I really lament writing this, but I think The Office is finally done. Maybe when Steve Carrell leaves at the end of this season there will be a sigh of relief and the show can find a new direction, but it doesn't look like it.
Last season had some highlights (see Date Mike and the parkour cold open), but overall if you missed it, you missed nothing. The funniest thing was Kelly's music video, which was never on TV. This season, more of the same. I laughed pretty hard at the what will Stanley notice cold open, and moderately at a few things here and there. The problem seems that they've run out of ideas. They have tried to revive Jim as a prankster, but only half-heartedly. They keep beating the Andy still loves Erin joke into the ground so that it just isn't funny. The Dwight-Angela sex contract is just awkward and doesn't work unless the tension with Dwight caring more about Pam's friend is there. Ryan is not funny. Period. Ditto Gabe, and Erin. I think the show needs more Creed, Daryl, Kelly, Oscar, Kevin and douche bag Andy.
The writers also seem to lack direction. So many plots the past two season start, then kind of just sit in idle. I'm not sure what they were trying to do with the baptism episode: there was nothing entertaining about the Jim/Pam plot and the Michael filled with the Holy Spirit plot was wholly predictable and didn't do anything. When I watch I keep feeling like there is about to be some funny twist, but there just isn't.
At this point the show literally feels like we are watching an office, not The Office. Yeah there are a few chuckles here and there, but no more ill-timed that's-what-she-saids, no more inventive pranks on Dwight or Andy, no more zany misinterpretation of social norms. It's becoming too much work to watch a show that just seems like a normal day at work. I hope that this is more a product of the Michael Scott farewell tour need to wrap things up for the character, but since last season was almost as bad I highly doubt it. The cast and crew seem like every American worker at about 1:15 on a Friday, tired of being there and just waiting to get out.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
A Fool and His Money Soon Parted
NFL players are dumb. Why is there such an outrage that the league is going to strictly enforce rules already in place that are designed to protect everyone on the field? On Tuesday the league announced it was coming down hard on players who use their helmets as weapons. This is not a new rule; it has been in the books for eons. The NFL is just taking steps in light of some recent harsh criticism for their lack of action on a disturbing problem in the NFL: neurological damage.
A recent study has shown that multiple concussions is related to Lou Gherig's disease. If you don't understand how terrible it is to loose all control of your body slowly, ready Tuesdays With Maury. Now it's a new study so it isn't definitive, but there are also countless other studies showing that repeated hits to the head aren't good for you. There's also real life (see: Muhammad Ali, and countless other former professional boxers and NFL players.)
Of course, this means that players will have to change how they play the game. Heaven forbid. James Harrison is throwing such a fit about this he is threatening to retire. Talk about an immature brat. These are the same players who complain that they are not getting enough health benefits from the union after they retire. The league is now taking active steps to try to reduce long-term health of these people. The stink the players are making show that they are arrogant fools who have no concept of anything beyond themselves at that present moment. If Mr. Harrison leads with his helmet this weekend and damages a vertebra (heaven forbid) his career is over, his contract is void (because the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts) and he will have health bills for the rest of his life that will eat up a lot of whatever he has saved. This is the classic case of a kid playing with matches because dad told him not to.
It is pretty well proven that leading with the helmet causes injuries. What I cannot understand is why these players want to hurt each other. The intimidation excuse is not viable. You can hit someone just as hard without having to concuss yourself or your fellow player. Aren't we always told the NFL is a brotherhood? I don't think a lawyer goes into a courtroom hoping to do permanent brain damage to the opposing counsel, why is it OK for an NFL player to do the same? It's not.
The other reason the players are being selfish is because they don't realize the message they send when they act like concussion seeking missiles. America watches football. America loves football. America plays football. Guess what age group has the most football players? Kids under 18 years old. They watch every Sunday and see these idiots leading with their helmets, hitting defenseless receivers, trying to hurt each other. Those kids then go out and whether they consciously do it or not, they try to imitate the pros. These overgrown babies playing in the NFL can try to say they don't mean to be role models, but they are. Children under 18 exposed to head injuries while the brain is still developing are really at a huge risk of horrible long term damage. The players may not like it, but they owe it to the kids (as corny as that sounds).
So in short NFL players, stop being selfish, spoiled, jerks. You get to play a sport for a living. The NFL is taking steps to not only protect you, but those who aspire to be you. They are protecting your livelihood not only so you can keep doing it, but so America doesn't turn on a sport that was threatening to become too barbaric to play. It is for your own good your helmet can't be a battering ram. So sure keep on leading with your helmet. I just don't want to hear it when you have to sit out. Then I don't want to hear it when you have to retire early. I especially don't want to hear it ten years from now when you finally feel the effects of the damage you willingly and brashly inflicted on your body.
A recent study has shown that multiple concussions is related to Lou Gherig's disease. If you don't understand how terrible it is to loose all control of your body slowly, ready Tuesdays With Maury. Now it's a new study so it isn't definitive, but there are also countless other studies showing that repeated hits to the head aren't good for you. There's also real life (see: Muhammad Ali, and countless other former professional boxers and NFL players.)
Of course, this means that players will have to change how they play the game. Heaven forbid. James Harrison is throwing such a fit about this he is threatening to retire. Talk about an immature brat. These are the same players who complain that they are not getting enough health benefits from the union after they retire. The league is now taking active steps to try to reduce long-term health of these people. The stink the players are making show that they are arrogant fools who have no concept of anything beyond themselves at that present moment. If Mr. Harrison leads with his helmet this weekend and damages a vertebra (heaven forbid) his career is over, his contract is void (because the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts) and he will have health bills for the rest of his life that will eat up a lot of whatever he has saved. This is the classic case of a kid playing with matches because dad told him not to.
It is pretty well proven that leading with the helmet causes injuries. What I cannot understand is why these players want to hurt each other. The intimidation excuse is not viable. You can hit someone just as hard without having to concuss yourself or your fellow player. Aren't we always told the NFL is a brotherhood? I don't think a lawyer goes into a courtroom hoping to do permanent brain damage to the opposing counsel, why is it OK for an NFL player to do the same? It's not.
The other reason the players are being selfish is because they don't realize the message they send when they act like concussion seeking missiles. America watches football. America loves football. America plays football. Guess what age group has the most football players? Kids under 18 years old. They watch every Sunday and see these idiots leading with their helmets, hitting defenseless receivers, trying to hurt each other. Those kids then go out and whether they consciously do it or not, they try to imitate the pros. These overgrown babies playing in the NFL can try to say they don't mean to be role models, but they are. Children under 18 exposed to head injuries while the brain is still developing are really at a huge risk of horrible long term damage. The players may not like it, but they owe it to the kids (as corny as that sounds).
So in short NFL players, stop being selfish, spoiled, jerks. You get to play a sport for a living. The NFL is taking steps to not only protect you, but those who aspire to be you. They are protecting your livelihood not only so you can keep doing it, but so America doesn't turn on a sport that was threatening to become too barbaric to play. It is for your own good your helmet can't be a battering ram. So sure keep on leading with your helmet. I just don't want to hear it when you have to sit out. Then I don't want to hear it when you have to retire early. I especially don't want to hear it ten years from now when you finally feel the effects of the damage you willingly and brashly inflicted on your body.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Did What I think Just Happen Happen?
Did Entourage just grow a pair after 5 years of sucking? Sunday's season finale was somewhere between their usual happy ending and nuclear fallout. But it could have been worse, Turtle could have been whacked and Vince could have pulled a Dirk Diggler and started performing sex acts for blow. Sadly, I think it is too little too late; there's only one season and possibly a movie left (a movie about a movie star?). We've had one season end in total failure before, the Medellin season, and granted the following season was all about rehabbing Vince's image. Yeah it was far fetched that one movie would totally destroy a career and much more believable that getting arrested for fighting Kevin Love, Jordan Farmar, Eminem, and bodyguards, and drug possession is harder to come back from. But guess what? Robert Downey Jr. did it. I just have a feeling this is going to be like the post-Medellin plot where it seems like no one wants Vince anymore and then some big name director decides he does; the show loves easy fixes.
Yes, I am interested in the show I have been begrudgingly watching for a while now. But trying to make Vince an interesting character is a tall task with Adrian Grenier's limited acting abilities. The only reason I knew he was upset was because everyone kept saying he wasn't OK and then he was doing lines by himself with a bottle of whiskey like he was a member of an 80's metal band.
Turtle's plot this year: boring. I could care less about a tequila company or the girl they were trying to pass off as hot. Even with that it was one episode she hates Turtle the next they're dating (easy fix again). She and Sasha Grey just annoyed me.
But hey, at least Sasha made Grenier look like a decent actor with her flat, emotionless lines. She couldn't even convince me she was mad at coked out Vince trying to tell her what to do. The only good part about that relationship was the irony that Vince was the one who wanted a serious relationship while the love interest was having sex with a lot of people.
E's plot was completely stupid. I don't want to watch him take over his boss's firm. Ari did that last year.
I want to see more Johnny's Bananas. Why was there not at least a scene from that? And yes please for more of E's secretary. Hot and British? I'll take it.
This brings me to the Ari plot. Did things need to go against him? Unquestionably yes. Did his life need to completely unravel? Unquestionably no. The one character that has made the last few seasons bearable is Ari Gold. He was good for entertainment, good for depth of character, good for quality acting. If this impending divorce, and loss of respect in the biz cuts Ari's balls off I will be very upset. He may not be the nicest person, but he got the job done, he made lives better (look at Lloyd, the man is a damn good agent because even though Ari yelled at him a lot, he was able to distill the message). If Ari can no longer be Ari, Entourage can no longer be Entourage.
Yes, I am interested in the show I have been begrudgingly watching for a while now. But trying to make Vince an interesting character is a tall task with Adrian Grenier's limited acting abilities. The only reason I knew he was upset was because everyone kept saying he wasn't OK and then he was doing lines by himself with a bottle of whiskey like he was a member of an 80's metal band.
Turtle's plot this year: boring. I could care less about a tequila company or the girl they were trying to pass off as hot. Even with that it was one episode she hates Turtle the next they're dating (easy fix again). She and Sasha Grey just annoyed me.
But hey, at least Sasha made Grenier look like a decent actor with her flat, emotionless lines. She couldn't even convince me she was mad at coked out Vince trying to tell her what to do. The only good part about that relationship was the irony that Vince was the one who wanted a serious relationship while the love interest was having sex with a lot of people.
E's plot was completely stupid. I don't want to watch him take over his boss's firm. Ari did that last year.
I want to see more Johnny's Bananas. Why was there not at least a scene from that? And yes please for more of E's secretary. Hot and British? I'll take it.
This brings me to the Ari plot. Did things need to go against him? Unquestionably yes. Did his life need to completely unravel? Unquestionably no. The one character that has made the last few seasons bearable is Ari Gold. He was good for entertainment, good for depth of character, good for quality acting. If this impending divorce, and loss of respect in the biz cuts Ari's balls off I will be very upset. He may not be the nicest person, but he got the job done, he made lives better (look at Lloyd, the man is a damn good agent because even though Ari yelled at him a lot, he was able to distill the message). If Ari can no longer be Ari, Entourage can no longer be Entourage.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Streak Broken
No, Brett Favre started tonight. I'm referring to my month plus hiatus from updating. I blame it partially on the start of law school; I guess torts and property and contract law really use up a lot of thinking power so I don't have the neural juice to crank out a post every week. I also really want to write about AMC's new show Rubicon, but it's all so up in the veiled that I can't really figure it out yet. I will say this, James Badge Dale is a phenomenal actor. His two roles (HBO's Pacific) this year where he did so much acting without saying a word have really swung me firmly in his camp. Also, last week's bottle episode of API on lock-down trying to find a leak was the best yet. The parallels of Will's team taking lie detectors and Will trying to figure out the lies he was living/working under was fascinating.
Rubicon is good, but I have to say a few words on Mad Men. If Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss don't win Emmy's for their performances on this week's "The Suitcase," I don't know if they ever will (especially since fellow AMC show Breaking Bad won't be eligible for next year's awards). The full range of emotions and interplay between Peggy and Don is some of the best work of the series. Like the lead in show, this was more or less a bottle episode, so the plot of the episode was really driven by the actions and emotions of Peggy and Don, alone, in the office.
There are two really important strands I pulled out of this episode that I think are really worth mentioning. The first is Peggy is clearly now Don's new Anna. Anna was so pivotal to Don because she knew Don as Dick, who he really was. Peggy, although she doesn't know his real name, does know Don as more than just the creative genius that drinks, carouses, and wows Madison Avenue. They kept bringing up Peggy's baby because that seemingly meaningless moment at the end of season one, where Don showed up to visit Peggy in the hospital (her only visitor not related to her) he showed the caring, thoughtful, sympathetic man at his core. Through this episode Don and Peggy realized what they always knew: they are kindred spirits. They are both trying to make a life they never seemed destined to have, yet still fit into the boxes society wants for them. Because of this their work is their only real joy. Now hopefully Peggy can do what Anna did in season 2 and bring Don out of his funk.
The other strand that seems insignificant right now, but has been touched on a few times this season. Don does not believe in self-promotion. We have seen this in episode 1 where he flops in the trade magazine interview and then in last week's where he bashes Muhammad Ali for being a braggart. This could cause some problems pretty soon. Very soon we will begin to see just how important being your own spokesman is to our society. The question is can Don adjust or will he be passed by? I don't think he'll let that happen, he's too strong, too much of a survivor. But this will bring up an interesting conflict within him. Can a man who is not really who he says he is, who doesn't want his past to be know, who wants his face to be his work, really become comfortable in the spotlight?
Courtesy of chicago-now.com
There are two really important strands I pulled out of this episode that I think are really worth mentioning. The first is Peggy is clearly now Don's new Anna. Anna was so pivotal to Don because she knew Don as Dick, who he really was. Peggy, although she doesn't know his real name, does know Don as more than just the creative genius that drinks, carouses, and wows Madison Avenue. They kept bringing up Peggy's baby because that seemingly meaningless moment at the end of season one, where Don showed up to visit Peggy in the hospital (her only visitor not related to her) he showed the caring, thoughtful, sympathetic man at his core. Through this episode Don and Peggy realized what they always knew: they are kindred spirits. They are both trying to make a life they never seemed destined to have, yet still fit into the boxes society wants for them. Because of this their work is their only real joy. Now hopefully Peggy can do what Anna did in season 2 and bring Don out of his funk.
Courtesy of amc.com
The other strand that seems insignificant right now, but has been touched on a few times this season. Don does not believe in self-promotion. We have seen this in episode 1 where he flops in the trade magazine interview and then in last week's where he bashes Muhammad Ali for being a braggart. This could cause some problems pretty soon. Very soon we will begin to see just how important being your own spokesman is to our society. The question is can Don adjust or will he be passed by? I don't think he'll let that happen, he's too strong, too much of a survivor. But this will bring up an interesting conflict within him. Can a man who is not really who he says he is, who doesn't want his past to be know, who wants his face to be his work, really become comfortable in the spotlight?
Friday, July 23, 2010
Why It's Mad Men
It has to be Mad Men. It couldn't be Wall Men, or Court Men, or anything else. It just doesn't work.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about the focus of AMC's show Mad Men, obviously. It had to be about the men on Madison Avenue. A show about the change in culture in America is best seen through those who are on top, but have to respond to those changes for their survival. A stock broker doesn't need to realize that women are not just secretaries. A lawyer doesn't need to realize that rock and roll is here to stay and forever dictate the music industry.
Since the advent of advertising firms they have had their fingers on the pulse of the nation. They have to identify growing trends because they need to know what makes potential buyers click. But they have to find a balance. Their clients almost certainly are not always the most forward thinking. The challenge for Don Draper, Peggy Olson, and the team is to almost trick the stodgy old farts who run Kodak, or Lucky Strike or whatever, into being hip, being fresh, and tapping into the power of an incredibly fast changing American society, without actually looking like they have changed a thing.
It are the subtleties, these nuances that really make the show click. Especially since we can see how being on the leading edge (for corporate America at least) affects the lives of the characters. We see Peggy embracing not only a career oriented lifestyle, but a mostly religious-free lifestyle. We see Pete Campbell struggle with the shame of having to adopt. We see Roger Sterling run off with his secretary. A lot of what seem common place to us watching in 2010 is completely alien to the characters. This is what is so striking to me. It was only 40 years ago but what they take for granted and what we take for granted are so incredibly different it's amazing. I'm going to try to be pretty good at reviewing each show for the upcoming season because this is my favorite show on TV. Stay tuned.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about the focus of AMC's show Mad Men, obviously. It had to be about the men on Madison Avenue. A show about the change in culture in America is best seen through those who are on top, but have to respond to those changes for their survival. A stock broker doesn't need to realize that women are not just secretaries. A lawyer doesn't need to realize that rock and roll is here to stay and forever dictate the music industry.
Since the advent of advertising firms they have had their fingers on the pulse of the nation. They have to identify growing trends because they need to know what makes potential buyers click. But they have to find a balance. Their clients almost certainly are not always the most forward thinking. The challenge for Don Draper, Peggy Olson, and the team is to almost trick the stodgy old farts who run Kodak, or Lucky Strike or whatever, into being hip, being fresh, and tapping into the power of an incredibly fast changing American society, without actually looking like they have changed a thing.
It are the subtleties, these nuances that really make the show click. Especially since we can see how being on the leading edge (for corporate America at least) affects the lives of the characters. We see Peggy embracing not only a career oriented lifestyle, but a mostly religious-free lifestyle. We see Pete Campbell struggle with the shame of having to adopt. We see Roger Sterling run off with his secretary. A lot of what seem common place to us watching in 2010 is completely alien to the characters. This is what is so striking to me. It was only 40 years ago but what they take for granted and what we take for granted are so incredibly different it's amazing. I'm going to try to be pretty good at reviewing each show for the upcoming season because this is my favorite show on TV. Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Fall
I just watched Germany pick apart what many considered a viable contender to lift the Jules Rimet trophy, Argentina. It was a simple case of selfish vs. unselfish.
Selfish: Maradona's inability to admit his tactics were not working and change them. The always forward thinking Argentinians were undone by a complete lack of creativity in the final third. Part of this is because Carlos Tevez can only do 2 things: score, or turn the ball over. Since Argentina were shut-out guess which one he did the most. His touch, his passing, or his inability to do either were part of Argentina's downfall. So often did he just try to bull his way through a compact, organized German defense. That is never going to happen. Yes Tevez is a great goal threat, but it just wasn't his day. Maradona did not recognize this. He kept Aguero on the bench for way too long, and I want to know what he has against Diego Milito. The man was brilliant for an Inter Milan side that won three trophies.
Maradona didn't make the necessary changes until the lid was on the coffin. His answer: weaken an already shaky defense. He took off Otamendi when the second goal went in, which he should have because the defender was lucky not to get a red, and brought on an attacking player, leaving three at the back. This is why Germany was able to get 2 more. The midfield would have been better served with Veron being injected in, because he can really pick passes and win balls, keeping valuable possession. The attack needed more touch, more grace, more ability to connect on quick, touch passes, which Aguero and Milito both provide. All in all, Mardona's personnel decisions were as puzzling as Bob Bradley's and like Bradley's helped lead to their downfall.
Selfish: The Argentinian attack. There was one person on that field who could win a game alone. And his teammates refused to give him the ball. Now Messi is not blameless here. When he was on the ball he didn't look his usual self, but there were times when he was unmarked in the penalty area, and his teammate on the ball decided to try to dribble through 3 German defenders to try to salvage the game (mostly Tevez, but Higuain's ghost and Angel Di Maria also were guilty on occasion). Messi should have been more demanding of his teammates, more vocal, more upset, but he's only 23 and he's never been one to be petulant. He is the consummate team player, but the look on his face after the game was one of disgust.
Unselfish: Everything about Germany's performance. None of their 4 goals were scored by someone who had made a long run with the ball. Klose's first was a perfect microcosm of the German philosophy. Their strong defense patiently won the ball and moved it to the midfielders who got it wide for Podolski. Podolski beat his man and instead of doing what the Argentinians had done all day and go for his own glory, he teed up Klose who walked the ball into a wide open net. This is pretty much how goals 2-4 were scored. Even the first goal highlighted a huge difference between the two sides. On every free kick near the box Messi shot it, whether the angle was good for his left foot or not, even though the Jabulani is known to float when driven, even though almost no free kick goals have been scored. The Germans on the other hand used their free kicks to set each other up. In the third minute Schweinsteiger put a threatening ball into the box from a free kick and Mueller flicked it on with his head, into the back of the net.
I think the Germans sent a message to the world today: we are young, but smart, cool, and ready to hoist the ultimate prize. They can play and score on the front foot or the back. They will not be broken down. Neuer is getting better and more confident every game. They have officially played the "Eff you" and the "Nobody believed in us card." The are efficient and unrelenting. I hope that we get a rematch of the 2008 European Championship game in the next round to really see how much this team has grown in the course of the last month. I think Spain will prove an excellent test because they too are a very well balanced side, and they keep possession so well, and are hard to hit on the counter attack because their midfielders win the ball high up the pitch. That game, if it is to be, could come down to who has the most savvy and patience.
