Josh Turner  - Firecracker  - 2007  -  (Album - Everything Is Fine)

I have always liked Josh Turner.  His big, well schooled voice is a gift for him and to us, and when he got the right song it was magic.  OK, that is far too dramatic for this song, but for Long Black Train, or Hometown Girl  it was apt.  This song is a more fun side of Turner, and right now, fun and carefree sounds really good.  It's Winter, dark, and there are a lot of songs out now that are really heavy, this is a nice break. Turner has a blast with this jukebox number.  This was a #2 hit and the only reason it was not #1, was Taylor Swifts, Our Song had a multi week stay there at the top spot.  Turner is very likable and super talented and I feel there is always room on our charts for a song like this.  This is just fun, sit back relax and catch Turners huge voice, being huge.

I know in Country circles she's a polarizing figure, but her contribution and influence cannot be ignored or dismissed. Taylor Swift must be looked upon as someone that brought millions of fans to us, and influenced an entire generation of new artists in our format and others.  But no one who's tried to duplicate her singing and songwriting style has had near the success that Taylor has had by a mile.  She's an original.  This was the start of a career that would take off to heights only dreamed of.  A young artist, singing a love song that mentions one of her heroes as smoothly and openly as a teenage girl would write about it in her diary.  That's Taylor's gift.  She knows who's listening, who she's singing to, and saying exactly what they would want to say.  As moving as this song is, the real springboard was her singing this on worldwide TV to Tim and Faith on the ACM's, then introducing herself at the end.  It was a magic and original moment.  Granted, Taylor Swift would have many bigger country songs - but this bold, daring and darling song was the start of a career that no one could possibly imagine.

Last Week - #50

Taylor In My Influencers Series

Taylor Sings To Tim McGraw - Pivotal Moment

The Browns are the talk of the town and NFL thanks to the remarkable story of Joe Flacco.  He's giving an entire region hope there could be great things happening early this winter.  His story is not about football, it's about intangibles in sport and life.  We are watching the measure of the heart, and that's why it feels good.

Flacco is almost 39 years old and was on his couch a few weeks ago and playing catch with his dad and five kids. After the Browns had no where else to turn, they called Flacco to see if he could bring his healthy self here and run their practice squad.  As it turned out the Browns had zero idea they had just made the call that was the missing link they didn't even know they needed.  People skills is not this organizations strength at all. But this was a ridiculous stroke of very good luck, for a city due for some.

I know my title sounds like a law firm but it's not.  It is apt as Flacco can be mentioned in the same breath as these guys with the totality of his story.  These guys possess immense intangibles and heart to make others around them much better.  In some cases, those were ridden to Superbowl titles and the Hall Of Fame.  Let's talk about that a minute.

Kurt Warner from Northern Iowa University played in the Arena Football League.  When the Rams called he was stocking groceries at Hy-Vee Supermarkets.  And when two QB's in front of him were injured, he got the chance he dreamed of.  He won a Superbowl and MVP with the Rams and took the Cardinals to the Superbowl, after they had not won a post season game in some 60 years.  He's in the Hall Of Fame.

Tom Brady from Michigan a 6th round draft pick who couldn't run at all and was also third string till he got his chance because of injuries with the Patriots.  Seven Superbowl wins later he's the greatest QB to ever play.  He's going to the Hall Of Fame.

Brock Purdy from Iowa State, the last guy picked in the draft a couple years ago, also third string until injuries, is now the best QB on the best team in the NFL.  There's MVP talk about him and I'm not so sure he shouldn't win. 

And Doug Flutie. About 5 foot 6. played QB in the NFL with various teams and had good success. He won numerous championships in Canada.  And in the NFL was always a fierce competitor leading a few teams to the postseason all while looking like he was in high school.

Why mention them? Because they are kindred to Flacco today.  These guys and Flacco, just because of who they are in life make everyone better.  Guys around them believe in and are inspired by them.  They block better, play harder and buy into them.  Warner was the total underdog and players around him respected him, knew his limitations and just wanted to be better when he was on the field.

