Sentimental Dan emerges Sunday. This is one of Dan's "There are more important things in the world than professional sports" columns but fortunately for us, he is more subtle than usual and resists the temptation to preach.
Shaughnessy juxtaposes this weekend's reunion of the 67 Red Sox with Friday's night's National Anthem performer, Jordan Leandre, a 7=year old Jimmy Fund patient...Jordan has sung the anthem a few times in the past--but this time was different because Jordan followed his singing by running the bases--something he had never been able to do because he was so weakened by cancer. I do like Shaughnessy's description of Jordan's trip around the bases esp. as Jordan crosses the plate.
Overall, a nice column but one annoying Shaughnessy trait crops up yet again--I will call it the "exaggeration of the current". This is where he makes over the top statements about the particular person or event he is discussing. One recent example is when in the aftermath of the Garnett trade, he said there was never a better time to be a fan of New Rngland's sport teams. He has a couple in today's column...for example, he calls the 67 Sox the most important in team history. I understand his point but it us very much a debatable one.
On a side issue, Ive recently moved and my new job impairs my ability to do the weekend (Fri-Sun) shift here. Anyone interested in taking on my role?
I must out, being objective as I am, that Mr. Shaughnessy has made a factual error.
ReplyDeleteIN 1967, it was not Ernie Boch saying "come on down" in television commercials. That was the tag line to National Airlines spots touting travel to Florida, later stolen for "The Price is Right"
For years, Ernie would promise us special low-price stickers that were lower than the manufacturer's sticker price: "if a salesman shows you a new Boch Dodge or Rambler without a Boch mini-sticker in the window, ask for the keys, it's your car. My name is Ernie Boch." "Come on down" came years later
The National 'come on down' spots were used in the New York and Boston markets rather than nationally
I remember this well! But it was his heavy MA pronunciation that made it so much fun to imitate. "It's yah cah!"
ReplyDelete