Constitution Daily: ‘Looking Back: George Carlin & The U.S. Supreme Court’

Source:Constitution Daily– The great comedian George Carlin.

Source:The Daily Review

“On July 3, 1978, the Supreme Court issued its historic verdict in the George Carlin “seven dirty words” case, a decision that still holds sway over the use of indecent and obscene language on television, and in a new era of mass communications.”

From Constitution Daily

“George Carlin on his reaction to the Supreme Court case about his Seven dirty words.”

Source:Foundation Interviews– Comedian George Carlin, talking about his seven dirty words.

From Foundation Interviews

The blog writes a lot about political correctness and fascism, because we write a lot about comedy and write comedy ourselves and without free speech which is what political correctness and fascism tries to restrict (obviously, duh, you don’t say!) there would’t be any comedy and even political satire. Which is why I’m always amused if not confused when so-called left-wing comedians and other entertainers make calls for political correctness because they think some material is offensive.

Because without free speech there wouldn’t be any comedy. I mean, if political correctness ran this country instead of the First Amendment, comedians wouldn’t be able to crack jokes about anybody. Especially the people who deserve to be made fun of. Like our politicians, just to use as an example. Entertainers attacking free speech is very ironic. Because speech is what fuels comedy, as well as self-awareness and what’s going on around you in life. Even comedians have stood up for political correctness against free speech, like Michael Moore and others. Even John Oliver, Stephanie Miller, John Fugelsang, would be other examples.

A comedian attacking free speech, is like a race car driver saying oil and gas are bad for the environment and therefor should be outlawed. Oil and gas literally fuel that race car driver’s career. Without it, he might be flipping burgers or selling lemonade. Or a pro football player saying football is too violent and therefor tackling should be outlawed. Who would go watch professional flag football? As the great comedian Mel Brooks has said political correctness is destroying comedy because comedians are worried about offending oversensitive tight asses, who think they’re the only perfect human beings on the face of the Earth who don’t deserve to be made fun of. Brooks has said political correctness is destroying comedy. The second part is my line.

George Carlin is not the first victim of political correctness when it comes to comedy. You could argue at least that Lenny Bruce back in the 1950s and 60s has that uthonorable title. But George and Lenny, are from the same generation. Lenny would literally go on stage using cuss words as part of his act and I’m not talking about hell or damn, but he would talk about sex and talk about how people would have sex with each other and put it bluntly. And then would literally be arrested on stage for using foul language. George has a similar but different story.

George would go on stage and literally use words like shit, fuck, mother fucker, mother fucking fucking, and others and these were part of the so-called seven dirty words that comedians weren’t supposed to use in Phyllis Schlafly’s 1950s America, where you weren’t even allowed to say God, Jesus, and hell, at least not on TV.

Liberal democracy which has a practically guaranteed right for free speech in America under are First Amendment. The only exceptions having to do with falsely libeling, inciting violence, or harassment, like leaving obscene message on someone’s voice mail, to use as an example. This is not the place for oversensitive tight asses who look at the mirror and only see perfection. Or have a glass jaw for an ego and can’t take the smallest bit of criticism without breaking out in tears and flooding their homes from all of their perspiration. I don’t know, maybe Canada is a country for people like that.

If you don’t like offensive material, then don’t watch it or listen to it! Only watch PBS and C-SPAN if you can’t handle criticism about yourself and groups you believe have constitutional protection not to be criticized that no one else has. With liberal democracy comes a lot of individual freedom, but with that comes responsibility and the fact that you’re not the only one who lives here and you have the same freedom and responsibility that everyone else has. And might from time to time hear and see things that you disapprove of. But so will everyone else.

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Sharon Kauffman: ABC News’s 20/20 First Episode- 6/06/1978

Source:Sharon Kauffman– Welcome to 20/20 

Source:The New Democrat 

“The premiere episode of ABC News’ 20/20 was considered a network news disaster when it aired on June 6, 1978. After it aired the on air hosts were fired along with the Executive Producer Bob Shanks. ABC News’ President Roone Arledge, who had transformed ABC Sports into the leader in broadcasting athletic events through innovation, tried his hand at doing the same to the news magazine. He distanced himself from the debacle. But he did manage to keep it on the air by bringing in a new manager, Al Ittelson, and an established anchor, Hugh Downs. This episode was hidden in ABC’s vaults for decades with the master cassette labeled with bright yellow stickers “NOT TO BE BROADCAST”.

