Latest news with #CarelessWhisper
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Blue Jays vs. Tigers: The power of the platoon, plus injury updates
DETROIT—The platoon-happy Blue Jays are in Detroit for a cross-border series with potentially major playoff implications. No, it's not the mid-1980s, despite Jays catcher Tyler Heineman walking to the plate to Stevie Nicks' 'Edge of Seventeen.' It just feels like it. Jays fans might fondly remember the catching platoon of Ernie Whitt and Buck Martinez, and Mulliniorg (Rance Mulliniks and Garth Iorg) at third base. But there were also platoons at designated hitter with a rotating cast of characters, and in the outfield with Jesse Barfield and Dave Collins for a while. Heck, manager Jimy Williams even platooned Fred McGriff and Cecil Fielder in 1987. Guests: Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, former Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion, New York Yankees Everything old is new again, as the current edition is once again leaning heavily into the platoon game, though these days they call it a 'line change.' Nearly half the team plays half the games all the time, with Addison Barger and two of Joey Loperfido, Nathan Lukes and Will Wagner swinging the bat against right-handed pitchers but often giving way to Leo Jiménez, Davis Schneider and Myles Straw when a left-hander is on the mound. 'If you're not starting, you're probably playing,' manager John Schneider said before Thursday night's series opener against the Tigers. The Jays routinely use 11 or 12 of their 13 position players in each game. The last time they made it through a full game with no substitutions (other than pitching) was July 11 in a 7-6 win over the Athletics in Sacramento . 'One of the hardest things to do in baseball is to come in halfway through the game,' Lukes said in the Jays clubhouse in Detroit. 'But the more we do it, the easier it is. It's not easy by any means, but just slightly easier. We know what's going to happen, so we're preparing ourselves earlier on in the game to do that.' It's not just about offence. In fact, it's mostly about the defence. Lukes, Loperfido and Straw can handle all three outfield spots, Barger moves between third base and right field, Wagner bounces from corner to corner in the infield and Ernie Clement is all over the dirt, playing anywhere they're not. 'Ernie's kind of the key to it,' said the manager. 'Just going everywhere and having a really, really good defender anywhere you put him.' Straw, a teammate of Clement's in Cleveland in 2021 and '22, isn't surprised by how important Clement has become. 'I've known that's who he is all along,' said the speed-and-defence specialist . 'He's unbelievable on the field. He can even play left or right field if we needed him to. It just allows them to give guys days off at second, third, short, first. He's one of the most valuable guys on the team, for sure .' Shortstop Bo Bichette, who has never had to worry about being a platoon player, has a ton of respect and admiration for the part-time Jays. 'I think that in a lot of ways they're the heartbeat of the team,' said Bichette. 'Obviously I don't have that experience, but I think just buying in and not complaining about it is the biggest thing, and they've done an amazing job with that.' With the Jays in first place in the American League East, helped by turning the clock back to the platoon days of Buck and Ernie, there's nothing to complain about.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colm O'Regan: Taking a chance like nobody's watching — impossible these days
The Wire has a quote for everything. In this case a regretful Baltimore gangster Stringer has been cheated by State Senator Clay Davis who took his bribes but didn't give him building permits. And now his friend Avon is I told you so-ing him. 'They saw your ghetto ass coming from miles away', he says. The same after-the-fact advice might be given to Andy Byron who appeared on the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert, in a romantic clinch with his 'Head of People'. We all saw his CEO ass from miles away. What Stringer Bell and Andy Byron have in common is that they are unprepared for the different world they find themselves in. Stringer, dealing with a politician; Andy Byron realising that EVERYTHING is on camera now. I don't have any sympathy for him but I can imagine he must consider it a little unfair. He's just trying to have an affair. Is it too much to ask that it doesn't go all around the world? In a different era, Andy Byron's namesake Lord could have ridden everyone at that concert and all the members of Coldplay and probably might have got away with it. Lord Byron got into plenty of trouble but there wasn't enough parchment in London to detail it all. This other guy? Jeez you get into one squeeze with your head of HR and it appears on every screen in the world. It's remarkable that you can be CEO and completely fluent in risk assessment but not consider the possibility of being on a big screen at a concert by a band who have a song that is literally called 'The Jumbotron Song'... where Chris Martin improvises music based on who appears on a giant big screen. Even at matches, people are ready for it. The most disconsolate fan, their team being bate out the door, will still go nuts with joy and excitement if they themselves on the big screen. Some will sacrifice being able to see themselves by staring down the barrel of the camera. And they achieve immortality. That guy in the Brendan O'Connor show audience who points at the camera with perfect timing. Mick McCarthy's pitch-side lantern-jawed smile has been played millions of times now to the turn of George Michael's Careless Whisper. In fact it's likely that's the first time anyone will hear the song Careless Whisper, George Michael, and Mick McCarthy bound together in perpetuity. Others hopefully will never know their fame. Like the man in the Winning Streak audience who was clapping so enthusiastically, he hurt his own thumb. That's up on YouTube forever now, next to Andy Byron. The video is called 'The Man Who Hurt His Hand Clapping'. It's weird watching yourself recorded unbeknownst. Frequently a privilege reserved for shoplifters and others in trouble, we are increasingly watching ourselves back. I know we have a camera out the front... yet I forget. I watched it back recently to see whether a parcel might have been horsed into the green bin or not. The parcel remains unaccounted for. But I did see myself and poor posture and my bald spot, muttering to myself while looking in the boot of the car. Giving out about lights switched on and doors left open. Pure, unguarded me. Seeing myself as others saw me. Andy Byron was placed on administrative leave and later resigned. Probably not for infidelity. But for getting caught. To quote Slim Charles in The Wire. Maybe he 'ain't cut out to be no CEO'. To come back he will take the 'key learnings': namely that with phones, drones, Jumbotrons and CCTV, we may no longer be able to dance or take a chance like no one's watching. As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and… — Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 19, 2025
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Justin Bieber shares his "forever and always"; posts pictures with Hailey Bieber amid divorce rumours
Justin Bieber , the controversial singer who has been making headlines for his bizarre behaviour, dismissed the divorce rumours single-handedly with a social media post, where he is tightly embracing Hailey Bieber. Justin Bieber's 'Forever and Always' In an Instagram post shared by the 'Ghost' singer, Justin and Hailey are hugging each other on the lakeside balcony, while they are sitting on a white table. Giving a homely vibe, Hailey donned a pair of white pyjamas and a grey tank top. Justin, with his peculiar style, wore a pair of black pants, a light blue shirt, a brown sleeveless jacket, a pair of slippers, and a distinctive pair of goggles. The caption of the post read, 'My forever n always,' with 15 double pink heart emojis. The singer embedded 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael in the post. In the comment section, many fans shared beautiful words for the couple, along with lots of hearts. However, many others wrote the caption that they zoomed the images to check whether it's Hailey, as only the back and part of her face are visible from the angles at which the pictures were taken. The issues in the Bieber house Previously, rumours of Hailey's desire for space from the drama surfaced on the internet, in addition to the reports of her being stressed by his erratic social behaviour. 'She's exhausted and really needs Justin to pull himself together, particularly now that he's a father,' the source said, according to Radar Online. 'Hailey just wants a stable, normal life—she's reaching her breaking point,' they added. According to US Weekly, the source said that the Bieber house is not stable right now, as Hailey has been stressed by his erratic behaviour. Being on a Vogue cover and selling shares of her brand for $1 billion were her biggest achievements, which were allegedly clouded due to constant family issues.
