Last night marked the debut on new US Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in a friendly (exhibition) against rival Mexico. After 10 days on the job, the man who has been touted as the savior of US soccer had to face a team that had embarrassed us a little over 6 weeks ago in the Gold Cup final and the only other soccer power in CONCACAF. It was definitely going to be a tough task.
As the match grew closer, pundits tried to bring expectations down a bit. Both Alexi Lalas and Taylor Twellman said on ESPN's pregame coverage that it was not so much the result but the style that mattered. This was the first sign that we had taken a step forward as a footballing nation. Under Bradley style was sacrificed for results. Now that is not something to complain about; Bradley took US soccer to the top of a World Cup group; he took the team to a new level of respect internationally. However, his short sighted approach and his lack of tactical flexibility had taken the team as far as it was going to go. This year's Gold Cup was an example of that: we had one way to play and it was to defend in numbers and hopefully get a goal on the counter-attack. Unfortunately, because Bradley had taken every match one at a time this meant our defense consisted of players who had a few too many caps and way too few. Mexico tore this to shreds. So, last night's match would be a great barometer on how Klinsmann's style would hold up and change the side. The result didn't matter because he had 10 days and 3 practices to put in his system.
The first half the style was not there. Many of the players starting were stalwarts under Bradley and the same Bradley problems plagued the team. We could not keep possession for long spells, and when they did it was just outside of our own 18 yard box, not on the Mexican side of the halfway line. It was almost impossible to get the ball forward because there was no link. Just like under Bradley our lone striker was useless because no one could get the ball into the final third by doing anything but hoofing a long pass up there and hoping he could fend of 3 defenders. As a result the halftime whistle blew with 0 shots on goal for the US. While the goal conceded could be chalked up to bad luck, the team was lucky to not be down more than 1. Mexico deserved the lead.
The second half was much more promising. It started the same as the first half: Mexico possessing, probing, looking the most likely to score. Then Klinsmann went to his bench. He brought on two players Bradley either completely failed to utilize (Brek Shea) or used poorly (Juan Agudelo who was always either a lone striker or alone on a wing under Bradley). These two proved to be crucial in implementing Klinsmann's style onto the game. Immediately the squad began pinging the ball around with series of one touch passes. The triangle game was there. The US kept possession; we kept it well into Mexico's half. After that we took control of the game and it began to look like a goal for Sam's Army was inevitable. And that goal did come. It was a beautiful move of short passes and individual skill that led to Shea teeing up Robbie Rogers with a snappy cross along the ground for an unmarked shot from 2 yards out to a wide open goal. Ironically Rogers came on for son of the former coach, Michael Bradley. Is this a sign or a coincidence?
Michael has been a great player and there is certainly a role for him as more of a midfield enforcer, but he symbolizes his father's game plan: defend then long ball. Klinsmann wants to play more like Spain than a mid-table Premiere league squad. The question was do we have the players who can play that style. Last night answered that partly: you have to be able to play like that if you want a spot in Klinsmann's team. Obviously, one game is no judge of how the Klinsmann era will play out. However, last night's second half showed we can play like he wants us to for spells, but we have a long way to go. He's only been on the job for 11 days and there are two more good tests coming up for the German in the next month or so. Those two games will be more telling, but the attitude is certainly right: he wants players to fit his style, not the other way around. That style is what is needed for the next level of success (see Spain, FC Barcelona).
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A Year and Change Later
I love Lost. That is not a surprise. It is easily my favorite show of all time: the characters, the intricate plot, the mythology, the Star Wars references! I think in the past few years we have really come to see exactly how special the show is after many attempts to recreate it have fallen flat (See Flash Forward , The Event).
I got the entire Lost series for Christmas this year and have slowly made my way through all six seasons. This blog entry is going to be a retrospective of the whole series, but through the lens of the finale (read my original review here)
I got the entire Lost series for Christmas this year and have slowly made my way through all six seasons. This blog entry is going to be a retrospective of the whole series, but through the lens of the finale (read my original review here)
"This is a place that you... that you all made together so that you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people on that island. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you"- Christian Shephard
That quote summarizes the entire series, and at the same time still makes me get a little misty eyed. To me this quote reflects the true nature of the show. It was never about the polar bear, or why they had to push the button, or what the Dharma Initiative was doing there. It was about those people and how such an ordeal, such a brush with the supernatural, shapes them, molds them, brings out their true identity, makes them a complete person. As Jacob said in the finale: none of them came from a happy life. But all of the characters became better people. Jack learned he doesn't have to fix everything. Kate stopped running by becoming an adoptive mother. Locke became the leader he wanted to be. Hurley learned he was not some fat loser, but a loveable, caring, guy who can command people's respect. Sun and Jin realized just how perfect for each other they really are. Sawyer became more than a ruthless, selfish con-man.
The Island was there to make these people whole and that is what the finale and the series was all about. The sideways universe was a microcosm for the entire show. When the characters had the big "reveal" in the sideways universe it was because they found that piece from the island that made them the good human beings they were meant to be. Charlie had a substance abuse problem until Claire and Aaron came along, in both the real world and the sideways world. Penny's love gave Desmond the motivation to make something out of his life in both timelines.
My thoughts on the finale itself have not changed watching it again after a year+ later. My thoughts on the series haven't changed much either. Watching it in a much more compressed time frame does make me believe that they knew what they were doing from the start. I saw a lot more connections and a lot more recurring themes that maybe did not have significance the first time around. And if that isn't proof there was a final destination in mind from the beginning then this certainly is:
Monday, July 25, 2011
Entour-fail
I have a history of being disappointed with Entourage. Last night's final season premiere is no different. Per usual nothing bad really happened (almost). Vince had a coke problem but avoided jail time and apparently became an even bigger star by going to rehab. Drama's show is doing great. Turtle is selling tequila (which you can buy!) and is still dating the very gorgeous Alex. Even Billy Walsh is having a great time.
While many like it that nothing bad ever happens, I believe it is a total failure of hammering home the message of the show. When I watch it I see the creative team saying: friends stick together through the thick and thin; friendship is the most important thing. Yet nothing on this show has tested their friendship. The closest we've seen to characters being pulled in opposite directions is when Vince thought Medellin was good and E didn't. This was the first time friendship and work mixed. And it showed Vince had a surprisingly un-aware perspective on what makes a good movie. They are trying to resurrect this storyline it seems for the final season, but the stakes aren't nearly as high and it doesn't feel nearly as organic. For some reason Vince is mad a E for mixing work and friendship (I guess because he tried to stop his friend from doing coke because it hurt his professional image?). But the big idea out of last night's episode was writing a made-for-TV movie about miners no one has ever heard of and a dog. Seems like the exact same receipe for Medellin except Vince (who has shown little interest in the movie making process until now and little to believe he has the discerning eye needed to be a director) will direct instead of Billy, who like him or not has only had one flop. This does not seem too interesting, especially since we know a) Vince has Airwalker to fall back on b) casted star Drama has Johnny's Bananas to fall back on and c) no one has ever hurt their reputation on a made -for-TV movie.
There are two characters who seem to have bad things happening. E's engagement with Sloane ended because he wouldn't sign a pre-nup. First of all: good for him. Second: either way I don't care. He can get back with Sloane that's great. He can not. That's great too. The series has always tried to paint E as some sort of hopeless romantic who deserves some sort of happy ending. I don't see it. He is just a power-hungry, just as manipulative, just as ruthless as everyone else in the business (he threw his fiance's godfather out of his own management firm!). He also has always been a terrible boyfriend: work always came first, which is why Sloane dumped him in the first place. Most of his relationship misery is self-inflicted, so while it would be nice to see him break the self-sabotaging cycle, it's not something I am particularly invested in.
This leads me to the one, the only storyline I care about: Ari. Yes, Ari is the ultimate in ruthless, manipulative, and deceitful. Add in a serious anger problem. But there is one thing Ari is that you really have to respect: a family man. You can tell that his wife and kids mean the world to him. The hurt in his eyes when Mrs. Ari told him she was seeing someone else was a true emotion (which this show has deftly stayed away from mainly due to the talent, or lack there of). I am really rooting for the Gold family to get back together. It may end up with Ari walking away from the business, but that is a sacrifice I would love the show to make if it really is about sticking together.
Also, it really hurts the show that Scott Caan has quickly become not only the second best actor, but the second most interesting character. I just can't wait to see what quirky stuff he is going to do next.
All that being said: I've seen 7 seasons already; I'll be sticking around for the last 7 episodes.
While many like it that nothing bad ever happens, I believe it is a total failure of hammering home the message of the show. When I watch it I see the creative team saying: friends stick together through the thick and thin; friendship is the most important thing. Yet nothing on this show has tested their friendship. The closest we've seen to characters being pulled in opposite directions is when Vince thought Medellin was good and E didn't. This was the first time friendship and work mixed. And it showed Vince had a surprisingly un-aware perspective on what makes a good movie. They are trying to resurrect this storyline it seems for the final season, but the stakes aren't nearly as high and it doesn't feel nearly as organic. For some reason Vince is mad a E for mixing work and friendship (I guess because he tried to stop his friend from doing coke because it hurt his professional image?). But the big idea out of last night's episode was writing a made-for-TV movie about miners no one has ever heard of and a dog. Seems like the exact same receipe for Medellin except Vince (who has shown little interest in the movie making process until now and little to believe he has the discerning eye needed to be a director) will direct instead of Billy, who like him or not has only had one flop. This does not seem too interesting, especially since we know a) Vince has Airwalker to fall back on b) casted star Drama has Johnny's Bananas to fall back on and c) no one has ever hurt their reputation on a made -for-TV movie.
There are two characters who seem to have bad things happening. E's engagement with Sloane ended because he wouldn't sign a pre-nup. First of all: good for him. Second: either way I don't care. He can get back with Sloane that's great. He can not. That's great too. The series has always tried to paint E as some sort of hopeless romantic who deserves some sort of happy ending. I don't see it. He is just a power-hungry, just as manipulative, just as ruthless as everyone else in the business (he threw his fiance's godfather out of his own management firm!). He also has always been a terrible boyfriend: work always came first, which is why Sloane dumped him in the first place. Most of his relationship misery is self-inflicted, so while it would be nice to see him break the self-sabotaging cycle, it's not something I am particularly invested in.
This leads me to the one, the only storyline I care about: Ari. Yes, Ari is the ultimate in ruthless, manipulative, and deceitful. Add in a serious anger problem. But there is one thing Ari is that you really have to respect: a family man. You can tell that his wife and kids mean the world to him. The hurt in his eyes when Mrs. Ari told him she was seeing someone else was a true emotion (which this show has deftly stayed away from mainly due to the talent, or lack there of). I am really rooting for the Gold family to get back together. It may end up with Ari walking away from the business, but that is a sacrifice I would love the show to make if it really is about sticking together.
Also, it really hurts the show that Scott Caan has quickly become not only the second best actor, but the second most interesting character. I just can't wait to see what quirky stuff he is going to do next.
All that being said: I've seen 7 seasons already; I'll be sticking around for the last 7 episodes.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
In Defense of "Treme"
A lot of people have recently bashed HBO's latest David Simon series "Treme" as a plotless, plodding project designed to keep the creator of the greatest series ever, "The Wire," happy (See Pappademas). I can see where the drama focused on the recovery of New Orleans after Katrina would seem that way. But the people who believe that just don't get it.
Simon and company do an excellent job of art imitating life in every project and "Treme" is no exception. In fact I would argue the show takes that message to heart as it shows the recovery of a devastated city. Life is not full of plot twists and fake-out endings; life moves along at it's own pace. And for a community of musicians, chefs, lawyers, teachers, etc. in a city that is slowly picking itself up off the canvas that pace is not going to be any different.
Many will argue that you don't watch a show to see a pace of life you live every day because let's face it, most of us live boring, uneventful lives. But by taking what feels like a much more life-like pace the writers of "Treme" are able to expose much more human moments. The problem is that you really have to know the characters and know the story to really feel the full force of those moments. You have to know how passionate Davis is about music and all the frustrations he has felt with the limitations of his talent to appreciate his final performance with yet another band he started that outgrew him. It's these little very, very human moments that make this series more than just some way to placate the great David Simon.
I can understand the frustration of those who thought that this would be "The Wire: New Orleans." But I am certainly glad it isn't. "The Wire" was great, don't get me wrong. But so often was there a feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of evil always winning, of the corruptibility of man that it was a very dark series. "Treme" has those moments no doubt: suicides, drug addiction, murder, rape, political corruption, government ineptitude/indifference, police cover-up/laziness, but the series does not hinge upon those things like "The Wire" did. It chooses to focus much more on the strength of the community and the positive moments, like a father and son finally coming to appreciate what each one does for a living and creating something great together.
Simon and company do an excellent job of art imitating life in every project and "Treme" is no exception. In fact I would argue the show takes that message to heart as it shows the recovery of a devastated city. Life is not full of plot twists and fake-out endings; life moves along at it's own pace. And for a community of musicians, chefs, lawyers, teachers, etc. in a city that is slowly picking itself up off the canvas that pace is not going to be any different.
Many will argue that you don't watch a show to see a pace of life you live every day because let's face it, most of us live boring, uneventful lives. But by taking what feels like a much more life-like pace the writers of "Treme" are able to expose much more human moments. The problem is that you really have to know the characters and know the story to really feel the full force of those moments. You have to know how passionate Davis is about music and all the frustrations he has felt with the limitations of his talent to appreciate his final performance with yet another band he started that outgrew him. It's these little very, very human moments that make this series more than just some way to placate the great David Simon.
I can understand the frustration of those who thought that this would be "The Wire: New Orleans." But I am certainly glad it isn't. "The Wire" was great, don't get me wrong. But so often was there a feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of evil always winning, of the corruptibility of man that it was a very dark series. "Treme" has those moments no doubt: suicides, drug addiction, murder, rape, political corruption, government ineptitude/indifference, police cover-up/laziness, but the series does not hinge upon those things like "The Wire" did. It chooses to focus much more on the strength of the community and the positive moments, like a father and son finally coming to appreciate what each one does for a living and creating something great together.
I can also understand the frustration of all the musical and cultural interludes. But again I say to them: that's the point. New Orleans is a very culturally rich city, and music and food top that list. Simon wants us to really absorb the culture. That's why every week we get to hear Antoine Batiste play a few gigs, or Annie T sit in with some famous musicians. It is why so much gets done in restaurants whether it be Nelson's business deals or Janette's life as a chef in general. I have never been to New Orleans but this show does such a great job of portraying the culture I feel like I have about as much of a sense of the city as someone could ever hope to without actually going there (it probably helps that I love music in general as well as many of the acts that have shown up on the show).
I would strongly recommend the show to anyone, especially someone who enjoys live music. But my recommendation would always be start from the beginning and focus on the characters not the plot. "Treme" is a marvelous study of people in a tough, tough situation.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Random Thoughts
- HBO please stop trying to make the final season of Entourage seem so serious, it is not making me want to watch it. This show has been pretty bad for a few seasons now, but like so many I have spent so much time with the characters I can't stop watching. My first thoughts about the new season is that it would be similar to The Office where the destination at the end of the season would give it direction and allow it to re-find those qualities we loved it for. Maybe it will. But I remembered that outside of Jeremy Piven the talent level is so vastly inferior to The Office that it would be a stretch. Here's hoping the Adrian Grenier learns how to act/care, E stops being a whiny little man, Turtle finds something to do with his life beyond smoking weed 5 times a day, and Drama stops being mad at the world. They left last season with some potential interesting storylines (namely the return of Billy Walsh as a clean cartoonist trying to make Drama a cartoon star, the state of Ari's Marriage, and Vince's arrest), but recent history seems to point to the show dealing with these problems in a deus ex machina way (see Vince quitting the business only to be offered the role of Nick Carroway by Scorsese [which was an even more ridiculous plot line that one flop would turn an actor toxic to the point of quitting]).
-If you haven't gotten into Game of Thrones I give it my full backing. I have never nor plan to read the some 6000 pages written/to be written by George R. R. Martin which serve as the basis for the show. After 2 episodes I was skeptical I would keep with it due to the vast expanse of the universe and all the complex relationships the show was having trouble explaining while keeping the plot moving. However, I watched the third episode (I always give shows at least three episodes) and I was hooked. The acting is phenomenal, aided by the fact that we have had little experience with most of the actors and actresses in other projects. The no-names work because it doesn't really distract you from the characters and the world they live in. Think about the Harry Potter series, when you watch that then watch another movie, say Love Actually and half the cast is the same you keep expecting Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman to end their marriage, don their Hogwarts robes and settle their differences with their wands. It also helps that the actors do not define the show giving it much more freedom to dispose of characters; it would be tough to have Lost with out Dr. Jack Shepard (as the creators wanted to kill off the show's most notable star, Matthew Fox, episode 1), but Game of Thrones does not have that quality about it.
- The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team is in trouble. Don't expect the next World Cup to go as well as this past one. The team looked weak in this year's Gold Cup, despite making the finals. The defense was a huge question mark and outside of Clint Dempsey the attack lacked any real threat. The worst part is the best performers at the Gold Cup will be in their 30s in 2014, many of them leading the line for their 3rd cup. Ask Italy how that worked out for them. We also won't play much together outside of qualification. Missing out of the 2013 Confederations Cup really hurts. If you remember it was the Confederations Cup where we beat Spain and went 2 up on Brazil. This gave the team a lot of confidence and familiarity with each other, the atmosphere and the venues for the World Cup the following year. Next go round the team will need to have a lot of new blood that won't have that experience. It looks like a repeat of 2006 could be in the books.
-If you haven't gotten into Game of Thrones I give it my full backing. I have never nor plan to read the some 6000 pages written/to be written by George R. R. Martin which serve as the basis for the show. After 2 episodes I was skeptical I would keep with it due to the vast expanse of the universe and all the complex relationships the show was having trouble explaining while keeping the plot moving. However, I watched the third episode (I always give shows at least three episodes) and I was hooked. The acting is phenomenal, aided by the fact that we have had little experience with most of the actors and actresses in other projects. The no-names work because it doesn't really distract you from the characters and the world they live in. Think about the Harry Potter series, when you watch that then watch another movie, say Love Actually and half the cast is the same you keep expecting Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman to end their marriage, don their Hogwarts robes and settle their differences with their wands. It also helps that the actors do not define the show giving it much more freedom to dispose of characters; it would be tough to have Lost with out Dr. Jack Shepard (as the creators wanted to kill off the show's most notable star, Matthew Fox, episode 1), but Game of Thrones does not have that quality about it.
- The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team is in trouble. Don't expect the next World Cup to go as well as this past one. The team looked weak in this year's Gold Cup, despite making the finals. The defense was a huge question mark and outside of Clint Dempsey the attack lacked any real threat. The worst part is the best performers at the Gold Cup will be in their 30s in 2014, many of them leading the line for their 3rd cup. Ask Italy how that worked out for them. We also won't play much together outside of qualification. Missing out of the 2013 Confederations Cup really hurts. If you remember it was the Confederations Cup where we beat Spain and went 2 up on Brazil. This gave the team a lot of confidence and familiarity with each other, the atmosphere and the venues for the World Cup the following year. Next go round the team will need to have a lot of new blood that won't have that experience. It looks like a repeat of 2006 could be in the books.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thanks For Renting The Crown...
...Michael will have it back now. In the most highly anticipated season of his career since he broke into the league in 2003 Lebron James has shown us what he truly is: a guy who just wants to be liked by all and make good looking video clips. He betrayed his hometown to go play with his buddies in a city known more for its night clubs than it's sports clubs (sorry Dolphins, your years of mediocrity have doomed you). He put himself squarely in the hot seat the moment he bragged how he, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were going to win 10 championships together at what I assume was a KISS concert hijacked by two superstars and their awkward bird-looking friend. It is going to be hard for Lebron to re-define his legacy after the events of the last 12 months, even if they win the title this year or make good on his 10 ring promise.
The first flag was The Decision/The Celebration. The fallout was immediate. Charles Barkley put it best when he said that he, nor Michael, nor Magic, nor Bird, nor any of the pantheon greats would have sold out to go play on another superstar's team. America responded how it almost always does when a team brings in a bunch of superstars: disgust. Before the first ball was even tipped the Heat became the team everyone wanted to beat. Often the reigning champ is the one who gets everyone's best shot, which is why repeating is such a hard thing, but Miami put that bullseye on its back and didn't even have a ring to show for it.
Lebron has been called King James since he enter the national consciousness as a high school phenom. One would expect a king to respond to the pressure and criticism with a performance that made the world notice. If he was truly a pantheon great NBA player this season was the one to show it. He did not.
The first few weeks of the season he was genuinely rattled and confused at why everyone hated him. This did not surprise me at all. Despite growing up just outside of Cleveland Lebron was and still is a Yankees and Cowboys fan, teams that are known for paying for a bunch of stars and consequently teams most Americans do not like. What was surprising is how someone so image conscious could not see what was wrong with making an hour long prime time spectacle, or a fan introduction complete with laser lights, fog machine, and video displays. One thing was clear: Lebron was hurt that people did not like him any more and it affected his play. This is not the response of a great.
Even after the shaky start, his in-season performance was not that of one that put the world on notice. He was constantly deferring to Wade. He was the one you wanted to have the ball in the crunch, if you rooted for the opponent and it was a close game; he was horrendous in the big moments.
Lebron and the Heat eventually put it together and finished the year as the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. They had an easy first round of a 76ers team that is about two years away from really competing. Second round brought Lebron's long-time nemesis: the Celtics. He played great. It helped that Danny Ainge forgot that his team hadn't been beaten when everyone was healthy, they had an unshakable swagger, and that Shaq was all but finished and consequently traded Kendrick Perkins, the most underrated glue guy it would seem in history. It also helped the officials allowed Dwayne Wade to maul Rajon Rondo, someone the Heat could not guard, right out of the series.
Then came the Eastern Conference finals. Lebron was deadly. He was hitting all the big shots. Clutch threes, impossible twos, getting to the foul line. He finally looked like killer we always wanted him to be.
Enter the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. This is where he would finally be anointed. If Lebron is truly a great he will show it on the biggest stage. Game 1 looked pretty good, not great: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. The telling thing was the minutes: 45. That is not a very efficient game.
Then came Game 2. The Heat had a 15 point lead with seven and a half minutes left. He celebrated a Dwayne Wade three pointer. The Heat blew the lead and lost. What was much more alarming was how little impact Lebron had on the game. He scored 20, pulled in 8 and helped out on 4. Wade was the man in the game: 36-3-6. Lebron deferred to him. Lebron did nothing to stem the Mavs ferocious comeback. Since then it has been all downhill for the so called King.
Games 3 and 5 were statistically good, both scored 17 points and in Game 5 he piled on 10 rebounds and assists. Again that was in 45 minutes. The average NBA player scores close to 19 points in 45 minutes. If Lebron is to be a great player he has to better than just below average. Game 4 was an unmitigated disaster: 8 points and at times I wasn't even sure he was on the floor.
The worst part about all of this is his attitude on the court. He can say in tweets and in front of the cameras about how it's now or never, and the team's back is against the wall, and it's the most important game of his career. His lips say that, his body says otherwise. He has no confidence. He doesn't want it to be his team. He has clearly given the reigns to Wade. Even in Game 5 when Wade went out hurt Lebron was passive. None of these are things a great will do. A great puts his body on the line for a championship. A great will bleed for the ring. A great does whatever it takes. There is only one great playing in Miami and that is Wade.
So, it is time for us to retire the nickname King James. These last 12 months we have learned that Lebron is not the great player we wanted him to be. He is not the second coming of His Airness. He is simply the most talented player ever who just wants to have fun, play with his friends, be loved by all, and be the subject of many highlight reel dunks and creative celebrations.
The first flag was The Decision/The Celebration. The fallout was immediate. Charles Barkley put it best when he said that he, nor Michael, nor Magic, nor Bird, nor any of the pantheon greats would have sold out to go play on another superstar's team. America responded how it almost always does when a team brings in a bunch of superstars: disgust. Before the first ball was even tipped the Heat became the team everyone wanted to beat. Often the reigning champ is the one who gets everyone's best shot, which is why repeating is such a hard thing, but Miami put that bullseye on its back and didn't even have a ring to show for it.
Lebron has been called King James since he enter the national consciousness as a high school phenom. One would expect a king to respond to the pressure and criticism with a performance that made the world notice. If he was truly a pantheon great NBA player this season was the one to show it. He did not.
The first few weeks of the season he was genuinely rattled and confused at why everyone hated him. This did not surprise me at all. Despite growing up just outside of Cleveland Lebron was and still is a Yankees and Cowboys fan, teams that are known for paying for a bunch of stars and consequently teams most Americans do not like. What was surprising is how someone so image conscious could not see what was wrong with making an hour long prime time spectacle, or a fan introduction complete with laser lights, fog machine, and video displays. One thing was clear: Lebron was hurt that people did not like him any more and it affected his play. This is not the response of a great.
Even after the shaky start, his in-season performance was not that of one that put the world on notice. He was constantly deferring to Wade. He was the one you wanted to have the ball in the crunch, if you rooted for the opponent and it was a close game; he was horrendous in the big moments.
Lebron and the Heat eventually put it together and finished the year as the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. They had an easy first round of a 76ers team that is about two years away from really competing. Second round brought Lebron's long-time nemesis: the Celtics. He played great. It helped that Danny Ainge forgot that his team hadn't been beaten when everyone was healthy, they had an unshakable swagger, and that Shaq was all but finished and consequently traded Kendrick Perkins, the most underrated glue guy it would seem in history. It also helped the officials allowed Dwayne Wade to maul Rajon Rondo, someone the Heat could not guard, right out of the series.
Then came the Eastern Conference finals. Lebron was deadly. He was hitting all the big shots. Clutch threes, impossible twos, getting to the foul line. He finally looked like killer we always wanted him to be.
Enter the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. This is where he would finally be anointed. If Lebron is truly a great he will show it on the biggest stage. Game 1 looked pretty good, not great: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. The telling thing was the minutes: 45. That is not a very efficient game.
Then came Game 2. The Heat had a 15 point lead with seven and a half minutes left. He celebrated a Dwayne Wade three pointer. The Heat blew the lead and lost. What was much more alarming was how little impact Lebron had on the game. He scored 20, pulled in 8 and helped out on 4. Wade was the man in the game: 36-3-6. Lebron deferred to him. Lebron did nothing to stem the Mavs ferocious comeback. Since then it has been all downhill for the so called King.
Games 3 and 5 were statistically good, both scored 17 points and in Game 5 he piled on 10 rebounds and assists. Again that was in 45 minutes. The average NBA player scores close to 19 points in 45 minutes. If Lebron is to be a great player he has to better than just below average. Game 4 was an unmitigated disaster: 8 points and at times I wasn't even sure he was on the floor.
The worst part about all of this is his attitude on the court. He can say in tweets and in front of the cameras about how it's now or never, and the team's back is against the wall, and it's the most important game of his career. His lips say that, his body says otherwise. He has no confidence. He doesn't want it to be his team. He has clearly given the reigns to Wade. Even in Game 5 when Wade went out hurt Lebron was passive. None of these are things a great will do. A great puts his body on the line for a championship. A great will bleed for the ring. A great does whatever it takes. There is only one great playing in Miami and that is Wade.
So, it is time for us to retire the nickname King James. These last 12 months we have learned that Lebron is not the great player we wanted him to be. He is not the second coming of His Airness. He is simply the most talented player ever who just wants to have fun, play with his friends, be loved by all, and be the subject of many highlight reel dunks and creative celebrations.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Amazing Turnaround
Many, many weeks ago I wrote about how bad The Office had gotten. It was disjointed, inconsistent, full of stories we didn't care about with characters in roles that didn't really interest or entertain. It got to the point where I doubted the show could survive without Steve Carell. That changed quickly.
The Michael Scott Farewell Tour ended with a bang. Almost as soon as Holly returned to Scranton (allowing the writers to drop the whole Andy/Gabe/Erin love triangle no one cared about) did the show not only dramatically increase in hilarity, but also it became more focused. The writers had to get from point A to point B which drove the main plot lines forward, often dragging all the secondary plots with them. As a result the comedy and overall feeling of satisfaction with each episode returned to levels we were used to.
What also helped was the use of secondary characters (i.e. the not Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight). I already mentioned shoving the Andy/Erin/Gabe mess away. We got to see Andy in goofier bro-mode which, if you've seen the Hangover, Ed Helms shines in. We got to see much more of Daryl, Angela, Meredith, Creed, Ryan, and Kelly. We even got some great moments from Oscar, Erin, Stanley, and Phyllis. But I think it was Kevin and Creed who stole a lot of the great lines (it was as if the writers stumbled upon my post). Brian Baumgartner often had me laughing hysterically most notably in "PDA" where he delivered gems such as "Let me finish! I like it (Holly and Michael's PDA) because it makes me horny," and when Dwight has listed everyone who has had sex in the office and Kevin has added himself to the list someone asked him with whom his reply: "She goes to another school." Creed really shone the second half of the year, especially once he was made boss. It forced Pam back into her role of saboteur of the boss's ill-conceived plans, except this boss was even more clueless.
It was also really great to see Jim pull a long-con prank on Dwight that was in no way mean spirited, we haven't seen that in a while.
Finally, as sad as it was, Michael Scott's farewell to Scranton was really well done. The final episode especially highlighted just how deep and three dimensional the character really became. One minute he was totally aware of how stupid Oscar thinks he is, the next he was awkwardly telling Kevin to stop being fat. We got to see how the office really had become the family he never had, but now no longer needs. I can't praise the show enough for giving Michael the happy ending he deserved (even if it meant a horribly awkward, pointless, and distracting Will Ferrell extended cameo).
I hope the show can maintain the momentum it had leading up to the goodbye, or if the writers will fall back into a direction-less hit-or-miss style that took over the proceeding season and a half.
The Michael Scott Farewell Tour ended with a bang. Almost as soon as Holly returned to Scranton (allowing the writers to drop the whole Andy/Gabe/Erin love triangle no one cared about) did the show not only dramatically increase in hilarity, but also it became more focused. The writers had to get from point A to point B which drove the main plot lines forward, often dragging all the secondary plots with them. As a result the comedy and overall feeling of satisfaction with each episode returned to levels we were used to.
What also helped was the use of secondary characters (i.e. the not Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight). I already mentioned shoving the Andy/Erin/Gabe mess away. We got to see Andy in goofier bro-mode which, if you've seen the Hangover, Ed Helms shines in. We got to see much more of Daryl, Angela, Meredith, Creed, Ryan, and Kelly. We even got some great moments from Oscar, Erin, Stanley, and Phyllis. But I think it was Kevin and Creed who stole a lot of the great lines (it was as if the writers stumbled upon my post). Brian Baumgartner often had me laughing hysterically most notably in "PDA" where he delivered gems such as "Let me finish! I like it (Holly and Michael's PDA) because it makes me horny," and when Dwight has listed everyone who has had sex in the office and Kevin has added himself to the list someone asked him with whom his reply: "She goes to another school." Creed really shone the second half of the year, especially once he was made boss. It forced Pam back into her role of saboteur of the boss's ill-conceived plans, except this boss was even more clueless.
It was also really great to see Jim pull a long-con prank on Dwight that was in no way mean spirited, we haven't seen that in a while.
Finally, as sad as it was, Michael Scott's farewell to Scranton was really well done. The final episode especially highlighted just how deep and three dimensional the character really became. One minute he was totally aware of how stupid Oscar thinks he is, the next he was awkwardly telling Kevin to stop being fat. We got to see how the office really had become the family he never had, but now no longer needs. I can't praise the show enough for giving Michael the happy ending he deserved (even if it meant a horribly awkward, pointless, and distracting Will Ferrell extended cameo).
I hope the show can maintain the momentum it had leading up to the goodbye, or if the writers will fall back into a direction-less hit-or-miss style that took over the proceeding season and a half.
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