NFL Cherry Picks W15: ♪ Oh By Gosh By Golly, It’s Time For Favorites & Football Folly ♫

For most fans who heavily vest in NFL 2017-18, they’ve three favorite things come the holiday season: 1) A matriculatory quarteback to run their team’s offense, i.e., can move the chains & master the red-zone, 2) A defense that plays the whole 60, and 3) a head coach who values both (1&2) and won’t over-identify with players, press or sabrmetrics (See; Bill Belichick).

I’m a fan and heavily-vested myself but won’t put all my ‘favorite’ eggs in one basket (NFL – NCAA), especially when that basket puts consumers lowest on their totem-pole of valued assets. My favorite things at Christmas time are more numerous than cars that fill a 5:30p Walmart parking lot in early December.

Not “raindrops on roses” or “whiskers on kittens” mind you. I leave that kind of imagery to the talents of Mary Martin and Julie Andrews as they nurtured their youthful yodelers in the pre-War Austrian Alps: Yodel-ay-hee-hoo!

No, instead, my favorite Yultide feelings emanate largely from the traditional and classic holidays sounds of Christmas royalty like Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jo Stafford, the Sinatras, Al Hirt, Vaughn Monroe, Jack Jones, Barbara Streisand, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Peggy Lee, Neil Diamond, Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald and Gene Autry, just to name a few.

Nothing spikes the egg-nog of emotions like the music of the holiday season. There’s no other time of the year, no other genre of melodies, carols and orchestrations so packed full of cheer-ful, “soulsome (Curtis)” and sentimental sounds as the months of (late) November and December.

Sure, by month’s end we’re all pretty well saturated with the season’s messages in manger and money and then all the motoring, mingling and the melodies too (Sirius 2017 favorites: Classic: JamesGalway (flute) & ScottKritzer (guitar); Traditional: TonyBennett & Mele Kalikimaka), but as that great American saying goes, ‘better to eat too much turkey than none at all.’

My Favorite Things

♫ Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet ♫

Sport: football, outside, daytime, frigid (15°+) and no wind. I’d not suffer even my worst enemy that bone-chilling winter breeze

Athlete: Any footballer who refuses (@ 20°+) to don sticky (cheat) gloves

NFL coach: Bill Belichick. A favorite press-conference retort in deflection Jr. reporter criticism of Bill’s non-devotion to metrics: “You (reporter) could attend Northeastern Analytics Conference, get your fill of it there”

NFL team colors: MinnesotaVikings

NFL team logo: WashingtonRedskins

NFL venue: SoldierField, ChicagoBears (1924)

NCAA team logo: Longhorns, University of Texas-Austin

Christmas film: ItsAWonderfulLife (46), RKO-Liberty, FrankCapra

Holiday song: WinterWonderland, J.Mathis (58), Bernard & Smith (34)

♫ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♫

Voice: WhiteChristmas, Crosby – Trotter – Darby (42), Berlin

Pop: ItsTheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear, Williams – Pola & Wyle (63)

Rock: JingleBellRock, B.Helms, H.Garland & Kerr – Beal & Boothe (57)

Rockette: RockinAroundTheChristmasTree, BrendaLee, J.Marks (58)

Tribal: IllBeHomeForChristmas, J.Vale (64), Kent – Gannon – Ram

Guitar: AwayInTheManger, ScottKritzer, USA-in-origin, author (?)

Global: OTannenbaum, Nat King Cole (60) & Army, Anschütz & Franck

Film: HaveYourself, MeetMeInStLouis, J.Garland, Martin-Drake (44)

Duet: SteveLawrence and EydieGormé, That Holiday Feeling (64)!

Wife’s song: BabyIt’sColdOutside: Jones & Matthews (99), Loesser (44)

♫ Tiny tots with eyes all a-glow ♫

Kid: SantaClausIsCominToTown, R.Conniff (59), Coots & Gillespie

Hymn: JoyToTheWorld, PhiladelphiaBrass (67), Watt – Handel

Orchestra: SleighRide, BostonPops, Fiedler (49), Anderson & M.Parish

Aria: SheepMaySafelyGraze, BostonPops, Fiedler, J.S.Bach (1713)

Jazz: CoolYule, LouisArmstrong & Commanders, SteveAllen (53)

Original: JingleBells, Sammy Davis Jr., JamesLordPierpont (1857)

Blues: IveGotMyLoveToKeepMeWarm, Holiday (37), Stafford (56), Berlin

Humor: YoureAMeanOneMrGrinch, Ravenscroft & Geisel – Hague (66)

Warm: ItsAMarshmallowWorld, Dean Martin (66), Sigman & DeRose

Glow: RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer; Martino (64), Horne (66), Marks

♫ Thumpety thump-thump, thumpety thump-thump ♫

Hot: SantaBaby, EarthaKitt, J.Javits & P.Springer (53)

Cold: FrostyTheSnowman, Patti Page – Rollins & Nelson (50)

Hope: TheresAlwaysTomorrow, Rudolph (TV ‘64), JanisOrenstein

Waltz: Nutcracker, WaltzOfTheFlowers, Ormendy, Tchaikovsky (1892)

