Thursday, May 11, 2023

R.I.P. Joe Kapp

Former Vikings, Patriots, and CFL QB Joe Kapp passed away this week. He led the Vikings to Super Bowl 4 right when I was becoming more interested in football (and uniforms) as a boy. As an early Uni Watcher I loved the uniforms of the late 60’s / early 70’s. Still do. The Vikings and Chiefs had great unis, with the large numbers and stripes. Loved Kapp’s single bar face mask (I later wore a single bar in high school, though I was a kicker). Also the way Kapp’s number 11 had such a large space between the numbers.

After the Super Bowl, Kapp was featured in a Wheaties commercial. The ad showed Kapp struggling in a game, with song lyrics that went: “Hey, Joe – you didn’t eat your Wheaties. Hey, Joe – you’re going to lose the game”. Kapp kept getting sacked by Chief defenders. As I recall, Kapp’s “Vikings” wore purple helmets and jerseys, the defense wore the red jerseys and helmets of the Chiefs. Color on color!

But what got me was the lack of official helmet logos. Instead both “teams” wore helmets with small plain white triangles, positioned to point like the Vikings horns and the Chiefs arrowheads. At ten years old, these differences amazed me. Every time the commercial played I would hop up to get a closer look. Unfortunately I can find no trace of the old Wheaties commercial on the internet.

Later when Kapp played for the Patriots, the jerseys were amazingly plain, unlike the wonderfully striped jerseys they wore before and after. Kapp retired after only four seasons in the NFL, due to a contract dispute. Later he coached Cal, and appeared in TV and movies, including Semi Tough and The Longest Yard.

This is becoming one R.I.P. memorial post after another. I’ve posted about Kapp before. Kinda gangly as QB as opposed to graceful. Uni Watch featured my story in its post about Kapp.

I think last night W&MC took Shivonne to the Braves game. My old friend Rob was there as well. Red Sox fans are so obnoxious.

Tom Hanks has a new movie out on Netflix – A Man Called Otto. I need to watch. Otto is a 63 year old grumpy man who used to work for a steel company. I’m asking my coworkers to tell me who it reminds them of.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Man_Called_Otto__;!!AE29DT8V!TXESyDAUeS17J-bvBqYDH6JzwI2QU-jUzffEGjwsZo8I7BiT4mj63r3OLExUzSONPZxUz3iQq6EbCaA5BEE$

Man I have been on the go a little bit. Worked past 6 pm yesterday. Spent well over 30 min working on something that should’ve taken five. Something I didn’t even used to have to do. Everything new that gets put in takes more time, plus all the old stuff takes longer due to machine breakdowns and manpower issues. The good news is that management is working hard to solve the manpower issues, creating extra order cutting ability so we can take on more business (and better handle current business. And solving the machine breakdown issue by installing new equipment. If I don’t have a heart attack before everything falls into place. Not sure any of this will solve last night’s problem.

So then I leave work and stop for gas. Then drive ten miles past my house (through traffic) to check out an item on sale. A long trip. I decide I don’t like the item after all. On the way home I stopped by Arbys for a jamoca milkshake. Good but small. Was after 8 pm before I got home.

Then we sit down to watch another episode of Doctor Cha. We’re really getting into this show. We’ve already watched 8 episodes. I turn it on but the next episode isn’t available until Sunday. What are we going to do ???

Up early to lift weights this morning. Then on the way to word traffic backs up. The light was out just across the river, at the Fulton Gwinnett County line. Cars are backed up both ways for miles.

Still I decide to stop at RaceTrac for a drink. The PIB RaceTrac hasn’t fixed the diet Mtn Dew for over a month, so I stop at the Jimmy Carter store. Always super busy. Took forever. Fifteen minutes late to work. Man if I was going to be late I should’ve gone to play golf.

Entered a contest to win all 30 MLB caps. Not sure why. I have a Braves cap, and I really don’t want the other teams. Not sure why the Brewers and Twins are out of alphabetical order.

DON DRYSDALE  [SABR Bio] is the only pitcher to start two All-Star games in one season. The first year that 2 ASG were held in one season, 1959, Drysdale started both games (07-Jul- & 03-Aug-) for the NL. He struck out more batters in All-Star play than any other pitcher. In nine ASG between 1958 & 1968, Drysdale K’d a total of 19 batters. Born in Van Nuys, California on 23-Jul-1936. Died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 03-Jul-1993.

Recently learned that my other friend Reid has a brother in law that lives in Buckhead, who is a member of the FLC. Don’t know his name. I think he’s in his early 70’s. Retired. 

Here during these NBA playoffs I am following the games on my phone when I’m watching other stuff on the TV.

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