Rangers retired Adam Graves #9 at MSG last night

Yes puck fans, The New York Rangers retired Adam Graves' #9 last night in a ceremony at MSG that seemed a bit odd to Johnny. First off, Adam Graves is a great human being. No problems with his number hanging in MSG after only 10 years with the club as a player. His community outreach is wonderful. Johnny does wonder though about the cast of the Sopranos being featured. Sure Graves loves the Sopranos but really, what's that got to do with hockey? You bet Lorraine Bracco looked smoking hot, but again, we missed the episode where Christopher and Paulie wandered out of New Jersey's Pine Barrens to catch a Rangers game at MSG.

Never in all his days has Johnny seen one franchise get more mileage out of ONE season than the Rangers do 1994. You'd think that was the only year the NHL ever handed out the Stanley Cup. It was a fine run, but lots of teams have had a one year run like that. The Ducks and Tampa Bay come to mind. Oh, was it because the Rags broke a 54 year cup-less streak? Well hallelujah, why wear that like some badge of honor? Treat it for what it was, an embarrassment.

So, well done and congratulations Adam Graves, you are a class act. To the planners, better luck with the Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell ceremonies later this year.

Wednesday morning news roundup

*Jersey City police are asking for your help in collecting the trash named 28 year old Anthony Williams who was the getaway driver in the bodega murder of Elisha "Elijah" Benjamin on January 22. If you have any idea where Williams, who lives near Garfield and Woodlawn is, please contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345.

*PPG, a Pittsburgh based company (it figures, Pittsburgh, blech) is being sued to clean up a Garfield Avenue site, still full of chromite where a chromite ore refinement plant stood from the 1920's until 1963. Nice and timely aren't we PPG? No worries, "hexavalent chromium" which contaminates the site is only a carcinogen. Who cares PPG, that people live near there. Try living up to your responsibilities.

*Bayonne has fired 9 non Bayonne residents for working in Bayonne (We just like saying Bayonne). The worker residency law will save the city 200 large a year. One wonders if other cities to get even would fire people who live in Bayonne? Just a thought.

Late night open thread

Tonight, a few good minutes with the incomparable Bob Newhart, here showing no mercy to Dean Martin as his straight man...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Normally the Jersey City Desk isn't all that interested in the happenings out in Morris County...

...that is until they had an earthquake yesterday. You read that right, Morris County had an earthquake centered there, a 3.0 trembler shook the good people in Morristown. Residents who felt it said it lasted from 10-12 seconds and also said it felt as if you were very close to a lightning/thunder strike.


Actually the United States Geological Survey says small earthquakes aren't that uncommon out that way, citing 50 small seismic events within 60 miles of Morristown since 1974. That's all well and good but hear us now Morris County, if you have a big earthquake, and it breaks stuff in Johnny's house, you're paying for it....

50 years ago this very night, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper gave their final performances

Even before the rickety tour bus rolled into Clear Lake Iowa on the 'Winter Dance Party' tour on February 2, 1959, Buddy Holly had decided he would try to rent a plane ride to the tour's next stop in Fargo, North Dakota. The heaters on the busses had broken several times while wind chills on the highways between no more than whistle stop concerts across the upper midwest dipped to 30 below zero. Some on the tour suffered frostbite while riding on the bus. Members of the tour huddled under blankets and whatever else they could find to stay warm. Laundry was a luxury that hadn't been done in two weeks.

When Buddy got to Clear Lake ready to play the Surf Ballroom that night, he called ahead to Dwyer's Flying Service in Mason City Iowa. He contracted a pilot named Roger Peterson. You know the rest of the story, the weather was bad, and Peterson had recently failed his instrument flying test. Instrument flying would have been most necessary on this frigid night with gusty winds and snow squalls about. About 15 minutes after the Beechcraft Bonanza took off, it crashed in Albert Juhl’s corn field, shortly before 1am on February 3rd. All four were killed on impact. If you're all about the history of this night, you can see Buddy and Richie's death certificates online at the website Find-a-Death (Buddy's and Richie's) but we warn you, it's grim.

You know your old friend Johnny would bring you a local angle on this story and here it is; Buddy's apartment building in NYC is still there, in Greenwich Village. You can walk up and see Buddy's former home at 5th Avenue and 9th Street, the Brevoort. Buddy used to like to go down to Washington Square at the fountain and play unnoticed and give tips to aspiring musicians.

Tonight, at the Surf Ballroom back in Clear Lake, they'll have a humdinger of a live show to commemorate the lives of those lost too soon. Bobby Vee, Graham Nash, Los Lobos, Wanda Jackson, Los Lonely Boys, the remaining Crickets and Maria Elena Holly, Buddy's widow will all be on hand.

Tonight is the only night you're not gonna get a late night open thread. Instead we're going to let the music of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens take you wherever it is music takes you when you're sad, reflective, melancholy, and yet grateful to those we lost 50 years ago this night.

Buddy Holly-Peggy Sue


Richie Valens-Oh Donna


The Big Bopper-Chantilly Lace

Monday morning open thread

Chit chat away citizens, talk politics, Super Bowl, Weather (1-3" of powder in Hudson County tomorrow), or perhaps Bruce Springsteens set list at the big game yesterday. We'll be back later tonight with a special retrospective on a piece of American history...

Late night open thread

State trivia night

Which state was originally called 'The Tree Planter's State' before changing it in 1945? Answer Here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Here it is, your Super Bowl open thread

Here you can talk commercials, how the coverage of the 6:30 pm game begins at noon, how much you hate the Stoolers (Mea culpa, Johnny's a Browns fan, he used to have 'Terrible Towel' toilet paper), how Cardinals QB Kurt Warner's wife looks more like a man than he does, or anything concerning the big game.

Terrible Towelie says 'Go Stoolers....wanna get high?"

Why exactly was ESPN last night PROMOTING Christianity?

Late late last night, after Johnny got done listening to the Wild Mix Radio Network, he popped on the tube before bed. ESPN was showing the 'Super Bowl Gospel Celebration'. They were, through the show, actively promoting a religion. Yes. they were. They had current and former NFL players talking about their Christian testimony. They had gospel singers singing the praises of the lord. They had ESPN reporter, employee and former NFL quarterback Shaun King taking about his wonderful life and that it was all made possible by a Christian God. Amazing.

We're not complaining about the fact there was a Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, that's fine in and of itself. If you want to go see that, go see it, we hope you have fun and get something out of it. Our question is WHY on earth is ESPN ACTIVELY promoting a religion? What business is it of their to have the NFL Players gospel choir on?. They actually had Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, a man once indicted for murder and aggravated assault and later found guilty of obstruction of justice getting jiggy on ESPN with the lord. WHY is ESPN showing this and giving away free airtime for religious programming? Aren't there already Christian themed television networks that would be happy to show this? Don't overt religious programs normally have to buy teevee time? What about Jewish workers at ESPN? Will they get a Super Bowl Synagogue hour? Will Muslim NFL players demand a program for themselves?

We have no idea what ESPN was trying to accomplish by promoting a religion on their network, we just think is was in awful taste to do so. It left a bad taste in our mouth.

Late night open thread

If you're in the mood to experience some old fashioned radio the way it used to be before corporations took over and strangled it, might we suggest tuning in late Friday and Saturday nights to the Wild Mix Radio Network. Freeform music the way you remember it, DJ's who'll play a request, and a sense of community. DJ's who know when to talk and when to play the tunes. Hopalong Howie is the man there.

Time for Jersey City After Dark