The Seattle Indians? How the Tribe Almost Moved to the Pacific Northwest

In 1964, the Tribe almost became the Seattle Indians. The Oakland Indians and the Texas Indians were also a possibility.

Sick's Stadium in Seattle was almost home to the Tribe in 1964

Most Cleveland Indians fans are familiar with the plot of the 1989 film Major League. In that cult-classic, former showgirl and recent widow Rachel Phelps becomes the owner of the Indians after the team is left to her by her late husband. She immediately hatches a plan to move the team to Miami. This, of course, takes place pre-Marlins, who ironically would go on to beat the Tribe in the 1997 World Series. What many fans might not remember is that the Tribe almost left Cleveland 25 years before the events of Major League.

In 1964 then Indians majority owner Gabe Paul was not happy with the dwindling attendance the Tribe was experiencing and even less pleased with team’s lease at Municipal Stadium. The 1963 Indians had drawn only 7,200 fans a game and Paul began entertaining offers from other cities. Business and civic leaders from Arlington, Texas, Atlanta, Seattle, and Oakland pursued a deal, with the latter two being the front-runners to lure the team away from the shores of Lake Erie. It wasn’t the first time the team had eyed a move. In 1958, it was strongly rumoured that owner William R. Daley was set to move the club to Minnesota, a claim GM Frank Lane repeatedly denied to the media throughout the season.

In September of 1964 though, a group of California businessmen offered Gabe Paul, who had purchased controlling interest in the team a year earlier, $6.5 million to move the team to Oakland. Paul rejected the offer. Meanwhile, a group in Seattle mounted a drive to sell 8,000 season tickets for the 1965 season in hopes of swaying the Indians to take up residence in Sick’s Stadium (pictured). The day after the second game of the 1964 World Series, Paul flew to the Pacific Northwest and planned to visit Oakland afterwards. Oddly, Seattle’s minor league team was named the Indians from 1903 to 1937 when they became the Rainiers, then briefly the Angels from 1965-1968, before going back to the Rainiers.  

Earlier in 1964, ground was broken for the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but delays and cost overruns would keep that facility from being opened until the fall of 1966 when the AFL’s Oakland Raiders hosted their arch rivals the Kansas City Chiefs.  Atlanta was only briefly in the running as the Milwaukee Braves, despite great success in Wisconsin both on the field and at the box office, were looking to relocate to the rapidly growing Georgian capital.  Arlington had the financial resources to bring the Indians south, but the move would have required Turnpike Stadium, set for completion in 1965, to be expanded. It eventually was (and then renamed Arlington Stadium) when the Washington Senators moved there in 1972.

It was Seattle, however, that posed the biggest threat to Cleveland. The rumors and speculation swirled for over a month, but on October 16, 1964, the Indians announced their intention to stay in Cleveland, thanks in large part to much more favorable stadium lease. In 1966 frozen food magnate Vernon Stouffer bought 80% of the team making him the majority owner. Paul stayed on as president and general manager. Stouffer was motivated to make the purchase to ensure the Tribe stayed put. However, in 1971 he struck a deal that would have had the Indians playing 30 home games in New Orleans’s Superdome in 1974, perhaps as a precursor to moving to the Big Easy. American League owners voted that idea down.

Seattle fans were disappointed to hear that the Indians were not going to move west. Indeed, an Associated Press wire story from September 11, 1964 called the move all but certain, further building the Emerald City’s hopes. They’re sour mood didn’t last too long, as in December of 1967 the American League awarded the city an expansion franchise that would become known as the Pilots. They began play in 1969, but moved to Milwaukee a year later and became the Brewers.

Had Cleveland lost the Indians in 1964, one wonders if baseball would have returned to the city? Washington, D.C., and Kansas City both received expansion franchises after losing teams, but it’s unclear if Cleveland would have been given the same consideration. Also, had the Tribe moved, the world might never have heard of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.

With no Indians, Art Modell would have gotten the new stadium he coveted, and would have never had the slightest inclination to move the team to Baltimore. If Cleveland had been granted an expansion franchise by Major League Baseball, it’s fun to speculate what the team would have been called, presuming the Indians kept the old name in their new home. The Cleveland Spiders?  The Blues? Bluebirds? What do you think? – By PF Wilson

Like vintage Cleveland/NE Ohio stuff? Be sure to check out Home Shirts Cleveland for apparel featuring gone, but not forgotten, stores, restaurants, sports teams, and more from the North Coast.

Joan Rivers Interview 2007 for Folio Magazine

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Joan Rivers back in 2007 for Folio, the weekly paper in Jacksonville. At the time they didn't post content online, so I have taken my original text and re-posted it here. Enjoy.

Joan Rivers

By P.F. Wilson

Joan Rivers talks about life lessons, dealing with the paparazzi, and how she felt about having her Red Carpet gig handed to Star Jones.

Folio: Your latest vehicle is How’d You Get so Rich? on TV Land. How did that come together?

JR: They came to me while I was doing Celebrity Apprentice, and said “we’d think you’d be the ideal choice because you’re a good interviewer, you’re a lucky Lou, you’re a big mouth and you’re funny. The show is a combination of all three. We meet the people, find out how they got rich, which is always fascinating, then we get a chance to go into their houses, see how they spend their money, and what their toys are.

Folio: You’ve probably seen many a fortune gained and lost in Hollywood. Do you ever talk with these people and think “I dunno, is that the best way to spend all that money?”

JR: They all have one thing in common. They all have great energy and great belief in their product and worked very hard for it. No body is a sloth.

Folio: What about the gal that won the lottery?

JR: I spoke to her afterwards, and she’s already investing, she’s got a business going. [People that are smart], once they get money, they know the value of it, and they have great time with it. And they are all also very charitable.

Folio: There’s a documentary about you, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, coming out June 11. Did a film crew follow you around constantly?

JR: Yes, for a year and a half. The deal was I gave them total access, and they just followed me. I absolutely forgot they were there. After a year and half you get up in the morning and they’re they are.

Folio: Were there things you didn’t want in it?

JR: No, the deal was---and I was very glad to make that kind of deal---it was their choice. I hate (documentaries) where (the subject) has the final choice. Then it’s not an honest look. It’s the way the person wants to be perceived.

Folio: Speaking of people following you around, are you tired of TMZ?

JR: Let me tell you, we are so lucky to have the paparazzi want to take our picture, and anyone who doesn’t get that should go back to being a pizza waitress. “Oh, the paparazzi won’t leave me alone!” You know what? Go sell hats at Macy’s, then they’ll leave you alone. Never bothers me, seriously delighted to do it.

Folio: But trying to pick on Phil Donahue because he looks old, isn’t that a little mean?

JR: Isn’t everything? Let’s open up US Magazine and OK Magazine, or The New York Post. People love gossip and people love negative gossip, you know that. That’s the way of the world.

Folio: A lot of folks think you got a raw deal with E! and your Red Carpet coverage. Were you secretly happy when Star Jones bombed?

JR: Oh no, no, no. I was not secretly happy. I was obviously happy! Of course Everyone thinks it’s so easy. Geena Davis, they had her do it one year, and she gave out a statement to the press saying “I won’t ask ‘who are you wearing?’” Melissa and I were laughing. “Wait until she finds out how tough it is.” It took her two interviews to say “who are you wearing?” We were delighted to see her just fall on her face!

Folio: Why are people so surprised when you don’t know who they are? Hollywood’s a big town isn’t it?

JR: There are a 1000 channels if you have cable. We don’t know who everybody is. And we don’t know what everybody is doing. I think everyone should be polite and say “hello, I’m so and so.”

Folio: Or wear nametags.

JR: Wouldn’t that be nice? No, I don’t know who you are, I don’t watch Jersey Shore.

Folio: In college you studied anthropology. Did that help you in any way in Hollywood?