Overall, this game reminded of a better played version of the US-Ghana game. Poor coaching and team selection, and an inability of the attack to do anything of real threat met a well organized, hungry, unselfish team who were set up to execute their way to victory as one. While I will miss Maradona, and you cannot give him enough credit for the chemistry he created with that team, I think Argentina would be best served with someone who can admit they are wrong, who will change tactics, who won't run over someone in his car and claim it was the victim's fault. So until next time, keep watching the events in South Africa.
Selfish: Maradona's inability to admit his tactics were not working and change them. The always forward thinking Argentinians were undone by a complete lack of creativity in the final third. Part of this is because Carlos Tevez can only do 2 things: score, or turn the ball over. Since Argentina were shut-out guess which one he did the most. His touch, his passing, or his inability to do either were part of Argentina's downfall. So often did he just try to bull his way through a compact, organized German defense. That is never going to happen. Yes Tevez is a great goal threat, but it just wasn't his day. Maradona did not recognize this. He kept Aguero on the bench for way too long, and I want to know what he has against Diego Milito. The man was brilliant for an Inter Milan side that won three trophies.
Maradona didn't make the necessary changes until the lid was on the coffin. His answer: weaken an already shaky defense. He took off Otamendi when the second goal went in, which he should have because the defender was lucky not to get a red, and brought on an attacking player, leaving three at the back. This is why Germany was able to get 2 more. The midfield would have been better served with Veron being injected in, because he can really pick passes and win balls, keeping valuable possession. The attack needed more touch, more grace, more ability to connect on quick, touch passes, which Aguero and Milito both provide. All in all, Mardona's personnel decisions were as puzzling as Bob Bradley's and like Bradley's helped lead to their downfall.
Selfish: The Argentinian attack. There was one person on that field who could win a game alone. And his teammates refused to give him the ball. Now Messi is not blameless here. When he was on the ball he didn't look his usual self, but there were times when he was unmarked in the penalty area, and his teammate on the ball decided to try to dribble through 3 German defenders to try to salvage the game (mostly Tevez, but Higuain's ghost and Angel Di Maria also were guilty on occasion). Messi should have been more demanding of his teammates, more vocal, more upset, but he's only 23 and he's never been one to be petulant. He is the consummate team player, but the look on his face after the game was one of disgust.
Unselfish: Everything about Germany's performance. None of their 4 goals were scored by someone who had made a long run with the ball. Klose's first was a perfect microcosm of the German philosophy. Their strong defense patiently won the ball and moved it to the midfielders who got it wide for Podolski. Podolski beat his man and instead of doing what the Argentinians had done all day and go for his own glory, he teed up Klose who walked the ball into a wide open net. This is pretty much how goals 2-4 were scored. Even the first goal highlighted a huge difference between the two sides. On every free kick near the box Messi shot it, whether the angle was good for his left foot or not, even though the Jabulani is known to float when driven, even though almost no free kick goals have been scored. The Germans on the other hand used their free kicks to set each other up. In the third minute Schweinsteiger put a threatening ball into the box from a free kick and Mueller flicked it on with his head, into the back of the net.
I think the Germans sent a message to the world today: we are young, but smart, cool, and ready to hoist the ultimate prize. They can play and score on the front foot or the back. They will not be broken down. Neuer is getting better and more confident every game. They have officially played the "Eff you" and the "Nobody believed in us card." The are efficient and unrelenting. I hope that we get a rematch of the 2008 European Championship game in the next round to really see how much this team has grown in the course of the last month. I think Spain will prove an excellent test because they too are a very well balanced side, and they keep possession so well, and are hard to hit on the counter attack because their midfielders win the ball high up the pitch. That game, if it is to be, could come down to who has the most savvy and patience.
Overall, this game reminded of a better played version of the US-Ghana game. Poor coaching and team selection, and an inability of the attack to do anything of real threat met a well organized, hungry, unselfish team who were set up to execute their way to victory as one. While I will miss Maradona, and you cannot give him enough credit for the chemistry he created with that team, I think Argentina would be best served with someone who can admit they are wrong, who will change tactics, who won't run over someone in his car and claim it was the victim's fault. So until next time, keep watching the events in South Africa.
Friday, June 25, 2010
All The Wold's Stage Part 3
And now we reach the knock out stages. So I'll let MJ kick-off on this one.
MJ Gunner: Injuries, upsets and one man teams. Where to begin.. When I say one man teams I am referring to Diego Forlan v. Manchester United's Park Ji Sung, I mean Uruguay v. So. Korea. Okay they are not exactly one man teams but those are the headliners and they've had pretty impressive showings thus far. South America and Asia as continents have been quite exceptional thus far and this game should impress viewers and pundits. I say Suarez and Forlan each score to knockout a South Korean side that can only manage one goal.
The injuries.. well most teams are picking up knocks and battling existing injury but England v. Germany is where I see two battled teams showing us a cagey affair by less than full fit squads. Schweinsteigger may sit and Rooney is definitely showing the woes of a long club season. Phil Lahm was quoted and I piggyback him, this one could go to pens. Pens where ze Germans will win.
Argentina v. Mexico is going to be an office-stopper. Especially if Carlos Vela is deemed fit and can participate for Mexico. Mexico has everything and nothing to play for. If Mexico loses, yeah sure they played a powerhouse Argentina but a win would be monumental. Here's to hoping the two quick passing, attack oriented sides put a few into the net on the way to an Argentina victory. The likes of Messi, Higuain and Tevez surely cannot be stopped but in this World Cup I was surely certain Italy and France would still be chilling in Johannesburg preparing for their next big match.
Matt I will let you take the reigns for the rest of the matches. I don't think I could put an objective sentence together for the USA v. Ghana game. I want blood filled revenge and a freaking early brace of goals.. We'll find out soon who plays Brazil and Portugal and I am sure you will have the wraps on those previews because La Roja will hopefully be involved.
Me: Well as I write this the bottom half of the bracket is in the process of being completed so we'll talk about that a little later.
MJ Gunner: Injuries, upsets and one man teams. Where to begin.. When I say one man teams I am referring to Diego Forlan v. Manchester United's Park Ji Sung, I mean Uruguay v. So. Korea. Okay they are not exactly one man teams but those are the headliners and they've had pretty impressive showings thus far. South America and Asia as continents have been quite exceptional thus far and this game should impress viewers and pundits. I say Suarez and Forlan each score to knockout a South Korean side that can only manage one goal.
The injuries.. well most teams are picking up knocks and battling existing injury but England v. Germany is where I see two battled teams showing us a cagey affair by less than full fit squads. Schweinsteigger may sit and Rooney is definitely showing the woes of a long club season. Phil Lahm was quoted and I piggyback him, this one could go to pens. Pens where ze Germans will win.
Argentina v. Mexico is going to be an office-stopper. Especially if Carlos Vela is deemed fit and can participate for Mexico. Mexico has everything and nothing to play for. If Mexico loses, yeah sure they played a powerhouse Argentina but a win would be monumental. Here's to hoping the two quick passing, attack oriented sides put a few into the net on the way to an Argentina victory. The likes of Messi, Higuain and Tevez surely cannot be stopped but in this World Cup I was surely certain Italy and France would still be chilling in Johannesburg preparing for their next big match.
Matt I will let you take the reigns for the rest of the matches. I don't think I could put an objective sentence together for the USA v. Ghana game. I want blood filled revenge and a freaking early brace of goals.. We'll find out soon who plays Brazil and Portugal and I am sure you will have the wraps on those previews because La Roja will hopefully be involved.
Me: Well as I write this the bottom half of the bracket is in the process of being completed so we'll talk about that a little later.
We stand a chance against Ghana. A good chance: we are experienced, mentally tough, and a cohesive unit. But we also are a little lax in the discipline and finishing department. Ghana is young, and missing their talisman Michael Essien. They will be physical and defensive. It will be a lot like the game against the Algerians, but the Ghanians have a bit more talent. If we don't concede early and don't have too much of a hangover from the dramatic win, we could do quite well. We are going to be at a serious disadvantage crowd-wise, with Ghana being the last African side. I will not be surprised if we fall behind and allow Ghana to just sit back and defend in numbers. Luckily there has to be a winner, so being cagey and trying to simply not lose is no longer in the books.
I really like Uruguay. As you said, Forlan and Suarez are both on target so far this tournament. But what amazed me is they didn't concede a single goal in the group stage. That is impressive I don't care who was in their group. This side is skilled but also physical and disciplined. South Korea is just disciplined and very fit. I see another win for a country from South America.
The big question for the England-Germany game is the heads of the English. Are they thanking their lucky stars they are just in the knock-out rounds? Was the 1-0 win a spark? Will they tighten up against their long-time rivals Germany? Germany may not be full strength, and Schweinsteiger is a huge loss in the midfield. I just think the Ozil is in too fine a form to be shackled and no one from England has shown that prowess yet. Rooney is the difference maker: Man U Rooney shows up and England could shock some people; typical England Rooney shows up and they could be down to 10 men and out of the tournament.
You are absolutely right about Argentina-Mexico. This should be a cracker. Messi will have acres of space to work his magic. I will be interested to see whether Maradona sticks Tevez back in the starting line-up. Everyone has been praising his performance, but he just doesn't seem to work that well wit Higuain and Messi for me. Maybe it's his fabled selfishness, or maybe its just that the English game doesn't have swift ground combos with strikers and forwards, but he just can't seem to find his battery mates from the run of play. I noticed in their game against South Korea that as soon has Tevez came off and Aguero came on, the Argentinians played quicker, more open football. It could have just been an off day for Tevez, we shall see.
The games this weekend should be excellent because there will be winners and losers, no ties; only big boys play in this sandbox. Go USA! and see you Monday.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
All The Wold's Stage Part 2
And now, my esteemed colleague, Mr. MJ Gunner, and I will finish our pre-tournament talk. But have no fear. MJ has agreed to continue our correspondence through the World Cup and even into the transfer season. Could he become a regular contributor? Only time will tell...
England is facing a monstrous cup holding drought since 1966; they will get outclassed by a big team in the knockout round and 4 more years of rampant headrolling and press frenzy will continue. I think England secretly likes losing. They get to sell of a heck of a lot more papers writing about, "Is this this year?". Italy will also fizzle out. Yes they scrapped by to actually win the last WC but this year their players are four years older, two years past international retirement and yet they are still in the lineup. The bookies have Spain as the favorite. If you do not know why go watch a Barcelona game; that pretty much is Spain.. Oh and throw in the likes of Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Barca recent addition David Villa. The only team who can stack up to them is Brazil. They are faster and stronger then ever and still have the skill up and down the roster to make your jaw drop. Kaka came off what was a seemingly disapointing year and as a true competitor will see the WC as another proving ground why he was called one of the best in the world just 2-3 years ago.
