In Memoriam 2014 (Dedicated to Virginia "(Aunt) Jinny" Dasse (1927-2014) and (Uncle) James Ploof Sr. (1931-2014))

It has been a tough year for a lot of people, especially for me and my family.  As you can see from the title, I have decided to post this year's in the memory of my great aunt Jinny and great uncle Jim, who passed away this year.  They are always in my hearts and I am truly thankful for getting the chance to share some special moments with them and their families over the years.  I'll never forget you both.

With that being said, here are some famous people who have passed on in 2014 (information from CNN):

January 3---Phil Everly (74), one-half of the legendary 1950s pop rock duo The Everly Brothers.  The duo had many famous hits, including "All I Have To Do Is Dream."

January 3---Alicia Rhett (98), former actress best known for her role in the film "Gone with the Wind."  Upon her death, Rhett was one of the oldest living cast members.

January 3---Saul Zaentez (92), music producer who became a filmmaker for such movies as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus."

January 5---Eusebiso (71), former soccer star from Portugal who was the top scorer in the 1966 world cup.

January 7---Sir Run Run Shaw (106), media tycoon who brought Chinese martial arts films to an international audience.

January 9---Amiri Baraka (79), former poet laureate for the state of New Jersey.  Baraka lost his post because of a controversial poem he wrote about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

January 10---Larry Speakers (74), former press secretary who served for President Ronald Reagan.

January 10---Franklin McCain (72), a member of the "Greensboro Four." The four men, all African-American, held a sit-in at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina back in 1960.

January 11---Ariel Sharon (85), former prime minister of Israel who led the country for five years before suffering a massive stroke in 2006.  Sharon had been in a coma since suffering that stroke before he died.

January 16---Russell Johnson (89), legendary actor best known as "The Professor" Roy Hinkley in the television series "Gilligan's Island."

January 16---Hiroo Onoda (91), former intelligence officer in the Japanese army during World War II.  Onoda was in the Philippines for nearly 30 years, refusing to surrender the War to the allied forces.

January 16---Ruth Robinson Duccini (97), former actor who played one of the Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz."  With her passing, Jerry Maren (93) is the only living person left who portrayed one of the Munchkins in the film.

January 27---Pete Seeger (94), legendary singer and songwriter who wrote the hits "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I Had A Hammer."

January 30---Arthur Rankin, Jr. (89), legendary producer with Jules Bass of holiday TV specials such as "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

February 1---Maximilian Schell (83), former Oscar-winning actor who won for his role in the 1962 film "Judgment at Nuremberg."

February 2---Phillip Seymour Hoffman (46), Oscar-winning actor who won for his role as Truman Capote in the biopic "Capote."

February 6---Ralph Kiner (91), Hall of Fame MLB player who later became a broadcaster with the New York Mets.

February 10---Shirley Temple Black (85), legendary child actress during the 1930s.

February 12---Sid Caesar (91), legendary comedian who helped define the "Golden Age of Television" during the 1950s.

February 13---Ralph Waite (85), legendary actor who played John Walton Sr. on the television series "The Waltons."  Waite had been working on recurring roles through last year in shows, including "NCIS," where he played Jackson Gibbs, the father of main character Jethro (played by Mark Harmon).

February 14---Jim Fregosi (71), former MLB player and manager for many teams, including the Angels, where he both played and managed.

February 15---John Henson (48), son of "The Muppets" creator Jim Henson.

February 17---Bob Casale (61), guitarist for the musical group "Devo."

February 18---Maria von Trapp (99), the last living member of the von Trapp singers made famous on the screen in "The Sound of Music."

February 24---Harold Ramis (69), legendary writer, director and actor who starred in "Ghostbuters" and "Ghostbusters 2."  Ramis' writing career included "Animal House" and "Caddyshack," which he also directed.

March 6---Shelia MacRae (92), actress who portrayed Alice Kramden in the revived version of "The Honeymooners" in the 1960s.

March 15---David Brenner (78), comedian who was a staple on "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson."

March 17---L'Wren Scott (49), fashion designer and girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger.

March 21---James Rebhorn (65), character actor who had roles in many different films and television shows.  Rebhorn may be most notable as the District Attorney in the series finale of "Seinfeld."

March 23---Dave Brockie (50), lead singer for the heavy-metal group Gwar who performed under the persona Oderus Urungus.

March 25---Ralph Wilson, Jr. (95), longtime owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.  Wilson was the last living owner of the original AFL teams (circa 1960).

March 25---Lynda Petty (72), known as the Matriarch of the Petty family (wife of legendary NASCAR driver Richard, mother of former NASCAR driver Kyle).

March 30---Kate O'Mara (74), actress best known for her role as the sister of Joan Collins' character in "Dynasty."

April 6---Mickey Rooney (93), legendary TV and movie star.

April 8---James Hellwig (54), better known to all as "Warrior" or Ultimate Warrior, was a legendary professional wrestler and former WWE champion.  Warrior was recently inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame before his passing.

April 17---Gabriel Garcia Marquez (87), Nobel-Prize winning author who wrote the novels "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera."

April 19---Kevin Sharp (43), former country singer best known for his hit song "Nobody Knows."

April 20---Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (76), former boxer best known for being wrongfully convicted of murder in the 1960s,

April 25---Tito Vilanova (45), former coach of the Spanish soccer club Barcelona.