JR: (Laughs) No, but I just loved it. I always liked to think I could go back and do it. But it’s great when you travel as much as I do, as we all do in our business, (you say) “oh my gosh, I want to go see this, and I’m lucky enough to be able to go see (those things). I played Turkey and I got to see (the ancient city of) Ephesus, the ruins of Delphi---if I’d become an anthropologist, I might never have had a chance to see them. My other profession has brought me to places where I want to always go and look.

Folio:  Is it easier to be in comedy now because of all the outlets, or harder because there is more competition?

JR: I think in the old days it was much better because when you did land on the Carson show people saw you. Somebody can do 26 shots on Letterman, and no one knows who the hell they are.  Of course the Internet is changing everything. People come up with a viral video and they’re a star.

Folio: Do you have any energy for the Internet?

JR: I’m dying to do a late night talk show on the Internet, dying to.

Folio: You seem to fit so easily into different jobs, why is that?

JR: I just figure try everything. No one remembers the failures.  All you need each year is one success. Try everything, what’s the worst that could happen? I found out that I don’t like to direct by directing a movie (Rabbit Test). If I hadn’t tried that, I would have been all my life saying “I want to direct a movie.” Life is very fast, you go around once. Try.

Folio: How do you feel about the state of stand-up comedy today?

JR: I think it’s wonderful, you can talk about anything. Audiences are willing to hear hilarious things, they’re wide open.

Folio: And you have tons to talk about?

JR: Yes. Miss USA turns out to be a pole dancer? Thank you God. Ten minutes of jokes came into my head right away.

Folio: What’s your favorite topic these days?

JR: All these cheating husbands! Tiger Woods, Jesse James, what’s his name, from the Today Show.

Folio: You mentioned wanting to do an Internet talk show. Anything else on your showbiz bucket list?

JR: I’d love to go back to Broadway. I’ve never been in a real movie. Muppets Take Manhattan doesn’t count. Spaceballs doesn’t count.

What if the USFL had Survived?

By PF Wilson

There’s a neat web series on NFL.com called The N “if” L. It’s produced by NFL.com analyst Dave Demeshek and offers different scenarios based on a particular event in league history being altered. There’s a great one called “What if ‘The Drive’ had Stalled?”

My favorite though is from 2012 called “What if the USFL Hadn’t Folded?” It’s interesting and pretty funny, but as an aficionado of defunct leagues, it got me thinking. I decided to really take a hard look at the premise, and here’s what I came up with.

In Demeshek’s universe, the USFL survives and moves to the fall. He points out accurately that the USFL had a lot of big stars, but he incorrectly states the league had a lot of cash. Some teams did, most did not, though they weren’t swimming in red ink like some of the teams that wound up folding, or almost all of the teams from the World Football League of the mid-70s.

Demeshek’s surviving USFL:

East                                             West

Baltimore Stars                              Arizona Wranglers*

Birmingham Stallions                      Memphis Showboats

Jacksonville Bulls                           Oakland Invaders

New Jersey Generals                     Portland Breakers

Orlando Renegades                        San Antonio Gunslingers

*I added Arizona, because Demeshek only pulls nine names out his USFL pog box in the video.

The problem with this line up is San Antonio and Portland were both broke. Oakland, even with the addition of a bunch of talented players from the Michigan Panthers saw attendance plummet. For the record, the original fall configuration for the USFL was to be as follows:

USFL 1986 (proposed)

Liberty Division                           Independence Division

Baltimore Stars                               Arizona Outlaws

Birmingham Stallions                      Jacksonville Bulls

Memphis Showboats                     Orlando Renegades

New Jersey Generals                     Tampa Bay Bandits

Many of the teams that played in the spring of 1985 either folded or merged instead of moving to fall. As early as 1984, when the move to fall was announced, teams were moving, folding or merging. This was the USFL in 1984 before the decision was made to move to fall.

