Kent Whitaker – CitizenNewsWire https://citizennewswire.com Reports from the globe Mon, 05 Apr 2021 21:41:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.9 https://i0.wp.com/citizennewswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-cnw3-e1597538475492.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Kent Whitaker – CitizenNewsWire https://citizennewswire.com 32 32 182810965 Stolen Mascot Returns to Historic Minor League Baseball Team https://citizennewswire.com/2021/04/05/stolen-mascot-returns-to-historic-minor-league-baseball-team/ Mon, 05 Apr 2021 21:36:43 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2187 It’s a story of mystery, sports trivia, and a $3,000 huge mascot head that resembles

The post Stolen Mascot Returns to Historic Minor League Baseball Team appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
It’s a story of mystery, sports trivia, and a $3,000 huge mascot head that resembles a baseball cap with massive eyes name Looie the Lookout!

Chattanooga Lookouts Minor League Baseball Team
Chattanooga Lookouts Minor League Baseball Team. image: tnvacation.com

If you’re a fan of baseball and the history of the minor leagues then you may be familiar with the historic Chattanooga Lookouts. The Tennessee Double-A team dates back to the early 1900s and is sometimes known for baseball trivia relating to Babe Ruth and Lou Gerhig.

Back in 1931, the New York Yankees played the Lookouts at Chattanooga’s Historic Engel Stadium. The Lookouts roster included a 17-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell who struck out both Gehrig and Ruth. The Lookouts have since moved to a new stadium but Engel Stadium is still in use and has become a filming location.

In the movie 42, the True Story of an American Legend Engel Stadium was used as the setting for much of the live baseball scenes filmed for the movie. It doubled for historic ballparks such as Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn which was torn down in 1960.

Lookout for Looie!

At the end of March 2021, the Lookouts front office reported to police that the offices at the new home of the lookouts since 2000, AT&T Field, were broken into. Among the items listed as stolen was the head for the mascot costume for Looie the Lookout. It is valued at $3,000 by the team.

“Looie the Lookout” image: Twitter

Rich Mozingo, President for the Lookouts, stated that Looie was not just sitting around for somebody to pick up.

“He was behind locked doors,” Mozingo said during an interview. “And, they beat those doors in.”

Other items stolen included team sports memorabilia and equipment. But Looie is what captured the attention of area residents and sports fans from across the nation. Social media posts from the Chattanooga Police department and the Lookouts started a small “Lookout for Looie” neighborhood watch campaign.

It didn’t take long for the effort to knock one out of the park! Pun intended.

Looie Returns

Enter Brian Hunter who is an electrician for the nearby Tennessee Aquarium. Both AT&T Field and the Aquarium are located in downtown Chattanooga.

“I saw something red on the side of the road back there on Powerhouse Alley,” Hunter said about his drive on the road that home run and foul balls often land on. “I heard the story yesterday and I knew to stop,” said the electrician for the Aquarium. “I looked at it and I kind of knew what it was… it was Looie.”

Mozingo said that he and others in the office were worried about the outcome.. but at the same time hoping for the best. Here’s the reason – there’s not much a thief can do with a stolen professional sports team mascot! Post one selfie on social media with a big stolen mascot head and the police will soon be paying a visit.

“Once you’ve stolen Looie’s head… what do you do with him?” Mozingo stated in an interview with local NBC news affiliate WRCB Channel 3. “There’s not a real great market for it.”

As with any good crime story, pictures of the soggy Looie head laying on the side of the road were taken. But, the Lookouts front office didn’t want to release them out of respect for Looie’s many young fans.

Looie is back in the hands of Mozingo and his staff and getting ready for home games. The question now is who took him? According to police the dollar amount of the theft could lead to felony charges. Hopefully, that mystery will be solved. And, hopefully, Lookout fans will get to see Mr. Hunter throw out the first pitch during a game this upcoming season!

The post Stolen Mascot Returns to Historic Minor League Baseball Team appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2187
Former Bengals QB Jon Kitna recalls Player Drunk during a Game https://citizennewswire.com/2021/03/15/former-bengals-qb-jon-kitna-recalls-player-drunk-during-a-game/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:19:33 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2173 If you’ve ever felt like having an adult beverage while working you’re probably not alone.

The post Former Bengals QB Jon Kitna recalls Player Drunk during a Game appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
If you’ve ever felt like having an adult beverage while working you’re probably not alone. And, it’s not unheard of for someone to show up intoxicated to their workplace. However, it’s a bit different when you’re a professional football player and it’s game day!

Former Bengals QB Jon Kitna says teammate was drunk
Former Bengals QB Jon Kitna says teammate was drunk during a game. image: USAtoday

During a recent podcast, a former NFL player commented that he remembers a teammate showing up drunk for a game. You would expect the rest of the story to mention that said player would have had a terrible day, but that’s not what happened!

Jon Kitna, a former QB for the Bengals, recently appeared on the Ryen Russillo Podcast and chatted up old times. During the interview, Kitna talked about an unnamed player showing up late before the game and then going on to have a pretty good day!

“There was a time that I played a game with a guy that was drunk in the huddle. There was a time that a guy showed up late to a game. In the NFL, you need to be there two hours, two hours, and 15 minutes ahead of time. And he showed up under an hour before the game’s start. Those are weird things, now. That’s tough. I’m not sure if the staff knew. But I think the guy was like — that was kind of his normal. I mean he was drunk and had close to 200 yards receiving now. So it was crazy.”

Kitna played with the Bengals from 2001-2005 so there’s a good chance a bunch of internet detectives is already crunching game stats during that period looking for players that had near 200 yard days.

If you thought drinking before a game was unheard of, guess again!

Several NFL players have admitted to drinking before games. Clinton Portis, former back for the Washington and Denver Clinton Portis, said that he and some other teammates would regularly have a quick swallow “of Hennessy” before the start of a game.

The admission came during an interview with the Washington Post in 2017. Portis stated that he, Santana Moss, and the late Sean Taylor would boost their “adrenaline” before games.

“Not like going out and getting sloppy wasted. Just adrenaline,” Portis said in the interview. “You know, you take a shot and you were done with it. Me, Santana, and Sean, we did this for a year and a half before anybody knew. We never told anybody. It was just, hey, here’s a little sip, bam, that was it.”

It just stands to reason that Babe Ruth couldn’t be the only professional sports figure in history that would have a swallow, or several, before hitting the field.

The post Former Bengals QB Jon Kitna recalls Player Drunk during a Game appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2173
What is the Fan Controlled Football League? https://citizennewswire.com/2021/03/03/what-is-the-fan-controlled-football-league/ Wed, 03 Mar 2021 16:25:07 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2126 Don’t blink or you could miss it! There’s a new professional football league currently playing

The post What is the Fan Controlled Football League? appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
Don’t blink or you could miss it! There’s a new professional football league currently playing games called the FCF. This seems this happens every so often, twice in the last two years, when the NFL winds down its season. Two years ago it was the Alliance of American Football that shuttered mid-season.

Fan-Controlled-Football jpg
What is the Fan Controlled Football League? image: NYPost.com

Then the reformed XFL started to play with good results before the start of the 2020 COVID pandemic. The resulting shutdown caused the league to close soon after their season started. Now it’s time for the latest league named Fan Controlled Football which is beginning to get some exposure as the season progresses.

So… what the heck is Fan Controlled Football?

Fan Controlled Football is an indoor football league with roots dating back to 2008 when comedian Steve Hofstetter floated a satirical business concept of a fan-controlled baseball team. The idea went through several generations and eventually moved from satire to a working business model.

According to the official site, FCF.io, this incarnation started in 2015 when the group purchased an indoor team in Salt Lake City and applied the fan control idea to the team. Fans helped pick the name – Screaming Eagles – as well as the uniforms and other aspects of running a team. That included everything from coaching hires to recruiting players and “what beer we had on tap” during games.

It also created a chance to test out how fans could sit at home, or from anywhere, and watch games on devices while interacting with their team. Now, the term “armchair quarterback” may be real.

The FCF is a four-team league that is playing a short season in a bubble environment outside of Atlanta in Duluth, Georgia. Games are 7 on 7 and played on a 50-yard field with no goalposts inside Infinite Energy Arena. Games are televised live on Twitch and VENN.

What Makes FCF Different

Will the FCF survive or will it hit the same fate as other leagues in the past? Going up against the NFL is a tough thing to do. That’s why the FCF may stick around for more than one season – they are not trying to be another version of the NFL.

COSTS: First, payroll is not as expensive as a normal football team as there are not as many players. There are no kickers and no special teams. Players make somewhere around $750 bucks a week plus room and board.

TIME: games are shorter averaging about an hour which is perfectly geared towards a modern society with changing TV viewing patterns.

SEASON: Other leagues have tried to mimic the NFL with full schedules of sixteen games, playoff games, and a Championship. The FCF has a short season and a Championship game. Granted, if there are more seasons to follow that schedule will probably increase. This year the format is being tested – expect rule and other modifications – something the NFL is not good at doing in a timely matter.

FANS: The biggest difference between the NFL and the FCF is the role that fans play in the league. With the NFL, and leagues that have tried to compete with them using the NFL format, the idea is to have fans as spectators and consumers. That may be the same for the FCF but the fans can now take an active role in how the game is played while the game is in progress!

It looks like the FCF will complete its inaugural season of four games with two post-season games. That’s something both the Alliance of American Football and the XFL failed to do. Hopefully, an expanded version will kick off in 2022… wait… scratch that. As mentioned above – there are no kickoffs.

The post What is the Fan Controlled Football League? appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2126
Derrike Cope Returns to Daytona 500 at Age 62 https://citizennewswire.com/2021/02/08/derrike-cope-returns-to-daytona-500-at-age-62/ Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:15:24 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2079 Derrike Cope won his first NASCAR Cup Series race back in 1990. And it was

The post Derrike Cope Returns to Daytona 500 at Age 62 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
Derrike Cope won his first NASCAR Cup Series race back in 1990. And it was a big one – the Daytona 500. Racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr was only several hundred yards from taking the green flag when tire-issues slowed him. Cope was there to make the pass and the rest is history.

Derrike Cope NASCAR
Derek Cope waves to the crowd at the 2014 Gardner Denver 200 event at Road America. image: Wikimedia Commons

That was thirty years ago, and now Cope is set to make his return to the site of his first Cup victory at the age of 62. He’ll be piloting the No. 15 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing complete with a NASCAR Charter.

A NASCAR Charter means the car is automatically in the field and does not have to race in during the Dual Qualifying races or rely on qualifying day speed. For Cope, the return is one he’s been looking for even though he still works as Team Manager for StarCom Racing.

“After you win it, you feel you can go back and win it again,” Cope said during a Zoom interview with reporters. “Every time you go there, you feel that way. I still feel that way.”

Cope noted that he’s aged, but that’s not going to be a factor for him. He says his job is to go out on February 14th and have fun and race hard for the team.

“I don’t have to prove anything,” Cope said. “I don’t have to go down there and worry about anything. I will just go down there and have fun and race the car and hopefully get to 180 laps (of the 200-lap race) before I have to go to battle.”

Final NASCAR Cup Series Start

Cope has not been away from NASCAR since he stopped racing full-time. He raced part-time, owned a team, worked with driver development, and more. But following the 2021 Daytona 500, his last start in the 500 came in 2004, he says this may be the time to hang up his Cup Series helmet permanently.

But, he’s still going to race as hard as he can.

“I will go to Daytona and if I do make it to the end … and be in a position to race hard, they’ll know I’m there. The one thing I have always done is I’m not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid of mixing it up. I’m not afraid of pushing and shoving. I’m not afraid of wrecking.”

