Seasons Where History was Made

Sports fans in this area this year can relate to a line in a Rolling Stones song. "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you'll find, you get what you need". Fans of the cowboys and rangers before the year the baseball and football seasons started were seeing visions of the first time ever of a team (the cowboys of course) playing at their home stadium in the superbowl and were wondering if the Rangers would ever be sold to Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenburg and doubting the Ranger motto this year "It's time". This year showed why sports is better than the movies or television. What happened to both the Rangers and Cowboys this year could not have been imagined or scripted. In both good and bad ways, fans saw history being made.
First the bad. The Dallas Cowboys at this point in the season are a pathetic 1 and 7. They have given up more than 30 points in the last 3 games. Not since the cowboys expansion team of 1960 has this ever happened. In the history of the NFL, or any other sport for that matter, I cannot think of one team that had such high expectations that performed this poorly. There are so many reasons for this disastrous season and you could write a book the size of "War and Peace" if you wanted to list all of them but the primary one is that their owner/general manager and players bought into the delusion that wearing the star on your helmet makes you a privileged team that is above all other teams in the NFL regardless of commitment and character. The cowboys have already quit on this season so that's enough about these colossal failures, lets move now to the good.
The Texas Rangers for the first time in their franchise history made it to the world series. It would have been great if they would have won but unfortuntately ran into a San Francisco Giant team with a brilliant pitching staff. Great pitching once again beat great hitting but it will not take away the great memories the Rangers provided to their fans this season. The Rangers had the pitching and hitting needed to make it to the world series but the reason they did is because they played like a team. Watching every game this season, you knew no player was interested in his individual statistics or accomplishments. What mattered most was what the final score said and the Rangers made all the sacrifices necessary to get as many wins as they could. Every player had another player's back and was ready to pick someone up when they were down. The main reason the rangers were a great team is the decision Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniel made before the season started in keeping Manager Ron Washington. After Washington admitted to testing positive for cocaine last year most people (myself included) thought the Rangers front office was making a huge mistake in not accepting Washington's resignation and thought he would be a heavy burden on the team. Thankfully, the Ranger front office saw something in Washington that the rest of us saw as the season went along. Washington may not be the best strategic manager in baseball just yet but he has a quality that most other managers would give their right arm for. He gets his players to play their best for him. There are many managers whose players say they like him but Washington's players go a step further. They don't just say they like him, they say that they appreciate his honesty and that he always without failure has their back. This quality resonated throughout the Rangers this season and it was easy to see that the players weren't playing for themselves but for their team and all their fans. After watching the Rangers defeat the Yankees and win the American League Championship series, I felt that the Rangers did not just like their manager but would give their life for him and that he would do the same for any member of his team. Ranger fans like me will be feeling a great deal of gratitude to this year's Rangers team for a long time. We didn't get everything we wanted but we got what we needed and more than we've ever had.

Rangers in the World Series at Last

There is no doubt now that when the Rangers are healthy, they are the best team in the American League. In their series against the Yankees, the Rangers for the most part outhit, outpiched and outmanaged the Yankees. After Nelson Cruz's two run home run to make the score 5 to 1, the Yankees knew they were defeated and were up against a superior opponent they could not beat. It has been a long time in the making but Ranger fans have finally gotten the chance to see their team in the World Series.
The Rangers will face a different opponent than they are use to in the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants do not have any big name all star hitters but do have an outstanding and deep pitching staff. Their two best pitchers are starters Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain who both have the ability to completely shut down their opponents hitters as evidenced by the fact that Cain has not given up an earned run in more than 13 innings. The Giants like to keep the game close and use timely hitting to score a run late in a game to win. What I doubt we will see is long 4 and 1/2 hour games like we did against the Yankees (Thank God!). What I have a feeling we will seee is close games where the pitching will be the determining factor in who wins. The Ranger hitters must be smart and opportunistic in not swing at pitches out of the strike zone and getting timely hits with runners on base. One concern I have is that designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero will have to play right field since the first two games will be played with National League rules. In close games like these could be, errors are a deciding factor in who wins so the Rangers must be at their best defensively. This has the makings of a great world series with two teams eager to show they belong there and make people aware that there are other teams than the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies in baseball.
The Rangers have been very impressive and have given all Ranger fans great memories already and let's hope some even better ones are coming in the World Series.
Let the games begin!
Go Rangers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Step to the Series

With the Rangers coming home with a 3 to 2 lead in in AL championship series with the Yankees, fans all over the metroplex will be on the edge of their seats watching every pitch tomorrow. For the Rangers to win the series they need to remember what got them there which is timely hitting, smart base running and solid pitching. The Yankees won't give up without a fight so for the Rangers to win tomorrow the hitters need to be patient and not swing at pitches outside the strike zone. The Yankee bullpen has looked vulnerable and the Rangers need to work the pitch count and force Yankee Pitcher Phil Hughes to throw pitches over the the mid portion of the strike zone. The Ranger defense cannot afford to make any errors and what would also help would be a spectacular defensive play. These type of games can turn on either an error or a great defensive play so the Rangers infield and outfield will need to be at their best.
Note to all Ranger fans in the first two rows on the first and third base line. If a Yankee hits a pop foul and you see it is coming toward you, don't try to catch it!! Every out is important and we don't want a Steve Bartman moment to come to Arlington. Support your Rangers and let them make the catch. If the Rangers are at their best they can defeat the Yankees so let's hope Ranger fans can celebrate the Rangers going forward to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!

Rangers Biggest Test

Unfortunately the Rangers were unable to put away Tampa Bay in Arlington this weekend. I would like to say I am surprised but Tampa Bay didn't finish the season with 96 wins by luck and the Rangers inability to hit with runners in scoring position and costly errors are some of the reasons we are at game 5 now. This looks to be a very close low scoring game. If Cliff Lee pitches for the Rangers like he did in game 1 they will be in good shape but David Price is unlikely to have two poor outings in a row so for the Rangers to win they must play smart fundamental baseball and get key hits with runners in scoring position. This is the type of game where timely hitting will make you and errors will break you. In game 4, outfielder Nelson Cruz's failure to call Ian Kinsler off for a short fly ball which ended up in an error and the Rays first run cannot happen tomorrow if the Rangers want to win. They would also benefit if Vladimir Guerrero will stop swing at pitches low and outside the strike zone with runners on first and second with one out. I know Guerrero has hit home runs this way but so far all he has gotten is strike outs or double plays in the playoffs and has killed any rallies that the Rangers were leading up to. For the Rangers to win they must be agressive and smart. This is the biggest game in franchise history and let's all hope the Rangers bring out their best game tomorrow.

