WATCHING AN OLD JAMES BOND FLICK, RECENTLY, THAT NATURALLY HAD A CAR CHASE SCENE, I RECOGNIZED A SIDEWALK CAFE IN PARIS WHERE I ONCE GREETED YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON'S WIDOW. YOKO TURNED 91 THIS PAST FEBRUARY AND IN JULY WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE 2024 64TH ANNUAL EDWARD MCDOWELL MEDAL FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARTS. OUR TOUR GROUP WAS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE CAFE WHEN LINDA BEST OUR LEADER CALLED TO ME, "DAVE, DAVE, HERE COMES YOKO ONO, SPEAK TO HER DAVE." ALWAYS OBEDIENT TO LINDA WHEN ON TOUR, I QUICKLY, MOVED TO THE HEAD OF THE GROUP AND SHOW NUFF--COMING UP THE STREET WAS YOKO. WHEN SHE GOT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US I SPOKE UP AND SAID "HELLO, YOKO" AND SHE SMILED AND SAID "HELLO, DAVE". WELL, SHE DIDN'T REALLY MENTION ME BY NAME BUT SHE DID SAY HELLO.
THE RECENT OLYMPICS REMINDED ME OF THE WEEK I SPENT IN PARIS. NOT MY KINDA TOWN. AFTER A DINNER CRUISE ON THE SEINE RIVER, I NOTICED IT WAS SORT-OF MURKY, SO I AGREE WITH ALL THE JOCKS WHO DIDN'T WANT TO SWIM IN IT. AND ON THAT DINNER CRUISE ONE ENTREE WAS GOOSE GIZZARD FOR $135 A POP. WE ORDERED SALMON. OH YEAH, I DON'T LIKE TO PAY TO USE PUBLIC RESTROOMS IN PARIS.
A WEEK IN PRE-SEASON CAMP WITH TOM BRADY AND COACH BILL BELICHICK , BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. I BELIEVE IT WAS AFTER THEY WON THEIR THIRD SUPER BOWL. HOW A BEAT REPORTER CAN DEVELOP A STORY FROM COACH BELICHICK'S DAILY PRESSER, I WILL NEVER KNOW. HE SELDOM SPEAKS, BUT ONE OF THIS PLAYERS MADE UP FOR IT, TEDY BRUSCHI WHO RETIRED TO ESPN. ASK TEDY A QUESTION AND STAND-BY FOR A 30 MINUTE ANSWER. HE AND HIS LOCKER MATE, HAD A HUGE BOX OF HERSEY'S CHOCOLATE BLOCKS THEY EXPLAINED AS INSTANT ENERGY. WHILE OTHERS WERE CONVENTIONING IN BOSTON I TOOK THE TRAIN TO FOXBORO, DAILY, TO CHECK OUT THE PATS. A TRAIN THAT TRAVELED FOWARD TO FOXBORO THEN BACKED UP TO GILLETTE STADIUM.
THE ANGELS WERE IN BOSTON, SO AT NIGHT I ATTENDED RED SOX GAMES, THAT WEEK. RADIO REPORTERES WERE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN THE FENWAY PARK PRESS BOX. WE WERE SEATED ON THE THIRD ROW AND HAD TO ACTUALLY SEE A PITCHER DELIVER A PITCH , BUT WE HAD TO LOOK UP TO THE TV MONITOR TO SEE IT ARRIVE AT THE PLATE. I GOT WISE AFTER THE FIRST GAME AND TOOK THE SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW FOR THE PROVIDENCE NEWSPAPER BEAT WRITER WHO WAS ON VACATION. I UNDERSTAND THE FENWAY PRESS BOX HAS BEEN REMODELED, AND RADIO REPORTERS NOW HAVE A BETTER VIEW. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT , I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL GAMES AT FENWAY PARK, BUT NONE IN YANKEE STADIUM, THE YANKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE ROAD WHEN I HAVE BEEN IN N.Y.
A FOOTNOTE ABOUT QB TOM BRADY. HE FOLLOWED BELICHICK DAILY ON THE PODIUM FOR COMMENTS, BUT HE CONFOUNDED ME ABOUT HIS ACCESSORIES. HE LEFT THE STADIUM WITH A SHE-HE PURSE OVER HIS SHOULDER, THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER SEEN A MAN CARRY ONE.
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