April 25---Earl Morrall (79), legendary NFL Quarterback who won 2 Super Bowl championships in his 21 year career.  The first championship was with the Baltimore Colts at Super Bowl V, where he would come in for an injured Johnny Unitas...the second one was as part of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins where he started for an injured Bob Greise from Week 5 to the AFC Title game.

April 26---Lee Marshall (64), the man behind the voice of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger since 1999.  Before that, he was best known for his role as interviewer for World Championship Wrestling.

April 28---Dr. Jack Ramsay (89), legendary NBA Coach who went on to become a TV and radio analyst for ESPN.  Ramsay is best known as a coach for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title and his name is retired at the Moda Center (formally Rose Garden) with the number 77 to commemorate the championship run.

April 29---Bob Hoskins (71), legendary actor who received an Oscar-nomination for his role in the film "Mona Lisa."  But Hoskins may be best known for his role as Eddie Valiant in the 1988 live action/animated film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

May 13---Malik Bendjelloul (36), Oscar winning director of the documentary film "Searching for Sugar Man."

May 19---Jack Brabham (88), legendary race-car driver who won the Formula One championship three times during his career.

May 28---Maya Angelou (86), world-renowned poet, novelist and actress whose work spanned several generations.

June 1---Ann B. Davis (88), former actress best known for her role as Alice on the TV series "The Brady Bunch."

June 5---Chester Nez (93), last of the original Navajo code-talkers from World War II.  The group was known for creating unbreakable codes that were used during WWII.

June 9---Bob Welch (57), former baseball player who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.  Welch won World Series titles with both clubs, but it was with the A's in 1990 where he won the AL Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the league.

June 12---Ruby Dee (92), legendary actress who had many different roles in film, TV and theater.

June 13---Chuck Noll (82), legendary NFL head coach who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to 4 Super Bowl titles in 6 years.

June 15---Casey Kasem (82), legendary radio personality best known for his role as host of "American Top 40" from 1970-2004.  Kasem may also be remembered for his voice-over work on TV, especially as the voice of Shaggy on the original "Scooby Doo" series.

June 16---Tony Gwynn (54), Hall of Fame MLB Player who spent all 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres.  In 1994, Gwynn was close to becoming the first player to have a .400 batting average since Ted Williams before the strike shortened the season.

June 24---Eli Wallach (98), Character actor who was in the film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

June 27---Bobby Womack (70), Legendary soul singer.

June 28---Meshach Taylor (67), actor who starred in the TV series "Designing Women."

July 1---Paul Mazursky (84), Oscar-nominated writer and director of the film "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice."

July 2---Louis Zamperini (97), World War II hero who was the subject for the book "Unbroken."  The book was being adapted into a movie at the time of his death.

July 5---Rosemary Murphy (89), actress who played the neighbor of Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

July 8---Richard Percy Jones (87), the man who gave Pinocchio his voice in the 1940 Walt Disney film.

July 9---Eileen Ford (92), founder of the Ford Model Agency.

July 11---Tommy Ramone (65), last living member of the legendary punk band The Ramones.

July 19---James Garner (86), legendary actor best known for his roles in the TV series "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files."  Garner may be best known recently as the grandfather in "8 Simple Rules" who joined the cast after the death of John Ritter.

July 19---Skye McCole Bartusiak (21), former actress who played the youngest daughter of Mel Gibson's character in "The Patriot."

July 28---Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk (93), last living crewman from the US plane that dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.

August 4---James Brady (73), former White House press secretary who was shot during the assassination attempt at President Ronald Reagan.

August 11---Robin Williams (63), legendary comedic actor whose work included hit films such as "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Dead Poet's Society" and "Good Will Hunting."  He was also the voice of the genie in the Disney hit movie "Aladdin" and recently was on the CBS show "The Crazy Ones" (the show was cancelled after its inaugural season).

August 12---Lauren Bacall (89), legendary actress who starred in films with her then-husband Humphrey Bogart, including the classic film "Key Largo."

August 19---Don Pardo (96), legendary announcer who was better known for his decade-long career with NBC's late night show "Saturday Night Live."

August 24---Richard Attenborough (90), acclaimed actor-director who may be best known on-screen for his roles in "Jurassic Park" and a remake of "Miracle on 34th Street."  He is also known for working on the 1982 film "Gandhi."

September 2---Jimi Johnson (63), lead singer for the legendary band Survivor.

September 4---Joan Rivers (81), legendary comedian who later hosted her own talk show in the 1980s.  Rivers was recently part of certain programs on the "E!" network.

September 10---Richard Kiel (74), actor best known as Jaws in certain James Bond movies.  Kiel is also known for his role as the former boss to the main character in the film "Happy Gilmore."

September 17---George Hamilton IV (77), country music singer best known for the hit song "Abilene"

September 20---Polly Bergen (84), actress whose career lasted more than six decades.

October 4---Paul Revere (76), the leader of the rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders.

October 4---Jean-Claude Duvalier (63), the self-proclaimed "President" of Haiti until an uprising of his regime led to a 25-year exile.

October 6---Geoffrey Holder (84), former actor, dancer and pitchman for 7UP.

October 9---Jan Hooks (57), actress and comedian who was a former cast member of "Saturday Night Live."

October 13---Elizabeth Norment (61), actress whose recent work was on the Netflix series "House of Cards."

October 14---Elizabeth Pena (55), actress whose recent work was in the TV series "Modern Family."

October 16---Misty Upham (32), actress who was in the movie "August:  Osage County."

October 20---Oscar de la Renta (82), legendary fashion designer.

October 21---Ben Bradlee (93), former editor of the Washington Post during the time of both the Pentagon Papers and Watergate.

October 24---Marcia Strassman (66), actress most notably remembered as Julie Kotter in the TV Series "Welcome Back, Kotter."

October 25---Oscar Tavares (22), baseball prospect of the St. Louis Cardinals who played for the team in 2014, was killed in a car crash in his home country of the Dominican Republic.

October 30---Thomas Menino (71), former mayor of the city of Boston, Massachusetts from 1993-January, 2014.

November 3---Tom Magliozzi (77), former radio host of NPR's "Car Talk" with his brother, Ray.

November 11---Henry Jackson (57), rapper who went by the name "Big Bank Hank" as a member of the Sugarhill Gang.  The group brought hip hop to mainstream audiences with their hit song "Rapper's Delight."

November 11---Carol Ann Susi (62), actress who may be best known for giving the voice to Mrs Wolowitz in the hit TV series "The Big Bang Theory."

November 14---Glen A. Larson (77), longtime producer of such TV series as "Knight Rider" and "Battlestar Gallactica."

November 19---Jimmy Ruffin (78), singer who had a major hit with the song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."

November 19---Mike Nichols (83), legendary director of such films as "The Graduate" and "The Birdcage."

November 23---Marion Barry (78), former mayor of Washington D.C. who was revered nationally as a symbol of African-American political leadership.  But personal scandals (some drug-related) often overshadowed his accomplishments.

November 23---Pat Quinn (71), former NHL player and coach who won the Jack Adams award (coach of the year) twice in his career.

November 23---Viktor Tikhonov (84), the head coach of the Soviet Union hockey team in 1980 when the team lost to the United States in the "Miracle on Ice."  Tikhonov would coach Soviet teams to the Gold Medal in 1984, 1988, and a post-Soviet unified team in 1992.

November 26---Sabah (87), legendary Arabic singer and actress from Lebanon.

November 28---Roberto Gomez Bolanos (85), legendary Mexican comedian best known to the world as "Chespirito."

December 2---Bobby Keys (70), longtime saxophonist for the Rolling Stones.  Keys played the saxophone in many songs for the Stones, including "Brown Sugar."

December 2---Jean Beliveau (83), former NHL player who played most of his career for the Montreal Canadiens.  Beliveau is best known as the first ever Conn Smythe trophy winner (Stanley Cup playoff MVP) in 1965.

December 3---Ian McLagan (69), keyboardist who recorded with the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springstein.  McLagan was also the keyboardist for his own band the Small Faces and its successor the Faces.

December 6---Ralph Baer (92), the inventor of the first home video game console.

December 7---Ken Weatherwax (59), former child actor who played Pugsley on the TV Series "The Addams Family."

December 9---Mary Ann Mobley (77), 1959 Miss America from the state of Mississippi who later became a movie actress.

December 12---Norman Bridwell (86), creator of the hit children's book "Clifford:  The Big Red Dog."

December 13---Sy Berger (91), known as the father of modern day baseball cards.  Berger was involved in the Topps company, where he helped make and produce the cards from 1952-2002.

December 17---Richard Hottelet (97), former CBS news radio correspondent who covered the Battle of the Bulge and D-Day in Normandy during his tenure.  Hottelet was the last surviving member of the "Murrow Boys," named after legendary reporter Edward R. Murrow, that was at the front of CBS' coverage of World War II.

December 22---Joe Cocker (70), legendary singer whose first big hit was his version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends."  Cocker would also have hits with "You Are So Beautiful" and the duet "Up Where We Belong."

December 22---Christine Cavanaugh (51), voice actress to characters such as "Babe," Dexter from "Dexter's Labratory" and Chuckie from "Rugrats."

December 30---Luise Rainer (104), actress who won Oscars in the 1930s for her roles in "The Great Ziegfeld" and "The Good Earth."

December 31---Edward Herrmann (71), actor whose credits include roles as Richard Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls," a law professor on "The Practice" and as Franklin D. Roosevelt in TV Movies about the President and his family.

And one final personal In Memoriam for 2014...a special one of sort since it relates to my Lyndon State family.  During my time at Lyndon, I considered the people who I was with to be my brothers and sisters, most notably those who I was with at the college TV station, News 7.  I spent a good amount of time with them over my 5 years in college (both in the newsroom and outside of classes) and I am proud to call them my friends.

So it came as a surprise and shock to me earlier in the month of December to find out that one of my friends, Ed Horan, had passed away unexpectedly.  It may have been over 3 weeks since his passing, but I still cannot find the words to describe what hole he has left for all of us.  What I can say is this:  I hope that I can be as better a person as he was here on this earth...so I can see him again someday.  RIP.

First WWE Post...ever (a look back to 1999)

For those of you who don't know, I am a big fan of Pro Wrestling, currently known as "Sports-Entertainment".  I do follow Total Nonstop Action (TNA) on certain occasions, but for this first Wrestling post, I am going to discuss the brand known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).  It was the Wrestling brand that got me hooked nearly 15 years ago and I still watch it to this day.

Speaking of 15 years ago, the year 1999 was a special year for the then-WWF.  On the first edition of Monday Night Raw in the new year (Jan. 4), a legendary wrestler by the name of Mankind (real name:  Mick Foley) became the WWF champion by defating The Rock (real name:  Dwayne Johnson; I think some of you may know him now).  Now during this time, WWF was going head-to-head with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) on Monday Nights with their show Nitro.  On certain occasions, WCW would actually leak what happened on Raw because the show was taped during the previous week.  On this occasion, they did exactly that and got caught in the "Triple Whammy," leading to a serious setback that would lead to its fall in 2001.  That triple whammy for WCW went like this.

Whammy 1:  Change the main event of their program---Kevin Nash was ready to defend his WCW title against Bill Goldberg (both names are real) in Atlanta (Goldberg's hometown).  Unfortunately, Goldberg was questioned for a crime that wasn't actually committed, but the situation made him unable to compete in the title match.  Hulk Hogan took Goldberg's spot in the Main Event of the night and face Nash later for the WCW title.  I'll get back to that in a moment.

Whammy 2:  Give away the outcome of Raw's Main event---WCW leader Eric Bischoff informed his announcer to give away the fact that Mick Foley was going to win the WWF title that night.  The Announcer, Tony Schiavone, decided to go ahead and give it out, ending with a line similar to that fact that no one is going to want to watch that happen.  Was he wrong, as more than half a million people switched over to Raw to see the title change take place.  This helped Raw win the rating for the night against Nitro.

Whammy 3:  "The Finger Poke of Death"---This goes back to Nitro's Main Event, which became Hogan vs. Nash.  As soon as the match got underway, Hogan poked Nash in the chest and Nash went down.  Hogan got the three count and became the WCW champion.  Fans realized after that had taken place that Hogan and Nash (who were in different factions of the NWO at the time) were in on a coup that led to Goldberg being taken out of the WCW championship equation and opened the door for Hogan and Nash to pull off the trick.  Unfortunately, it really didn't help much and turned fans off of WCW Nitro and on to WWF Raw.  In March of 2001, WCW ceased operations and closed its door forever.

1999 was a great year for the then-WWF as Raw was dominating the Monday Night War with WCW, but a tragedy took place in May of 1999 that nobody saw coming:  The death of WWF star Owen Hart.  Hart had returned to his Blue Blazer character that he was in his early days with WWF and was ready to be brought down to the ring from the rafters when an incident involving the device he was in led to him falling to the ring from 40-50 feet away and killed him.  This tragedy would lead to one of the most amazing moments in Raw history as the next night was all about remembering Hart.  The matches from the show aren't as important as the interviews done by the stars of WWF at the time about Owen's life and memory.  It was an emotional evening and I recommend all of you (even those who aren't Wrestling fans) to watch this (note:  it goes an hour and a half, but again, you don't have to watch the matches, just the interviews).
1999 also brought the debut of a television show on broadcast TV for the WWF:  Smackdown debuted in April with a pilot episode, and aired its first episode in August.  Smackdown at the time wasn't even a word in the dictionary, but became a word  thanks to the show (and a certain wrestler using the phrase).  It was also when I got into the WWE.  It was in the middle of the "Attitude Era," when the wrestling was enjoyable, no matter what type of match it was (regulary or specialty matches like Hardcore and Tables matches, among others).  I've been hooked on WWE programming ever since and it still gets me hooked on every single time I watch it.  If you want to know why, I'll write about what happened over this past week at some point this weekend.

One last thought on WWF in 1999 before I go:  There were a lot more great moments that took place during that year, but these are the main moments that I thought I'd talk about.  If you would like to know more about this, message me either here, on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed @theploofer and I'll be happy to answer.  Thanks for reading and I'll get back to you soon.

What I'm Thankful For

Hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving today.  I haven't done this yet, but I thought now would be a good time to say what I am thankful for.

1:  Family---I was able to spend time with my brother and his family today.  I had a lot of fun playing with my niece, Alexandra (that's what she wants to be called, even though I've called her Lexi for the longest time) and having a good meal on the day (I'm not a turkey guy and I don't eat much of the food served on Thanksgiving; maybe some potatoes and rolls).  I am thankful to have a great family who I love very dearly and have been able to see throughout this year.  Finally, I am extremely thankful for my sister-in-laws, Julia and Rachel, and their families, for knowing them and getting to hang out with them as much as I have this year.  Whether it was in Vermont or down in Oregon, I am grateful to know you all and really enjoy spending time with you this year. <3

2:  Friends---Throughout this year, I was able to start a vow...no matter how I did it (in person, on social media, etc.), I wanted to get back in touch with as many friends as I possibly can because, with my condition, I was feeling like people were growing apart from me and I was worried that if I didn't start this, I would lose more friends and be out of the picture with those who I cared about for the longest time.  I still have many more to get to and I know I'll get to you all soon, but know that, whether we knew each other from my time in Grand Isle (my hometown), Essex (where I went to high school) or Lyndonville (where I went to college), know that I am extremely grateful to know you and hope I can hear from you all again someday.  That is why I end most of my messages to you with the saying "Keep in touch;" because we don't know when we will have to say "Goodbye."  <3

There are more things that I am thankful for, like Television, the Internet and a volunteer job, but these are the main things I am really thankful for.

Oregon Trip, Red Sox Update, Sports Media news and a show I cannot stop watching (Warning: Spoiler ahead).

What an exhausting but amazing last couple of weeks for me.  It all started 2 weeks ago this Thursday (August 15) when I got on a plane to Portland, Oregon and spent the next 8 days there with my parents, my brother, Nate and my sister-in-law, Julia.  I had a great time, going to Nate's work, meeting Julia's family and friends at the party on August 17th (and her family's friends).  I spent the first four nights at a hotel near downtown Portland, then spent the next night at Nate and Julia's place.

Tuesday was my parents' 30th wedding anniversary and my brother decided to send us to a hotel in Hood River, about an hour away from Portland.  Spent a fun day and night in the area; then went to a golf course in the area to watch my dad and Nate play 18 holes of golf.  Went back to Nate and Julia's on Wednesday afternoon and spent the last two nights there.  I had a lot of fun last week and I wouldn't mind going back there again (if I can get over the 3 hour time difference).

Either tomorrow or some time next week, I will be going through my take on all 32 NFL teams and how they will fare this season.  I will not be doing a college football preview this time around (just updates and reaction when needed).  As far as the Red Sox are concerned, they are getting better by the week, but we'll have to see if this holds against the Rays or the Orioles...or even....The Yankees (they're coming, folks.  Don't be surprised if they make a run in September).

In the sports media world, Fox Sports 1 has begun and...I haven't seen much of it.  I have tried to watch Fox Sports Live with the Canadian duo anchoring, but the panel discussion makes me want to do a quick change.  When you have a former tennis star talking baseball, you know something's not right.  I don't mind the anchors, it's just the crew.

As for NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), they are having some success with the Premier League games.  Already, after two weeks, the network has had two "upsets" (Cardiff over Manchester City on Sunday and Aston Villa over Arsenal on August 17) and one of the biggest games of the early part of the season in Manchester United and Chelsea.  That game saw Wayne Rooney start for the "Red Devils" against the "Blues," who are actually trying to make a transfer deal with Man U to get Rooney.  The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but it was a great game and drew some big ratings for NBCSN (over a half-million people watching soccer is actually big).  Whether this trend continues will depend on how well the rest of the season goes for the BPL.

Finally, I thought I'd let people know that I am not really into watching anything other than sporting events on the air, but there are two shows that I have gotten into this season.  One is "Whose Line is it Anyway" on the CW (which some of you know already).  The other series is HBO's "The Newsroom," about a fictitious cable news company and the day-to-day life of the people involved in cable news.  Jeff Daniels plays the main character, Will McAvoy, who is the anchor of the network's main news show.  This season has been all about "Operation Genoa," a story that was brought to attention by a former army general and kept going by a producer from the network's D.C. bureau who was brought into the main bureau in New York when the producer of the newscast goes to New Hampsire to cover the Romney campaign (you can see how hooked I am on the show from this).

Spoiler Alert Below 

Well, last Sunday was the most recent and biggest episode of the season in which the story was given the green light and showed on the air as a special report.  Little did they know, Mr. D.C. producer edited an interview with a 3-star general in a way to make it sound like the general's saying that chemical weapons were used in the operation (Note:  Make sure the TV is off when doing an interview and that it's not on a sporting event with a shot clock showing).  Everything goes downhill after that:  the story had to be retracted a few nights later, the producer gets fired and sues the company for wrongful termination (why the lawyers have been at the network the whole time).

Spoiler Alert Ends

If you have not seen the show yet, give it a chance, especially those who are trying to get into the world of television.*^ It will give you a whole new meaning of the newsroom experience.

*  Disclaimer:  I know that the show is about a fictional news network and that there is more to news reporting that isn't shown on the show, while some of what is shown don't actually take place in real newsrooms (May need assistance with this).
^Note:  The show is rated TV-MA.  It is intended for mature audiences for Adult content and language.

In Memoriam 2013

It was a long 2013 as we said goodbye to some very famous individuals.  Here is the list of those who have passed during last year (via CNN and ranker.com):

January 1---Patti Page (85), legendary pop-country singer, originally born Clara Ann Fowler, became the best-selling female artist of the 1950s with songs that included "Tennessee Waltz."

January 2---Ned Wertimer (89), best known as the doorman Ralph Hart on the television series "The Jefferson."

January 14---Conrad Bain (89), legendary actor whose biggest role was as Philip Drummond in the hit series "Diff'rent Strokes."

January 16---Pauline Phillips (94), the original Dear Abby advice columnist, died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

January 19---Earl Weaver (82), hall of fame manager with the Baltimore Orioles, leading them to four pennants and a World Series title, died of an apparent heart attack.

January 19---Stan Musial (92), Hall of Fame baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals.

January 30---Patty Andrews (94), last surviving member of the pop group The Andrews Sisters.

February 1---Ed Koch (88), former Mayor of New York City, died of congestive heart failure.

February 17---Mindy McCready (37), country singer who landed 14 songs on the Billboard country charts, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

February 18---Jerry Buss (80), Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979.  The Lakers won 10 NBA titles during Buss' ownership.

February 25---C. Everett Koop (96), former surgeon general under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

February 27---Van Cliburn (78), legendary pianist who won a major Moscow competition in 1958, died after a battle with bone cancer.

