25th Anniversary of a Legendary Pearl Jam Concert

 

Okay, so I wrote the following a few years ago, when I turned around and realized, on September 29, 2012, that it had been exactly 16 years since one of the most memorable concert experiences that I ever had. That would be seeing Pearl Jam for the first time at Randall's Island in New York City back in 1996, when they were finally touring in support of the "No Code" album. 

Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of this concert.  Unbelievable to think that it has been a quarter of a century since the now legendary Randall's Island show. 


There are a lot of things that immediately come to mind when I think about that concert. First of all, it happened to fall on my then girlfriend (now ex-wife) and my first anniversary. Secondly, although I was beginning to go to a lot of concerts by that point, this concert felt somehow like a turning point. Pearl Jam was a huge band, and they were my favorites. Up to that point, despite having seen a growing number of concerts, there always was that one band, my favorites, whom I had yet to see. Then, suddenly, my friend managed to obtain tickets shortly after I returned from a trip to Chicago with another friend (who also happened to be a Pearl Jam fan and wound up going with us). This was the one band that I really, at the time, felt ready to drop everything to go and see, if the opportunity presented itself, and it finally did. I came somewhat close a couple of times in 1994, but ultimately failed. So, the next time that they came around, I was determined to see them come what may. When that friend managed to snag these tickets, it felt like pure elation, and I felt like a little kid eagerly anticipating the Christmas holiday to come, knowing in my head that the date was approaching, but feeling that, somehow, it could not come soon enough. 


Even today, I remember how glad that concert made me feel, and just how huge it was for me. Since then, I have been to 24 Pearl Jam concerts, and have seen almost every song that meant something special to me, and then some! Some of the shows were amazing, and for some of them, I had amazing seats, including the second time that I saw them, making a point of reciprocating my friend's purchase of these tickets back in 1996 by bringing him to Pearl Jam's concert at East Rutherford in 1998, where we had second row center. 


Yet, despite having some better seats (well, Randall's Island was standing room only, so there technically were no seats) at some other concerts, this particular Pearl Jam concert really stands out for me even to this day. Rarely has any concert mad me feel this good. There have been other concerts, and I have seen some amazing bands and performances. Very few of them made me feel anywhere near what the Pearl Jam concert in 1996 made me feel.I discussed some of these a few years ago, and shared my thoughts in past blogs, and will add those to this particular blog entry below. But seeing Pearl Jam finally take the stage, after years and years of waiting for that opportunity, felt just amazing! It wound up being the longest concert to that point that the band had ever done, and attained a certain legendary status among PJ fans. I remember how crowded it was, people body surfing, and how some of the staff started spraying grateful fans with water to help cool us off. For that matter, simply arriving at Randall's Island, where just a couple of months and change before, that same friend and I had seen Lollapalooza, was an amazing experience. We were discussing the Fastbacks, and he mentioned how Eddie Vedder "creams over them." 


Hard to believe that it has been twenty years since then! 


So, here are some thoughts that I had four years ago on that concert, which took place on this day, two decades ago: 




I have seen a lot of concerts in my own time. It's approaching two hundred since 1992, when my brother and I went to see Metallica and Guns 'n Roses, with Faith No More as the opening act, at Giants Stadium in the summer of 1992. That concert was intense, particularly Metallica's set. It was so loud, so long, so energetic, and it left a lasting impression. It was quite memorable. More recently, there have been other concerts that were quite memorable, as well. Seeing Pink Floyd at Yankees Stadium in 1994. Seeing the Vote for Change Finale in 2004, with incredible acts like Pearl Jam, REM, the Dave Matthews Band, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, and with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band as the closers. That was incredible. I have seen Paul McCartney give a free concert in Quebec on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of that city. Sir Paul was also involved in another incredible concert memory: joining Ringo Starr on stage a couple of years ago on Ringo's 70th Birthday and playing "Birthday". It was as close to a Beatles reunion, or a Beatles show, that I'll have ever seen, most likely, and as a big Beatles fan (could you guess?), that was very memorable! And since that article that I wrote about this Pearl Jam concert, I was at the 12/12/12 Sandy Benefit concert, which included some huge names that included Eddie Vedder, who accompanied Roger Waters on "Comfortably Numb," Bruce Sprinsteen and the E-Street Band, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Kanye West (not a big fan of his, admittedly), Chris Martin of Coldplay with guest star Michael Stipes of R.E.M., Alicia Keys, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Paul McCartney, who at one point brought out the remaining members of Nirvana to perform a song, and this wound up being the first public performance of "Sirvana." Some at the time were suggesting that this was the greatest concert ever. Nowadays, some are suggesting that the Iheart concerts in the desert, also with huge names, are the greatest. For my part, I still think that Woodstock tops all of these in terms of sheer brilliance and cultural influence, and I think that Roger Waters performance of "The Wall" live in Berlin back ni 1990 deserves honorable mention, but I digress. 


I started going to see a lot of concerts particularly starting in 1992, and especially gaining momentum in 1994. But at that point, there was one major act that I really wanted to see, probably more than all others, but which it sometimes felt I would never see: Pearl Jam. The thing about Pearl Jam was that, at the time, they were phenomenally popular, probably at the height of their power, if you will. Granted, much of that was the cult of personality surrounding lead vocalist Eddie Vedder. He was the iconic leader of the group, if you will. The type of guy that, as cliche as this sounds, women wanted to be with, and men wanted to be. They had an incredible, raw energy to them in those days. They have retained some of that over the years, but at that time, it was their defining trait. Their music was intense, and charged with powerful and meaningful lyrics, with more than a touch of poetry to them. They really were a band that seemed almost to offer at least a little something to everyone. I desperately wanted to see them, and felt, on many levels, that no matter how many concerts and acts I saw, it would not be or feel complete or impressive until I saw Pearl Jam. 


