Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind*

50 years ago today, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier "entered the ring as champions. And left, as old men." Their third and final battle was for Ali's 🥊title, and it remains a devastating showcase of how far they pushed one another beyond rational limits of pain and endurance. Both are gone now. Champions forever.

With the two teams tied after 161 games of the 2025 MLB season, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have settled... nothing at all. The events of September 28, 2025 will determine the winner of the A.L. East. Join me for a bit of fascinating history, as the 1978 Yanks simply had to beat a weak Cleveland squad to clinch that year's A.L. East on the season's final day.

Very much a product of its time, the unconventional action thriller/buddy movie The Peacemaker opened September 26, 1997. Featuring solid performances from George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, the film goes into areas not normally seen in standard Hollywood actioners.

If I've learned anything from a lifetime of watching baseball, it's that the game is "predictably unpredictable." The 2025 Yankees are in the midst of a furious late season rally which now has them tied for 1st, with 4 games left.

OTD 1994: The Shawshank Redemption opens... and bombs at the boxoffice! Somehow, the film draws 7 Oscar nominations, then finds an audience during a pre-Oscars theatrical re-release (when I first saw it), then later on home video, where incredible word-of-mouth causes a sensation, ultimately leading to its current status: one of the most beloved movies of all time. PS: Audio recorded 2 years ago, hence why I "mistakenly" say TSR turns 29 🙂

Sean Penn's searing adaptation of Jon Krakauer's runaway nonfiction bestseller opened September 21, 2007. A substantial boxoffice hit, Into the Wild is the sort of film which hits different depending on "where you are" in life.

My favorite sports movies are Chariots of Fire and The Natural. The two leads in Chariots of Fire -- Ben Cross and Ian Charleson -- are gone, as is key supporting actor Brad Davis. Robert Redford's passing made me think of Ben (who lived into his 70s), but especially Brad and Ian, who both died of AIDS at ages 41 and 40, respectively.

A towering figure in cinema. Legendary movie star, Oscar-Winning filmmaker, and key figure in the continued evolution of American Independent Film, via his own Sundance Film Festival.

Isidore 'Baron' Breitkopf was born OTD 1911. Join me for a brief, humorous story about my mom's dad, the most intimidating man I've ever known.