USFL  1984:

Atlantic Division                          Southern Division

New Jersey Generals                     Birmingham Stallions

Philadelphia Stars                           Jacksonville Bulls

Pittsburgh Maulers                         Memphis Showboats

Washington Federals                      New Orleans Breakers

                                                      Tampa Bay Bandits

Central Division                            Pacific Division                

Chicago Blitz                                   Arizona Wranglers

Houston Gamblers                           Denver Gold

Michigan Panthers                            Los Angeles Express

Oklahoma Outlaws                          Oakland Invaders

San Antonio Gunslingers

Under my thesis, the USFL survives because it does not move to fall, despite Donald Trump’s insistence. Demeshek, by the way, alludes to the widely accepted belief that Trump killed the USFL, and he is spot on there.  This is also supported by the excellent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

So here is what the USFL probably would have looked like in the spring of 1985, had the league not announced a move to fall play for the 1986 season.

1985 (Spring without fall move)

Atlantic Division                          Southern Division

New Jersey Generals                     Birmingham Stallions

Philadelphia Stars                           Jacksonville Bulls

Pittsburgh Maulers                         New Orleans Breakers

Orlando Renegades                      Tampa Bay Bandits

                                                               

Central Division                           Pacific Division

Memphis Showboats                     Arizona Outlaws

Houston Gamblers                          Denver Gold

Michigan Panthers                          Los Angeles Express

San Antonio Gunslingers                 Oakland Invaders

FOLDED/MERGED:  Oklahoma Outlaws, Chicago Blitz

The Outlaws still merge with the Arizona Wranglers, and the Chicago Blitz, who were near the bottom of the league in attendance and TV ratings are folded. Washington still moves to Orlando to become the Renegades. The Breakers don’t have to move to Portland, and can stay in New Orleans where fan support is strong. Same with Philadelphia. The league continues on into the spring of 1986 though a few more unhealthy teams succumb.

USFL 1986 (Spring no move to fall)

Eastern Division                          

New Jersey Generals                     

Philadelphia Stars                          

Pittsburgh Maulers                         

Orlando Renegades                        

Michigan Panthers

Southern Division
Birmingham Stallions
Jacksonville Bulls
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

Western Division
Arizona Outlaws
Denver Gold
Houston Gamblers
Memphis Showboats                                   

FOLDED: Los Angeles Express, Oakland Invaders, San Antonio Gunslingers

The Express, under league control, limp to the end of the 1985 season and are folded. San Antonio, hampered by a tiny stadium and a cash-poor owner, are folded. The Oakland Invaders also disband. The league’s remaining teams are in fairly good shape financially and pretty well supported. Trump, frustrated that his suggestion about a fall schedule is dismissed, sells the Generals.

USFL 1987 (Spring)

Eastern Division                        

New Jersey Generals                     

Philadelphia Stars                          

Pittsburgh Maulers                        

Orlando Renegades                        

Michigan Panthers

Southern Division
Birmingham Stallions
Jacksonville Bulls
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

Western Division
Arizona Outlaws
Denver Gold
Houston Gamblers
Memphis Showboats

The USFL still signs enough big name players to compete with the NFL, and in 1988 the league plays its last spring season. However, this time the news is good.

USFL 1988 (Spring)

Eastern Division                         

New Jersey Generals-z                 

Philadelphia Stars                          

Pittsburgh Maulers-m                 

Orlando Renegades                     

Michigan Panthers

Southern Division
Birmingham Stallions
Jacksonville Bulls
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

Western Division
Arizona Outlaws
Denver Gold-z
Houston Gamblers-z
Memphis Showboats

(Will join NFL. Will join WLAF, m-moves, z-merges)

Following the 1988 season, the USFL could have simply continued on, but more likely the NFL sues for peace. As part of the deal, several of the USFL franchises will join the NFL and begin play in the fall of 1990. However, after six seasons spring football is fairly popular and the NFL knows this. To prevent another spring circuit from popping up and causing the league grief the NFL forms the World League of American Football (WLAF) to also begin play in 1990, but in the spring (one year earlier than the non-USFL timeline). The WLAF takes 5 USFL teams and also expands into Europe with franchises in London, Barcelona, and Frankfurt. In the US though, things are tricky as teams are moved and folded, and one NFL relocation is altered.

In 1988 Bill Bidwell looking for a new home for his St. Louis Cardinals cannot move the team to Phoenix, because the Outlaws are already there and about to join the NFL. As part of the merger agreement, Bidwell moves the team to Baltimore. The USFL Stars who were eyeing a move to Maryland as part of their migration to the NFL, are forced to move instead to Charlotte. They also absorb the Generals. Denver merges with Jacksonville who joins the NFL. Birmingham and Memphis also join the NFL, swelling the league to 34 teams.

In 1989 there is no spring football. In the spring of 1990 the 5 remaining USFL teams (the Pittsburgh Maulers are sold and move to Sacramento to become the Surge) join the WLAF and continue to play in the spring.

Former USFL teams 1990

Charlotte Stars, Birmingham Stallions, Jacksonville Bulls, Arizona Outlaws, and Memphis Showboats join the NFL.

WLAF 1990

London Monarchs, Barcelona Dragons , Frankfurt Galaxy, Orlando Renegades, Michigan Panthers, New Orleans Breakers, Tampa Bay Bandits, and Houston Gamblers along with the Sacramento Surge (the former Pittsburgh Maulers) form the WLAF. The Montreal Machine are also added to round the circuit out to 10 teams.

CFL Expansion into the US.

In the early 1990s many CFL teams were in trouble. With the folding of the Montreal Alouettes in 1987, the league was down to 8 teams and almost all of them were struggling financially. A new wave of owners hired Larry Smith as commissioner with the understanding he would seek expansion south of the border. But with a larger NFL and a stronger WLAF, opportunities would have been limited.

Originally the CFL placed teams in Baltimore, Sacramento, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Shreveport, Birmingham, and Memphis, though not all at the same time.

With the USFL/NFL merger, the CFL still expands into the US, but instead winds up in Portland, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Shreveport, Syracuse, and Miami. The US experiment still ends with all but one of the teams folding. However, the move still saves the CFL. It still takes a few more years for the league to get back on solid financial footing, but the influx of much needed cash provided by the expansion fees buys the CFL time.

The Montreal Machine of the WLAF move to Columbus, Ohio to become the Ohio Glory, paving the way for the CFL’s Portland franchise, the only surviving US team, to move to Montreal and become the new Alouettes.

Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Raiders

In 1995 the Rams leave Los Angeles for owner Georgia Frontiere’s hometown of St. Louis, and the Raiders head back to Oakland.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers

These teams never exist as the Bulls and Stars are already in those two cities.

The San Antonio Browns

In 1996, Art Modell, dissatisfied with the lack of progress in getting a new stadium built in Cleveland, moves the Browns to a city that built a new stadium just three years earlier: San Antonio, recently abandoned by the CFL. Cleveland still sues, and is awarded the “new” Browns who being play in 1999. Modell’s team changes its name to the Riders.

The Los Angeles Panthers

Also in 1996, the WLAF’s Michigan Panthers move into the Coliseum in Los Angeles, while the WLAF adds a team in Scotland to take Michigan’s place. The Rhein Fire also joins the WLAF.

The Houston Oilers

In 1997, the Oilers move to Tennessee, but this time there is no layover in Memphis. The team heads straight to Nashville and plays at Vanderbilt’s stadium until a new facility can be built.

                                                                                                                               

The Houston Texans

In 2002 Houston returns to the NFL with the expansion Texans.

The XFL

Never happens.

The NFL and WLAF Today

NFL

AFC EAST                                                                                           

Buffalo Bills                                                                                    

Miami Dolphins                                                                               

New England Patriots                                                                      

Jacksonville Bulls                                                                             

New York Jets        

AFC NORTH
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers                                                                           

AFC SOUTH                                                                                 

Birmingham Stallions                                                                        

Houston Texans                                                                          

Memphis Showboats                                                                       

Tennessee Titans                                                                             

San Antonio Riders

AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers

NFC EAST                                                                                  

Baltimore Cardinals                                                                       

Dallas Cowboys                                                                               

New York Giants                                                                             

Philadelphia Eagles                                                                           

Washington Redskins

NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings

NFC SOUTH                                                                                 

Atlanta Falcons                                                                               

Charlotte Stars                                                                                

New Orleans Saints                                                                         

Tampa Bay Buccaneers                                                                   

                                                                                                                         