In an effort to be innovative and entertaining it used a mix of claymation, live broadcasting and attempts at what appeared to be serious journalism, but invited scathing criticism. It may be the first time that rabbits have been known to squeal, or a sitting President appears to sing and more.”

From Sharon Kauffman

As the lead in to this video said ABC News, was a small player if not joke in the network news business in the 1970s. They basically remained that way until the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979-80 that launched Nightline with Ted Koppel and their nightly newscast World News Tonight started drawing real ratings then, This Week With David Brinkley emerged in 1981, 20/20 became a hit when Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs, became the anchors of it. ABC Sports with their NFL coverage with Monday Night Football and their MLB coverage with Monday Night Baseball and their college football coverage and a handful of entertainment shows that they had especially in daytime, were really the only hits that the ABC network had. Back then America had two great broadcast networks in CBS and NBC, as far as entertainment, sports and news. With ABC giving you same type of programming, but without the hits and affiliates that the big two had in the 1970s. And being a distant third to CBS and NBC when it came to news, but entertainment as well.

I sort of look at ABC in the 1970s the way I look at Fox today, but with ABC putting a lot more emphasis on news. Fox still doesn’t have much if any impact on network news other than their Sunday morning talk show. ABC was trying to be CBS and NBC at least as far as influence and in size, but until Roone Arledge took over ABC Sports in the 1970s and then later ABC News in the 1980s, they were a distant third. Rooney Arledge with Monday Night Football and then Monday Night Baseball and ABC Sports college football, 20/20 World News Tonight, Nightline, This Week With David Brinkley, is responsible for making ABC the powerhouse it is today. With the ability to compete with CBS and NBC, when it comes to entertainment, news and sports. And have the affiliates to be able to do that. Whatever you think of this version of 20/20 and I’ll get to that later, this was the start of ABC becoming a force in network news.

It’s a damn good thing that Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs, became the anchors of 20/20. Even for 1978 the layout of this first show with two no-name anchors and one of them not even being an American and the other making his living as a writer and not a broadcast journalist and the cheesy music (even for 1978) and covering stories like how greyhounds are treated, just showed you that ABC News wasn’t quite ready for prime-time. CBS’s 60 Minutes even though they had already been around for ten years at this point, looked so much better and more professional. It looked like a network news magazine show. And not some weekend morning show that mixes in soft stories with a few real news stories and interviews, to make the show look serious. But they were trying and got much better again when Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, took over the show in 1979-80. And were together for twenty years and made 20/20 the hit that it still is today.

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ABC News: ‘ABC World News Tonight, July 10, 1978’

Source:ABC News– World News Tonight With Peter Jennings.

Source:The New Democrat

“The premiere edition, anchored by Frank Reynolds, Max Robinson, and Peter Jennings.Posted for educational and historical purposes only. All material is under the copyright of their original holders. No copyright infringement is intended.”

From News Archive

The thing that people need to know about Marxist states which is exactly what the Soviet Union of Russia was for over seventy-years before the Soviet Union broke with all the non-ethnic-Russian states breaking away and creating their own independent countries, is that they can consider anything that goes against the state as treason. And anyone that says anything in opposition to the central state, is a treasonous.

The fake trial of Natan Sharansky back in 1978 was which was obviously fake. Here’s a man who was simply calling for human rights in a Marxist state where human rights don’t exist. The only rights that exist in a Marxist state all belong to the central government. Which is supposed to use that power to take care of the people.

In the late 1970s you saw Russia get more aggressive with their foreign policy and make moves in North Africa and Central Asia to protect their interests. Like in Ethiopia to protect a Marxist government there and of course in Afghanistan to install a Marxist government there.

You also saw Russian activists and non-ethnic-Russian activists in Russia like Natan Sharansky speak out in favor of human rights in a country where they simply don’t exist. As well as Russian citizens and non-ethnic-Russian citizens including Russian-Jews fleeing their country in hopes of finding freedom and coming to America so to speak because of that. And part of that had to do with President Jimmy Carter making human rights as part of his foreign policy.

1978 was a big year for tax cuts and a bad year for high taxes. As you saw several states with movements calling for cutting taxes across the board. Even in the so-called Republic of California that has always had high taxes and has been one of the most leftist states in the union when it comes to taxation.