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
George Michael Returns To The Top 40 With One Of His Most Celebrated Singles
Decades after release, George Michael's "Careless Whisper" reenters the U.K. top 40 on the Official ... More Physical Singles Sales and Official Vinyl Singles charts. George Michael during George Michael In Concert At The Arena - Amsterdam - June 26th, 2007 at Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Greetsia Tent/WireImage) Among all of George Michael's huge singles, there is one that stands out when it comes to listeners in the United Kingdom, his home country. Decades after it was released and years after the singer's passing, 'Careless Whisper' remains the track that fans in that nation seem to return to regularly. It is the one that appears on the charts most frequently — at least outside of Christmas, when his Wham! cut 'Last Christmas' becomes a favorite once again. Michael scores a pair of top 40 hits in the U.K. this week with the same tune, as sales of the classic surge once more. 'Careless Whisper' Appears on Several Charts 'Careless Whisper' appears on only two song rankings in the U.K. at the moment, and it's a top 40 win on both of them. The song jumps up the Official Physical Singles Sales chart, which ranks the bestselling tracks on formats like CD, vinyl, and cassette. Last week, it sat at No. 62, but now it rises to No. 36. Coincidentally, it hits that mark in its thirty-sixth frame on this roster. 'Careless Whisper' Reappears Inside the Top 40 At the same time that 'Careless Whisper' bolts back into the top 40 on the Official Physical Singles Sales chart, it reenters the Official Vinyl Singles chart. Michael's cut didn't appear on the list of the bestselling individual tunes on wax in the U.K. just days ago, but now it's back at No. 38. George Michael and Wham! 'Careless Whisper' was originally released on Wham!'s sophomore album Make It Big, but the tune is credited solely to Michael in the U.K. The track dropped in the summer of 1984, but it didn't become a hit on either the Official Physical Singles Sales chart or the Official Vinyl Singles chart until October 2024. Since then, the tune has departed the vinyl ranking several times, while it has never disappeared entirely from the Official Physical Singles Sales tally. 'Careless Whisper' Reached No. 1 All Around the World 'Careless Whisper' was a quick No. 1 hit in a number of countries all around the world in the mid-80s. The tune easily topped the main list of the most consumed songs in the U.K. and also brought Wham! to the summit on the Hot 100 in America. The track was credited to both the group and Michael as a soloist in the U.S. and still stands as one of his and the duo's most popular compositions to this day.
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
George Michael song tops poll of UK/s favourite songs for seventh time
George Michael's hit song Careless Whisper has been voted the nation's favourite for a seventh year in a row, according to a Smooth Radio poll. The track, which was voted as the number one song on Smooth Radio's All Time Top 500 - an annual list of the UK's best-loved songs, was written by the late singer and his pop partner Andrew Ridgeley for their Wham! album Make It Big. This comes after the song celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, with more than 1.4 billion views on YouTube. Michael, who died aged 53 on Christmas Day in 2016, also scored the most popular music artist in Smooth's chart with 19 songs, including 13 solo songs such as A Different Corner at number three. The Swedish band Abba have also seen a record-breaking 16 entries, leading the charts as the most popular group with their hit song Dancing Queen at number 10, followed by The Winner Takes It All at number 25. This comes as group members Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida celebrated 50 years last year since they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Waterloo. British singer-songwriter Elton John rejoined the top 10 Smooth Radio chart for the first time since 2017 with his duet Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me with Michael - reaching number nine. John received 13 entries in this year's countdown - making him the most popular living music, artist according to the Smooth Radio poll. Whitney Houston, who died in 2012 aged 48, was nominated the most popular female artist, with 13 songs featured in the countdown including her rendition of I Will Always Love You, earning her a place at number 14. Also joining the top 20 list is singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran with his song Perfect reaching number 11, and Robbie Williams who jumped two spots on the chart since 2024 to number 15 with his song Angels. Smooth presenter Angie Greaves, who revealed the top 20 on air, said: "Smooth's All Time Top 500 is a fantastic celebration of the best songs that are the soundtrack to our lives, from legendary music artists to the stars of today. "It's wonderful to see George Michael's Careless Whisper top the chart again, with his timeless music continuing to resonate with the public, and Abba celebrate their biggest year ever, retaining their crown as the most popular group. "Our congratulations to Elton John on his first return to the top 10 in eight years and on his place as the nation's favourite living artist, and to Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue on their success this year. "The breadth of timeless and newer songs hold such a special place in people's lives and that's what makes our countdown so special." Across the May bank holiday weekend, the top 500 songs were played on air, with the number one announced just before 7pm on Monday. Smooth's All Time Top 500 - top 20: 1. Careless Whisper – George Michael 2. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen 3. A Different Corner – George Michael 4. Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson 5. Bridge Over Trouble Water – Simon and Garfunkel 6. Dance With My Father – Luther Vandross 7. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson 8. Hotel California – Eagles 9. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Elton John and George Michael 10. Dancing Queen – Abba 11. Perfect – Ed Sheeran 12. Mr Blue Sky – Electric Orchestra 13. Human Nature – Michael Jackson 14. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston 15. Angels – Robbie Williams 16. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler 17. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond 18. Don't Stop Me Now – Queen 19. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams 20. Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush Source: Press Association