But they rarely ever toured, and never seemed to come to my area, the New York greater metropolitan area, at the time. True, they came around for several shows in their earliest days in the early nineties, playing some very memorable, even legendary shows, at places like the Limelight, but I really started getting into Pearl jam early in 1993, and by then, they were becoming a rare act to see in New York. They had actually come in the area and done a show at the Paramount, in Madison Square Garden (but not outright MSG), and I had desperately tried to get tickets, but was unsuccessful. I waited outside on the side of a road in New York City with a group of equally determined friends to try and get stand by tickets to Saturday Night Live, and actually managed to get one of these tickets. But there was literally not one opening that night, and so all stand by tickets were sent home. I even tried to see them at the Boston Gardens, and came somewhat close, but no cigar. I collected bootlegs of their shows by then, and that 1994 tour still looms large in my memory, although the pleasure of actually going to one of those shows was not mine. 


Eventually, however, the opportunity did come. I was friends with someone who had a penchant for obtaining rare tickets, and he managed to get tickets to one of the two Randall's Island shows that the band scheduled for September of 1996, to support their latest album, No Code. This came around a month after the release of that album, which I remember having gotten while on a trip to Chicago, in late August. So, knowing that I would finally get to see them, I was incredibly excited. I just couldn't wait to finally see this group in concert. 


There were three of us who went to the concert together. We got there early, and I remember kind of just taking in the atmosphere. The Fastbacks finally came out to open the show, and then it was Ben Harper, who I was not familiar with at the time, but was tremendously impressed with. Still, the group that I wanted to see was in the waits, and the excitement grew. It seemed to take forever for them to take the stage, and it was so hot that night, I remember. Maybe it was just because we were all so tightly packed in. There were a lot of people there. 


Finally, the lights went out, and I saw candles on the stage that Pearl Jam was about to take. I don't remember having seen candles at a concert before like that, so it seemed like a new touch. The band came on stage, and it was a thrill to see the immediately identifiable locks of Vedder's then still long hair, and knowing that they were finally there, that the concert had finally begun. 


But the music waited, as Eddie Vedder spoke first. He assured us that while the previous night (they had played Randall's Island the night before, as I understand it, in heavy rain) had been highly charged, tonight, they were going to take it a bit easier. But he had the feeling, he told us, that the music would be better sharper, than it had ever been, and that the concert would be longer, maybe, than any other that they had ever performed. 


He was right. It wound up being, at that time, the longest show that the band had ever played (it had since been overtaken, and the longest concert that they have played to date now, to my knowledge, was the third Mansfield show in 2004, when they tried to play mostly all different songs in the three shows combined, and opened that third and final show in the Boston area with an acoustic set prior to their main set). 


They opened up with "Sometimes", which is also the opening song of their then new album, No Code. It was a strange choice, I thought. It was followed by an intense version of "Go", and the intensity was on. The crowd was really fired up, and seemed as excited as I was in just seeing the band, finally. The next few songs were also highly charged, despite Vedder's previous prediction. During "Animal", Vedder stopped the song and warned the crowd that people were acting crazy, and given the overly crowded circumstances, he did not want something to happen. He even mentioned that they did not think they could keep playing music if someone was to lose their life at one of their shows, something that a friend of mine mentioned some years later, following the tragic incident at Roskilde during the Pearl Jam set. 


In any case, that show indeed was legendary, and just as Vedder had forecast, they did in fact play more sings, and played a longer show, than they had ever done before. Everyone went home satisfied, and that certainly included me. I was flying high for maybe a week or so after, feeling so privileged to have felt like that. Since then, only the shows that I mentioned earlier have really allowed me to feel that way, as far as concerts are concerned. Most recently, it was Ringo's 70th birthday show that made me feel that concert magic. It's a nice feeling, and I remember just feeling so content following that legendary 1996 show. Even the massive traffic jam following the show's end did not bother me. Nothing bothered me after that for a while. 


That show was on this date, September 29th, exactly 20 years ago, and I was there! I was sure that it would forever be the greatest Pearl Jam show that I would ever see, but I have seen them over twenty times since then. One of the other very memorable shows that I saw of theirs also occurred on this date, back in 2004. It was also part of the Vote for Change tour, about two weeks before that Washington DC finale that I mentioned earlier in this blog. That also had an incredible set list, and was one of the most intense shows of Pearl Jam's that I had ever seen. Even that was now eight years ago. They were both a long time ago, but, ah, what memories! 














Here's a link to Pearl Jam's website with the setlist of this 1996 show (as well as an illustration of the poster from the show, now a real collector's item):

http://pearljam.com/setlists/1011/1996/20122/downing_stadium_randalls_island

And here's a link to the other September 29th show, eight years later in 2004, and eight years ago on this date:

http://pearljam.com/setlists/1019/2004/20384/fleet_center

🏈 NFL 2021-22 Thursday Night Week 4 Preview: Jaguars Take on Bengals 🏈

       

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Jacksonville (0-3) at Cincinnati (2-1)

Sooner or later, the Jaguars are sure to earn themselves a notch in the win column, at some point or other this season.

The question here in this game is whether or not they can do it against the rapidly improving Bengals, who have a real chance to improve to a very respectable 3-1 mark, and then to have a longer than normal break between this game and their next one to prepare for.

