Ellenport Report

iPod Commute Update

2006-06-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

Might have been the best morning commute ever, thanks to an iPod that was magical. It was as if my iPod knew exactly what I wanted to hear this morning. Knew exactly what I needed to hear. From the time I got out of my car at the Wantagh station parking lot, until I turned on the lights in my office, here's how it went down:

Hothouse Flowers, Movies: Mellow start to the commute. Cool song about how seeing a great movie is the "closest thing to rock and roll."

Elvis Costello, Lipstick Vogue: Heating things up.

The I-tals, One More Dance: Old-school, classic reggae.

Yes, Starship Trooper: Aside from Pink Floyd, maybe the best headphone band ever. Perfect for chilling out on the train.

The Clash, White Man in Hammersmith Palais: At their best.

Cake, Arco Arena: Cool minute-and-a-half instrumental interlude from a hip band.

Yes, Perpetual Change: Another orchestral classic from Yes more than just kills 14 minutes on the train.

Yellowman, If You Should Lose Me: The ugliest man alive, yet he still claim's to be Jamaica's greatest lover.

Credence Clearwater Revival, Proud Mary: A perfect rock and roll song.

The White Stripes, Take, Take, Take: From the brilliantly-named CD, Get Behind Me, Satan.

Kaiser Chiefs, Oh My God: Proof that I still have an ear for what the kids are listening to these days.

Talking Heads, Air: Most people don't realize that the Talking Heads were once a serious rock band cutting their teeth in clubs like CBGBs. Forget their "Burning Down the House" crap. Get "The Name of This Band is the Talking Heads" and crank it up.

Santana, Life Is for Living: It's Santana. 'Nuff said.

Taj Mahal, West Indian Revelation: Bluesman Taj does it Caribbean-style.

The Clash, Death or Glory: Time to work

Commuter iPod

2006-03-21T05:39:00.000-08:00

Here is the first in what will be a series of postings about my iPod and what it means to me. I have a roughly 90-minute commute to and from work, and I could not do it without my iPod. My iPod is loading with about 1,500 songs, almost all of which are great. And many of them mean something to me. So from time to time, I will chronicle my daily comute based on the songs that randomly play along the way. Some have specific memories for me, others just remind me what great taste in music I have. Either way, it's worth sharing.

So here's the first entery, homeward bound on March 20, 2006:

Warren Zevon/Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner: It wasn't until I was a freshman in college when I really got into Zevon's "Excitable Boy." I was listening to this tape over and over on my Walkman one night while studying for an African History test. Believe it or not, I earned an African Studies Certificate at Northwestern. Unfortunately, Zevon singing about Roland serving as a mercenary in the Congo War was about as much African history as I retained.

Kansas/Carry On Wayward Son: I can't remember if it was 1978 or '79, but this was the first concert I ever saw -- Kansas at Madison Square Garden, and it was great. Except my dad took me and two of my buddies, and when we were hanging out outside the Garden before the show, I ran into a few of the cool kids from my junior high school. Of course, they were not escorted by their dad. Don't get me wrong, my dad is probably cooler than most of those guys anyway. But, well, you get the idea.

Led Zeppelin/I Can't Quit You Baby: Any time I hear Zeppelin doing blues, it sounds a little like the Yardbirds with Jimmy Page. And that reminds me that I need to add some Yardbirds to the iPod. (Quick aside: I'm walking down 35th street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and I just passed a homeless woman kneeling down to pee on the curb. Love this city.)

Steel Pulse/Macka Splaff: Saw Steel Pulse, an underrated reggae powerhouse, back when they used to have concerts on the pier -- somewhere in the low 40's on the West Side. Great venue for summer concerts. Wish they brought that back.

White Stripes/Little Acorns: Thanks to Chris Yeatts, I've got a lot of White Stripes on my iPod. Always makes me feel a little hip when I hear it.

King Crimson/The Great Deceiver: A bunch of seniors at Northwestern turned me onto King Crimson when I was a freshman, and by the time I was a senior, I was the only one of my friends weird enough to listen to this far-out (but really amazing) group. I recall my friend Jenny, from Wisconsin, would always laugh when I played this song. "Sing hymns, make love, get high, fall dead" ... Yeah, King Crimson was a little out there.

Los Lobos/This Time: How cool is Los Lobos?

Sonia Dada/You Ain't Thinkin' About Me: I have their live album -- so bluesy, so soulful, so good. Makes me wonder why more people haven't heard of them. Oh wait, I know why: Because modern radio sucks and you really have to work hard to find good new music.