Matt I know you are a Messi Fanatic so I will let you discuss Argentina's chances with volatile Maradona at the helm and please shed some light on your favorites to go through and far. As for the medium size fish that have been overlooked here. Watch for Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Switzerland, Serbia and of course the good ol' US of A to make an impact in the group stage and hopefully for the latter in the knockout stage as well!
Me: Well first let me preach on Maradona. I love Maradona like people love Ron Artest. In fact, if you take Michael Jordan's ability, Artest's personality, throw in some drugs, and a dash of religious zealotry, then put that in charge of the most important sports team to a country...that is Maradona. I love his crazy man beard right now. I hope he goes all Artest and has a barber shave some ridiculous designs into it. This could happen.
OK, enough of that. Messi. I love Messi: his flair, his control, his ability to change a game, the fact that he pretty much put my beloved Barca on his back on more than one occasion this year. If there were one player who could single-handedly win this tourney, it is Leo. I think he's one World Cup away from this though; he turns 23 during the tournament. I won't be surprised if he did it. I won't be surprised if he doesn't do it. If I had to bet on him having a tournament like his coach had in '86 I would wait for 2014, when he will probably have a better coach who will have a more favorable system around him. Although rumor has it that Maradona has been in contact with Pep Guardiola for tactical advice.
I agree with you on Les Bleus. They are talented as hell, but it seems that karma for the Hand of Gaul is already coming back to bite them. Teams historically don't play well for coaches on the outs. Which is why it was such a curious decision to announce that Domenech was out after the Cup. Why didn't they do this after Euro '08 and give a new coach 2 years to reform the team. And yeah Gallas is going to tear the locker room apart, as he did to your club.
I will have to go back on what I said to you yesterday about South Africa. I think that France will slip up, Mexico will be the class of the group, and it will be between Bafana Bafana and Uruguay for that second spot. That home crowd could really swing this. As long as the home team doesn't crap the bed in that first game and rain on the parade, that crowd, those damned vuvuzelas, will be devastating to opponents. Also, the home team has never been knocked out in the group stages; I won't go against history.
I also agree about Italy. They are not a year, not two, but four years older. The team wasn't exactly speed merchants in '06, and speed doesn't age like wine. The Netherlands are always a threat, but like you said that defense is suspect, so a deep run is possible, but hoisting that trophy would be a little surprising to me, not a shock, but I wouldn't put them in the first group of favorites. Also, I don't see Portugal playing a prominent role in this tourney. Cristiano Ronaldo is going to be on an island, and he really doesn't seem to care about playing for his country. They struggled qualifying, they have a horrible coach, Nani is out, and if they hit a bump look for CR9 to check out, or lash out and see the proverbial red mist (which Wayne Rooney is also a victim of from time to time.) So, don't pencil them in out of that group, because despite Drogba playing with a broken arm, that Ivory Coast team has Sven Goran Eriksson at the helm, who has been there under a lot more pressure with England, and plenty of talent. And don't underestimate North Korea. Those communist countries are crazy with their athletes; they are practically a military unit that sleeps, eats, trains, and craps as one. There isn't much to say about Germany, they will miss Ballack, but have talent, a good coach, and a workman approach. They should do well; I'm actually surprised more haven't tipped them as a dark horse.
I can only really agree with you about Nigeria, Cameroon and Serbia. The two African teams will most likely have more supporters there than most, and those sides are well coached with great players in them: Yobo, Uche, Martins, Yakubu, Webo, Eto'o, Song. Serbia is surprisingly loaded with talent from top European leagues: Vidic, Stankovic, Zigic, and Ivanovic to name just a few. This team will play a tactically sound game with very, very capable players in the wide positions. This is the kind of team that could devastate a squad like the Netherlands, and many other unsuspecting opponents.
MJ Gunner: Thank you for reminding me my beloved and fellow Russians will not be at the big dance this weekend. Sigh. What will Maradona do next? Well, he may be running through the streets naked as promised if the Argentinians win. Luckily for reporters and photographers this could be a somewhat safer alternative than him driving over reporters' legs.
I think the rest of the field looks great in general. As I cast over the groups I cannot pick one that has a definite two teams that will proceed outside of perhaps Brazil-Portugal in Group G. Personally, the flying Dutchmen are always a secondary team for me and with their ability to score comes their ability to beat teams. Their defense usually and routinely lets them down in the later stages but with a World Cup riddled with injury and uncertainty the Orange must think they can go far. Arjen Robben does not look ready for the first two games but I see Dutch easily proceeding and destined to make an impact in the knockout round.
The big boys always impress during qualifying, the group stage and beyond and per usual one could pick out of the European hat of Italy, Spain, England or Germany and think you have a winner. Notice the exclusion of France. They are a sad bunch squabbling with opponents they should trounce and le coach has shockingly changed the traditional formation to a 4-3-3 two weeks within their opening game. William Gallas a leader? He was snubbed for captaincy and us Arsenal fans know how this could turn for team chemistry. Le Bleus have to face host nation South Africa, a scrappy Mexican side and a Diego Forlan spearheaded attack in Uruguay. Matt, I am on board with the rest of the critics that the French may have their tails between their legs before the group stage is over.
I think the rest of the field looks great in general. As I cast over the groups I cannot pick one that has a definite two teams that will proceed outside of perhaps Brazil-Portugal in Group G. Personally, the flying Dutchmen are always a secondary team for me and with their ability to score comes their ability to beat teams. Their defense usually and routinely lets them down in the later stages but with a World Cup riddled with injury and uncertainty the Orange must think they can go far. Arjen Robben does not look ready for the first two games but I see Dutch easily proceeding and destined to make an impact in the knockout round.
The big boys always impress during qualifying, the group stage and beyond and per usual one could pick out of the European hat of Italy, Spain, England or Germany and think you have a winner. Notice the exclusion of France. They are a sad bunch squabbling with opponents they should trounce and le coach has shockingly changed the traditional formation to a 4-3-3 two weeks within their opening game. William Gallas a leader? He was snubbed for captaincy and us Arsenal fans know how this could turn for team chemistry. Le Bleus have to face host nation South Africa, a scrappy Mexican side and a Diego Forlan spearheaded attack in Uruguay. Matt, I am on board with the rest of the critics that the French may have their tails between their legs before the group stage is over.
England is facing a monstrous cup holding drought since 1966; they will get outclassed by a big team in the knockout round and 4 more years of rampant headrolling and press frenzy will continue. I think England secretly likes losing. They get to sell of a heck of a lot more papers writing about, "Is this this year?". Italy will also fizzle out. Yes they scrapped by to actually win the last WC but this year their players are four years older, two years past international retirement and yet they are still in the lineup. The bookies have Spain as the favorite. If you do not know why go watch a Barcelona game; that pretty much is Spain.. Oh and throw in the likes of Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Barca recent addition David Villa. The only team who can stack up to them is Brazil. They are faster and stronger then ever and still have the skill up and down the roster to make your jaw drop. Kaka came off what was a seemingly disapointing year and as a true competitor will see the WC as another proving ground why he was called one of the best in the world just 2-3 years ago.
Matt I know you are a Messi Fanatic so I will let you discuss Argentina's chances with volatile Maradona at the helm and please shed some light on your favorites to go through and far. As for the medium size fish that have been overlooked here. Watch for Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Switzerland, Serbia and of course the good ol' US of A to make an impact in the group stage and hopefully for the latter in the knockout stage as well!
Me: Well first let me preach on Maradona. I love Maradona like people love Ron Artest. In fact, if you take Michael Jordan's ability, Artest's personality, throw in some drugs, and a dash of religious zealotry, then put that in charge of the most important sports team to a country...that is Maradona. I love his crazy man beard right now. I hope he goes all Artest and has a barber shave some ridiculous designs into it. This could happen.
OK, enough of that. Messi. I love Messi: his flair, his control, his ability to change a game, the fact that he pretty much put my beloved Barca on his back on more than one occasion this year. If there were one player who could single-handedly win this tourney, it is Leo. I think he's one World Cup away from this though; he turns 23 during the tournament. I won't be surprised if he did it. I won't be surprised if he doesn't do it. If I had to bet on him having a tournament like his coach had in '86 I would wait for 2014, when he will probably have a better coach who will have a more favorable system around him. Although rumor has it that Maradona has been in contact with Pep Guardiola for tactical advice.
I agree with you on Les Bleus. They are talented as hell, but it seems that karma for the Hand of Gaul is already coming back to bite them. Teams historically don't play well for coaches on the outs. Which is why it was such a curious decision to announce that Domenech was out after the Cup. Why didn't they do this after Euro '08 and give a new coach 2 years to reform the team. And yeah Gallas is going to tear the locker room apart, as he did to your club.
I will have to go back on what I said to you yesterday about South Africa. I think that France will slip up, Mexico will be the class of the group, and it will be between Bafana Bafana and Uruguay for that second spot. That home crowd could really swing this. As long as the home team doesn't crap the bed in that first game and rain on the parade, that crowd, those damned vuvuzelas, will be devastating to opponents. Also, the home team has never been knocked out in the group stages; I won't go against history.
I also agree about Italy. They are not a year, not two, but four years older. The team wasn't exactly speed merchants in '06, and speed doesn't age like wine. The Netherlands are always a threat, but like you said that defense is suspect, so a deep run is possible, but hoisting that trophy would be a little surprising to me, not a shock, but I wouldn't put them in the first group of favorites. Also, I don't see Portugal playing a prominent role in this tourney. Cristiano Ronaldo is going to be on an island, and he really doesn't seem to care about playing for his country. They struggled qualifying, they have a horrible coach, Nani is out, and if they hit a bump look for CR9 to check out, or lash out and see the proverbial red mist (which Wayne Rooney is also a victim of from time to time.) So, don't pencil them in out of that group, because despite Drogba playing with a broken arm, that Ivory Coast team has Sven Goran Eriksson at the helm, who has been there under a lot more pressure with England, and plenty of talent. And don't underestimate North Korea. Those communist countries are crazy with their athletes; they are practically a military unit that sleeps, eats, trains, and craps as one. There isn't much to say about Germany, they will miss Ballack, but have talent, a good coach, and a workman approach. They should do well; I'm actually surprised more haven't tipped them as a dark horse.
