Monday, December 30, 2024
Mark Johnson, a 55+ year friend from our undergraduate days at Washington, is still working.
As his business brings him to the Los Angeles from time to time, he likes to call for lunch meetings with Huskies from our generation who have settled in the greater Los Angeles megalopolis.
Today was one of those days.
Usually we meet at Dinah's Kitchen Restaurant in Culver City but to our surprise, it was closed for renovations.
Mark quickly contacted us via text and phone calls of the predicament and implemented Plan B, he moved the lunch up Sepulveda Blvd. to one of SoCal's iconic dining spots, Johnnie's Pastrami.
It was a great Plan B in my opinion!
How many Old Huskies would
make it today was anybody's guess
I believe that the largest turnout that we've ever had for one of these special lunches was ten. Remember, this group includes senior citizens driving from Riverside County, Orange County, Northridge, La Mirada and even one from Ventura County.
On this final Monday of 2024, with people scattered due to the Holidays, only four of us made it to Culver City for lunch today.
Besides Mark Johnson and myself, we were joined by Loren Brucker and Ken Lee.
As usual, the conversation swung around to lots of great memories from years with Loren directing the conversation towards Ken.
Now, two things need to be mentioned at this point.
First, Ken Lee was easily the most accomplished athlete in our overall group having played five seasons of professional football as a linebacker with the NFL's Detroit Lions (1971), Buffalo Bills (1972), the CFL's Toronto Argonauts (1973) and the World Football League's Southern California Sun (1974-1975).
In 1972, when he played for the Bills, Ken led the team with six interceptions. That interception total tied him for seventh in the NFL that season.
Second, in all the years that I have known Ken, I have never once heard him talk about his pro football career in any way, shape or form.
Until today when Loren got him to open up.
Ken Lee, LB, Southern California Sun
Not surprisingly, Ken was modest throughout his fascinating epiphany.
As for those six interceptions, he modestly professed that those passes magically found him more than him making any great plays.
I asked him who threw him his first interception.
The answer floored me, Johnny Unitas!
As for the other five picks, two came from Jim Plunkett and then one each from Daryle Lamonica and Earl Morrall.
Finally, Ken got a gleam in his eye and asked us who we thought he got his sixth interception from?
He gave us a hint. It was perhaps from that NFL era's most popular QB.
Loren immediately nailed it, Joe Namath.
It was fun to hear Ken's stories for the first time and I loved how he quickly steered the conversation in other directions away from himself.
Modesty is a fine attribute.
Now, for some football bowl predictions for the next two days . . .
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas
I have no choice but to go with my heart, the Washington Huskies (6-6) over the Louisville Cardinals (8-4).
The College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
In Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, I think that the #6 Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2) will beat #3 Boise State Broncos (12-1).
But I'll be rooting for Boise State.
In Atlanta, the Peach Bowl will see the #4 Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2) take on the #5 Texas Longhorns (12-2). My pick is Texas but I want Arizona State to win.
Pasadena, California's 111th "Grand Daddy of Them All," the Rose Bowl, should be a dandy!
The #1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) edged the #8 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2) in their regular season BIG-10 matchup. This time around I like Oregon to do it again.
Truthfully, I would be happy to see both teams lose if that were only possible.
The final College Football Playoff Quarterfinal contest will take place in New Orleans' Sugar Bowl. The #2 Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) will take on Pope Francis' favorite team, the #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-1).
Over the past quarter century, Notre Dame has laid huge ostrich sized eggs on college football's biggest stages. I'm riding that streak in this game, Georgia for the win and no, I NEVER root for Notre Dame.
PAYBACK FOR THE NUNS AT PASADENA'S ST. PHILLIP THE APOSTLE SCHOOL BACK
IN THE 1950s!
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