OHHHHH LAAAAAKER FANS!
Fresh off a triumph on the road in Game 6, the Lakers get to rest up for a few days, heal up some injuries, work on executing a little sharper, etc.
But the one thing that we know for sure is that instead of playing a Game 7, they get to just watch one.
New Orleans vs San Antonio - Game 7 on Monday - Who do I want to win?
Well... lemme think...
Either way, we're going to get lit up by the point guards. Fish did an awesome job on Deron Williams for most of the Utah series but Williams did pretty well against us anyways. Chris Paul? Tony Parker? It's likely to get worse on the PG front before it gets better.
The Hornets' other major threat is from Peja. West is dangerous but hurting.
San Antonio is a lot more well-rounded. We'd have to worry about Duncan, Bowen, Horry, and of course, Ginobli.
I think New Orleans will be an easier series... not an easy series by any stretch... but easier. But man oh man... playing San Antonio would be a lot of fun.
It's a tossup. All I know is that I can't wait for Wednesday night.
8 more wins... 8 more wins.
2008-05-17
2008-05-16
Top Five Friday: "Crosstown" Rivals
In honor of the first interleague weekend of the season with the Dodgers and Angels squaring off tonight... and in "tribute" to all those Angel fans out there that just love to rub in when the Dodgers lose... I present a very special Top Five Friday... in fact, let's do an EXTENDED EDITION because there's just so many reasons why we all hate the Angels together!
Top Ten Reasons Why It's Better To Be A Dodger Fan Than An Angel Fan
10. The Rally Monkey
Is there a mascot in all of sports more embarrassing to claim than the Rally Monkey? Some stupid f'n monkey that jumps up and down when the team is trying to rally from behind? Seriously? Every time I see that damn monkey, I wish it was the one from that infamous scene in Faces Of Death that gets it skull bashed open with a mallet. Remember all those stories in the 80s about AIDS coming to America from a monkey? I have seen the truth and the Rally Monkey brought AIDS to America. It's true. Reverend Wright told me so. And don't you Angel defenders say a damn word about the Dodgers gnome cause the gnome will kick the Monkey's ass every day of the week and twice on Sunday, daddy!
9. The only successful manager in Angels history is an ex-Dodger
The greatest move the Angels front office made was snatching Mike Scioscia out from under the Dodgers control because he was [rightfully] bitter that he didn't get the Dodgers job. In fact, the whole coaching staff is filled with ex-Dodgers - Alfredo Griffin, Mickey Hatcher, Ron Roenicke, Dino Ebel... you name it, they were all in Dodger Blue! And the "shocking" [to the AL] small ball approach that they take from time to time? Straight out of Branch Rickey's "The Dodger Way To Play Baseball!" But don't worry, Dodger fans, I guarantee the day will come when Soc looks down at the front of his jersey, feels pretty sick, and comes running home. Book it!
8. CHEAP SHOT ALERT: No Dodger relief pitcher ever killed himself
Yes, I admit it's a cheap shot. But come on... your team is so pathetic that the mere idea that you failed to get the out that would put them in the World Series forces you to become so depressed that you kill yourself? I guess we're lucky he didn't go through a sex change operation, become a police officer, and kidnap both the Rally Monkey and Vladimir Guerrero. Laces out, Donnie Moore. Laces out.
7. Our owner is better
That's right. I said it, I meant it, I'm here to represent it. Cue all the McCourt haterz saying how the Dodgers lost out on Vlad because of McCourt, cue the parking lot attendant jokes, cue the lack of money jokes. But we're the ones sitting in what is season-by-season essentially becoming a new stadium on the inside. We're the ones that have never had our stadium named after an energy company [and then embarassingly had that naming right revoked by the company holding it.] McCourt may not be the richest owner in baseball but I've never heard the Dodgers have to back off a player because the dollars didn't work out. The stadium is intact and wasn't razed to build condos. And every time you turn around, you hear a new story about McCourt doing something good for the community or the fans. Arte Moreno? He lowered the price of beer and left a giant pile of rocks in the outfield. Wooo! Go Angels! Oh, there is one other thing that Mr. Moreno's done which brings us to...
6. Our team actually wants to play in the city they're in
What a slap in the face that whole debacle should have been to Angels fans. But instead, they licked it up like a stray cat and kept running through the turnstyles. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Even the city of Anaheim sued over it! Moreno wants the fans of Los Angeles so badly, he was willing to spit on their existing fanbase to make it so. By the way, Arte, the fans of Los Angeles don't want you either. Your actions would have Gene Autry rolling over in his grave. Speaking of which...
5. The Angels couldn't even win it for the Cowboy
Poor Gene Autry. He owned the wretched team for 38 years. 38 years! That's almost unheard of today in sports but he suffered through years of horrid teams and "oh-so-close" moments. Hell, even _he_ didn't kill himself after '86! If an owner deserved to win something for years of futility, it was the Cowboy but nooooo... the Angels couldn't be bothered to win until Disney ran the ship. At least they had the good sense to trot out Mrs. Autry during their celebration. By the way, I bet the Cowboy would have dragged the Rally Monkey out in the streets and stomped a mudhole in its' ass and walked it dry.
4. The Dodgers' history
When you compare the histories of the two teams, there's just no question. I mean... seriously... you've got the Dodgers with names like Drysdale, Koufax, Hodges, Campanella, Podres, Wills, Garvey, Cey, Baker... I could go on for days, you know. The Dodgers broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers have history and a legacy to die for. The Angels? Umm... well, I guess they had Reggie Jackson for a while. Nolan Ryan. Anything else? That fucker Bobby Grich that spiked Steve Sax during the Freeway Series in '86.
3. The stadium
Seriously? Can we even compare the two? Dodger Stadium is a treasure of baseball, something to be held up next to Wrigley and Fenway... and it looks better than ever thanks to the McCourts. Angel Stadium? Well, it's got a pile of rocks in the outfield. They have some nice food places... well, if they're not overrun by rats and bugs and lord knows what else like the Health Department shared with the class last year. Oh, people like to point out that they allow tailgating. I would let people drink in the parking lot too if I was going to make them watch the Angels play. They do have that hideous eyesore in the parking lot to make sure the idiots coming to the stadium know they're at the right place. And if you need one thing to make sure the Dodgers win this category hands down... The Dodger Dog.
2. Angel Fans? What are those?
One of the best reasons to be a Dodger fan and not an Angel fan is when it comes right down to it, true Angel fans don't really exist. I'll grant that there are a few... a very small few. But they're not the season ticket holders who decided it was a good idea to sell tickets to the playoff series with the Red Sox... TO RED SOX FANS! They're not the people who were in the stadium when I went to an Angel/Sox game last season and heard a "LET'S GO RED SOX!" chant fill the stadium without the Angel fans saying a single thing. Try that at Dodger Stadium and see how it works out for you. I still believe that if given an Angel trivia contest, odds are high I might beat nine out of ten people in that stadium on any given night. Figure out who Brian Downing, Doug DeCinces, Rod Carew, and the like are... then come talk to me.
And the #1 reason to be a Dodger fan over an Angel fan...
Ahhhh. It's nice that when one of your World Championship trophies gets bored, he's got a few friends to talk to. The Angels World Championship trophy... well, let's just say it's feeling awfully lonely down in the Los Angeles of Anaheim.
Game, set, match. Point. Blue. Game over. End of game.
Top Ten Reasons Why It's Better To Be A Dodger Fan Than An Angel Fan
10. The Rally Monkey
Is there a mascot in all of sports more embarrassing to claim than the Rally Monkey? Some stupid f'n monkey that jumps up and down when the team is trying to rally from behind? Seriously? Every time I see that damn monkey, I wish it was the one from that infamous scene in Faces Of Death that gets it skull bashed open with a mallet. Remember all those stories in the 80s about AIDS coming to America from a monkey? I have seen the truth and the Rally Monkey brought AIDS to America. It's true. Reverend Wright told me so. And don't you Angel defenders say a damn word about the Dodgers gnome cause the gnome will kick the Monkey's ass every day of the week and twice on Sunday, daddy!
9. The only successful manager in Angels history is an ex-Dodger
The greatest move the Angels front office made was snatching Mike Scioscia out from under the Dodgers control because he was [rightfully] bitter that he didn't get the Dodgers job. In fact, the whole coaching staff is filled with ex-Dodgers - Alfredo Griffin, Mickey Hatcher, Ron Roenicke, Dino Ebel... you name it, they were all in Dodger Blue! And the "shocking" [to the AL] small ball approach that they take from time to time? Straight out of Branch Rickey's "The Dodger Way To Play Baseball!" But don't worry, Dodger fans, I guarantee the day will come when Soc looks down at the front of his jersey, feels pretty sick, and comes running home. Book it!
8. CHEAP SHOT ALERT: No Dodger relief pitcher ever killed himself
Yes, I admit it's a cheap shot. But come on... your team is so pathetic that the mere idea that you failed to get the out that would put them in the World Series forces you to become so depressed that you kill yourself? I guess we're lucky he didn't go through a sex change operation, become a police officer, and kidnap both the Rally Monkey and Vladimir Guerrero. Laces out, Donnie Moore. Laces out.
7. Our owner is better
That's right. I said it, I meant it, I'm here to represent it. Cue all the McCourt haterz saying how the Dodgers lost out on Vlad because of McCourt, cue the parking lot attendant jokes, cue the lack of money jokes. But we're the ones sitting in what is season-by-season essentially becoming a new stadium on the inside. We're the ones that have never had our stadium named after an energy company [and then embarassingly had that naming right revoked by the company holding it.] McCourt may not be the richest owner in baseball but I've never heard the Dodgers have to back off a player because the dollars didn't work out. The stadium is intact and wasn't razed to build condos. And every time you turn around, you hear a new story about McCourt doing something good for the community or the fans. Arte Moreno? He lowered the price of beer and left a giant pile of rocks in the outfield. Wooo! Go Angels! Oh, there is one other thing that Mr. Moreno's done which brings us to...
6. Our team actually wants to play in the city they're in
What a slap in the face that whole debacle should have been to Angels fans. But instead, they licked it up like a stray cat and kept running through the turnstyles. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Even the city of Anaheim sued over it! Moreno wants the fans of Los Angeles so badly, he was willing to spit on their existing fanbase to make it so. By the way, Arte, the fans of Los Angeles don't want you either. Your actions would have Gene Autry rolling over in his grave. Speaking of which...
5. The Angels couldn't even win it for the Cowboy
Poor Gene Autry. He owned the wretched team for 38 years. 38 years! That's almost unheard of today in sports but he suffered through years of horrid teams and "oh-so-close" moments. Hell, even _he_ didn't kill himself after '86! If an owner deserved to win something for years of futility, it was the Cowboy but nooooo... the Angels couldn't be bothered to win until Disney ran the ship. At least they had the good sense to trot out Mrs. Autry during their celebration. By the way, I bet the Cowboy would have dragged the Rally Monkey out in the streets and stomped a mudhole in its' ass and walked it dry.
4. The Dodgers' history
When you compare the histories of the two teams, there's just no question. I mean... seriously... you've got the Dodgers with names like Drysdale, Koufax, Hodges, Campanella, Podres, Wills, Garvey, Cey, Baker... I could go on for days, you know. The Dodgers broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers have history and a legacy to die for. The Angels? Umm... well, I guess they had Reggie Jackson for a while. Nolan Ryan. Anything else? That fucker Bobby Grich that spiked Steve Sax during the Freeway Series in '86.
3. The stadium
Seriously? Can we even compare the two? Dodger Stadium is a treasure of baseball, something to be held up next to Wrigley and Fenway... and it looks better than ever thanks to the McCourts. Angel Stadium? Well, it's got a pile of rocks in the outfield. They have some nice food places... well, if they're not overrun by rats and bugs and lord knows what else like the Health Department shared with the class last year. Oh, people like to point out that they allow tailgating. I would let people drink in the parking lot too if I was going to make them watch the Angels play. They do have that hideous eyesore in the parking lot to make sure the idiots coming to the stadium know they're at the right place. And if you need one thing to make sure the Dodgers win this category hands down... The Dodger Dog.
2. Angel Fans? What are those?
One of the best reasons to be a Dodger fan and not an Angel fan is when it comes right down to it, true Angel fans don't really exist. I'll grant that there are a few... a very small few. But they're not the season ticket holders who decided it was a good idea to sell tickets to the playoff series with the Red Sox... TO RED SOX FANS! They're not the people who were in the stadium when I went to an Angel/Sox game last season and heard a "LET'S GO RED SOX!" chant fill the stadium without the Angel fans saying a single thing. Try that at Dodger Stadium and see how it works out for you. I still believe that if given an Angel trivia contest, odds are high I might beat nine out of ten people in that stadium on any given night. Figure out who Brian Downing, Doug DeCinces, Rod Carew, and the like are... then come talk to me.
And the #1 reason to be a Dodger fan over an Angel fan...
Ahhhh. It's nice that when one of your World Championship trophies gets bored, he's got a few friends to talk to. The Angels World Championship trophy... well, let's just say it's feeling awfully lonely down in the Los Angeles of Anaheim.
Game, set, match. Point. Blue. Game over. End of game.
2008-05-15
Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)
God, I feel old.
A lot of stuff happened yesterday and today that I feel the need to post about but I'm still tired from last night. What I expected to be a late night turned out with me going to sleep around 3 AM after watching the DVRd Laker game. But hey, at least I didn't have to go to work this morning, eh? EH?!
Anyways... I'll slowly get to all the topics, I think, but I wanted to start with this one while it's still fresh in my mind.
Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)
Too many bands that go out on the road these days have forgotten their early days - those days where they had just gotten a little bit of the spotlight shined on them and they were loving every minute of it. You know the kind of show I'm talking about. The shows where everything seems pre-determined and well-plotted... like a paint by numbers kit come to life. Kate Nash is enjoying that glimmer of spotlight that is just starting to bounce off her colorful personality and it shows.
The lovely Ms. Nash and her backing band hit the stage at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Theater around 10:15 PM and never looked back, blistering through a very full set to the enjoyment of the crowded house out on a school night to watch the final show of her U.S. tour. When the curtain raised at the self-titled "Music Box," the screams filled the air. A simple stage was on display - the only sign of set decoration a velvety curtain hanging behind the band with a neon sign proclaiming "Kate Nash." It seemed fitting for a show that used very little in the way of frills to entertain the crowd. They knew the fans were there to hear Nash and her vocal gymnastics and they did nothing to disappoint.
From Moment One, Nash sat down in the middle of the stage behind a keyboard and proceeded to rock that keyboard so hard that there were times I was certain a key or two was going to get shattered. I don't think I've seen a keyboard rocked that hard in person since seeing Moby a few years ago. Unfortunately, my immediate fears about this show were realized during the opening couple of numbers. In the days leading up to the show, I had seen a few reviews complaining about the vocal mix at points in the show. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the vocal mix was fine but the backing band was way too loud for the type of music they were backing. And I think Nash felt that at times because there were portions of the show that devolved into her screaming to be heard over her own band.
When they ventured away from the keyboards to Kate on the guitar, the show was worlds better as the vocals were clear and crisp. It was at this point of the show that Kate Nash's vocal stylings really shine. Oddly, at times, she reminded me of Bjork - not in song structure or style but rather in the unexpected qualities she brings to the table. Nash does not take the safe path on any songs and seems to be experimenting with the way she likes to sing them best. Her ability to shove about 180 words into one lyric is quite impressive as well.
The audience seemed to made up primarily of young girls, who were quite willing and able to dance and sing along to every song she sang. For a fairly new artist, she has quickly gained a very devoted following who were already waiting for the doors to open two hours before the show. Nash was obviously grateful for these fans as she took a very public route into the venue, stopping to sign autographs and take photos with screaming fans along the way.
It is that type of gesture that really shows Kate Nash is still getting settled into her fame. When you go to a concert, more times than not, it is the little things that you remember - those fleeting moments that will stick in your head years later. For some of the fans in the crowd last night, it'll be her singing Happy Birthday to a young lady in the crowd who shouted out that it was her birthday. Or perhaps it'll be the moment she dedicated her anti-man anthem "Dickhead" to a couple specific dickheads referenced by the girls in the crowd.
For me, it comes towards the end of the night. Her opening act, the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, are a family act with a father, mother, and 14-year old daughter. At one point during her set, Kate invited the daughter, the drummer for her family band, on stage to help out with percussion during a couple songs. However, towards the end of the night, the young girl wandered out from backstage to watch the end of the show from behind the security barricade during Kate's big hit "Foundations." During the song, security decided to make the girl leave which brought the show to a screeching halt as Kate stopped the song, berated the security to leave the girl alone as she's "part of the band" and then re-start the song from the beginning to wild cheers from the crowd.
It's that kind of spontaneity that makes a show memorable. Any band can go through their setlist, ignoring the crowd except for a few well-planned "How y'all doin' tonight?" during instrument changeovers. But very few still have the level of interaction to make their fans feel like they're important to the person on stage.
Oh, and a little secret? I think Kate Nash has a punk rock side dying to crawl out from behind her multi-colored dress into the spotlight. At two points during the night, she seemed to relish in the opportunity to turn her songs up a notch into very close to a full-fledged punk song. In fact, during the encore number "Model Behaviour" in which she encouraged fans to sing along to the chorus ("You don't have to suck dick to succeed") this old-timer who has been to his fair share of punk rock shows could have easily seen an old fashioned stage dive to end the set.
Alas, it was not to be.
All in all, it was a really fun night at the Henry Fonda Theater with just a few sound problems preventing me from giving the show an overwhelming thumbs up. But Kate Nash and the band are definitely an act to keep an eye on - let's just hope they keep their enthusiasm and charm intact as they grow together.
2008-05-14
Doubie Posting Wednesday
Just thought I'd drop some more verbage on you before heading out for the Kate Nash show in Hollywood tonight.
In case you haven't noticed, somewhere on the right side of the page, there is now a section where I can leave behind some newsbits that I think you all might enjoy. And I have done so!
To help promote that cool little feature, I thought I'd take a few of those newsbits and give you some thought patterns on them.
NEWS: KCRW Launches Guest DJ Project
THOUGHT PATTERN: That's pretty fucking sick. I don't get to listen to KCRW very much except for their killer Today's Top Tune podcast that you really should be listening to but I do appreciate their efforts to introduce new music to this desolate wasteland of good musical taste that we call the United States. One of the things that I first dug about Indie 103 and that got me listening to them was their efforts to use DJs that were "unusual." Henry Rollins, the Camp Freddy boys, Dicky from the Bosstones, etc. So, the idea of someone like Danny Devito hosting a show on KCRW is pretty boss. Good idea, KCRW! Keep the morning eclectic!
NEWS: Dodgers' Blake DeWitt for ROY?
THOUGHT PATTERN: With his numbers climbing, he's gotta be getting some consideration but the concern remains true - what happens when Nomar comes back? It just seems unbelievable to me that someone doing so well and who is the future of the team will be shoved aside for someone who definitely is the past of the team. I really like Nomar but he needs to be used in a utility/supersub position now. His days as an everyday starter seem to be behind him. Of course, the one monkey in this particular wrench... what about Andy LaRoche? Did LaRoche gets Wally Pipped or does he still stand a shot at grabbing the position that he was the heir apparent to for so very long? Like sands through the hourglass...
NEWS: EliteXC expects sellout for May 31st show
THOUGHT PATTERN: You gotta be shittin' me. They think they're going to fill a 15,000+ seat arena based off Kimbo Slice's name alone? If they manage to pull that off without papering the crowd, I will swallow crow and admit that Kimbo's a hell of a bigger draw than I gave him credit for. For me, the lineup just doesn't look very good. It's another freak show lineup with EXC praying the public will tune in because a] it's free and b] it's got Kimbo and Gina Carano on the show. While that's good enough for me and for the majority of MMA fans, I'm sure, you have to wonder if that's enough for the "general public." And you DEFINITELY have to wonder if it's enough to sell out that building.
NEWS: Charter Communications to share web histories with advertisers
THOUGHT PATTERN: Remember that time you Googled "Miley Cyrus topless photos" looking for those Vanity Fair pics that everyone was talking about? No? LIAR! Well, thanks to the good folks at Charter Communications, soon everyone will know that you performed that search and just what porn sites you ventured to blindly looking for said photos. And as a result? You're probably going to get some very targeted porn ads sent your way. Awesome! Ain't the lethal combination of American business practices and intrusive technology grand?
NEWS: Bryant skips practice again but says he will play
THOUGHT PATTERN: Oh god. Just reading the headline makes me queasy. But there's really no way around it. You don't want him to NOT play because injured or not, I bet the Lakers stand a better chance of winning if he plays than they do if he sits. At the same time, the haunting memories of badly shot jumpers in the 4th quarter from Sunday will not leave my mind until we're out of this round... and probably not even then. A lot of people say that a series really doesn't start until someone wins on the road... that puts the Lakers in a must-win scenario tonight as they haven't proved they can win in Utah this post-season yet. MUST WIN. Phil better write that on the board tonight. Game 6 is going to be a bitch... and having the pressure of being an elimination game is something the Lakers DO NOT need. Game on, Laker fans... game on.
In case you haven't noticed, somewhere on the right side of the page, there is now a section where I can leave behind some newsbits that I think you all might enjoy. And I have done so!
To help promote that cool little feature, I thought I'd take a few of those newsbits and give you some thought patterns on them.
NEWS: KCRW Launches Guest DJ Project
THOUGHT PATTERN: That's pretty fucking sick. I don't get to listen to KCRW very much except for their killer Today's Top Tune podcast that you really should be listening to but I do appreciate their efforts to introduce new music to this desolate wasteland of good musical taste that we call the United States. One of the things that I first dug about Indie 103 and that got me listening to them was their efforts to use DJs that were "unusual." Henry Rollins, the Camp Freddy boys, Dicky from the Bosstones, etc. So, the idea of someone like Danny Devito hosting a show on KCRW is pretty boss. Good idea, KCRW! Keep the morning eclectic!
NEWS: Dodgers' Blake DeWitt for ROY?
THOUGHT PATTERN: With his numbers climbing, he's gotta be getting some consideration but the concern remains true - what happens when Nomar comes back? It just seems unbelievable to me that someone doing so well and who is the future of the team will be shoved aside for someone who definitely is the past of the team. I really like Nomar but he needs to be used in a utility/supersub position now. His days as an everyday starter seem to be behind him. Of course, the one monkey in this particular wrench... what about Andy LaRoche? Did LaRoche gets Wally Pipped or does he still stand a shot at grabbing the position that he was the heir apparent to for so very long? Like sands through the hourglass...
NEWS: EliteXC expects sellout for May 31st show
THOUGHT PATTERN: You gotta be shittin' me. They think they're going to fill a 15,000+ seat arena based off Kimbo Slice's name alone? If they manage to pull that off without papering the crowd, I will swallow crow and admit that Kimbo's a hell of a bigger draw than I gave him credit for. For me, the lineup just doesn't look very good. It's another freak show lineup with EXC praying the public will tune in because a] it's free and b] it's got Kimbo and Gina Carano on the show. While that's good enough for me and for the majority of MMA fans, I'm sure, you have to wonder if that's enough for the "general public." And you DEFINITELY have to wonder if it's enough to sell out that building.
NEWS: Charter Communications to share web histories with advertisers
THOUGHT PATTERN: Remember that time you Googled "Miley Cyrus topless photos" looking for those Vanity Fair pics that everyone was talking about? No? LIAR! Well, thanks to the good folks at Charter Communications, soon everyone will know that you performed that search and just what porn sites you ventured to blindly looking for said photos. And as a result? You're probably going to get some very targeted porn ads sent your way. Awesome! Ain't the lethal combination of American business practices and intrusive technology grand?
NEWS: Bryant skips practice again but says he will play
THOUGHT PATTERN: Oh god. Just reading the headline makes me queasy. But there's really no way around it. You don't want him to NOT play because injured or not, I bet the Lakers stand a better chance of winning if he plays than they do if he sits. At the same time, the haunting memories of badly shot jumpers in the 4th quarter from Sunday will not leave my mind until we're out of this round... and probably not even then. A lot of people say that a series really doesn't start until someone wins on the road... that puts the Lakers in a must-win scenario tonight as they haven't proved they can win in Utah this post-season yet. MUST WIN. Phil better write that on the board tonight. Game 6 is going to be a bitch... and having the pressure of being an elimination game is something the Lakers DO NOT need. Game on, Laker fans... game on.
More Point Break 2 Details
Last night's post "broke" the news that a Point Break 2 sequel is in the works.
Here's some more details from the folks at IESB:
"The IESB has uncovered story details from the upcoming sequel to Point Break!
No, its not called Point Break 2: Electric Boogaloo instead it will be called Point Break Indo.
The original 1991 film starred Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey and brought in a total box office haul of over 80 million dollars.
There has been no casting news even though the production company is believed to have reached out to both Reeves and Swayze, we also know that the movie will take place Indonesia, hence Point Break Indo, clever.
Jan de Bont will be directing and the production company believes that they will be filming the "most extreme action stunts ever caught on camera."
So what will the story be about? Here is your first look at the sequels' synopsis.
When Billy Dalton, military special ops and star surfer, is disqualified from the pro-surfing tour, he takes off for the coast of Bali looking for the perfect wave. While there he’s recruited by a private security force who are trying to find a gang known as The Bush Administration, surfing outlaws and modern day pirates who work like “The Ex-Presidents,” a bank robbing crew from Malibu twenty years ago."
Here's some more details from the folks at IESB:
"The IESB has uncovered story details from the upcoming sequel to Point Break!
No, its not called Point Break 2: Electric Boogaloo instead it will be called Point Break Indo.
The original 1991 film starred Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey and brought in a total box office haul of over 80 million dollars.
There has been no casting news even though the production company is believed to have reached out to both Reeves and Swayze, we also know that the movie will take place Indonesia, hence Point Break Indo, clever.
Jan de Bont will be directing and the production company believes that they will be filming the "most extreme action stunts ever caught on camera."
So what will the story be about? Here is your first look at the sequels' synopsis.
When Billy Dalton, military special ops and star surfer, is disqualified from the pro-surfing tour, he takes off for the coast of Bali looking for the perfect wave. While there he’s recruited by a private security force who are trying to find a gang known as The Bush Administration, surfing outlaws and modern day pirates who work like “The Ex-Presidents,” a bank robbing crew from Malibu twenty years ago."
2008-05-13
2008-05-12
Game Five
Soooo... yeah.
Obviously I wasn't in the mood to discuss the Lakers after yesterday's game. That was without a doubt one of the most frustrating games I've ever seen. Going to OT means they were a point away from winning [obviously.]
So, so, so many missed opportunities. Gasol's blown dunk. Kobe forcing jumpers with an injured back. And of course, "Lazy As Fuck" Luke Walton getting a breakway layup stuffed down his damn throat.
Not to mention all the missed free throws.
Like I said yesterday... ugh.
I still have faith they can find a way to manage to win the series - well, as long as Kobe's not too badly hurt to play the rest of the games effectively. Both games in Utah were just hard to watch. Uneven performances by guys who should have been playing better. Bad decisions. Horrid rebounding.
Again... ugh.
Game Five will be good. I expect the Lakers to take it pretty easily... and again, due to some bad planning on our part, the wife and I will be at the Kate Nash concert in Hollywood so we won't get to see it.
Game Six back in Utah? That's the tough one. I can't wait for Friday.
Game Seven? We shall see if it gets that far.
2008-05-11
Ugh
Just one of those days, you know?
Don't want to talk about the Lakers.
Don't want to talk about the Dodgers.
Really, I don't want to talk about anything.
So... I'M PHONIN' IT IN, DAMMIT!
Don't want to talk about the Lakers.
Don't want to talk about the Dodgers.
Really, I don't want to talk about anything.
So... I'M PHONIN' IT IN, DAMMIT!
2008-05-10
Indiana Jones - I always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door
The good folks over at AICN have started receiving some reviews of the new [last?] Indiana Jones movie as it just started screening for people in sneak preview form.
The reviews are... mixed. Which is scary.
I'm not one of those guys who will run around with Lucas and Spielberg's heads on a pike screaming "YOU RAPED MY CHILDHOOD!" if the movie sucks. If it sucks, it sucks... it's a shame, but it's life, right? People make shitty movies and put them out to torture the masses. It's a test to see the breaking point of man and how far society can be pushed before we all turn upon each other and create an anarchist state of people who slaughter anyone who mentions phrases like "King Arthur" or "Air Bud."
But I digress.
I haven't followed the making of this movie very closely. It's one of those flicks where I would prefer to go in fresh, knowing as little as possible, and let the chips fall where they may. We've all heard the rumors about that Shia fellow being Indy and Marion's love child - don't want to know. We've heard that the Ark is involved - don't want to know. We've even heard that Indy may die - don't want to know.
With so little information going in, oddly, I don't feel the same sort of anticipation for this one as I did the Star Wars prequels... strangely, I don't even know if I feel the same sort of anticipation that I feel for... say... The Dark Knight. I mean, I know I want to see it and I know I probably want to do a midnight screening of it... but I'm not sitting around wondering what it's going to be like.
And the reviews coming in... the few that I skimmed the beginning of, praying for no spoilers... have done little to get me hyped up for it.
But it can't suck, right?
And before anyone points out Episodes I-III... just don't. I won't listen to you. You can stamp your feet and jump up and down and tell me how much you hate Jar Jar or little Jake Lloyd or whatever... I don't care. They weren't Ep IV-VI but they never were going to be - they never could be. But they hold a special place in this Star Wars fan's geeky heart so... just don't.
Indy can't suck. I've made that decision. I put my foot down on the baby toe of the movie gods and deny them the ability to make it suck.
Look, I can read bad reviews... I can hear bad buzz... I can not feel the hype...
But I can tell you one thing...
Before Iron Man, they ran an Indy trailer.
And I got chills. Chills at the beginning. Chills at the middle. Chills at the end.
And for now, that's good enough for me, Dr. Jones.
The reviews are... mixed. Which is scary.
I'm not one of those guys who will run around with Lucas and Spielberg's heads on a pike screaming "YOU RAPED MY CHILDHOOD!" if the movie sucks. If it sucks, it sucks... it's a shame, but it's life, right? People make shitty movies and put them out to torture the masses. It's a test to see the breaking point of man and how far society can be pushed before we all turn upon each other and create an anarchist state of people who slaughter anyone who mentions phrases like "King Arthur" or "Air Bud."
But I digress.
I haven't followed the making of this movie very closely. It's one of those flicks where I would prefer to go in fresh, knowing as little as possible, and let the chips fall where they may. We've all heard the rumors about that Shia fellow being Indy and Marion's love child - don't want to know. We've heard that the Ark is involved - don't want to know. We've even heard that Indy may die - don't want to know.
With so little information going in, oddly, I don't feel the same sort of anticipation for this one as I did the Star Wars prequels... strangely, I don't even know if I feel the same sort of anticipation that I feel for... say... The Dark Knight. I mean, I know I want to see it and I know I probably want to do a midnight screening of it... but I'm not sitting around wondering what it's going to be like.
And the reviews coming in... the few that I skimmed the beginning of, praying for no spoilers... have done little to get me hyped up for it.
But it can't suck, right?
And before anyone points out Episodes I-III... just don't. I won't listen to you. You can stamp your feet and jump up and down and tell me how much you hate Jar Jar or little Jake Lloyd or whatever... I don't care. They weren't Ep IV-VI but they never were going to be - they never could be. But they hold a special place in this Star Wars fan's geeky heart so... just don't.
Indy can't suck. I've made that decision. I put my foot down on the baby toe of the movie gods and deny them the ability to make it suck.
Look, I can read bad reviews... I can hear bad buzz... I can not feel the hype...
But I can tell you one thing...
Before Iron Man, they ran an Indy trailer.
And I got chills. Chills at the beginning. Chills at the middle. Chills at the end.
And for now, that's good enough for me, Dr. Jones.
2008-05-09
Top Five Friday: Iron Man
Grrrr...arrrrgh... nowhere in my wedding vows do I recall, "I will pause the Laker playoff game that you knew was on at 6 PM (and that I openly declared my intent to leave Happy Hour at 5:45 so I would be home on time for the game) so that you have time to get home from a trip to Aaron Brothers that you openly admit was a "last minute thing since you weren't going to be home""
Everybody got that?
So, Top Five Friday. Saw Iron Man last night. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. If I had done last week's Top Five this week, I would have had some serious difficulty pulling it off. My immediate thought walking out of the movie is that I think it's very close to Batman Begins in quality level but I'm not sure if it surpasses it.
But that's a topic for another time.
The topic for today? The Top Five Reasons You Want To See Iron Man... a slightly spoilerish edition so avert thine eyes if you're sensitive to spoilerish materials.
Images inserted as spoiler space.
5. FX
You know those moments during The Hulk? Or those moments during the trailer for the new Hulk movie? Or even some of those moments during the Star Wars prequels? You know the moments I'm talking about... the moments when you see an action sequence or a CGI "thing" on the screen that makes you scratch your chin and say, "You know, that's just not right." I never had a moment like that during Iron Man. It was all completely natural and looked/felt right. And to top it off, during the credits, I remembered that the work was a joint effort between ILM and Stan Winston [who is a mofuckin' genius.] And to pay them tribute, I say... I honestly have no idea where ILM's work ends and Winston's begins. Big props on that.
4. The little things
When making a HUUUUUUGE FX heavy action flick, it's easy to forget the little things that make movies charming and adorable. Iron Man is not short on any of those moments. Whether it's Tony being the alcoholic playboy or the little machines that help him build and test the suit and his relationship with them or Pepper Potts just being so damn adorable, this movie has all the little things that will make you smile and know it's more than one explosion after another.
3. The acting
The acting in this movie is phenomenal. There's not a single cast member that uttered a single line that felt forced or unnatural. In fact, that's a big plus for Iron Man over Batman Begins, IMO. Every member of the cast _was_ their character in my eyes and I never felt I was watching someone "play a role"... other than trying to wrap my head around The Dude being some big bald businessman. Go figure.
2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark
This is a little bit of a double-dip from #3 but RDJ _was_ Tony Stark. He had everything down pat in the way that I would envision Tony Stark if a comic book came to life. He was the alcohol-chuggin', womanizin', fast car-drivin', private jet ridin', suit of highly technological buildin' son of a gun. Everything seemed right and he seemed totally natural in the role. The frustrating thing of it all was that I watched Fantastic Four 2 yesterday before seeing this and the difference between the portrayal of Tony Stark as a brilliant scientist and Reed Richards as the "smartest man in the Marvel Universe" was absolutely astonishing. I really wish Marvel had taken creative control of their own properties sooner.
1. AFTER THE CREDITS
Well, it's not _really_ #1 probably but it was so, so, so awesome as a comic book geek, I encourage one and all to stick through finding out who the Best Boy and Ms. Paltrow's Assistant was just so you can see it. Don't be like the two people I've talked to today who missed it and then went nutty when I told them what happened. Stick around and see it for yourself so you can post a comment here saying how absolutely batshit fucking awesome it was.
And that, my friends... is that. Go Lakers!
Everybody got that?
So, Top Five Friday. Saw Iron Man last night. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. If I had done last week's Top Five this week, I would have had some serious difficulty pulling it off. My immediate thought walking out of the movie is that I think it's very close to Batman Begins in quality level but I'm not sure if it surpasses it.
But that's a topic for another time.
The topic for today? The Top Five Reasons You Want To See Iron Man... a slightly spoilerish edition so avert thine eyes if you're sensitive to spoilerish materials.
Images inserted as spoiler space.
5. FX
You know those moments during The Hulk? Or those moments during the trailer for the new Hulk movie? Or even some of those moments during the Star Wars prequels? You know the moments I'm talking about... the moments when you see an action sequence or a CGI "thing" on the screen that makes you scratch your chin and say, "You know, that's just not right." I never had a moment like that during Iron Man. It was all completely natural and looked/felt right. And to top it off, during the credits, I remembered that the work was a joint effort between ILM and Stan Winston [who is a mofuckin' genius.] And to pay them tribute, I say... I honestly have no idea where ILM's work ends and Winston's begins. Big props on that.
4. The little things
When making a HUUUUUUGE FX heavy action flick, it's easy to forget the little things that make movies charming and adorable. Iron Man is not short on any of those moments. Whether it's Tony being the alcoholic playboy or the little machines that help him build and test the suit and his relationship with them or Pepper Potts just being so damn adorable, this movie has all the little things that will make you smile and know it's more than one explosion after another.
3. The acting
The acting in this movie is phenomenal. There's not a single cast member that uttered a single line that felt forced or unnatural. In fact, that's a big plus for Iron Man over Batman Begins, IMO. Every member of the cast _was_ their character in my eyes and I never felt I was watching someone "play a role"... other than trying to wrap my head around The Dude being some big bald businessman. Go figure.
2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark
This is a little bit of a double-dip from #3 but RDJ _was_ Tony Stark. He had everything down pat in the way that I would envision Tony Stark if a comic book came to life. He was the alcohol-chuggin', womanizin', fast car-drivin', private jet ridin', suit of highly technological buildin' son of a gun. Everything seemed right and he seemed totally natural in the role. The frustrating thing of it all was that I watched Fantastic Four 2 yesterday before seeing this and the difference between the portrayal of Tony Stark as a brilliant scientist and Reed Richards as the "smartest man in the Marvel Universe" was absolutely astonishing. I really wish Marvel had taken creative control of their own properties sooner.
1. AFTER THE CREDITS
Well, it's not _really_ #1 probably but it was so, so, so awesome as a comic book geek, I encourage one and all to stick through finding out who the Best Boy and Ms. Paltrow's Assistant was just so you can see it. Don't be like the two people I've talked to today who missed it and then went nutty when I told them what happened. Stick around and see it for yourself so you can post a comment here saying how absolutely batshit fucking awesome it was.
And that, my friends... is that. Go Lakers!
2008-05-08
Mixtape Of The Month - Aural Hershiser
So, I'm still running behind schedule on Mixtapes Of The Month but I'm on the comeback trail, I can feel it! Download and enjoy!
Mixtape Of The Month (April 2008)
Title: Aural Hershiser
Length: 1:43:30
File Size: 95 MB
Featuring: 16 cool-as-fuck songs including music by Styx, Vampire Weekend, Motley Crue, Bob Marley, Pearl Jam, Kate Nash, No Doubt, Black Sabbath, Flight Of The Conchords, and many, many more!
2008-05-07
More G.I. Joe Photos + News
As your very unofficial source of G.I. Joe info, I come bearing gifts.
First, the good folks over at Superherohype.com were given the courtesy of a visit to the G.I. Joe set recently . Their initial report is pretty vague but they did drop a few details of interest. Some of the sets they were shown included the MARS lab [can't really go wrong with a weapons-development building], the "interior of the G.I. Joe submarine" [makes sense], an underwater base station [fits with the rumors of an undersea battle at some point in the flick,] and "the remains of the Pit." Aha! So, at some point in the movie, the Pit gets damaged badly. Seems fitting considering the number of times it happened in the comics and cartoon. I'm okay with all that!
The real test?
More pictures. As Samuel L once wisely said, "Hold on to your butts."
Having some HTML troubles so I'll put all my comments at the bottom of the page.
New shot of Storm Shadow. Much, much better, IMO. Still not perfect but he doesn't look like he fell out of a bad anime.
Ahhh, sweet, sweet Baroness. I dig it. I think this one works nicely - but I said that after the first photo of her too. She's the only one they've completely hit on the nail so far - Snakes is very close but the second photo of him scared me a bit.
Destro. Hrmm. Without the mask, it's hard to tell but I think this guy looks just about right for the gig. Slap some wrist rockets on him and let's see how it goes.
Still Metrosexual General Hawk. Egads.
Heavy Duty. Not bad. Not fond of everyone in black leather still but not bad at all. Mr. Eko rules it.
And lastly, Breaker... who looks just fine again except for the black leather.
First, the good folks over at Superherohype.com were given the courtesy of a visit to the G.I. Joe set recently . Their initial report is pretty vague but they did drop a few details of interest. Some of the sets they were shown included the MARS lab [can't really go wrong with a weapons-development building], the "interior of the G.I. Joe submarine" [makes sense], an underwater base station [fits with the rumors of an undersea battle at some point in the flick,] and "the remains of the Pit." Aha! So, at some point in the movie, the Pit gets damaged badly. Seems fitting considering the number of times it happened in the comics and cartoon. I'm okay with all that!
The real test?
More pictures. As Samuel L once wisely said, "Hold on to your butts."
Having some HTML troubles so I'll put all my comments at the bottom of the page.
New shot of Storm Shadow. Much, much better, IMO. Still not perfect but he doesn't look like he fell out of a bad anime.
Ahhh, sweet, sweet Baroness. I dig it. I think this one works nicely - but I said that after the first photo of her too. She's the only one they've completely hit on the nail so far - Snakes is very close but the second photo of him scared me a bit.
Destro. Hrmm. Without the mask, it's hard to tell but I think this guy looks just about right for the gig. Slap some wrist rockets on him and let's see how it goes.
Still Metrosexual General Hawk. Egads.
Heavy Duty. Not bad. Not fond of everyone in black leather still but not bad at all. Mr. Eko rules it.
And lastly, Breaker... who looks just fine again except for the black leather.
2008-05-06
A great day in LA sports
I sit here writing this post with the biggest fucking grin on my face.
Watching Kobe Bryant accept his long-deserved, long-denied, long-awaited NBA MVP award is one of the greatest moments in LA sports history to me. Obviously, it doesn't rank up there with the Gibson homerun or the Kobe-to-Shaq alley-oop or... well, so many others. But this is so great to see after the season [and summer] that this team went through.
It's almost impossible to imagine that when this season started, we all were faced with the very real possibility that Kobe would be dealt somewhere else and the Lakers would probably be a low seed or a lottery team. Very few ever envisioned this season ending with the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, with Kobe accepting the MVP Award, and with a very real possibility that the Lakers will move on in the post-season.
Amazing.
But it is reality. As I sit here to listen to Luke Walton jokingly ask if Kobe will be buying his teammates a gift. As I sit here to listen to Tex Winter ask if Kobe likes the triangle offense. As I sit here to listen to Kobe struggle to answer a question in Spanish in a J-Lo-as-Selena fashion while looking at Pau Gasol for help. And maybe most importantly, as I sit here to listen to Kobe Bryant tell the world he wants to be a Laker for life. It's real, you know? In an unbelievable season... you've gotta believe your eyes and ears from time to time.
It has been an honor and pleasure to watch Kobe Bryant mature as a player from the kid throwing up airballs in the playoffs against Utah that made me want to put my foot through the TV screen to the greatest player in the game collecting his first MVP award and trying to push his team to another championship. Oh, and if that's not enough, instead of resting over the summer, he's going to carry his country to a gold medal.
Repeat: He's _going_ to carry his country to a gold medal - there's not a doubt in my mind about that.
And as the details trickle in, we find out that it wasn't even close. As much talk as there was about Chris Paul being right there with him, Kobe has 82 first place votes while Chris Paul had 28. After all the debate, after all the talk - it wasn't even close.
Kobe Bryant is your MVP. Kobe Bryant is _our_ MVP.
Kobe Bryant is the greatest basketball player that I have had the pleasure to see in my life. Now, that statement comes from behind purple-and-gold colored glasses and from someone who didn't get to see Magic, Kareem, Jordan at their primes. But Kobe will be the player that my kids and grandkids will someday ask if I saw. His golden #24 [or #8... or both!] will be hanging from the rafters the first time my kids and grandkids walk into a Laker game.
"Did you ever see him play?"
The question will come, surely enough. And I'll stop and look up at the rafters of the Staples Center [or whatever building the Lakers have moved into by then.] I'll look at the jerseys of Kareem, of Magic, of Wilt, of Chick, of West, of Shaq. I'll turn my head slightly to look at the wall of banners - more than a few more added at that point.
I'll think back and remember it all - all the moments that are unforgettable, all the shots that are unbelievable, all the plays that are unimaginable.
And I'll smile.
"Yeah, I saw him play."
"What was it like?"
"You know that movie I make you watch every March? With the baseball player who breaks the lights with a home run?"
"Yeah."
"Kobe Bryant was just like him - the best there ever was."
Congrats, Kobe... and thanks.
2008-05-05
News And Reaction: The Wrestling Edition
I figured it's been a while since I've tossed some Rassle Talk on this blog so... here goes!
NEWS: WWE experimenting with a little more "shock TV"
REACTION: Well, honestly, I don't know. Regal pulling the plug on Raw's main event was amusing and didn't bother me one bit. I thought it was a clever way to get some heat on the new heel. All the 'net outrage over the main event's finish not being seen is amusing - maybe it's because I grew up watching wrestling in the 80's when that was a real common ploy but it was just fine with me. Will it lead to more viewers? Maybe initially - the curiosity factor to see what will happen to Regal because of it. But an initial bump is all they'll get unless they instill a new feeling of unpredictability to every show. The ECW thing was interesting but I'm not sure an angle built off bad reaction to an announcer's performance is a good thing. Eh. I didn't even watch it, to be honest. I might tune in for the aftermath.
NEWS: TNA is... well, TNA
REACTION: I've given up again. There's just nothing worth seeing. I want to be interested in Samoa Joe as the champ since he's one of my favs but... really? I just don't care. And Russoiffic concepts like the Deuces Wild tag tourney do nothing to make me change my mind about that. Oh, not to mention the new round cage introduced one month after an all-cage match PPV. Money, baby, money.
NEWS: ROH in the Hammerstein this weekend
REACTION: In what could be the biggest weekend for the nation's top indy in its history, Ring of Honor invades the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC this weekend for an attempt to take a step up the ladder. It's a big risk to take but they have stacked the lineup for it. I'll be curious to see the results [and the attendance] as they have recently set up a couple of interesting angles to get my attention again.
NEWS: PWG snakebit
REACTION: Can't go through one of these without putting over the local product. The PWG faithful were all looking forward to their big two night tag tourney [DDT4] in a couple of weeks. They had to make the usual pre-show lineup juggling but all was well... until their champ went down with a knee injury. Now, with their big Labor Day tourney and another show with Dragon Gate on the horizon, they're scrambling again. I know what I would do... but I'm not on the writing staff for them for some unknown reason!
NEWS: XPW! XPW! XPW!
REACTION: Oh yeah, baby! The big XPW reunion show is Memorial Day weekend and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. The latest addition has a Dream Death Match with former XPW King of the Death Match Supreme taking on the quickly-becoming-legendary Necro Butcher. Now _that_ should be fun.
NEWS: WWE experimenting with a little more "shock TV"
REACTION: Well, honestly, I don't know. Regal pulling the plug on Raw's main event was amusing and didn't bother me one bit. I thought it was a clever way to get some heat on the new heel. All the 'net outrage over the main event's finish not being seen is amusing - maybe it's because I grew up watching wrestling in the 80's when that was a real common ploy but it was just fine with me. Will it lead to more viewers? Maybe initially - the curiosity factor to see what will happen to Regal because of it. But an initial bump is all they'll get unless they instill a new feeling of unpredictability to every show. The ECW thing was interesting but I'm not sure an angle built off bad reaction to an announcer's performance is a good thing. Eh. I didn't even watch it, to be honest. I might tune in for the aftermath.
NEWS: TNA is... well, TNA
REACTION: I've given up again. There's just nothing worth seeing. I want to be interested in Samoa Joe as the champ since he's one of my favs but... really? I just don't care. And Russoiffic concepts like the Deuces Wild tag tourney do nothing to make me change my mind about that. Oh, not to mention the new round cage introduced one month after an all-cage match PPV. Money, baby, money.
NEWS: ROH in the Hammerstein this weekend
REACTION: In what could be the biggest weekend for the nation's top indy in its history, Ring of Honor invades the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC this weekend for an attempt to take a step up the ladder. It's a big risk to take but they have stacked the lineup for it. I'll be curious to see the results [and the attendance] as they have recently set up a couple of interesting angles to get my attention again.
NEWS: PWG snakebit
REACTION: Can't go through one of these without putting over the local product. The PWG faithful were all looking forward to their big two night tag tourney [DDT4] in a couple of weeks. They had to make the usual pre-show lineup juggling but all was well... until their champ went down with a knee injury. Now, with their big Labor Day tourney and another show with Dragon Gate on the horizon, they're scrambling again. I know what I would do... but I'm not on the writing staff for them for some unknown reason!
NEWS: XPW! XPW! XPW!
REACTION: Oh yeah, baby! The big XPW reunion show is Memorial Day weekend and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. The latest addition has a Dream Death Match with former XPW King of the Death Match Supreme taking on the quickly-becoming-legendary Necro Butcher. Now _that_ should be fun.
2008-05-04
2008-05-03
Cinco de Mayo... sorta
We had a Cinco de Mayo fiesta today... a couple days early... just because a Monday party was difficult to pull off. So, I'm a tad bit... well, drunk... to be honest...
How can I fill up an entire post without something logical while slightly intoxicated?
It's a challenge to not have a world of typos at this point. The Missus just accused me of denting the wall where I knocked a metal Fleur de Lis off the wall earlier. Sheesh! I'll have to check tomorrow to see if that's actually true or not.
At the moment, I find myself drinking Corona while typing and watching the nephew/niece playing Super Smash Brothers. Good times.
There's a certain amount of blurriness involved but I stand firm, believing that I type like a champion while waitiing for the eyes to straighten out somewhatish.
Word.
So, now you see drunken Blue typing like the King of the World. How's that for ya, bitches?
Suck it, monkeys! I'm going corporate!
Did I stutter?
How can I fill up an entire post without something logical while slightly intoxicated?
It's a challenge to not have a world of typos at this point. The Missus just accused me of denting the wall where I knocked a metal Fleur de Lis off the wall earlier. Sheesh! I'll have to check tomorrow to see if that's actually true or not.
At the moment, I find myself drinking Corona while typing and watching the nephew/niece playing Super Smash Brothers. Good times.
There's a certain amount of blurriness involved but I stand firm, believing that I type like a champion while waitiing for the eyes to straighten out somewhatish.
Word.
So, now you see drunken Blue typing like the King of the World. How's that for ya, bitches?
Suck it, monkeys! I'm going corporate!
Did I stutter?
2008-05-02
Top Five Friday: Comic Book Movies
With Iron Man hitting screens this week, it seems like an appropriate time to look back at some of the very best comic book adaptations to hit the big screen.
So, let's!
NOTE: I haven't seen Iron Man yet [but hope to this weekend] so that one won't make the list... yet! Also, I haven't watched Transformers yet so... well, subject to change!
5. Blade
It's odd. As I started thinking of movies to put together on this list, my mind drifted to movies that a lot of people don't even associate as having a comic book as their source materials. Things like 300 or Sin City could've easily made the list as well but just fell short. Another thing that's weird about the list I came up with is that as much of a stickler as I am for staying true to your source material, the majority of the movies that came to mind I had very little familiarity with the original source or the movie was notorious for tossing it aside. Anyways, Blade is just flat out cool. It's a comic I've never read - not even after seeing the movie and really had no desire to. But the movie version of Blade is awesome - although I think it is helped greatly by the tremendous performance of Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost, one of the all-time great movie villains that is criminally overlooked and underappreciated when that discussion comes up.
4. Batman
How could you not like things like the Bat Shark Repellant? Or the zany popups on the screen with "POW!" or "THWACK!"
...
Huh? Oh. Not _that_ Batman.
Gotcha. Well, the Nicholson one was good too. And really, isn't Nicholson the key to the first Batman movie? It may not be the Joker performance that comic book fans were dying to see... and in just a few weeks time, we may discover it's not even the best Joker performance in a movie... but it's Jack being Jack and being Jack to perfection. All the one-liners are gold. "This town needs an enema!" "Never rub another man's rhubarb!" "If you've gotta go, go with a smile!" Michael Keaton is... okay. Keaton was good as the dopey, bumbling side of Bruce Wayne... but Bruce Wayne doesn't have a dopey, bumbling side. Before Batman Begins came out, I used to say that Keaton was a good Batman but a bad Bruce Wayne - Kilmer was a good Bruce Wayne but a bad Batman - Clooney was just plain bad. Christian Bale pretty much broke the mold but more on that later. Anyways, give full credit for this making the list to Jack Nicholson... or a cameo by Lando Calrissian as pre-scarred Harvey Dent.
3. The Crow
Another comic book movie that I've never read the comic book of - despite owning a t-shirt promoting the comic that I bought at Hot Topic as a youth and wore endlessly resulting in many a photo from my youth where I'm wearing the t-shirt... and I never read it... and I shopped at Hot Topic... somebody just wipe all those memories out of my head please. The Crow was an utterly fantastic movie that I just realized I don't own on DVD and felt absolutely sick about it. The epitome of a revenge flick and just about perfect in every aspect. It's dark, it's creepy, but it still tells the story and doesn't get lost in the violence. And if nothing else, it brought two quotes into my world that I love to death. The first? "It can't rain all the time." I spout this one off from time to time when it seems like things just can't get worse - a glimmer of light in a very dark and gloomy world at times. The other? The one that prompted my good friend Poff Daddy to air-hump any light post, mailbox, video game, golf club or anything else that would give him the opportunity to bellow "BANGIN' AWAY ON DARRRRLA!" at the top of his lungs on any number of nights. Ahhh, memories.
2. Batman Begins
I just couldn't do it. As much as I wanted to rank this number one for being very close to a perfect comic book adaptation, I just couldn't do it. I love the acting [for the most part,] I love the story, I love the lighting, the set design, the "toys", everything about it. Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow stole the movie for me actually - he lit up the screen with charisma every time he was on it. I could've done with him as the lone villain in it. I can watch this movie over and over and seemingly never tire of it. So, why didn't it get the top spot?
1. Superman 2
Sigh. How could I not? It was a hard choice, I'll admit. Batman Begins did a worlds better job of sticking to the source material - something I treasure in a comic book movie... hell, any adapted flick generally. But there's something magical about Superman 2. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's Superman making the great sacrifice to be Clark for the rest of his days for his love - only to realize that he was being selfish and society needed him to be Superman. Maybe it's the menacing trio of villains - the brawn, the sexy siren, or the brains. Maybe it's the face that the phrase "Kneel before Zod" is a permanent part of pop culture because of it. I don't really know what it is but I'll be damned if Superman 2 isn't the best comic book movie ever released on Planet Houston.
And that's that.
So, let's!
NOTE: I haven't seen Iron Man yet [but hope to this weekend] so that one won't make the list... yet! Also, I haven't watched Transformers yet so... well, subject to change!
5. Blade
It's odd. As I started thinking of movies to put together on this list, my mind drifted to movies that a lot of people don't even associate as having a comic book as their source materials. Things like 300 or Sin City could've easily made the list as well but just fell short. Another thing that's weird about the list I came up with is that as much of a stickler as I am for staying true to your source material, the majority of the movies that came to mind I had very little familiarity with the original source or the movie was notorious for tossing it aside. Anyways, Blade is just flat out cool. It's a comic I've never read - not even after seeing the movie and really had no desire to. But the movie version of Blade is awesome - although I think it is helped greatly by the tremendous performance of Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost, one of the all-time great movie villains that is criminally overlooked and underappreciated when that discussion comes up.
4. Batman
How could you not like things like the Bat Shark Repellant? Or the zany popups on the screen with "POW!" or "THWACK!"...
Huh? Oh. Not _that_ Batman.
Gotcha. Well, the Nicholson one was good too. And really, isn't Nicholson the key to the first Batman movie? It may not be the Joker performance that comic book fans were dying to see... and in just a few weeks time, we may discover it's not even the best Joker performance in a movie... but it's Jack being Jack and being Jack to perfection. All the one-liners are gold. "This town needs an enema!" "Never rub another man's rhubarb!" "If you've gotta go, go with a smile!" Michael Keaton is... okay. Keaton was good as the dopey, bumbling side of Bruce Wayne... but Bruce Wayne doesn't have a dopey, bumbling side. Before Batman Begins came out, I used to say that Keaton was a good Batman but a bad Bruce Wayne - Kilmer was a good Bruce Wayne but a bad Batman - Clooney was just plain bad. Christian Bale pretty much broke the mold but more on that later. Anyways, give full credit for this making the list to Jack Nicholson... or a cameo by Lando Calrissian as pre-scarred Harvey Dent.
3. The Crow
Another comic book movie that I've never read the comic book of - despite owning a t-shirt promoting the comic that I bought at Hot Topic as a youth and wore endlessly resulting in many a photo from my youth where I'm wearing the t-shirt... and I never read it... and I shopped at Hot Topic... somebody just wipe all those memories out of my head please. The Crow was an utterly fantastic movie that I just realized I don't own on DVD and felt absolutely sick about it. The epitome of a revenge flick and just about perfect in every aspect. It's dark, it's creepy, but it still tells the story and doesn't get lost in the violence. And if nothing else, it brought two quotes into my world that I love to death. The first? "It can't rain all the time." I spout this one off from time to time when it seems like things just can't get worse - a glimmer of light in a very dark and gloomy world at times. The other? The one that prompted my good friend Poff Daddy to air-hump any light post, mailbox, video game, golf club or anything else that would give him the opportunity to bellow "BANGIN' AWAY ON DARRRRLA!" at the top of his lungs on any number of nights. Ahhh, memories.2. Batman Begins
I just couldn't do it. As much as I wanted to rank this number one for being very close to a perfect comic book adaptation, I just couldn't do it. I love the acting [for the most part,] I love the story, I love the lighting, the set design, the "toys", everything about it. Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow stole the movie for me actually - he lit up the screen with charisma every time he was on it. I could've done with him as the lone villain in it. I can watch this movie over and over and seemingly never tire of it. So, why didn't it get the top spot?1. Superman 2
Sigh. How could I not? It was a hard choice, I'll admit. Batman Begins did a worlds better job of sticking to the source material - something I treasure in a comic book movie... hell, any adapted flick generally. But there's something magical about Superman 2. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's Superman making the great sacrifice to be Clark for the rest of his days for his love - only to realize that he was being selfish and society needed him to be Superman. Maybe it's the menacing trio of villains - the brawn, the sexy siren, or the brains. Maybe it's the face that the phrase "Kneel before Zod" is a permanent part of pop culture because of it. I don't really know what it is but I'll be damned if Superman 2 isn't the best comic book movie ever released on Planet Houston.
And that's that.
2008-05-01
Updated Concert Calendar
A new month - a newly updated Concert Calendar!
And to make things oh-so-much cooler, I'm actually going to a few of these shows so I have bolded them for your reference or for your jealousy... whichever applies more.
May
---
5/6 - Laura Veira/Liam Finn @ The Echo
5/13 - Port O'Brien, Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin @ The Echo
5/14 - Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda
5/15 - Eisley @ The El Rey
5/17 - Eisley @ Glass House
5/17 - Earlimart @ The Echo
5/19 - The Kooks @ The Wiltern
5/27 - The Police @ Hollywood Bowl
5/28 - Mates of State @ Henry Fonda
5/29 - R.E.M. @ Hollywood Bowl
5/30 - Flight Of The Conchords @ The Orpheum
5/31 - The Cure @ Hollywood Bowl
June
----
6/18 - Rilo Kiley @ Greek Theatre
6/23 - Death Cab For Cutie @ Nokia Theater
6/25 - Tom Petty @ Hollywood Bowl
July
----
7/11-12 - Ricky Gervais @ Kodak Theatre
7/16 - Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick @ Irvine Meadows
7/28 - Bloc Party @ Glass House
August
------
8/1 - Rod Stewart/Bryan Adams @ The Venue Formerly Known As Irvine Meadows
8/2 - Motley Crue @ Glen Helen Pavillion
8/22 - Tom Petty @ Verizon Wireless
8/23 - Poison w/Dokken, Sebastian Bach @ Universal Amp
8/29-30 - John Williams @ Hollywood Bowl
September
---------
9/6 - Nine Inch Nails @ The Forum
9/20 - Beck w/Spoon, MGMT @ Hollywood Bowl
And to make things oh-so-much cooler, I'm actually going to a few of these shows so I have bolded them for your reference or for your jealousy... whichever applies more.
May
---
5/6 - Laura Veira/Liam Finn @ The Echo
5/13 - Port O'Brien, Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin @ The Echo
5/14 - Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda
5/15 - Eisley @ The El Rey
5/17 - Eisley @ Glass House
5/17 - Earlimart @ The Echo
5/19 - The Kooks @ The Wiltern
5/27 - The Police @ Hollywood Bowl
5/28 - Mates of State @ Henry Fonda
5/29 - R.E.M. @ Hollywood Bowl
5/30 - Flight Of The Conchords @ The Orpheum
5/31 - The Cure @ Hollywood Bowl
June
----
6/18 - Rilo Kiley @ Greek Theatre
6/23 - Death Cab For Cutie @ Nokia Theater
6/25 - Tom Petty @ Hollywood Bowl
July
----
7/11-12 - Ricky Gervais @ Kodak Theatre
7/16 - Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick @ Irvine Meadows
7/28 - Bloc Party @ Glass House
August
------
8/1 - Rod Stewart/Bryan Adams @ The Venue Formerly Known As Irvine Meadows
8/2 - Motley Crue @ Glen Helen Pavillion
8/22 - Tom Petty @ Verizon Wireless
8/23 - Poison w/Dokken, Sebastian Bach @ Universal Amp
8/29-30 - John Williams @ Hollywood Bowl
September
---------
9/6 - Nine Inch Nails @ The Forum
9/20 - Beck w/Spoon, MGMT @ Hollywood Bowl
2008-04-30
The G.I. Joe Producer Speaks... INVISIBLE!
A new interview with G.I. Joe movie producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura hit the Interweb today. Let's see if he can soothe some of the butt hurt Joe fans out there... yours truly included.
Here are the highlights:
** When asked about the difference between producing Transformers and G.I. Joe -
"They’re completely different. I mean, to me I don’t look at them as toy properties... I look at them as mythologies. So, G.I. Joe is a really, really in depth mythology... The characters involved and intertwined nature and G.I. Joe it’s very funny how everybody’s very intertwined. It’s very different than in a lot of the comic book mythologies I’ve run into. The lines between good and evil are drawn differently. I think the Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes, it’s a great thing and is Storm Shadow evil? Well, some people think so. I don’t. Is Snake-eyes also righteous in this? I’m not so sure, he’s blaming his buddy for something he may or may not have done, you know, so it’s that interesting duality where the characters live in a world that’s good guys and bad guys but it’s also a gray area."
REACTION: Not a bad answer. He's done some homework at least. And I _really_ hope this means that the Snakes/Stormy/Hard Master storyline will be explored to some extent as the chief conflict between the two.
** When asked the very obvious question on a lot of fans' minds about having too many characters to introduce and flesh out -
"Well, it’s a hard question to answer. We think we’re going to deliver on all the characters. We think the script actually delivers really well and sets up each character. You’re going to understand the back-stories of virtually every major character and then you’re going to understand the roles of the ones you don’t. You may not know everything you know if you’ve read the comic book but you’re going to recognize them if you’ve read the comic book and you’re certainly going to want to know more about them by the end of it which is part of the tease. And there’s some character info that will be new to the comic fans."
REACTION: I don't buy it. There's just no friggin' way to cover that many characters unless they're breaking the two hour mark for the movie by a LOT of screen time. I'm glad they recognize this could be a problem but I just don't think there's a legitimate way to resolve it without a lot of these appearances being just cameos... which I'm fine with to some degree.
** On the level of violence and the rating and target demo and such -
"You know for us, we think the people who grew up with the comic book and the animated show are going to be our core audience. We think that the older audience that identifies with the pre-83 Joe is going to have some education to go through but are going to relate to the title because the values of it are the same. The storytelling is different but if you think about the values, they’re very similar, you know? Integrity, honesty, bravery, courage, you know things like that that I think you just associate with both versions of G.I. Joe. It’s an all audience movie. I mean, there are 2 really strong romances. There are a lot of things in there that’s going to appeal to people. It’s going to be PG-13. Look I’ve been involved with a lot of R-rated movies and a lot of PG-13. You just sort of begin to understand the difference and Stephen Sommers has no intention of making an R-rated movie and it would be silly to do so because you should appeal down to kids."
REACTION: This is all well and good. No one expect G.I. Joe to be like the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan, I don't think. It's a war story but largely, it's a comic book war story. I have no issue with this being PG-13. I am curious about the two romances though. It had better be Snakes/Scarlett and Baroness/Destro but I have an itchy suspicion we're going to get hosed on one of those for some romance that didn't exist in the comics or TV show.
** To address the photos of everyone in black leather -
"
REACTION: Good answer! If this is true, this eases my mind a bit. Although I really wish the interviewer would have asked about the god-awful Storm Shadow costume. I'm still hoping that's the costume he wears when he goes to a high school dance and slashes some U.S. government official's daughter's throat with a sword. Tell me that scene wouldn't rock your boat!
** When asked to compare the tone of the movie to the comics or TV show -
"That’s an interesting question. I guess it’s definitely a comic book movie and it’s definitely has a great sense of humor, so there’s a lot of humor and a lot of drama and a lot of action. I would say there’s an equal measure of all 3 of those things in the movie."
REACTION: That raises a bit of a red flag to me. The animated show had a ton of humor, for sure, but that's one of the reasons most people didn't like it as well as the comics. If they try to go too funny with this, it'll fall flat and hard.
** THE PIT!
"We built a couple of the levels of The Pit as Stephen has imagined it and Ed Verreaux, our designer, is really gigantic so you couldn’t really build all of it, but so some of it. But we built a full floor of it which is gigantic. I think everybody’s going to be really happy that we took The Pit very seriously and built it to fulfill anybody’s sense of fantasy of what it could be."
REACTION: Surprisingly, I really couldn't give a damn about what The Pit looks like. It's not like X-Men's Danger Room where it's an iconic part of the mythology and has to be done perfectly or people will be up in arms. I mean, I'm sure there are some people that will shit themselves if The Pit doesn't match the diagram that was in one of the old Marvel annuals but I'm not one of them.
And that's that. I probably should've saved this post for tomorrow so I wouldn't have to think of a new topic but... eh, this is what I do for you! This is what I do!
And now you know...
...and knowing is half the battle.
Here are the highlights:
** When asked about the difference between producing Transformers and G.I. Joe -
"They’re completely different. I mean, to me I don’t look at them as toy properties... I look at them as mythologies. So, G.I. Joe is a really, really in depth mythology... The characters involved and intertwined nature and G.I. Joe it’s very funny how everybody’s very intertwined. It’s very different than in a lot of the comic book mythologies I’ve run into. The lines between good and evil are drawn differently. I think the Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes, it’s a great thing and is Storm Shadow evil? Well, some people think so. I don’t. Is Snake-eyes also righteous in this? I’m not so sure, he’s blaming his buddy for something he may or may not have done, you know, so it’s that interesting duality where the characters live in a world that’s good guys and bad guys but it’s also a gray area."
REACTION: Not a bad answer. He's done some homework at least. And I _really_ hope this means that the Snakes/Stormy/Hard Master storyline will be explored to some extent as the chief conflict between the two.
** When asked the very obvious question on a lot of fans' minds about having too many characters to introduce and flesh out -
"Well, it’s a hard question to answer. We think we’re going to deliver on all the characters. We think the script actually delivers really well and sets up each character. You’re going to understand the back-stories of virtually every major character and then you’re going to understand the roles of the ones you don’t. You may not know everything you know if you’ve read the comic book but you’re going to recognize them if you’ve read the comic book and you’re certainly going to want to know more about them by the end of it which is part of the tease. And there’s some character info that will be new to the comic fans."
REACTION: I don't buy it. There's just no friggin' way to cover that many characters unless they're breaking the two hour mark for the movie by a LOT of screen time. I'm glad they recognize this could be a problem but I just don't think there's a legitimate way to resolve it without a lot of these appearances being just cameos... which I'm fine with to some degree.
** On the level of violence and the rating and target demo and such -
"You know for us, we think the people who grew up with the comic book and the animated show are going to be our core audience. We think that the older audience that identifies with the pre-83 Joe is going to have some education to go through but are going to relate to the title because the values of it are the same. The storytelling is different but if you think about the values, they’re very similar, you know? Integrity, honesty, bravery, courage, you know things like that that I think you just associate with both versions of G.I. Joe. It’s an all audience movie. I mean, there are 2 really strong romances. There are a lot of things in there that’s going to appeal to people. It’s going to be PG-13.
REACTION: This is all well and good. No one expect G.I. Joe to be like the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan, I don't think. It's a war story but largely, it's a comic book war story. I have no issue with this being PG-13. I am curious about the two romances though. It had better be Snakes/Scarlett and Baroness/Destro but I have an itchy suspicion we're going to get hosed on one of those for some romance that didn't exist in the comics or TV show.
** To address the photos of everyone in black leather -
"
REACTION: Good answer! If this is true, this eases my mind a bit. Although I really wish the interviewer would have asked about the god-awful Storm Shadow costume. I'm still hoping that's the costume he wears when he goes to a high school dance and slashes some U.S. government official's daughter's throat with a sword. Tell me that scene wouldn't rock your boat!
** When asked to compare the tone of the movie to the comics or TV show -
"That’s an interesting question. I guess it’s definitely a comic book movie and it’s definitely has a great sense of humor, so there’s a lot of humor and a lot of drama and a lot of action. I would say there’s an equal measure of all 3 of those things in the movie."
REACTION: That raises a bit of a red flag to me. The animated show had a ton of humor, for sure, but that's one of the reasons most people didn't like it as well as the comics. If they try to go too funny with this, it'll fall flat and hard.
** THE PIT!
"We built a couple of the levels of The Pit as Stephen has imagined it and Ed Verreaux, our designer, is really gigantic so you couldn’t really build all of it, but so some of it. But we built a full floor of it which is gigantic. I think everybody’s going to be really happy that we took The Pit very seriously and built it to fulfill anybody’s sense of fantasy of what it could be."
REACTION: Surprisingly, I really couldn't give a damn about what The Pit looks like. It's not like X-Men's Danger Room where it's an iconic part of the mythology and has to be done perfectly or people will be up in arms. I mean, I'm sure there are some people that will shit themselves if The Pit doesn't match the diagram that was in one of the old Marvel annuals but I'm not one of them.
** More on Snakes vs Stormy
"We’re really exploring the mythology and we hope that the mythology, if we’re lucky enough to get to a 2nd film, we want to continue to explore the mythology of the two characters. It’s very rich and this movie explores a lot about how they met at first and how they fell apart. And yes we have shot a fight between the 2 of them and we hope that everybody’s going to agree with us that it’s going to be one of those great battles."
REACTION: Allow me a moment to give a warning that you, Mr. Bonaventura, will never read. If you fuck up this one part of the story, Snakes and Stormy, G.I. Joe fans will never forgive you. It's the one thing you can not afford to blow. You can probably get by with invisible Scarlett... you can probably get by with Destro wearing the mask because of injury... you can probably even get by with metrosexual Hawk... but if you FUBAR Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow's part of the story, you will never recover from it.
And that's that. I probably should've saved this post for tomorrow so I wouldn't have to think of a new topic but... eh, this is what I do for you! This is what I do!
And now you know...
...and knowing is half the battle.
HULKAMANIA!
With all the talk about Iron Man, the new Hulk movie is getting overlooked. There's a lot of... discussion... in the air about this one as Ed Norton is being Ed Norton when it comes to the creative side of the coin.
But... well, this doesn't look too shabby...
Check out Trailer #2 - it's the one that hit the Interweb today.
But... well, this doesn't look too shabby...
Check out Trailer #2 - it's the one that hit the Interweb today.
There Will Be Blood
Whew, the unemployment line is filled with NBA coaches today.
Early breaking word this morning has both Mike D'Antoni and Avery Johnson getting shown the door by their respective franchises.
I can't say that either is a huge surprise but let's take a closer look.
Avery Johnson's days have been numbered for a while. It's been no secret that Mark Cuban has blamed him for the Mavs failures for some time and when Cuban went out and got Jason Kidd for the team and they _still_ couldn't win? You knew someone had to pay the piper for it. It's a tough situation though as the Mavs probably weren't going to beat the Hornets anyways. It's not Kidd's fault that he's old, past his prime, and unable to win in the clutch - okay, well, maybe it is his fault. But it's definitely not Avery Johnson's fault. AJ seemed like a perfectly fine coach to me who was put in an unwinnable scenario. He's sure to catch on somewhere else without much trouble, I'd imagine.
Mike D'Antoni is a bit of a sadder situation. As much as I dislike the guy's on-court histrionics, you can not deny that he instilled a system in Phoenix that for several years made them one of the most successful [and most popular] teams in the league. Sure, he didn't win a championship but not many coaches do. Few people assumed this would be a win-or-you're-out season for D'Antoni but the final nail in his coffin came with the Shaquille O'Neal trade. As much as I don't understand the trade, I understand the trade. On the surface, you question why they would do a deal that would basically cripple the run-and-gun offense that made them successful. They are infamous for getting their shot up within 7 seconds on the shot clock but it takes Shaq 7 seconds to reach the free throw line... on the defensive end of the floor! Of course they weren't going to be able to run-and-gun anymore... but the "realists" pointed out at the time that run-and-gun hadn't won them a title so maybe it was time for a change. You just can't expect a team to change that much in mid-season though. They were designed to run-and-gun and you tied an anchor to their ankle... and crippled the team's future in the process.
So, D'Antoni will be the fall guy because you can't spend that much money on a center, have that big trade publicized so much, and then only manage a weak one victory in the postseason. It's not fair at all to him since it's the Big Cactus that really hurt them but... well, so it goes.
I fully expect George Karl will be the next head to roll.
And don't even ask me to comment on Larry Brown deciding to coach the Bobcats. Unbelievable.
In closing, I would like to take credit for all of these moves [except Brown] on behalf of Mitch Kupchak. He set these dominoes a-tumblin' with the Pau Gasol deal which forced the Western Conference rivals to go out and try to make a big move to compete.
Well, so far, those moves to compete have earned their teams a first round postseason exit and a fired coach.
So it goes.
Early breaking word this morning has both Mike D'Antoni and Avery Johnson getting shown the door by their respective franchises.
I can't say that either is a huge surprise but let's take a closer look.
Avery Johnson's days have been numbered for a while. It's been no secret that Mark Cuban has blamed him for the Mavs failures for some time and when Cuban went out and got Jason Kidd for the team and they _still_ couldn't win? You knew someone had to pay the piper for it. It's a tough situation though as the Mavs probably weren't going to beat the Hornets anyways. It's not Kidd's fault that he's old, past his prime, and unable to win in the clutch - okay, well, maybe it is his fault. But it's definitely not Avery Johnson's fault. AJ seemed like a perfectly fine coach to me who was put in an unwinnable scenario. He's sure to catch on somewhere else without much trouble, I'd imagine.
Mike D'Antoni is a bit of a sadder situation. As much as I dislike the guy's on-court histrionics, you can not deny that he instilled a system in Phoenix that for several years made them one of the most successful [and most popular] teams in the league. Sure, he didn't win a championship but not many coaches do. Few people assumed this would be a win-or-you're-out season for D'Antoni but the final nail in his coffin came with the Shaquille O'Neal trade. As much as I don't understand the trade, I understand the trade. On the surface, you question why they would do a deal that would basically cripple the run-and-gun offense that made them successful. They are infamous for getting their shot up within 7 seconds on the shot clock but it takes Shaq 7 seconds to reach the free throw line... on the defensive end of the floor! Of course they weren't going to be able to run-and-gun anymore... but the "realists" pointed out at the time that run-and-gun hadn't won them a title so maybe it was time for a change. You just can't expect a team to change that much in mid-season though. They were designed to run-and-gun and you tied an anchor to their ankle... and crippled the team's future in the process.
So, D'Antoni will be the fall guy because you can't spend that much money on a center, have that big trade publicized so much, and then only manage a weak one victory in the postseason. It's not fair at all to him since it's the Big Cactus that really hurt them but... well, so it goes.
I fully expect George Karl will be the next head to roll.
And don't even ask me to comment on Larry Brown deciding to coach the Bobcats. Unbelievable.
In closing, I would like to take credit for all of these moves [except Brown] on behalf of Mitch Kupchak. He set these dominoes a-tumblin' with the Pau Gasol deal which forced the Western Conference rivals to go out and try to make a big move to compete.
Well, so far, those moves to compete have earned their teams a first round postseason exit and a fired coach.
So it goes.
2008-04-29
News And Reaction: Entertainment Edition
NEWS: Guillermo Del Toro inks to direct Hobbit + a surprise
REACTION: I suppose this is a good thing. I don't know that I've seen anything by GDT other than Hellboy [which I enjoyed despite never reading the comics.] Pan's Labyrinth sits unwatched on my DVD shelf still but it looked amazing from the trailers and was a movie I was very stoked about seeing when it came out... just... never... quite did it! Annnnyways, I'm disappointed that Jackson's not directing this himself but he's producing so I'm hoping he has his fingers deep enough in the pie to keep it from going off the tracks. In a bit of a surprise, it was announced that GDT wouldn't just be doing The Hobbit... nor would The Hobbit be split into two movies as was rumored... but rather, he will also be doing a movie that will serve as a "bridge" between The Hobbit and LOTR. That's dangerous ground to tread and I wish him all the luck needed to pull it off. Oh, and to cap it off, he's already saying all the right things by saying he will not recast any role from the original trilogy if the actor is willing and able to be in either the Hobbit or The Bridge.
NEWS: Iron Man early reviews are mixed
REACTION: Fuck that noise. Favreau is money, baby.
NEWS: Seven people were injured Saturday in a collision between a bus and several cars during the filming of G.I. Joe in the center of Prague, reports the AFP.
REACTION: They're blaming braking problems. I'm guessing Scarlett got behind the wheel in her invisible suit, slipped on Destro's mask, and got her mind taken over by nanobites. Happens all the time.
NEWS: Jackman looking at Batman Begins for inspiration for Wolverine
REACTION: Correction. The title of the movie is currently "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
...
I fucking hate people. That's really the name of it? I just really fucking hate people.
Sigh.
Well, the story is that Jackman says the flick will be dark, damn dark... and that it'll be close in tone to Batman Begins. That's a good thing and an appropriate thing... if they can pull it off. After the debacle that was the third X flick, I give these fuckers no benefit of the doubt until they earn it.
The story ends with Jackman saying he feels like he could do 10 or 11 more Wolvie movies right now. Let's just hope the first one is good enough for people to want to see another one before we get all crazy-like!
Alright, that's it for today. But if you made it this far, you deserve a bonus!
2008-04-28
By request...
It's always nice to be able to fulfill a request for a topic, right? Right!
So, how about the weekend the Dodgers had?
In case you were in baseball seclusion soaking up the insanity of the NBA Playoffs this past weekend, here's a sample of the bizarre weekend series the Rockies and Dodgers had.
*** The never-ending saga of Nomar Garciaparra and his on-again/off-again torrid love affair with the disabled list continued when he strained a calf muscle in the ninth inning, the same injury that ended his season early last year. While it's sad and/or frustrating to see him go down injured again after just getting off the DL, well... it's Nomar... so what did you expect really? But the two things that resulted because of this injury were far more interesting.
1] Rookie Blake DeWitt was sent down to AAA on Thursday so that he could get regular playing time. His "minutes" had dropped drastically since the return of Nomar from the DL [the first time] so they sent him down to get him steady work. He played on Friday for the Las Vegas 51s, the Dodgers' AAA affiliate. After the game, the 51s gathered in their lounge to watch the big club's game. When Nomar went down, the 51s manager advised DeWitt to hang around and sure enough, the call came. After a less than 24 hour stint back in AAA, the rookie was on his way back to The Show. I love this game.
2] When DeWitt was sent down to AAA, legendary Dodger announcer Vin Scully had speculated several times on the "nightmare scenario." With DeWitt back in AAA, the Dodgers really didn't have a backup 3B if Nomar happened to go down. And since this is Dodgers baseball, you could be almost certain that it would happen. And when it did, what did Joe Torre do to earn his high salary? He walked up to Catcher Russell Martin and asked him what IF position he could play. Thus, Dodger fans got the bizarre sight of Russell Martin in the dugout frantically trying to find a 3B mitt before taking the position for the first time since A ball. As a side note to this, Martin leaving his normal position brought in Dodger backup catcher Gary Bennett... who promptly just flat out missed the first pitch thrown to him, bringing the tying run across the plate and sending the game to extra innings. And to top it all off, Third Baseman Russell Martin got the sac fly in the 13th to give the Dodgers the win.
** With a game like that on Friday night, it couldn't get much weirder on Saturday, right? Well, as Vin Scully would say, "before the seats were warm" the Dodgers erupted for a 10 run bottom of the first inning including the first ever career Grand Slam for Matt Kemp.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!
Check out what else happened in this game [and get to see the Slam as well.]
Crazy, right? The guy's okay so we can all laugh about it now. Well, maybe not... but sweet Jesus, that must have hurt.
** Okay, so a crazy Friday... a weird Saturday... Sunday must have been normal, right?
WRONG!
WE'RE GOING BACK TO EXTRA INNINGS!
But the Dodgers won on a James Loney seeing-eye single in the 10th to give them their first sweep of the year and their first three-game win streak.
It's been a long and painful April for the Dodgers but they're oh-so-close to coming out of it in second place and over .500. Keep it up, boys! It's a marathon, not a sprint.
So, how about the weekend the Dodgers had?
In case you were in baseball seclusion soaking up the insanity of the NBA Playoffs this past weekend, here's a sample of the bizarre weekend series the Rockies and Dodgers had.
*** The never-ending saga of Nomar Garciaparra and his on-again/off-again torrid love affair with the disabled list continued when he strained a calf muscle in the ninth inning, the same injury that ended his season early last year. While it's sad and/or frustrating to see him go down injured again after just getting off the DL, well... it's Nomar... so what did you expect really? But the two things that resulted because of this injury were far more interesting.
1] Rookie Blake DeWitt was sent down to AAA on Thursday so that he could get regular playing time. His "minutes" had dropped drastically since the return of Nomar from the DL [the first time] so they sent him down to get him steady work. He played on Friday for the Las Vegas 51s, the Dodgers' AAA affiliate. After the game, the 51s gathered in their lounge to watch the big club's game. When Nomar went down, the 51s manager advised DeWitt to hang around and sure enough, the call came. After a less than 24 hour stint back in AAA, the rookie was on his way back to The Show. I love this game.
2] When DeWitt was sent down to AAA, legendary Dodger announcer Vin Scully had speculated several times on the "nightmare scenario." With DeWitt back in AAA, the Dodgers really didn't have a backup 3B if Nomar happened to go down. And since this is Dodgers baseball, you could be almost certain that it would happen. And when it did, what did Joe Torre do to earn his high salary? He walked up to Catcher Russell Martin and asked him what IF position he could play. Thus, Dodger fans got the bizarre sight of Russell Martin in the dugout frantically trying to find a 3B mitt before taking the position for the first time since A ball. As a side note to this, Martin leaving his normal position brought in Dodger backup catcher Gary Bennett... who promptly just flat out missed the first pitch thrown to him, bringing the tying run across the plate and sending the game to extra innings. And to top it all off, Third Baseman Russell Martin got the sac fly in the 13th to give the Dodgers the win.
** With a game like that on Friday night, it couldn't get much weirder on Saturday, right? Well, as Vin Scully would say, "before the seats were warm" the Dodgers erupted for a 10 run bottom of the first inning including the first ever career Grand Slam for Matt Kemp.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!
Check out what else happened in this game [and get to see the Slam as well.]
Crazy, right? The guy's okay so we can all laugh about it now. Well, maybe not... but sweet Jesus, that must have hurt.
** Okay, so a crazy Friday... a weird Saturday... Sunday must have been normal, right?
WRONG!
WE'RE GOING BACK TO EXTRA INNINGS!
But the Dodgers won on a James Loney seeing-eye single in the 10th to give them their first sweep of the year and their first three-game win streak.
It's been a long and painful April for the Dodgers but they're oh-so-close to coming out of it in second place and over .500. Keep it up, boys! It's a marathon, not a sprint.
2008-04-27
2008-04-26
They'll Fight For Freedom Wherever There's Trouble... Invisible Apparently
I tried, guys... you know I tried.
This morning before I start the arduous task of painting our kitchen, I wanted to find some good news about the G.I. Joe movie to share. I feel like I've been in the harbinger of sorrow for that flick for weeks now and it really is/was a movie that I was greatly looking forward to. There had to be some info out there somewhere to make me enthused, right?
Not so much as it turns out.
A site called Firstshowing.net posted their This Is Why You Should Be Excited About the G.I. Joe Movie based off of details from the latest script review. Let's see if I agree.
*** Accelerator Suits - These allow the G.I. Joe squad to "run faster, jump super-high, smash through walls, and shrug off bullets."
Huh? Why, exactly? Did I miss that special edition of G.I. Joe issue #100 where they all became Universal Soldiers with Van Damme and Bill Goldberg? This does not excite me. The Joes were average people with extraordinary abilities. They were not bit by radioactive spiders.
Sigh. Boy, they really like the nano technology stuff, I guess. If the "Doctor" is Dr. Mindbender or Dr. Venom, I lend my tentative support to this plan. Carry on.
*** Destro's Mask - Also created by the same Doctor is a mask made of nanites that Destro wears because his face is disfigured after a fight. This gives Cobra the ability to control his mind.
Boy, they _really_ like the nano technology stuff. I'm SO not enthused by this one. What was wrong with Destro being an international arms dealer who wears the mask out of family tradition because he has a warped sense of honor? Is that really such a difficult character to wrap your brain around? And mind control? Crikey, if you're gonna do mind control - I've got two words for ya - DR. VENOM AND THE FRIGGIN' BRAIN WAVE SCANNER! That might be more than two words.
This morning before I start the arduous task of painting our kitchen, I wanted to find some good news about the G.I. Joe movie to share. I feel like I've been in the harbinger of sorrow for that flick for weeks now and it really is/was a movie that I was greatly looking forward to. There had to be some info out there somewhere to make me enthused, right?
Not so much as it turns out.
A site called Firstshowing.net posted their This Is Why You Should Be Excited About the G.I. Joe Movie based off of details from the latest script review. Let's see if I agree.
*** Accelerator Suits - These allow the G.I. Joe squad to "run faster, jump super-high, smash through walls, and shrug off bullets."
Huh? Why, exactly? Did I miss that special edition of G.I. Joe issue #100 where they all became Universal Soldiers with Van Damme and Bill Goldberg? This does not excite me. The Joes were average people with extraordinary abilities. They were not bit by radioactive spiders.
*** Nano-Bombs - A bomb that Cobra Commander is developing that launches a swarm of nanites that eat all non-organic material in the surrounding area including buildings and machinery but none of the people.
I guess this could be kinda cool. It'll be a visually cool scene at least, I'd imagine.
Sigh. Boy, they really like the nano technology stuff, I guess. If the "Doctor" is Dr. Mindbender or Dr. Venom, I lend my tentative support to this plan. Carry on.
*** Destro's Mask - Also created by the same Doctor is a mask made of nanites that Destro wears because his face is disfigured after a fight. This gives Cobra the ability to control his mind.
Boy, they _really_ like the nano technology stuff. I'm SO not enthused by this one. What was wrong with Destro being an international arms dealer who wears the mask out of family tradition because he has a warped sense of honor? Is that really such a difficult character to wrap your brain around? And mind control? Crikey, if you're gonna do mind control - I've got two words for ya - DR. VENOM AND THE FRIGGIN' BRAIN WAVE SCANNER! That might be more than two words.
*** Scarlett's Armor - You've already seen the photo, but apparently that armor allows her to become completely invisible for her missions, or so they say…
Sigh. This is a good thing? Really? I hope on August 9th, 2009, I can eat my words but right now Larry Hama looks like the biggest sell-out ever, brought in to feed the fans lines of crap about how the true fans will enjoy this movie while taking his check to the bank every week and knowing damn well the fans are going to shit a solid gold brick when they see Scarlett turn invisible to fight NANO NINJAS!2008-04-25
Top 5 Friday: Laker Love
In keeping with this week's theme of Laker Love and in anticipation of Game 3 tomorrow in Denver, I thought I'd toss in a Top 5 Friday with a bit of a twist. A couple days ago, another blog posted their "Top 10 Reasons I Hate Laker Fans." So, in response to that BITCH ASS SUCKA Nuggets Fan, I will give his post a little free pub and respond to each accusation:
The Top 10 Reasons Some BITCH ASS SUCKA Nuggets Fan Hates Laker Fans And Why He's Wrong [On Most Of Them!]
DISCLAIMER: I will make distinctions between "types" of Laker fans throughout this post and you should to!
10. Half The Courtside Seats Are Empty In The First And Third Quarters Of Every Game
So, right off the bat, I draw the distinction. The lower bowl of Staples Center can not be considered your average Laker fan. These are mostly people who pay astronomical ticket prices to see [sometimes] and be seen. You should not consider their actions to be standard for "real" Laker fans. Take a look at the upper bowl of Staples and the rabid fans up there before you blast Laker fans as a whole for this. By the way, the Nuggets had 90.9% attendance for the year, ranking 17th in the league. The Lakers had 98.5% ranking 11th. Suck it, monkeys!
9. They're Incapable Of Acknowledging A Bad Trade When It Happens
Are you fucking serious? Go check out Lakerground.net when a trade is about to go down or right after it happens. Mitch Kupchak was nearly hanged by his testicles from the banners at Staples until this year. Again, the distinction. I'm not talking about your typical Laker "fan" who breaks out their car flag as soon as the playoffs start. I'm talking about your "real" Laker fan who follows the team from buzzer to buzzer.
8. They Act Like The Entire League Is Obligated To Ensure The Lakers Success, And Thus Every Team Should Be Trading Their Best Players To The Lakers For Pennies On The Dollar
And to "prove" his point, he brings up some completely inane example of Laker fans being upset when Minnesota wouldn't accept an offer of Odom, Turiaf, and a 1st for Garnett. I don't recall that, sucka. However, I _do_ recall Laker fans being upset when an offer of Odom, Bynum, Kwame, and change got rejected for the Celtics offer by ETERNAL Laker hater Kevin McHale. To the original "point," I bring up the fact that "real" Laker fans knew that the Lakers didn't have much to deal with and were dealing from a weak hand. And "real" Laker fans also know that most teams playa hate the Lakers and wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire to help them. Which is what makes the Gasol deal even more amazingly cool. I'm not sure how Nugs Fan got this so wrong... although I'll guess crazed psychotic madness at having to drink some weak-ass near beer might be a factor.
7. LA Radio "Personality" Vic "The Brick" Jacobs
I have no defense. Point given.
6. Seats That Should Go To Real Basketball Fans Are Instead Occupied By Wives, Girlfriends, and Escorts
Really? This is why you hate Laker fans? Shouldn't this be why you hate Laker management? Or society in general? Isn't it the case through most of sports that the true fans are stuck in the nosebleeds while the rich fat cats enjoy the sweat zone in their designer suits while trying to look cool? To counter, I suggest that the reason I hate Nuggets Fans is because the seats on the bench that should go to real basketball fans are instead occupied by gang-bangers, thugs, and crybabies. That sound fair?
5. They're The Biggest Bandwagon Fans In The Country And Only Support The Lakers When The Team Is Really, Really, Really Good."
To this, I counter with two points. Firstly, I openly admit that the Lakers do tend to draw a large number of bandwagon fans. What winning team doesn't though? The true fans stay win or lose, thick or thin, No-Kwame or Kwame. Secondly?
Nuggets Attendance For The Past Five Years
***
2007-8: 90.9%
2006-7: 90.2%
2005-6: 89.7%
2004-5: 92.5%
2003-4: 92.1%
Lakers Attendance For The Past Five Years
***
2007-8: 98.5%
2006-7: 99.6%
2005-5: 99.1%
2004-5: 98.6%
2003-4: 99.5%
More fans - no matter what the record. Hrmm.
4. 85% Of Them Aren't From Los Angeles And, Like Newcomers To Scientology, These Non-Native Lakers "Fan" Converts Are Young, Impressionable, And Gullible.
...
And that's your number four?
Can't wait for number three!
3. Now That He's Out Of Town, They Pretend Like They Never Liked Shaquille O'Neal In The First Place.
Riiiiiight. You must have missed the period of time where everyone lamented Shaq being gone even through his scorched earth campaign. There's not a soul among true Laker fans who don't appreciate what Shaq did while he was here... they just don't like the way he left town. But you can bet when he finally retires and that jersey goes up in the rafters, there won't be a dry eye in the house.
2. They Unmercifully Defend Kobe Bryant
Again, are you fucking serious? What fan doesn't defend the centerpiece of their favorite team? What are you complaining about us defending him for?
"Whether he’s throwing his teammates like Shaq or Andrew Bynum under the bus..."
Shaq did plenty of backing that bus all over Kobe before he left town. The one time Kobe replied gets him crucified by the uninformed. The Bynum thing was out of line but everyone makes mistakes. He got his heat for it during the offseason and early in the year but we can't all root for perfect angels like "Thug Life" Allen Iverson.
"...clobbering white defenders after jump shots"
I had to read this a few times to see if I saw it right. White defenders? He doesn't clobber any other defenders? Just the white ones. Damn that Kobe Bryant. He is one racist son of a bitch.
"regularly spouting profanity-laced tirades at the referees for all the six year olds within earshot to hear"
Oh... my... god. Someone is reaching now. Well, he was reaching before... but now he looks like Reed Richards.
"(allegedly) forcing himself sexually onto a female hotel worker in Colorado and subsequently paying her -- and his wife -- off"
Mr. Richards, can you touch the top of the backboard with that reach? I do like the insertion of "allegedly" in there though. It's almost as if you believe in the American legal process!
"Throwing public hissy fits to get himself traded"
Really? Did you miss a very large majority of Laker fans giving him grief for those very trade demands? Did you somehow witness us all falling over each other to point out how right he was?
The rest of that "point" reveals this is really just a smokescreen for someone pissed about the "DUI" chants from last Sunday. I already stated that I didn't think they were needed so I'm not going to argue against that... but man, you get ugly when trying to make that point. You would have thought Kobe (allegedly) bent your mother over a hotel room chair.
1. They're In Myopic Denial Of The Favoritsm The Lakers Receive From The NBA.
God, I wish I had an emoticon for me rolling around laughing my ass off at you poor, poor soul. But I guess in a way, this "point" is almost a good thing. It means that the world is almost back to normal because opposing teams fans are starting to call favortism and invoking the Roman emperor David Stern's thumb down at playoff time once more.
Hey, if it makes you feel better about being down 2-0, rock on with yo' bad self.
Let's look at some of this favoritism the Lakers are getting from the league, shall we?
"Since the Lakers can’t be bothered to play on Saturdays, they never have to play a back-to-back at the end of week…typically the most grueling games on the schedule."
Good lord, you're right! The Lakers should be forced to forfeit immediately!
Oooh, the next one is about refereeing. Of course it is. The Lakers always get all the calls in "supremely important games." Yawn.
And you cry about Stern wishing the Finals were the Lakers vs the Lakers? I wonder why he would say that.
Oh, I guess it's because the Lakers draw the ratings. Or to make it more simple for you... Purple And Gold = Green!
But it's okay. I'm sure some day the Commish would love to see a team make the finals whose two star players manage to:
A] Get busted for a DUI on the eve of the playoffs. Awesome!
B] Get kicked out of a close playoff game for two consecutive techs for arguing a play he wasn't even involved in.
I can't imagine why the world's not waiting for the Denver Nuggets to make the Finals.
Good luck tomorrow, good sir.
I'll be waiting to see what kind of wicked favortism Chancellor Stern invokes to secure the sweep for the league's [purple and] golden children.
The Top 10 Reasons Some BITCH ASS SUCKA Nuggets Fan Hates Laker Fans And Why He's Wrong [On Most Of Them!]
DISCLAIMER: I will make distinctions between "types" of Laker fans throughout this post and you should to!
10. Half The Courtside Seats Are Empty In The First And Third Quarters Of Every Game
So, right off the bat, I draw the distinction. The lower bowl of Staples Center can not be considered your average Laker fan. These are mostly people who pay astronomical ticket prices to see [sometimes] and be seen. You should not consider their actions to be standard for "real" Laker fans. Take a look at the upper bowl of Staples and the rabid fans up there before you blast Laker fans as a whole for this. By the way, the Nuggets had 90.9% attendance for the year, ranking 17th in the league. The Lakers had 98.5% ranking 11th. Suck it, monkeys!
9. They're Incapable Of Acknowledging A Bad Trade When It Happens
Are you fucking serious? Go check out Lakerground.net when a trade is about to go down or right after it happens. Mitch Kupchak was nearly hanged by his testicles from the banners at Staples until this year. Again, the distinction. I'm not talking about your typical Laker "fan" who breaks out their car flag as soon as the playoffs start. I'm talking about your "real" Laker fan who follows the team from buzzer to buzzer.
8. They Act Like The Entire League Is Obligated To Ensure The Lakers Success, And Thus Every Team Should Be Trading Their Best Players To The Lakers For Pennies On The Dollar
And to "prove" his point, he brings up some completely inane example of Laker fans being upset when Minnesota wouldn't accept an offer of Odom, Turiaf, and a 1st for Garnett. I don't recall that, sucka. However, I _do_ recall Laker fans being upset when an offer of Odom, Bynum, Kwame, and change got rejected for the Celtics offer by ETERNAL Laker hater Kevin McHale. To the original "point," I bring up the fact that "real" Laker fans knew that the Lakers didn't have much to deal with and were dealing from a weak hand. And "real" Laker fans also know that most teams playa hate the Lakers and wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire to help them. Which is what makes the Gasol deal even more amazingly cool. I'm not sure how Nugs Fan got this so wrong... although I'll guess crazed psychotic madness at having to drink some weak-ass near beer might be a factor.
7. LA Radio "Personality" Vic "The Brick" Jacobs
I have no defense. Point given.
6. Seats That Should Go To Real Basketball Fans Are Instead Occupied By Wives, Girlfriends, and Escorts
Really? This is why you hate Laker fans? Shouldn't this be why you hate Laker management? Or society in general? Isn't it the case through most of sports that the true fans are stuck in the nosebleeds while the rich fat cats enjoy the sweat zone in their designer suits while trying to look cool? To counter, I suggest that the reason I hate Nuggets Fans is because the seats on the bench that should go to real basketball fans are instead occupied by gang-bangers, thugs, and crybabies. That sound fair?
5. They're The Biggest Bandwagon Fans In The Country And Only Support The Lakers When The Team Is Really, Really, Really Good."
To this, I counter with two points. Firstly, I openly admit that the Lakers do tend to draw a large number of bandwagon fans. What winning team doesn't though? The true fans stay win or lose, thick or thin, No-Kwame or Kwame. Secondly?
Nuggets Attendance For The Past Five Years
***
2007-8: 90.9%
2006-7: 90.2%
2005-6: 89.7%
2004-5: 92.5%
2003-4: 92.1%
Lakers Attendance For The Past Five Years
***
2007-8: 98.5%
2006-7: 99.6%
2005-5: 99.1%
2004-5: 98.6%
2003-4: 99.5%
More fans - no matter what the record. Hrmm.
4. 85% Of Them Aren't From Los Angeles And, Like Newcomers To Scientology, These Non-Native Lakers "Fan" Converts Are Young, Impressionable, And Gullible.
...
And that's your number four?
Can't wait for number three!
3. Now That He's Out Of Town, They Pretend Like They Never Liked Shaquille O'Neal In The First Place.
Riiiiiight. You must have missed the period of time where everyone lamented Shaq being gone even through his scorched earth campaign. There's not a soul among true Laker fans who don't appreciate what Shaq did while he was here... they just don't like the way he left town. But you can bet when he finally retires and that jersey goes up in the rafters, there won't be a dry eye in the house.
2. They Unmercifully Defend Kobe Bryant
Again, are you fucking serious? What fan doesn't defend the centerpiece of their favorite team? What are you complaining about us defending him for?
"Whether he’s throwing his teammates like Shaq or Andrew Bynum under the bus..."
Shaq did plenty of backing that bus all over Kobe before he left town. The one time Kobe replied gets him crucified by the uninformed. The Bynum thing was out of line but everyone makes mistakes. He got his heat for it during the offseason and early in the year but we can't all root for perfect angels like "Thug Life" Allen Iverson.
"...clobbering white defenders after jump shots"
I had to read this a few times to see if I saw it right. White defenders? He doesn't clobber any other defenders? Just the white ones. Damn that Kobe Bryant. He is one racist son of a bitch.
"regularly spouting profanity-laced tirades at the referees for all the six year olds within earshot to hear"
Oh... my... god. Someone is reaching now. Well, he was reaching before... but now he looks like Reed Richards.
"(allegedly) forcing himself sexually onto a female hotel worker in Colorado and subsequently paying her -- and his wife -- off"
Mr. Richards, can you touch the top of the backboard with that reach? I do like the insertion of "allegedly" in there though. It's almost as if you believe in the American legal process!
"Throwing public hissy fits to get himself traded"
Really? Did you miss a very large majority of Laker fans giving him grief for those very trade demands? Did you somehow witness us all falling over each other to point out how right he was?
The rest of that "point" reveals this is really just a smokescreen for someone pissed about the "DUI" chants from last Sunday. I already stated that I didn't think they were needed so I'm not going to argue against that... but man, you get ugly when trying to make that point. You would have thought Kobe (allegedly) bent your mother over a hotel room chair.
1. They're In Myopic Denial Of The Favoritsm The Lakers Receive From The NBA.
God, I wish I had an emoticon for me rolling around laughing my ass off at you poor, poor soul. But I guess in a way, this "point" is almost a good thing. It means that the world is almost back to normal because opposing teams fans are starting to call favortism and invoking the Roman emperor David Stern's thumb down at playoff time once more.
Hey, if it makes you feel better about being down 2-0, rock on with yo' bad self.
Let's look at some of this favoritism the Lakers are getting from the league, shall we?
"Since the Lakers can’t be bothered to play on Saturdays, they never have to play a back-to-back at the end of week…typically the most grueling games on the schedule."
Good lord, you're right! The Lakers should be forced to forfeit immediately!
Oooh, the next one is about refereeing. Of course it is. The Lakers always get all the calls in "supremely important games." Yawn.
And you cry about Stern wishing the Finals were the Lakers vs the Lakers? I wonder why he would say that.
Oh, I guess it's because the Lakers draw the ratings. Or to make it more simple for you... Purple And Gold = Green!
But it's okay. I'm sure some day the Commish would love to see a team make the finals whose two star players manage to:
A] Get busted for a DUI on the eve of the playoffs. Awesome!
B] Get kicked out of a close playoff game for two consecutive techs for arguing a play he wasn't even involved in.
I can't imagine why the world's not waiting for the Denver Nuggets to make the Finals.
Good luck tomorrow, good sir.
I'll be waiting to see what kind of wicked favortism Chancellor Stern invokes to secure the sweep for the league's [purple and] golden children.
2008-04-24
Conflict of Loyalties
It's always a difficult time of year for me in April/May. The Dodgers are off to the start of another season... as ugly as of a start as it's been so far. The Lakers are starting their [hopefully] lengthy playoff run. Sometimes it creates quite the conflict of loyalties.
And so was the situation last night.
A few weeks ago, one of the sis-in-laws gifted a pair of tickets to last night's Dodgers game. They were Field level and looked to be pretty good seats so we were pretty stoked about making the mid-week trek up to Chavez Ravine...
...until Sunday when I realized that Laker Playoff Game 2 fell on the same night.
There was no question we were going to the Dodger game but it still stung. I DVRd the Lakers in hopes that I could avoid a final score before getting home. Tiiiiiiiime was on my side it appeared as the Dodger game started a half hour before the Lakers, meaning if the Dodgers wrapped things up in about three hours, I should be able to avoid a final score before leaving the stadium.
When I heard someone on the phone say, "No shit? Kobe has twenty in the first quarter?" I smiled... but cringed that I was getting details that I didn't want. I stopped checking my text messages because my friends are all evil sumbitches who would like nothing more than to spoil the Laker game inadvertently or no for me.
A while later, the Diamondvision lit up with, "NBA Playoffs: Down The Road At Staples!" I covered my ears and closed my eyes... but it didn't drown out the massive cheer, the chants of "SWEEP!" and "M-V-P!" I assumed the Lakers were winning but didn't pursue any details, still hopeful that time would ultimately be my ally.
But as the game went on, I got nervous. The game was simply taking too long. I kept checking the clock. Somewhere in the eighth, I told the Missus that they would show a final score before the Top of the 9th... I knew it.
And sure enough, they did. And no amount of eye-closing or ear-covering could drown out the roar of the Dodger Stadium crowd. I knew the Lakers had won... but it was just a question of by how much and how they played.
When we got home, we watched the first quarter with interest... then took turns falling asleep and missing most of the second. I watched the second half this morning.
Good offense. Bad Defense. Great Kobe. That about sums it up.
14 more. Purple and gold, baby.
Alright. That's enough for ya. I'm watching the Dodgers before Lost starts.
And so was the situation last night.
A few weeks ago, one of the sis-in-laws gifted a pair of tickets to last night's Dodgers game. They were Field level and looked to be pretty good seats so we were pretty stoked about making the mid-week trek up to Chavez Ravine...
...until Sunday when I realized that Laker Playoff Game 2 fell on the same night.
There was no question we were going to the Dodger game but it still stung. I DVRd the Lakers in hopes that I could avoid a final score before getting home. Tiiiiiiiime was on my side it appeared as the Dodger game started a half hour before the Lakers, meaning if the Dodgers wrapped things up in about three hours, I should be able to avoid a final score before leaving the stadium.
When I heard someone on the phone say, "No shit? Kobe has twenty in the first quarter?" I smiled... but cringed that I was getting details that I didn't want. I stopped checking my text messages because my friends are all evil sumbitches who would like nothing more than to spoil the Laker game inadvertently or no for me.
A while later, the Diamondvision lit up with, "NBA Playoffs: Down The Road At Staples!" I covered my ears and closed my eyes... but it didn't drown out the massive cheer, the chants of "SWEEP!" and "M-V-P!" I assumed the Lakers were winning but didn't pursue any details, still hopeful that time would ultimately be my ally.
But as the game went on, I got nervous. The game was simply taking too long. I kept checking the clock. Somewhere in the eighth, I told the Missus that they would show a final score before the Top of the 9th... I knew it.
And sure enough, they did. And no amount of eye-closing or ear-covering could drown out the roar of the Dodger Stadium crowd. I knew the Lakers had won... but it was just a question of by how much and how they played.
When we got home, we watched the first quarter with interest... then took turns falling asleep and missing most of the second. I watched the second half this morning.
Good offense. Bad Defense. Great Kobe. That about sums it up.
14 more. Purple and gold, baby.
Alright. That's enough for ya. I'm watching the Dodgers before Lost starts.
2008-04-23
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