NFC WEST
Arizona Outlaws
Los Angeles Panthers
St. Louis Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks

WLAF

EUROPE                                                                                                               

Amsterdam Admirals                                                         

Barcelona Dragons

London Monarchs

Scotland Claymores

Rhein Fire

NORTH AMERICA                                                                

Tampa Bay Bandits                                                             

Ohio Glory

Sacramento Surge

Orlando Renegades

New Orleans Breakers

Another Scenario: The Out-of-Court Settlement Merger 1986/87

With the lawsuit looming in 1986, and with one of its owners (Al Davis) about to testify for the plaintiffs, the NFL discusses the idea of absorbing several of the USFL franchises. There’s only one problem. They don’t want Trump.

In this timeline, with The Donald removed from the equation, the NFL takes the Baltimore Stars, Birmingham Stallions, Memphis Showboats, the Jacksonville Bulls, the Arizona Outlaws and perhaps the Bandits, though they would have to move. New Jersey isn’t included because three teams would have to share one stadium and neither the Jets nor Giants want a direct competitor getting in the way of their monopoly.

This predates the Cardinals departure from St. Louis, and with his back-up markets also taken, the Cards either stay put or, more likely, wind up in Charlotte.

P.F.’s Top 40 Songs of 2013

By PF Wilson

Sorry it’s a little late. And I won’t bore you with a lot of editorial comment, but it was another good year for tunes. It was a 3 team race for the top, won out by Scotland’s very fine CHVRCHES. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you go to this episode of the podcast, you can hear FanGirl and I count down our respective Top 5s.

1. “The Mother We Share” - CHVRCHES

2. “The City” – The 1975

3. “Fred Astaire” – San Cisco

4.  “Magnetic Eyes” – Matrix and Futurebound

5. “Harlem” – New Politics

6. “Diane Young” – Vampire Weekend

7. “This is What it Feels Like” – Armand Van Buren

8. “Night Cafe” – OMD

9. “Counting Stars” - OneRepublic

10. “Spark” -  Afrojack

11. “Somewhere Only We Know” – Lily Allen

12. “Top of the World” – Imagine Dragons

13. “Right Action” –Franz Ferdinand

14. “Metroland” - OMD

15. “Stay Out” – Nina Nesbitt

16. “The Beach” – San Cisco

17. “Chocolate” – The 1975

18. “Midnight Run” – Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Endings

19.  “I Always Knew” – The Vaccines

20. “Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities

21. “Skip to the Good Bit” – Rizzle Kicks

22. “Live and Die” – Avett Brothers

23. “Why Am I The One?” F.U.N.

24. “Shiver” – Walk the Moon

25.  “House of Gold” – Twenty-one Pilots

26.  “Sad Night, Where is Morning” – The Ocean Blue

27.  “Love is a Bourgeois Construct” – Pet Shop Boys

28. “24 Hours” –Sky Ferriera

29. “Unbelievers” – Vampire Weekend

30. “When Can I See You Again?” – Owl City

31.  “The Pit” – Silversun Pickups

32. “Recovery” – Frank Turner

33. “Lightning Bolt” – Jake Bugg

34. “Strawberry Smile” – Andy Hawk & The Train Wreck Ending

35. “Dear Darlin’” –Olly Murs

36. “Somewhere to Hide” – Shiny Toy Guns

37. “Anna Sun” – Walk The Moon

38. “Still Into You” - Paramore

39.  “Helen of Troy” - OMD

40. “Shooting Star” – Owl City

Daily Currant Writer Found Dead after Writing Sochi Engineer Found Dead Story

By PF Wilson

The story spread like wildfire across the Internet this past weekend, after news broke Saturday morning that the engineer responsible for the glitch during the Winter Olympic opening ceremony in Sochi had been found dead.

After one of five snowflakes failed to turn into the final Olympic ring, the Russian hosts were red-faced, as it were. Then Saturday morning, the Daily Currant ran the piece about the engineer. For almost a day the Internet and social media in particular, were abuzz with the bazaar tale of how he met a gruesome end after apparently embarrassing his homeland. However, it all turned out to be hoax, perpetrated by the Daily Currant; a hoax that went viral.

Many Internet experts, social media gurus, and garden-variety know-it-alls snickered about how the public was once again hood-winked  by a hoax news story. Few were surprised though, as people across the web constantly fall for made up news stories from The Onion, Daily Currant, Ross Rants, and Fox News.

Russian officials were not amused by the hoax though, and insist that the real engineer is alive and well and working on a special project in Barnaul, Siberia. However, the writer who penned the fake news story was found dead Sunday night. As word spread out across the Internet of the writer’s demise, local law enforcement said no one had contacted them for details, and they were pretty sure that no such incident had actually taken place. Still many speculated about the writer’s possible death.

A spokesman for Russia’s satirical newspaper The Radish said it demonstrates the danger of poking fun at the wrong things. “But the Russian people took no offense at the story about the engineer. We have great sense of humor. We laugh at the same things you do. You laugh at President Obama,” he said and then paused before adding: “We laugh at President Obama.” He then vehemently insisted that the Russians were not involved in the writer’s death. Two Russian nationals were questioned a few blocks from the Daily Currant’s headquarters, but were released after telling the FBI that they knew nothing about a fake news story, or satirical news website, and were merely looking for “moose and squirrel.”

Pattie Wilson also reported on this story.

P.F.’s Top 40 Songs of 2012.

It’s that time again. Another year has passed and it’s time to reveal PF’s Top 40 of 2012. Looking over the list one last time it seems to get less and less accurate as you head from the top down. These are my 40 favorite tracks of 2012, but you after you leave the top 10 or so, you could interchange a lot of the entries.

Some notes and observations:

Last year Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine checked in right at 40, and were kept from a higher spot on the 2011 chart due to repeated airplay. Not their fault of course. Then along come Paradise Fears in 2012 with a knockout cover that lands high in the chart. First of all Adam Levine “gave away” perhaps his best melody ever. The kids from South Dakota (that’s Paradise Fears) took a step in the right direction by singing the whole song, even the parts rapped by Gym Class Heroes in the original. Well done. Paradise Fears also help accomplish a rare feat; the same song appears twice in the chart. They’re cover of Carly Rae Jepsen's “Call Me Maybe” placing a few spots below the original.

Imagination Movers, a band geared mostly toward pre-teens and their parents stormed high up into the chart with the title track from their 2012 album Rock-o-Matic. Also, everyone hates Nickelback---except me. I like their single anyway. Not a huge fan of the rest of the catalog, but still puzzled by the backlash. It’s almost a cliché at this point.

Anyway, enjoy the chart and check some of the artists and tunes out.

40. “Beekeepers Daughter” – All-American Rejects

39.  “On the Road”- Keane

38. “Operator” – The Ready Set

37. “Runaways” – The Killers

36. “Midnight City” – M83  

35. “Oh, Darling” – Plug in Stereo

34. “That’s Why God Made the Radio” – The Beach Boys

33.  Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen (a.k.a. Owly Rae Jepsen)

32. “The Winner” – Pet Shop Boys

31. “Anything Can Happen” – Ellie Goulding

30. “When We Stand Together” – Nickelback

29. “Dedication to My Ex” – Lloyd

28. “Sanctuary” – Paradise Fears

27.  “Tonight is the Night” – Outasight

26. “Uncharted Shores” – Uncharted Shores, formerly One Direction (U.S.)

