Daily Dirt: Was your mom more like Peg Bundy or June Cleaver?

When you think about your mom, I’m sure most of your memories are heartwarming — but what if some of the following TV moms had helped raise you?… With that in mind, welcome to today’s three thoughts and Vol. 226 of The Daily Dirt.
1. Here’s a list of 10 of my favorite moms in TV history:

• 1. Katey Sagal as Peg Bundy, “Married  … with Children”: There was never a mother figure before Peg Bundy, and none since, who has presented motherhood in the fashion the bombastic Ms. Bundy did. The reruns are almost hilarious today as the original shows were in the late 1980s.
• 2. Donna Roberts as Marie Barone, “Everybody Loves Raymond”: Another classic mom, Marie Barone is the character who hooked me on this program. Sarcastic, conniving, downright sneaky … Marie could easily have served as Peg Bundy’s mother on “Married  … with Children”.
• 3. Carolyn Adams as Morticia Adams, “The Addams Family”: A loving mom, even with her “bewitching” nature.
• 4. Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker, “All in the Family”: I always felt Edith’s role could have been expanded. Archie Bunker was the most dominant figure on this show, and deservedly so, but Edith’s character could have easily been expanded.
• 5. Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, “The Goldbergs”: This dominating mom is the highlight of this sitcom, which I never discovered until reruns began filling some late-night networks.
• 6. Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Carter, “Roseanne”: Roseanne could have been Peg Bundy’s twin sister.
• 7. Phylicia Rashad as Clair Huxtable, “The Cosby Show”: Classy, admirable, intelligent … if there ever was an overall role model as a TV mom I think it was Phylicia. Dr. Huxtable…didn’t age so well.
• 8. Agnes Moorehead as Endora, “Bewitched”: Her attitude was well ahead of this 1960s sitcom.
• 9. Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern, “Rhoda”: She was a perfect fit as Rhoda’s diminutive and highly outspoken mother.
• 10. Barbara Billingsley as June Cleaver, “Leave it to Beaver”: A great show? Nah. Extraordinarily funny? Not really. But June’s portrayal as the typical suburban mom in the late 1950s and early 1960s was spot on.

Back to that question I asked you a few paragraphs ago. I would say the mom figure is the central character in at least half of the programs mentioned.

2. Remember when we used to be talking about baseball at this time of the year? Me, too.

With that in mind, these are Forbes magazine’s ratings for the best overall MLB ballparks:

• 1. San Francisco: There should be no argument with these top picks. As far as San Francisco is concerned, I think everyone can say they love to see those splash” home runs to right field.
• 2. Baltimore: And in Baltimore’s case, that warehouse beyond the right and right-center fence is one of the most beautiful sites in the game.
• 3. St. Louis: Busch, in a word, is simply beautiful. It caters to the past while also recognizing the future of the game is equally important.
• 4. Los Angeles (Dodgers): For an “old” ballpark (it opened in 1962), Dodger Stadium remains one of the game’s most hallowed shrines.
• 5. Pittsburgh: It’s truly a shame that organization continually puts out such a wretched product because that stadium is a gem.
• 6. Colorado: Re-read No. 5.
• 7. New York (Mets): I still hate that stupid apple coming out of the top hat.
• 8. Kansas City: The Royals’ park was beautiful the day it opened, and became absolutely gorgeous when it was reworked a few years ago.
• 9. San Diego: The ballpark looks much better with Fernando Tatis Jr. playing there.
• 10. Chicago (Cubs): It’s a shame, with a park as beautiful as Wrigley, that the team on the field is so sad. If somehow MLB teams can play 162 games this year, the Cubs have a good shot at losing 110 of theirs.

 
3. For all of you University of Illinois football fans (all five of you)…

The Illini currently rank 14th (out of 14) in the Big Ten as far as Class of 2023 recruiting is concerned. Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State are the top three.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Steve often wonders if the Illinois football program should simply apply for membership in the Mid-American Conference and avoid further embarrassment in the Big Ten.