It was brought to my attention this week that there used to be a Pizza Hut Classic, and that the Pizza Hut Classic was a college basketball game. I’m a little unclear on the details, since most of my knowledge is coming from this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article about Al McGuire coaching in the 1977 edition (thank you to the friend who knows how much I love Pizza Hut and Al McGuire). My impression is that it was an East–West All-Star Game.
The best part about the Pizza Hut Classic, as you can tell from this 1975 Pizza Hut Basketball Classic ballot available on ebay, is that fans could vote on who should make the roster. Specifically, it appears fans could vote by eating at Pizza Hut?? I really hope this is the case. I really, really hope this is the case. Imagine: You go to Pizza Hut. You order pizza. While you wait, you server brings you a Pizza Hut Classic ballot. Euphoria ensues.
Online all-star voting stinks. It’s cumbersome. Everyone wants your email address. A bunch of dorks vote a zillion times, which makes you feel like your vote is insignificant. How to address this? In-person voting. In-person voting at Pizza Hut.
It doesn’t have to be Pizza Hut. It could be any chain, regional or national, and the all-star game could happen in any sport. I’m partial to a college basketball Pizza Hut Classic because I am an NIT blogger who loves Pizza Hut, but if that professional lacrosse league wants to put on a Friendly’s Classic in which all-stars are selected only by people who eat at Friendly’s? I’m every bit on board. Anything to get us using paper ballots for an all-star game. Anything to get us out of our homes and off our phones and into the inviting booths of chain eateries.
Etc.
- Brett Favre’s lawyers asked an appeals court to revive his defamation lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe, and honestly, I’m just glad these guys are still finding ways to compete with one another this long after retirement. Who says athletes’ lives end at 40?
- The Tigers intentionally walked José Ramírez three times last night. He still went 3-for-3 and beat them. No home run pitches, but disheartening for Detroit nonetheless. They are owned. Detroit sports are stuck in the place Boston was in the late 90’s, and where Philadelphia was before the Eagles broke through. Their moment is coming but it still has a lot of ground to cover.
- Doug Sheehan, the actor who played Joe Kelly on General Hospital from 1979 to 1982, passed away on June 29th. His death was announced earlier this week. A visionary through and through, Sheehan knew Joe Kelly would be a big deal. He just didn’t know exactly what that meant. (Another Joe Kelly recently led or is leading a Nebraska trade trip to Indonesia. Our man is busy.)
