Yes, But, However! » Sports and Entertainment

RIP – ESTHER GORDY

Mitch Mitchell — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:27:22 +0000

EXPIRED: 08/24/11 – Esther Gordy, 91, loaned her brother, Berry, $800 to start the Motown record label during in 1959. Often described as “the pillar of Motown”, she took an active role in management and booking tours, and acted as “mom” to some of the label’s younger acts. After Motown shut down she created a [...]

RIP – JERRY LEIBER

Mitch Mitchell — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:36:14 +0000

EXPIRED: 08/22/11 – Jerry Leiber, 78, and Mike Stoller wrote songs in high school. Within 3 years, Mike (music) and Jerry (lyrics) were the hottest in the biz, especially after Elvis bought “Hound Dog,” originally written for Big Mama Thornton, and made it his. More hits followed including ‘Stand By Me,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ ‘Poison Ivy,’ ‘Spanish Harlem,’ ‘On Broadway,’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle With You.’

RIP – JOHN KELLEY

Mitch Mitchell — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:52:12 +0000

EXPIRED: 08/21/11 – John “The Younger” Kelley, 80, the ’57 Boston Marathon winner, was the 1st American to win in 12 years. He also ran up Mt. Washington in 1 hr, 8 mins, 54 secs, the fastest ever. Had he been born a generation later, he coulda made millions but after running in 2 Olympics, he scratched together a living as a marathon coach, writing a newspaper column, and running a sports gear store, until he finally got off his feet and drove a cab.

The Kardashian Wedding: What Else $30 Million Can Buy You?

The Huffington Post — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:45:24 +0000

By now, we all know the Kardashian wedding on Saturday is costing a pretty penny — okay, lots of very big ones — but what else can you get for $30 million except for a whole lotta air time? Our completely irreverent, cheeky slideshow guides you through what else that kind of money can buy — except for love and class, of course.

RIP – PIERRE QUINON

Mitch Mitchell — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:23:25 +0000

EXPIRED – 08/17/11: Pierre Quinon, 49, liked to jump. As a French pole-vaulter he won the gold in the 1984 Olympics in L.A. just a year after setting a world record with a leap of 5.82 meters. That mark lasted just four days before Thierry Vigneron went one centimetre higher. In ’85, Quinon beat his personal best at 5.90 metres, just a few centimetres behind the new world record. He retired in the 90s & jumped at the chance to become a chef. This week, depressed, he jumped out of a window on the Mediterranean island of Hyeres. READ THE OBIT

Ndamukong Suh Tweets After NFL Fines Him $20K For Violent Hit (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:53:51 +0000

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Ndamukong Suh has been fined a third time for roughing up three different quarterbacks in less than a year.

The Detroit Lions defensive tackle doesn’t plan to change his game.

“Not by any means,” he said Wednesday after he was fined $20,000 by the NFL for a hit on Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton last week. He didn’t like it much, tweeting: “$20,000REALLY???!!!”

David Letterman Death Threat: Jihadist Site Calls For Host’s Killing

The Huffington Post — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:49:48 +0000

A jihadist website has issued a death threat against David Letterman, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The threat was issued after Letterman referenced Ilyas Kashmiri, an al Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in June, on his late night show. Letterman apparently joked about Kashmiri’s death, something that enraged a poster on the website.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the user called for someone to “cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever.”

Guitar Video Game Set to Change How Kids Learn Music

John Romano — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:10:09 +0000

By John Romano

(YBH) – Meet Ubisoft’s Rocksmith. Rocksmith is much more than a video game. It is a tool that combines the fun of video gaming with a genuine guitar lesson.

Instead of clicking a few buttons on a plastic mock guitar, Rocksmith allows players to plug in any electric guitar into their Playstation, PC, or Xbox 360. Fire up the software and you are ready to rock. Those lights coming at you? They will be the actual notes of the song. Play the game long enough and you will be jamming the Rolling Stones “Satisfaction” for your friends like a pro. A much different experience than other music themed games. Pre-teens and amateur adult guitar players don’t stand a chance. Resistance to the charms of this game may be futile.

The game is set to hit the market this fall. So far Ubisoft has licensed 50 songs for Rocksmith’s initial release. In addition to “Satisfaction” by the Stones, titles from Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, David Bowie, The White Stripes and Lynyrd Skynyrd are included. When Ronnie Van Zant says “Turn it up” at the beginning of “Sweet Home Alabama”, he will be talking to you.

While the initial batch of tunes leans toward late nineties and newer (with the exception of “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Satisfaction” and a few others), I personally hope the game is a hit, as I’d love to plug in and play “Won’t Get Fooled Again” or “Who Are You” by The Who. That would be rad. To do that now would be too much of a hassle with my band, The Sugarmen. On the few occasions we do rehearse, it is for a reason. No time to jam a 9-minute version of a Who tune just for giggles. Besides, no way we could replicate the sequencer parts on either tune.

If Rocksmith catches on, the way kids (and adults for that matter) learn how to play guitar will forever be altered. The analog/digital divide will truly have been conquered. We at YBH! haven’t had a chance to play the game, but if it works as well as Ubisoft’s promos make it seem, it will be a game changer. With schools cutting music and arts budgets on a yearly basis, that would be a great thing indeed.

Look for Rocksmith later this fall and well in time for Christmas.

Jeter 3000 Hit Home Run Ball To Fetch Hefty Price

John Romano — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:20:09 +0000

By John Romano

(YBH) – The home run ball that Derek Jeter hit this afternoon to reach the 3000 hit mark will surely fetch a hefty price at auction.

New York Yankees star Derek Jeter

Past home run balls have sold for a fortune. For instance, Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball fetched $3 million in 1999. However, it should be noted that a dark cloud formed over many of the home run feats of Mr. McGwire and other sluggers like Barry Bonds due to a doping scandal that tore apart the sport.

It is unknown at this time who caught the 3-2 sinker ball from Tampa Bay pitcher David Price that Jeter walloped into the left field stands. It is also not certain how much the Jeter ball will fetch at auction, but it is sure to be more than seven figures.

Jeter became the 28th person in MLB history to reach the 3000 mark and among the youngest to do so.

UPDATE: A young man named Christian Lopez (23), caught the ball and will reportedly get Yankees tickets for the rest of the season and a meeting with Derek Jeter for turning the ball over to the Yankees legend. No cash.

Yankees Great Derek Jeter Reaches 3000 Hit Mark

John Romano — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:00:28 +0000

By John Romano

(YBH) – Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, already the holder of the title of most franchise hits, added another notch to his already full belt. Today, Jeter reached the 3000 hit mark with two hits against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three innings of play. Hit 3000 was a wallop of a home run into left field.

New York Yankee Derek Jeter reaches 3,000 hits.

Jeter becomes the 28th player in baseball history to reach the 3000 hit milestone. He also ties Roberto Clemente on the all time list with.

Jeter surpassed Yankees great Lou Gehrig for the franchise record last year. The 37-year old was the tenth player in history to reach the milestone with one team.

It is unknown at this time who caught the home run ball, but he or she stands to see a hefty payday if they choose to sell the ball.