In 1978 there was a movement led by anti-tax advocate Howard Jarvis, who you could call a 1970s Tea Party leader who managed to get on the state ballot there a measure that would cut property taxes across the board. And it passed even though California is one of the biggest Democratic states in the union as far as party registration. With a 2-1 Democrat to Republican party ratio. With Democrats controlling both houses of the State Legislature going back to the 1950s.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1978 Week 12- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:CBS Sports– the Eagles and Giants already had a great rivalry, but this might be the most signature play in it.

Source:The New Democrat

“The title speaks for itself. This is without question the biggest choke job in the history of the NFL. Fortunately for the Giants their fortunes took a turn for the better following this game.”

From Derek Ruff

There are games that can send mediocre teams to the playoffs and end seasons for teams that may think they are good and are in the playoff race. And 1978 Miracle at The Meadowlands is that game, because both teams were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point, but basically had to win this game. The Giants at 5-6, had to win out and probably get help from other teams to get the fifth and last playoff spot in the NFC.

The Eagles-Giants rivalry is one of the oldest and best in the NFL, top 3-5 and has had a lot of staple games. But when you lose or win a game where the team that is leading late in the game, only has to run out the clock with victory formation and they blow that and fumble the ball instead, that becomes the staple game of this great rivalry.

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ABC Sports: MLB 1978- NLCS Game 4- Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports– with the 1978 NLCS at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Al Michaels, Don Drysdale, and Johnny Bench with the call of the game.

Source:The New Democrat

“1978 NLCS Game 4 – Phillies vs Dodgers @mrodsports”

From Classic Phillies TV

This was a very good matchup for an NLCS between the Phillies and Dodgers because you had a more power-hitting offensive oriented team in the Phillies, going up against a pitching and defensive oriented team in the Dodgers that also had a very good lineup, with hitters like Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, Ron Cey, Dusty Baker and others. And I think that was the difference in this series. The teams were fairly even, but the Dodgers had more pitching and I believe a more complete team than the Phillies.

On paper anyway, I think the Dodgers were better than the New York Yankees in 1978. I think they had more offensively and had just as must pitching. But the Yankees got better pitching and clutch hitting in the 1978 World Series and that was the difference.

You can’t really afford any off games in a World Series or a championship series. Which is what happened to the Phillies in the first two games of the NLCS losing both of them at home. And having to win three-straight at Dodger stadium to win the series.

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The NBA History: NBA 1979-Christmas Day-Philadelphia 76ers @ New York Knicks: Highlights

Source:The NBA History– The 76ers and Knicks from 1978.

“Dr. J, Henry Bibby, ”Jellybean” Bryant and Doug Collins took the floor against Earl ”The Pearl” and the Knicks.”

From The NBA History

You can also see this post on Blogger.

Philadelphia-New York, is a great rivalry in any sport. Eagles-Giants in the NFL, which is probably the best one. Flyers-Rangers, in the NHL, Phillies-Mets in MLB and yes the 76ers-Knicks in the NBA. Which today is not nearly the rivalry it was twenty-five or thirty years ago. But it was a big deal in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

But now both franchises, especially in the 76ers case, haven’t been very good for a long time. The 76ers, have only been to the Conference Finals twice since winning their last NBA Finals in 1983. And the Knicks have struggled just to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the last ten years or so.

As far as this game, the 76ers were still one of the best teams in the NBA at this point. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1978 and got to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1979.

Dr. J Julius Erving, certainly the best forward in basketball at this point and arguably the best all around player in the NBA as well at this point. Trying to lead the 76ers under head coach Billy Cunningham back to the NBA Finals. This was a bit of a homecoming for The Doctor who played for the Nets on Long Island. And the fact that he now played for the 76ers in this game was on Christmas Day, 1978 and they Sixers won big, made this game much more special.

What is also interesting about this game, is that Bob McAdoo, one of the top power forwards in the NBA in the 1970s was playing for the Knicks in this game. That were a pretty bad team in the late 70s. After leaving Buffalo in like 1976, he ends up playing for like three teams in four years. Here’s one of the best players in the NBA at this point getting shipped around from bad team to bad team in the late 70s. Before finally finding a home where he could finish his career with in Los Angeles with the Lakers in 1982.

There was a lot of talent on both teams in this game, especially for the 76ers, but they were clearly the better team.

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Play it and be Dammed: NASL 1978- Philadelphia Fury vs Chicago Sting: Highlights

Source:Play It & Be Damned – with the Philadelphia Fury & Chicago Sting from 1978.

“These are highlights from a 3-2 overtime match in 1978 between the Sting and the Fury. These are Betamax rips that Dave Brett did from 30-year-old tapes. So they are not great quality.

There are actually black spots in this tape. I miss at least one of the Fury goals. And I don’t know who won because all of overtime is blacked out.

What I do know is this

• Alan Ball was coach.
• Tony Glavin didn’t play because of a foot injury.
• Colin McCurdy, the team’s leading scorer, had just been sold to a Belgian team.
•Pat Fidelia, if he played at all, was only in the overtime. But as you can see from the beginning shot, he was available to play.
• Keith MacRae (who had a spectacular game) was actually relieved in goal by Jim Miller.
• It was played on the wet artificial turf of Chicago’s Soldier Field. Ugh.
• As bad as the field was, the TV coverage (at least the shooting of the game) was even worse with the players looking like little ants. I think WPHL only used two cameras.
• Karl Heinz Granitza scored two goals to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.
•Philadelphia scored its two goals late to tie the game, the first by Rich Reice (which you’ll see) the other by Martin Henderson.
• I didn’t insert the Hersey Park, Gulf and Trident commercials – though I was tempted to.
• As far as I can tell, we have never seen a Fury goal on the Internet — until now.

If you enjoyed this, please join the Philadelphia Fury page on Facebook.”

Source:Play It & Be Dammed

Well-played soccer, considering it was play on some pretty bad playing conditions, at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

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Play It & Be Dammed: NASL 1978: Philadelphia Fury @ Washington Diplomats: Highlights

Source:Play It & Be Damned– with highlights of this 1978 Fury-Diplomats game from RFK Stadium.

“This a 5-minute highlight film of the 1978 NASL game between the Philadelphia Fury and Washington Diplomats. It features a goal by Colin McCurdy off nice assists from Alan Ball and Peter Osgood. Two commercials are also included because I though folks might get a kick out of them.

These are from DVD rips that Dave Brett… Wasser from Dave Brett

did from Betamax tapes that he borrowed from my dad. Hence, the variable video quality.

In any case, let me know what you think. And I might do more.”

From Play It & Be Damned

Horrible playing conditions as far as the weather. But at least they were playing on grass at RFK Stadium, rather than playing on concrete astroturf field at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

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Hal 15 Greer: ‘Vintage NBA-Wes Unseld’

Source:Hal 15 Greer– This is probably from the 1978 NBA Finals, between the Wizards and Seattle Sonics.

“Vintage NBA – Wes Unseld”

From Hal 15 Greer

When I think of Wes Unseld and not someone who s old enough to have seen him play when he was still playing, but what I’ve seen from him on film and have heard about guys who played with and against him. I think of those great screens that he set that no one could get through. That freed up so many players for open layups or open jump shots and those great chest passes he threw after those big rebounds he was always grabbing that led to all of those great Bullets fast breaks.

The Bullets back then were a big physical team as far as physical strength. Which is different from being a tall team and when your starting center is listed at 6’7 when he’s. Really 6’6 back when 6’6 or 6’7 is short for power forward.

Your team is probably not that tall but the Bullets back then were big up front as far as. physical strength with guys like Elvin Hays, Mitch Kupchak and Wes Unseld and Wes is a perfect example of that and fit those teams perfectly and despite giving up 4-6 inches every game for the most part to guys he was guarding at center. He was so strong similar to a Charles Barkley that he could move his man out of position in the post and for rebounding position clear his man out-of-the-way to get the ball.

The player I would compare Wes Unseld to physically and as far as game would be Ben Wallace who also played for the Bullets/Wizards but made his mark in his career with the Detroit Pistons and part of their 2004 NBA Finals championship team. Listed at 6’9 but more like 6’8 or 6’7 playing center full-time for the most part. Not a great scorer but someone who was a great defender and rebounder and could also score from time to time as well.

Which goes to show you that you don’t have to be a great scorer in the NBA to be a great player if you do other things very well that good teams need great rebounders, defenders and passers. Skills that Wes Unseld possessed all of them and big reasons why he was a great player.

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CBS Sports: NBA 1978- Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Washington Bullets @ Philadelphia 76ers: Elvin Hayes Highlights

Source:CBS Sports– Bullets backup center Mitch Kupchak.

“Elvin Hayes – 1978 ECF Gm 1 – (28pts 18reb 6blk 4stl) vs. 76ers”

From Basketball Composition

This was back when the Bullets and 76ers were pretty good rivals. Because both teams were always in contention for the Eastern Conference championship and NBA Finals. But this rivalry was all but gone by the late 1980s when the Bullets became perennial losers.

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