March 1---Bonnie Franklin (69), star of the television show "One Day at a Time," died of complication from pancreatic cancer.

March 5---Hugo Chavez (58), president of Venezuela who cast himself as a "21st century socialist."

March 6---William Moody (58), legendary professional wrestling manager known as Paul Bearer.  During his stints in WWE, he would manage the likes of Kane, Mankind and the Undertaker.

March 23---Joe Weider (93), legendary publisher, promoter and weightlifter who created the Mr. Olympia contest and brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to the US.

March 26---Don Payne (48), Writer/Producer who was one of the creative minds behind "The Simpsons," died after a battle with bone cancer.

March 29---Richard Griffiths (65), actor who is best known for his role as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter film series.

March 30---Phil Ramone (72), Music producer and innovater.

April 1---Shain Gandee (21), star of the MTV reality show "Buckwild," was found dead in West Virginia from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

April 2---Jane Nebel Henson (78), wife of late Muppets creator Jim Henson, died after a long battle with cancer.

April 4---Roger Ebert (70), legendary film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, died 2 days after taking a leave of absence for cancer treatment.

April 8---Margaret Thatcher (87), the only woman to become the prime minister of Great Britain.

April 8---Annette Funicello (70), one of the original Mouseketeers on the "Mickey Mouse Club."

April 10---Sir Robert Edwards (87), a "co-pioneer" of the in vitro fertilization technique and Nobel Prize winner, died in his sleep after a long illness.

April 11---Jonathan Winters (87), legendary comedian and actor.

April 16---Pat Summerall (82), former NFL football player turned legendary play-by-play announcer.  He was best known for teaming up with former NFL coach John Madden.

April 21---Chrissy Amphlett (53), lead singer of the musical group the Divinyls.  The band scored an international hit with the song "I Touch Myself" in the early 1990s.  Amphlett died from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.

April 22---Richie Havens (72), folk singer who became the opening act at the 1969 Woodstock musical festival, died of a heart attack.

April 23---Allan Arbus (95), actor who played psychiatrist Maj. Sidney Freedman in the M*A*S*H television series.

April 26---George Jones (81), legendary country music superstar whose graceful voice gave us some of the greatest songs in country music, including "The Grand Tour" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

April 28---Jack Shea (84), director for popular television series such as The Jeffersons and Sanford and Sons.

May 1---Chris Kelly (34), one-half of the rap group Kris Kross who had a major hit with the song "Jump."

May 2---Jeff Hanneman (49), founding member of the heavy metal band Slayer, died of liver failure.

May 7---Ray Harryhausen (92), legendary animation and special effects director.

May 8---Jeanne Cooper (84), legendary soap opera actress who starred as Katherine Chancellor in the show "The Young and the Restless."

May 13---Dr. Joyce Brothers (85), popular psychologist and television personality.

May 16---Dick Trickle (71), former NASCAR star, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

May 17---Ken Venturi (82), former US Open golf champions and longtime analyst for CBS Sports' golf coverage, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame 11 days prior to his death.

May 20---Ray Manzarek (74), founding member and keyboardist for the legendary musical group The Doors.

May 26---Ed Shaughnessy (84), longtime drummer on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show."

June 1---Jean Stapleton (90), actress best known as Edith Bunker in the television series "All In the Family."

June 3---Frank Lautenberg (89), longtime Democratic Senator for the state of New Jersey, died from viral pneumonia.  Lautenberg was last surviving veteran of World War II in the Senate.

June 3---David "Deacon" Jones (74), NFL Defensive End who was a part of the fearsome foursome with the Los Angeles (now St. Louis) Rams.  Jones was credited with coining the term "Sack" during his playing career.

June 6---Esther Williams (91), former swimming champion who transformed into an actress in the 1940s and 1950s.

June 18---Michael Hastings (33), Rolling Stone journalist whose story on Gen. Stanley McChrystal led to the dismissal of McChrystal, was killed in a automobile accident.

June 19---James Gandolfini (51), actor whose biggest role was portraying Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos."

June 23---Bobby "Blue" Bland (83), Singer who helped create the modern soul-blues sound.

June 23---Richard Matheson (87), Science fiction author who is best known for his book "I Am Legend."

June 28---Matt Osbourne (55), former professional wrestler who was on the card in the World Wrestling Federation's inaugural Wrestlemania and would later appear in WWF as the original Doink the Clown.

June 29---Jim Kelly (67), martial artist who was in the 1973 movie "Enter the Dragon" which also starred Bruce Lee.

July 2---Douglas Englebart (88), inventor of the computer mouse.

July 13---Cory Monteith (31), actor who was in the Fox hit series "Glee."

July 20---Helen Thomas (92), legendary journalist who was a white house correspondent during 10 different presidencies.

July 22---Dennis Farina (69), actor who starred in many different films and TV series, most notably as Jerry Orbach's replacement in the hit series "Law and Order."

July 23---Emile Griffith (75), former five-time world boxing champions (3 titles in welterweight division and 2 titles in middleweight division).

July 26---J.J. Cale (74), Singer/Songwriter who wrote the song "After Midnight" for Eric Clapton.

July 28---Eileen Brennan (80), actress who received an Oscar nomination for her role in the movie "Private Benjamin."