Cincy surely has been improving. They edged out the Vikings in week one, but fell just short to the Bears the next week.

Last weekend, however, came arguably the biggest sign that they are truly improving: they beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. No team has better symbolized the futility of Bengals fortunes in recent decades better than Pittsburgh, who not only have a long history of tremendous success, but have enjoyed ultimate success in the NFL in the fairly recent past, winning two Super Bowls and qualifying for three from 2005-2010, bordering on being a dynasty. 

With last weekend's win, the Bengals suddenly seemed to have earned themselves the kind of statement win signaling their readiness to become playoff contenders. With quarterback Joe Burrow showing signs of being the quarterback that Cincy hoped he would be, the Bengals are really rolling right now.

That would be a problem for the struggling Jaguars, who would love to be (and are working to be) where Cincy presently is. But here is another problem: the Bengals are not so good that they likely feel that they can overlook any opponent. Indeed, the Bengals have had losing seasons for many years in a row now, and in recent seasons, ranked as the worst team in terms of overall record in the league. That is why they "earned" the first pick in the draft, where they picked up Burrow.

The Jaguars had that kind of season last year. They won in week one, and then never won again. In fact, they have yet to win since, and their current losing streak of 18 straight game is climbing the ladder of longest losing streaks by any team in NFL history (I believe that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold this record, having lost their first 26 straight games, although that may not be the case). Obviously, Jax would dearly love to end this dreadful streak.

However, on the road against an improving, and frankly, hot team like the Bengals feels like a little too much for them. That is why I have to go with the home team for the win in this one. 

My pick: Cincinnati

Major League Baseball Set to Possibly Return to Montréal

While I am not generally a big baseball fan, I can get into it sometimes. This is especially true once it is time for the playoffs. I remember getting excited when the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992, and followed it up again the next year with another championship. A little over one decade later, I really got into the playoffs again in a big way, when the Boston Red Sox finally managed to break the "Curse of the Bambino" and overcame an 0-3 series deficit to beat their longtime tormentors, the New York Yankees. 

Generally, I loosely follow the baseball season, checking the standings at various times during the season, mostly to see how my current two favorite teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox, are doing. And on rare occasions, I have gone to some baseball games. The most recent one was back in 2013, when I took my son to see the Kansas City Royals take on the Blue Jays in Toronto. Back in 2002, on a very memorable night that was twinged with a little sadness, my then wife and I saw the Expos play the Phillies up in Montréal. I assumed that this would be the last year or two that MLB would be in that city.

Apparently, I was wrong.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to go ahead with a plan to play half their games in Montréal. Since I like Canadian teams, and especially French Canadian teams, this was exciting news to me. Just like that, a team that I had previously not really cared about, one way or the other, becomes a team that I will follow much more closely.

Also, I have to wonder why this is not done more often, in more sports. Maybe the Bills can play half of their games in Toronto, so that city can more fully and freely embrace that team? How about the Lions maybe playing some games somewhere north of the border? It certainly could not hurt, since it feels like that franchise has been cursed. Or maybe one of the Texas teams, or perhaps the Arizona Cardinals, or even one of the Los Angeles franchises, playing some games south of the border, in Mexico? I mention the NFL specifically, of course, because that is the only major North American sports league that has somehow avoided having any teams in any other countries, which at this point outright feels foolish. 

It does not even have to be international. Why not have certain teams like, say, the Broncos, play some games in neighboring states on occasion? It might build up and/or solidify their fan base in those places. The Seahawks and/or Mariners could play some games in either Vancouver or Portland. The Chargers could play a game or two in San Diego, so their fans do not feel like they have been completely severed. Maybe the Nets could play some games in New Jersey, like they used to just years ago? The Grizzlies could play some games in Nashville, and the Titans can play some games in Memphis, which would mix it up while keeping the franchise entirely in Tennessee. Perhaps the Portland Trailblazers can play some games in Seattle and/or Vancouver? Perhaps the Canadiens could play some games - not just one single preseason game - up in Québec City, which as most people remember, lost their NHL franchise years ago? Perhaps the Ottawa Senators can play some games across the river somewhere in western Québec province? There really would be no limit to the possibilities.

There are some issues that would need to be ironed out, and that makes this sister city act uncertain. Some concerns over the expenses clearly would need to be worked out in detail, and there are concerns that a team that spends only half the season in a city would not be able to meet the financial obligations there. Those are some issues that seem like they could be major obstacles. However, I think it is a fantastic idea, more or less like the United States and Canada and Mexico working together to get the 2026 World Cup, or Poland and Ukraine getting the Euro tournament some years ago, or Japan and South Korea getting the 2002 World Cup. Upstate New York (specifically Lake Placid) tried working with Québec City some years ago in a failed bit to get the Winter Olympics. It would seem to me in that same spirit, and could have more universal appeal. I am an example of this. Not that I am the biggest baseball fan, but if the Tampa Bay Rays suddenly play half their games in Montréal, that would get me to suddenly pay attention, and again, either tune in to some games and/or attend some of their games, once travel becomes more normalized. Surely, I would not be the only one. And if filling up seats is an issue in Tampa Bay, like it used to be in Montréal when the Expos played there, would it not be easier to attract more fans to fill more seats if there were literally half the games in both cities?

Not sure if this would start a new trend, at least with some teams. I know that the Bills did actually play some games in Toronto, for all of three or so seasons. In fact, I actually attended one of them, a preseason game against the Colts back in 2010, I believe. All I know is that personally, I applaud the Tampa Bay Rays, who suddenly would become a team that I do indeed follow and support. Maybe even someday, I might try to catch another game up there at the beautiful Stade Olympique, which is one of my favorite stadiums, and which has one of the most unique appearances of any stadium that I know of in the world.

Tampa Bay Rays announce sign of Montreal future coming in the MLB playoffs Daniel J. Rowe Daniel J. Rowe CTVNewsMontreal.ca Digital Reporter @DanielJRowe42 Contact  Published Sunday, September 26, 2021 6:44PM EDT Last Updated Monday, September 27, 2021:

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/tampa-bay-rays-announce-sign-of-montreal-future-coming-in-the-mlb-playoffs-1.5601320

🏈 2021-22 NFL Week 3 Preview: A Weekend When History Was Made 🏈

      

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Atlanta 17, NY Giants 14 – In a battle to try and avoid being one of the two remaining winless teams in the NFC, the Falcons earned a come from behind win, kicking a successful field goal attempt to win it on the road. The Giants sure looked capable of winning this game for the vast majority of the game, and their defense played well, holding off a potentially explosive Atlanta offense. Yet in the end, the offense struggled too much, particularly with points scored. And despite playing well and seeming to be in position to win, the G-Men fall short yet again after three games to this season. My pick: Inaccurate              

Buffalo 41, Washington 23 – The Bills looked unstoppable in this one. Home field advantage helped, surely, but Buffalo seems to have found solid footing this season after that inexplicable collapse on opening day to the Steelers. After humiliating division rivals Miami last weekend, the Bills pretty much owned all of the advantages in this one. They hung onto the ball for well over 35 minutes, produced 481 yards of offense and 29 first downs, and of course, scored 43 points. The offense was really clicking, and the defense prevented Washington from ever really keeping the game close. Of course, Washington did not help themselves by committing three turnovers, while Buffalo did not commit any. A blowout win that keeps the Bills solidly in first place in the AFC East, while all three other division rivals lost.              

Cleveland 26, Chicago 6 – This was the kind of outcome that most of us expected. Looking back, it is a bit strange that Da Bears actually took the lead midway through the first quarter, and held onto it until early in the second, when the Browns finally broke through and scored a touchdown. But this game was all Cleveland. They held onto the ball for almost 40 minutes,  produced 418 yards of offense, and earned 26 first downs. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense was utterly dominant, holding Chicago to a total of 6 first downs and a total of 47 yards of offense. It was the second fewest yards per play in a game in the better part of a century, and the Browns defense had not held any opponents to so few yards since 1946. To put that in perspective, that was the year after World War II ended. Very impressive win for the Browns, and very disheartening loss for the Bears. Chicago continues to struggle on offense, a consistent problem through the years. Meanwhile, the Browns seem to be heating up this season, and do indeed look like the serious s contender that so many people expected them to become. My pick: Accurate              

Baltimore 19, Detroit 17 - The Lions were set to honor Megatron, or Calvin Johnson, during a Hall of Fame ceremony. But things turned sour as fans loudly booed Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp instead. The rest of the afternoon hardly went any better for this tortured franchise. For most of the game, the Lions were playing tough, and looked on the verge of pulling off an upset win. In fact, it appeared that Detroit was going to win the game until the final play of the game. That is when disaster struck. Justin Tucker, the placekicker for the Ravens, booted a new NFL record 66-yard field goal through the uprights to win it on the final play of the game. That lifted the Ravens to a highly improbable win. Somehow, though, if this kind of unbelievable and incredibly unlikely way to lose a game that seemed a sure win just seconds earlier, you kind of figure that it likely would happen to this Detroit Lions franchise. I really do hope that they turn things around at some point and become winners. It happened in Cleveland. But three games into this season, and man, this is rough. My pick: Accurate              

Arizona 31, Jacksonville 19 – The Jaguars looked decent for a while there, scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter, and seemingly showing a competitive side. In fact, Jax had a 19-10 lead late in the third quarter after scoring a touchdown. But that was when things started to unravel. The Cardinals scored a touchdown a couple of minutes later. Then once Jacksonville got the ball back, Arizona cornerback Byron Murphy notched his second INT of the game, and this one he returned to make it a pick six. Just like that, Jax lost a fairly comfortable lead and found themselves down by five. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cards put the final nail in the coffin with an 11-play, 65 yard drive that ended with a touchdown run by running back James Conner from a yard out. The Jaguars held their own for most of this game, as the two teams were more or less even. The biggest difference was in turnovers, where the Cardinals only turned the ball over once, while Jax committed four turnovers. You just are not going to win very often when you turn the ball over that many times. The Cardinals improve to 3-0 on the year, while the Jaguars drop to 0-3, and have now lost 18 straight games dating ball the way ack to early last season. My pick: Accurate              

LA Chargers 30, Kansas City 24 – Now this was a crazy game, and the outcome was a complete surprise. It appeared to be a typical Chiefs game at first, with the Chargers jumping out early with two touchdowns in the first quarter and held a 14-3 advantage by halftime, only to see Mahomes and that dangerous KC offense catch fire late in third and take a 17-14 lead. The fourth quarter went back and forth, but in the end, it was the Chargers who capitalized on a bad KC turnover and got a shot to win it with a successful field goal, which is what happened. Mahomes had a solid day, with three touchdowns, but he also threw two INT’s, including that crucial interception late in the fourth that handed the Chargers a golden opportunity. They capitalized to improve to 2-1 for second place in the AFC West. Meanwhile, who could have foreseen that Kansas City would be in last place at 1-2 just three weeks into the season? Another bit of bad news for KC: head coach Andy Reid was taken into the hospital and treated for dehydration. Not a good start for the Chiefs this season. My pick: Inaccurate

Cincinnati 24, Pittsburgh 10 - If the Bengals are truly building towards a brighter future, then this was a landmark win for them. Traditionally, the Steelers have been the team that has tormented the Bengals the most, and the most consistently, over the course of decades of struggle for Cincy. So this win, on the road in the Steel City, was simply huge. Quarterback Joe Burrow continues to develop into a seeming real force in the NFL, as he completed 14 of 18 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns, although he also had one INT. But it was a solid overall showing. But it was their defense that came up the biggest on this day, bending but rarely breaking, clamping down on Pittsburgh's chances, holding them to a pedestrian 10 points. With the win, the Bengals are now tied with the Ravens and Browns atop the AFC North with identical 2-1 records. And for once, Pittsburgh is in last place at 1-2. Can you even remember the last time that the Steelers were alone in last place? I can't. What a win for the Bengals, because in years past, this is exactly the kind of game that they would have surely lost. Not this time. My pick: Inaccurate

Minnesota 30, Seattle 17 - I thought that this would be a tough game for either team to win.  But the Vikings finally broke through after two "close but no cigar" kinds of losses. How did they do it? Well, they held onto the ball for nearly 36 minutes, and produced an impressive 453 yards of offense, including 28 first downs.  After Seattle seemed to take over the game early in the second quarter, building a 17-7 lead, the Vikings just absolutely took over the game, shutting the Seahawks out the rest of the game, and outscoring them 23-0 the rest of the way. That was a dominant finish, and the Vikings went from winless to just one game behind the division leaders, Green Bay. A solid and necessary win for them. As for Seattle, they now trail two teams in their division by two games, and are in trouble if they cannot stop the bleeding. My pick: Inaccurate

LA Rams 34, Tampa Bay 24 - The clash of two unbeaten NFC teams indeed proved to be a big game. Usually, when Tom Brady completes over 40 passes for over 400 yards, you would figure that he wins the game. But for all of those completions and yards gained, he also only threw one touchdown pass, which suggests that the Rams defense bent but did not break. Also, Matt Stafford had a very impressive game himself, completing 27 of 38 for 343 yards and four touchdowns. That really showed the difference, as the Rams just took better advantage of their opportunities, handing Tampa their first defeat of the season, snapping a 10-game winning streak that stretched from last season. As for the Rams, they remain unbeaten, and will now host the also undefeated Cardinals in a huge battle for sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Tampa Bay also have a huge game coming up, as Tom Brady goes up to Foxboro to take on his former team up in New England on Sunday night. My pick: Accurate

Las Vegas 31, Miami 28 - In the old days, when I first got into football back in the early eighties, this would have been a big game, a renewal of one of the biggest rivalries in football. The two teams kept qualifying for the Super Bowl, reaching a combined four of five Super Bowls in the first half of the eighties, before both teams seemed to fall into obscurity simultaneously in the second half of the decade. Neither team has been the same ever since. The Raiders made it to the Super Bowl once, in 2002, after three straight years of being serious contenders. But they lost, and then it seemed like they never quite recovered from the loss. Both teams are trying to get right again, and both teams entered this one feeling like legitimate playoff contenders at the very least. Now, the Raiders appear on the verge of a breakout season, at least if they can keep this up. The Fins proved to be a tough challenge, and it appeared that Miami was well on their way to a win early on. But the Silver and Black battled back, and ultimately, they prevailed. They do not make winning look easy, to be sure. Yet, they keep doing it. They have a serious challenge to their unbeaten record next weekend at the Chargers in Los Angeles, who are coming off a huge upset win at Kansas City. That should be interesting. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have dropped two straight, and will look to rebound next weekend in Florida, when they host the Colts. My pick: Accurate

Tennessee 25, Indianapolis 16 - The Titans managed to win what was easily their most important game to date this season. The Colts figured to be their toughest opponent this season, the most serious obstacles Tennessee would face on their road to a hopeful division title. So this game was huge. Win, and they have a lead of two games over the Colts. Lose, and they would be tied atop the AFC South with Houston and Indianapolis, each with identical 1-2 records. So it was a big game for both teams, but especially for the Titans, who surely felt that they needed to win at least the home game between these two teams. They did it mostly by hanging onto the ball for over 34 minutes, and capitalizing on their opportunities better than the Colts did. Tennessee overcame three turnovers and managed to outlast the Colts, more than anything. A huge win for the Titans. Indianapolis, meanwhile, has had a rough start. Three tough games, and all of them losses. They will try to get right next weekend at Miami, while the Titans maybe should be salivating with a date at the Jets. My pick: Accurate

Denver 26, NY Jets 0 - The Raiders remained unbeaten by defeating an AFC East opponent, yet another team in their same division can boast the same thing. The Broncos just dominated the obviously grounded Jets, who produced exactly 20 points through their first three games. That is not only worst in the NFL, but far and away the worst. It is less than half of the other teams struggling on offense, Atlanta and Miami, both of whom have scored well over 40 points so far each, and both of whom have also won games. How bad was Gang Green's offense? Well, they held the ball for barely over 24 minutes, earned only 11 first downs in the game, and produced 162 yards total on offense. Plus, rookie quarterback Zach Wilson threw two INT's. The Bears kind of overshadowed the Jets this weekend in terms of offensive ineptitude, yet at least the Bears scored some points. If the Jets do not turn this thing around even a little bit, they might be in serious contention for a distinction that nobody wants: one of the worst seasons ever suffered through by an NFL team. Just abysmal. As for Denver, a very impressive overall performance, especially by their defense. They remain unbeaten while the Jets remain winless. My pick: Accurate

New Orleans 28, New England 13 – Both of these teams are hard to figure out. The Saints did not appear in great shape once Brees retired. Yet they crushed the Packers, and then wound up beating Belichick’s Patriots in this one. The two teams were mostly even statistically, with the Pats actually producing significantly more overall years than the Saints. But New Orleans benefitted by three Patriot turnovers, and committing none themselves. They jumped ahead early with two touchdowns for a 14-0 lead by the second quarter and they simply never really allowed the Patriots to gain enough momentum to flirt with a comeback. A 13 play, 75-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter culminated with a touchdown by Taysom Hill, and that was enough to ice the game. The Saints improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Patriots fall to 1-2, with a big showdown against Brady and the Bucs coming up next. My pick: Inaccurate

SNF: Green Bay 30, San Francisco 28 – This was a very entertaining game. Yet, it was also a game with some horrendous officiating, particularly in the fourth quarter, when it counted most. The calls were coming in favor of the home team so consistently, that it was hard not to suspect that this was deliberate. There was a very weak interference call that allowed the 49ers to pick up over 30 yards, and from which they seemed to gain a ton of momentum on what wound up being a touchdown drive for them. Shortly after that, there was a helmet to helmet hit where a 49er defender injured a Packer receiver, but there was no call when there clearly should have been. It was so partisan, that it frankly skewed the game. Since it was such a tight game, coming down to literally the final play of the game to be decided, it felt a little too much like the officials could have decided this game. It was really outrageous, and I think that they might need to look at this game again to see why the officiating here is something to be avoided. That felt particularly true of the helmet to helmet hit that was missed. Otherwise, these were team teams that figure to be in the playoffs this season matching up and playing what turned out to be not just entertaining, but perhaps even a classic. Some players on both sides truly stood out for their brilliance. Aaron Rodgers, who had a typically great game, who passed for 261 yards and tow touchdowns, and remained composed in the fourth quarter, calmly leading his offense on key scoring drives that ultimately proved to be just enough for them to earn the win. There was George Kittles on the 49ers, who made some incredible catches and then proved very difficult for the defense to bring down, picking up some key yards after catches. Green Bay running back Aaron Jones was solid, especially in the fourth quarter, as he picked up 82 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk reminded me of Tom Rathman back in the old days of the 49ers, and that touchdown that he scored late in the fourth to put the Niners ahead was a very impressive effort. And as was already stated, it all came down to the final play, where Packers placekicker Mason Crosby kicked a 51-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights, giving the Packers their second consecutive win, and now sole possession of first place in the NFC North even after a disastrous blowout loss to New Orleans to start the season. This was the first loss suffered by the previously unbeaten 49ers, who fall to 2-1 on the year. Again, what a game! My pick: Inaccurate      

MNF: Dallas 41, Philadelphia 21 - This was a rather thorough ass-kicking. The Cowboys may have lost the first game of the season in Tampa (albeit just barely), but they have gotten things right since. They won last weekend on the road in Los Angeles against the Chargers to notch their first win of the season, and then they beat the Eagles in the first division showdown for them of this season. Philadelphia did manage to score some points, but not nearly enough, obviously. One thing for sure: the Dallas offense looks solid to this point in the season, and rank as one of the highest scoring teams in the NFC. They also are alone in first place in the NFC East, at least for the moment. As for the Eagles, an impressive showing on opening weekend by blowing out the Falcons in Atlanta has now given way to two consecutive losses. It will not get too easy for the Eagles in the next game, either, as they host the Chiefs next. Meanwhile, the Cowboys will host the Panthers this coming weekend, in what has to be considered a big NFC showdown, quite unexpectedly. Some people surely pegged the 'Boys as a playoff team, but most likely, very, very few people would have predicted a 3-0 start by Carolina. I certainly was not expecting it. My pick: Accurate           

🇫🇷 Paris de Nuit Altered Pictures 🇫🇷

 

Shortly after the 2019 European trip, I published almost all of the pictures that I had taken. That included the ones that looked the best to my eyes.

There was one thing that I wanted to do: make some alterations. In some cases, they were simple alterations, like the one of my son and me in front of the Eiffel Tower, but which had come out crooked. In most other cases, particularly of the most beautiful sites, I wanted to try and alter them by making them black and white, in order to give them a vintage feel. Black and white photos (as well as Sepia) really lend pictures an entirely different feel. This is true of both still and motion pictures. Just look at Schindler's List. That is a movie that it feels would have lost some of it's artistic qualities and dramatic effects had in been done in standard color. In black and white, it works to perfection. Not that I am comparing these pictures to that movie. But pictures of European cities often feel far more dramatic and quaint, paradoxically, when in black and white. 

However, my phone was overloaded at that point. I had used up too much data, and my storage space was left to a bare minimum. This prevented me from being able to make these changes, and that felt annoying. I kept trying to free up space, but nothing seemed to work properly.

Until very recently. It was not even on my phone anymore. Most of these pictures were already published here on my blog page. I saved them to another computer which has solid photo alteration functions that went beyond almost everything that I could do on my phone. 

Finally, I got the chance to make some alterations. And while these are not necessarily the only ones of Paris that I will change, or even of Paris at night, it still seemed like it would be good to begin to actually publish some of these pictures.

So, here are some black and white pictures of Paris at night:

⚽️ PSG Keeps Rolling With Another Win To Stay Perfect This Season ⚽️

 ⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain   ⚽️  ⚽️ 

PSG impressive start just keeps getting better.

Yesterday, PSG was in action yet again. This time, it was against Montpelier 

PSG's Idrissa Gueye broke through early, notching a goal in the 14th minute to put PSG ahead. 

That was the way that the game stayed for the duration of the first half, and then almost right up to the end of regular time.

Then, Julian Draxler scored another goal to clinch the win for PSG in the 89th minute.

For now, PSG has an incredible 10 point lead in the Ligue 1 standings, although it should be noted that second-place Olympique Marseille has only played six games, to eight played for PSG. Still, the Parisian powerhouse has accumulated the maximum of 24 points in eight games played, and have a goal differential of +15. Those are mighty impressive numbers, and certainly at the moment, you would have to say that they look destined to win the Ligue 1 title this year, barring injuries or some difficult to imagine collapse. 

🏈 Rutgers Loses Hard Fought Battle at Michigan 🏈

 

Michigan 20, Rutgers 13

My alma mater, Rutgers University, battled under difficult circumstances, but ultimately suffered a tough loss at Michigan yesterday.

After an undefeated 3-0 start, Rutgers was hoping to pull off what would have been an incredible upset win against one of the traditional powerhouses in college football, and at the largest stadium in the country, at least in terms of seating capacity.

Michigan, the 19th ranked team in the nation, dominated the first half, but Rutgers battled back in the second half, and made a game of it.

Still, in the end, they fell short, so that means it was a mixed bag. They played well and fought hard, and had Michigan sweating and needing to work to preserve the win. Unfortunately, though, the thing that people remember is whether or not you win or lose. And Rutgers did lose.

Still, it was a solid showing. Next up for Rutgers is playing host to the 10th ranked team in the nation, and another traditional college powerhouse, Ohio State. 

Let's go Scarlet Knights!

🏈 2021-22 NFL Week 3 Preview: Two Big Clashes Between NFC Elites This Weekend 🏈

      

🏈🏈🏈🏈

Atlanta at NY Giants - Two winless teams square off, each trying to get their first win of the season. Neither obviously wants to leave this game with an 0-3 record. The Falcons feel like they are bottoming out right now, with two consecutive blowout losses. The Giants showed some signs of life in their last game, which was a week and a half ago, so they should be well rested. That, plus home field advantage, really should be enough to carry them, finally, to earn their first win of this season. My pick: NYG

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh - Both teams are coming off disappointing first losses of the season. If the Bengals want to prove that they have turned a corner, there would be no better team to prove themselves against than the Steelers, especially in Pittsburgh. No other team has tormented Cincy for as long and as consistently as the Steelers have. However, my suspicion is that this is too steep of a test, and too early for Cincy. So I am sticking with the home team to win here. My pick: Pittsburgh

Chicago at Cleveland - This should be a good game. The Bears showed some signs of life with a win last weekend. However, the Browns entered this season with some serious expectations, and thus far, they have played well. They almost had the Chiefs, and then outright won last weekend. I expected that the hometown Browns entertain their fans with a solid win in this one, pulling away a bit in the second half. My pick: Cleveland

Indianapolis at Tennessee - This is likely the first big showdown in the AFC South. It seems too early to suggest that the division title is on the line in Week 3, but one thing is for sure: the Colts cannot afford to lose this game. Should the Titans win, they likely will hold the lead outright in the division, and would have put some cushion between themselves and the Colts, the team that I suspect is their most serious rival in the division. Yet, I will go with the Colts. My pick: Indy

LA Chargers at Kansas City - The Chiefs barely escaped with a win in Week 1 against Cleveland, then lost a heartbreaker last week at Baltimore. However, they should have more than enough to beat their division rival Chargers at Arrowhead. My pick: Kansas City

Arizona at Jacksonville - Arizona is looking to reach an impressive 3-0 start, and they go down to Florida to take on a team that has lost 17 straight games. With the dangerous offense and an improved defense, as well as likely a ton of momentum, the Cardinals should prove to be the better team here, while the Jaguars continue to try to find themselves. my pick: Arizona

Washington at Buffalo - So far I have picked the Bills every week, and that will not change this week, either. Washington did win against the G-Men, but going up to Buffalo to take on one of the best teams in the league is another matter altogether. The Bills should find the offense to score some serious points, and their defense will be fired up to prove that shutting out the Fins last week was no fluke. Hard to see how Washington can win this one, quite frankly. My pick; Buffalo

Baltimore at Detroit - Man, the Lions just cannot get a break. They are already 0-2, and could use a weak team on their schedule to collect their first win. But this is the third week, and it feels like they have only played playoff contenders so far this season. I suspect that the Ravens will do enough to win this one outright for an important road win. My pick: Baltimore

New Orleans at New England - Neither of these teams are what they were just a few seasons ago. However, the Pats are coming off a dominant road win against Gang Green, and they should be able to carry forth and gain momentum on the season with a second straight win by a Saints team that will likely have a hard time this afternoon. My pick: New England

Miami at Las Vegas - The Dolphins got seriously humbled last week, getting shutout in a blowout loss to the Bills. The Raiders, meanwhile, are flying high, and see an awesome opportunity to get their record to climb to 3-0. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be able to, either. My pick: Las Vegas

NY Jets at Denver - Gang Green played well in a loss in the first weekend, and then got squashed last week at home against New England. Now, playing in the thin air at Mile High, the Jets hope to take off. But it seems that these are two teams going in the opposite direction. Look for the still unbeaten home team to ground take off for the Jets offense, and to improve to 3-0. My pick: Denver