Go Rangers!!!!!!!!!!

The Playoffs are Here

The Rangers are in the American League playoffs and will face the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers are not favored to win but it would not be a big surprise if they can win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history. For this to occur Cliff Lee must pitch as he has in past playoff games with the Phillies and CJ Wilson must be at his best as well. Of course the middle part of the Ranger lineup (Hamilton, Guerroro and Cruz) must hit with men in scoring position but this is the type of series that can turn on an error. The Rays rarely ever beat themselves and are among the best in baseball in fewest number of errors. The Rangers must avoid both fielding errors and baserunning errors. Too many times this year Ranger baserunners (most often Nelson Cruz) have crossed the line between aggressive and stupid baserunning and these type of mistakes can be the decisive factor in close games in the playoffs. Manager Ron Washington must have his team focused on every detail of the game and tell his players that when they are on the bases tagging on second base to go to third on a medium fly ball to right field with one out is stupid. The other thing that concerns me is the play of 3rd baseman Michael Young. Young's range at 3rd base has declined and too often he has either flyed out to right field or grounded out to shortstop with men in scoring position. Young is the leader of the Rangers on the field and has waited a long time to be in the playoffs and here is where he needs to get back to the way he played in a younger day and help lead his team to victory. This should be a close series so let's hope the Rangers can elevate their game a notch and win their first playoff series. For the metroplex, that would be a great thing to see. Go Rangers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Cocaine to Champagne

The Rangers may have had the most tumultuous and chaotic run on their way to winning the American League West. The season started when it was revealed Manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine last year and offered his resignation that Ranger management did not accept. Soon afterward it looked like the sale of the club to Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenburg would be finalized but the many banks that prior owner Tom Hicks was in debt to would not finalize the deal. On the field the two Ranger pitchers, Rich Harden and Scott Feldman were struggling and the Rangers had to place their hopes on CJ Wilson who had never been a starting pitcher before and Colby Lewis who had been pitching in Japan for the last three years. Thankfully both pitchers exceeded their expectations as did the acquisition of slugger Vladimir Guerrero and bullpen pitcher Darren Oliver. When outfielder Josh Hamilton was healthy he was the best player in baseball and the late season trade to acquire pitching ace Cliff Lee showed that the Rangers finally had the team to contend for the pennant. When the seemingly endless bankruptcy ordeal finally concluded in court where the Rangers were put on the auction block and the team of Greenburg and Ryan won, a sense of relief was felt everywhere and fans were confident that the Rangers would win the division. In mid September the Rangers won the division and for the first time in a very long time that the Rangers can make a push to make it to the world series. There are so many people to credit but to me General Manager Jon Daniel should be given a special award for bringing in so many key players like Vlad Guererro and Cliff Lee with one hand tied behind his back thanks to the Rangers bankruptcy situation. The Rangers are not quite the best team in baseball right now but if their hitters can get on a hot streak and if Cliff Lee can pitch like he has in the playoffs in the past, the Rangers can make it to the World Series for the first time in their franchise history. Let's all hope for it.

A Reminder that Great Comedy is no Match for Mortality

Yesterday I was shocked to learn that comedian Greg Giraldo died. I searched on the internet and found reports that he had accidentally overdosed on prescription medication. It struck me as sadly ironic that he died in the same way he hysterically roasted some deceased celebrities on the annual comedy central roasts that he helped make famous. A line from the Monty Python song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" instantly came to mind. "You'll see it's all a show, keep them laughing as you go, just remember that the last laugh is on you". The last laugh was on Giraldo like it will be for everybody and along the way he kept many people laughing and some harder than they'd ever laughed before.
I first became aware of Greg Giraldo on Colin Quinn's show "Tough Crowd" on comedy central in 2003. His humor was dark, edgy, smart and poignant. His wit was razor sharp but not mean spirited. When he came to the metroplex to perform at the Addison Improv, I went with a friend to see him to see if he was as funny doing stand up live as he was on television and found that he was even funnier. I don't remember how much the tickets cost but I know I would have paid double to see him. Giraldo, like all great perfomers, didn't just perfom his comedy on the stage, he owned it. Less than a minute into his monologue, I had completely forgotten everything about the two opening acts. The highlight of the show was where a woman not far from the stage was laughing so uncontrolably at one of his jokes he said earlier that Giraldo couldn't continue his monologue. He politely asked the woman her name and the good natured woman answered. Giraldo then asked what she did for a living and she said she was a claims adjustor. Giraldo responded "okay you're an adjustor" and the woman interjected saying "now get it right, I'm a Claims Adjustor". Giraldo then quickly responded "oh I'm sorry, please tell us more about your meaningless shit job". The crowd and the woman all laughed out loud and the rest of his monologue carried on. Giraldo was a comedian that knew how far to take dark edgy humor without going over the line into anger and vindictiveness. His insults at people on the surface seemed brutal and you would wonder if the person he insulted would ever have any self respect again but Giraldo did it in such a good natured way that even after he insulted you, you would be glad to have a beer with him. He was also very intelligent and had a Law degree from Harvard. Watching Giraldo do stand up you could tell he had gained throughout his life a thorough understanding of history, american culture and the troubles that plague our society. Unlike some comedians who think they're smart (hello Bill Maher and Jeanneane Garofalo) Giraldo truly was.
Giraldo was not a perfect man and often directed his humor at himself which I suspect was the result of demons that he struggled with inside from drugs and alcohol addictions. At this point we can only wonder how much his internal struggles lead to his early death. Regardless of how he died, I know that an easy thing for me to do was to get ready and watch Giraldo peform his brilliant comedy that I identified with and a difficult thing for me to accept is that I will never get to see him perform comedy live again.
Thank you Greg Giraldo for all your years as a comedian and the countless number of laughs you gave us.