Taj Mahal/St. Kitt's Woman: When I started dating my wife, I made her a Taj mixed tape. I'd like to think I'm the first person ever to try to impress a girl with a Taj Mahal mixed tape. But guess what? It worked!

The Jayhawks/Blue: I didn't really care much about "alt-country" until I heard The Jayhawks' "Smile" CD. Still don't. But these guys are really good.

Third World/Talk to Me: How much do I love Third World? On my first trip to Los Angeles, Third World was playing at a club somewhere about 45 minutes from LAX. I took a cab straight from the airport to the club, where I met my friends Paul and Kathy, put my bags in their car and went to the show. And it was awesome, of course.

Steely Dan/Sign in Stranger: Best Steely Dan CD, hands down, is "The Royal Scam."

The Pharcyde/Ya Mama: I like to think that my discerning taste in rap is limited to the really good shit -- Public Enemy, mainly. The Pharcyde is just silly stuff, but I can't bring myself to delete it off the iPod.

White Stripes/As Ugly As I Seem: This is from their latest CD, "Get Behind Me Satan," and this is actually the first time I'm hearing this song. It's an acoustic, melodic tune, different from most anything else the Stripes do. Which is one of the reasons they are so good. Their songs don't all sound the same.

The Clash/Somebody Got Murdered: Remember earlier in this list I mentioned the concerts at the pier in NYC? The Clash, summer of '82 at the Pier. No concert in the history of concerts will ever compare. It ended with a furious rendition of "White Riot" in the face of a driving rain storm. The rain had been pounding in off the Hudson River since the end of the first encore, but the Clash came out two more times. The rain got harder with every note, but the band just got more intense. The fans were not prepared for rain -- it was just one of those summer quickies -- but not a single person left the show. And when it ended, a throng of soaked fans slowly made their way back east toward the subways. And we all just looked at each other in awe of what had just taken place.

Final thoughts from Detroit

2006-02-08T06:11:00.000-08:00

A few days late, but here is a bullet-point rundown of some of the Super Bowl week highlights (and a photo of the enormous Marriott Renaissance Center I took Saturday night)...

1) Hands down, highlight of the week was meeting my boyhood idol, Jim Zorn, at the Commissioner's Party Friday night. The annual lavish affair was held at the Henry Ford Museum. Great setting, and plenty of big-name stars, but nothing compared with the chance to meet Zorn. And yes, I did tell him that he was my absolute favorite football player when I was a kid. Zorn was very friendly, proudly attending the party with his brand-new son-in-law. I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of famous athletes over the years, but I honestly don't think I've ever been as excited as I was to meet Zorn. Very, very cool. And I'm pretty sure that he did not take out a restraining order.

2) Before the Commissioner's party, we went to a pre-party reception at the Henry Ford Estate -- a much smaller affair mainly for some of the NFL Network affiliates. It was nice enough, until I innocently ventured into the Ford library and got cornered by an estate volunteer who proceeded to tell me the history of the room and every book in it. Did you know that Henry Ford's wife was an avid gardener? I do.

3) Full disclosure: I ran into my old friend Bob Glauber of Newsday several times throughout the week. We talked about a lot of things, but I was not the NFL source who told him about Joe Montana demanding $100,000 to appear at the pregame parade of former Super Bowl MVPs. You'll note that when Glauber broke that story two days after the game, he quoted a "high-ranking NFL source" -- not a "mid-level publishing peon."

4) Super Sunday is the one day I can really sleep a little late... so it came as no surprise that Gil Brandt woke me up with an 8 am call to our room. Anyway, it soon became apparent that not everybody sleeps late on Super Sunday morning. I met Gil down in the lobby at 8:45, and in a 20-minute period, I walked past Steve Young, Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice and Bill Belichick, among others.

5) Poor Randi. I was happy she made herself an appointment for a massage Friday afternoon, but it turned out to be a nightmare. There was no way this "masseuse" was licensed -- she was pinching and tickling more than anything else, and clearly didn't know what she was doing. But matters soon became worse. I called Randi and told her to meet me on the third floor of the hotel, because Phil Simms and Troy Aikman were there and I wanted to introduce her. "No!" she screamed. Turned out the masseuse slathered her in gallons of oil, and it was still all over her face and hair. Had to run upstairs and get cleaned up before meeting Simms and Aikman. Fortunately, those guys were still around when she made it back down and she got to meet them. But it didn't erase the trauma of being borderline violated during the massage.

6) Have to say I was very pleased with the final result of the Nick Bakay Blog. It was my idea to get Bakay, the talented actor/comic/writer/executive producer of "King of Queens" to write a blog for SuperBowl.com, and he did a terrific job. Super mix of humorous football commentary and off-the-field observations. His homage to Buffalo wings was awesome. Here's the link: http://www.superbowl.com/features/bakay

7) Leigh Steinberg party was interesting. First time I've ever gotten shaved at a party. As the number of Steinberg's big-name clients decreases every year, the number of sponsors for his annual party increases. One of them was Gillette, promoting its new five-blade, battery powered Fusion razor. So they had a couple of chairs set up and were giving shaves (and a cool bag of Gillette products for those who got shaved). It was fun, but I was a little scared -- not about being cut. That little clown Mo Rocca was hovering nearby with a camera crew, and I was sure I'd be stuck in this chair being asked dumb questions and looking like an idiot on The Tonight Show. Did my best not to make eye contact, and thankfully Mo kept walking.

8) A few hours before Super Bowl kickoff, I was in a packed Ford Field elevator heading up to the press box. There was a smallish woman dressed in Steelers garb complaining loudly that the elevator was too crowded as we left the ground floor. So when the elevator stopped at 2, she started yelling, "We're full! No room! Can't come in!" And she continued to say this as NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, his wife, and NY Governor Pataki proceeded to squeeze into the elevator. After that trio got off on the fourth level, someone asked the woman if she had any idea who they were. She did not.

9) Never a surprise to see a slew of actors from TV shows that air on the network that's broadcasting the Super Bowl. But I'm still surprised that the cast of FX's The Shield was at the Tailgate Party before the game. I'm not complaining, because The Shield is one of the best shows on TV. I saw the actor who plays Lemanski, and even though I don't even know his real name I thought that was cool. FYI, he wears the same beaded necklace in real life that Lemanski wears on the show.

10) After the Steinberg party, we just went back to the hotel, had a nice dinner and walked around downtown for a while. After much effort, I had gotten us on the list for the Sports Illustrated party, but it was like a 40-minute drive with no traffic, and the roads were a total mess so we opted out. I had also tried unsuccessfully to get tickets to the NFL's sponsorship party -- always a tough ticket. I always feel awkward asking various co-workers for tickets to these events. So I definitely appreciate the fact that Matt Hill in PR found two for me (needed three, so I was almost there). I also appreciate others who tried to steer me in the right direction, or at least responded to my request with a "Sorry, got nothing." Everyone was cool, except for the one putz -- who shall remain nameless -- who decided he didn't even have to get back to me with a no. You know who you are.

Quickie notes

2006-02-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

Getting busy here on Wednesday afternoon, but just wanted to provide these short updates...

1) Apparently, the Renaissance Center folks have heard the cries of the media. On my way up to our SuperBowl.com offices this morning, I noticed the following sign at the foot of the escalator: "Ren Center Directional Tours." Nice gesture, but unless there is free food and beer at the end of the tour, I find it hard to believe anyone is going to take them up on the offer.

2) Today is the day when players and celebrities really start making the rounds at Radio Row. In five minutes this morning, I walked past Terry Bradshaw, Eric Dickerson, Boomer Esiason and a few others. But I'm extremely saddened to report that the biggest throng of fans I saw out there was a swarm of people just outside the media area following Rob Schneider.

Rob Schneider? Are you kidding me? Not only did he have an entourage, but people were chasing after him for autographs, and as he rode the escalator up one level, a bunch of morons seated below yelled up to him, "Hey, Animal!! You're the greatest!"

Good lord, what has become of us?

Lost in the Renaissance Center

2006-01-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

Forgot to mention this great item from a Super Bowl XL notebook in Tuesday's Detroit News. It sums up perfectly the circular maze that is the Cetroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Reminds me all day long of the scene in Spinal Tap when the band islost trying to find the stage ata Cleveland show... "Helllooo Cleveland!!!" Enjoy...

Renaissance Center maze is confounding reporters
Visiting reporters are busy doing their jobs at the media headquarters at the Renaissance Center. That is, if they can find their way in the confusing arrangement of circular building pods.
Most reporters have looked lost at least once, twice, five, six times since Super Bowl week commenced in earnest Monday.

"I asked a lady at the information desk where the Ambassador Room (at the Marriott) was," said John Adams , columnist from the Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel. "She said, 'It's really easy.' I said, 'It couldn't be really easy. I have a clinically bad sense of direction, and I've been lost in this hotel for two days.' She said, 'Well, you have to understand the pod system,' and then, on a notepad, she drew a diagram with four pods and explained the Marriott is directly connected to the pods."

