It was a pretty good round for the Buffalo Bills in the latest inductions to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Two of the six who made the cut were associated with the team: Bruce Smith, their fearsome defensive end from 1985 to 1998, and Ralph Wilson, long time team owner and founding member of the AFL.
It was even better for the late Bob Hayes. He won two gold medals at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the second thanks to his incredible come from behind surge running the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay. He helped the Dallas Cowboys win five Eastern Conference titles, two NFC titles, and a Super Bowls in ten seasons (1964-1974), in the process forcing NFL teams to invent zone coverage schemes to counteract his unmatchable speed. And yet, inexplicably and somewhat controversially, was passed over repeatedly by the Hall of Fame Committee. Today's decision makes him the world's only athlete to have Olympic gold, a Super Bowl ring, and a place in the Hall.
Also voted in were former Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel, former Kansas City Chiefs middle linebacker Derrick Thomas (posthumously), and well-traveled defense back Rod Woodson (Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders).
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Coachella Lineup
Is the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival still relevant? At least one commentator believes that while it used to warrant a significant investment of time and money, Coachella has in recent years become just another top heavy three day concert. This perception is apparently based on a too small lineup of Big Names.
Odds are lots and lots of people will go anyway. And when they do they will choose among:
* 43 performers on Friday, April 17.
These will include Franz Ferdinand, the Black Keys, Girl Talk, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, and Paul McCartney.
* 41 performers on Saturday, April 18.
These will include Bob Mould Band, Amy Winehouse (unless she's in jail, in rehab, or dead), Henry Rollins, The Killers, Superchunk, and TV On The Radio.
* 37 performers on Sunday,April 19
These will include The Cure, Jenny Lewis, Lupe Fiasco, My Bloody Valentine, Public Enemy, Throbbing Gristle, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and X.
Is that enough? If not, you can view the full lineup [here] and decide.
Odds are lots and lots of people will go anyway. And when they do they will choose among:
* 43 performers on Friday, April 17.
These will include Franz Ferdinand, the Black Keys, Girl Talk, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, and Paul McCartney.
* 41 performers on Saturday, April 18.
These will include Bob Mould Band, Amy Winehouse (unless she's in jail, in rehab, or dead), Henry Rollins, The Killers, Superchunk, and TV On The Radio.
* 37 performers on Sunday,April 19
These will include The Cure, Jenny Lewis, Lupe Fiasco, My Bloody Valentine, Public Enemy, Throbbing Gristle, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and X.
Is that enough? If not, you can view the full lineup [here] and decide.
(The Usual) Off Season Drama
The economy is in freefall. Disruptive changes and great challenges lie ahead. The nation watches and waits, barely daring to breath. And over it all hangs a pivotal question: Will the Boston Red Sox resign catcher Jason Varitek?
Well, actually, even Red Sox fans are kind of jaded about the whole issue. The team is offering $5 million. Varitek is holding out for more. Casual observers of the negotiation (ie: fan postings on message boards) describe him as a type-A personality whose defense is pretty good but whose offense is suspect; his career batting average is .263, which is... average. They think he's already getting the best deal he can expect. And some analysts who have sliced and diced the numbers question whether a catcher really affects the performance of a pitching staff all that much.
But team management seems to like him, so maybe after Varitek is done sulking he'll sign on. Or not. If he doesn't, the Red Sox can sign me instead. I'd love it someone paid me $5 million a year to play baseball. (And apart from my inability to hit, field, or throw, I'm an outstanding baseball player.)
Well, actually, even Red Sox fans are kind of jaded about the whole issue. The team is offering $5 million. Varitek is holding out for more. Casual observers of the negotiation (ie: fan postings on message boards) describe him as a type-A personality whose defense is pretty good but whose offense is suspect; his career batting average is .263, which is... average. They think he's already getting the best deal he can expect. And some analysts who have sliced and diced the numbers question whether a catcher really affects the performance of a pitching staff all that much.
But team management seems to like him, so maybe after Varitek is done sulking he'll sign on. Or not. If he doesn't, the Red Sox can sign me instead. I'd love it someone paid me $5 million a year to play baseball. (And apart from my inability to hit, field, or throw, I'm an outstanding baseball player.)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Super Bowl Start Time
Kickoff for this year's Super Bowl (43 if you're New School, XLIII if you're Old School) is at 6pm eastern standard time. Or 6:20pm EST. No one wants to say precisely; the pre-game show and various set-pieces have to be shoe-horned in, and sometimes these don't come off quite as planned. But you can probably expect the ball will be in play by 6:30pm EST at the latest. A world wide audience of potentially 1 billion could tune in.
The pre-game show starts at 12:01am EST on Sunday morning and will run continuously for roughly 18 hours, the commercials having long ago become integrated into the programming. Topics covered will include profiles of key players, their families, pets, and home towns, profiles of the coaches, their families, pets, and home towns, profiles of the assistant coaches, profiles of coaches' hair pieces if any, and highlights from each of the previous XLII Super Bowls accompanied by dramatic music and commentary. Complete exhaustion of all relevant subject matter will be achieved by 3:00pm EST.
The actual game will pit the Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As of this writing Pittsburgh is favored by a touchdown or nearly so, but in recent years the games have been close. And almost compelling enough to justify the hype. If each team’s playoff performance is anything to go by, this year could hold true to form.
It should be noted as an afterthought that although the westernmost range of the North American Cardinal does extend to Arizona, you are much more likely to find these birds in the eastern half of the country. Nor is steel made in Pittsburgh these days. The city's economy is now based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, fashion, and financial services.
The pre-game show starts at 12:01am EST on Sunday morning and will run continuously for roughly 18 hours, the commercials having long ago become integrated into the programming. Topics covered will include profiles of key players, their families, pets, and home towns, profiles of the coaches, their families, pets, and home towns, profiles of the assistant coaches, profiles of coaches' hair pieces if any, and highlights from each of the previous XLII Super Bowls accompanied by dramatic music and commentary. Complete exhaustion of all relevant subject matter will be achieved by 3:00pm EST.
The actual game will pit the Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As of this writing Pittsburgh is favored by a touchdown or nearly so, but in recent years the games have been close. And almost compelling enough to justify the hype. If each team’s playoff performance is anything to go by, this year could hold true to form.
It should be noted as an afterthought that although the westernmost range of the North American Cardinal does extend to Arizona, you are much more likely to find these birds in the eastern half of the country. Nor is steel made in Pittsburgh these days. The city's economy is now based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, fashion, and financial services.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection (It's a game, it's a movie)
The end of January is providing a flood of riches for fans of Samuel L. Jackson and Afro Samurai: a two hour movie AND a game for XBox 360 and Playstation 3. The movie premiered on Spike TV last Sunday (Jan. 25, 2009), and the game debuted last Tuesday (Jan. 27, 2009). Still ahead is the DVD release of the movie on February 3rd. Jackson once again lends his distinctive voice to Afro, the haunted, nearly mute samurai, and to Afro's talkative alter ego Ninja Ninja.
The Movie:
Of all the movies Jackson appeared in last year (there were six, but who's counting?), Afro Samurai: Resurrection has by his own admission a special place in his heart. The story line is what you would expect from a comic book melodrama: Afro walks a shattered, post-apocalyptic earth, avenging the desecration of his father's grave by the sadistic mastermind Sio (voiced by Lucy Liu). The important thing is that he looks and sounds really good doing it. And thanks to the stylized vision of Manga artist Takashi Okazaki, combined with the music of Wu-Tang Clan alum RZA, he does. Through every lightning crack, sword slash, and gush of blood.
The Game:
Is the game a movie, or is the movie a game? Well, either way it all fits. With a story based on a character thirsting for vengeance, you know there's going to be a whole lot of bad guys to chop up. And OK, sure, you've encountered that before. But once again, it's about the look, the design, the movement. The use of dynamic cross-hatching visuals give a captivating pen and ink hand-drawn feel to the environments you explore, and the characters you meet. These work seamlessly with an innovative combat system that enable you to execute your foes with fluid yet elegantly precise fighting moves (imagine that!). Raw, irreverent dialogue and RZA's hip-hop score complete the experience. If you ever wanted to inhabit Afro's world, Publisher Namco Bandai Games America Inc. has delivered.
The Movie:
Of all the movies Jackson appeared in last year (there were six, but who's counting?), Afro Samurai: Resurrection has by his own admission a special place in his heart. The story line is what you would expect from a comic book melodrama: Afro walks a shattered, post-apocalyptic earth, avenging the desecration of his father's grave by the sadistic mastermind Sio (voiced by Lucy Liu). The important thing is that he looks and sounds really good doing it. And thanks to the stylized vision of Manga artist Takashi Okazaki, combined with the music of Wu-Tang Clan alum RZA, he does. Through every lightning crack, sword slash, and gush of blood.
The Game:
Is the game a movie, or is the movie a game? Well, either way it all fits. With a story based on a character thirsting for vengeance, you know there's going to be a whole lot of bad guys to chop up. And OK, sure, you've encountered that before. But once again, it's about the look, the design, the movement. The use of dynamic cross-hatching visuals give a captivating pen and ink hand-drawn feel to the environments you explore, and the characters you meet. These work seamlessly with an innovative combat system that enable you to execute your foes with fluid yet elegantly precise fighting moves (imagine that!). Raw, irreverent dialogue and RZA's hip-hop score complete the experience. If you ever wanted to inhabit Afro's world, Publisher Namco Bandai Games America Inc. has delivered.
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