Interpretative: Nutcracker, DukeEllington (60), Tchaikovsky (1892)

Imitation: Carrie – KingOfQueens: SantaBaby & MarshmallowWorld

Swing: TheLittleDrummerBoy, CountBasieOrchestra, Davis

Elvis: HereComesSantaClaus, E.Presley (57), Haldeman & Autry

Beatles: HappyXmas (SoThisIs…), J.Lennon – Y.Ono & HCC (71)

Instrumental: VinceGuaraldiTrio, A Charlie Brown Christmas (65)

Chorus: WeNeedALittleChristmas, PercyFaith – J. Herman (66)

♫ Fire’s dyin’ but we’re still good-byin’ ♫

Christmas toy: TudorElectricFootball

Holiday TV: 3-way tie with RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer (64), A Charlie Brown Christmas (65) and DrSeussHowTheGrinchStoleChristmas (66)

Commercial spot: AndréChampagne, “Ring in the holidays (1970-80s)”

Holiday snack: Salt: nut (pistachio) & seed (pepitas); Sweet (cocoa 70%)

Dinner: Baked ham, twice-baked potatoes, corn niblets & chill Chardonnay

Good Cheer: Retail: BaileysIrishCream; Homemade: brandy spiked egg-nog

Holiday supplement: Boswellia (frankenincense)

Date: The day NFL votes to sever ties with Nike (Color-Rush) & TNF (ugh)

NFL Cherry Picks Week 15

Bolts @ KC: 12.16 NFLN 8:30: Chiefs
Pack @ Carolina: 12.17 Fox 1:00: Cats
Dolphins @ Buffalo: CBS 1:00: Miami
Arizona @ Washington: Fox 1:00: Cards
Philadelphia @ NewYork: Fox 1:00: NYG
NewYork @ NewOrleans: CBS 1:00: Saints
LosAngeles @ Seattle: Fox 4:05: Seahawks
New England @ Steelers: CBS 4:25: Pats
Cowboys @ Oakland: NBC 8:30: Raiders
Falcons @ Tampa: 12.18 Disney: Atlanta

Record: 57 – 45

Steven Keys
NFL HunchLine
Photo credit: NFL-symbol, wikiproject, 2011; C.Plummer, J.Andrews, wc, SoM, 1964, 20CF; Sound-of-Music-theater, M.Martin, wc.cca, 1959, T.Frissell; Armstrong, wc, LoC, NYWT, 1953; A-Charlie-Brown-Christmas, J.Flannery, USPS, 2015; Tudor-Electric-Football, wc, 1974, J.Mena; cherries, wc, B.Kua, 6.1.08; WillieWood, ToppsChewingGum, 1970
Posted: 12.15 @ 3:22pE; Copyright © 2017

NFL16 Cherry Picks W16: Holiday Pigskin, Christmas Songs & My Favorite Things

Minute Waltz – NFL Week 15

Sherman on TNF = “poopfest.” Classy, but what took ya’ so long, Dick?

LA – Seattle: Rams helmets rocked but the game, and Hawks uniforms, color that looked “a cross between piss yellow and puke green,” that was all fertilizer.

No tears for axed Jeff Fisher but cow-pies for Jr.-media who campaigned.

Mike Zimmer might wish he’d had patches over both eyes (Colts win!).

Pack peaks at perfect time (CHI) and showed shades of Chandler (Crosby).

Sooooo sticky-glove: Garment game-changers aid Odell’s TD grab (DET).

To NFL GameDay Live: No more on-air Michael Jackson “love”-fest.

— — —

My Favorite Things

No “raindrops on roses” or “whiskers on kittens” in this write. No siree, Bob. That kinda’ imagery is just fine when it emanates from the beautiful & talented Mary Martin and Julie Andrews as they nurtured their youthful yodelers in the pre-War Austrian Alps, but not from this blogisphere burgermeister.

Instead, fasten that imaginary seat-belt, tune in gold standard sounds of Xmas royalty like Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe, Sammy Davis, Sinatras, Jo Stafford, Al Hirt, Jack Jones, Barb Streisand, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Peggy Lee, Neil Diamond, Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald or Gene Autry and page through this sport fan’s Yuletide album of holiday favorites.

Among those favorites, America’s greatest music genre that takes center-stage throughout the month of December, getting continuous playtime in nearly every faithful home & spirited store in the land. Though, for some, maybe those who Santa disappointed or have begun to see the season’s activity start to appear on their credit card bills, the season’s songs begin to overstay their welcome (grate on the nerves) by the month’s end. Ah.

And you won’t see Blue Christmas or Mele Kalikimaka here, either. Sirius favorites this 2016 holiday season, my song list is already jam-packed.

♫ Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet ♫

Sport: Yule football, outside, daytime, cold (15°+), no promotions and won on a scoring bomb

Athlete: That baller who refuses (@ 20°+) to don cheat (sticky) gloves and realizes that his personal success turns, in measurable part, on team

NFL coach: New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick. A favorite press-conference retort in deflecting a cub reporter‘s criticism of Bill’s non-devotion to metrics strategy: “You (reporter) could attend Northeastern Analytics Conference, get your fill of it there”

NFL team: In the Black & Blue division (NFCN)

College team(s): Wildcats, Northwestern (Ill.) and Arizona (Tucson)

Christmas film: Holiday Affair, Mitchum – Leigh – Corey – Morgan (49)

Song: Winter Wonderland, Johnny Mathis (58) – Bernard & Smith

♫ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♫

Voice: White Christmas, Bing Crosby, Trotter Orchestra & Darby Singers (42),  Irving Berlin

Pop: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year, Andy Williams – Pola & Wyle (63)

Rock: Jingle Bell Rock, Bobby Helms, Hank Garland & Anita Kerr Quartet – Beal & Boothe (57)

Rockette: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee, Johnny Marks (58)

Tribal: I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Jerry Vale (64), Kent – Gannon – Ram

Global: O Tannenbaum, Nat King Cole (60) & Army Band, Anschütz & Franck

Film song: Have Yourself, Meet Me in St. Louis, Judy Garland – Martin (44)

Duet: Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, That Holiday Feeling album (64)!

♫ Tiny tots with eyes all a-glow ♫

Kid: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Ray Coniff Singers (59), Coots & Gillespie

Hymn: Joy to the World, Philadelphia Brass Ensemble (67), Watt – Handel

Orchestra: Sleigh Ride, Boston Pops (49), Fiedler – Leroy Anderson & Mitchell Parish

Jazz: Cool Yule, Louis Armstrong & Commanders – Steve Allen (53)

Blues: I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Billie Holiday (58), Berlin

Fun: You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch, Ravenscroft & Geisel – Hague (66)

Warm: It’s a Marshmallow World, Dean Martin (66), Sigman & DeRose

Glow: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Lena Horne (66), John Marks

♫ Thumpety thump-thump, thumpety thump-thump ♫

Hot: Santa Baby, Kitt – Javits & P.Springer (53)

Cold: Frosty the Snowman, Patti Page – Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson (50)

Hope: There’s Always Tomorrow, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV (64)), Janis Orenstein

Swing: The Little Drummer Boy, Count Basie Orchestra (15), K.Davis

Elvis: Here Comes Santa Claus, Presley (57), Haldeman & Autry

Beatles: Happy Xmas (So This is…), J.Lennon – Y.Ono – HCC (71)

Instrumental: Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas (65)

Chorus: We Need a Little Christmas, Percy Faith – J. Herman (66)

♫ Fire’s dying but we’re still good-bying ♫

Christmas toy: Tudor Electric Football

Holiday TV: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (64), A Charlie Brown Christmas (65) and Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas (66)

TV spot: André Champagne, “Ring in the holidays (1970-80s)”

Holiday snack: Salty, Pistachios & cashews; Sweety, dark chocolate & fruit

Dinner: Baked ham, twice-baked potatoes, corn niblets & chilled Chardonnay

Good Cheer: Retail: Baileys Irish Cream; Homemade: brandy spiked egg-nog

Date: The day Nike’s NFL contract terminates (See; Color Rush, Bucs, etc.)

Cherry Picks Week 16: Lambeau hosts Bad Blood II

NYG (10-4) @ Eagles (5-9): 12.22 NBC 8:25: Eagles win
Miami (9-5) @ Buffalo (6-8): 12.24 CBS 1:00: Bills win
Titans (8-6) @ Jags (2-12): CBS 1:00: Jacksonville wins
Minnesota Vikes (7-7) @ Green Bay Packers (8-6): Fox 1:00: Pack wins
Washington Redskins (7-6-1) @ Chicago Bears (3-11): Fox 1:00: Bears win
Atlanta Falcons (9-5) @ Panthers (6-8) GTW: Fox 1:00: Carolina wins
Indianapolis Colts (7-7) @ Oakland Raiders (11-3): CBS 4:05: Colts win
Tampa Bay Bucs (9-5) @ Saints (6-8) GTW: Fox 4:25: New Orleans wins
Arizona Cardinals (5-8-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1): Fox 4:25: Hawks win
Cincinnati Bengals (5-8-1) @ Houston Texans (8-6): NBC 8:25: Cincy wins
Baltimore (8-6) @ Pittsburgh (9-5) GTW: 12.25 NFLN 4:30: Ravens win
Denver Broncos (8-6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (10-4): NBC 8:30: Chiefs win
Detroit (9-5) @ Cowboys (12-2) GTW: 12.26 Disney 8:30: Detroit wins

Record: 68 -80 – 2

Steven Keys
NFL HunchLine
Photo credit: Sound-of-Music-play, Martin, wc.cca, 1959, T.Frissell; Belichick, wc, K.Allison, 5.28.9; SoM, Plummer, Andrews, wc, 1964, 20CF; Armstrong, LoC, NYWT, 1953, wc; Charlie-Brown-Christmas, J.Flannery, USPS, 2015; Tudor-Electric-Football, wc, 1974, J.Mena; cherries, wc, Chirak, 6.24.7; NFL-symbol, wikiproject
Posted: 12.20.16 @ 11:32am EST; Copyright © 2016