Avoiding The Bandwagon

The bar was a sea of red jerseys. The patrons were all proclaiming their love and loyalty to the Hawks. And, my friend, Rob, and myself , were also. We were all there united in our desire to see the Hawks win a much needed playoff game. Alas, the end result turned out to be a frowner, as the Hawks went down in the now customary overtime period. As we were watching I was once again reminded of how strong the Chicago fan base is. Pride in our local teams is a internal city joy. The population wears the team colors and furiously roots for their team. Fan loyalty---Chicago-style...... Or, is it?....... Sports traditionally has fair-weather fans. It is not uncommon in sports, every team has them. They are the ones who jump on the bandwagon when things are going great guns. The team--- pick a sport--- is the hot potato in town and these followers come along on the merry-go-round ride of success. They bask in the glow of winning. Suddenly, they turn into experts, insisting that they know all there is to know about the franchise and acting as if they are personally involved in the fight for supremacy. The bandwagon people are just that. When the team that they profess to love suddenly takes a powder from winning and becomes a loser, they jump off the bandwagon with such suddenness that they had better make sure the bandwagon doesn't roll over them...... The Hawks are smack dab among these people now. Everyone in town is a Hawks fan, or so they like to believe. The jerseys outnumber all other teams, including the mighty Bears. By the looks of things, the Hawks and the NHL must be making a mint. On one hand, I applaud this because I have always been a Hawks fan. When I was a kid, I listened to them on the radio [they were never on TV] with my brother in the room we shared. I can fondly recall the sounds of the crowd in the old, still-missed Chicago Stadium, as the ''Here Come The Hawks, The Mighty Blackhawks'' theme came sailing over the radio. The mental pinwheels my mind played, imagining the game, is a cherished childhood memory. I would fall asleep with the game still playing, the names of Mikita, Hull, Magnuson, Esposito, mingling with my dreams.........On the other hand, I do not applaud this new popularity. These new ''experts''on all things Blackhawks annoys me. They know nothing coherent about the sport of hockey. They are the types of people who blame the refs if the Hawks are losing. They wanna pull Corey Crawford immediately if he is having a bad game. They wanna fire the coach if the team makes mistakes. You know these people if you are a real sports fan. The guys who wear the jerseys and are all unreasonable passion for something that is just a game. The women who like a certain player because he is cute. What makes me angry about these people---- besides embarrassing us true fans with their witless behavior---- is that they now make it impossible to go see a game in person. The price of tickets has gone through the roof, with a good seat now averaging in the thousands. Nose bleed seats, which are almost in the parking lot, are in the hundreds. For a family, a legit family of Hawks fans, to go see them at the UC, costs the parents an arm and a leg. Meanwhile, the bandwagon people are there, sitting front and center, undeserving of the seats, but getting them because they have connections. You know them, they are the ones texting during the action, telling their friends, ''Hey, I'm here and you're not!''....... This sort of thing happened in the 80's with the Cubs. It used to be that my friends and I could decide on a nice summer's day to go to Wrigley at the drop of a hat. We knew bleacher seats would be available, or upper deck in a pinch. It was easy and affordable to park [the nuns always took care of the car for ten bucks. Apparently, God got ten percent] and we were happily watching the Cubs, most likely, lose that day. However, with WGN pumping the games all over the world---- and, the Cubs actually having a few winning teams during this period--- suddenly, Wrigley Field became the place to go for the bandwagon people. And, with this crowd, came the natural capitalistic impulse of the owners to raise the tickets sky-high. Now, us kids or young adults, had to wait in line behind every Yuppie that was trying to impress the boss. Or, drunken fools who used Wrigley as an excuse to run rampant. Now, we used to drink there, too. But, any knowledgeable fan of any sport knows the rules of drinking at sporting events. You have a few in the ballpark, but, you save your serious juicing for the bars around the park. In a quick period of time, Wrigley Field was filled with the non-Cubs ''fans'' that rankled us loyal brethren. Soon, with the combination of ticket gouging, and, the annoying ''experts'' that commented on all things Cubs, made me very disenchanted about going to 1060 West Addison. For several years, I actively boycotted games there [the bad teams helped add to the boycott] but now I have lifted my protesting stance and go as often as I can. Besides, those ''experts'' on the Cubs have now moved to ''The Madhouse On Madison'' to do their spewing on all things Hawks. When they aren't texting, that is....... I do not mean be to be totally glum on the new fans. Many, especially, the kids, are most welcome to join us loyalists. And, I get that you become a fan of a team when they win. Who wants to be a fan of a losing team when you decide to embrace a sport? So, there are many good and knowledgeable new Hawks fans out there. Welcome to the club!!! Sit back and enjoy the Mighty Blackhawks!!!....... And, you will soon be a REAL fan when you look with contempt at the people who are posers......

The Big Silver

The big screen always has fascinated me. On it, a world of magic can be created that will sweep you away. When I was very small, an imp of a child, I actually thought that there were people behind the movie screen. A child's mind is filled with impossible visions and scenarios. So, it made sense to me, in my six year old mind, that the people kissing onscreen where smooching in the vast light just beyond me. Or, that the fight going on was a real-life rumble. Chairs were flying, bottles being broken over heads. They sure made a lot of noise back there!!!........ Naturally, very soon afterwords, I came to the full realization. There weren't people behind that forty foot screen living an alternative life. Rather, it was glorious images coming from a projector behind me, shooting through the dark, birthing a new world for me. The magic of movies. Alone in the dark...... Movies and me have been a team ever since I can remember. My Dad and I were movie buddies. As a kid, we would be there, side by side, in the darkened cinema. Sometimes, my Mom or brother or sister would join us, but, most of the times, it was Dad and me. Now, we loved all kinds of movies, be they comedy, action, or drama. It is a sign of how my parents raised me that Dad took me to serious films, with adult themes. He loved me, as any good parent does, and realized that my education in the world was more than I was getting at school. He respected and fostered my budding intelligence and growing interest in the world and human behavior. Of course, I never saw any strong sexual themed movies. But, once in a while, a woman's bare breast and ass cheek would make a welcome appearance on the screen. I'm sure Dad felt a little uncomfortable at these times. Not much, however. I think he saw in my eyes that I approved of the female nudity. A small smile of satisfaction would spread on his face. It wasn't until years later that I realized that he was proud of my early interest in the female anatomy. He was the block that I had been chipped off of.......... The earliest movie I can recall seeing was in 1971, when I was 6. It was ''Patton'', starring the legendary actor George C. Scott. We saw the flick at the equally legendary Des Plaines Theater. There was a charm about this theater. Oh, it was no great shakes as a nice place to see a movie. It had old seats that must have been around since the 20's. A floor that your feet stuck to. A sound system not much better than my own stereo system that I bought at Venture. And, if you put your popcorn or drink down on the ground and didn't watch it carefully, in a matter of minutes you would see your items moving slowly down the aisle, being carried quite admirably by the theater ''pets'' that haunted the palace. But, in a strange way, The Des Plaines Theater perfectly captured that particular mood of the moment. These were the days when movie theaters averaged just a couple in the area where you lived. There weren't thousands of screens like there are now. So, when a movie came to your town, it was a big deal. You bundled up the family and went out for a night on the town. Now, ''Patton'', as you may know, is the story of the flamboyant World War Two General George Patton. Patton, the man, was a big personality that demanded a big personality to play him. George C. Scott fit the bill like a glove. All gravelly-voiced and striding with authority, Scott embodied Patton in the performance of a lifetime. But, my six year old mind was not looking at the actor's portrayal, not yet. All I remember is that the movie was loud. Filled with battle sequences. And, I saw that everyone around me was enjoying the film, including Dad. In my mind, there was a thought that sprouted that day--- though, it would take several years for me to articulate it---- that here was a most curious concept. Hundreds of strangers had made the conscious effort to leave the comfort of their homes to willingly seek out another world in the dark. That big screen. The Big Silver Screen. A world created from our fantasies and yearnings. An escape hatch from the pressures of the modern world, our everyday life. We gratefully surrendered ourselves for pure escapism. All over the world, people lost themselves in the comfort of the dark, letting our minds meld with the magic. Even as a little boy, it dawned on me that I was experiencing a powerful feeling. The willing suspension to believe......... The most memorable movie going experience in my life came in the summer of 1975 when ''Jaws'' terrorized the population. My Dad, brother, and Uncle Tom went to the late, much missed Golf Mill Theater in Norridge. I was nine that summer. We got there early, which was a good thing. Because there was a long line around the block. I had never seen that before. Literally, several hundreds of people waiting in line to see Steven Spielberg's first masterpiece. It was a cultural phenomenon , that movie. ''Jaws'' shirts were already the rage. I was concerned that with so many people there that we might not get in. No worry, though. We sat in the balcony part of the theater. And, for the next two hours, the terror of the movie surrounded us. You know, being nine, I was already a man, you see. So, I couldn't let my family see that I was scared. That was for little kids, not a worldly person like myself. In the most intense parts of the movie, I looked away from the Big Silver at my ''Acapulco'' t-shirt. It must have been noticeable because Dad slipped his arm around me, in the protective way that all Dads do. The shark was tearing people up fifty feet away. But, Dad would keep me safe..... By the way, I loved the movie....... The years passed and my movie going experiences piled up. Some were with Dad [most memorably, we saw ''Close Encounters Of The Third Kind'', both of us enchanted by the film. Dad always loved space] and some with friends. We saw the typical teenage movies like, ''Animal House'' and ''The Warriors''. We friends would gaze longingly at the women on-screen, dreaming of what we would do with them if they ever decided to walk off the screen. They never did...... Sometimes, I could  scramble up a date to take on a Saturday night. I would always try to choose either something romantic or something to get their rocks off. I saw ''Top Gun'' many times, not because it was a good movie [it is a laughable movie] but because I knew whatever woman I was with would get excited about the beefcake flyboys in the movie. It worked a lot.......... But, in recent years I have not gone much to the theater. The Big Silver I still love. It is different now, however. Long gone is the pleasurable experience of sitting down and enjoying a quality movie with a respectful audience. The films today are mostly recycled garbage aimed at a ten year olds. And, the audience for these viewings are a horror. The plague of cell phone usage and the constant talking is a major hurdle that I can no longer battle. It astounds me that people seemed to find nothing wrong in having a conversation in a movie theater, as if they are at home. The mentality is as low as the movies they are seeing. And, this irks me on two levels. 1] Because people are being ignorant and rude [something I will never tolerate in any form by anyone] 2] Having falling in love with the movies and the experience of being drawn into the sweet joy of  big screen memories, it saddens me to think this marvelous joy is fading away before my eyes. The current average moviegoer has never had a good time at the movies. They believe that they have but they are sadly mistaken. They just went to a movie........ Whereas, I have had memories.......

Goodbye, Dave

You knew that this was gonna be different television by the ''cold opening''. That is the TV term for starting a show right then, with no fanfare or trumpets blasting. A sweet-faced, benign old man faced the camera uneasily and stated that what you are about to see would be different. The old-timer, named ''Larry 'Bud' Melman'' by the show, but, in reality was a forgotten actor named Calvert DeForest, looked like he was something different also. A man who somehow snuck into the TV studio late at night at 30 Rockefeller Center and jumped in front of a waiting camera. Which is kinda what happened, for, here was a new show that TV would never have before permitted on the air because it was so different and unusual. ''Larry 'Bud' Melman'' was proclaiming to the unsuspecting public at large, ''Ladies and Gentlemen, meet David Letterman!''....... Actually, the public knew of David Letterman. He was one of the hot up-and-coming comics to emerge in the 1970's. David, or Dave as we came to know him, cut his teeth in the drunk and seedy comedy clubs in L.A., where you often faced hostile and threatening audiences. But, Letterman had the, not so much as the best comic delivery, but, the quick-on- your- feet response that most comics prize. He could immediately comment on any given situation through the comedic mind, which is looking at the outside world through an absurd filter. Letterman was spotted by a talent agent in L.A. for ''The Tonight Show'' and in November, 1978, he made a very strong first appearance on the show. So strong was that one-time shot that soon he was being touted as the heir apparent to his idol, Johnny Carson. Carson himself was immediately smitten with Letterman and promoted his career. Soon, Dave was hot in show business, getting gig after gig. Eventually, in June 1980, NBC would give him a morning talk show where he could fully realize his inventive mind. His show was the anti-talk show. Instead of embracing show business, the Letterman morning show mocked it mercilessly. ''How dare show business people take themselves so seriously'', was the battle cry of the program. Dave kept it creative and wacky, doing things that had never been done on a talk show, like elevator races and stupid pet tricks. He interviewed people on the street from his studio [which he did take from Steve Allen in the 50's] but, Dave put his particular spin on the concept and created comic gold. The morning show was bright, inventive, and hip. Which, of course, made it impossible to succeed at that time of day. Housewives and older people would never buy into that type of humor so early in the day. The audience that would appreciate that crazy type of comedy would be the young, hip college crowd. And, they sure as hell were not watching daytime TV. They were still sleeping away the late morning. No, David Letterman needed something later, real late, after the grownups had gone to bed and the kids took over the TV. Kinda like the people who produced his show had taken over a TV studio after the adults went home...... NBC canceled his morning show after a couple of months and held Letterman to a ''holding deal'' with the network. That basically meant he was their property, he could not go to work for another network while he was signed with them. NBC was looking to put Letterman somewhere. Finally, the show after Carson, ''The Tomorrow Show'' with Tom Snyder [a great show on its own merit, too] was scrapped in favor of David Letterman doing his talk show. It didn't hurt Letterman that Johnny Carson would be producing the show through his production company. Carson still was a Letterman champion and knew Letterman would be a success somewhere. So, ''Late Night With David Letterman'' was born on February 1, 1982. It started with that ''cold opening'' of the strange looking old man named ''Melman''. Then, the show took off into an hour of television that was new and revolutionary. The highlight was when Bill Murray, looking like he had haven't slept for several days, did a hilarious rendition of the Olivia Newton-John song. , ''Let's Get Physical'', complete with jumping around the studio, aerobic-style. Murray set the tone that night that he was in on Letterman's game plan. Dave was gonna be different from the traditional talk show. That anti-talk show mentality had carried over from his morning show. And, true to prediction, the late night audience fell in love with him. He garnered a strong youth following [a key prize for advertisers] and critical acclaim. His ratings, while never huge, were enough for him to make a tidy profit for NBC while still reinventing the medium. Old favorites, like stupid pet tricks, films by his dog, Bob, and going out of the studio to catch the real weird still were the norm. And, Dave also did something that no talk show host ever did: he made his guests squirm if they showed the slightest tendency to take themselves too seriously. This made for interesting television, because all of show business is filled with the ego trippings of the stars. Dave called them on it--- be they Shirley Maclaine or Cher--- and many times real sparks would be flying. Over the bubble of the comedy filter came tension and compelling interplay among him and the guests....... Dave also encouraged experimentation among his staff. His writers shared his goofy comic sensibility. Chris Elliott, a writer with a bizarre mind and even more bizarre appearance, became his on-air foil. Elliott created the ''Angry Man'', the ''Conspiracy Man'',  the ''Fugitive Guy'', and a multitude of weird and wacky scenarios. Dave was the straight man, which is to say that he made the comments on TV that his audience was saying at home. This way of comment on the moment has been the essence of his career, the spine of David Letterman as a performer. The unspoken bond he has always had with his audience is ''Look how we make fun and ridicule these people and events that are taken so seriously!''............ Merrill Markoe was his partner in this comic crime. She met Dave at the ''Comedy Store'' in the late 70's---- a female comedian who palled around with the boys--- and soon became his girlfriend and creative sidekick. She would give him her best jokes to use, kinda like in high school when the girlfriend would do the boyfriend's homework. She shared Dave's dream of creating an alternative comedy talk show. She was as vital behind the scenes as Dave was in front of the camera. As the 80's went forward and ''Late Night With David Letterman'' reached greater glories of success, the relationship changed between them. She was more in the background and unhappy. She had to put up with Dave's moods and depressions---not an easy task. Not surprisingly, their personal relationship began to suffer also. Soon, Merrill Markoe and David Letterman would part, a breakup that had reshaped modern comedy........ David Letterman never forgot his comedian buddies from the salad days on the Sunset Strip. The best and brightest of them was Jay Leno. When Dave first came to California, he studied Leno and based his stand-up style on Jay. The two became close friends and supported each others careers. When Dave got ''Late Night'', his most prized and frequent guest was Jay Leno. Jay averaged about an appearance a month on the show. And, he always hit a home run. Jay was razor-sharp in his comedy, something that he, sadly, lost as his fame grew. The highlight of every Jay appearance would be ''Jay's Beef'', which entailed Jay talking about what is pissing him off in life. Dave would laugh, long and hard, at Jay, as would the audience. Very quickly, Jay Leno's star rose. He would become the best and hottest stand-up working. NBC would eventually sign him to host the Monday night edition of the ''Tonight Show'', when Carson would be off......... The 80's turned into the 90's. David Letterman routinely did the best show on TV. Despite his growing fame, Dave never lost his outsider status that so endeared him to his audience. He was the kid in the back of the classroom who made fun of the brighter and more better-looking kids in school. His style of comedy was enormously influential. Every night after a show was put to rest, there were upcoming generations of dreamers going to bed wanting to do what Dave was doing. Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, plus untold stand-up comics caught the glow of Dave's genius. The torch of the Next Generation in comedy had been lit by David Letterman. Soon, these aspiring comics would pick up that torch........ By 1991, Johnny Carson was tired. He had scaled the highest mountaintop in show business, reigning supreme for over three decades as the King Of Late Night. Now, well into his 60's, he wanted to step down, a King giving over his kingdom to a successor to the throne. The fact that Johnny had always preferred David Letterman to take over the ''Tonight Show'' was a given fact. Carson never stopped being a fan Of Letterman and his comedy. Also, because Carson produced ''Late Night'', it was naturally assumed in the television industry that Letterman would get the show. But, NBC had other plans. They liked Jay Leno, who, by now, had become the permanent substitute host. Jay was popular with the audience but his comedy had mellowed. And, not for the better. His comic edge was gone. He was ''safe'', non-threatening or challenging. Unlike Letterman, Leno loved NBC and the whole show-business lifestyle. Sadly, this once strong comedian became the ass-kisser that he had always joked about. This was what NBC wanted in a host to replace Carson, not the rabble-rousing, thumb his nose at authority Letterman.To the surprise of everyone, including Carson and Letterman, Jay Leno was given the gig at the ''Tonight Show''. When Letterman heard that his old friend had gone behind his back and stole the show from him [and Leno did, with him and his opportunist manager and Svengali, Helen Kushnik, slowing acing Carson out] Dave was angry and sad. His ultimate dream was to take over the show from his idol, Carson. Now, the dream was dead and it looked like Dave would be forever the also-ran. But, David Letterman held some aces of his own. He was still the brightest star in comedy and the most influential. His services were in high demand. If NBC did not want him, then, everyone else did. In the winter of 1991/92, the bidding war for David Letterman escalated into a media frenzy. Would Dave walk out on NBC when his contract ran out? Would his many suitors in the television industry grab him, including CBS and ABC? Would the FOX network pony up big money to spearhead their struggling network? Big money indeed was offered, tens of millions for Dave, and hundreds of millions for any winner that snagged him. In addition to the money, what David Letterman truly wanted was the earlier time slot [11:30pm Eastern time, 10:30 pm, Central] to try to appeal to a bigger audience. Dave was confident that he could bring his comic sensibility to the earlier time slot. NBC did not believe so, which is why they went with Leno. Eventually, David Letterman signed with CBS. He would go head-to-head with the ''Tonight Show'' and his, now rival, Jay Leno. The start date would be August, 1993. The remainder of his time at NBC and ''Late Night'' would be him joking about his leaving the network. But, it would also entail him closing the chapter on his most original work. For though he would encounter tremendous success at CBS, he never again captured the spirited innovation of his NBC years. These years ''made'' David Letterman. The spark of his genius was established, and in terms of creativity, he never reached those heights again...... In August of 1993, the ''Late Show With David Letterman'' premiered to much hoopla and media attention. Not only was it a new show but the press had created a story of intense rivalry between Jay Leno and David Letterman. Here were two old friends, who had risen together to the stratosphere of American comedy in tandem, battling it out for the viewers. The fact that Leno, the usurper, had aced out the legend, Carson, for his grab for the brass ring, added fuel to the fire. Jay Leno was cast as the villain in the story [not an unfair depiction]. And, at first, Letterman trounced the ''Tonight Show'' in the ratings. The reason was simple: Dave was doing a better, more interesting program. The change was quite noticeable in his demeanor. He looked happier, more in command of his show, as if , he finally found his Garden Of Eden. His guests were more famous but on most nights, Dave was the bigger star. He was the hottest property in show business. And, he changed his act. Gone were the elevator races and man-on-the-street observations. Now, he sat at his desk and talked. A hidden gem in the Letterman arson of talent is his ability to just talk to the camera, like sitting next to someone on your couch in your living room. He became easy going David Letterman. He could still be a smart-ass. But, he mellowed his outsider status now that he was an insider. Dustin Hoffman once described Dave as the modern day Mark Twain, a humorist who also touched the public psyche. Dave sure was and he excelled in his new form. In due time, the excitement of his show waned somewhat and he fell behind Leno in the ratings. He still had the prized, younger demographic, which brought both him and CBS vast buckets of money. He was Number 2 but he was still the show everyone talked about the day after.......... David Letterman's finest moment on TV came on September 17, 2001. It was the first Monday following the 9/11 attacks. The world was still brittle in its emotions. America had been shaken by the death and horror of the previous Tuesday. The country was in a state of shock and seemed to be in need of a jolt back to reality. It is not hyperbole to say that Dave brought us back, in terms of allowing ourselves to enjoy life again and laugh. All of show business looked to him to give the official nod of approval. But, Dave, always wonderfully unpredictable, threw a curve. Instead of finding some humor in what had happened---- which, was impossible---- Dave spoke from his heart about what had happened and the affects on him. And, through his experiences, he channeled the national grief. Dave spoke for us all. It was poignant and quite eloquent. There were throwaway asides that got a few titters, but, Dave showed class and respect. It was a hallmark moment for the show, and, especially, for the man....... Throughout the years of ''Late Night'', Dave has held the crown of the elder statesmen of comedy. Like his idol Johnny Carson, David Letterman has made careers on his show and fostered talent. He has done this with the customary distance of a king. The king's approval is sought out and yearned for. To not get the king on your side can be damaging to a career. But, David Letterman has always championed the underdog and showcased the poor soul. He became the performers best friend when they appeared on his show. Many comics, from  Ray Romano to the guy you are planning to see this weekend at Zanies, is beholden to Dave and his reach......... David Letterman has shown his private life, in spurts, on his show. He had triple-bypass surgery in 2000, a son in 2003, and a nasty scandal involving sexual exploits with his interns. The last item was the most tricky to maneuver. But, Dave stood tall when he sat in his chair and told the audience of his failings as a man and husband. It certainly wasn't a high point in his life. He was wrong and admitted his wrongdoing. However, he took it like a man should: by facing the music....... And, now, after over thirty years holding the national pulse, David Letterman is stepping down. He is 68 years old now and has made his mark. I'm sure he feels he has done all that he can do. Now, he rides off into the sunset with, I hope, a profound sense of what he has accomplished and the pioneering of comedy he has governed over. His followers, from Jon Stewart to the deplorable Jimmy Fallon [even the best performers inspire the worst] have been so influenced by him that they are carbon copies of the original Dave form. But, the imitators can never top the king. No Elvis impersonator has ever come close to the real Elvis. David Letterman will say goodbye tall in the saddle, a renaissance man of comedy and satire and commentary....... Thank you, Dave.......