The confusion continued.

"I asked her, 'We're on Level 2, right?' And she wasn't sure," Adams said. "She knew the pod system, but she couldn't tell me what level we were on."

Gotta love it.

Detroit - Day 2

2006-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

Before I relate my less-than-exciting experience of meeting boyhood idol Jim Zorn, I've just got this one comment: Gilbert Gottfried was making a spectacle of himself for some reason at Media Day this afternoon, and I had one thought. If I killed this guy -- went right up to him and shot him point blank in front of 3,000 assembled media -- I'd like to think I would be a national hero.

Seriously, he is loud, obnoxious and - worst of all -- NOT FUNNY. I was listening to someone talking near a podium at the end of the Steelers' media session, and Gottfried had commandeered an empty podium and for some unknown reason people were actually listening to him and asking him questions. Someone asked him who would win the game, to which he replied in his raspy, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice: "I don't know... either the Steelers or the Seahawks!

Please... somebody... kill this man.

On to better things... I guess I have mixed feelings about my brief encounter with Jim Zorn today. The bad news is that he was actually pretty busy with a steady stream of reporters looking to ask him questions -- which meant that I couldn't casually interrupt and say, "Hey Jim, you're the greatest!" ... The good news is that it was great to see that Zorn is getting his due here this week. Folks asked him about how great it feels to be here at the Super Bowl after being the face of the team back when it was born.

"We were forever the underdogs," Zorn recalled about the early days in Seattle -- which is only fitting to point out seeing as they are underdogs here in the Super Bowl.

I didn't get to introduce myself, but I did mention that I had interviewed him when he started his coaching career at Boise State in 1991, and that he said back then that he hoped to someday be back with the Seahawks as a coach. Amazingly, Zorn pointed out that he's actually been a coach now longer than he was a player.

Okay, enough of my idolatry. One other person I spoke to here at Media Day was John Walsh - not sure what his title is these days at ESPN, but he is basically the Godfather of all things editorial at ESPN, and he's been there from the start. I was anxious to talk to him about a common acquaintance, the late, great Frank Ross -- the original stats guru for ESPN and one of the most original characters you could ever meet.

Since we were talking at the ABC/ESPN press conference, Walsh told me one serious memory he had about Frank... Frank Ross had worked with the Oakland Raiders briefly in the 1970s, and when John Madden first got hired as a broadcaster with CBS Sports, John asked Frank what he thought. "Madden," Frank said at the time, "will be the best NFL color analyst in the world."

Impressive, yes, but just know that Frank was on some kind of hard drug 75 percent of his waking hours, so I'm not sure it was an idea formulated from any real insight.

Pet peeve of the day: So the National Anthem is being performed by Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville and Doctor John.. Aretha and Aaron seem to be getting all the pub - which is really unfair since Doctor John -- Mack Rebinak, aka The Night Tripper -- is the real main attraction there.

Welcome to Detroit

2006-01-31T04:27:00.000-08:00

I was all set to begin my Super Bowl XL blogs yesterday, then I realized I have to be careful what I say. As an NFL employee, I can't really talk about bad weather, drunken debauchery, incompetent co-workers and the like.

The good news is that after one day here in Detroit, I really don't have any of those things to report. The bad news is that it doesn't make for great reading without those things. What can I say?

Weather was not bad Monday, but I do see they're calling for cold and snow on Super Bowl Sunday. Woo-hoo.

I saw an NFL Films show last night on the Seattle Seahawks, and the first seven minutes -- which chronicled the early years of the expansion franchise -- made NO MENTION of quarterback Jim Zorn.

Are you kidding me? Well, fine. Screw 'em. This morning is Media Day at the Super Bowl, and I will gladly be introducing myself to Zorn, Seattle's quarterbacks coach. I will say, "Hello, Coach Zorn, any chance you remember when I interviewed you back in 1991 when you were an assistant coach at Boise State University? Do you remember when I mentioned that I was assuredly the only 15-year-old kid in Queens, NY, back in 1980 who owned a Jim Zorn Seahawks jersey?"

I will continue: "Coach Zorn, back in August, I wrote a column on nfl.com in which I called you the greatest lefty quarterback in NFL history... and I meant it. Even after Boomer Esiason sent me a semi-nasty email saying that I must have forgotten about him."

I'm not sure what I'll say after that, but I have a feeling that Zorn will be calling security shortly thereafter.

Look, I've been jaded over the years, covering Super Bowls and Hall of Fame ceremonies and getting to see and sometimes meet some very famous athletes. But Zorn was the guy I loved when I had no idea I'd ever meet any of these guys.