Upcoming NFL Season

In a little more than a month pro football will start another season which will conclude at the superbowl in Arlington. In the history of the NFL there has never been a team play the superbowl in their home stadium and the Cowboys look to have the best chance of being the first team to do so. Even though rookie Wide Receiver Dez Bryant was hurt today the Cowboy offense is still loaded with offensive weapons at running back, tight end and wide receiver and if Offensive Tackle Doug Free can play at a high level the already potent Cowboy offense will improve. On defense rookie Linebacker Sean Lee has the chance to be a great addition and if Anthony Spencer and Demarcus Ware play like they did last season, opposing teams will have difficulty scoring touchdowns. Does all this mean the Cowboys will make it to the superbowl? Quite possibly. The teams with the best chance to derail the Cowboys will be Minnesota, New Orleans and Green Bay. The Packers are improving but not quite experienced enough to make a superbowl run. The Saints will suffer from Superbowl hangover from last season and the Vikings will go through internal turmoil created from the neverending boring will he or will he not retire saga that is Brett Favre. My prediction is that the Cowboys will make it to the Superbowl this season so get ready Cowboy fans, this season could be something special.

P.S.
This blog was written in memory of my friend Jodie Filidei who died too soon last week of cancer. On Jodie's face was almost always a smile and seldom ever a frown and in her heart was a genuine love for the Cowboys that was surpassed by the love she had for her many friends, her family and life itself.
Rest in peace Jodie. We miss you.

1st place Rangers (but for how long?)

As of today the Rangers are 4 and 1/2 games in first place. I'm sure there were some fans that were disappointed to losing two of three to the Angels and that Manager Ron Washington decided not to pitch Colby Lewis in the series but looking at the big picture, Washington did the right thing. It is still early in the season and Lewis after two prior long outings needed a rest to be ready for the games later this season when the temperature will be hotter. Fans should also keep in mind that the Rangers won the majority of the games they played against the Angels last season and the Angels still won the division by 10 games. Right now the Rangers deserve to be in first place in the AL West and have the best player playing baseball at this point in Josh (please no injuries or relapse) Hamilton. Since Julio Borbon has found his hitting groove there is no weak spot in the lineup and the defense has improved as well. As much as the Rangers have improved their starting pitchinig the last two years, they are still at least a pitcher away from contending with teams like the Yankees or Red Sox. Colby Lewis, CJ Wilson and Tommy (Big Game) Hunter have been solid but Scott Feldman has struggled most of the season and the acquisition of Rich Harden has been a bust. If Derek (Dutch Oven) Holland comes back from his knee injury this month, it would be a good addition but not enough to make people think the Rangers are an elite team. The month of July will be a key month because if the Rangers are finally sold (I pray it is to the Greenburg and Ryan) it will give them the money to go after either Astro's Pitcher Roy Oswalt or Mariner's ace Cliff Lee. There have been great times at The Ballpark in Arlington so far and what happens to the Rangers off the field in July will go a long way in determining if even better times are on the horizon.

Ranger's Season So Far

At this point in the season the Rangers are three games over five hundred and in first place in the American League West (a.k.a the american league worst). In all aspects of the team there are both things to get excited about and things to get worried about.
When it comes to hitting, Vladimir Guerroro has been outstanding at home games but struggles with the away games. Josh Hamilton and Michael Young are struggling some to get into a consistent hitting groove while Nelson Cruz when healthy has been hitting the ball all over the park. The return of Ian Kinsler will hopefully provide some more offensive fire power.
On defense there are a few too many errors being made by Elvis Andrus but since he is young and has been hitting well along with making spectacular defensive plays that situation should improve itself.
The starting pitching has seen outstanding pitching from CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis while Scott Feldman has struggled and Rich Harden continues his seemingly neverending quest to find the strike zone. Hopefully the addition of Dutch Oven will improve the pitching and Scott Feldman will rediscover what made him an effective pitcher last season.
The bullpen has seen Frankie Francisco struggle to the point of losing his job as a closer to Neftali Feliz. Darren Oliver has done everything asked of him and then some as a set up man but the rest of the bullpen is inconsistent. Feliz has the ability to be a an outstanding closer but needs to work on the location of his pitches because even 99 mile an hour fastballs if thrown over the middle of the plate end up as home runs in the major leagues.
It is way too early to tell if the Rangers will improve like in some seasons or deteriorate like in many other seasons. If additional players are needed, they will need to come from their minor league farm system since the sale of the Rangers currently looks like it will be delayed for a long time. I'm sure every Ranger fan is hoping for the best but won't be surprised if the team regresses and we see the dog days of summer again. Stay tuned.

The Diary of Anne Frank

I'm not sure if "The Diary of Anne Frank" was required reading where I went to school. I don't think it was but since in my school days I had a 2 second attention span (which has since improved to 5) and a very short memory, this could be false. Whether it was required reading at my school or not, I felt the need to read it after viewing PBS's masterpiece theatre's "The Diary of Anne Frank" to see if it gave an accurate depiction of Anne Frank and after completing reading it have come to the conclusion that the program's portrayal of her is right on the mark. Screenwriter Deborah Moggach very wisely avoids the temptation of placing Anne Frank on a pedastal and shows her as a very complex girl who even though possessed writing abilities that were beyond her years was still a teenager, no longer a child and not quite yet an adult. As portrayed by Ellie Kendrick, in a remarkable performance, Anne Frank is a girl who is on her way to discovering herself while struggling with relationships under dire circumstances. She adores her father, admires but does not always get along with her older sister Margot, and feels a disconnect from her mother, who she does truly love, but does not in anyway understand. She is also frustrated by the bickerings of Mr and Mrs. Van Damme along with having to share a room with the dentist Mr. Dussel and flirtatiously pursues a relationship with the Van Damme's son Peter who is a few years older than Anne but very shy. Of course all this is going on within the confines of the secret annex Anne, her family, and family's friends are forced to hide out in because of the Nazi's occupation of Holland. Anne is very aware that at any time they could be discovered and sent to die in concentration camps for the "crime" of being Jewish and that many of her friends have probably already perished in these camps but decides to treat it as a strange adventure instead of feeling sad and miserable about it all day. If one wants to pass judgement on Anne Frank's behavior, I would only want to ask them how do you expect a teenage girl to act at this stage of her life. Teenage years are the years of sexual awakening and trying to discover your identity and how you fit into a world that is larger than you imagined as a child. It's asking a great deal for a teenager to always behave properly in free and peaceful times, let alone a teenager trying to do it while the holocaust is going on. This movie succeeds in showing a multi faceted girl,who was right on the verge of becoming a woman, discover her passion and talent for writing. It shows that Anne Frank, while in her more than two years of hiding, gained a keen insight on human characteristics and foibles that are present in her diary and on top of that had the courage to hold the mirror to herself and reveal her positive qualities and character flaws. As the movie comes closer to its conclusion Anne Frank has found her passion for writing and, even though she is unsure if she will be good at it, will pursue it as a career with all her heart. Although she is living at a time when people of her religion are being exterminated, she still has faith in God and believes that people are inherently good and that better times will be on the horizon. Because Anne Frank is shown to be such a complex teenager that is easy to identify with who discovered her passion for writing, the conclusion of her, her family, the Van Dammes, and Mr. Dussel being discovered by the Nazi's and led out of the annex is all the more tragic even though we already know it will happen. The movie's last scene of the maid Miep discovering Anne's diary after she has been taken away does in a way offer some hope. While it is very sad that Anne Frank's potential to be a great writer was never given the chance to develop, she succeeded in her dream of creating something that would live on long after she was gone. If Hitler and the Nazis thought that by exterminating the Jews their memories would fade away soon after, they were badly mistaken. After seeing this movie and reading "The Diary of Anne Frank", I kept thinking of that old quote that "the pen is mightier than the sword". In it's own way, "The Diary of Anne Frank" is a reminder that the pen can also be mightier than the gun, the bomb, the gas chamber, and the most cruel and hateful intentions and deeds of a ruthless dictator.

Rangers already in trouble?

I know they say hope springs eternal but this spring training for the Rangers is giving their fans a bad vibe. The Rangers just lost their 7th straight spring training game which under other circumstances is not a cause for concern but with the Rangers and Manager Ron Washington is very worrysome. The distraction created by Washington testing positive for cocaine last summer may be something to difficult to overcome. There is no doubt that the players like to play for Washington and will give their best effort for him but Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniel made a big mistake in not accepting his resignation after his positive drug test. Washington said he used cocaine for the first time when he tested positive for it. He is either lying or stupid beyond words and should not be in a position to make important decisions for the Rangers. The other problem is the injury bug has already hit Josh Hamilton (yet again) and Ian Kinsler this spring and many of their other players like Rich Harden are injury prone as well and likely will miss significant time this season. This is the time for Michael Young to prove he is a worthy leader of the team and to demand accountability and excellence out of his teammates. The players have said they will stand behind their manager and if early on they play like they have been playing in spring training they will quickly lose their manager and the season as well.

Oscar's irrelevance and remembering one of my heroes

The academy awards show has come and gone and like every other year I missed it. I know it's a show that attracts a large audience who want to see if there favorite films and actors take home the Oscar but for me it is something I could care less about. I'm sure tomorrow I will find out who won in their respective categories and by the end of the week will forget all about it. There are many reasons why I don't see the purpose in putting on a 3 and a half hour show to see actors, producers and directors give long winded boring speeches and one reason is that my favorite director, the late Stanley Kubrick never won an academy award for best director. It was 11 years ago today that Stanley Kubrick, who in my opinion was the best filmmaker ever, passed away at the age of 70. Below is what I wrote about him the day after I heard he had died.

March 7, 1999 had to be one of the saddest and most reflective days of my life. When I heard the news that Stanley Kubrick had died I was deeply saddended and as the day went by I began to look back to the days when I learned about him. That was when I was in college and at that time the only reason for me to see a movie was to be entertained or to watch actors like Nicholson, Deniro and Pacino command the screen with their star power. Thanks to the advent of cable T.V. and VCR's I would come across a few movies that make me see films in a completely different way. The first film I saw was "2001 A Space Odyssey". At first I thought the movie was too slow and hard to follow but the special effects along with the graceful way the movie was shot and the music made it impossible for me to look away from it. Then I had heard about a movie from a friend called "A Clockwork Orange". I was told it was a movie set in the future with violence. What I saw I didn't expect. There was violence in the movies but I had seen other films with twice the amout of violence . Despite that, the distburing scenes of the movie I could not get out of my mind. Scenes like Alex (played brilliantly by Malcom McDowell) and his Droogs torturing a writer and raping his wife while Alex was singing and dancing to "Singing in the Rain" and Alex being "cured" by the government by having to watch images on film in a straight jacket created lasting images in my mind. I didn't know what to make of the film but I knew I was seeing something unlike I'd ever seen before. Shortly thereafter an instinct I had at the video store would end up being the final step in my discovery of a genius. I was there without a clue on what what I wanted to see and spotted a movie with a unique title. Of course I'm talking about "Dr. Strangelove or How I Learne to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. On the cover of the video showed Peter Sellers which made me curious about the movie since I was a fan of Sellers in "The Pink Panther" movies. I also noticed though that the movie was in black and white which was a cause for concern. At that time I thought that movies in black and white were for an earlier generation and that no matter how well they were done, they would be films I would never understand. Shorlty into my viewing of the movie, I knew I was in for something special. I remember laughing out loud when Sterling Hayden's character Colonel Jack D Ripper said "we must not allow communists to infiltrate our precious bodily fluids". I was thouroughly entertained with George C Scott's over the top perfomance as General Buck Turgidson and Peter Sellers blew me away playing three characters in the movie. But what impressed me most was the way the movie was made and how it impacted me. How in the world could a black and white movie shot in 1964 create an impression to someone like me who hadn't even been born when the movie was done and had a very limited knowledge of movies. It is impossible to put it into words but when watching the movie it was never in my mind that I was watching a black and white movie and the film's dark humor I completely understood. After seeing the now legendary scene of Slim Pickens riding the atomic bomb to the point of impact, I knew there was someone with a unique vision behind the camera.
The best critic of a film is time. The fact that a film made 30 years prior to when I saw it could make that much of an impact on me made me understand the true value of movies. If a filmmaker knows his craft, is passionate about it, and is willing to take movies into areas previously unexplored, the viewer will realize the great potential in films as an art form and maybe even the potential in themselves. Stanley Kubrick showed this to me and from then on I never looked at a movie in the same way again. I was no longer interested in who was starring in the movie. I wanted to know who was directing the film and what vision they wanted to show. It would come as no surprise to me that the man who was directed "Dr Strangelove" also directed "2001 A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange" and I would then go on to see all of Kubrick's other movies. With the exception of "Spartacus" which was too long and "Barry Lyndon" which was a little to stoic, I found all his movies to be fascinating. They were movies I absorbed, thought about and ultimately cherished. I hope his his upcoming film this year "Eyes Wide Shut" lives up to the quality of his best films but however it turns out it will not affect how I feel about him.
Stanley Kubrick is gone now and while I'm saddened by that it provides me great comfort to know that his movies will carry on for future generations to see. I hope that through his death people unfamiliar with his work will see his films and realize his brilliance and that current directors and directors to be will learn something from his work as well. While there have been great films made recently it always disturbs me to hear that a current thriller is in the tradition of Alfred Hitchkock, a current drama is in the tradition of Frank Capra or a current comedy is in the tradition of Woody Allen. Stanley Kubrick movies were in the tradition of Stanley Kubrick. He respected other directors but never imitated them and single handedly redefined the way we look at the movies. He lived and died exploring all the possibilities that films have to offer and that should be his lasting legacy.
Rest in peace Stanley!

JD Salinger's path to fame

News of author JD Salinger's death last month went expectedly with little coverage by the media because Salinger after writing his brilliant novel "The Catcher in the Rye" retired from writing and led the rest of his life privately, avoiding all interviews and celebrity public gatherings. It will forever be a mystery why a man whose novel spoke volumes about teenage alienation and rebellion would choose to live the life of an enigmatic recluse. Maybe Salinger was a step ahead of everybody and knew that if he never spoke to the media about his novel he would become a cult figure and gain a following that even the biggest media hound couldn't dream of having or maybe he was just a shy introvert who gave in to the fear of all the destructive entrapments that come with fame. Those are just two possibilities and there are plenty of others but regardless why Salinger chose to live the way he did, his path to fame is something more people should try.
Today there are too many celebrities who have become famous without having to do anything. All it takes is a camera following you in a house or on an island with other people and in the blink of an eye you are a famous celebrity being talked about on entertainment shows like "Access Hollywood" and "Entertainment Tonight". No work is needed, just a handsome look and a smile to the camera when you're interviewed and you become famous. JD Salinger achieved fame by creating something brilliant, in his case a novel, and then remaining silent about it. This a better way of attaining fame because when you create something remarkable whether it be a book, a movie, a song or anything else for the public to see, you are adding value to society by inspiring people and challenging their thoughts and when you keep quiet about your work you become an almost godlike figure with a following always wondering and even obsessing about you as a person and the work you created. In today's world it will be near impossible to become a recluse the way Salinger did but let's hope that people aspiring to be famous will achieve their fame by creating something important that benefits society. That type of fame not only encriches yourself, it enriches us all.

Olympic Hockey

It was 30 years ago when the United States upset the Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice" game in the winter olympics and this year's United States team has a chance to pull off another upset to win the gold medal. While it would not be anywhere near as big an upset as the "Miracle on Ice" game, if the United States can upset Canada again it can provide a much needed boost to get people interested in hockey in America. Hockey is Canada's sport and Team Canada will be firing on all cylinders tomorrow to make sure they are not embarassed again by the United States in their own backyard. Canada is definitely the more talented team and should be favored to win tomorrow but the leadership of Jamie Langenbrunner (I wish he was still on the Stars), Chris Drury and Brian Rafalski has been outstanding so far as has the play of Goalie Ryan Miller and this gives the United States a reasonable chance to win tomorrow. If the leadership and goaltending remain great and a few of the U.S's younger players like Zach Parise, Eric Johnson and Patrick Kane can play consistently at the high level they are capable of, the United States can bring home the gold this year. It won't take a miracle to defeat Canada but the United States will need to be at their best to win. This game has the potential to be a classic that will remain in the fans memories long after it has ended. Let's hope when it is over we here USA, USA chants again.

The Saints were super

Another football season is finished and the New Orleans Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts proves that a team that finishes weak in the final part of the regular season can still play well in the playoffs and ultimately win the superbowl. Head Coach Sean Payton showed more guts than any other coach in recent memory by calling for an onside kick at the start of the 2nd half. Had it not worked every sports journalist and blogger (like me) would be saying that Payton was brain dead for trying it but that is why there are true football men who don't just write about football but live it every day of their lives. Quarterback Drew Brees was near perfect in his execution of the Saints offense and deserved to win the MVP award, while the Saints defense confused Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning enough to create an interception that would seal their victory.
As usual the sports media was its usual self in propping up an athlete only to tear him down when he fell short of expectations. The victim of this was of course Peyton Manning this year. First the media was saying prior to the game that if the Colts win he could be ranked among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. After the game they said that Manning's legacy will be impacted and that Manning is overrated since he is 9 and 9 in the playoffs. I wish someone would remind the media of an obvious fact about football. It is a team sport! Peyton Manning did not lose the superbowl, the Indianapolis Colts did. The great quarterbacks like Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw and Tom Brady did not win their superbowls single handedly either. They were part of great teams that won superbowls. Manning's interception to Tracy Porter late in the 4th quarter was costly but why can't we credit Porter's ability to read the play and jump in front of Wide Receiver Reggie Wayne to make the interception. Furthermore Manning was powerless to do anything in the second quarter since the Saints offense controlled the ball for almost all of the quarter and is not part of the Colts special teams which was caught off guard on the onsides kick that started the 2nd half.
To the city of New Orleans, whether people want to say the Saints won the game or the Colts lost it is completely irrelevant. The Lombardy trophy has made its way to New Orleans for the first time in its franchise history and a city that was nearly destroyed in 2005 after hurricane Katrina has had its spirits raised as high as they've ever been. I'm sure the partying on Bourbon Street will be going on for a long time.
Congratulations Saints fans, you and your team deserved this victory.

The Wrestler

Sometimes the best moments in films come from small quiet scenes that have little if any dialogue. The opening scene of director Darren Aronofsky's film "The Wrestler" shows the back side of Mickey Rourke's character Randy "The Ram" Robinson sitting on a chair in a locker room after he has just wrestled in a high school auditorium. No dialogue is needed for the audience to see that "The Ram" is both physically and emotionally in pain. "The Wrestler" is a moving and sometimes sad movie of a man struggling to make his way in life after his best years have long since passed him by. Randy "The Ram" Robinson on the outside is fake. His real name is Robin, the tan on his body is from indoor tanning booths, and his muscles are the result of steroids but his desire to be a good man and his character flaws that can prevent him from being one are very real and easy to relate to.
Aronofsky is a director that likes to use creative editing and unique camera shots in his films but in "The Wrestler" he has the good sense to leave that out and let the story develop quietly. Robinson, a once famous and successful wrestler, now lives in a trailer park and has to make ends meet by working in a grocery store, wrestling in high school auditoriums, and signing autographs in community centers that only a few fans go to. In his spare time he goes to a topless bar to meet his favorite perfomer "Cassady" whose real name is Pam (well played by Marissa Tomei). She dances for him and listens to what he has to say about how things have been going for him. Even though Robinson probably knows she is playing him, he still chooses to open up to her since he has alienated himself from his family and most of his friends. After Robinson is offered a chance to take part in a reunion match with an old rival in a big time arena, he suffers a heart attack after a match and is told by his doctor that he can no longer wrestle. He then tries to reestablish a relationship with his daughter (played by Evan Rachel Wood) who he walked out on many years ago. She is in college now and has hard feelings about him but Robinson is at the point of his life where he realizes the consequences of his poor decisions. On a boardwalk he confesses to her the mistakes he has made and is able to start mending his relationship with his daughter. Unfortunatley afterward his destructive behavior with drugs and women return and his relationship with his daughter is again damaged but this time probably beyond repair. Left with little in his life that has meaning, Robinson agrees to wrestle in a sold out arena with his old rival even though his doctor has told him his heart is to weak handle it. The final scene of Robinson performing in the ring and saluting his fans is nothing short of heartbreaking.
"The Wrestler" is a movie that can only work with a strong performance from the lead character and Mickey Rourke delivers the performance of his career. Like the character he plays Rourke was once respected in a younger day and made poor choices both personally and professionally that wrecked his career. Most of the time performances by actors are judged based on how well they disappear in their character and make us believe they are that person but Rourke did something that might have been more difficult and definitely more courageous in his portrayal of Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He honestly revealed himself and ultimately created a character who with all his flaws was still a man that audiences could identify with and embrace. Everyone knows that wrestling is fake but the emotions generated in the "The Wrestler" are very real.

Superbowl Pick

For the playoffs I was a pathetic 2 and 10 with my picks. It's a good thing I don't gamble anymore. The two games I was right on were the games the Colts won and they are the current favorite to win the superbowl. This is a game that can go either way and is very difficult to pick since neither team has a defense that looks like it can stop the opposing team's offense.
New Orleans with Running Backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell should be able to establish a running game and if Reggie Bush gets involved as well the Saints will be able to score often. Indianapolis needs Peyton Manning to play turnover free football and if he reads New Orleans blitzes correctly, which I think he will, Wide Receivers Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, and Austin Colley along with Tight End Dallas Clark should have big games.
The questions are which team's defense will play above people's expectations and which team's offense will turnover the ball more. Since Indianapolis is the more experienced team I'll pick them to win. New Orleans covers the spread but doesn't quite win the game.
Colts 31 Saints 28.
This game has the potential to be an exciting superbowl. Let's hope it lives up to the hype.

Superbowl Time

Superbowl Sunday is drawing near and there is reason for excitment. The last two superbowls were very close exciting games where the winning team (the Giants and Steelers) pulled out victories with a touchdown in the last minute of the game. Whether this year's superbowl will be close remains to be seen but there should be plenty of offense to go around. New Orleans in the regular season ranked 1st in offense with Indianapolis ranked 9th. On defense Indianapolis ranked 18th while New Orleans ranked 24th. With the offensive weapons New Orleans has and with Colts Defensive End Dwight Freeney injured, the Saints should be able to move the ball consistently and create big plays by exposing the inexperience Colts secondary. Indianapolis's offense is in for a big day as well. Quarterback Peyton Manning is at his best right now and with only a week to prepare threw for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns to defeat the New York Jets in the AFC conference finals. The Jets defense ranked first in the regular season and if Manning can put up those kind of numbers against the Jets just imagine what he can do with two weeks to prepare against a defense that ranked 24th in the regular season.
Since Dwight Freeney is injured it is tough to pick a winner at this point but if the weather is good on Sunday, we may be in store for one of the highest scoring superbowls ever.

Viking Curse

While it is a great story that the New Orleans Saints will go to their first superbowl, one can only imagine how many Viking fans called in sick instead of going to work today. The Minnesota Vikings throughout their history have come so close to winning a superbowl but failed at achieving that goal and yesterday's heartbreaking loss to the Saints for Viking fans adds another chapter to this sad saga. In the 70's the Vikings made the Superbowl three times and lost all three and take away a hail mary pass from Roger Staubach (Viking fans still think Drew Pearson pushed off Nate Wright) probably would have made it to four. In 1998, the Vikings who finished the regular season 15 and 1, lost in the NFC conference finals to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime 30 to 27 after kicker Gary Anderson missed a 38 yard field goal in regulation that would have put the game away and Head Coach Dennis Green opted to down the ball toward the end of regulation even though the Vikings had the most explosive offense in the NFC. It was hard to believe the Vikings could choke as bad as they did against Atlanta in 1998 but the 2009-2010 Vikings did just that. Despite Brett Favre throwing for more almost twice as many yards as Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson running for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns, the Vikings turned over the ball five times and took defeat right out of the mouth of victory. The first 4 turnovers were the reason why the Vikings did not have the lead in the final minute of the game and the 5th turnover will be hard Vikings fans to forget. With about 30 seconds left in the game and the score tied the Vikings got the ball to New Orleans 33 yard line. The Vikings were within field goal range and after taking a time out just needed to hold on to the ball to give kicker Ryan Longwell a chance to win the game. What instead happened was a comedy of errors that Viking fans found no humor in. After the timeout the Vikings were penalized 5 yards for 12 men in the huddle and moved out of field goal range. Then Brett Favre had the ultimate brain freeze moment at the worst possible time by scrambling right and throwing the ball across his body into the middle of the field, when he had 5 yards in front of him to run, right into the arms of Saints Cornerback Tracy Porter. The Saints then won in overtime with the help of some controversial calls by the referees and Viking players and fans were left with the bitter taste of a season ending defeat in a game the Vikings should have won. It's easy to blame the loss on Brett Favre but this was a total team meltdown and the hardest type of loss to take. It's one thing to lose because the opponent is better but when a team plays well enough to win and loses because of it's own careless mistakes, the pain of the loss is is compounded and lingers in the memory of players and fans. This year's superbowl between the Saints and the Colts will bring in high ratings but the one place where TV's will be turned off during the game will be in Minnesota.

District 9

"District 9" had to be one of the best advertised films last year. The movie was shot in South Africa on a limited budget and had no stars.The film was produced by Peter Jackson, the Director of the "Lord of the Rings" and was advertised in commercials with an enormous dormant spaceship hovering over Johanesburg South Africa. The aliens in the movie were wisely kept out of the trailer and the commercials because that would have taken away from the curiosity audiences had before seeing it. All this resulted in the movie making $37 million its opening weekend. Here is a case where the advertisement of a movie is better than the movie itself.
"District 9" is not altogether a bad movie and cannot be faulted for its ambition. It wants to be a science fiction thriller mixed with social commentary on xenophobia , segregation and corporate greed. The first part of this movie is the best part. Director Neil Blomkamp uses a documentary style of filmaking showing fictional interviews, news footage, and video cameras to show audiences a alien spaceship which reports say was separted from its command module and dropped to earth. The aliens which (or extraterrestrials) look like a cross between a giant cockroach and a praying mantis are granted assylum on earth but trouble shortly ensues. Since some of the aliens engage in criminal activity like derailing trains the entire alien population, now derogatorily referred to as prawns, are relocated and forced to live in a government camp called District 9. The camp is a slum which is monitored by the police and where the prawns deal their highly sofisticated and explosive weapons that humans cannot operate to a Nigerian warlord. These conditions are intended to be compared with the conditions blacks lived in under South Africa's apartheid government and Blomkamp does a good job in showing these conditions without being heavy handed or preaching to the audience. When the government decides the aliens need to be relocated to District 10 which is a camp outside of Johanesburg, a Multinational Unit (MNU) using a private military corporation enforces the relocation. Leading the relocation is a bueracrat named Wikus Van De Merwe (well played by Sharlto Copley) and during the relocation we see him and his team confiscate alien weapons and abort alien eggs. During a raid of a prawn the military calls Johnson, Van De Merwe comes across a canister containing a fluid that he is accidentally sprayed with. We find out later that liquid that will both make Van De Merwe mutate into a prawn and will be the catalyst needed to reactivate the dormant mothership. As Van De Merwe's mutation continues he develops an alien arm and MNU discovers that he can utilize the alien weapons and wants to use him as a test experiment that they will soon discard. Van De Merwe escapes and goes back to District 9 and this is where the movie loses its way. Van De Merwe allies himself with the prawn named Johnson who has agreed to reverse effects of the liquid as long as he can use the liquid to reactivate his ship and return home. The film's pace meanders at this point and lacks the intense pace needed for a thriller. It felt like Blomkamp was trying to combine the drama of a man mutating into something not human like in David Croneburg's "The Fly" with the heavy high tech action of Paul Verhoven's "Robocop" and missed on both marks. As the film closes to it's end instead of being on the edge of your seat, you may discover parts of the movie that don't make much sense, for example, since the prawns had these superior weapons that humans cannot operate,why would they deal them to a Nigerian warlord and not use them to put up some resistance against the South African Military.
"District 9" is a good looking action film with a social conscience that lacks the proper execution needed to be an effective thriller.

Conference Finals

Since I am 1 and 8 in the playoff so far I feel very uncomfortable picking these games particulary when two of these teams (the Saints and the Jets) were teams I said in an earlier blog would be out of the playoff early. Regardless what happens Sunday both teams have proved many "experts" wrong and it will not be surprising if either team makes it to the superbowl.
That being said here are my picks

NFC Conference Final : Minnesota vs New Orleans

This is a tough call. With the return of Tight End Jeremy Shockey and Running Back Reggie Bush the Saints overwhelmed Arizona and look to have regained their regular season form when they were dominating their opponents. The Vikings who were also struggling late in the season are clearly firing on all cylinders as demonstrated with their annihilation of the Dallas Cowboys. The game is in New Orleans which does benefit the Saints but earlier in the season Drew Brees struggled at home in the Saints loss against Dallas due to the Cowboys defensive pressure. The Vikings defense is better than the Cowboys and if they create the same pressure on Drew Brees that they did against Tony Romo they will come out on top. The emergence of Reggie Bush will definitely help the Saints but in the end the Vikings have the better defense and that will be the difference in this game.

Vikings 27 Saints 21


AFC Conference Final : Indianapolis vs NY Jets

Whether you like Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan or not he has put together the best defense in the AFC. Like his father Buddy Ryan's Superbowl Champion Chicago Bear defense, the Jets defense creates the illusion that there are 20 defensive players on the field instead of 11 and confuses opposing quarterbacks into throwing interceptions. Every player on the Jets defense is solid and Cornerback Darrelle Revis is the best Cornerback in the NFL. Even though the Jets defense got the better of Charger Quarterback Phillip Rivers, it is unlikely that they will have the same success against Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning has been in top form most of the season and has faced Ryan's style of defense when Ryan was the Defensive Coordinator with the Ravens. In those games Manning did struggle some but did just enough to win and that will be the case in this game. Unless the Jets decide to let Quarterback Mark Sanchez throw the ball more (and it is very unlikely they will), this will be a low scoring game. The Jets will pressure Manning early but as the game goes on Manning will figure out the Jets defense and lead Indianapolis to the Superbowl.

Colts 17 Jets 13

Fallen Stars

Make no mistake, DFW is where football is and always will be top dog but how many people know that the last professional team to win a championship in this area was the Dallas Stars. It was 1999 when the Stars made their Stanley Cup run. Every game was sold out and it seemed like almost everywhere you turned you saw both adults and children wearing Stars jerseys and people rollerblading on their neighborhood sidewalks or in public parks. Hockey would never replace football as the top sport in this area but at that time it was the best alternative sports fans had to the Cowboys who were struggling. These days rollerbladers are badly outnumbered by cyclers and joggers in public parks and Stars jerseys are only seen at games in the American Airlines Center which no longer sell out. I heard Dallas Morning News Sports Writer Jean Jacques Taylor on a radio show say that he had yet to write any article on the Stars this year and had not gotten any emails or letters asking him why.
The reason for the decline of interest in Hockey and the Dallas Stars is mostly due to the 2004-2005 strike. Any time a sport goes on strike for a year it is impossible to regain interest or enthusiasm for it in a short period. Even the most diehard fans (which I was one of) moved on to other interests like basketball and baseball and found it fairly easy to live without Hockey since it is still very new to this area. The other reason is that outside of Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen there are no remaining players from the Stanley Cup Championship team and the team they have now does not look to be a team that can make the playoffs.
For the Stars to regain the popularity they had in the late 90's they will need to find skilled players with charisma. They need another player like Mike Modano who has both great skills and a personality that is very accessible to the media. Even better, if the Stars can draft the next Sydney Crosby they can go a long way in regaining their popularity because the athletes who are the best in their sport always generate a massive amount of attention. Outside of this, the Stars Marketing department is going to need to be creative in finding ways how to sell the Stars and regenerate interest in Hockey. It will be time consuming but worth the wait. Another year of the Stanley Cup being paraded around the metroplex would be a great thing to see again.

Put Down the Kool Aid, the Season is Over

If the Cowboys were a stock they would be one that Investment Analysts and Stockbrokers would say is about to skyrocket off the charts only to see it plummet the next week. Just about everybody (myself included) in the metroplex and the national media saw a Cowboy team that had what looked like a tidal wave of momentum heading into their game against Minnesota and would dominate the Vikings like they did the Eagles. Unfortunately all this momentum blinded us to some obvious facts. The Minnesota Vikings were undefeated at home this season and had 48 sacks which averages to 3 sacks a game. Whenever any team no matter how good they have been playing goes into an opponents stadium that is sold out and has a great pass rushing defense, if the defense succeeds in pressuring the quarterback, the team's built up momentum will come to a sudden screeching halt. That is what happened yesterday. The Viking defensive line of Ray Edwards, Jared Allen and Jimmy Kennedy dominated the Cowboy offensive line and reminded older Viking fans of the days of the purple people eaters in the 70's, when defensive linemen Alan Paige, Jim Marshall and Carl Eller dominated their opponents. The Cowboy offense did not help themselves because of Quarterback Tony Romo's careless turnovers and Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett's strange play calling, but in fairness it is hard and almost impossible for both of them to do well when the Viking defensive line was in the Cowboy backfield most of the game. The Viking defense sacked Romo six times and forced countless other hurries. On top of all that Viking Quarterback Brett Favre was at his best and Wide Receiver Sydney Rice played like Jerry Rice catching 3 touchdown passes. Midway thru the 3rd quarter it was obvious that the Cowboys season and hopes for another superbowl appearance were finished and thoughts of what to do for next year were starting.
Even though the Cowboys lost 34 to 3 yesterday, the future still looks good. Owner Jerry Jones made the right move today not firing Head Coach Wade Phillips and he should keep Jason Garrett as well. What the Cowboys need is additional offensive linemen and another Wide Receiver to take over for Roy Williams. The defense is sound but the special teams needs a more reliable place kicker. Even though the Cowboys don't have a first round pick in the draft they can still address these needs and if they do next year's superbowl in Arlington has a good chance of including the Cowboys.

what a weird football weekend

Looks like my ability to pick NFL games has declined faster than the Cowboy offensive line did today against the Vikings. I wrote that the Jets and Saints would exit the playoffs quickly, that the Chargers would be in the Superbowl and that the Cowboys would dominate the Vikings. Way off on all counts.
I'll have my picks for next week's games later but I wonder what the Indianapolis Colts are wondering right now. The Colts lost to the Jets late in the sesaon by resting their best players in the 2nd half and had the Colts have won that game the Jets would have been eliminated from the playoffs. What if the team that the Colts could have eliminated from the playoffs earlier in the season ends up eliminating them from the playoffs. Stay tuned.

The Hurt Locker

The opening part of Director Kathryn Bigelow's film "The Hurt Locker" includes a line that war is a drug. That explains what is behind the actions of Sgt William James (played by Jeremy Renner) in "The Hurt Locker". James is an expert in disarming bombs and when he joins his unit ,which has just lost a respected member while trying to dispose an improvised explosive device, it is clear that he not only doesn't fear extremely dangerous situations, he cherishes them. He tells a Major in the movie he has disarmed more than 800 bombs and probably wishes he could disarm many more. The two subordinates of his unit who's job it is to provide protection for him and have just over a month left on their tour of duty in Iraq now have to struggle to find a way to work with a soldier they both admire and fear.
'The Hurt Locker" has no agenda regarding the United States invasion of Iraq and doesn't want to make audiences cry when a soldier perishes. It is a unique war movie showing the difficult situations soldiers, who in this case are members of a bomb disposal unit, face and how each member deals with them. Sgt James is the renegade who always takes chances. Seargeant Sanborn is more traditional and goes by the book while always looking out for the safety of his unit. