Windows on the World Restaurant, World Trade Center For those who follow this blog, you know that I occasionally depart from sports. This is one of those occasions. Like many, I vividly remember where I was when I heard of the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Upon hearing, I quickly got in front of my television and watched the heartbreaking events unfold in real time. When the second…
I’ve been blessed to have lived a very interesting life. My sports career has enabled me to travel extensively over the years. It has taken me to 46 states and multiple countries. In the 1980s alone, I became a million-mile flyer on American Airlines. And while flying eventually became a chore, the destinations and people that I met made it all worthwhile. One of the benefits of travel, plus having good friends in Hollywood and…
In the song ‘My Way,’ sung by Frank Sinatra and written by Paul Anka, there’s a famous line which reads; Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. A very meaningful song and line, especially as one gets older. For those who say they have no regrets, I say hogwash. If you have no regrets, I question the fullness of your life. Did you not take any chances in your lifetime? …
Are you familiar with the term Genericide? Genericide is the term used when a brand legally loses its mark by reaching a point where the product name is no longer differentiated and is therefore synonymous with the generic product. For example: consumers say “Kleenex” when referring to facial tissue, regardless of the actual brand they’re using. In other words, brands can be destroyed by their own success – and Little League could be a Genericide…
While watching the NBA Playoffs, thoughts brought me back to my most memorable night at a NBA game. It was November, 1977. It was a game at The ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Los Angeles. It was the Chicago Bulls versus the LA Lakers. It was a battle of 7-footers…Artis Gilmore versus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Allow me to set the stage… I had recently moved from a small town south of Boston to Marina Del Rey, California. I…
With Father’s Day upon us, I’d like to take a break from sports and write about my Dad…a real life hero. Many children look to their fathers as their hero…and rightfully so. If you were lucky enough to have a Dad that gave you reason to think of him in that manner, be thankful. I hope you cherished him and continue to do so to this day, whether he’s still physically with you, or just…
Let me say right off the top…I hate ‘greatest’ lists – especially those offered by writers barely out of school. Kids ranking basketball greats who have never seen the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson or Jerry West play should be automatically disqualified from a greatest ‘ever’ NBA list. Recently, I was reading a list by a young writer who is published in a reputable sports website. I won’t embarrass or promote him…
A warning to the younger people who read this blog…when you reach a certain age, some things in life become intolerable, which includes watching insufferable sports professionals. Also, get ready for some old-man ‘back in my day’ comments. However, my life is all I have to compare happenings over the years – and trust me, there have been plenty of years to analyze. I promise, you’ll be there one day, too, if you’re not already.…
Make no mistake, baseball is America’s pastime. As the Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum often says, “Baseball is sewn into the fabric of America.” The word pastime has multiple meanings. To me, it’s a manner in which to pass time. Unlike the fast-paced Millennial and Gen-Z generations, former generations lived a slower, more in-the-moment lifestyle – and viewed baseball as a means of gathering with family and friends to enjoy watching the ‘boys of…
by Gil Vieira VSportsTalk As promoted in the tagline of the podcast, A Mick A Mook and A Mic, sports will be one of the frequent topics of discussion. Therefore, I thought it would be apropos to provide the website with my blog, vSportsTalk, to share sports insight and opinions – and to get the podcast’s fans blood boiling. With my old friend, the ‘Mook’, being a New York sports fan, and I residing…