Too Old?

Don’t bring up his age. Cope says he’s ready and aware of the skills needed to race. In classic NASCAR driver form, Cope ran down the things a driver looks at when preparing a race.

“I really don’t care what other people think. If I did, I probably wouldn’t be in this position. So, honestly, it’s really about what I want. – Going to a place like Daytona, certainly, I think is a lot more mental and understanding the air and what type of runs, what type of surges the car will get, assessing your car, making good conscious decisions, driving within yourself,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think we obviously have a lot of guys that don’t do that.”

As for older drivers in the Daytona 500, Cope is fifteen years older than any other driver in the field. But he’s not the oldest to run in the Super Bowl of NASCAR racing.

  • Mark Thompson was 66 years old when he finished just outside the top-twenty during the 2018 Daytona 500. He crossed the start/finish line in the 22nd spot.
  • Dave Marcis raced in 33 Daytona 500’s His last run in the Great American Race came when he was 60 in 2002 where he finished 42nd due to his engine going bad.
  • At age 72, Morgan Shepherd passed his physical for the 2014 Daytona 500 but failed to qualify. Never count Shepherd out, he raced in two Cup Series races that same season.

A Gift

Cope is set to make NASCAR history if he can pull off the win. But it’s not something he was planning on doing. In fact, the whole thing was a surprise gift after a NASCAR Cup Series career that included two wins and 427 starts beginning in 1982.

According to Cope, racing in the Daytona 500 once more was a surprise from his wife, Elyshia – who is the Marketing Director for StarCom Racing, and the team’s owners.  “I wasn’t privy to. … It was a gift. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve loved Daytona. I felt like that if I was going to end things I’d like to be doing it there.”

The post Derrike Cope Returns to Daytona 500 at Age 62 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2079
The Santa Clause – Trivia bits and Easter Eggs in the Tim Allen Movie https://citizennewswire.com/2020/12/17/the-santa-clause-trivia-bits-and-easter-eggs-in-the-tim-allen-movie/ Thu, 17 Dec 2020 13:01:00 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2033 The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen, was released in 1994 to generally good reviews and

The post The Santa Clause – Trivia bits and Easter Eggs in the Tim Allen Movie appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen, was released in 1994 to generally good reviews and has since become a Christmas classic! The film garnished two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause which came out in 2006. Each was a financial success but didn’t live up to the original according to critics.

the santa clause
Tim Allen in The Santa Clause – a Christmas Classic. image: Disney+

The movie is packed with quotable lines and memorable moments, however, there are some hidden items inserted into this Christmas movie classic as well! This made for a movie that is ripe for those that love cinematic trivia. The hidden items are commonly called “Easter Eggs” by movie lovers – referring to a neat thing hidden in plain sight… like a colored Easter egg.

But, before we get to the Easter Eggs… let’s touch on some fun trivia related to the Santa Clause franchise.

  • The leading role (Scott Calvin) played by Tim Allen was written with Bill Murray in mind for the lead role according to reports. Murray declined the offer, later saying it did not fit his humor.
  • Charlie, Scott Calvin’s son, was played by Eric Loyd who filmed the first movie with quickly placed fake teeth. The young actor had a few teeth knocked out just before shooting began.
  • The original film was made mostly in Canada instead of Chicago, and was filmed during the summer instead of the winter.
  • The first film in the series did not have a villain. The second two did.
  • Legendary actor Peter Boyle appeared in all three films – but played two different roles. He was Scott Calvin’s boss in the first film but took the role of Father Time in the two sequels.

And now for some hidden Easter Eggs that are contained in the Santa Clause.

  • Many people have noticed the elves that appear at the end of the movie dressed as neighborhood children. They watch as Santa (Scott Calvin) launches his sleigh from a rooftop while neighbors and police watch.

    In fact, the movie is packed with hidden elves! One is in Charlie’s class during Show and Tell, an elf is at Denny’s when Scott and Charlie are dining out, another elf can be seen walking by during Charlie’s soccer game… and there are more throughout the original film!
  • The director, John Pasquin, originally was semi-reluctant to do the picture. But, during shooting must have realized a classic was in the making. He hid in plain sight as an extra. He’s subject “Santa No. 6” in the police line-up.
  • There is a shout out to Allen’s TV series Home Improvement. After putting the turkey fire out in the kitchen, Allen – as Scott – states in the voice of his ‘Tim – the Tool Man Taylor’ character says, “And that’s why it’s important to have a high-quality fire extinguisher right in the kitchen.”
  • When Charlie and Scott sail past the moon in Santa’s sleigh, the moon in the background features a silhouette of Mickey Mouse.
  • When Scott and Charlie land at the Noth Pole for the first time, an elf appears from behind a snowbank and enters a code to allow entry. That code is “1239” which is the same date that Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer was created – December 1939  or 12/39.

The are many more fun trivia bits available for the Santa Clause and its two sequels. But, watching for hidden elves in the original movie should keep you busy for a while!

The post The Santa Clause – Trivia bits and Easter Eggs in the Tim Allen Movie appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2033
How Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, King Kong, and the Coneheads are Related https://citizennewswire.com/2020/12/05/how-rudolf-the-red-nosed-reindeer-king-kong-and-the-coneheads-are-related/ Sun, 06 Dec 2020 04:30:42 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=2004 It all started in 1964! That’s when Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-animation Rankin/Bass production

The post How Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, King Kong, and the Coneheads are Related appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
It all started in 1964! That’s when Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-animation Rankin/Bass production Co. Christmas classic was made. The short Christmas animation narrated by Burl Ives is now a staple for many during Holiday TV viewing.

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. image: CBS

But, did you know there’s a connection between Rudolf, King Kong, and even the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live (SNL)?

The Back Story

Rankin/Bass was founded in 1960 as Videocraft International by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. The company used production facilities in Japan and Canada for the majority of its work. Between 1960 and 1987 they released eighteen stop motion animation titles and eleven traditional animated shorts designed for viewing in a 30-minute time slot.

Some of the stop motion classics included the aforementioned Rudolf, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Little Drummer Boy. The list also includes a few semi-forgotten titles such as The Ballad of Smokey Bear and The Little Drummer Boy – Book II… because sometimes you just need a good sequel.

But Rankin/Bass was also involved in the production of full length animated and live-action movies. Their most popular animated movies may be The Hobbit (1977) and the followup The Return of the King in 1980. They also made several prime-time TV movies including one based on the 1890 novel Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

Rankin and Bass may have made some classics we all Cherish, but there are a few that you may not know about. That’s where King Kong and the Coneheads from SNL come into play.

King Kong Escapes: This full-length picture released in 1967 features King Kong as well as a giant Kong robot controlled by a super-villain named Dr. Who. No relation to the BBC version of Dr. Who. The movie includes fights in model versions of metropolitan areas, a huge dinosaur that’s kinda like Godzilla… but not, and a mystery element called ELEMENT X!

The Coneheads: Yep, the SNL classic sketches featuring Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain were turned into an animated special by Rankin/Bass in 1983 – a decade before the movie version which was released in 1993. And yes, Aykroyd and Curtain voiced their characters.

The Jackson 5ive and The Osmonds: In 1971 Rankin/Bass teamed up with Motown Productions for a two-year (1971-1972) run of cartoons based on the Jackson Five but using 5ive as the spelling in the title. I guess you can’t pass up a good thing as The Osmonds ran for one season in 1972.

There are plenty of other titles in the Rankin/Bass catalog worth seeking out. It may be one of the most eclectic bodies of TV and Movie work ever created.

You may be surprised to find out that they also dove into the Wizard of Oz for several titles, Featured the voice acting of MLB legend Willie Mays in the animated title The Say-Hey Kid (1972), and ended their long run with a multi-cultural cast in 2001’s Santa, Baby featuring Patti LaBelle.

Oh yea, they also did ThunderCats!

The post How Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, King Kong, and the Coneheads are Related appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
2004
A Thanksgiving Tradition – True Story Behind WKRP Turkey Drop https://citizennewswire.com/2020/11/19/a-thanksgiving-tradition-true-story-behind-wkrp-turkey-drop/ Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:30:06 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=1955 If you are of a certain age or a lover of classic TV sitcoms, then

The post A Thanksgiving Tradition – True Story Behind WKRP Turkey Drop appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
If you are of a certain age or a lover of classic TV sitcoms, then you probably know where the quote “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly” comes from. Those are the iconic words uttered by Arthur Carlson, GM of WKRP radio in Cincinnati following a failed publicity stunt for the station.

wkrp turkey drop
Les Nessman reporting on the WKRP Turkey Drop.

Mr. Carlson is a character played by legendary actor Gordon Jump who also made the Maytag Repairman a household name before his passing in 2003. Also, WKRP was not a real radio station in Cincinnati.

But the “turkey drop” is real… sort of. It’s based on real events… in Atlanta, Georgia.

The failed PR stunt in the Thanksgiving-timed episode involved WKRP Characters Carlson and sales manager Herb Tarlek, played by Frank Bonner. The two refused to back down from the idea that they could plan a better promotion than some of the other people at the station.

The result was the horrifying, yet funny, event where station reporter Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) reports on the PR event as live turkeys are shoved from a helicopter above a shopping center. Of course, the turkeys plummeted to the ground causing damage and a small riot.

No turkeys were shown, the only camera shot was of Nessman reporting as if the Hindenburg was exploding. Younger readers may need to research that event for context. The good news is that surviving turkeys did manage to mount a counterattack!

Watch the famed ‘turkey drop’ scene below.

The infamous “turkey drop” scene from WKRP in Cincinnati. credit: Youtube

The Real Story behind the Radio Turkey Drop

Hugh Wilson (1943-2018) was a director known for The First Wives Club as well as the Police Academy movie franchise. He also developed and created tv shows such as WKRP which he stated was based on stories he gathered from the staff of a top-forty station in Atlanta – WQXI.

Here’s how Clarke Brown, the real person behind the character Herb Tarkeck, described the event during an interview with Classic TV History.

In the interview, Brown described Wilson as working his way up the ladder, becoming a copywriter and eventually the top-man at an advertising agency before packing up and heading to California. When Wilson was searching for WKRP story ideas he returned to Atlanta and WQXI where he came across the “turkey” legend. Wilson said it may have come from a station in Texas but Brown set the story straight on the true origins.

“The turkey drop was actually a real incident,” Brown said. “It was at a shopping center in Atlanta; I think it was Broadview Plaza, which no longer exists.  It was a Thanksgiving promotion.  We thought that we could throw these live turkeys out into the crowd for their Thanksgiving dinners.  All of us, naïve and uneducated, thought that turkeys could fly.  Of course, they went just fu—n’ splat.

People were laughing at us, not with us.  But it became a legend.  There were other stories of this nature that were embellished [on WRKP]; that one was really not embellished that much.  Although the turkeys were thrown off the back of a truck, as opposed to how it was depicted on the [show].”

The TV Show WKRP in Cincinnati ran from 1978 to 1984 for 90 episodes and was followed by a short-lived sequel called The New WKRP in Cincinnati which ran for two seasons from 1991 to 1993. In total, there were 137 episodes between the two shows with Turkeys Away being one of the most memorable. Thanksgiving traditions seem to always include turkey. For WKRP TV show fans, they also include helicopters, and now trucks.

The post A Thanksgiving Tradition – True Story Behind WKRP Turkey Drop appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
1955
XFL Football Returns to Gridiron in 2022 https://citizennewswire.com/2020/10/27/xfl-football-returns-to-gridiron-in-2022/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:11:42 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=1833 Version two of the XFL was kicked off by wrestling mastermind Vince McMahan just weeks

The post XFL Football Returns to Gridiron in 2022 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
Version two of the XFL was kicked off by wrestling mastermind Vince McMahan just weeks before the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Two hundred million dollars turned into a shuttered season and bankruptcy.

Now the XFL is coming back for a third time in 2022 thanks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his ex-wife Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners who acquired it for a cool fifteen million.

Johnson tweeted about it, a video was released, the current XFL president released a statement, and one city has confirmed talks for a return!

Watch the official XFL Returns 2022 video below:

The XFL Returns 2022: Youtube video

Johnson’s tweet talked about hard work – which will certainly be needed to bring the XFL back.

“It’s an uphill battle,” Johnson tweeted, “but we’re hungry, humble and no one will outwork us.”

Aside from the PR tweet by Johnson and the video, there was actual news confirmed by one of the former XFL host cities that work was underway – even if it was on a very basic level.

The St. Louis Dispatch confirmed that the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) was in talks with the XFL. The CVC manages the Dome at America’s Center where the St. Louis Battlehawks played their home games.

CVC president Kitty Ratcliffe told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they had been in contact with the XFL about the return of the St. Louis XFL Battlehawks.

“We talked with them a couple of weeks ago,” Ratcliffe told the Post-Dispatch according to their reporting. “And they just reached out today to schedule another call. What they were doing with their (first) call is they were contacting each one of the previous venues just to let them know that the new ownership intends to restart in 2022.”

St. Louis averaged 28,000 fans per game, and led the league in merchandise sales, making them the most popular of XFL fanbases. St Louis was the former home of both the Cardinals and the Rams.

The Pandemic shuttered sports around the globe including the XFL. The league folded after roughly two-months of play consisting of five games for each of the ten XFL teams; St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington, D.C.

XFL president Jeffrey Pollack released an announcement indicating that they want to take the rest of 2020 and 2021 to ensure that everything is in place for a return that includes a solid business plan and plans for playing safely with COVID-19 including possible “bubble” play and hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine.

“For the love of football and for the safety of our players and fans, we’ll be back on the field in 2022. The opportunity in front of us, with our new ownership, is simply too big to rush back. We want to do this properly with care and thought for everyone who loves football, especially our players, coaches, partners, and fans.”

The post XFL Football Returns to Gridiron in 2022 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
1833
‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ gets New Release Date for Summer 2021 https://citizennewswire.com/2020/10/23/ghostbusters-afterlife-gets-new-release-date-for-summer-2021/ Fri, 23 Oct 2020 12:17:47 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=1787 The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many things back including new releases for major motion pictures.

The post ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ gets New Release Date for Summer 2021 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many things back including new releases for major motion pictures. Movie theater chains are closed or working at limited capacity showing older movies. Several releases over the past summer saw major films being released directly to online and rental services.

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE Official Trailer video

One of the pictures that many fans of the original 80s comedy classic Ghostbusters have been looking forward to is the newest edition of the series – Ghostbusters Afterlife.

The newest Ghostbusters film has a new release date of the Summer of 2021 according to a press release by Sony and Columbia Pictures. The new date is June 11, 2021. The film was originally scheduled for release in July of this year, 2020, before being delayed to March of 2021.

Ghostbusters Afterlife follows in the timeline of the original two films in the series (1984 and 1989) but skips past the 2016 reboot movie Ghostbusters – Answer the Call. Also, the new film is directed by Jason Reitman who is the son of the film’s original director Ivan Reitman.

Not only is he the son of the original director, but he also has an acting connection to the second of the first two films. Jason played the role of one of the obnoxious kids at the birthday party where characters played by Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson were making extra money by being entertainers.

The kids verbally harassed the two down-on-their-luck Ghostbusters.

Watch the Official Trailer for Ghostbusters Afterlife below:

courtesy: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Interesting Ghostbusters Trivia

For those that may not be complete Ghostbusters fanatics – here is some trivia on how the original movie project was developed by Dan Aykroyd.

  • Dan Aykroyd has an admitted fascination with and belief in the paranormal.
  • Ackroyd’s father – Peter Aykroyd – co-authored the book A History of Ghosts.
  • Aykroyd’s mom is said to have claimed to see ghosts and his grandfather is said to have experimented with using radio communications to contact the deceased.
  • Ackroyd’s great-grandfather was a renowned spiritualist.
  • Aykroyd said that he remembers reading an article on quantum physics and parapsychology that gave him the script idea of trapping ghosts.
  • Aykroyd is also a fan of classic comedy films with ghost themes including Abbott and Costello in Hold That Ghost released in 1941 and Bob Hope in The Ghost Breakers from 1940.

When Aykroyd started working on a script he originally intended to co-star with Eddie Murphy and John Belushi – both fellow SNL alumni.

The post ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ gets New Release Date for Summer 2021 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
1787
Dustin Johnson Withdraws from Tournament Due to COVID-19 https://citizennewswire.com/2020/10/14/dustin-johnson-withdraws-from-tournament-due-to-covid-19/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 00:28:02 +0000 http://citizennewswire.com/?p=1709 The PGA announced on Tuesday that the highest-ranked golfer in the world is withdrawing from

The post Dustin Johnson Withdraws from Tournament Due to COVID-19 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
The PGA announced on Tuesday that the highest-ranked golfer in the world is withdrawing from this week’s CJ Cup PGA Tournament. Dustin Johnson started feeling some symptoms of the COVID-19 virus and was tested, as all players are according to PGA Tour protocols. Johnson’s test came back positive.

Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson in 2012
credit: Tour Pro Golf Clubs / CC BY

The CJ Cup event is normally part of the PGA Tour schedule known as the Asian Swing include the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea, the Zozo Championship in Japan, and the WGC-HSBC Champions in China.

The CJ Cup and the Zozo Championship have been moved to Las Vegas and Sherman Oaks California, respectively, Due to COVID-19. The WGC-HBC Champions tournament has been canceled for the 2021 season – which the PGA Tour is already playing.

Johnson is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the world by the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) followed by Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas. Johnson said he hopes to return soon as the reschedule Masters tournament is coming up in November.

“Obviously, I am very disappointed,” Johnson said in the PGA statement. “I was really looking forward to competing this week, but will do everything I can to return as quickly as possible. I have already had a few calls with the Tour’s medical team and appreciate all the support and guidance they have given me.”

Johnson finished out the 2020 season by winning the FedEx Cup and carding a T2 finish at the PGA Championship. He was T6 at the U.S. Open. That run of finishes sealed his OWGR No.1 ranking heading into the CJ Cup.

According to PGA officials, the withdrawal by Johnson opens up the door for a player waiting on the CJ Cup field alternative list. The golfer filling the spot in the select limited field event with no cut will be J.T. Poston who is currently ranked No. 61 by the OWGR. Poston finished third at the Sanderson Farms Championship a few weeks ago but missed the cut at the U.S. Open.

CJ Cup Info

  • Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Course: Shadow Creek Golf Course
  • Par: 72
  • Length: 7,527 (PGA)
  • When: October 15-18, 2020
  • Purse: $9.5 million
  • TV Coverage: Golf Channel

CJ Cup Odds

(top-ten +2500 and under before Johnson’s withdrawing)

  • Dustin Johnson +1000
  • Jon Rahm +1000
  • Justin Thomas +1100
  • Rory McIlroy +1100
  • Xander Schauffele +1400
  • Matthew Wolff +2000
  • Tyrrell Hatton +2000
  • Patrick Cantlay +2000
  • Brooks Koepka +2500
  • Collin Morikawa +2500
  • Tony Finau +2500

The post Dustin Johnson Withdraws from Tournament Due to COVID-19 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

]]>
1709