Belated Birthdays: Ariel Sharon & Elizabeth Taylor

Of all the clebrities on our lists these two people may appear to have the least in common. But on further notice they not only share the same day of birth, they have similar histories. In 1942, at the age of nine, Liz appeared in her first movie, There's One Born Every Minute. That same year Ariel joined Haganah, an organization created to gain independence from British rule. In 1967 Liz won critical acclaim, and her second Oscar for her role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? One year later, Ariel was the commander of an armored division in the Six Day War.

The similarities go on and on, and think about this one: ten years after Liz played the title role in Cleopatra, Ariel led an army across the Suez canal into Egypt. That victory brought an end to war with Egypt as well as eventual long term peace between two nations. Coincidence, I don't think so.

And finally, in 2001 Ariel was elected Prime Minister of Israel. That same year Liz made what at this point is her last appearance on film in the made-for-TV movie These Old Broads.

My apologies to Ms. Taylor for missing her birthday. And my deepest apologies to Mr. Sharon for not only missing his birthday, but for the above rhetoric.

If Elizabeth Taylor died today she would be worth 27 points for Greg.
If Ariel Sharon died today he would be worth 23 points for Greg.

Birthday: Ron Santo

Born February 25, 1940 in Seattle Washington, Ron Santo would become one of the greatest baseball players to ever wear a Chicgo Cubs uniform. As the thirdbaseman for the Cubs from 1960 through 1973 Santo hit 342 Home Runs and and won 5 Gold Gloves. His best season was 1964 in which he batted .312 with 33 Doubles, 13 Triples, 30 Home Runs and 114 Runs Batted In.

Upon his retirement from playing baseball Santo moved into the broadcast booth covering the Cubs on radio - a position he still holds today. However, after being diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 18, Santo has lost the lower half of both of his legs. He continues to travel with the team as well as fighting for a cure for diabetes.

If Ron Santo died today he would be worth 35 points for Izzy.

Birthday: Abe Vigoda

Born in 1921 in New York, New York Abe Vigoda has enjoyed a long career in acting. He first appeared as Sal Tessio in The Godfather in 1972. Unfortunately his character did not live for the sequel. Vigoda turned to television landing a job on the hit show Barney Miller. His role as Detective Sargeant Phil Fish was so beloved a spin-off was created in 1977, simply titled Fish. The show only lasted one season.

Through the 80's and 90's Vigoda has made numerous appearances in showbusiness. He appeared in such movies as Joe Versus the Volcano and Look Who's Talking. On television he has guest starred in everything from Fantasy Island to Mad About You. He also regularly appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

In 1982 People magazine erroneously reported that Abe Vigoda had died. Since that report there have been numerous rumors concerning his death. He is obviously a popular choice in death pools.

If Abe Vigoda died today he would be worth 16 points for Dave.

Arthur Miller Dies - Jim Scores First Points

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Arthur Miller died Thursday evening at his home in Roxbury of heart failure. The one time husband of Marylin Monroe won the prestigious award for his creation of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.

This is the first death amongst the Circling Buzzards and I have to admit it is nice to be in the lead. But as a former English Literature major it is certainly a sad day.

Arthur Miller was 89 when he died and Jim receives 11 points.

Birhday: Alonzo Mourning

Born in Chesapeake, Virginia, Alonzo Mourning was an outstanding basketball player throughout his youth. After high school he remained near home, attending Georgetown University. As a Hoya he excelled, leading the nation in blocked shots twice and finishing his college career as the all-time Division I-A leader in blocks.

In 1992 Mourning was chosen second overall in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. After his first pro season he was runner up in rookie-of-the-year voting to Shaquille O'Neal. As a center for the Hornets and later the Heat, Mourning won numerous awards including Defensive Player of the Year twice.

In September 2000 Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease. He was forced into early retirement and began his search for a new kidney. On December 19, 2003 a kidney transplant was successful.

Although Mourning has recently attempted a comeback, numerous injuries have held him back. He was recently traded from the Nets to the Raptors, but it is unlikely that he will be able to play again.

If Alonzo Mourning died today he would be worth 65 points for Greg.

Birthday: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Born in Budapest, Hungary Zsa Zsa is better known for her off-screen life rather than her actual acting. Gabor's career began in 1936 as she was crowned Miss Hungary. Before filming her first movie she had been married at least four times and had a daughter with Conrad Hilton. She went on to appear in more than twenty feature films and countless television shows. She has been married nine times.

In 1989 Gabor found herself in the news as she was arrested for slapping a police offer who had pulled her over for a traffic violation. She was again in the news in 2002 when a traffic accident left her in a coma.

"I want a man who is kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?"

If Zsa Zsa died today she would be worth 12 points for Izzy.

Birthday: Red Buttons

Born Aaron Chwatt on the east side of Manhattan, Red Buttons started performing at a very young age. When he was just seven years old he could be found singing on street corners for pennies. By the time he was twelev he was entering every amateur contest he could find. At sixteen he worked as an entertaining bellhop at a hotel called Ryan's in City Island, New York. It was there that he received his nickname due to his red hair and crazy jacket covered in buttons.

Red worked in the Catskills and then did bulesque before it was shut down in 1942. One year later, while in the Army Air Corp, he was chosen for a role in "Winged Victory." He worked the show on Broadway and the movie. He spent the rest of the war entertaining troops with Micky Rooney.

In 1952, "The Red Buttons Show" premiered on CBS and it was a huge hit. Red was awarded an Emmy in 1953 for Best Comedian. But the show only lasted three years and Buttons turned to film. In 1957 the film "Sayonara" starring Marlon Brando gave Red a role as supporting actor for which he won an Oscar and Golden Globe.

Red went on to star in numerous films including "The Big Circus", "Hatari", "Stagecoach", and the "Poseiden Adventure". Red also appeared on numerous television variety and talk shows as well as cameo's on shows such as "Knotts Landing" and "ER."

If Red died today he would be worth 14 points for Greg.

Birthday: Rosa Parks

On December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks left her job as a seamstress and took the bus home. It was a typical crowd that evening but Rosa managed to find a seat to rest weary feet. However, when a white man was unable to find a seat he demanded that she give her seat to him. Rosa refused and was arrested when the bus driver stopped his route and called for the police.

That incident led to a boycott of the City of Montgomery, Alabama bus company. The boycott lasted 382 days before the Supreme Court struck down the city ordinance under which Parks had been arrested. The ruling outlawed racial segregation on public transportation.

Although Rosa Parks denies that she intended to make that stance on that December evening, she continued to fight social injustice throughout her life.

"I did not get on that bus to get arrested," she has said. "I got on the bus to go home."

If Rosa Parks died today she would be worth 8 points for Greg.

I should be winning now

Max Schmeling died. I know he would have been worth only 1 point and I made the choice not to pick him. I'm just a little bitter.

Birthday: Boris Yeltsin

Born in Sverdlovsk, Russia in 1931, Yeltsin was educated at the Urals Polytechnic Institute. While working as a construction worker he joined the Communist Party in 1961. In 1976 he became first secretary of the Sverdlovsk region and began working his way up the Communist Party. In 1985 he was appointed by Mikhail Gorbachev as Moscow party boss but was ousted from his post for criticizing many of Gorbachevs reforms. In 1991 after the fall of the Communist Party, Yeltsin became the first democratically elected President of Russia.

As President of Russia Yeltsin fought numerous economic battles as well as a rebellion in Chechnya. On December 31, 1999 Yeltsin resigned his presidency due to failing health.

If Boris Yelstin died today he would be worth 26 points for Dave.

Still Getting No Respect At All

From the New York Post Online Edition...
EVEN in death, Rodney Dangerfield gets no respect. The late comedy legend's longtime publicist, Kevin Sasaki, got a call from a booker at CNN last week asking him if "Rodney would be available to share his comments on the passing and legacy of Johnny Carson." Sasaki replied that unless CNN had a new way of linking up to the afterlife via satellite, that would be impossible. Dangerfield, of course, passed away last October.