Brady always a sixth rounder, was not at all athletic and somehow became the greatest ever.  He then became Flacco at 40, having great success in a new city.  The guys around him played harder for their aging leader.  Same with Purdy today, by far the lowest paid dude out there breaking his butt for the 49ers.  And Flutie, all 5 foot of him, his diminutive stature alone made 350 pound men want to protect him understanding the risk he was taking simply being on the field.

Today Old Man Flacco is all of them rolled into one.  The humble restart of Warner, the advanced age of Brady,  the stupid low pay of Purdy, and the fearlessness of Flutie.  He has the tools to still play at a high level and has his priorities right.  There's no social entourage, no drama, no lawyers, none of that stuff, just his family. Not many NFL stars have kids old enough to see dad do something this cool.  He's also a Superbowl winner and MVP.

Are the Browns playing for him as others did for the aforementioned?  You bet they are.  Flacco is what the PLAYERS needed.  They feel Flacco gives them a legit chance to go a long way, maybe all the way.  We have not had this kind of veteran leadership here in 25 years since returning. They're playing as the Browns did for Bernie Kosar who garnered that respect with his extreme physical limitations, but his superior skills and leadership. 

Add him to the list of Warner, Brady, Brock, Flutie and Flacco!

GO BROWNS!

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com, let's get you caught up!

Thanks for reading and listening every day!

Browns - Warner, Brady, Brock, Flutie And Flacco

50 Most Important Songs 1980-Present - #50

Forgotten Jukebox BB-18

CMML - The Mega Star Series - Alabama

Wynn At The Movies And More

Box Office Results - #1 -  Wonka  24 Million

#2 – Aquaman

#3 - Migration

New This Week  - Night Swim 

Next Week -  Mean Girls  /  The Beekeeper  / The Book Of Clarence  

Theaters – Are going to start offering more food and booze items and even have intermissions for longer movies – to attract more people

The Golden Globes - Are on Sunday The goodie bags are worth half a million bucks

Saved - 2023 is being considered a good year at the movies overall. Saved by Taylor Swift, Barbie, Mario, Oppenheimer, and Fast X - offset the writers and actors strikes

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane - Mega Star Series  (link)

Also - The 50 Most Important Songs 1980 - Present #50  (Link)

This month as we begin a new year, I am going to share  -  as we revisit my Country Music Memory Lane - Mega Star Series.  These are artists that are on the top shelf of stars of recent past.  The true Mega Stars of our format over our recent past.

This week we star off with Super Group  - Alabama.  We owe them an awful lot, as they really kept Country in the limelight during a time of real transition - from pop country to more traditional.

Super Group - Alabama

I'll Give You All My Love Tonight  - The Bellamy Brothers  -  1989 -  (Album - Crazy From The Heart)

As the Bellamy Brothers topped my 50 Favorites From 40 Years list with, Let Your Love Flow, seems fitting they also have a song in the Forgotten Jukebox.  This song is absolutely wonderful from a very different time.  This album, to me their best, and this was one of the big singles from it.  The Bellamy's recorded a lot of really great music in the 80's and 90's and were always on the charts with some 20 number one songs.  This was Top 5 and got a lot of airplay.  At this time, country was shifting far more traditional, and as you listen to this, you'll see this is not.  But what this is, is good.  Some of the Bellamy's music was hard to categorize, but it was always very good music.  They still tour and still play.

My Full Profile On The Bellamy Brothers

#50 -Don't Rock The Jukebox - Alan Jackson - 1991

This was Jackson's second number one early in his career.  It was also The Country Song Of The Year from Billboard in 1991, and propelled Alan Jackson to heights not yet seen.  This song solidified Jackson as a real force in Country and as a result of this huge song, he essentially went in on a 17 year run of #1's and top five's that is enviable. This song was immensely popular for about every reason a song is.  It was right on time and it's who Alan Jackson is at his core.  Fans sensed that, and gravitated to him in droves.  He will appear a couple more times on this list as his contribution to us is huge and immeasurable.  But even though this was not his first big hit, it was the one that made him a superstar.  Still gets played, still loved, still a great country song!

My Full Profile On Alan Jackson

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com  let's get you caught up!

Thanks for reading and listening every day?!

BROWNS - The Blessing

New Year- Long Feature Starts Next Week!

50 Favorites From 40+ Years Total Recap!

BROWNS - Guys Like Joe

Wynn At The Movies And More!

The Browns continue to win and you can start making your playoff plans.  Tonight the Jets come to town for a Thursday Night Game. The players don't like this short week stuff, and I will be glad when it's over and Joe Flacco is still upright and not hurt. The Jets have a great, physical defense that could make things tough on the Browns.  But the Browns should win this game.

Lots of talk on social media about the Browns and Flacco.  Lots of "Too many interceptions,"  and that kind of thing.  Granted, I am not thrilled about those either.  But we're throwing the ball about a thousand times a game and asking a guy who was just Netflixing on his couch to do it.  I'd love to see more balance.  There's also some of "The other QB's were successful too, let's not forget that.."  Truth is, we have forgotten that.  Not because we meant to, it's not top of mind this minute.  Plus, those many of those games were won by the lights out defense.

Be all that as it may, Flacco is here, he's in charge and this is his team right this second. Flacco is the perfect example of what I have felt for years.  I know, he is not the "New kind of QB,"  that's in vogue right now.  A guy that can pass, rush the ball, and make extreme plays that are great for Sportscenter or YouTube, or for some young network play-by-play guy to scream at the top of his lungs some stupid catch phrase he hopes ends up on those platforms for eternity.  Flacco in many people's minds is a throw-back.  Truth is, he's not at all.  He's the kind of guy who wins championships in this league. Big, tall pocket passers who extend a play just enough and most important of all, they stay healthy.  The list of these QB's is long, Brady, Montana, Bradshaw, Manning, Sims, Staubach, Mahomes to a degree, Williams, Elway, Roethlisberger, Favre, Rodgers, ......and Flacco. And a ton more.

The Browns sort of fell into this whole thing.  I'm not at all sold of them thinking Flacco was going to play much, or be this good. Truth is, Flacco has surprised everyone.  But the Browns came into this season with the Superbowl on their minds. And they also came into this season with a big question of how would the guy at the controls play.  And to add to that, a backup that was well over his head.  And another guy that had a limit, signed out of need.  The organization was not fair to any of them or the rest of the team, or us fans.  I was confounded at the time this was their plan.  Then injuries, bad play and a season starting to slip away, they called Flacco when there were ZERO options left to them.

What is happening now has everything to do with knowledge of human beings and I will not give the Browns organization that credit. The PLAYERS were looking for a leader, and with Flacco playing so well, these guys want to follow him.  They bought in, and are going with Joe no matter where this goes. And why not?  He is EXACTLY what this team needed.  It is so clear the PLAYERS were looking for his kind of leadership, and they started following him from the first play of the Rams game.  I also have never seen Stefanski so relaxed and happy as he is now.

How far can this team go?  As far as the great defense will take them.  Sure Flacco is playing well right now, and he does have championship pedigree. I have no doubt that Flacco will play as well as can be expected.  And if he does that, and this defense does what it can do, the Browns are a very tough draw in the playoffs, especially how the AFC is shaking out right now. The road to get to this point has been riddled with bones real difficulty and setbacks and still, here we are.

But when you know guys like Joe, I think the real key is this. Putting the Browns way aside for a minute.  HE has landed right where HE is supposed to be right now, and that's making all the difference.  For any of us in life, it settles us in our center when we know we are in the right place in the world, at the right moment, for the right reasons, with the right person.  And right now, that's the peace Joe Flacco is experiencing.

How on earth, did we get so lucky?