My Monday blog

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Longtime comedian Jimmie Walker was a regular at the legendary Stardust Race and Sports Book in Las Vegas.

The 74-year-old former star of the popular television show Good Times achieved success early in his career as the older son of Florida and James Evans, Sr. on television's first-ever two-parent sitcom featuring African-Americans.

Good Times aired on CBS for six seasons from 1974 to 1979.

Jimmie was 26 when he landed the role to play 17-year-old J.J. Evans.

"Dyn-O-Mite!" was the catchphrase assigned to J.J. by the show's group of creative writers.

The signature line was both a blessing and a curse for Jimmie Walker, a budding television celebrity in the late 1970's.

Producers of Good Times insisted on Walker delivering the classic line at least once an episode.

It seemed the more Walker engaged in tomfoolery as the family buffoon, the higher the Nielsen ratings for Good Times.

In the 1990's, Walker held court at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, treating local sports bettors to his steady stream of consciousness with no cover charge.

Walker Monologues, if you will.

Topics ran the gamut from sports news to political views, and everything in between.

"People don't look at me as talented," Walker once said.

"They look at me as the J.J. guy."

Jimmie's talent was his overblown delivery, not so much the value of his comedic content.

Every word from Walker's mouth was punched with force.

When he would talk about Major League Baseball totals, Jimmie replaced "over and under" with his comedic version of "ovaries and underwear."

As referenced earlier, it was Jimmie's unique delivery that made him funny.

When Las Vegas tourists inevitably spotted "J.J." sitting in the race and sports book at the Stardust, they would quickly and enthusiastically approach the reluctant Walker for an autograph.

The request and recognition were rarely appreciated.

Walker would oblige by scribbling chicken scratch on a small sheet of light blue paper the Stardust provided for bet requests.

Jimmie loved to work but he hated being on stage 24/7/365.

And he would never utter the line -- "Dyn-O-Mite!"-- on demand.

"What am I, a caged animal?" snapped Walker with an exaggerated savage look on his face.

Fast forward 30 years.

I spotted Jimmie on television this past weekend, hence today's blog entry.

He was working as a pitchman in commercial spots for the 2021 Medicare Helpline.

The contrast between the surly personality at the Stardust and the friendly, well-preserved spokesperson was obvious.

There was Jimmie crying out "Dyn-O-Mite!"

Much of life is about cash and considerations.

People, at times, are forced to lower their standards, sacrifice their beliefs, bend the rules or worse yet, break the law in the name of the almighty dollar.

Despite Jimmie's conflicts, I still honor the man who Time magazine named "Comedian of the Decade" for the 1970's.

Walker's commentary always came from a place of deep experience, the only real source of knowledge.

Walker's straight-talking ways and common-sense approach ("I'm a realist," he always says) are desperately needed in a world where logic and reason are too often hijacked by delusion and derangement.

Wish I would have bet the underwear in last Tuesday's MLB All-Star game.
 
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winkyduck

TYVM Morgan William!!!
I recall JJ on the Stardust Line many times including the time Joe Lupo had him in the Stardust Line contest. He was very entertaining. I, too, saw the same commercial you saw and pretty much had the same reaction. I had the underwear 0.5 runs in the 1st inning of the A-S game and got +125 for it and it was never in doubt.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
And to think the ASG total was bet up in some spots from 10.5 to 11 runs.

Final score: AL 5 NL 2.

The AL hitters struck out 12 times to only 3 strikeouts for the NL, but there was a lot of weak contact for NL hitters.

The 11th run of the game came to the plate only once when Kris Bryant lined out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Two notes to remember for the 2022 MLB All-Star game at Dodger Stadium: The AL has won eight straight games in the series and the UNDER is 13-2-1 over the past 16 editions.
 
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winkyduck

TYVM Morgan William!!!
And to think the ASG total was bet up in some spots from 10.5 to 11 runs.

Final score: AL 5 NL 2.

The AL hitters struck out 12 times to only 3 strikeouts for the NL, but there was a lot of weak contact for NL hitters.

The 11th run of the game came to the plate only once when Kris Bryant lined out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Two notes to remember for the 2022 MLB All-Star game at Dodger Stadium: The AL has won eight straight games in the series and the UNDER is 13-2-1 over the past 16 editions.

On a 3-0 pitch and Jared Walsh - who has never played LF - made a great catch. if that gets by him the game is tied and we are guaranteed at least 11 runs

2022 gonna be a brutal start time at Dodger Stadium. Unless I get priced off it - and I doubt I will - 100% chance I will be on: NO 1st Inning Run. Hell - we might not see a 1st inning HIT
 
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Neveragain

EOG Dedicated
There have been several famous comedians who are well known for their gambling stories.
Walter Matthau, Redd Foxx, Norm McDonald, Artie Lange, and Louie Anderson all have had
some serious gambling experiences documented on the internet. And I’m sure there are others.

Not drawing any conclusions here. Just an observation.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Good point, NEVERAGAIN.

Of course, drugs and comedy are more closely tied than gambling and comedy, but I assume the escape is the same.

Norm Macdonald has a funny bit about throwing casino chips in the ocean on the day he swears off gambling.

Searching YouTube now...
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
There have been several famous comedians who are well known for their gambling stories.
Walter Matthau, Redd Foxx, Norm McDonald, Artie Lange, and Louie Anderson all have had
some serious gambling experiences documented on the internet. And I’m sure there are others.

Not drawing any conclusions here. Just an observation.

You failed to mention comedian Dave Scandaliato.

Rest his soul.
 
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FairWarning

Bells Beer Connoisseur
Somewhat related. Amazon just got the exclusive rights to the Norman Lear catalog for Prime (Good Times included). The rich get richer.
 

MrTop

EOG Master
There have been several famous comedians who are well known for their gambling stories.
Walter Matthau, Redd Foxx, Norm McDonald, Artie Lange, and Louie Anderson all have had
some serious gambling experiences documented on the internet. And I’m sure there are others.

Not drawing any conclusions here. Just an observation.



gabe kaplan liked to play



: )
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
Little known fact about Good Times. Actor Mike Evans who played Lionel Jefferson on All In The Family and The Jeffersons was the Co- Creator of Good Times.
Also a very young Janet Jackson ended up being a regular on the show in it's later years.
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
For those who are sick and tired of all the political correctness in the world can watch episodes of Good Times and The Jeffersons because even still in the reruns they say the N-word occasionally. Still surprises me that the N-word is not edited out because of the way the country is these days.
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
Current game show called 'Funny You Should Ask" hosted by Jon Kelley sometimes has Jimmy Walker as one of the guest comedians, along with the regulars of Jon Lovitz, and Louie Anderson.
 

MrTop

EOG Master
Little known fact about Good Times. Actor Mike Evans who played Lionel Jefferson on All In The Family and The Jeffersons was the Co- Creator of Good Times.
Also a very young Janet Jackson ended up being a regular on the show in it's later years.


he died at 57, i did not know that
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
As JK said in his Monday blog Jimmie didn't like it when the tourists approached him in the Stardust, yet he much of the time sat in the last row of what was the Race Book. So he was easily spotted by the people walking into and leaving the Stardust from the sports book entrance.
 

texaswizzard

EOG Dedicated
I wouldn't call Dave Scandliotto a comedian. I would say he falls in the category of either, "Wannabe Comedian" or "Failed Comedian". The guy wasn't accomplished at anything. Maybe the best thing I can say about the guy is he wasn't scamming people. If someone signed up for his picks / service he wasn't selling 10,000 star locks or telling people he had inside information.
 

Abundy

EOG Addicted
I really enjoyed your blog JK

The Stardust was awesome. First sportsbook I ever stepped in. Great library
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Longtime comedian Jimmie Walker was a regular at the legendary Stardust Race and Sports Book in Las Vegas.

The 74-year-old former star of the popular television show Good Times achieved success early in his career as the older son of Florida and James Evans, Sr. on television's first-ever two-parent sitcom featuring African-Americans.

Good Times aired on CBS for six seasons from 1974 to 1979.

Jimmie was 26 when he landed the role to play 17-year-old J.J. Evans.

"Dyn-O-Mite!" was the catchphrase assigned to J.J. by the show's group of creative writers.

The signature line was both a blessing and a curse for Jimmie Walker, a budding television celebrity in the late 1970's.

Producers of Good Times insisted on Walker delivering the classic line at least once an episode.

It seemed the more Walker engaged in tomfoolery as the family buffoon, the higher the Nielsen ratings for Good Times.

In the 1990's, Walker held court at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, treating local sports bettors to his steady stream of consciousness with no cover charge.

Walker Monologues, if you will.

Topics ran the gamut from sports news to political views, and everything in between.

"People don't look at me as talented," Walker once said.

"They look at me as the J.J. guy."

Jimmie's talent was his overblown delivery, not so much the value of his comedic content.

Every word from Walker's mouth was punched with force.

When he would talk about Major League Baseball totals, Jimmie replaced "over and under" with his comedic version of "ovaries and underwear."

As referenced earlier, it was Jimmie's unique delivery that made him funny.

When Las Vegas tourists inevitably spotted "J.J." sitting in the race and sports book at the Stardust, they would quickly and enthusiastically approach the reluctant Walker for an autograph.

The request and recognition were rarely appreciated.

Walker would oblige by scribbling chicken scratch on a small sheet of light blue paper the Stardust provided for bet requests.

Jimmie loved to work but he hated being on stage 24/7/365.

And he would never utter the line -- "Dyn-O-Mite!"-- on demand.

"What am I, a caged animal?" snapped Walker with an exaggerated savage look on his face.

Fast forward 30 years.

I spotted Jimmie on television this past weekend, hence today's blog entry.

He was working as a pitchman in commercial spots for the 2021 Medicare Helpline.

The contrast between the surly personality at the Stardust and the friendly, well-preserved spokesperson was obvious.

There was Jimmie crying out "Dyn-O-Mite!"

Much of life is about cash and considerations.

People, at times, are forced to lower their standards, sacrifice their beliefs, bend the rules or worse yet, break the law in the name of the almighty dollar.

Despite Jimmie's conflicts, I still honor the man who Time magazine named "Comedian of the Decade" for the 1970's.

Walker's commentary always came from a place of deep experience, the only real source of knowledge.

Walker's straight-talking ways and common-sense approach ("I'm a realist," he always says) are desperately needed in a world where logic and reason are too often hijacked by delusion and derangement.

Wish I would have bet the underwear in last Tuesday's MLB All-Star game.

He was working as a pitchman in commercial spots for the 2021 Medicare Helpline.

Saw That Pitch.

Poker Tournaments on TV From N.J./Borgata.

Shows Start With a Big Welcome Presentation, From What Appears To Be Borgata's #1 Guy.

Former Stardust's Race/Sports #1 Guy.

Joe Lupo.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
For those who are sick and tired of all the political correctness in the world can watch episodes of Good Times and The Jeffersons because even still in the reruns they say the N-word occasionally. Still surprises me that the N-word is not edited out because of the way the country is these days.


No Political Correctness in The Archie Bunker Days.
 

mrbowling300

EOG Dedicated
Saw Jimmie Walker at a Comic Con show in 2015. Sadly, there were not many in line to get his autograph. Notice the 8 track player and the "Dyn-o-Mite" lunch box!

walker.JPG
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
I really enjoyed your blog JK

The Stardust was awesome. First sportsbook I ever stepped in. Great library
During football season it was tough to get in the library on Friday nights. Some guys would pull a chair in from the sports book and camp in there for over an hour.
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
i can not remember the name of the company that produced all the sheets with the stat info in the library. Anybody remember?
 

MrTop

EOG Master
i can not remember the name of the company that produced all the sheets with the stat info in the library. Anybody remember?



computer sports world



i think cantor took them over... then they were gone..then WH ? whatever



now we have nothing
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
i can not remember the name of the company that produced all the sheets with the stat info in the library. Anybody remember?

Note: Ken Pomeroy's college hoop ratings or Jeff Sagarin's college football ratings were never posted in the Stardust Sports Handicapper's Library.

As Joe Lupo once said, "We keep the good stuff in the back."
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Jimmie's long-term predictions were not always spot-on.

He and I had a gentlemen's bet on the long-range effects of Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters on the country-club sports of golf and tennis.

Jimmie claimed the African-American superstars would pave the way for a revolution of young black athletes in those two sports.

I took a course called "Sociology in Sport" in college, so I knew better.

Besides, Woods and the Williams sisters were privileged, pampered athletes at a very young age.
 

Almost Allright

GO Bucks!!!
I believe Good Times took place in Cabrini Green? One of many housing projects in Chicago. Interesting POV on how the failed projects have lead to increased gun violence

 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
I believe Good Times took place in Cabrini Green? One of many housing projects in Chicago. Interesting POV on how the failed projects have lead to increased gun violence

they never said on the show it was cabrini but that was Cabrini Green shown on the screen on the opening of the show. So it was implied.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
ROCKFISH doesn't miss anything.

Loved your point about Jimmie's seating preference at the Stardust.
 

mrbowling300

EOG Dedicated
Who would say this is accurate from celebrity net worth?

Jimmie Walker Net Worth: Jimmie Walker is an American actor and comedian who has a net worth of $800 thousand. Walker is most famous for playing James Evans Jr. ("J.J.") on the CBS sitcom "Good Times" (1974–1979), where he originated the popular catchphrase "Dyn-O-Mite!" Jimmie began performing stand-up comedy in the late '60s, and he has more than 50 acting credits to his name, including the films "Let's Do It Again" (1975) and "Airplane!" (1980), the TV movie "The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened" (1977), and the television shows "At Ease" (1983) and "Bustin' Loose" (1987–1988). In 2012, Walker published the book "Dynomite!: Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times–A Memoir."
 
You could put out an Encyclopedia Britannica full of the characters you'd find back at the Dust, most of them would be more interesting than Jimmie. I don't blame him for his attitude, if you are a paid entertainer, why would you take requests to do character stuff like that knowing you won't get paid? If you see an NBA player out on the street do you ask him "hey can you do a sick crossover for me with this basketball?" I'd be the same way, anything I got paid for I'd want to be paid for today as well.
 
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