Sunday Morning Coffee — August 10, 2025– Sunday Morning Scramble
By Roy Berger, Las Vegas, Nevada
We may be late to the game but at least finally we’re in it. Andi and I woke up Friday morning as first time grandparents. While most of our contemporaries have already experienced that joy, it took us a little bit longer, but we are finally off the sidelines. Congratulations to our son Scott and precious daughter-in-law Cayla (and machatunim Joy and Cody Kondo) who gave us a granddaughter Friday morning in London. Harley Marilyn is healthy and of course cute as a button. She’s not walking or talking yet but Scott said she is minding the gap. And right off the bat Harley has some pretty lofty standards to live up to—Scott and Cayla upgraded the birthing experience to the Lindo Wing of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital. It’s where Diana delivered William and Harry and Kate had George, Charlotte and Louis. And now add our little angel Harley to the all-star royalty roster. Being grandparents rather late in life, and even with the kids being overseas, is not going to temper our joy in the slightest.
And speaking of minding gaps, the generation gap runs much deeper than we seniors want to admit. A few days ago Kevin Lim, 36, the head golf pro of our club in Vegas told me how much he enjoyed last week’s SMC about Thurman Munson. I asked Kevin if he ever heard of Thurman Munson. “No.” How about Johnny Bench? “No.” I was afraid to ask about the Beatles.
I’ve been a Southwest Airlines customer for the past 30 years. Living in Birmingham, Alabama, it was the most expedient way to travel domestically. Their model of first come, first served seating worked well for me as I became pretty good at playing the seating game. Last week, for the first time ever, I was able to reserve a seat for 2026 travel as Southwest changes their model ala the legacy domestic carriers. The jury will be out for some time whether this works or not. However, for me it has some potential as I am a top-tier Southwest affinity flyer getting first crack at seating and boarding. However, for those who don’t have status, want a reserved seat and don’t want to risk availability on the day of flight it will boost their fare by 15-20%. In 2023 United Airlines collected $1.3 billion from reserved seat revenue, which no doubt has Southwest investors salivating.
A bit of good airline news came this week from The Wall Street Journal reporting that American Airlines will be the first U.S. carrier to permit international travel customers to clear immigration and customs at their arrival gate and then proceed directly to their connecting flight. Those flying into Dallas’ DFW from London Heathrow will clear at the gate, have their luggage transferred to the domestic connector and be on their way to the next flight. If Dallas is the final destination then the traveler will go through standard customs and immigration procedures. American calls the new wrinkle ‘One Stop Security’ and said it should cut connection times in half.
I was born in the Bronx, grew up on Long Island —New York City was only 25 miles or a 40-minute train ride from our front door. We used it often. After I left in 1970 for Miami and The U I never lived in NY again. Later in life, for the last 15 years of my Medjet career I traveled to the City every six weeks or so for business. I love New York. The vibe is unparalleled. Andi and I went back last weekend as tourists and really had a nice time. We visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the first time for both of us; stopped by Yankee Stadium for a game and saw a great show on Broadway—Just In Time— the Bobby Darin story with Jonathan Groff. It was fantastic. The Circle In The Square Theater on 50th Street was arranged cabaret style and if you were lucky enough to be sitting on the floor, you were part of the stage. I also was able to reconnect with some family at a cousins’ get-together in Westchester highlighted by seeing a favorite aunt and uncle which was long overdue. Those who read this space regularly know I complain often about Vegas price gouging but oh my, what an eye opener New York was: breakfast for $143 including $35 eggs, $19 glass of juice and $12 coffees. In a lounge at night Andi ordered an alcohol-free mojito mocktail that was only $24, a dollar less than my Eagle Rare pour of bourbon. And those great salted street pretzels off the corner carts that some years back were a buck now go for seven and are not that marvelous at all anymore. Hands down the best value is a subway ride at only $2.90. You can ride the train all day if you’re really bored. The price is going up to $3 and the bitching has already started. Despite doing a good job of separating us from our cash we had a great time even if comparatively NYC prices make a weekend in Las Vegas seem like a trip to Gatlinburg.
The biggest misnomer in NYC that can be found on every other block are the old-time newsstands. In days gone by the New York Times, Post and Daily News used to be stacked as high as a pastrami sandwich at the late Carnegie Deli. Well, no more. In fact, today a newsstand has no news at all. Candy, soda, water and lottery tickets but not a newspaper or periodical in sight. Should factually be called the no-newsstand.
I found this ironic: Ed Sullivan died on October 13, 1974. It was a Sunday.
Put extra candles on the cake: Butch Patrick, Eddie Munster, is 72; one of my favorites Bobbie Gentry of Ode to Billie Joe turned 83 and let’s bang the drum 85 times for Ringo. The great Bob Cousy celebrated his 97th yesterday. Cousy played basketball for the Boston Celtics from 1950-63 and is regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA. The “Houdini of the Hardwood” led the Celtics to six NBA titles, was a 13-time all-star and the MVP in 1957. He took dribbling and passing a basketball to a level that was unparalleled back in the day. Also let’s not forget Marv Levy, head football coach of the Chiefs for five years and then 12 at the helm of the Bills, celebrated #100 on August 3. Mazel Tov to Marv. He took Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990-93. The not-so-good-news was the Bills lost all four.
Loni Anderson died last Sunday at 79 years old. How terrific was she from 1978-82 as Jennifer Marlowe in WKRP in Cincinnati? In fact, anything we watched was made better by Ms. Anderson’s role. On a personal note one passing that really stings, and I can’t believe I’m writing it, is losing my good friend, golf partner, and all-around great guy Jim Nettles who died suddenly from an undetected, until it was too late, brain tumor on July 29 at age 78. Jim and wife Connie would host a group every year at their home for New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July as their backyard overlooked the Strip with all the fireworks and festivities. Andi and I were out to dinner with the Nettles two weeks before Jim died. A fun, jovial evening with no indication it would be the last time. This is happening way too often as we get into our 70’s and 80’s. It’s awful and it hurts. A lot.
We enjoyed Sirens, one season, five episodes on Netflix. Same for Stick, a fun golf-centric romcom of 10 episodes on Apple. Unless you have trouble sleeping at night, you can miss Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes, three episodes just debuting on Netflix. It’s slow, a bit eerie and gives David Berkowitz more air time than he ever deserved. But it does work better than Ambien.
One of the most ridiculous traditions in sports comes from tennis when the recipient of a point that hits the net and tumbles over apologizes to its opponent for their good fortune. In this year’s Wimbledon women’s semifinal self-centered Aryna Sabalenka, who must have flunked out of tennis manners finishing school, complained that her opponent Amanda Anisimova didn’t acknowledge her when Anisimova won a net cord point. Give me another sport where the beneficiary of a winner apologizes to its opponent for their good fortune.
When we were kids, into adulthood, knowing the heavyweight boxing champion was akin to knowing the name of the president of the United States. In our minds the boxing champ was more powerful than the president. In fact, we had a much better chance at knowing who the heavyweight champion was than the name of the vice-president. Patterson-Liston-Clay-Ali-Frazier-Norton-Holmes-Holyfield-Foreman-Tyson-Lewis-Klitschko-even Spinks. The names go on. Can anyone tell me who the heavyweight boxing champion is today? I didn’t think so.
Speaking of which it was 51 years ago yesterday, August 9, 1974, that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. George Foreman was heavyweight champion of the world.
Never get into an argument with a woman. Congratulations to Jen Pawol who broke the glass ceiling this weekend and became the first female umpire in Major League Baseball. Yesterday Ms. Pawol umpired both ends of the Marlins-Braves doubleheader and today she’ll be working behind the plate in Atlanta. Guys, if she says it’s a strike just let it go.
Just in case you were curious, 38-year-old Oleksandr Usyk from Ukraine, is the present world heavyweight boxing champ.
August is the sports month when we get ready for the calendar to turn to the fall and the NFL regular season; the beginning of the NBA and NHL seasons and of course the World Series as August tends to separate the contenders from the pretenders in the pennant races. This month also kicks-off the NFL pre-season and the college football schedule with some great early match-ups: Ohio State-Texas and Miami-Notre Dame at the end of August. Also beginning Wednesday the Little League World Series opens for its 10-day run in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It’s the same complex that back in 1963 and ‘64, as an 11 and 12-year-old, I went to camp for two weeks each summer to develop my baseball skills. It really didn’t work out the way I planned when the camp brass told me it’s probably best if I took another career route. However, for the next 10 days Williamsport will be watched carefully by our little ‘burg of Summerlin, Nevada as a team from the west end of Las Vegas has qualified to be one of the 10 U.S teams in the Series. The Summerlin 12-year-olds easily swept their regional in three games outscoring the opposition by 45-15. Now we eagerly await the new Boomer’s Sportsbook on the Strip to post odds for the kids to win it all.
Regular SMC readers will remember a blog last month where I went to Pittsburgh to play old-guy baseball in a Pirates charity event and I said at age 73, despite playing okay, it was time to call it quits. I was so sure I would never play again that I left my baseball shoes atop a trash can at the field to be carted to the dump. Well, about two weeks later what shows up? A package from Jacksonville, FL, that contained those thrown away baseball cleats. Paul Metlin, whom I met at Pirates camp 15 years ago and now has become a dear friend, decided, ala George Costanza, he would take them from the trash because they were still above the rim and send them back to me with a note that simply said, “Keep them, you’re not done.” I don’t know if I am or not, but I do know the shoes were returned shined and for that Andi was thankful.
Our hero! There isn’t one of we aging baseball fantasy camp players that didn’t get a good-natured chuckle out of the news that New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera hurt himself during the Yankees Old-Timers game yesterday at Yankee Stadium. Senior baseball wanna-be’s who ever needed help getting off the field or limped into the training room, which is just about all of us, knows the feeling Mariano felt on Saturday. After running to first base, the next inning Rivera went to take his position in center field, took a step and collapsed. It’s called getting ‘snipered’ in fantasy camp-speak. Diagnosed with a torn ACL, surgery is next. Compared to most of us Rivera is a kid at only 55. He now becomes every senior ballplayer and fantasy campers’ role model.
Gotta run. Need to finish the How To Be A Kick-Ass Grandpa manual.
I’m proud that Medjet is sponsoring Sunday Morning Coffee. I spent 20 wonderful years with Medjet in Birmingham, Alabama, and can tell you unequivocally they are the standard-bearer for medical assistance membership programs. A talented staff, who cares about its members, is at the forefront of the company’s success. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, domestic or international, a Medjet membership should be an important part of your travel portfolio before you leave home. Check out the Medjet website at medjet.com or just tap on the Medjet logo and you’ll be able to get a look at Medjet’s services, rules and regulations, pricing, and an overview of the organization. And remember, any opinions expressed in Sunday Morning Coffee content or comments belong to the author and not the sponsor. Safe travels with your Medjet membership! — Roy Berger
I've never liked someone so much whom I never met! You'll end up loving your grandkids to the same level that you loved your kids.....Congrats!
Congratulations to you and Andi on being grandparents.
Your trip to NYC brought back a lot of memories for me. Loved to visit but would not want to live there now.
See you at UNLV football.
Go Rebels!