Tampa Bay at LA Rams - Most likely the biggest game of this week, if not of this season so far. This should be a good one between two of the teams that figure to be heavyweights in the playoff picture. Could be a preview of the NFC Championship, although we shall see. I figure that the Rams defense will do just enough to squeeze out a narrow win at home against Brady and the defending champs. My pick: LA Rams

Seattle at Minnesota - The Seahawks were disappointed to lose to the Titans at home last weekend. They now face a winless Vikings team desperate to take their first game of the season. They almost won a game, but almost does not count for much in the NFL. This is going to be a tight game, but I suspect that the home team is overdue for a win this season. My pick: Minnesota

SNF: Green Bay at San Francisco - It seems that these two teams often rank among the top teams in the NFC. For a while there in the 1990's and early 2000's, it felt like the Packers owned this rivalry. But right now, the advantage feels like it belongs to the 49ers, who won three playoff meetings between these two teams from 2012 - 2019. Look for the 49ers to earn a decent home win. My pick: San Francisco

MNF: Philadelphia at Dallas - Another difficult contest to pick. These two teams are so familiar with one another, that it feels unlikely that either will shock the other team with anything. Dallas earned their first win on the road in LA last weekend, and should follow that up with a solid home win for their loyal fans, and first place in the NFC East as a result. My pick: Dallas

Rare French Car Spotted on American Roadway

Surprisingly, I saw a French car yesterday. It was on the road....well, sort of. As you can see in the picture, it was being transported. It is a Citroën DS. While I have seen some Citroën 2CV's on multiple occasions, both here and in Canada, and my father actually owns a Citroën Traction Avant (it certainly has seen bette days, and has not moved in many, many years), I had never seen a Citroën DS anywhere in North America before, at least not to my best memory.

It came as a surprise, and a pleasant one, just minutes after picking my girlfriend up from Newark Airport after two weeks visiting her family in Poland. We were driving westbound on I-78 when we saw this. At first, I thought it looked like a Citroën DS, but dismissed the idea, since it seemed so improbable. But as I got closer, I saw the distinctive logo of the Citroën brand (two upside down V's), and was excited to finally see one on this side of the Atlantic.

Thought it qualified as important enough to post, since it is such a rarity. 

Enjoy!

Picture of My Aunt in France

 

Here is a picture of my aunt from France. I believe this is from their home, or former home, in Leffond, which is part of a village named Champlitte. It is in eastern France, near a small city named Gray, and not very far from Dijon, or the German border, for that matter.

Not sure the year when this picture was taken, although I believe it is from the 1990's. Also, I cannot really be certain who the little boy is, unfortunately. 

Trip Down South Day 7: Driving Through Mississippi, Never Ending Alabama, Arriving in Tennessee, Departing For Newark

The final day of the trip was almost purely functional. It consisted of driving. Some of the driving was done right after the New Orleans Saints game, and we had made it to Mississippi by maybe around 9:45 or 10pm, give or take. By maybe around 11:30pm, we got a notification from our GPS that the highway that we were traveling on was closed because of an automobile accident. We took the recommended trip around the accident, but it added something like forty-five minutes to the trip. 

Wonderful.

There was one cool thing that happened in Mississippi. I wanted to make sure to get gas as often as possible, not knowing when the next time that we could get gas would be. Just as an aside, I need not have worried, because they have unmanned gas stations that are open 24/7, where you put your credit card in and then pump the gas. But I did not know that. So maybe around 10:13 or 10:30 (maybe a little later), I stopped at a gas station and began to pump gas. I was going to go inside and get a snack, but a woman who worked there looked at me and asked if I wanted free pizza. She said that they were going to throw it out, so it would be better to give it away then throw it away. I said sure, and my son and I had a full dinner of pizza and something called Tornadoes, which I had never heard of before, but which were actually pretty good. A very nice gesture. 

So we drove. On the way down, it felt like Mississippi felt like it took forever to get through. This time, it was Alabama. I don't even know when we crossed over, precisely. I saw a sign at some point for the Alabama state line in five miles, perhaps a quarter to one in the morning. But there was no obvious point where we crossed, no "Welcome to" sign or anything. I just remember reaching a fork, and seeing that it was an Alabama highway, according to the GPS, which also usually tells you that you crossed into a new state. Not on this night, however.

We drove through small towns. I had expected to drive on the interstate, and while on some levels, it was cool to go through some of the local towns, it also added to the time. Also, I figured there might be a better chance that we might see police, so I tried to keep the speeds more or less down. 

We drove. And we drove. And we drove. There were some towns of fair size, but mostly, it was farms. There was fog, and it was a lot chillier than I had expected it to be. In New Orleans, it was hot, both day and night, and I figured Mississippi and Alabama would be the same way. But it was not. It was cool, even chilly at some points, dipping down to the sixties. 

There was a national forest that we went through at one point, which was pretty cool. Eventually, we got to northern Alabama, and saw some signs for Huntsville, where the Crimson Tide play. Then finally, maybe around five in the morning or just before, we reached Tennessee. I drove until we got to within thirty or so miles of Nashville, and then pulled into a truck stop to get just a little bit of shut eye. Maybe one hour and change later, we got up and finished the final leg of the trip to the airport.

No issues with the flight, and we got back to Newark when expected.

One more trip for my son and I was not in the books.

Memphis at Night 

Civil Rights Museum, Memphis  

Little Rock, Arkansas

 

Mobile, Alabama  

Pensacola Beach, Florida  

Airboat Tour Near New Orleans, Louisana  

The French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré, New Orleans  

 

New Orleans Night Shots:

New Orleans Superdome (Saints vs. Jaguars):

Welcome To (State) Signs: