music: I am ready and willing to admit that 2011 was the year of Adelle. She swept the Grammy's and had a couple of the biggest hits of the year. These things were well deserved. Her album 21 was incredible. Her voice, not only beautiful, was a throwback to a different time. There was, however, a couple of performances by a different artist that deserve some recognition.
This artist is Chris Cornell. He had two releases in 2011. One was his song The Keeper from the not often seen film Machine Gun Preacher, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. The other was his album Songbook. This was a collection of live acoustic performances that were recorded throughout the year that he put together. It closely resembles the old MTV Unplugged format.
These two releases, while not showcasing the waling vocals of Soundgarden albums or the diversity of Audioslave's neo-funk approach, showed that Cornell is still not only one of the best vocalist of our time but maybe ever. His sensitivity towards these acoustic offerings gives a beauty to his voice that can rarely be matched. I'll say it now, The Keeper is on of the five most beautiful songs I've ever heard by a rock artist. Don't mistake my use of the "beautiful" for "best". I simply mean beautiful. Songbook shows his skill unleashed on some of his best work. I can site at least three songs that I have heard and loved of his (or his bands) in the past that just hearing his live and unharnessed voice backed by nothing but an acoustic guitar were a revelation to what these songs were meant to evoke. These three would be I Am The Highway, Black Hole Sun, and Fell On Black Days. In I Am The Highway he simply accentuates all the beauty of an already stunning tracking with the feeling only a live recording can give. On Black Hole Sun, he takes a song that while great (I have heard this song referred to as the Dark Side Of The Moon of the 90s) and made it simple. There was no production. There were no vocal effects. There was no vocal layering. It was all him. The power of that song, with that illustrious comparison, was carried all in his voice. Not in a feeling, but in a voice. Fell On Black Days was less of the kind of revelation that I am making the previous two songs out to be. It was simply just a great song done in an acoustic setting with a total lack of restraint and regard. It rocks every bit as the full volume of Soundgarden ever did. maybe on any song they ever did.
The real kicker to the Songbook album, though, is the cover he does of Thank You by Led Zeppelin. Covering Zeppelin is a difficult thing to do. They possess a somewhat indefinable quality that makes precision sound wrong and sloppiness sound worse. Only Zeppelin can be Zeppelin. Everyone else just tries and fails. Cornell seems to be the exception to this rule. Not because he can be Zeppelin. It is not about them. He pours his heart into a song that as soon as you hear it you can tell is close to him. He provides intimacy and inflection to one of the great songs by one of the great bands of all time. He didn't make it his own by changing it. He made it his own with his love and care and skill.
In a year where a young phenom, set to build a blindingly bright future for herself, was all the talk. One of the great, grizzled veterans made his mark as indelibly. Chris Cornell may not be the greatest ever. But maybe more so than when he was with Soundgarden, wailing on late eighties metal and nineties alternative rock, or when he was letting his funk out with Audioslave, he has cemented his place as one of the best. There's just no one like him. If you don't believe me, check it out.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
bounty hunting
football: So I suppose it's time I weigh in on the bounty situation in the NFL. The NFL has levied heavy suspensions with more to come, against the New Orleans Saints. The bounties that are referred to are players being offered cash incentives for knocking opposing players, particularly quarterbacks, out of games.
The suspensions that have been handed out are severe to say the least. Head coach Sean Peyton has been suspended for a full year starting April 1st. The general manager of The Saints, Mickey Loomis, has been suspended for eight games. These are both suspensions without pay. Also, defensive coordinator Greg Williams, who is now with The Rams, has been suspended indefinitely without pay. These are undoubtedly the most severe penalties ever handed down by the NFL.
Let me first say that these penalties while severe are fair. The NFL, and its Commissioner Roger Goodell, have spent so much time and money over the past few years to ensure and protect player safety that this kind of promotion of violence and injury would surely not be taken lightly. Not to mention the fact that this is just a gross incentive on the part of the Saints.
Now, this is not the entire story. The Saints and their management certainly made mistakes in judgement in terms of promoting certain behavior from their players. It was also the arrogance of The Saints that hurt this situation. They had been warned while under investigation to stop the bounty program and they did not. Not only did they not stop but they told the NFL they would. Lying to the most powerful sports league in America, if not the world certainly didn't help.
Now not only are they without their "genius" head coach, but they are without their general manager who helped build their team into the winners they have become (among the top teams in the NFC and with a Super Bowl win in 2010). The players are also facing suspensions. There are as many as 27 players on defense who could be facing a suspension during the upcoming season. The problem with that is the NFL Players Association. They are bound by a multitude of rules in the collective bargaining agreement, that in the face of the bounties are contradictory. They have to advocate for players facing suspensions. They are the ones who negotiated the player safety rules in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. They also have to help to ensure fair competition. These ideas are all in conflict with so many players being suspended from a Super Bowl caliber team for endangering other players. The sheer volume of players create a problem with competition because without staggering the suspensions The Saints would be completely decimated on defense. Thus ruining their ability to compete at the level expected of them without the suspensions.
The NFL and the NFLPA are meeting as week speak to try and work out the suspensions. The Saints are trying to find a way to move forward without their head coach. The Rams, who were looking towards a bright future, hiring Steve Fischer as their head coach and Williams as their new defensive coordinator, are no longer feeling so excited. The NFL was right to come down hard on this. I don't want to hear the argument that $1500 dollars for knocking out a quarterback is much incentive to a player who makes millions when Jonathan Vilma was caught on tape screaming, "Pay me my money." after sacking Brett Favre in the NFC championship in 2010. The Saints Super Bowl hopes have all but been set back at least a year. The Rams future has been set back at least year with the loss of their new, and highly regarded, defensive coordinator. Roger Goodell is handing out punishment with impunity like David Stern after the melee in Detroit.
I understand that football is a violent game and that sometimes, if not often, players get hurt. But to hear that coaches and organizations are promoting it with cash incentives does nothing but make the NFL look like exactly like what they are trying to not look like: a bunch of thugs.
I wish more than anything that Peyton and other members of The Saints weren't so arrogant as to think they could have gotten away with it. Maybe then we could have seen some fun this season. Maybe then we could have seen the first home field advantage in Super Bowl history. But alas, poor judgement and arrogance have turned a model franchise and feel good story into a cautionary tale for what happens when you do morally reprehensible things and then arrogantly lie to try to get away with it.
The suspensions that have been handed out are severe to say the least. Head coach Sean Peyton has been suspended for a full year starting April 1st. The general manager of The Saints, Mickey Loomis, has been suspended for eight games. These are both suspensions without pay. Also, defensive coordinator Greg Williams, who is now with The Rams, has been suspended indefinitely without pay. These are undoubtedly the most severe penalties ever handed down by the NFL.
Let me first say that these penalties while severe are fair. The NFL, and its Commissioner Roger Goodell, have spent so much time and money over the past few years to ensure and protect player safety that this kind of promotion of violence and injury would surely not be taken lightly. Not to mention the fact that this is just a gross incentive on the part of the Saints.
Now, this is not the entire story. The Saints and their management certainly made mistakes in judgement in terms of promoting certain behavior from their players. It was also the arrogance of The Saints that hurt this situation. They had been warned while under investigation to stop the bounty program and they did not. Not only did they not stop but they told the NFL they would. Lying to the most powerful sports league in America, if not the world certainly didn't help.
Now not only are they without their "genius" head coach, but they are without their general manager who helped build their team into the winners they have become (among the top teams in the NFC and with a Super Bowl win in 2010). The players are also facing suspensions. There are as many as 27 players on defense who could be facing a suspension during the upcoming season. The problem with that is the NFL Players Association. They are bound by a multitude of rules in the collective bargaining agreement, that in the face of the bounties are contradictory. They have to advocate for players facing suspensions. They are the ones who negotiated the player safety rules in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. They also have to help to ensure fair competition. These ideas are all in conflict with so many players being suspended from a Super Bowl caliber team for endangering other players. The sheer volume of players create a problem with competition because without staggering the suspensions The Saints would be completely decimated on defense. Thus ruining their ability to compete at the level expected of them without the suspensions.
The NFL and the NFLPA are meeting as week speak to try and work out the suspensions. The Saints are trying to find a way to move forward without their head coach. The Rams, who were looking towards a bright future, hiring Steve Fischer as their head coach and Williams as their new defensive coordinator, are no longer feeling so excited. The NFL was right to come down hard on this. I don't want to hear the argument that $1500 dollars for knocking out a quarterback is much incentive to a player who makes millions when Jonathan Vilma was caught on tape screaming, "Pay me my money." after sacking Brett Favre in the NFC championship in 2010. The Saints Super Bowl hopes have all but been set back at least a year. The Rams future has been set back at least year with the loss of their new, and highly regarded, defensive coordinator. Roger Goodell is handing out punishment with impunity like David Stern after the melee in Detroit.
I understand that football is a violent game and that sometimes, if not often, players get hurt. But to hear that coaches and organizations are promoting it with cash incentives does nothing but make the NFL look like exactly like what they are trying to not look like: a bunch of thugs.
I wish more than anything that Peyton and other members of The Saints weren't so arrogant as to think they could have gotten away with it. Maybe then we could have seen some fun this season. Maybe then we could have seen the first home field advantage in Super Bowl history. But alas, poor judgement and arrogance have turned a model franchise and feel good story into a cautionary tale for what happens when you do morally reprehensible things and then arrogantly lie to try to get away with it.
Friday, March 23, 2012
J E T S JETS JETS OH NO!
football: So in the past couple of days Petyon Manning has signed with the Denver Broncos. This has brought about the release of Tim Tebow who has subsequently signed with the New York Jets. Let me first start with the Broncos making what I think is a good move and then move on to the Jets making a bad move.
The Broncos signed Peyton Manning to a three year deal. This is good for the Broncos because it is a limited amount of years to find out if Manning, in the twilight of his career can bring back this once great franchise from the abyss. If not they can draft a new quarterback high in the draft after a failed experiment and a lot of tickets sold. It also is a good deal for the Broncos because it gives them a chance to rid themselves of Tebow. Lets face it, he is a below average quarterback striving to learn how be average through development. What every team wants is, at worst, average striving to be great through development. For letting go of Tebow they essentially get one of the greatest quarterbacks of all times in a week if not awful conference.
This assumption is, of course, contingent on Manning. I don't think anyone is questioning his ability to throw. What i don't here is anyone question his stability. This is a 36 year old man who has a lot of wear and tear on him thanks to the beating that any life in the NFL will take, not to mention four neck surgeries in the past year. I really don't want to sound morose or even just downright cruel but the only question that hasn't been answered is what will happen when Manning gets hit. Their are three options: He will be fine, he will go back on injured reserve, or he will be at best in a career ending situation. This is the thing I have not heard anyone talk about. There has been tons of verification of Manning's arm strength but not of his durability. Despite these downtrodden last few sentences, I still believe the fact that he is Peyton Manning makes the Broncos winners in this deal. They at least have a first ballot Hall Of Famer and a bridge to the furture. Tebow offered neither of these things.
The Jets on the other hand are in a far more precarious situation. They have an unstable locker room, a gregarious (sometimes too gregarious) coach, an average, at best, starting quarterback, and are in the city in America with the most viscous and scrutinizing media there is. How does Tebow, arguably the most polarizing player in football today, help all of that. I will admit, as Doug Gotlieb of ESPN said (to paraphrase), if you take the name Tebow off the jersey, his unique sets of skills, running, throwing, speed, strength, and leadership, can be used by teams across the league. But his name is Tebow. If Mark Sanchez has a poor game, or Tebow does something dramatic to win a game. or is the difference in a win. the clamoring for Tebow will make what happened when Kyle Orton got sacked look like nothing. Compile on top of that a totally divisive locker room that isn't (or so it seems) 100% behind Sanchez and a coach that has a knack for talking a lot to the press, this could be a disaster.
If it works with Sanchez leading the team as a passer and Tebow running the wildcat, it will be a dream. But there are too many other factors in this equation to believe that this can work. The locker room was already devided before the most polarizing figure in pro sports showed up. The quarterback (Sanchez) didn't have everyone's support as it was. The New York media will create such a scrutinized and terrible environment for the two quarterbacks that one will never feel comfortable and the other will never feel like he is getting what he deserves.
In theory it is a great idea for anyone, let alone The Jets, to take Tebow. He has a unique skill set that makes him a great football player (forget the fact that he has no position). The Broncos in returned have given themselves one of the all time great quarterbacks. It fails on all levels when you look at the details. The Broncos got their man if... And The Jets got their man if....
The Broncos signed Peyton Manning to a three year deal. This is good for the Broncos because it is a limited amount of years to find out if Manning, in the twilight of his career can bring back this once great franchise from the abyss. If not they can draft a new quarterback high in the draft after a failed experiment and a lot of tickets sold. It also is a good deal for the Broncos because it gives them a chance to rid themselves of Tebow. Lets face it, he is a below average quarterback striving to learn how be average through development. What every team wants is, at worst, average striving to be great through development. For letting go of Tebow they essentially get one of the greatest quarterbacks of all times in a week if not awful conference.
This assumption is, of course, contingent on Manning. I don't think anyone is questioning his ability to throw. What i don't here is anyone question his stability. This is a 36 year old man who has a lot of wear and tear on him thanks to the beating that any life in the NFL will take, not to mention four neck surgeries in the past year. I really don't want to sound morose or even just downright cruel but the only question that hasn't been answered is what will happen when Manning gets hit. Their are three options: He will be fine, he will go back on injured reserve, or he will be at best in a career ending situation. This is the thing I have not heard anyone talk about. There has been tons of verification of Manning's arm strength but not of his durability. Despite these downtrodden last few sentences, I still believe the fact that he is Peyton Manning makes the Broncos winners in this deal. They at least have a first ballot Hall Of Famer and a bridge to the furture. Tebow offered neither of these things.
The Jets on the other hand are in a far more precarious situation. They have an unstable locker room, a gregarious (sometimes too gregarious) coach, an average, at best, starting quarterback, and are in the city in America with the most viscous and scrutinizing media there is. How does Tebow, arguably the most polarizing player in football today, help all of that. I will admit, as Doug Gotlieb of ESPN said (to paraphrase), if you take the name Tebow off the jersey, his unique sets of skills, running, throwing, speed, strength, and leadership, can be used by teams across the league. But his name is Tebow. If Mark Sanchez has a poor game, or Tebow does something dramatic to win a game. or is the difference in a win. the clamoring for Tebow will make what happened when Kyle Orton got sacked look like nothing. Compile on top of that a totally divisive locker room that isn't (or so it seems) 100% behind Sanchez and a coach that has a knack for talking a lot to the press, this could be a disaster.
If it works with Sanchez leading the team as a passer and Tebow running the wildcat, it will be a dream. But there are too many other factors in this equation to believe that this can work. The locker room was already devided before the most polarizing figure in pro sports showed up. The quarterback (Sanchez) didn't have everyone's support as it was. The New York media will create such a scrutinized and terrible environment for the two quarterbacks that one will never feel comfortable and the other will never feel like he is getting what he deserves.
In theory it is a great idea for anyone, let alone The Jets, to take Tebow. He has a unique skill set that makes him a great football player (forget the fact that he has no position). The Broncos in returned have given themselves one of the all time great quarterbacks. It fails on all levels when you look at the details. The Broncos got their man if... And The Jets got their man if....
Thursday, March 15, 2012
lets dance
I just wanted to welcome the world (a day late) to that time of the year when office pools go crazy and the word "bracketology" is actually part of the lexicon. Its March! Now I'm not going to go into the details of my predictions. This is for two reasons. One is I don't think I can rationally justify all of my picks. The other reason is that this just seems tedious. I will highlight a few things though.
This seems like a season for rematches and meaningful games. Duke and UNLV could meet in the tournament for the first time since their back to back finals appearances. Thanks to a region based out of St. Louis, Kansas has a remarkable chance to get to the Final Four. This would create an opportunity to play in the championship against the two teams who seem to be overwhelming favorites in the south and west regions; Missouri and Kentucky. Either way the storylines are a writers dream. You have a finals rematch of Calipari and Self from 2008 when the Jayhawks beat Memphis. The other matchup, Kansas vs. Missouri, would be one last border war before The Tigers leave the Big 12 and join the SEC.
Not only do these rematches and rivalries sound fun but I have to admit that I am a sucker for those totally insane, over the top, melodramatic speeches that get made before games. What can I say, it always pumps me up for a game.
I hope to do a very detailed recap of the tournament after the dust settles on what I'm will be a very interesting month. Regardless of who wins and loses I can promise a couple of things. A star will be born, a couple of upsets will happen, and the surest bet of all is that my bracket and the real one won't even remotely resemble each other. I think I have it down every year. I don't. That's why my recap will be better than this. Also, if you are looking for a fun way to spice up your office pool, check out the rules for the one done at Grantland.
This seems like a season for rematches and meaningful games. Duke and UNLV could meet in the tournament for the first time since their back to back finals appearances. Thanks to a region based out of St. Louis, Kansas has a remarkable chance to get to the Final Four. This would create an opportunity to play in the championship against the two teams who seem to be overwhelming favorites in the south and west regions; Missouri and Kentucky. Either way the storylines are a writers dream. You have a finals rematch of Calipari and Self from 2008 when the Jayhawks beat Memphis. The other matchup, Kansas vs. Missouri, would be one last border war before The Tigers leave the Big 12 and join the SEC.
Not only do these rematches and rivalries sound fun but I have to admit that I am a sucker for those totally insane, over the top, melodramatic speeches that get made before games. What can I say, it always pumps me up for a game.
I hope to do a very detailed recap of the tournament after the dust settles on what I'm will be a very interesting month. Regardless of who wins and loses I can promise a couple of things. A star will be born, a couple of upsets will happen, and the surest bet of all is that my bracket and the real one won't even remotely resemble each other. I think I have it down every year. I don't. That's why my recap will be better than this. Also, if you are looking for a fun way to spice up your office pool, check out the rules for the one done at Grantland.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
RGIII and The Skins
football: I really don't know what to do but shake my head. The Washington Redskins just trade their 2012 first and second round picks AND their 2013 AND 2014 first round picks for the St. Louis Rams first round pick this year (number 2 overall). This gives them a lock on getting Robert Griffin III. They need him. The Redskins have been without a franchise quarterback for as long as i can remember. But isn't this the same problem the Redskins go through every year only instead of overpaying for older players they are giving up way to much for the future.
Don't get me wrong, I am on the RGIII bus. I think he is a great talent and athlete who will have a real shot at success no matter where he plays. But honestly, is any, and I mean ANY player (I can't believe how many gratuitous capital letters i have used already) is worth all that without playing a single game. Not to mention the fact that Washington needs more than just a quarterback. RGIII is going to be great, I have no doubt about that. But tts not like the Redskins have a great defense or a solid running game or a go to wide receiver (besides the aging Santana Moss). Those picks they just gave up for a single player are the team they could build. This team needs help everywhere. Griffin will need help. And thanks to this trade he will be hard pressed to get any.
I can't even get into the details of this. It is too mind blowing. Too typical of a franchise that has become nothing short of a total failure under its current ownership. Shanahan needs a good team. His record proves that. No quarterback can win with nothing around him. Not even one as talented as Griffin. It is the Redskins way of doing things. Only this time they did it with someone young. Totally overpay! All they have done is stuck RGIII on a team that is going to be bad because they can't draft and develop young talent and have no vertrans he can rely on. They can't do this because they gave it away via draft picks to the Rams.
Ok, the more I am writing the more mad I get. Let me just get this last bit out. Dan Snyder you continue to drive a team that may have a future into sucking by overspending in what is officially every possible way. Rams and Jeff Fischer, you now have enough first and second round draft picks to be not just but good but great in a couple of years if you use them wisely (which under Fischer I believe they will).
Go Rams! I miss the greatest show on turf.
Go Fischer! I have always respected you as a winner and a man who coaches a respectable group of hard working young men.
Sorry Mike Shanahan. I totally respect you and feel sorry for you that you took a job with the Redskins.
Sorry Washington D.C. Dan Snyder continues to ruin your football teams future.
the end of an era in Indy
football: Ok, so i know this is a few days late coming but its time to talk about Peyton Manning. I don't really want to talk about whether it is right that he is leaving The Colts or not. I more want to focus on my memories and the greatest quarterback rivalry since Marino and Montana.
It is a sad day for me. Manning has been released by The Colts. I know he expects to play elsewhere and he probably will. But this is officially the end of an era. The days of those classic Brady vs. Manning confrontations seem to be over. And It really was a Montana vs. Marino kind of situation. The only difference was we got to see them play each other pretty much every year; and often in the playoffs. It was always the showdown of the consummate winner and the best technical quarterback maybe of all times. I know that Brady has racked up stats the past few years but that to me is how it will be remembered. The Super Bowl champ and the on field surgeon. Classic battles won and lost based on little more than conditions and will to win. We saw Brady for a few years in a row best Manning in the snow in Foxborough and then Manning turn the tables in Indianapolis on the turf. The physical play (pass interference on the Patriots part) besting the ultimate maestro in terrible weather. The master of the pass moving the ball in the fourth quarter to take the lead only to be followed by a route run short on fourth and two by the Patriots.
These images are not only the things great rivalries are made of, but the defining images of the past decade of the NFL. I always have said I am a fan of The Patriots in this era. But lets face it, when they met The Colts, fanfare barely mattered. History was always about to be witnessed. A true battle was always about to be fought. The two greatest quarterbacks of their era, and possibly of all time, were about to leave everything they had on the field to show who was the real number one. The hopes of two Super Bowl caliber franchise always hung in the balance, whether in the playoffs or fighting for home field advantage in the regular season.
I think I have been hyperbolic enough. All I have to say at this point is this: That game five years ago when both the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts were 8-0 and chasing perfection, which at least for the regular season New England achieved, was on of the most intense regular season match-ups I think I have ever seen. It was all on the line. New England knew if they could get past Indy that they could finish the perfect season. Indy knew this was there only chance at home field advantage in the playoffs, which probably decide which of the two of them not only went to the Super Bowl, but won it. That of course didn't happen. But considering it was only week 9 of the regular season, I don't think I have ever seen such an intense atmosphere for a game. Every play was important. Every pass held these two teams fates in the balance. I guess I wasn't done with hyperbole.
Thank you Peyton for giving me a couple weeks a year where I knew I was about to watch not only a rivalry for the ages but a game that I would never forget. My only hope at this point is that you sign with a team from the NFC, stay healthy despite your neck surgeries, and draw New England in the Super Bowl after a sublime season. That would be a fitting end to the ultimate quarterback debate and match up of all time. Not your release without ceremony and replacement with the next big thing.
It is a sad day for me. Manning has been released by The Colts. I know he expects to play elsewhere and he probably will. But this is officially the end of an era. The days of those classic Brady vs. Manning confrontations seem to be over. And It really was a Montana vs. Marino kind of situation. The only difference was we got to see them play each other pretty much every year; and often in the playoffs. It was always the showdown of the consummate winner and the best technical quarterback maybe of all times. I know that Brady has racked up stats the past few years but that to me is how it will be remembered. The Super Bowl champ and the on field surgeon. Classic battles won and lost based on little more than conditions and will to win. We saw Brady for a few years in a row best Manning in the snow in Foxborough and then Manning turn the tables in Indianapolis on the turf. The physical play (pass interference on the Patriots part) besting the ultimate maestro in terrible weather. The master of the pass moving the ball in the fourth quarter to take the lead only to be followed by a route run short on fourth and two by the Patriots.
These images are not only the things great rivalries are made of, but the defining images of the past decade of the NFL. I always have said I am a fan of The Patriots in this era. But lets face it, when they met The Colts, fanfare barely mattered. History was always about to be witnessed. A true battle was always about to be fought. The two greatest quarterbacks of their era, and possibly of all time, were about to leave everything they had on the field to show who was the real number one. The hopes of two Super Bowl caliber franchise always hung in the balance, whether in the playoffs or fighting for home field advantage in the regular season.
I think I have been hyperbolic enough. All I have to say at this point is this: That game five years ago when both the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts were 8-0 and chasing perfection, which at least for the regular season New England achieved, was on of the most intense regular season match-ups I think I have ever seen. It was all on the line. New England knew if they could get past Indy that they could finish the perfect season. Indy knew this was there only chance at home field advantage in the playoffs, which probably decide which of the two of them not only went to the Super Bowl, but won it. That of course didn't happen. But considering it was only week 9 of the regular season, I don't think I have ever seen such an intense atmosphere for a game. Every play was important. Every pass held these two teams fates in the balance. I guess I wasn't done with hyperbole.
Thank you Peyton for giving me a couple weeks a year where I knew I was about to watch not only a rivalry for the ages but a game that I would never forget. My only hope at this point is that you sign with a team from the NFC, stay healthy despite your neck surgeries, and draw New England in the Super Bowl after a sublime season. That would be a fitting end to the ultimate quarterback debate and match up of all time. Not your release without ceremony and replacement with the next big thing.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Made In America Five Years Later
Tv: I was reading an article last night on Grantland, which if you haven't looked at is one of the best journalism websites out there. The article was a discussion of the end of The Sopranos. It got me thinking about all of my thoughts on the end of the series and I felt compelled to discuss them.
The Sopranos was one of the most ground breaking shows in TV history. Its vision of storytelling and what was possible to do was not only groundbreaking but also possibly unmatched. This sentiment has been diminished in the past few years by shows like Game Of Thrones and Dexter and many more coming out of cable programming to further the abstract and often thought provoking storytelling process in television that The Sopranos revolutionized. But Enough about that. Lets Get going on the end. Which is why we are here. After all it is the five year anniversary.
The end of The Sopranos has be scrutinized to such a degree that it is hard to even comprehend how much has published about it. That last moment in the diner was so vague and controversial. "How could I have not gotten a conclusion?" "How is it possible that Tony didn't die?" "Did the guy coming out of the bathroom shoot Tony or not?" These are questions that will never get answered. These are questions that when you look at the scope of the series are actually irrelevant.
The picturesque scene at the end of the series showing Tony and his family getting ready to have dinner while listening to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey is certainly what will be remembered. The music, the family, the cuts to all the strangers that Tony is noticing sitting around the diner as his family tries to enjoy a meal. It certainly makes a mark in the memory. But why does that have to be the focus?
This is the show that has made its mark on television with its ability to make the viewer interpret. Dream sequences and talking fish and backwards driving cars and even Tony as a dog protecting Jennifer Melfi from rape are what made the show stand out. Sure there was great violence and the Bada Bing and the impossibly hot mistresses of all those in the "family business". But there was also the afterlife and Uncle Ben and that voice over at the beginning of the sixth season.
The end of the series is more than just dinner in a diner and a members only jacket wearing stranger coming out of the bathroom. It really begins about 2 episodes earlier when the war breaks out and pieces for the future are put in place. It begins with Sil stepping out and killing someone who had crossed Tony without consulting him first. Then there is the shootout outside the Bing that more or less kills Sil and does kill Bobby. With Chris already dead this leaves none but Pauli to help Tony carry on. While an odd choice certainly given his characters quirks, he is the most loyal of all of Tony's captains, making him a worthy last man standing. ("I live to serve my lieges.") The other important piece to the end is A.J. That moment when he goes to see his shrink is the grace note of the series. Sitting legs crossed opposite his more or less all too attractive shrink is the moment of the show. The son becomes the father and the future now has a face.
So now that we have a look at the meaning of the end of the series lets look at the diner scene as it was set. A.J., that heir in waiting showing up for dinner looking happy for the first time in two seasons. Carmella, not quite being complicit in her husbands criminal activities, but certainly aware of them when she asks about the new rat. Meadow running late for dinner as she seems to be the last one to catch up to the family in every respect, including her pursuits as a lawyer, which are to stop the "prejudice against Italian Americans". This is also known as the mother becoming the daughter.
Carmella asks who was flipped and Tony openly tells her. They smile and move on with dinner. This is the story not of a mobster waiting to get killed at the end of a morality tale. Or the story of a guy stuck eating ketchup instead of marinara sauce after reckless endeavors come back to haunt him. It is the story of a man and his family. The message at the end is that life goes on. Tony has dealt with what is behind him and is looking forward. He is doing this both as optimist because of the end of the war with Phil and New York. He also has to look forward with caution with yet another member of his "business" flipping on him, That paranoia and suspicion is shown as he looks at all patrons of the diner, members only jacket wearing fellow included.
The point is life goes on for everyone. Even Tony doesn't have a definitive end to his story because that's how life usually is. This is the great American family of their generation. And that is an important thing to see at the end of the show; that great American family just sitting down at an all American diner for a dinner and the best onion rings in the state. Did that guy in the members only jacket come of the bathroom and kill Tony? I really don't have the answer to that. But live or die his life up to that point was worth being on TV. The great American Family. The dad who and his family who mirrored our own. The mob without morality at the end. Maybe that was the point. Not a fade to black.
The Sopranos was one of the most ground breaking shows in TV history. Its vision of storytelling and what was possible to do was not only groundbreaking but also possibly unmatched. This sentiment has been diminished in the past few years by shows like Game Of Thrones and Dexter and many more coming out of cable programming to further the abstract and often thought provoking storytelling process in television that The Sopranos revolutionized. But Enough about that. Lets Get going on the end. Which is why we are here. After all it is the five year anniversary.
The end of The Sopranos has be scrutinized to such a degree that it is hard to even comprehend how much has published about it. That last moment in the diner was so vague and controversial. "How could I have not gotten a conclusion?" "How is it possible that Tony didn't die?" "Did the guy coming out of the bathroom shoot Tony or not?" These are questions that will never get answered. These are questions that when you look at the scope of the series are actually irrelevant.
The picturesque scene at the end of the series showing Tony and his family getting ready to have dinner while listening to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey is certainly what will be remembered. The music, the family, the cuts to all the strangers that Tony is noticing sitting around the diner as his family tries to enjoy a meal. It certainly makes a mark in the memory. But why does that have to be the focus?
This is the show that has made its mark on television with its ability to make the viewer interpret. Dream sequences and talking fish and backwards driving cars and even Tony as a dog protecting Jennifer Melfi from rape are what made the show stand out. Sure there was great violence and the Bada Bing and the impossibly hot mistresses of all those in the "family business". But there was also the afterlife and Uncle Ben and that voice over at the beginning of the sixth season.
The end of the series is more than just dinner in a diner and a members only jacket wearing stranger coming out of the bathroom. It really begins about 2 episodes earlier when the war breaks out and pieces for the future are put in place. It begins with Sil stepping out and killing someone who had crossed Tony without consulting him first. Then there is the shootout outside the Bing that more or less kills Sil and does kill Bobby. With Chris already dead this leaves none but Pauli to help Tony carry on. While an odd choice certainly given his characters quirks, he is the most loyal of all of Tony's captains, making him a worthy last man standing. ("I live to serve my lieges.") The other important piece to the end is A.J. That moment when he goes to see his shrink is the grace note of the series. Sitting legs crossed opposite his more or less all too attractive shrink is the moment of the show. The son becomes the father and the future now has a face.
So now that we have a look at the meaning of the end of the series lets look at the diner scene as it was set. A.J., that heir in waiting showing up for dinner looking happy for the first time in two seasons. Carmella, not quite being complicit in her husbands criminal activities, but certainly aware of them when she asks about the new rat. Meadow running late for dinner as she seems to be the last one to catch up to the family in every respect, including her pursuits as a lawyer, which are to stop the "prejudice against Italian Americans". This is also known as the mother becoming the daughter.
Carmella asks who was flipped and Tony openly tells her. They smile and move on with dinner. This is the story not of a mobster waiting to get killed at the end of a morality tale. Or the story of a guy stuck eating ketchup instead of marinara sauce after reckless endeavors come back to haunt him. It is the story of a man and his family. The message at the end is that life goes on. Tony has dealt with what is behind him and is looking forward. He is doing this both as optimist because of the end of the war with Phil and New York. He also has to look forward with caution with yet another member of his "business" flipping on him, That paranoia and suspicion is shown as he looks at all patrons of the diner, members only jacket wearing fellow included.
The point is life goes on for everyone. Even Tony doesn't have a definitive end to his story because that's how life usually is. This is the great American family of their generation. And that is an important thing to see at the end of the show; that great American family just sitting down at an all American diner for a dinner and the best onion rings in the state. Did that guy in the members only jacket come of the bathroom and kill Tony? I really don't have the answer to that. But live or die his life up to that point was worth being on TV. The great American Family. The dad who and his family who mirrored our own. The mob without morality at the end. Maybe that was the point. Not a fade to black.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
the 163rd and 164th game
baseball: So i heard today that it is all but offical that Bud Selig is going to aprove adding one extra team into the wild card in the Major League Playoffs. Let me just tell all of baseball how thankless that sounds. It is a slap in the face to those teams that manage to qualify for the wild card. Also it is a slap in the face to the regular season. 162 games should be enough to find out who the four best teams are. Not to mention it is slap in the face to that fourth place (wild card) team. It says "Thanks for 162 games of hard work and dealing with injuries and making the right moves at the trade deadline if needed. Now for that hard work you have to play a sudden death game for your reward." It is great for drama sure. But isn't the hard work deserving of a playoff berth? Isn't it just a chance for one more primetime Espn televised game? Isn't it just a jerk reaction to the drama we saw at the end of last season where we saw both seemingly inevitable wild card teams, The Braves and The Red Sox, finish a collapse nothing short of epic and then one of those teams that stole the wild card go on to win the World Series? Baseball's regular season is a brutal grind with that many games. Don't dilute that by going after one last nationally televised game, for drama that in most years, unlike this one, won't exist. Don't mess with a good thing.
In Time
(Since this is my first topic post let me tell anyone reading that i will state my topics as i write so that if you hate movies or sports or whatever you can skip to the shit you like.) Movies: So last night i watched that movie In Time starring Justin Timberlake that looked about as absurd as anything I have ever seen in my life based on the trailers. I decided to give it a chance though because of two things. One is that, despite what i feel like should be my better judgement, I think Justin Timberlake is a pretty darn good actor. The other is that it was written and directed by the same guy who did both on Gattica and wrote The Truman Show, which are both big big winners in my book. This movie, however, as I try to digest it is harder on my mental tract. It was better than I thought it would be but not as good as it could have been. I am actually going to start with the latter. The concept as portrayed in the ads was that people start using time as currency at the age of 25 and stop aging as well. Justin Timberlake runs out of time and then it is pretty people in suits and dresses running around with guns. The actual idea was smarter than that. It is really an occupy movie. The tagline that gets used a few times in the movie is, "Many have to die while a few can be immortal." This idea gets translated into the idea that those "few" are hoarding their time by upping the price on all aspects of life while lowering the amount of time that people get paid for a days work. THAT IS A GREAT ANALOGY. Don't people always say time is money. Now it really is and we can see how the 1% are stealing our lives. This totally interesting and enthralling concept however is clouded by the fact that, unlike when Andrew Niccol made Gattica, he wanted to make some money as well. The idea is covered up and hidden by flashy action and the prettiest cast this side of the CW. It also showed that without a world class actor (i.e. Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis) to play off of, Justin Timberlake is a work in progress. Despite my being kind of critical, I did enjoy this movie. It was fun and held my interest and Timberlake was good enough. But when you sacrifice an idea for action, like I said, better than I thought it would be but not as good (or maybe now that I think about, as interesting) as it could have been.
my first post
Ok, so i was at the bar with my friend tonight talking about movies over a glorious burger and a beer and he talked me into setting this up. i have no idea who is going to read this but if you do this is what you may see.... This is going to be my take on anything and everything out there that i am interested in. It may be about the movie i saw last night or tv shows i am watching or music i am listening to. It may even be about tonight's basketball game or baseball trade talks or the NFL or the UFC. Really it is just about what i see that sparks my interest and makes me want to say something, especially when there is no one around to say it to. I may post often I may not. All I have to say is that if you enjoy this as it moves forward from here is to hope i am watching and reading lots of things, and if you don't, hope i am not. I can't believe i just started a blog. Damn my movie watching thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)