Thursday, February 27, 2003

Goodbye, neighbor
The death of Fred Rogers was definitely a shock, especially considering he was one of the grand marshals at the Rose Bowl. I don't remember hearing anything about his illness at that time, but then again, for the sake of just about everyone (especially the children), it was probably for the better that it was kept quiet.

Mr. Rogers was a regular part of my TV watching as a kid, along with Sesame Street, the Electric Company and later Square One TV. While the others all employed a sort of hipness in conveying their lessons, Mr. Rogers never did and didn't need to. There was something comforting and refreshing about how he did things: the sweaters, the sneakers, the calming voice. Even the entertaining Land of Make Believe had a sense of familiarity to it. Sure it made him ripe for parody (Eddie Murphy's Mr. Robinson on SNL was classic), but it didn't matter. When you read about how he approached life outside the TV show, you realize he was teaching from the heart, that he was genuine. Many people my age learned a lot from Mr. Rogers at least at the start. Now, at the time of his passing, it might be worth revisiting those lessons, especially regarding respect for others and ourselves.

Wednesday, February 26, 2003

I have to thank my friend Crissy for this amusing video. Thankfully, I don't see any of my relatives needing anything like this.

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Dude, you need a job
As much as he'd like to be considered a "real" actor, Stephen Curtis isn't going to shake that Dell Dude image for a little bit, even if he did get fired after his arrest for pot. He'll be an obscure trivia question in a couple of years, I suppose, and maybe some people will rumble when he's in the ensemble cast of an off-Broadway play in a couple of years.

However, some of the more interesting nuggets from this article include his consideration of the "Do you know who I am?" bit during his arrest. An even scarier thought is that he was wearing a kilt when he was caught. "Dude, if it's not a Dell, it's CRAP!"

And the line that probably is best taken out of context: “It’s fun to play really messed-up people.” Gee, Stephen, isn't that what paid your bills for a couple of years.
Might as well post something here while I keep on playing with the sidebar.

A couple of Grammy notes ...
I didn't see much of the ceremony, although I thought I felt my ears bleed when I heard 'N Sync perform the Bee Gees at the bar I was at. Thankfully I got vindicated later when they did a Clash tribute with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt (still can't believe that's Silvio), Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl. Good stuff.

I like "Don't Know Why," although it took a little longer than I expected to get it drilled in my head via radio. I guess a bunch of stations couldn't figure out what to do with it for a while, then realized it's pop music and could run with it. Much like Star94 caving in to play "Lose Yourself."

And I'm with Mark in ripping Sports Guy's Grammy diary for all the factual errors. I wonder if Simmons is becoming like some of our guys in not editing obvious mistakes because he's becoming a prima donna. Maybe this is why he hasn't done much music talk in the past.

Monday, February 17, 2003

Pay attention, eh?
I ended up at both Thrashers games this weekend, although both had very disappointing endings. They blew a 2-0 lead and ended up with a 2-2 tie against Tampa Bay. I never realized how exciting overtime can be with the 4-on-4. I was impressed with the crowd, although I was a bit surprised to see so many people actually decide to stick around to watch the Loverboy concert afterwards. I might've stayed, but they were scheduled to do 75-minute set. Excuse me, but they have enough stuff to fill that time?

The next day was a lot more interesting with the Red Wings in town. I wanted to think that there was a small convoy of fans coming down from Michigan to watch the game, but I wonder if there's a big bandwagon effect going on here -- although there is a Atlanta chapter of the Red Wings fan club, so who knows. Philips Arena definitely seemed like the Joe at that point, and it was rocking by the end after the defending champs romped 6-2.

A couple of interesting notes from that game:
-- I got a $10 SRO ticket about two hours before the game but met a handful of guys who paid $40 each for theirs not realizing they were SRO. I think they may have gotten them from a guy in front of me who seemed intent on hoarding tickets with the intent to scalp. Buyer beware for sure.
-- I don't think I'd want to propose marriage in a crowded hockey arena, but to each his own. Unfortunately, there were three guys who pulled it off this weekend. The first guy on Valentine's Day actually proposed, "Will you marry me again?" and the crowd warmed nicely to the older couple. The next day during the Red Wings game, one guy did his thing early in the game, and there was some polite applause. Unfortunately, a second guy did the same thing later in the game, and the crowd actually booed him. Part of me felt sorry for him and his fiancee, but part of me was with the crowd. Seeing it once or twice is cute and all, especially given the time of year, but that third time was just way too much. Even the most sentimental of people might've gotten sick of it, so just imagine the jaded and the lonely in the audience.
Not kissing up here, but ...
In one of the more interesting (and probably most looked over) Internet acquisitions of recent years, Google bought Pyra Labs, the creators of Blogger, which powers this little ol' blog. Google has emerged nicely as most of the dot-com world has gone to ruins around them. Adding Blogger to the equation helps out both equally, especially in Blogger's case as it might actually make some of the systems more stable, especially as it continues to pile up users.

Thursday, February 13, 2003

Reality bites
The remote is getting a workout tonight switching among three channels worth of crap, but surprisingly compelling and watchable crap.

Sex ... now that I've got your attention
First off, I thought I'd like Are You Hot a little bit more than I really did. Instead of having to do immunity challenges, sing bad songs, eat horse rectum, etc., everyone is judged on looks. I'll admit that's a main reason I care even slightly about a lot of the reality shows. However, the show rings a bit hollow to me, even if it is a network-TV version of the Bikini Open or the Miss Hawaiian Tropic contest. Maybe it's because it takes on a real American Idol vibe, although Renegade and Randolph Duke (sadly, not Ralph Bellamy from Trading Places) both are trying hard to be Simon Cowell. Otherwise, it's a snarky version of the spokesmodel competition on Star Search.

Oh yeah, I happened to recognize one of the contestants is a friend of one of my co-workers. Obviously I'm not surprised to see her.

Surviving the game
The male vs. female dynamic is intriguing in the new Survivor, but after a while you've got to wonder when they're going to pull the plug on it. It's been a fun ride, but after a while it seems like it's all been done. It was fun seeing the women beat the men in the first immunity challenge -- a testament to hubris. Funny to see them also go full bore with the cheesecake factor by casting a swimsuit model. I'll probably watch if I'm around, but I don't think I'll go out of my way to watch, or do the Yahoo! fantasy game.

Don't I know you?
Oddly enough, two of the lower profile reality shows I've followed closely were full of Chicago-based cast members. The first was the addicting but terrible Love Cruise. The second is the soon-to-be-finished High School Reunion. Again, it's not all that great, but I guess I'm compelled to watch given that it's focusing on people about my age. While it's supposed to feature the Class of '92, there are a few from Class of '91 and '93.

I guess the one cool thing about the whole thing is how they've given decent face time to Holly, who happened to be in my class at Northwestern. Unfortunately, I had no idea who she was until well after I graduated (with the Playboy spread). However, that makes it two members from my class on reality shows -- another person was on The Amazing Race -- and three total on prime time (with Zach Braff from Scrubs).

While things were supposed to have changed over 10 years, everyone seems to be sliding back into their old roles from high school. Add lots of booze and Hawaii, well, you don't really have a lot of compelling entertainment, just a bad version of The Real World but with a more relevant connection. Also, while they've cast "The Nerd," "The Shy Girl," etc., they still found reasonably attractive and telegenic people. They're still missing a few just absolutely hideous people to make it a real reunion.

Celebrity sleaze
It's been a trip watching The Surreal Life, primarily because almost all the celebrities save for Corey Feldman know how to have a good time making fools of themselves -- whether it be performing in a talent show, playing softball or watching Hammer preach. But having Feldman be such the antagonist makes it watchable enough without it being a boring lovefest. However, scheduling his wedding during the filming of the show seems like a bit much.

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

Oscar time
I've seen a decent amount of the movies that garnered Oscar nominations, so let's go over what might win and what I'd like to see win.

Best Picture: I've only seen Chicago and LOTR: The Two Towers. Those were the only two I wanted to see. I enjoy the Lord of the Rings films as epics in movie making, but I think the trilogy will be rewarded next year. I did like Chicago more anyway -- very perky and a lot of fun.

Best Actor: From the early sounds of things, Daniel Day-Lewis will take home another Oscar, although we'll see if the Jack Nicholson bandwagon kicks up again. I really enjoyed Nicholas Cage's double role in Adaptation. I enjoyed the first part of the movie when it focused on his double characters. When he had to interact with Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep, it wasn't as good.

Best Actress: It's one of the more loaded fields in a long time with regards to star power. I don't think I'd have a problem with any one of the five winning. However, I'll lean toward Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven. She was the reason the movie clicked. Plus, it definitely seems like she's due for an Oscar.

Best Supporting Actor: I'm thrilled to see John C. Reilly, one of my favorite actors, get a nod, although it probably was at the expense of Dennis Quaid in Far From Heaven. I think Paul Newman gets the award based on past reputation.

Best Supporting Actress: I'm also happy to see Queen Latifah get a nod after being overlooked at the Golden Globes. She turned in a surprisingly great performance. With that said, Catherine Zeta-Jones probably gets the award here. I can't figure out why she was nominated as a lead actress at the Globes in the first place. She shined when she got the opportunity to do so. She also was a better dancer/performer than Renee Zellweger.

Best Director: Might as well do the double dip and go with Rob Marshall. Putting together a stage musical like Chicago into a film took plenty of good work.

Other notes: My Big Fat Greek Wedding got the token screenplay nod given to movies that made a major impact artistically and financially/exposure but didn't really deserve to be nominated in anything else. I'm also happy for the adapted screenplay nomination for About a Boy, even if it has zero chance of winning against Chicago. (Hmm, LOTR:TTT wasn't nominated in that category.) Thankfully Madonna wasn't nominated for Best Original Song for Die Another Day -- a horrible, horrible tune. However, it should be interesting to see if U2 and Eminem will perform at the Oscars. I'd like to see Eminem win, but I know that's also a long shot -- especially with Paul Simon and an original Chicago tune in the running, although where's Randy Newman (I thought he's just perennially nominated.)?
Dude ...
Should we even be surprised at this news?

Sunday, February 09, 2003

Freaknik revisited
Maybe it's been a good thing I've either been out of town or out of sorts the past couple of days. The crowds hanging around for the NBA All-Star Game and related activities created tons of traffic problems near my office and near my apartment, although thankfully I avoided all of those problems (at least up to now).

It's intriguing to see that Atlanta apparently wasn't prepared for this late-night traffic crush. City officials believed that after hosting a whole bunch of major sporting events like the Final Four, the Super Bowl, the Baseball All-Star Game, and a bunch of SEC/ACC tournament games, Peach Bowl, etc. they would be well-equipped to host this game. In fact, given the smaller capacity of Philips Arena, it might not have been as big a problem since there would be fewer people actually attending the game.

I suppose everyone should've seen this coming. Just judging from all the stories in the AJC leading up to the game, this weekend is less about the game/dunk contest/3-point shootout and more about partying and having a good time. Lots of "seen to be seen" and plenty of bling-bling. There seemed to be more stories about which celebrities were showing up at which parties and where those shindigs were as opposed to actual basketball stories (Michael Jordan's last game, the international flavor, even how weird it would be to see Philips Arena filled to capacity for a basketball game).

It's really interesting to see how different the crowds for this weekend has been compared to crowds for most of the other big sporting events that come into town. One thing that's striking is these fans have spread themselves around the city. They know about Lenox Mall, they know about Greenbriar Mall, they know about all the Buckhead clubs, Club 112, etc., etc. They know how to have a good time in this city, or at least follow all the celebrities who do know.

On the other hand, many of the fans coming for the big college events are content to stay downtown and stay within MARTA range. (Something that killed the Buckhead bars during the '96 Olympics.) They'll do the partying at the games and at the sports bars. They're here for the games. It's a completely different animal.

Thursday, February 06, 2003

I continue to struggle putting together fantasy preview related stuff for the upcoming baseball season for a variety of reasons. Of course, things might be much easier if this happened.
It was a great night for the old alma mater. I did get to watch the surprise whipping of Indiana to end a ridiculous 26-game losing streak. Gotta thank the new CSS sports network for picking up lots of the ESPN Plus package, although they've got lots of time to fill -- a 30-minute show on Lee University basketball was on right after that.

As for the football team, I guess they did well with their 2003 recruiting class. I've never been a huge fan of recruiting -- at least not the huge fervor for it I see down here. It probably has something to do with my high school not having football and Northwestern only being, at best, middle of the pack in the Big Ten for a variety of reasons.

I can understand keeping a close eye on your team and filling needs, and maybe checking up on some rivals, but sometimes I wonder if these fans that follow recruiting (especially in October and November) care enough about the games on the field during the season. Winning on paper to them seems more interesting than winning on the field. I sometimes wonder about it among coaches as well, but I suppose you can never recruit too early. Plus, there's this creepy aspect of adults keeping waaay too close tabs on the often fickle minds of 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds. Sure many of these kids are talented, but come on, think of how confusing and overwhelming this stuff is. And yet a lot of the "experts" are on top of these kids figuring out what they want to do with their lives.

What makes things even more disturbing is what type of crowd shows up on signing day announcing the new recruits. Many schools schedule the announcements in the evening to get everything together, and possibly to wait for fans to come home from their day jobs to celebrate. Over at Georgia, all of the festivities took place during late morning/early afternoon. This wasn't to appease the students, who I'm sure are interested but won't likely come out in huge droves for something like this. Hey 'Dawg fans, y'all got jobs?

With all of the attention on recruiting at some of the bigger schools, it creates some great expectations for the players and the program. While that's a good sign, it also makes potential failure that much worse. It sometimes seems like the Maurice Claretts of the world are actually the minority when it comes to highly touted recruits. Some players would have to win the Ron Powlus/Beano Cook three Heisman Trophies to be considered a success. At the same time, fans end up embracing some walk-on who emerges as a star player, so it's all over the place.
I'll be up in Chattanooga this weekend (again) for NAQT Sectionals, most likely, and Dwight has a great primer on moderating -- of which I follow about half the rules. Although I think I do a decent enough job -- at least to be requested by some of the contending teams to read the Division 1 finals the past couple of years.

Sunday, February 02, 2003

Stick to your, um, day job?
I've been getting used to Tony Schiavone doing postgame shows for the Braves and Hawks, despite always thinking of him calling for Goldberg or the Four Horsemen or anything else from his days at WCW. I didn't realize he was still in wrestling, as seen by this hilarious photo (he's on the left next to Vince Russo and, I guess, Raven). And you wonder why I won't bother paying the money to watch NWA-TNA on pay-per-view.
Why do I keep on watching?
After all of the A-list talent at the Super Bowl, and the decent second-tier talent at the conference championship games, the Pro Bowl features a halftime performance by Jennifer Love Hewitt??? I'm not sure what to make of the fact that she now looks a lot like Sabrina Lloyd from "Sports Night" and "Ed." As for what she was singing, I haven't a clue, since I was listening to this song on the MP3 player.
All-Star shenanigans
Well, I think I've just seen the greatest moment in Pro Bowl history. Nope, no big pass play or vicious tackle. Instead, Peyton Manning using the word "idiot" about four times (according to Dan Fouts) responding to Mike Vanderjagt's comments about the Colts' lack of passion. Nice to see Manning not play diplomat or anything, instead just absoultely ripping Vanderjagt for "getting liquored up and going on some show" to criticize the team. "Too bad, he's a very good kicker. He's given all kickers a bad name for a long time." In the midst of that truly excellent diatribe, Travis Henry scored a touchdown. That barely warranted a mention. Ah, the Pro Bowl.

On the other hand, it was a treat seeing Dany Heatley's breakthrough performance at the All-Star Game. Having Jaromir Jagr as a linemate doesn't hurt. But what seemed to be the case until recently, Heatley's team lost despite the heroics. I've come to think that the NHL All-Star Game keeps rising up the list as the most interesting All-Star Game. Setting off one period each for the goalies gives each of those players a nice set time frame to do their work (although it's usually ducking for cover with all of the shots). All of the other players can get a solid amount of work because of the rotation of lines. There may be little checking or penalties, but that probably helps the flow of the games. Plus, they are plans in place in case of a tie -- although in the case of the NHL, what's wrong with having a tie at the All-Star Game?

Saturday, February 01, 2003

Columbia 1981-2003
I'll defer to Glenn Reynolds and his InstaPundit for much of the thoughts and analysis of today's Columbia tragedy. The running thread about some at CBC Newsworld blaming the tragedy on American "arrogance" definitely rubs me the wrong way, but check out this excellent reply.

A couple of other things that struck me about the events of today, though. One of my friends said he got a lot of shrugs and "who cares" responses when the news first hit. That was very disconcerting. This may not have the same impact as Challenger, but I'd hate to think that because of 9/11, the only tragedies that would create any emotion would have to involve large-scale losses (oh, only seven dead?).

Oddly enough, I felt a lot more shock today than I did on 9/11. Maybe that's because I was over at KSC just last year, and that I've always been a big fan of the space program, always hoping they'd do more (which obviously won't happen for a while now). Some of it could be that other than Iraq and some anti-Israel groups, I thought it would be hard to cheer this demise.
Conversely, while I was glued to coverage as I woke up to the news (thanks to a clumsy description from a weekend morning DJ just before a Dave Matthews song), it didn't seem like I had to throw away my whole day to watch the news. Part of it could be that I had some other plans, part of it could be that I wasn't working today, part of it could be that after a while you knew the who/what/when/where of the story, and the rest of the day was spent figuring out how/why -- and that's sometimes too much to take over a long period of time.

Also, it's hard to believe it's been 17 years since Challenger. Many people about my age still remember it clearly -- it was one of the unfortunately defining moments of our grade-school education. It showed very clearly how time really does seem compressed. At the same time, it's also hard to believe NASA hasn't made bigger steps in the space program since then. Columbia was actually older than Challenger, and the other shuttles only seemed to be marginal step-ups from the originals. Granted, Challenger really put a crimp into everything, but you get the feeling there hasn't been a lot done since even before the Shuttle, and that maybe Apollo or Skylab was the peak of real forward thinking in space exploration. Put it this way, think of what computers and other personal technological devices you were using when Challenger exploded. Now think of what you have today. With all of the advances in those techonologies, you'd almost think that there would be greater advances in the space realm.

Regarding media coverage, sometimes you wonder why a news network would have a space correspondent, it's for instances like this, I guess. Miles O'Brien did a solid job running things in the first hours after the tragedy, although he seemed to be flustered by overmatched producers and control room folks. This happened on a Saturday morning, so let's just say you're not always dealing with the most experienced staff or even a full staff. The "Breaking News" bit may have stayed on the screen a bit longer than probably expected, but they at least kept it toned down when "branding" the tragedy. Fox News went with "Tragedy in the Sky," which for many of us in sports still reminds us of FoxSports.com's unfortunate "Tragedy in the Ski" headline when Payne Stewart's plane crashed.