If you don't remember Zorn, here's all you need to know: He played with the scrambling zeal of Fran Tarkenton -- except he never played on a team with the kind of talent that Tark's Minnesota Vikings ever had. He played on an expansion team, and while he had Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent as a target, there was little else. Zorn made things happen, and the Seahawks were fairly successful for an expansion team. While the Buccaneers, who came ito existence at the same time, lost every game thay played for just about two entire seasons, Zorn and the Seahawks were both competitive and exciting.

That's enough football talk for you. If there is not a restraining order on me after today, I will let you know how the meeting goes.

One last note: I do have Gil Brandt on my side on this one. Gil signed Zorn to the Cowboys out of college, and he was part of the package that Dallas sent to Seattle in exchange for 1976 first-round draft pick Tony Dorsett. "Anything you want from Zorn, you just let me know," Gil said last night at dinner.

Anything?

Tip of the week: Tom's Porter is not nearly as dark or rich as a porter ale should be. Should have stuck with the Guinness.

Go Seahawks!

2006-01-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

I'll just start by saying that I am a New York Giants fan, first and foremost. I'm not going to look silly and tell people that I'm a die-hard Seahawks fan now that they've finally reached the Super Bowl, but I will say this: I became a Seattle fan in 1978 when I was a 13-year-old going nuts for fellow lefty Jim Zorn. And since Zorn is now the quarterbacks coach for the current Seahawks, I'm still rooting for them.

And just so you know I'm not making this up, let me share the following e-mail that I received just this morning from the younger brother of an old friend of mine -- a kid who was an 11-year-old camper of mine back in the summer of 1984 (and someone I haven't seen or heard from in over 10 years):

"Craig-- I dont remember much, but I do remember a certain camp counselor who's favorite NFL team is about to embark on a journey to the big dance...yes, my friend..i write to congratulate you on your Seahawks movement into the superbowl......im rooting for them... hope this email finds you well..."

Last week I heard from someone who remembered that I used to have a Jim Zorn jersey. Now I ask you: How many kids growing up in Queens, NY, in the early '80s do you think owned a Jim Zorn jersey, let alone any Seattle merchandise?

One more note: I've got a clip of mine from College & Pro Football Newsweekly back in 1991 in which I wrote about Zorn when he broke into coaching as an assisitant at Boise State. Wrote about how exciting he was, how he averaged 3,200 yards passing from 1978-81, scrambling all the while behind an expansion offensive line. Stud.

In conclusion, NFL security might want to keepa close watch on Zorn next week in Detroit. If you hear him say anything about a stalker, it might just be me.

Go Seahawks!

College football magic

2006-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Wow. That's all you can say about last night's colossal Rose Bowl win by Texas, as Vince Young almost single-handedly toppled the USC dynasty. With Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush leading the Trojan charge for a third straight national title, Young produced 467 yards of total offense and willed the Longhorns to victory. And more important than the breakdown and analysis of the game is this simple fact: It was one of the most entertaining games in college football history.

I'm not going to put them in order, but if Texas 41, USC 38 is in my top 5 college football games of all time, here are the other four (note: these are just games I have seen personally, which is why you don't see the 1979 Cotton Bowl or Flutie's Hail Mary, etc.):

Miami 31, Nebraska 30 (1984 Orange Bowl)
The game that started Miami's dominance of college football for the next decade, the Hurricanes were prohibitive underdogs against the Nebraska juggernaut. Tom Osborne has never gotten enough credit for going to two at the end of the game. Down 31-24, Nebraska scored in the final seconds. Settling for a tie would have given the undefeated Huskers the national championship, but Osborne went for the win anyway. And didn't make it.

BYU 52, San Diego State 52 (1991)
This game put ESPN's Thursday night football on the map, as these WAC powers put up 1,462 yards of total offense. BYU's Ty Detmer passed for 599 yards and six TDs. SDSU's Marshall Faulk ran for two TDs and caught two more. It was the most electrifying game in Faulk's legendary college career.

BYU 28, Miami 21 (1990)
The 1990 season-opener basically won Ty Detmer the Heisman. Facing the top-ranked Hurricanes, who boasted the best defense in the nation, Detmer seemingly had eyes behind his head. Warren Sapp and company were gasping for air in the Utah altitude, producing a fierce pass rush only to see Detmer release the ball just as they were closing in on him. Detmer picked apart the Canes all night in one of the most underrated individuakl performances ever.

Boston College 41, Notre Dame 39 (1993)
I had been dating Randi for a few months at the time of this game, when I made her watch it with me at her folks' house. Now, Randi is not a football fan, so this could have been a rocky moment in the relationship. But Glenn Foley had the game of his life as BC stunned the top-ranked Irish. Randi and I got engaged eight months later.

If you've got other great games you think should be on the list, feel free to chime in!

I used to be a music maven...

2005-12-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

... But I'm not any more. Just went through the WFUV staff picks for best music of 2005. I always love going through this list, as it gives me an idea of some good music that I need to listen to. Usually, I've heard a decent amount of the music on this list. Sadly, though, this year I seem to be way off.

Lots of stuff I haven't heard. Why is that? Maybe it's because I got this new computer at work, and every time I tried to play Chris Yeatts' White Stripes CD, it crashed. Maybe it's because I was too busy loading older CDs onto my iPod. Maybe it's just that new music isn't very good. Coldplay? Blecchh.

In any case, my new year's resolution will be to get back into the new music scene. For what it's worth, I did actually listen to some new music this year. Here are my sparse recommendations:

* The Magic Numbers -- Pretty poppy, which is usually not my thing, but the debut CD for this quartet (oddly, two brother-sister combos) has some catchy tunes.

* The Zutons -- This one might date back to 2004, but I just recently started listening to the whole CD. A little quirky, but not too quirky to overshadow the guitars. I guess it's alternative rock, but it's more rock than alternative.

* The White Stripes/Get Behind Me Satan -- Still haven't listened to the whole CD, but they played two songs when they appeared last month on The Daily Show, and both were awesome.

* The Redwalls -- I heard one song and it very good, but I've been too lazy to check out the rest of their debut CD. I have heard it's pretty good.

Of course, the one song I've listened to more than any this year is "I'm Gonna Catch You," by Laurie Berkner, who also happens to be the last performer I saw in concert. Sam and Ben are both big Laurie fans... which, of course, is a good excuse to post a recent photo.

Sorry for the Delay

2005-10-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Who am I apologizing to anyway? Nobody's reading this, so what's the big deal. As predicted when I started this page, it has gone the way of all the stuff in my basement that does nothing but gather dust... But really now -- who's got time to writ e daily blog?

I'll tell you who's got the time to write a daily blog: people with absolutely nothing better or more important to do. I honestly don't have much better to do, just more pressing concerns. Shit, I've barely given enough time to my fantasy football team, which is why I'm suffering through my worst fantasy season in 15 years.

But now I've come to learn that the Ellenport Report can easily be found when my name is Googled, and that means a half-dozen or so family members might see it once in a while. So for their sake, I'll post the occasional update.

Because when it comes right down to it, I do have important things to say, dammit. Okay, maybe not so important, but certainly astute, observant and enlightening. So here are some thoughts for the day:

* Some people here at work know that I was officially the first on this bandwagon: Mark my words, Northwestern QB Brett Basanez will play in the NFL. I know I'm biased here, but the kid is both gutsy and good, and he just looks like an NFL quarterback. It doesn't hurt that he's averaging 40 attempts per game this season yet has thrown just one pick. Impressive.

* The Black Crowes and North Mississippi All-Stars are playing on same bill at Madison Square Garden... on New Year's Eve. I'm officially old, because even though this might be the greatest double-bill anyone could ever see, I simply refuse to come into the city on New Year's Eve. Just too much of a headache. That said, you'd be crazy to miss that show.

* Poppy alt-rock is not my cup of tea, but I've discovered The Magic Numbers, and they are pretty cool. Check out their debut, self-titled CD.

* Going to the Breeder's Cup on Saturday. I'm sure I'll lose money, but might see some old buddies of mine that I used to know when I was involved with a few racing magazines. And I can't talk about the sport without thinking back to one of my journalistic highlights: Sharing off-the-record drug stories with a future Hall of Fame jockey. I was 22 at the time, and my editor almost fell out of his chair the next morning when I came to work and played this snippet from my tape recorder:

Ellenport: So, tell me about that drug suspension you received.

Jockey: That was bullshit. They found a roach in the back of my car... and it wasn't even mine.

Ellenport: Actually, my dad found some pot in the back of my car last week, and it wasn't mine, either.

Jockey: Ya know... you smoke pot, right? (Ellenport looks down at tape recorder and nods silently)... Turn off the tape recorder.

(The tape clicks off, then back on again.)

Jockey: I've never told anyone that story.

Of course, I couldn't use that story in the magazine. But I'm pretty sure the number of people I've told that story to outnumbers those who read the original article.

Rest in Peace, RL

2005-09-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

Very sad to report the passing of blues legend R.L. Burnside. The north Mississippi hill country bluesman died at the age of 78. He didn't begin performing until later in life and wasn't a known commodity in the blues world until the early 1990s, but his impact was profound.

I can go into more detail, but all that needs to be said was that he was the major influence for the North Mississippi All-Stars, who I wrote about just yesterday. One of Burnside's sons plays with the All-Stars, in fact, and R.L. himself performed with the All-Stars at the Bonnaroo performance that was recorded and released as the Hill Country Revue CD. The All-Stars' awesome versions of songs like Goin' Down South, Shake 'Em on Down and Skinny Woman come straight from Burnside's catalog of raw Mississippi blues.

Heard a Burnside tune on the iPod this morning on my way into the office, and it just about summed up my feeling for the man: "The river was whiskey and I was a diving duck."

Rest in peace, R.L.

NoMas Rules

2005-09-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post -- no surprise that this blog would sit stagnant for long stretches at a time. This seems like a goof time to chime in -- last night's Mets game pretty much signaled the end of their season, which is perfect timing given that tonight is kickoff of the 2005 NFL season.

It's also the start of the 2005 Dot Com League season, and the North Massapequa All-Stars are poised for another big year. As you all know, my fantasy football team has had the best regular-season record in the four-year history of the DCL... alas, we've never won a championship.

So this year, knowing that I've got enough in the tank to make aplayoff run, I'm taking a chance and putting all my eggs in the basket of Mr. Michael Vick. That said, we'll also learn tonight if Corey Dillon is ready to have a monster season. Lord knows, the North Massapequa All-Stars can use it.

And for those of you new to the North Massapequa All-Stars, here's a little history -- it is merely a brilliant coincidence that my fantasy team got its name in 2000, the same year that the North Mississippi All-Stars exploded onto the music scene. Brilliant, because it just so happens that the North Mississippi All-Stars are to blues and rock what the North Massapequa All-Stars are to fantasy football: simply the greatest. As we speak, the NMAS are signed to perform at halftime of the DCL title game, which hopefully will feature NMAS as one of the competing teams.

Stay tuned...

Muskegon Memories

2005-07-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

So former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Gary Hogeboom is going to be one of the new competitors on "Survivor?" Based on my history with Hogeboom, chances are he'll be a no-show. But that's okay, because his first no-show led to one of my personal career highlights. Cue the flashback effect...

It was spring of 1986 and yours truly was interning at the Muskegon (Michigan) Chronicle. Hometown hero Gary Hogeboom was all set to throw out the first pitch at opening day of the Muskegon Little League baseball season. I wasn't on the sports beat at the time, but they gave me the assignment to go out there and interview Hogeboom.

Of course, I was a college junior at the time, so it's no surprise that I woke up that Saturday morning with a raging hangover. And I was running late. So I threw on my Mets cap and raced down to the field, where all the teams were gathered and waiting for a big opening ceremony. I found the league organizers, identified myself and asked to see Hogeboom.

He was not coming, I was told. "Hey," one guy said, "you're from the Chronicle?"

"Yes, well, I'm an intern," I replied, head pounding with every word uttered.

"That's okay. Can you throw out the first pitch?"

Those poor kids. They lined up all the teams down both foul lines, played the National Anthem and then made the following announcement over the loudspeaks: "And now, to throw out the first pitch of the 1986 Muskegon Little League season, from the Muskegon Chronicle... Craig Ellenport!"

As I walked to the mound, wondering if this was really happening and focusing all my energy on trying not to puke, I could feel the eyes of every child and parent looking at me and thinking, "Who the fuck is that guy?"

It was weird and awkward, to say the least. But after lobbing one into the catcher and hearing a smattering of confused applause, I got into the moment. As I marched off the pitcher's mound, I smiled and waved to my adoring fans.

And then I went home to sleep.

Passing of a Legend

2005-07-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

I remember as a kid how my Aunt Joan told me she would read the obituaries every day... "to make sure I'm not in them," she explained.

Now I read the obituaries every day, not so much to look for my notice but to see who of interest may have passed on. There are a lot of interesting people in this world, and many of the great ones go largely unnoticed until you see their names in the obituaries. Today's paper provided just such an example.

No, I'm no talking about James Doohan, a.k.a. Scotty from "Star Trek," although he died yesterday and that is truly sad news for all Star Trek fans (myself included). Quick aside: One of the best "Star Trek" scenes ever was when the plan to sneak around behind the back of a suspicious alien was to have Scotty drink him under the table. Scotty and the alien drank Romulan Ale until the alien passed out. Might have been one of the early moments that led me to become the lush I am today.

Anyway, Doohan was a star, but I'm talking about the passing of a true legend: Gerry Thomas.

Don't know who he is? That's okay, I'm ashamed to say I didn't know either until I read the obit. Thomas was the inventor of something that had a profound impact on American culture in the 20th century: the TV dinner.

No joke. Think about it: You can make a case that since the TV dinner's arrival in 1954, the American family has never been the same. Not only did it encourage the idea of breaking up the dinner table by bringing your food into the living room to watch TV, but it also encouraged more women to go into the workplace -- they no longer had to worry about preparing dinner for their husbands.

Of all the inventions that make life easier and faster (for better or worse), the TV dinner is right up there. Imagine if that were your legacy?

Gerry Thomas died Monday in Paradise Valley, Ariz., at the age of 83, following a bout with cancer. I will be having a TV dinner in his honor tonight.

Batman Begins

2005-07-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Holy forgetfulness! I almost failed to mention the highlight of the weekend... Randi and I saw Batman Begins on Saturday. Wow! As a comic-book superhero junkie and Batman freak in particular, it was everything I hoped it would be.

The movie is not about Batman, but rather Bruce Wayne. How cool is it that you don't see Christian Bale in a Batman costume until more than halfway through the movie? I loved Tim Burton's first Batman because he knew enough about the Batman legend to make it dark. But his movie was dark only in setting. This one was dark in mood, and you could feel it. Michael Keaton was a little brooding as Bruce Wayne, but Bale brought an edge to the role that came so much closer than any other actor has come to channeling the inner demons of the Dark Knight.

And the best thing about the movie is that it can appeal to us Batman die-hards without turning off the regular viewing public. I'm sure Randi has never read a Batman comic in her life, and she loved it.

Meanwhile, I've gotten closer to getting Sammy to watch the DVD of the original Batman movie -- the Adam West version. In fact, we had it on earlier ni the day Saturday, but Sam became preoccuopied with something else. Still, I was excited to see a bit of it -- including the great scene where Batman and Robin are about to be hit by a torpedo. You see the explosion in the water, followed by the bad guys doing a jig because they think the Dynamic Duo is dead. Then you see Batman and Robin driving away in the Batboat, with this dialog:

Robin: "Gosh! The nobility of the almost-human porpoise!"

Batman: "Yes,, Robin. It was noble of that animal to hurl himself in front of that torpedo. He gave his life to save ours."

Now that's great stuff.

Blog This!

2005-07-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Look at me... I'm blogging! Who said I wouldn't update my blog -- this is my second new post of the morning. Actually, nothing new to say here. Just wanted to try out blogspot's new image uploader.

If it works, then this site will probably morph from a personal blog to a page where family and friends can view pictures of the two boys. And I'm sure most people would rather see pictures of the two cutest boys in the world as opposed to reading my nonsense.

DVR Rocks

2005-07-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

We picked up the Cablevision DVR Friday afternoon, and I'm happy to report... and it's the real deal. Easy enough to hook up and seems easy to use. Before long, Sammy had us rewinding a live episode of "Caillou" about 75 times. And of course, "Caillou" was the first show we programmed to have recorded on a daily basis.

(By the way, there is no 4-year-old character on TV, animated or otherwise, who whines as much as Caillou. It just dawned on me the other day that I''ve never heard the kid say "please.")

Only major difference that I can tell between Cablevision's DVR and TiVo is a big one: As far as I can tell, Cablevision doesn't have the intuitive quality of TiVo. It won't recommend shows to you based on what you have previously recorded, and I don't think you can set the thing to record shows based on preferences; you have to be very specific. Which is not the worst thing in the world, but certainly is a big selling point for TiVo.

Welcome!

2005-07-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's see if we can keep this going for a while. Tried creating my own blog a few months ago, led with an entry about the tremendous Graham Parker acoustic show Randi and I saw at the Brokerage in Bellmore, Long Island. Never made an entry after that.

There's plenty to cover this time around... Sammy's in the pool all the time... Ben is starting to crawl (more like a herky-jerky, leap-frog kind of thing)... Fantasy football and Super Bowl book are keeping me busy at work (not to mention planning for the annual pilgrimmage to Canton for Hall of Fame enshrinement)... And oh yeah, this afternoon I am picking up our new DVR box!

I'm sure I'll be pulling hair out tonight trying to hook up the damn thing. Should be super-easy, but you never know. I'll keep you posted.