I can only really agree with you about Nigeria, Cameroon and Serbia. The two African teams will most likely have more supporters there than most, and those sides are well coached with great players in them: Yobo, Uche, Martins, Yakubu, Webo, Eto'o, Song. Serbia is surprisingly loaded with talent from top European leagues: Vidic, Stankovic, Zigic, and Ivanovic to name just a few. This team will play a tactically sound game with very, very capable players in the wide positions. This is the kind of team that could devastate a squad like the Netherlands, and many other unsuspecting opponents.
It appears all that's left is Brazil and Spain. Spain is pretty much my second team, because as you said it practically is the Barcelona first choice squad with a more than capable players subbed in (although I think Victor Valdes is better than Iker Casillas, especially recently, but I'm biased). They are strong right through the middle, and all very, very familiar with each other. I mean how many teams in this competition can play 2 centerbacks behind 2 midfielders who all play club ball together? None. Throw in David Villa's recent welcoming into the Barca fold, and Pedro's explosion onto the scene this year for FCB, and Spain have chemistry out the ying-yang. But I can't tip them as winners. Why? Because everyone says they will. Favorites just don't tend to win this thing. Del Bosque is a great coach (for a Madridista), the squad is packed to the gills with talent, but one yellow card, one muscle tweak, one swerve of the frisbee that is the ball (and Casillas has had trouble catching this year for Real Madrid) and it can go horribly wrong.
That's why Brazil seems poised to do what everyone tipped them to do last time around the track. This year's squad doesn't have the prima donnas like Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, or Ronaldo (the fat one). They have just as much skill on the ball as any. But unlike Brazil sides of the past, these guys will knock you around. Kaka will pull the strings in the midfield, Fabiano will pour in goals up front, Maicon will dominate from the back to the front out wide, and Lucio is a rock. Brazilians criticized Dunga a lot, crucified him even, while the team was transitioning to being fully his team, but he has really put together a very, very dangerous team.
But like I said, one bad break, and its curtains. The reason we love this tournament is the unpredictability of a single leg elimination format, with players who generally don't have a lot of time playing together in the coach's system. It is predictably unpredictable.
That's why Brazil seems poised to do what everyone tipped them to do last time around the track. This year's squad doesn't have the prima donnas like Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, or Ronaldo (the fat one). They have just as much skill on the ball as any. But unlike Brazil sides of the past, these guys will knock you around. Kaka will pull the strings in the midfield, Fabiano will pour in goals up front, Maicon will dominate from the back to the front out wide, and Lucio is a rock. Brazilians criticized Dunga a lot, crucified him even, while the team was transitioning to being fully his team, but he has really put together a very, very dangerous team.
But like I said, one bad break, and its curtains. The reason we love this tournament is the unpredictability of a single leg elimination format, with players who generally don't have a lot of time playing together in the coach's system. It is predictably unpredictable.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
All The Wold's Stage Part 1
As promised, I would be unveiling a new blog post concept this week. Without further ado, I would like to welcome my good friend MJ Gunner to First and Den. I regularly get texts, emails, Facebook messages, smoke signals, telegrams, telegraphs, etc. from MJ praising and bemoaning the performance of his beloved Arsenal. So I figured who better to talk World Cup with? MJ and I have been exchanging emails for about a week now, a la Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell. Here are a few of them, with more to come. Pay attention ESPN, this could be your midnight to 3am team on ESPN Radio, you can have us for really cheap.
Me: I'm not quite sure what to make of our group. I feel a lot better about facing England than I did when the groups were first announced. Losing Rio Ferdinand is a big, big hole for them. I'm not sure the John Terry debacle hurts as far as his performance. I think that story has lost its legs a little bit. Where it does hurt them is not having Wayne Bridge, who wouldn't have started but would have been a great man to have coming off the bench. I also love the fact they are now relying on Ledley King, who can't practice because chronic knee problems. They will have their keeper problem sorted out. James, Joe Hart and Robert Green are all three Premiere League quality starters (even the best keeper in the world wouldn't have kept Pompey up this year). Luckily for us they probably won't have it figured out by the first game.
All that being said, they have too much talent and pace in the midfield and too much Rooney for us to pull the complete upset. I think it would take our best game and their worst to get a draw. Look I know we're the only team to beat Spain in the last 45 games, but that was in the Confed Cup, this is the World Cup. It's like comparing the NIT to the Big Dance.
As for the rest of our group, I really don't know. You can't take Slovenia's thrashing of New Zealand lightly. The All-Whites are a WC side (even if they qualified from the equivalent of the Big Sky Conference), and they put in 4 against Qatar, that's got to give them some confidence, and in this tournament that matters. They will play a very rough game with a strong defense. As we saw last time around that can take you places, it got them through European qualifying, which is not a cake walk by any means, just ask Euro 2008 darlings Russia (who the Slovenes beat in a play-off) and Turkey, who won’t be joining us in South Africa. Those are really the only things they have going for them. There isn't a star we know of yet, and not many players play in any of the major European leagues; this team might suffer from a little stage fright and a little bit of a just-glad-to-be-here syndrome.
What to say about Algeria? Well they beat the most consistent African side, and hated rivals Egypt in a one game play-off. It was ugly. Check it out on YouTube sometime. Algeria should have been down to 6 men by half-time (same with their final in the African Cup of Nations.) They are going to foul to try to slow the game down. I'm pretty sure their coach Rabah Saadane studied under Jose Mourinho at some point. They like to flood the midfield and have defenders who can get forward. Overall though, it's a young team that just had a very disappointing loss in the African Cup of Nations that shook things up a bit. I don't know if they can get organized enough and play with the chemistry needed to do some damage.
Getting out of the group is certainly doable, even if we lose to England. It would be best not to lose to the Three Lions by more than 2 because it may come down to goal difference. We looked really good on Saturday against an Australian side that isn't as strong as it has been in the past, but certainly has a history of frustrating us. We looked well organized at the back, and our counter attack looked ready to score every time we go the ball; we played much of the last 30 minutes on the back foot and still managed a goal in that time. We will need to play 3 great games in a row if we want a chance, because no one in our group is soft. I think we will progress, but not as easily as some think. If we don't, that might be the end of soccer in America.
MJ, what are your thoughts on the rest of the field? Who do you like? Who do you think is destined for an embarrassing early exit? Who could surprise us? What will Maradona do next?
Me: So I would think we would start with the US Squad then move to the big picture.
Right now I think Uncle Sam's Army is in a very precarious place. Injuries have wreaked havoc, especially on the back line, which is usually our strength. Oguchi Onweyu is coming back from a big knee injury and looked slow and as earth-bound as a fat man in a rascal scooter in the two friendlies here in the US. Carlos Bocanegra just had hernia surgery. Jay Demerit is recovering from a nearly career ending eye infection and is having depth perception problems, kind of an important thing in sports. This can't be good because these guys haven't been playing a lot lately. That being said, with Tim Howard back there organizing, and they have played a lot of minutes together in the past gives me hope.
Without Charlie Davies, and now that Jozy Altidore sprained his ankle, I worry a little about the front line. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are our two best offensive players, but they come from the midfield, and if no one up front can occupy the opponent's defenders it could be hard for those two to find space. I am very interested to see how Herculez Gomez plays. He not only led the Mexican league in scoring, but he has two Zs in his name!
How do you think these injuries will play out? Have any other concerns?
Right now I think Uncle Sam's Army is in a very precarious place. Injuries have wreaked havoc, especially on the back line, which is usually our strength. Oguchi Onweyu is coming back from a big knee injury and looked slow and as earth-bound as a fat man in a rascal scooter in the two friendlies here in the US. Carlos Bocanegra just had hernia surgery. Jay Demerit is recovering from a nearly career ending eye infection and is having depth perception problems, kind of an important thing in sports. This can't be good because these guys haven't been playing a lot lately. That being said, with Tim Howard back there organizing, and they have played a lot of minutes together in the past gives me hope.
Without Charlie Davies, and now that Jozy Altidore sprained his ankle, I worry a little about the front line. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are our two best offensive players, but they come from the midfield, and if no one up front can occupy the opponent's defenders it could be hard for those two to find space. I am very interested to see how Herculez Gomez plays. He not only led the Mexican league in scoring, but he has two Zs in his name!
How do you think these injuries will play out? Have any other concerns?
MJ Gunner: First I just want to say I am a full service member of Sam's Army and rightfully so am drinking 2-3 glasses of the team Kool-Aid daily. Ever since the Confederation's Cup when we beat Spain and went up on Brazil in the final I realized we have finally made it on the international scene. In 2006 there were high expectations (and a generous power ranking from ESPN, thanks for the jinx) and Bruce Arena and the boys came up short but I believe what Bruce started has been aptly transitioned and progressed with Bob Bradley. No, we are not a top 6 or 7 team internationally. But we have proved that we can beat top teams, any given Sunday (Saturday) right? No, our team's starting 11 club payroll is not $1 Million a week like Spain, Brazil, Italy, England, but we have the international experience up and down enough of our roster which is a large factor in player growth at the international level.
That puffy intro aside, as a full service member of the Army I also am a full serviced pessimist and fear the worst for our boys. Of course, the worst is failure to progress through the group stage. This starts with injuries you noted. Altidore is practicing again and his participation in our opener against those limey Brits is all but guaranteed. This is crucial to fielding our strongest team against our hardest group opponent. That said, England, our hardest group opponent, will also be the team that hammers our backline the most. Bocanegra and Onweyu recovering and not in top form could bury us. Names like Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector come to mind of people that have the club or international experience and can step up to help cover England's inevitable onslaught of offense. We will miss Davies, and our thoughts have been with him, but our attack minded midfielders and forwards is where I have the most confidence (outside of Timmy in goal of course) in our squad, especially for taking care of Algeria and Slovenia. Altidore is all but guaranteed to be involved for the opener against England. Herc Gomez has a little [Carlos] Tevez in him and now Edson Buddle is our super sub and after Saturday could get the nod for a start. Midfield, with Dempsey pushing forward, and Bradley and Donovan playing more traditional roles, is going to be our nucleus of the team. We will not beat England and maybe the other teams if this nucleus is not on script. When you think great teams yes they have the playboy strikers but their midfield and wingers are just as impressive and arguably more important from a team's perspective. So yeah, we have a world class keeper, fingers crossed for a healthy enough backline, and 5-6 attacking midfield and striking options that have proven they can beat and hang with the best.
Yes, I just finished another glass of the Kool-Aid there. I really do love our team, but what of our group opponents? We've caught three breaks with England, albeit little breaks we still need to draw positives from their negatives. (1) Everyone hates John Terry, (2) Rio Ferdinand their captain and best defender suffered a WC ending injury, and (3), their GK David James, relegated Portsmouth…? Well sure he is dubbed great and a team's atrocity can't be blamed on one player but I wonder how many Brits share confidence for their man in glove. With these breaks there is one name that keeps me up at night, Rooney. He is an amazing player with foot and head and can single handedly put us to the sword. England comfortably won their last three friendlies scoring 8 goals with a +5 Goal differential; they are ready, hungry and want this for their country not just themselves. Their last win in 1966 might as well be 1866. Algeria qualified in last ditch fashion and have proven their hunger but a little run in with Ireland and losing 3-0 in that friendly has exposed their frailty at the back and inability to produce. Slovenia, hmm what do we know about them? I know little. What have we learned from their friendlies recently? Nothing, they played Qatar and New Zealand a pair of pushovers if you ask me. So Matt I turn it to you, what do you see happening in these group stages? How do we matchup? Are you praying for a tie against England like I am or have you put a little extra coin on the offering plate in hopes for an epic upset and victory a la Spain in the Confed Cup? Dare we lose to England can we overcome and still progress?
All that being said, they have too much talent and pace in the midfield and too much Rooney for us to pull the complete upset. I think it would take our best game and their worst to get a draw. Look I know we're the only team to beat Spain in the last 45 games, but that was in the Confed Cup, this is the World Cup. It's like comparing the NIT to the Big Dance.
As for the rest of our group, I really don't know. You can't take Slovenia's thrashing of New Zealand lightly. The All-Whites are a WC side (even if they qualified from the equivalent of the Big Sky Conference), and they put in 4 against Qatar, that's got to give them some confidence, and in this tournament that matters. They will play a very rough game with a strong defense. As we saw last time around that can take you places, it got them through European qualifying, which is not a cake walk by any means, just ask Euro 2008 darlings Russia (who the Slovenes beat in a play-off) and Turkey, who won’t be joining us in South Africa. Those are really the only things they have going for them. There isn't a star we know of yet, and not many players play in any of the major European leagues; this team might suffer from a little stage fright and a little bit of a just-glad-to-be-here syndrome.
What to say about Algeria? Well they beat the most consistent African side, and hated rivals Egypt in a one game play-off. It was ugly. Check it out on YouTube sometime. Algeria should have been down to 6 men by half-time (same with their final in the African Cup of Nations.) They are going to foul to try to slow the game down. I'm pretty sure their coach Rabah Saadane studied under Jose Mourinho at some point. They like to flood the midfield and have defenders who can get forward. Overall though, it's a young team that just had a very disappointing loss in the African Cup of Nations that shook things up a bit. I don't know if they can get organized enough and play with the chemistry needed to do some damage.
Getting out of the group is certainly doable, even if we lose to England. It would be best not to lose to the Three Lions by more than 2 because it may come down to goal difference. We looked really good on Saturday against an Australian side that isn't as strong as it has been in the past, but certainly has a history of frustrating us. We looked well organized at the back, and our counter attack looked ready to score every time we go the ball; we played much of the last 30 minutes on the back foot and still managed a goal in that time. We will need to play 3 great games in a row if we want a chance, because no one in our group is soft. I think we will progress, but not as easily as some think. If we don't, that might be the end of soccer in America.
MJ, what are your thoughts on the rest of the field? Who do you like? Who do you think is destined for an embarrassing early exit? Who could surprise us? What will Maradona do next?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sorry
No post this week. I will have a special post next week for the World Cup. It will be something never before seen on this blog.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The End
"This is The End, my only friend, The End" - Jim Morrison
We have just seen one of the greatest shows in TV history end this past weekend. Sure there are better shows (I hear The Wire is phenomenal). But few can claim the depth and breadth of Lost. How many shows do you know can reference the Bible, Star Wars, Lockean philosophy and Quantum mechanics...in one episode...and it works? I personally can't think of any, but if you can please tell me, because that is right in my wheelhouse (and probably most anyone who watched Lost). And yes this will contain spoilers, so you are warned.
From my preliminary analysis of fan response, there seems to be two camps on the finale: it was great and not surprisingly, it was terrible. Those fans are pretty simply people who watched it for two reasons. The people who loved it, like me, were there for the characters. The people who hated it, were there for the mysteries. Those were the two things the show was about, and each viewer got to decide which meant more. I saw the mysteries as more of a device to allow the audience to explore who these characters really are. When the unfathomable is testing their very survival physically and mentally, the Lostaways couldn't help but show their true selves. And that is just what Jacob wanted; that is the true purpose of the Island. We got that from the beginning of last year's finale. We saw Jack as a man who tries to fix everything because his father never believed in him. We see that once you get through Sawyer's hard defensive shell, he is a kind-hearted and loving man. We see that without the rigid social constructs of South Korea that Jin and Sun are truly perfect for each other and couldn't be more in love.
So this episode, like all the ones this year, were split between on on Island events in 2007, and a sideways universe based on what happened if the plane didn't crash in 2004 (more on this later). I really like what the Cuse and Lindelof did here. There were a few stings that played nicely with each other. First was defeating Smokey. This was Desmond and Jack's primary objective. Desmond was needed because he was the only person who could "kill" the Island without dying (and Jacob did not want unnecessary deaths). "Killing" the Island had to be done to kill Smokey. As soon as Des removed the cork, Smokey and Jack (serving as Jacob's replacement), became mortal. Unfortunately, that meant the Island itself would sink to the bottom of the sea. Jack then engaged Locke in a fight to the death, great full circle moment. Locke (really Smokey), mortally wounds Jack, but the actual combat left him vulnerable so Kate could shoot him. While this is all going on Lapidus, Richard and Miles were getting the Arija flight ready for an escape for the survivors. This lead to some great, tense moments, a sense of "c'mon, hurry up!" Finally the on-Island plot concluded with Jack trying to save it (showing how dynamic the character has been). In doing so he finally showed he believed in Hurley by asking him to be his successor as guardian; this was a perfect choice because of all the characters, Hurley has been good to a fault. As Jack said: Hugo is just good at taking care of people. And I loved how the series ended right where it began: Jack in the bamboo thicket, with Vincent.
The revelation of the sideways universe was what I really loved. By telling us that this was some kind of purgatory that the Islanders made to reconnect before all going to heaven really got me. These characters have meant so much to each other. I mean they went through hell and back together. As Christian Shephard said, whether they realized it or not, they really found out who they were on that Island, and as a result those people were the most important people to them. Some people saw this as a cop-out. I didn't think so at all. This gave these long-suffering people the happy ending they deserved. I think Ben knew this, and that is why he stayed in the churchyard. He had not earned his happy ending yet, despite helping Hurley run, what we can assume, a much less mysterious, deadly island. And the best part about this segment of the story is we got to see not only the revelation to many characters, but the revelation through love. Jack and Kate, Sawyer and Juliet, Hugo and Libby, Sun, Jin, and their daughter, Sayid and Shannon (great pump fake by the writers having Shannon be his true love, not Nadya), Claire, Charlie, and Aaron, Ben and Alex. Even Locke, who seemed to have it all: father, fiance, needed his legs back because he loved his freedom, being his own man, not these fantasy beings from his real life.
Now some people claim that there were not enough answers. I don't think that's the case. This year they explained a lot of things, but a lot of them seemed too simple for our previous understanding of Lost. The Island really was a cork in the wine bottle of evil, but we were waiting for there to be some twist, like Jacob was the evil one or something. But there wasn't really time this year for twists; the writers needed to give answers fast so that the real focus could come to the front. I am willing to guess that on second viewing of this season we will take a lot more explanations on face value, because we know that the mythology and mystery were not the ends, but the means. We will focus more on the interpersonal relationships, not why was there a polar bear (which I always assumed was part of the Dharma experiments and just got out, but I guess some people just wouldn't accept that simple explanation). In the end, to me, Lost was about how the characters relate to each other and to the audience.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Pacific
Basilone on Iwo Jima; courtesy of pacificfans.com
WOW. That had to be the most powerful ten hours of television I have ever watched. I now know why the European theater is the one everyone glorifies; The Pacific was just downright nasty, and Spielberg, Hanks, and company did an excellent job portraying that nightmare. I knew I was going to love this show when during the second episode the director played on our culture's endless familiarity with Saving Private Ryan and Vietnam movies. We saw soldiers in their landing craft, waiting for the doors to open and hell to break loose; when they opened there was already a wave of troops resting on the beach. They had the Marines humping through the jungle on Guadalcanal; Every muscle in my body was tense just waiting for a platoon of Japanese guerrillas to ambush the troops. It never came. There were countless other times like this throughout the entire miniseries: I was completely on edge waiting for the next shoe to drop, giving me just a small taste, for just an hour, of what these men lived through for 3 years.
Eugene Sledge; courtesy of pacificfans.com
The acting in the miniseries was also outstanding. Jon Seda, who played John Basilone, did an excellent job of portraying the reluctant hero. Throughout most of the war he was Stateside campaigning for war bonds. He did not sign up for that, he signed up to fight; he wasn't a hero in his mind, he just did his job. Joseph Mazzello (Timmy from Jurassic Park) was amazing as the gun ho teen Eugene Sledge who was completely transformed by the horrors he witnessed on Peleliu and Okinawa. His line to the young woman trying to help him enroll in classes at Alabama Tech summed up his metamorphosis, so coolly, yet so full of intensity and disgust about what he learned in the Marine Corps: "I learned how to kill Japs. And I got pretty damn good at it." Then there was James Badge Dale, who played the skeptic Robert Leckie. He did not go to war to be a hero. He knew, probably from his vast literary background, that war was not pretty, glorious, fun. This skepticism is probably what made him the least damaged of the three main characters.
Performance of the Series: Rami Malek as Snafu; courtesy hbo.com
But there was one character that stole the show. Rami Malek was phenomenal as Merriell "Snafu" Shelton, a borderline sociopath and ends up being Sledge's best friend, simply because they live the longest of their mortar squad. Malek did an excellent job of portraying a cold blooded killer completely suited for the war in the Pacific theater. Yet he was also able to give him a slight touch of humanity, as if Sledge were rubbing off on him. This performance hopefully will be a launching pad for Malek, because he showed he is supremely talented. Very rarely did Snafu say something or do something that didn't touch a nerve, trigger an emotion, or just send a chill down your spine. Very few actors can do this on demand, and this character needed to have that effect because he was the yin to Sledge's yang. When Sledge was optimistic and idealist, Snafu was completely heartless and cynical. As Sledge became more line Snafu, Snafu became more like Sledge. This ebb and flow between these two characters really made the show, and without such a powerful and difficult performance by Malek, it doesn't come off as convincing and falls flat.
The Pacific was a powerful miniseries. There wasn't an episode that passed (except maybe the Melbourne one) where I didn't get off the couch and say to myself "I could never do that." It made me truly appreciative of the heroic sacrifice these men made and the men and women of our armed forces continue to make. Thank you.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Quick Hits
There's nothing that I could really write a full blog post on, so I'm going to give a few brief paragraphs on current events on the television.
Lost is coming together nicely. Sure the ending will be somewhat disappointing because there will be questions that won't be answered. But I've accepted that and really just want to see what the final product is. If this series works best watching very rapidly straight through, it will be a great success to me. It's already sealed it's place in history because of the depth and complexity; that will never be matched, it just doesn't make financial sense for networks to green light (see Flash Forward).
I watched my first major boxing event this past weekend. It was interesting. This sport definitely needs Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. But I understand why Mayweather wants strict testing. It should raise a lot more eyebrows that Pacquiao won't submit. Every one is saying how great he is, but he won't let them test close to the fight. Didn't we do this with Bonds? He looks like a rat, acts like a rat, and probably smells like a rat, so I'm guessing he's a rat.
A lot has been said about the NBA playoffs by those who know much more than I. I have really enjoyed watching it as always. I really have no idea who will make it to the finals. Probably the Lakers, but the East could be anyone. Will the Cavs choke again? They looked horrible last night against a Celtics team applying for Social Security next year. I don't like the Magic because Vince Carter is Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard is playing like an idiot. If you're getting a lot of fouls called on you, don't whine about it, it only makes it worse. Grow up Dwight, just because you're the defensive player of the year doesn't give you the right to tackle everyone. You can't block every shot.
The Pacific has gotten really good. Last week's episode had a great vague sense of impending doom hanging over the whole thing. I'll summarize my thoughts when the whole thing wraps up in 2 weeks.
Finally, the World Cup is almost here; ESPN radio plays a lot of commercials for it and it gets me jazzed every time. More on this later.
Lost is coming together nicely. Sure the ending will be somewhat disappointing because there will be questions that won't be answered. But I've accepted that and really just want to see what the final product is. If this series works best watching very rapidly straight through, it will be a great success to me. It's already sealed it's place in history because of the depth and complexity; that will never be matched, it just doesn't make financial sense for networks to green light (see Flash Forward).
One of a kind; courtesy abc.com
We don't need a Triple Crown winner. Think about it. I watch the three races every year in hopes that one horse will win. The best thing for horse racing is if the winner of the Kentucky Derby wins Preakness and is right there at Belmont. I think if a horse wins it, people ignore the sport until there's another drought. It's that anticipation and disappointment that keeps us coming back. Of course I'm rooting for a Triple Crown, but I think it's probably best to not have a horse win one.
Go 2-1 in the big ones; courtesy of espn.com
I watched my first major boxing event this past weekend. It was interesting. This sport definitely needs Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. But I understand why Mayweather wants strict testing. It should raise a lot more eyebrows that Pacquiao won't submit. Every one is saying how great he is, but he won't let them test close to the fight. Didn't we do this with Bonds? He looks like a rat, acts like a rat, and probably smells like a rat, so I'm guessing he's a rat.
A lot has been said about the NBA playoffs by those who know much more than I. I have really enjoyed watching it as always. I really have no idea who will make it to the finals. Probably the Lakers, but the East could be anyone. Will the Cavs choke again? They looked horrible last night against a Celtics team applying for Social Security next year. I don't like the Magic because Vince Carter is Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard is playing like an idiot. If you're getting a lot of fouls called on you, don't whine about it, it only makes it worse. Grow up Dwight, just because you're the defensive player of the year doesn't give you the right to tackle everyone. You can't block every shot.
Don't act so surpised; courtesy of espn.com
The Pacific has gotten really good. Last week's episode had a great vague sense of impending doom hanging over the whole thing. I'll summarize my thoughts when the whole thing wraps up in 2 weeks.
Finally, the World Cup is almost here; ESPN radio plays a lot of commercials for it and it gets me jazzed every time. More on this later.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
NFL Brainwash
Owns your brain; courtesy nfl.com
The draft has to be the second most useless thing the NFL does after the combine, but only narrowly ahead of the preseason games. Watching the draft means you watch hours and hours of some jackass (Mel Kiper Jr.) blow hot air out of his ass about how great college player X is or how dumb front office person Y is. You know what Mel? Most of the time you have no idea what you are talking about. The NFL and the college games are just plain different. The elite level of talent in the NFL blows away what most of these players played against in college. In a college game there are two, three NFL caliber players, six tops. Guess what? In the NFL they are all NFL caliber.
Blow-hard with bad hair; courtesy espn.com
The draft is kind of like Christmas. For months beforehand we get bombarded with a media blitz celebrating one event. Except its like a terrible Christmas. Instead of Santa, who shows up a couple months before Christmas, talks about Christmas, is seen everywhere, makes children happy, etc., we get the aforementioned Kiper. He also shows up months beforehand, but like I said blathers on with ridiculous predictions. He also doesn't make children happy, he might even make them cry with that hair helmet. Also, Christmas is great because there are parties in the proceeding weeks. No one throws a draft party on the day of the draft much less two weeks before. Finally, Christmas day arrives, things move quickly. You get the presents knocked out in thirty minutes, maybe you do it in the morning, the evening, or both, but it's efficient. The draft you sit for hours, and hours, and hours. You listen to these so-called experts who make wild speculation for mere entertainment purposes, then the Commissioner steps to the microphone, says a name, and for the next 15 minutes the draft-niks go back to wild speculation of why that was a good pick, bad pick, how many Super Bowls the team will win now.
There are two reasons why this lacks any excitement in my opinion. First, we have been bombarded with so many opinions on who will pick whom, that no scenario is really a surprise. Everyone and their mom does a mock draft. ESPN has been talking about who should go where since the last draft. It is entirely over-analyzed. The best mock draft I read was this one because it mocks the over-coverage of this non-event. The second reason this is a non-event is that this is not the NBA. This is football. The most influential player on the field is the QB, but he can't be effective if he doesn't have a line (see Campbell, Jason) or someone to throw to or hand off to, or a defense that can keep the other team off the field. In other words, one player cannot make a mediocre team a great one like Lebron did for the Cavs, or Durant does for the team in OKC. Football is such a team game that 90% of the names called on draft day are irreplaceable, that's why there are no stats like VORP or plus/minus for football; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
You don't get players like this in the NFL; courtesy zimbio.com
So to sum things up: just tell me who picked where, I don't need to watch. In fact the reason the draft is even on TV is all marketing. It puts the NFL name out there in the middle of the offseason, just in case we've forgotten about it. This is a throwback to a bygone era. When baseball ruled the NFL needed to stay relevant, especially as the excitement of the start of baseball was still going. Then there was the NBA and NHL playoffs. It made sense at the time to have a big televised event for the NFL. But the NFL's place is pretty secure since all of these things get pushed to the side for this event that in the long run rarely means anything (Tom Brady was a 6th round pick, for example). It is now simply a chance for the NFL to flex it's muscles and say "look how much everyone loves us." That and sell some more hats and jerseys.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Treme-ndous Start
found at http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/
Wow. It must be New Orleans' year. And about time too. First a Super Bowl, now an HBO show about one of the hardest times in the city's history.
I am in on this show. Even after it's hour and a half premiere where almost nothing happened. It was a stark contrast to the previous hour's Pacific, where we got to see a hell-on- earth amphibious landing on the tiny island of Peleliu. After spending a majority of that hour with all my muscles clenched, waiting for the next thing to explode, blood to splatter, marine to fall, an hour and a half dedicated almost entirely to characters was actually refreshing; even if it did seem a lot longer.
The one common theme to the episode, and I'm hoping the series is music. The series opened with the first second line parade after Katrina, three months after the storm. This seemingly meaningless celebration of music, dance, culture, set the tone for the entire episode. Things are dramatically different in Treme after the storm forced almost everyone out and destroyed most homes. Yet things are still the same. Music is what allows the citizens of the neighborhood to reconnect with the time before, the happier times. It is a constant. From the second line parade, to the chiefs, to the record store, to gigs in dive bars, to funerals, the citizens embrace the music of their culture. It keeps them sane, it reminds them there is still good in the world and life in their city.
found at baltimoresun.com
I hope the series keeps up where it left off. I am fascinated to how all the seemingly different characters are drawn together and tied together not just by the music, but the food, the city itself. This series is definitely a character driven show, and rightly so; recovering from such a disaster is almost entirely psychological (or at least the interesting part is). David Simon wowed us with The Wire and I'm sure Treme will not disappoint either. I can't wait for next Sunday.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Nets-citement?
Who wouldn't watch an NBA team from New York with the league's best/ most popular player and a college coaching legend with a lottery pick and possibly Chris Bosh to go along with two young very talented players? I would.
Ladies and gentlemen your 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets; well, Brooklyn Nets. A Russian billion (yeah B) just bought the Nets. This guy could buy a few more teams if he wanted. He is young, he wants to win, his pockets are bottomless. Translation: luxury tax, forget it, move to Brooklyn, yes please, new name/ colors, very real possibilities.
The only reason I bring this up is because he has said he wants Coach K and will give him four to five times what he's making at Duke (that $12-15 mil on the table for those keeping score at home). This is just step one: get a coach every NBA player loves, give him control, let him win. K even admitted he was intrigued by the Lakers offer a few years ago for 3 reasons: the front office, the city, the superstar. The Nets can make all those happen.
Now to get the superstar. Lebron, in case you've been living under a sports rock for the last 2 years, becomes a free agent this summer. He will dictate what every team does. Period. The Nets have the financial means to sign him to a max contract and Chris Bosh. They then lure Coach K from Durham, finalize the long-talked move to Brooklyn. Throw in an almost certain top 3 pick (John Wall, Evan Turner, Demarcus Cousins, or Wes Johnson) and the promisingly talented Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. This has to look tasty to Lebron. There would be one team in the East that could come close to that: Orlando. Cleveland is done if Lebron leaves. The Celtics have one walker leg in the dustbin already. The Hawks, maybe if they can keep Joe Johnson and get someone to replace Mike Bibby's corpse, but they would probably only force a game 6 best case scenario.
And this is why we love sports. A team that almost set a record for fewest wins ever could potentially be the most exciting team next year. They could have the best player, the richest owner, a coach looking to cement his name as best all-time (because dominant NCAA career+gold medal+ NBA title has never been done before), a much-hyped rookie, and 3 solid stars. They move to New York, forget it, everyone goes nuts for this team.
A lot of pieces have to fall into place for this to happen. But it's amazing to consider.
Ladies and gentlemen your 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets; well, Brooklyn Nets. A Russian billion (yeah B) just bought the Nets. This guy could buy a few more teams if he wanted. He is young, he wants to win, his pockets are bottomless. Translation: luxury tax, forget it, move to Brooklyn, yes please, new name/ colors, very real possibilities.
The only reason I bring this up is because he has said he wants Coach K and will give him four to five times what he's making at Duke (that $12-15 mil on the table for those keeping score at home). This is just step one: get a coach every NBA player loves, give him control, let him win. K even admitted he was intrigued by the Lakers offer a few years ago for 3 reasons: the front office, the city, the superstar. The Nets can make all those happen.
The face of the New York Nets? courtesy of espn.com
Now to get the superstar. Lebron, in case you've been living under a sports rock for the last 2 years, becomes a free agent this summer. He will dictate what every team does. Period. The Nets have the financial means to sign him to a max contract and Chris Bosh. They then lure Coach K from Durham, finalize the long-talked move to Brooklyn. Throw in an almost certain top 3 pick (John Wall, Evan Turner, Demarcus Cousins, or Wes Johnson) and the promisingly talented Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. This has to look tasty to Lebron. There would be one team in the East that could come close to that: Orlando. Cleveland is done if Lebron leaves. The Celtics have one walker leg in the dustbin already. The Hawks, maybe if they can keep Joe Johnson and get someone to replace Mike Bibby's corpse, but they would probably only force a game 6 best case scenario.
Bringing a Championship to Brooklyn? Courtesy of espn.com
And this is why we love sports. A team that almost set a record for fewest wins ever could potentially be the most exciting team next year. They could have the best player, the richest owner, a coach looking to cement his name as best all-time (because dominant NCAA career+gold medal+ NBA title has never been done before), a much-hyped rookie, and 3 solid stars. They move to New York, forget it, everyone goes nuts for this team.
A lot of pieces have to fall into place for this to happen. But it's amazing to consider.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Predictably Unpredictable
That's how I would describe this year's NCAA tournament. The one thing we could all for sure say about this season: outside of two freshmen from Kentucky, a junior from Ohio State, and a junior from Syracuse, there was a serious lack of NBA talent in this year's tournament. Yeah there are plenty of guys who will play in the NBA. But John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Evan Turner, and Wes Johnson are the only ones who are going to have an immediate impact; everyone else appears to only be a role player/ solid bench guy (at least as of right now).
That being said, it is no wonder why everyone's brackets busted in the Round of 32 (even though I was lucky and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing my champion). When the tournament lacks that killer talent it gets crazy (see 2006). That's why this year was literally a crap shoot. It was fun filling out a bracket because no team or teams stood up as dominate. Sure Kansas looked the part most of the season, but with that draw, and their history, it was clear any weakness was going to come out. Then there was Kentucky. Two freshmen who were only there because the NBA says they can't go straight from high school. But here's the thing: they aren't very good defensively and all year they played down to the talent. Essentially all year they showed they were a team that relied on 2 freshmen. Also, Calipari is a well known recruiter. But he also is well known for not making his kids go to class, not following NCAA rules etc., etc. So is it really surprised that an undisciplined coach rubbed off on a young, immature team? I knew that Kentucky was in trouble against West Virginia when Cousins got his second foul and went to the bench and was visibly upset, swearing, and had this look in his eye like a kid who couldn't get his Legos to fit together they way he wanted. Syracuse was done in simply by injuries. You can't go without your starting center in this tournament; bigs are everything and their non-presence this tournament was definitely a factor.
Teams with a viable big made it places this year (Cornell, St. Mary's, Duke). The teams that played tough defense made it places this year (Baylor, West Virginia, Duke). This year was all about team, experience, and sound strategy. Kentucky couldn't adjust to WVU's 1-3-1 zone, rookie mistake, and it cost them. Teams like Michigan State and Butler who have been there, done that, played together for a while, succeeded. Honestly, there was one shocker: Ali Farokhmanesh beat Kansas (although no one should be surprised they didn't win it all since our President took time to pick them, continuing to prove everything he touches goes horribly wrong for America). Everything else makes sense. Duke: 3 senior scorers, West Virginia: Big East champs, Michigan State: pretty much the same team that made the final last year (OK so Kalin Lucas blowing out his Achilles should have derailed them, but they're experienced and deep with a great coach), Butler is senior laden, talent rich, and hasn't lost this year. Whatever anyone tells you, these four teams are good teams and deserve to be there. Next weekend will be fun to watch.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
How It Gets Made In America
courtesy of howtomakeitinamerica.com
I can't quite put my finger on it but HBO's new show How to Make It In America is awesome. There is no single thing that when I watch it I saw wow that's good. The actors are very well cast and believable, but at no point has any one of them wowed me like say, Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. It seems that each one is being themselves.
Maybe that's the secret to the show: it's absolute realism. You could tell me this is a reality TV show and I would almost believe you.
This is Mark Wahlberg's second show on HBO; his first, the very famous Entourage. HTMIIA is like the anti-Entourage. It follows Ben and Cam in their quest to make it as clothing designers with their vintage line "Crisp." Ben is a design school drop out, and Cam is his Latino best friend. Ben pays the rent by working at Barneys while Cam doesn't really have a job, he's just that guy who can get things when you need it and does odd things here and there, an urban Swiss Army knife. Through this there is a loose tangle of interactions with their friend Domingo (played by Kid Cudi) who has all the connections to parties and what not. Then there is Ben's ex Rachel, an interior designer, her new boyfriend, crazy boss, and her seemingly still deep connection with Ben. We get to see Cam's recently un-incarcerated cousin Rene (played by the sinisterly hilarious Luis Guzman) trying to stay straight and promote a new energy drink. Finally, there is Ben's high school classmate Kappo (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas aka Finch from American Pie), who works for a hedge fund and wants desperately to be hip but comically cannot cover up the nerdiness that made him so successful.
The show is about struggling, not in any heroic or tragic way, but simply a very American way. The characters don't have huge problems: Ben and Cam need a jeans sample made, Rene wants more people to buy his drink, Rachel's boyfriend was a jerk to her, Kappo can't get into a club. Everything that has happened in the show should not be interesting to us. I mean at least with Entourage there were Ferraris and very hot, very naked girls. In HTMIIA there might be a few four-letter words and a Range Rover borrowed from a friend.
In truth the greatness of the show comes from the connection anyone can feel to the characters. I watch the show and say yeah I can identify with what's going on in the episode. Yeah sure I've never tried to start a clothing line, but I can identify with Ben and Cam's frustration of being so close to completing that next step, finally getting there, and realizing they'd only gone about 100 feet in a marathon. It does a great job of exploring the middle American experience. They know where their meals are coming from, they have a place to sleep, yet things aren't easy. They have their problems, but they also have their celebrations. It's not one big party, but there's a reason it's called the middle: there are peaks and valleys, but they aren't huge, and they average out to be pretty level. And that's why I can't stop watching this show.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Best Films of 2009
So I have finally seen the three true contenders for the best film Oscar. I have to say there wasn't much between two of them for me. The third was really only in there because of it's financial success.
Avatar got the awards it deserved. It was lauded for its special effects and it's cinematography because that's all it was. The plot was averagely engaging with a few layers but nothing profound. It certainly has changed movies for what I think is the better. It was really a breath-taking visual masterpiece. Unfortunately that's not everything in a movie. Anyone who legitimately thought it had a shot for the best film doesn't really understand what the Academy is looking for. True they expanded the field of nominees from five to ten as a marketing ploy, but the true contenders, like in years past was never more than two.
I loved The Hurt Locker. Kathryn Bigelow did an excellent job of keeping tension. Every single scene I was just waiting for something to explode. That has got to be what it is like in Iraq. You don't know who or what is for or against you. What I really loved was the relationships between the squad members under the pressure. One minute Sanborn (played by Anthony Mackie) and James are picking off insurgent snipers with utmost precision. Then they are beating the crap out of each other in a game of chicken gone too far. It highlights the frustration of daily lives. Sanborn is just trying to get out alive while James is just trying to feel alive. These two conflicting mantras really provide a great underlying tension on top of the tensions of guerrilla warfare.
To me, it was a toss up between Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker. Maybe it's because Up In The Air hits really close to home. The basic shell of getting fired mirrors Ryan Bingham's life. Throughout the movie he is trying so hard to avoid rejection. He doesn't stay in one place, his acquaintances are almost all by necessity: bosses, flight attendants, etc. He has surrounded himself with a world full of connections but at the same time empty of true personality. His own sisters don't know him. Then, his cocoon world is shaken. His company looks to shift its standard operating procedure to eliminate the need for travel. This is a wake up call. I won't ruin it for anyone but the rest of the movie shows him and the two women in his life (pseudo-girlfriend play by Vera Farmiga and co-worker Anna Kendrick) dealing with such rapid change and different reactions to it. Very well done movie on the psychology of everyday Americans in a time of uncertainty. It is a shame that the movie got shut out of pretty much every category.
Avatar got the awards it deserved. It was lauded for its special effects and it's cinematography because that's all it was. The plot was averagely engaging with a few layers but nothing profound. It certainly has changed movies for what I think is the better. It was really a breath-taking visual masterpiece. Unfortunately that's not everything in a movie. Anyone who legitimately thought it had a shot for the best film doesn't really understand what the Academy is looking for. True they expanded the field of nominees from five to ten as a marketing ploy, but the true contenders, like in years past was never more than two.
I loved The Hurt Locker. Kathryn Bigelow did an excellent job of keeping tension. Every single scene I was just waiting for something to explode. That has got to be what it is like in Iraq. You don't know who or what is for or against you. What I really loved was the relationships between the squad members under the pressure. One minute Sanborn (played by Anthony Mackie) and James are picking off insurgent snipers with utmost precision. Then they are beating the crap out of each other in a game of chicken gone too far. It highlights the frustration of daily lives. Sanborn is just trying to get out alive while James is just trying to feel alive. These two conflicting mantras really provide a great underlying tension on top of the tensions of guerrilla warfare.
To me, it was a toss up between Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker. Maybe it's because Up In The Air hits really close to home. The basic shell of getting fired mirrors Ryan Bingham's life. Throughout the movie he is trying so hard to avoid rejection. He doesn't stay in one place, his acquaintances are almost all by necessity: bosses, flight attendants, etc. He has surrounded himself with a world full of connections but at the same time empty of true personality. His own sisters don't know him. Then, his cocoon world is shaken. His company looks to shift its standard operating procedure to eliminate the need for travel. This is a wake up call. I won't ruin it for anyone but the rest of the movie shows him and the two women in his life (pseudo-girlfriend play by Vera Farmiga and co-worker Anna Kendrick) dealing with such rapid change and different reactions to it. Very well done movie on the psychology of everyday Americans in a time of uncertainty. It is a shame that the movie got shut out of pretty much every category.
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