An Appreciation: Second Thoughts About Georgia Frontiere and Moving the LA Rams

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog


I make no excuses for the fact that I used to hate Georgia Frontiere. You see, Madame Ram, as we used to call her, moved my football team, the Los Angeles Rams, to St. Louis.

I hated Georgia Frontiere when she owned the Los Angeles Rams and I hated her even more when she moved my team away from me. It was like a piece of my childhood, which I always assumed was going to be around forever, was suddenly torn away along with my memories of Roman Gabriel, Merlin Olson, Rosie Greer, Vince Ferragamo, Jack Snow, the Youngbloods, the Fearsome Foursome, Eric Dickerson and George Allen.

I read this week that Georgia Frontiere passed away from breast cancer at the age of 70. I read her obituary and the account of her life in the local paper and the whole episode of moving the Rams suddenly made sense to me.

You see, the Rams were not an original Los Angeles team. They were taken away from the city of Cleveland in 1947. In fact, they were the first major professional team to move to California. So I imagine that the Cleveland fans had the same feeling about the Rams owner at the time that I did for Georgia Frontiere. The St. Louis Cardinals football team was eventually moved to Phoenix, leaving a void for Eastern - Missouri pro football fans.

Georgia Frontiere filled that void. Originally, from St. Louis, she brought her hometown a team that it so desperately wanted. She owned the Rams. She brought the Rams to St. Louis. In fact I think now that the fans of St. Louis appreciated the Rams more than the Los Angeles fans. Imagine my chagrin when the St. Louis Rams won a Super Bowl...something the Los Angeles Rams never did.

I also realized this week that Georgia Frontiere was the essence of what I find compelling in some people and particulary in some women...the type of woman that I would want my daughter to be...strong, confident, independent...living life on her own terms. So maybe she is guilty of taking my football team away.. but one city's loss is another city's gain and Los Angeles didn't make the correct overture to keep the Rams at the time. I saw the pathetic dwindling crowds at the end too. I was one of the few people in the stands at the end. I would look up at the people in the luxury boxes of Anaheim Stadium and see people watching the Raiders or another game on television..not the one on the field. Not too many people cared about the Rams at the end. The people in St. Louis did and Georgia Frontiere was smart enough to follow the money and brave enough to follow her heart. One thing she was not guilty of is being a weak, non-passionate, dependent, and cowardly person.

Bosco Provides A Variety of Creative Services

Bosco is more than this webzine and Blog.

Bosco can create your customized printed company newsletter from writing to layout to production or any phase in between.

Bosco also can create your personal or company webzine blog utilizing the best writing team available along with intelligent design sensibilities.

Bosco can create and produce your personal or company Podcasts.

Bosco has written content available for Newspaper and Magazine articles and columns.

Bosco's team of award winning web designers can create content and design to represent your company or personal projects.

Bosco is a full service printing, graphics, and fullfillment service including books, stationery, posters, large format printing, labels, cartons, and much much more.

Bosco can write and produce videos, short films, and documentaries.

Bosco produces Creative On Hold Telephone Content from writing to music to production.

Find out how your company can start to utilize the services of Bosco today. Contact the Bosco Editor, Allen Bacon boscotheblog@earthlink.net

Stage Review: This Father of the Bride Is Funny and Wedded Bliss

Father of the Bride
Maverick Theatre
Fullerton, CA
Through Feb. 16, 2008
4 teaspoons of Bosco

Review By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

I always liked the Father of the Bride series, the movie version, with first Spencer Tracy and then Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. The trials and tribulations of George Banks, the father, is a perfect primer on how "not to act" if and when my 26 year old daughter ever decides to get married.

My main lesson out of all this is just to let my daughter and her mother call all the shots and be quick with the pen and checkbook...and don't even think about it or question it. This is what I learn from George Banks.

So, it was with pleasure that I watched the live version of Father of the Bride which opened on Fri. Jan. 11 at the Maverick Theatre in Fullerton, CA. I needed a break from the esoteric type of plays I had been watching and just sit back and laugh at the simple things in life...like planning for a wedding.

First of all, you are greeted in the lounge area of the Maverick Theatre by a real "Wedding Singer" who is fantastic. This guy belts out wonderful renditions of Sinatra and Crosby and other traditional songs you would hear at a reception.. Once inside the small theatre, where there isn't a bad seat in the house, you are treated to fine performances across the board.

George Banks is played flawlessly and convincingly by Rick Franklin who gives you the sense that he's been through this before. The daughter, Annie, is played well and I think the actress is cuter and acts better than the young lady in the movie. Wonderful comedic timing by the rest of the cast makes for an evening of laughs and fun.

This play runs until Feb. 16. Reservations are highly recommended. www.mavericktheatre.com

Opinion: TV: Dexter Doesn't Belong On CBS

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

The Writer's Strike is causing some interesting things to happen in television programming. One of the by-products of the strike is to air programming originally produced for cable on network television.

On February 17, my current favorite show, Dexter, will make it's debut on CBS networks Sunday night lineup. Dexter for the uninformed is an extremely cutting-edge drama series starring Michael C. Hall (formerly of Six Feet Under). Based on a novel, the main character, is a serial killer who is a vigilante exacting justice on killers that get through the system.

CBS is doing the wrong thing by airing Dexter on broadcast television.

First of all the show obviously has to be heavily edited. In any episode of the show, there is a great deal of graphic violence, nudity, sexual situations, and language. This all contributes to what gives the show it's edge and makes it compelling to watch. Take that away and you have a disjointed show. Look at what happened when they edited the Sopranos and look at what happened to when Sex In the City was edited for regular television. Both shows had their hearts ripped out of them.

And even if Dexter is edited, the themes are not for young impressionable minds who will no doubt be watching when it makes it's CBS network debut.

Here's an idea: Leave Dexter on Showtime where it can be free to be as creative as it wants to be without the restrictions of broadcast television and end the writer's strike so we can start seeing new episodic television shows on their proper channels.

Bosco Radio: Now Available On The Web

If Bosco ran a News/Information radio station and they had all the resources available to them, it would be a mix of the best audio newsmagazines rotating with in-depth news coverage from around the country and around the world.

"I always wanted to program radio stations and I had this idea for a news/information station", said Bosco Editor Allen Bacon recently.

The result is in the Bosco:the Blog sidebar starting with the Sunday programming. To see what it sounds like click on the show at the appropriate time to hear the program. All times are listed as Pacific Standard time.

"On Sunday the station breaks format and brings the Sunday Morning talk shows in their entirety" Says Bacon. "As we put out the Weekly schedule the format is going to be one half hour of news followed by a half hour newsmagazine or newstalk.

Included on the completed Sunday program schedule are such favorites as 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Meet the Press, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, C-Span's Booktalk, and more.

To listen go to the Sidebar under Bosco Radio: Information Channel and click on the show at the appropriate time.

"I think the schedule of shows also serves as a list of shows, that in our opinion, will keep you informed and up to date on the issues..So it serves a dual purpose.", continued Bacon.

We welcome your comments on the Radio News format. Did we leave your favorites out? Let us know by posting to this blog or emailing to: boscotheblog@earthlink.net

NFL Playoffs: Just Another Hairbrain Idea

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

So I'm watching my team the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Playoffs last night. Before I go any further, for you that don't know me...you may ask how does a guy that lives in Southern California become a Jacksonville Jaguar fan?

First of all, you might have noticed that we have no NFL team in the Greater Los Angeles/Orange County area. We used to have a team...the Los Angeles Rams. I loved the Rams. Roman Gabriel, the Fearsome Foursome, George Allen, Dick "Nighttrain" Lane, Eric Dickerson, Vince Ferragamo, etc. etc....what's not to like? Then Georgia cuts our hearts out and moves the team from Anaheim to St. Louis. I hate the Rams now. I can't stand the Rams. The other team we had here was just renting the stadium apparently until they expanded the Oakland Coliseum into the wonderful ediface it is today.

I have a hard time becoming a San Diego Charger fan even though they are the closest geographically to me. Or a San Diego anything fan. It would end my long-running friendly feud with my good friend Michael Gronfein who is from San Diego and bleeds Charger Baby Blue and Padre Sand (or whatever that Godawful color they have on their road unis).

So I became a Jaguar fan because my Sister In Law is from Jacksonville and it gave me a team to identify with. Realize my excitement when not to long ago there was some talk of the Jags moving to LA.

Anway, back to the point. So I'm noticing this trend of guys having long dred locks flowing out of the back of their helmets down to their waist almost. And I'm thinking, isn't that dangerous. Hey, I love dredlocks more that the next guy and if I actually had hair, I would have them, but in an NFL game? Isn't it possible that somebody could actually, accidentally, pull on your hair and yank your head off.

Then what really got me upset is that one of my guys with dredlocks makes a great interception, falls close to the sideline and gets up and runs another 20 yards down the field. The whole thing is called back because he was rulled out of bounds because his hair, and only his hair was out of bounds!

This guy, in a tight game, which it ended up being, could have cost us the game. And then he's laughing about it afterwards like it's a joke.

Never mind the fact that the NFL should institute a restriction on this. Why are the coaches not making the players wrap their dredlocks and put underneath their helmet or better off cut them off for the season. After last night, it could have cost the Jags a chance to advance.

2008 Ford Mustang: Falling Short of It's Heyday

2008 Ford Mustang
3 Teaspoons of Bosco (Out of 5)

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

I have to admit I'm a little partial to 1965 Ford Mustangs. The '65 Mustang, after all, was my first automobile. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears to bring my Mustang back to it's original condition. I bought it for $900 with all the money I had in my Savings in 1976 while I was a junior in high school and spent another $2000 of my hard earned money restoring it with my dad. After the birth of my first child, I thought I would do the responsible thing and get rid of it...I kick myself every day now for selling it. What was I thinking? Especially now when I see these old cars being sold for around $30,000

So that's why I resisted getting into the new Mustangs as they unfolded year after year. Until now. There were a couple of reasons for this. Number one, I didn't want to own up to my mistake of getting rid of my dream car. And number two, I didn't really like any of the body styles after 1965 save for the 1968 edition.

This changed about three years ago when Ford went to a retro style for the Mustang. The outside is very reminiscent of the late 1960's version. But I was curious...Did it feel and drive like the 1965 car? I finally got enough nerve to take one out for a test drive.

I actually drove two... one with a V8 engine and one with a 6 cylinder engine. As far as that was concerned they felt no different. The 6 cylinder felt like it just had as much power as the 8 cylinder. The interior was what bothered me the most. As interiors go, it is really nice with it's leather appointments but if you are going to do a retro car...Ford needs to recreate the old look as close as you can. Or at least make it an option. The new version has a wonderful CD, MP3 Player and AM/FM radio. I would have hid it and put it behind an old Philco AM radio. Even I had the sense, as an 18 year old kid, to place my tape deck under the dash where it would slide in and out.

And what about going back to a hand crank window and hand door handle option? I understand there are some things you can't do...Like you must have air bags... but the other things need to go back to the original as close as possible if you are doing a retro car.

While the body is actually more reminiscent of the 1968 version, it is a little more boxier. But even so, it is still without a doubt a Mustang...there is no denying this one... and with cleaner lines than any version in recent memory. I like the fact that they went back to the old grill as well. In the 1965 models you had an option of the fastback or a hatchback. On the 2008 version you don't have the option. Although, I am partial to the hatchback which is what I had on my '65, the fastback looks good here. But still, it would have been nice to have that option.

Long time designer Carroll Shelby is designing a whole line of new Shelby Cobras based on this car. These cars are double the price of the regular car and the dealers don't want you to drive them. They want the Shelby Cobras to have zero miles on them when they go out the door.

Bosco TV: Jimmy Pardo Featured on Comedy Channel; Donald Fagen on Music Channel; Director Sassy Mohen on Indie Film Channel

Each week Bosco and You Tube bring you the best of television, music, and video with Bosco TV.

This month on the Indie Film Channel see highlights of up and coming film director Sassy Mohen's film "Happy Holidays".

On the Comedy Channel see the very funny Jimmy Pardo. On the music channel the focus is on Donald Fagen.

Look for added Bosco TV Channels in the near future.

Click on the links on the right for each channel and the screen will appear larger.