he was in another state, and, were weren't speaking, I really don't know much about his life out there. He seemed to love life out there and was happily living his life. The Christmas of 1994, he came into town and everything seemed fine with him. We could barely stand to stay in the same room with each other. I think, even though we never put it into word, that we both knew it wasn't going to work ever with us as brothers. The chemistry was just not right. But, we were family, and, the unspoken feeling we had was that if one of us was in trouble, then family blood would win out and we would be there for each other... The following September 22, 1995, the call came in the middle of the night... I was at my parents house when the phone rang at around 2am. The police were calling from Cleveland. The words went like this: '' I am sorry to inform you that Tom was killed tonight. He jumped from a 28 story building. We are calling it a suicide.''... Stunned, I sleepwalked to awaken my parents and to tell them news that would break their hearts.Dad was stronger, he held Mom while she broke down. All the next day, Mom was in bed while various family members came to comfort her. Not only was her son dead, Tom was always her favorite. One time I walked in there I heard her crying softly for my brother. She kept saying.. '' My poor little boy..''... There was nothing left of Tom's body, the coroner office said the body was '' unviewable''... I talked to the police all that long night and next day. I got the details of what happened. My brother, in deep debt that we didn't know about, was out of work and had just lost his girlfriend when she ended the relationship. On the morning of his death, he did get another job. He also saw his girl at some bar with another guy. This guy we later found out was an old friend of hers. Some words were exchanged... My brother, drunk with rage and alcohol, drove to her condo and confronted them there. He beat the shit out of the friend and the police were called. The friend left and then my brother climbed up on the ledge, in a threat to jump. The police were dealing with him when the incident turned tragic. Depending on which story really happened, Tom either jumped by his own doing or fell accidently. The police say he pulled away from their reach when they tried to grab him. His girl said Tom jumped on his own accord. The police say in their report it was a suicide. I have to go with that.... It really didn't matter to me how he died. He was gone. That is all that mattered. I held myself together fairly well that day. I had to be strong for my parents. But, late that night in bed by myself, the tears came. Wracking, sobbing tears. I was crying for the family tragedy, to be sure, but, I was also crying for my lost brother I never really stopped loving....

Brother Tom

The older brother had to be around 13. The younger around 9. The sun was shining hot on them that afternoon as they took their spots on the lawn at Monroe Circle. The older brother was in charge and he should have been. Tall, muscular, and gifted in sports- one of those people that is just natural at sports- he was teaching some baseball moves to the younger, smaller brother. The older brother was not in the habit of teaching much to the younger brother. Their relationship was strained in the best of times, but, the younger was excited to finally have a connection with his brother, whom he secretly idolized. It started out very badly, the younger making many rookie errors, the older very critical. Soon, a familiar pattern set in and they started arguing. Bad feelings came aboard between them. It was, sadly, the core of their relationship.... My brother, Thomas Forrest Scoleri was born on January 21, 1962. He was the second child-- behind my sister Lisa-- but, he was the first male child. As such, he had the spotlight on him immediately. From what I have heard, he was a handsome , happy baby, who had a helluva temper. The crying fits he threw became somewhat legendary in the family. He loved to be rocked-- till the end of his life he always seemed to be rocking and in motion. Tom didn't talk much as an infant, in fact, he didn't say a word until he was around 3. My parents thought there might be a physical problem with him. Besides crying and rocking, he was a mute. The doctor said, no worry, he will talk soon. Sage words. Because once he started talking he never shut up!!! Throughout my childhood, I can remember everyone telling him to shut up, but, he kept going. Maybe, we were his first audience. Tom, even as a toddler, loved to be the center of attention. He was pretty magnetic and charming. In home movies, he always seemed to be sitting on someone's lap.... Tom was named after my Father's brother Tom, and, they always seemed to have a special bond. My brother in life grew closer to my Uncle Tom than his own father. But, Tom was my Mother's child. They had that bond. As I have written before, I think the reason my Mom had such a special place in her heart for my brother was because he reminded her so much of her own father. That is common. Very often a parent will see the past in the present when a child develops. And, as he developed, my brother was poised to be the center of all things in the family. That is until he got a younger brother... I was born almost 4 years later. I was the surprise baby. All fat and blond hair. I am named after my father, so, right away, my brother perceived a threat to his place in the family. While Lisa was 6 years older than Tom, she wasn't a worry to him. She was a girl, so, there was no need to start a rivalry with her. I, however, was the same sex, smaller, and, in need of the attention that all babies need. In short, he hated his new rival. More than sibling rivalry, he was filled with hate. Even at a young age, Tom was a very jealous person. I do not remember much as a baby, of course, but, my earliest memories of him are not flattering. Much picking on me from him. Much crying from me. This was the ongoing saga of my interaction with him. Tom would be punished, banished to his room- which we shared, so that didn't help me a fuck of a lot. The abuse continued there, sometimes physical towards me.... Mom and Dad knew this was a problem. They did their best. Lisa always stuck up for me with my brother. As I got older, I sort had gotten used to it. Occasionally, there would be peace, of which I was grateful, but, never to any long lasting truce. I was always on my guard with him, always awaiting the dark moments.... In school, Tom was the popular boy. Ok in the classroom, an absolute dynamo in sports!!! The raw ability he had was absolutely thrilling. His two best sports were baseball and basketball. I remember going to his games and being very proud to hear his name mentioned over the loudspeaker when he did something wonderful... All the girls loved him-- he kinda looked like the actor Robert Urich- so, girls calling the house became a common occurence. Despite my problems with him, he was a genuinely fun, witty, and loyal person to be around. People were constantly swarming to him, his friends were a mile long. As I looked up to him, he, along with my Dad, showed me what being a true friend is to be. I didn't feel inferior to him. I never felt in his shadow. We had different shadows we were in. He wanted baseball, I wanted acting. Since the two never intertwined, this was the one area we were carefree in with each other. But, I did take pride in him.....

Room 404

My nephew Joey works at a hotel by me that is supposed to have a haunted room. When he told me about this around a year ago I had to check it out as soon as I could. It took a year to get the room because the hotel itself was under construction. I don't know if the ghosts had a wild party and did some damage, but, I had the chance over the weekend to finally experience this room. Here is my report.... Room 404 opened to me around five p.m. It was a fairly nice room with double beds that would come in handy if I wanted to have an orgy. Since I was alone, the beds became impractical. One bed was only needed [ although I was expecting a female friend to show later, but, that was canceled at the last minute]. After putting my things away, the first ghost appeared. Sitting in a chair, completely nude was George Washington. You can imagine my surprise! Ole George, based on what I saw, aptly deserves the title ''Father Of Our Country''. Lets just say his teeth weren't the only wooden thing he was sporting. I made small talk with Georgie, asked about the cherry tree story [ he said it was true, but, he did it to get into a girls pants], and, asked about his wife Martha. George said Martha is a big slut in Heaven, banging every President in sight. He gave me a graphic description about her doing FDR in the wheelchair... George soon left. I put my body like a temple on a bed and was soon joined by Liz Taylor. Liz was dressed head to toe in chocolate syrup. It, being the afterlife, she states that she doesn't have to watch her weight anymore. A valid  and sage observation, Liz!!! I asked about her dating. She said that in the six months she has been dead, she has married and divorced every man who has ever lived three times. The woman can't keep a husband!!.. After Liz emptied my fridge, she left and Marilyn Monroe stopped in to sing ''Happy Birthday'' to me. I said ,'' Marilyn, my birthday is 89 shopping days away.'' Marilyn said she knew that, but, that she just had to get away from ''Those damn Kennedy boys!''. Alas, Jack and Bobby Kennedy did sniff her out and she left quite hurriedly. Before they left they asked me if anybody here seen their old friend Martin. And, could I tell them where he has gone? I said I had not seen Dr. King. Jack said that is too bad, it seems the good they die young. I turned around to answer them and they were gone... Rock Hudson made an unscheduled appearance around 8ish. He was with his new boyfriend, John Wayne. In another example on how Heaven brings out the ''real'' person, John was decked out handsomely in a skin tight black evening gown with a belt that said, ''Boy Toy''. Sitting with the newlyweds, I asked them how such a thing had happened. They replied that the motto in Heaven is '' What happens in Heaven, stays in Heaven.'' They seemed happy. They mentioned they were looking for a nice loft in the North side of Heaven by Christ Field. We toasted their new afterlife, I rejected their offer of dressing up in chaps for a threesome, and, they went gaily on their way!!.... By nine, my head was spinning. So many famous ghosts had come by for just a short time: John Belushi came by with an gram, John Lennon and George Harrison came by to sing, Bin Laden came up from Hell for some new towels, Chris Farley brought a gram-- even in death he still rips off Belushi-- Mother Teresa scrubbed my back, Gandhi offered to kick my ass, Christopher Reeve challenged me to a footrace, etc... By midnight, I was winding down. All the famous ghosts tuckered me out. I crawled into bed... One final spirit did visit: God.... God began to ask me how I was . I said I was relatively happy. He said why ''relatively''. I said I think I have done well up to now. I have lived my life based on what I thought HE would want me to do and be. I am not perfect, but, I told God I give it my best shot everyday. I said I feel there is still '' something I must do, but, I don't know what it is!!''' ... God paused. He said that is the common problem with humanity. We are always looking forward to some great achievement, usually involving money, and, not living life in the now. I said the world seems to be not set up to live in the now. Worries about safety, family, friends, occupy the thought process in the now. There was another pause. Then God said, '' I have given all of you my teachings and guidance. Some of you have abused them, some have flourished. I listen to the prayers. I hear the suffering, I do love all of you. When you cross over you will understand it all. Until then, please, tell the people you know this message, 'Love one another. Have fun. Live everyday to the fullest and enjoy each other. There will be bad in the world, but, don't embrace it. I love you, and, Love is the answer' ''. ... At that point John Lennon said, ''Hey, that's my line!''... God left. I wish He had stayed a little longer. But, I got the message. I have always gotten the Message. It seems simple, but, we do seem to forget it in our rush to live life. ... Love your family. Love your friends. Don't hurt anyone. Have pride in yourself that you are a good person.... Of course, none of this happened in that room, in fact, there was nothing unusual that happened in that room. But, had there been some contact from the other side I liked to think it would have been somewhat humorous, and, somewhat profound... Just like life... Peace...

Spielberg's Masterpiece

By 1993, Steven Spielberg was a household name. His name was attached, either as director or producer, to some of the most popular and commercially successful movies in history. The list of his achievements is staggering: ''Jaws'', ''Close Encounters Of The Third Kind'', the ''Indiana Jones''series, ''E.T.'', ''Jurassic Park'', the ''Back To The Future'' series, etc. But, all of these movies were a buildup to his best movie, and work of art, ''Schindlers List.''.... The story around the film is ''based on actual facts''-- which means, that not everything you see in a movie really happened. Filmmakers are notorious for changing history under the banner of '' creative license''. This is done to serve the story for the best presentation to the public. For instance, in the movie, Ben Kingsley plays a character named '' Itzhak Stern''. In reality, there was no such person in the story of Oskar Schindler, but, rather, a composite of a few men. With this in mind, the power of the story should not be dismissed. It is very true, very horrible, very sad, and, ultimately, reaffirms the spirit of the soul and human nature... Oskar Schindler was a successful German businessman before and during the early years of World War Two. He owned factories that supplied materials to the German people. He was a charming and handsome man, who also was a notorious womanizer, which might explain his several failed marriages. During the war, he charmed , flattered, and bribed the Nazi soldiers so that he could continue to operate... Spielberg establishes this in the first scenes in the film. We meet Schindler, played superbly by Liam Neeson, in a nightclub as he is ingratiating himself with them. The purpose is , of course, to get them on his side for purely business reasons. The film then shifts its focus to the concentration camp scenes, and, the true horror of the movie's subject begins. We see scenes of Jews being driven from their homes. The Nazi soldiers routinely torture and murder these people. They are '' following orders'', as the party line goes, but, there seems to be a sadistic delight in what they are doing. Men, women, and children fall victim to death. Schindler watches all of this from a distance. At this point in the movie, Spielberg doesn't give a signal of what his feeling about all of this is. He is taking it all in, as we, the audience, is also.... After an hour of the movie has passed--- and, like all great movies, the time flies by--- we meet the new commander of the Plaszow concentration camp, Anon Goth, played chillingly by Ralph Fiennes. The character truly is the personification of human evil. He randomly takes target practice off his balcony, randomly killing Jews as his whim dictates. He overseas the liquidation of the ghetto-- called ''Operation Reinhard'',-- where there is mass killings of families. These scenes are so realistic and shocking that it is almost too painful to watch. But, the viewer must watch. These are the acts of genocide that have been going on for centuries, and, sadly, still go on. To not watch is to not know.... That is all of the story I want to tell. For those that haven't seen the movie, I leave the rest of the story for you to discover, which I urge you to do... I want to talk about the job Spielberg does here. We all have seen his movies and enjoy them. Steven Spielberg is a master flimmaker who always knows what his audience wants and gives it to them. He frames his movies in a way that make the audience remember individual moments. In some quarters, he is criticized for this, accused of manipulation of the audience. There may be some validity to these charges, but, this is not a bad thing. A filmmaker's job is to entertain. With '' Schindlers List'', Spielberg uses his gifts for emotional power to the utmost and succeeds because we need to feel the pain and horror of these people. Take for instance, the key moments for Oskar Schindler: the liquidation scenes where he spots a little girl in a red dress [ the film is shot in black and white, but, we see the red in the dress] the scenes on the train, the bodies piled up dead, his goodbye to the workers before he gets the car. Spielberg brings the basic need of most humans to care and love each other with such power that I have yet to watch this movie without crying... For me , these are the scenes that stayed with me. I have seen the movie about four times since its release. Every time I view the movie, it is emotionally unsettling. Some people I know refuse to see the film for this reason. Of course, I understand. It is not for everyone. Unlike other great movies, ''Schindlers List'' is not the type of movie you may throw on at the holidays or in a party situation. The viewer must be prepared in his or her own mind to watch it.... Without giving away the ending to people, I must say in all of my years watching movies and dissecting them, I have never seen an ending like this movie has. The combination of astonishment and respect and the possibility of human redemption is overpowering. If you are any kind of a decent person, and, I know you all are reading this, then it is impossible to not be, in your heart, with those people in the cemetary... Steven Spielberg has said in interviews that growing up he was ashamed of being Jewish. He grew up in a world of gentiles and he felt the sting of being ''different''. With this film, he claimed his heritage back and is now proud of his background... I truly wish that none of this madness happens again, but, it is happening while I type this and you are reading this. This is a dark stain on human history. If any one of us is , God forbid, in the situation of an Oskar Schindler, then I hope we conduct ourselves like he did... And, I hope there is a Spielberg there to document it so we don't ever forget it.....