July 30---Ossie Schectman (94), former NBA player with the New York Knicks who scored the league's first basket in 1946.

July 31---Michael Ansara (91), character actor who starred as a Klingon leader in multiple "Star Trek" series.

August 3---John Palmer (77), former reporter for NBC News who anchored the initial coverage of the Challenger disaster for the network.

August 4---Art Donovan (89), Hall of Fame defensive tackle in the NFL who spent most of his career with the Baltimore Colts and won 2 NFL championships with the team.

August 7---George Duke (67), legendary jazz keyboardist who had the ability to bridge together jazz, rock, funk and R&B.

August 8---Karen Black (74), actress who was nominated for an Oscar in 1970 for the film "Five Easy Pieces."

August 10---Eydie Gorme (84), singer best known for the 1963 song "Blame It on the Bossa Nova."

August 14---Lisa Robin Kelly (43), actress who starred in the hit TV series "That 70's Show"

August 19---Lee Thompson Young (29), actor who starred in the TNT series "Rizzoli and Isles."

August 20---Elmore Leonard (87), crime novelist and screenwriter.

August 21---Sid Bernstein (95), promoter and agent who brought The Beatles to Carnegie Hall, helping to start the "British Invasion."

August 23---Gilbert Taylor (99), British cinematographer who was behind the visual styles for films such as "Star Wars" and "Dr. Strangelove."

August 26---Bruce Dunning (73), former CBS News Correspondent.

August 31---David Frost (76), legendary British broadcaster who became famous in the United States for his interviews with former US President Richard Nixon in 1977.

September 1---Tommy Morrison (44), former heavyweight boxing champions who starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the film "Rocky V."

September 8---Cal Worthington (92), car dealer known in certain parts of the US for his commercials that urged buyers to "Go See Cal."

September 12---Ray Dolby (80), Inventor who changed the way we listen to devices in our homes.

September 18---Ken Norton, Sr. (70), legendary boxer who shocked the world forty years ago by defeating Muhammad Ali.

September 19---Hiroshi Yamauchi (85), owner of the video game company Nintendo.

October 2---Tom Clancy (66), legendary author of such books as "The Hunt for Red October" and "Patriot Games."

October 2---Bill Eppridge (??), former photojournalist who photographed Robert F. Kennedy after he was shot.

October 10---Scott Carpenter (88), former Astronaut who became the second American to ever orbit the Earth.

October 17---Lou Scheimer (84), legendary figure in Saturday Morning television cartoons whose company Filmation produced hit shows like "He-Man," "Superman," and "Fat Albert."

October 18---Tom Foley (84), former US House Speaker.

October 18---Bill Young (82), longtime US Representative for the state of Florida.

October 18---Bum Phillips (90), former NFL Head Coach who led the Houston Oilers to the AFC Title game on two separate occasions.

October 21---Bud Adams (90), longtime owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans (originally the Houston Oilers) who was one of the co-founder of the American Football League  With his passing, only one original AFL owner is still alive (Ralph Wilson, Jr. with the Buffalo Bills).

October 25---Bill Sharmin (95), legendary NBA figure who won 4 NBA titles as a player for the Boston Celtics before winning six as a coach and front-office personnel as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

October 25---Marcia Wallace (70), longtime actress who starred in "The Bob Newhart Show" and voiced Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons."

October 27---Lou Reed (71), former songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist.

November 5---Charlie Trotter (54), native chef from Chicago whose restaurant received multiple culinary honors.

November 17---Doris Leesing (94), Nobel Prize-winning author famous for her book "The Golden Notebook," considered by critics as one of the most important feminist novels ever written.

November 19---Diane Disney Miller (79), the eldest daughter of legendary filmmaker Walt Disney.

November 20---Sylvia Browne (77), renowned psychic who was a regular on TV and radio talk shows.

November 30---Paul Crouch (79), co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

November 30---Paul Walker (40), actor who starred in many films, including the six installments of the "Fast and Furious" series.

December 5---Nelson Mandela (95), former president and a legend to the people of South Africa.

December 9---Eleanor Parker (95), actress who was best known for her role in "The Sound of Music."

December 14---Peter O'Toole (81), legendary actor who was best known for playing the title role in "Lawrence of Arabia."

December 15---Joan Fontaine (96), originally born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, was an Oscar-winning actress who beat out her sister, Olivia, for the award in 1942.  Fontaine won the award for her role in the Hitchcock film "Suspicion."

December 16---Ray Price (87), legendary country music singer whose major hits include "Crazy Arms" and "For the Good Times."

December 31---James Avery (65), actor who is most famous for playing Phillip Banks on the television series "Fresh Prince of Bel Air."  Avery was originally known for his voice-over work on several animated TV series, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," where he voiced Shredder.

Update on...Me.

I would like to update you all on what I have been doing lately.  The first thing I'd like you all to know is that I have been getting some help in my quest to get a job in the Television or Radio department.  Since last December, I have been working with a counselor from the Vocational Rehabilitation program in Burlington.  I will not go into any more major details about it except for the fact that it has been a major help for me as I look to get into the media business (TV, Radio, etc.)  I have another meeting coming up in a couple of weeks, so I hope to update you again real soon.

Last weekend was graduation weekend for some schools.  To those who graduated from college last weekend, especially to those at my Alma Mater Lyndon State College, congratulations and continue success no matter where the road takes you.  A year ago, I was able to graduate from Lyndon and it was the biggest moment I have had; being able to celebrate it with my friends and family.  I hope you all enjoyed that moment and never forget the memories of your years in school.

As a sports fan, I have been following the NHL playoffs and, just like most of my New England friends, been keeping a close eye on the Bruins' success into the Eastern Conference Finals.  Now, the Bruins get ready for a major clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins (I believe I am friends with some Pens fans out there).  I cannot see this series going quick; it will be a long and very physical matchup between these two storied rivals.  My heart says Bruins in seven, but my unbiased part of me says it could go either way (which means I go with my heart).

I am a huge fan of any sport, which includes Soccer.  So when the UEFA Champions League final took place this afternoon, I watched the whole game.  It was between Dortmund and Bayern (using shortened names) and was a classic game that was all tied up until the 90th minute. Here is the video for all to watch with the call by one of my favorite announcer, Gus Johnson (Warning:  Turn down your volume or don't turn it up too high before watching this; HE GOES NUTS!)  All other sports updates will happen at a later time.

Check out this great Fox Sports video - Robben goal wins Champions League for Bayern Munich

That's my update on what's been going on lately.  Again, congrats to all the graduates from last week's college events, good luck to the Bruins in the Conference Finals and I hope to see some of you real soon.  In the meantime, I would love to hear from as many of you as I can.  Whether its a comment or even if you have a question for me, let me know on this blog, on my Facebook page or Twitter page (@theploofer).  Thank you and keep in touch.

Happy Mothers' Day (with a sports report blended in)

Happy Mothers' Day to all of you mothers out there, especially to those who have meant a lot in my life...My Grandmothers, Barbara Gay (Nonni) and Marjorie Ploof (Mimi), who were there to take care of me throughout my life, whether it was at a family get together or an overnight stay.  I was happy to see Nonni today when I went in town and helped fix her TV boxes (long story short, my Dad and I got it taken care of).  Mimi passed away in 2005, but I really felt that she was with me today (guess it was because my dad and I had lunch at Beansie's Bus Stop today), and I will never forget her as long as I live.  And of course, a very happy mothers' day to my mom, Kelly Ploof, who has been with me through all the good times and bad.  Last year on Mothers' Day, my whole family celebrated it in Lyndonville as I got my Diploma at Lyndon State College after five grueling years.  It was a special time for me and for my Mom.  Mom, Nonni, I hope you had a great time today and Mimi, I wish you were here with us today.  You would've been happy for all of us.

Now that that's out of the way, I haven't been able to talk about sports for a while, so here goes nothing:

NHL:  The first round of the playoffs ends tomorrow night with now 2 game 7s:  one that should have happened and one that should have never happened, but I knew it would.  The Rangers evened their series with the Capitals tonight and the Maple Leafs did the same against the Bruins.  This gives both New York and Toronto the momentum for game 7 along with the back-to-back scenario, which could make for tough games in DC and beantown.  That momentum could lead to both Washington and Boston seeing its season end.  Ottawa, San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago, Pittsburgh and the winner of tonight's Detroit/Anaheim game are waiting for round 2 to get started, but tomorrow night could be the best night of the playoffs.

NBA:  Second round action is fast and furious (especially in Miami and Chicago).  In the East, the Heat and Bulls are playing down and dirty in their series, and while Chicago took game 1, Miami is playing like the title team from last season.  The other series saw the Pacers take a 2-1 lead in their series against the Knicks and in both wins, New York's poor shooting was a key to their wins.

NBA II:  In the West, the Thunder are starting to miss Russell Westbrook in their losses against Memphis, leading to a 2-1 series lead for the Grizzlies, and the only series that has played 4 games is all even 2-2, with Golden State taking games 2 and 4; San Antonio took games 1 and 3 of the series that has seen stellar shooting and a double OT classic.

MLB:  What has happened to the Boston Red Sox?  At one point, they are in first place in their division; the next, they are right in the middle of the AL East standings.  Boston has lost 5 of their last 7 games against two sub-500 teams (Twins and Blue Jays).  Now they travel to Tampa for three against the Rays.  If they can't get out of this slump, a new saying might be started:  You can't win a division in April, but you can lose one in May.

MLB II:  Same division, different team:  How the heck are the Yankees in first place?  Simple:  Good Pitching (CC, Pettitte, Kuroda), Score in any fashion (not just the long ball, like in previous years), and let the walking retirement tour (Mariano) get the job done in the ninth (15/15).  Keep that up and we may be hearing the Yankees name again in October (just remember, it's only May).

Sports TV:  Last week on Facebook, I posted on my timeline two youtube videos about the TSN Sportscentre (SC) duo of Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole.  The reasoning for this is because they will be leaving TSN to join Fox Sports and its new network Fox Sports 1 in August.  After I first watched these videos, I just had to share them because the videos were hilarious.  For those who are wondering, here's another clip of them in action (sort of).  The new Fox Sports 1 will take over SPEED on August 17 and include Fox Sports Live (going against ESPN's SC), and a show starring Regis Philbin (yes, you saw that right, REEGE IS BACK...and talking sports).  Look for it soon.

That's the latest for tonight.  I'll be back soon and, once again, Happy Mothers' Day today.  Hope all you Mother's had a great day.