25. “I Will Wait” – Mumford and Sons

24. “No Hope” – The Vaccines

23. “Little Talks”- Of Monsters and Men

22. “Only the Horses”- Scissor Sisters

21. “My Terrible Friend” – The Pains of Being Pure at Hear

20. “Banner” - LIGHTS

19. “Your Silent Face” – The Submarines”

18. “Call Me Maybe” – Paradise Fears

17. “We Are Young” – fun (DJ Reidiculous Mix)

16. “The Worst Thing About Me” – We Are The in Crowd

15. “Friday is Forever” – We the Kings

14. “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen

13. “Carried Away”- Passion Pit

12. “Primadona” – Marina and the Diamonds

11. “Summer Paradise” – Simple Plan (featuring K’naan)

10.  “Peace Sign” - LIGHTS

9. “I Started a Joke” – The Pet Shop Boys

8. “Rock-O-Matic” – Imagination Movers

7. “Bom Bom” – Sam and the Womp

6. “Dance with Me Tonight” – Olly Murs
5. “Thick as Thieves”- The Summer Set

4. “Say Nothing” - Example

3. “The Only Place” – Best Coast

2. “Stereo Hearts” – Paradise Fears

1. “Teenage Icon” – The Vaccines

P.F.’s Top 40 Songs of 2011.

If you know me, you know of my disdain for “chart” music. For as long as I can remember, I’ve only been able to stomach a few songs in the American popular charts. When I was 12 or 13 years-old I’d listen to American Top-40 with Casey Kasem, though I would end up rooting for/liking just two or three songs. Looking at the entire “Hot 100,” I’d maybe see a few more tracks I liked. The ones I did enjoy, of course, were the new wave songs (mostly). Rarely could I warm to a top-ten hit, though it did happen. And occasionally a song I liked from the start would get to the top of the charts, sometime to number 1. A similar situation occurred this year with my favorite song of 2011 peaking at number 8 on the Billboard chart.

It’s about as perfect a pop song as you could find. Better yet, repeated radio play didn’t manage to kill it, like numbers 39 and 40 on this chart. Good songs too, but you couldn’t escape them, and they just didn’t have the durability of the number 1 song. Another oddball is Bruno Mars. I never really got into his previous singles and all went top-ten here in America. Then over the summer, I immediately took a shine to “Marry You,” which promptly stalled at 80 on the “Hot 100.”

Enough editorializing though, here’s the list…

40. “Stereo Hearts” – Gym Class Heroes Featuring Adam Levine

39. “Without You” – David Guetta & Usher

38. “Let Down” – Hot Chelle Rae”

37. “Money” – The Drums

36. “Yacht Club” – Owl City Featuring LIGHTS

35. “Dig A Little Deeper” – Peter, Bjorn & John

34. “Colours”- Zebra and Snake

33. “Still Life” – The Horrors

32. “Our Perfect Disease” – The Wombats

31. “Magdalena” – Brandon Flowers

30. “Waste of Time” – Paradise Fears

29. “Tomorrow has to wait – Peter, Bjorn & John

27. “Tonight’s The Kind of Night” – Noah and the Whale

26. “Under Cover of Darkness” – The Strokes

25. “Norgaard” – The Vaccines

24. “Over You” – We The Kings

23.  “Rescue song (RAK Mix)” – Mr. Little Jeans

22. “Deer in the Headlights” – Owl City

21. “Marry You” – Bruno Mars

20. “Call Your Girlfriend” - Robyn

19. “Say You Like Me” – We The Kings

18. “I Feel Like Dancin’” – All Time Low

17. “Turn it Up” – Oh, Land

16. “Young Forever” – The Ready Set

15. “Can You Feel It” – One Night Only

14. “Forget About It” – All Time Low

13. “Master Chef Synesthesia (Buttery Biscuit Bass)” - Swede Mason

12. “Dumb Love” – Sean Kingston

11. “Post Break-up Sex” – The Vaccines

10. “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S O.N.” – Noah and the Whale

9.   “Simple Trance-Like Getaway” – Never Shout Never

8.  “What Makes You Beautiful”- One Direction

7.  “Bedroom Eyes” – Dum Dum Girls

6.  “Toes” - LIGHTS

5.  “Someone Like You” – The Summer Set

4.  “The Body” – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

3.  “History of Modern Part I”- OMD

2.  “If You Wanna” – The Vaccines

1. “Tonight, Tonight” – Hot Chelle Rae”