BALTIMORE, MD – Yesterday, the middle race of thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown was held at Baltimore’s Pimlico Racetrack. As the Kentucky Derby is the “Run for The Roses” with its signature drink, the Mint Julep, The Preakness Stakes claims the Black Eyed Susan as both botany and libation. So, have a cocktail to complement the black eye sports theme of today’s column.
Black Eyes are synonymous with contact sports as the occasional elbow finds the orbital socket of an opponent. In hockey, the boys also police themselves or drop the gloves to motivate his team. Too many hits to the head lead to the logic of the following quote:
“Actually, I feel kind of cool, because I get to wear my sunglasses all the time.”
– Jay Wells on the two black eyes he got in a NHL fight.
Another black eye of NHL lore came in the form of an eye patch worn by Glen Sonmor, which turned around the fortunes of his (and Angry Ward’s) Minnesota North Stars team. In the opening round of the 1981 NHL playoffs, the Stars, who were zer0-for-their history at the Boston Garden, faced the Bruins. Owner of a prosthetic eye known to often pop out while behind the North Stars bench, coach Sonmor took advice courtesy of psychic fan mail suggesting he don the eye patch after the fan had a winning premonition. The Stars took the opening two games on enemy ice leading to a three game sweep of the series.
This fall and into the winter the New York Jets are assured of one thing at this very moment. The addition of America’s Christian to Mark Sanchez has the Jets leading the NFL in ‘eye black’ under center. Should the pair perform miserably, Rex Ryan takes the lead from his father by punching double raccoon eyes on his QB’s.
Thankfully, the government views my physical problems severe enough to put me on the social dole eliminating the need for me to check the Yankees radio broadcast so as not to compete with stadium traffic on the way to work. Saved in the process are bleeding ears and my thoughts of storming the radio booth to make a Black Eyed Suzyn Waldman. I remember Tareyton Cigarettes 1970’s advertising campaign aimed at women making smoking seem very cosmopolitan by presenting females with a faux shiner beneath one eye. Do away with the make-up and I’ll see that Suzyn shows up looking the part.
The Black Eyed Peas have performed at the Super Bowl. When saying the music group’s name quickly the infamy of former Minnesota Vikings RB Onterrio Smith comes to mind. When the NFL knocked on his door and made this ‘black guy pee’, Onterrio tried to use the ingenuity of the ‘Whizzinator’ to hide a positive drug test only to get busted.
The Belmont Stakes is up next but shortly after on June 23 or 24 an invitation is being extended to the MTM family for our inaugural “Day at Belmont”. Send a comment with the date you prefer and we’ll try to make it happen.
West Coast Craig, tomorrow.
