Cheers Theme: Greatest of All Time?
The votes are in and Ranker.com has declared the Cheers theme song the greatest in television history. Sam and the gang’s tune muscled out the apparently controversial Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme for the top slot. Will Smith’s breakout show actually garnered more upvotes in Ranker’s system, but the show’s high downvote total led to its second place finish. Roudning out the top five were The Addams Family, The Muppet Show and Happy Days. Ranker claims its rankings are statistically significant, meaning they were scientifically derived. But any list that rank’s the superb Laverne & Shirley theme 29th deserves a thorough review. What do you think? Does the Cheers theme deserve top honors? Which theme song is your favorite? And speaking of Cheers, were you a Diane or Rebecca fan? Coach or Woody? Or are you—gasp—one of the few who never liked Cheers? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below. South End Patch
Does Menino Rank as One of Boston’s Greatest Mayors?
Mayor Thomas Menino will not seek a sixth term, according to at-large Boston politics journalist David Bernstein. Menino reportedly told Fox 25 this morning that it was a tough decision to make. So ends the longest mayorship in Boston history, and one of the longest in American history (To give you some perspective, long-time Chicago Mayor and political boss Richard J. Daley served 21 years and his son Richard M. Daley has currently served 24 years). But does a long career guarantee a spot in the Boston mayoral Hall of Fame, like Carlton Fisk’s long career landed him in Cooperstown? Or has Mayor Menino’s accomplishments guaranteed him a slot on the short list of Boston’s greatest mayors? There are 53 elected mayors in the city’s history, but the conversation of “best mayor” usually starts with James Michael Curley, known as “The Rascal King” and who famously served part of his term while in jail. Other contenders include John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald (that’s where the F in JFK comes from. Fitzgerald was John, Robert and Edward’s grandfather) and Kevin White. What do you think? Was Menino the best mayor in the city’s history? Or was his 20 years a dark period for the city? And legacies aside, does “Hizzonna” rank as one of the all-time great nicknames next to “Rascal King” and “Honey Fitz?” Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. South End Patch