Big Chuck, Hot Pizza, & Buckeye Dreams 🍕🐾💥

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Good morning, Cleveland! ☀️ This is The 216 Scoop, where legends like Big Chuck live forever, pizza always gets a standing ovation, and the Buckeyes are making us proud. Ready to dive into today’s headlines? Let’s go!

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition: 

• ‘Big Chuck’ Schodowski: A Cleveland legend and a TV pioneer has passed

• A slice is nice: Pizza is back on East Fourth

• The zoo wants to help you beat the cold

• Buckeyes’ stunning comeback sends Will Howard up draft boards

by John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura

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IN THE NEWS

‘Big Chuck’ Schodowski: A Cleveland legend, TV pioneer has died

A big piece of Cleveland is now a memory. “Big Chuck” Schodowski has passed away. He was 90.

The beloved TV movie host entertained and influenced generations and revolutionized the airwaves. He was a phenomenon whose longevity with one show at one station, WJW Channel 8, has no rival.

Schodowski grew up in a Polish neighborhood at Harvard Avenue and East 71st Street and was destined to work in a factory – until he drove past a TV station in Parma and decided to try his hand as a cameraman.

He landed a job at WJW in 1960 and became the right-hand man for Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson -- the late-night horror host who dominated local ratings with B-movies, wild stunts, cool music and crazy camera tricks.

Schodowski provided the visuals. He superimposed Ghoulardi into the films — a trick imitated by TV stations around the country. He also provided the music: black R&B and blues tunes he heard while working in the factory that would influence area bands like the Cramps, Devo, Dead Boys, Pere Ubu and the Black Keys.

Ghoulardi left Cleveland for Hollywood to work as an announcer for ABC. Schodowski, whose Marlboro Man looks and talent, led to work in Hollywood as an actor. But he chose to remain in Cleveland and take over the time slot with “The Hoolihan & Big Chuck Show.”

He thought it would last 12 weeks. The show dominated late-night TV for 13 years – with cheapjack flicks and goof-ball skits made on a $50 a month budget.

One involved Big Chuck sitting naked in a bathtub in a Cleveland intersection that led to the police raid. His “Certain Ethnic” skits became legendary and have registered millions of views on YouTube.

Schodowski rolled out the “Big Chuck and Lil’ John Show” in 1979. It ran until 2007, when he retired to pen his autobiography and make regular appearances at Ghoulardifest. He continued to appear on TV, on a truncated ‘best of’ version of the show until 2021.

His self-effacing, self-mocking comedic style clicked with the Cleveland psyche and made him a local legend. Cleveland has lost a pioneer. His memory lives on.

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A slice is nice: Pizza is back on East Fourth

The closing of Citizen Pie last year left a void on East Fourth… Where to get a slice on the street?

Problem solved: Good Pizza is set to open today in Citizen Pie’s former location on East Fourth. It’s the first regular location by Charlie Anderson, who has doing pop-ups since 2023 and hosts a popular YouTube channel on pizza-making.

In October, Anderson launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise almost $27,000 to open his pizzeria, which provides his takes on NY-style pies – Margherita and pepperoni to go with signature items like Spicy Vodka and Fig Bacon.

“My vision was to create a place where pizza is made with passion using the freshest, highest-quality ingredients available, all at a price that anyone can afford,” says Anderson. “I decided to test the waters with my first pop-up pizza events, and I was blown away by the love and excitement from the community.”

Good pizza will serve 18-inch pies and slices, was well as salads and an olive oil cake.

The zoo wants to help you beat the cold

Can’t think of a reason to go outside?  Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has one: Winter Wonder Weekends.

It features amenities to help you deal with the cold: a shuttle service through the Zoo, free carousel rides and special programming each weekend through March 2.

“In addition, the Zoo Loop will provide improved transportation throughout the Zoo, connecting guests to the many indoor buildings through winter so guests can stay warm while still seeing and learning about all of their favorite animals,” says zoo executive director Chris Kuhar.

The Zoo Loop runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day with more stops added throughout the facility. The zoo will announce special events ahead of each Winter Wonder Weekend, which will also include crafts and activities.

Buckeyes’ stunning comeback sends Will Howard up draft boards

My, my, what a historic comeback and national championship can do for a career.

Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard was maligned and mocked in November, after Ohio State suffered a disastrous loss to Michigan. NFL draft experts wrote him off as a late-round pick, maybe.

Four stellar games in the College Football Playoffs – including Monday’s championship game win against Notre Dame -- changed everything. Howard passed for 1,150 passing yards and eight touchdowns and picked up a National Championship Offensive MVP award.

Now, he’s shooting up the draft boards. Some draftniks reportedly see him as a possible top-5 quarterback in the NFL draft, April 24-26.  

Howard no doubt benefitted from OSU’s excellent receivers. And while he’s unlikely to go in the first or second round, the title run is moving him up in the eyes of NFL scouts.

THE 216 DIGEST

Monsters start two-game homestand vs Wolves

The Cleveland Monsters are battling for first place in the AHL North. At 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, they take on a mediocre Chicago Wolves team in two games at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

When different folk traditions meet

Venezuela meets Appalachia at 7 p.m. Wednesday when joropo musician Larry Bellorin and Grammy-nominated bluegrass star Joe Troop bring their duo to Transformer Station. 1460 West 29^th Street, Cleveland. Larry & Joe fuse the folk traditions of their respective countries using the harp, banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass in a bi-lingual show that features songs and dancing.

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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN!

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Lights! Camera! Misny!

Last week, we reported on “The Misny Movie” – the mockumentary by Brain Dagger films that traces the transformation of the Cleveland lawyer with those billboards and ‘Make Them Pay’ catchphrase into a pop phenomenon.

Apparently, Tim Misny is also a heavy-metal pied-piper – and you can follow him into the mayhem and appear as an extra in the movie.

On March 29, Brain Dagger is doing a shoot at the Five O’Clock Lounge, 11904 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. Here’s the scene: Four bands – Ignominious, Hams, Inducing Panic and the Stroppers -- will perform, you will be there somewhere in the crowd.

What’s Misney’s role? Only one way to find out.

VINTAGE CLEVELAND

Closed in 1992, the former home of Richman Brothers Company sits abandoned – a hulking giant on East 55^th Street. It was once one of Cleveland’s biggest employers and iconic companies. This is an advertisement for the company from the 1930s.

And don’t forget! Tag @LiveMusicInCleveland or @The216Scoop to get your photos in the Scoop!

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WEATHER

Wednesday

19°F 🌡️ 16°F | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 W 15 mph (13 knots)

Thursday

30°F 🌡️ 18°F | ☁️ | 20% | 💨 SW 10 mph (9 knots)

Friday

26°F 🌡️ 16°F | ⛅ | 20% | 💨 NW 10 mph (9 knots)

LIVE MUSIC IN THE 216

Thursday - 01/23

Beachland Ballroom | Matt Maeson | 8 PM
Grog Shop | The Motet | 7:30 PM
Music Box Supper Club | Sam Bush | 7 PM 👪

Friday - 01/24

Beachland Tavern | Arlo McKinley | 7:30 PM
Happy Dog | Red Wanting Blue | 8 PM 🐾
The Agora | The Glorious Sons | 7 PM

Saturday - 01/25

Beachland Tavern | Myth and Company | 8 PM
Mahall’s | Atomic Witch | 6 PM
The Winchester | Atomic Witch | 6 PM

The 216 Sports Arena

Upcoming Games

Cavaliers

Away vs. Houston Rockets, 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22
Away vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24

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