DAILY DIRT: And now it’s time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day

Daily Dirt for Monday, Feb. 10, 2025

The best overall love song from today’s 10 features titles might be the one from George Strait … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,198 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Now that the Super Bowl is in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to move on to the next important holiday

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to get ready for Cupid’s arrival than listening to songs with “heart” in the title? Here are 10 suggestions from The Daily Dirt to help you cuddle up next to that most significant other:

• “I Cross My Heart,” by George Strait (1992): Featured in the film “Pure Country,” Strait’s song has been called one of the most cherished ballads in country music history. I can’t argue with that.
• “You’re In My Heart,” by Rod Stewart (1977): The best part of this song? Rod the Mod mentions two of his favorite soccer teams — Celtic and United.
• “Heart Of Gold,” by Neil Young (1972): The studio version of this classic featured background vocals from James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.
• “Straight from the Heart,” by Bryan Adams (1983): The first top-10 hit for the Canadian star.
• “Listen To Your Heart,” by Roxette (1988): One of four No. 1 songs in the U.S. for the Swedish duo.
• “Heart Of Glass,” by Blondie (1979): Debbie Harry and Blondie took a lot of heat at the time of the song’s release for being “too disco”.
• “Hungry Heart,” by Bruce Springsteen (1980): The Boss originally wrote this song for the Ramones, but opted to keep it for himself. Good move, Bruce.
• “Tell It To My Heart,” by Taylor Dayne (1988): One of four singles released from her debut album, and all four reached the Billboard top 10.
• “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” by Bonnie Tyler (1983): Forty years after its release, Tyler’s hit enjoyed a revival tied to the solar eclipse of 2023.
• “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” by the Bee Gees (1971): This was the Bee Gees’ first No. 1 song in the U.S., and is from the album “Trafalgar”.

2. Did you know (Part 273)

• That the book “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was written by the same guy who penned the James novels — Ian Fleming.
• That in 1836 the U.S. patent office in Washington, D.C., caught fire and one of the patents destroyed was the one for the fire hydrant. I kid you not.
• That Native American actor Iron Eyes Cody began acting in the 1920s, appearing in more than 200 films. What he arguably became most famous for was a 1971 Earth Day environmental commercial where he sees a group of people throwing trash out of a car window, walks over, picks up the trash and looks into the camera with a single tear running down his cheek. He enjoyed quite a career for himself, but just one problem. “The “half-Cherokee, half-Cree” Iron Eyes Cody was actually a 100 percent Sicilian man named Espera Oscar de Corti. Not even 1 percent Native American, but 100 percent Italian. He died in 199 at age 94.
• That Pop Tarts has released two Girl Scout Cookie flavors: Thin Mints and Coconut Caramel (some of us like to call them Samoas).
• That the following candy bars are the latest to join the ice cream bar craze: Baby Ruth, Butterfinger and 100 Grand.
• The Ranch-flavored Fried Pickles Lay’s Potato Chips have returned.3. So, how much extra loot did Sunday’s Super Bowl participants pocket?

3. To the winners go the spoils

The bonuses accumulate as teams advance through the postseason rounds:

• Division Winner Bonus: $54,500
• Wild Card Round (first-round bye): $49,500
• Divisional Round Bonus: $54,500
• Conference Championship Bonus: $77,000
• Super Bowl Loser Bonus: $96,000
• Super Bowl Winner Bonus: $171,000

For players on the Philadelphia Eagles, total playoff earnings will surpass $350,000 per player.

• The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) specifies how much players are paid in each round of the playoffs. The bonus amounts increase each year.
• In addition to the bonuses, players on the winning team receive a Super Bowl ring and the Lombardi Trophy. 
• These bonuses are in addition to players’ regular-season salaries.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — This just in … the Eagles have scored another touchdown.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’s still eating from yesterday’s Super Bowl spread.