FALL PRESENTS THE NEWLY NEW!

By Edwin Cooney

You could argue that midwinter rather than the fall, in both 2020 and 2021, brought on the most devastating new news — Covid in 2020 and the move on Congress in 2021 —  but I can name numerous instances such as the election of our first Roman Catholic president in November 1960, the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, the resignation of a vice president in October 1973, Gore vs. Bush in November 2000, Obama as our first Black president elected in November 2008, Trump over Clinton in November 2016, and, finally, Trump's charge of "the steal" vs. Biden's "Build Back Better" deal in November 2020.

There's so much to anticipate from so many social, political, and cultural entities during the fall that everyone inevitably has to adjust to a new situation almost every day. Remember October 1964 when suddenly the Communist Party of the USSR snatched the dynamic Nikita Khrushchev away from you and me? (They never bothered to ask us before they did it — those godless dastards!)

Immediately, we have lots to look forward to and to wonder about:

(1.) What kind of a regular football season will Tom Brady have after refusing to go to summer training camp and ducking off to the Bahamas?

(2.) Will those "nasty" Yankees prevail or are they likely to crash in the playoffs as most red-blooded Americans hope they will?

(3.) Who will be in the Super Bowl next February?

(4.) What effect will the overthrow of Roe v. Wade have on this fall's elections and who will be most surprised by the outcome?

(5.) Will former President Trump be indicted for his post election activities in Georgia? And what about the ultimate fate of Rudy Giuliani?

(6.) Who will win the the 2022 World Series? Everyone “knows” it won’t be those Yankees. After all, Aaron Judge — their greatest player — is vastly overrated! (It amazes me that anti-Yankee fans always seem to underrate our greatest present-day superstar.)

(7.) What's Elizabeth Cheney's political future and what effect might that have on the Republican Party?

(8.) Who will be the most depicted celebrity on 2022 Halloween costumes?

(9.) Which lucky turkey will President Biden pardon this Thanksgiving?

(10.) Might Vice President Kamala Harris get some favorable mention somewhere in the media sometime this fall? She could use it!

Will Aaron Judge re-sign with the Yankees or might he sign with a California team to satisfy his close-knit family? I hope that he will be a lifetime New York Yankee — That’s my 2022 birthday wish!

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY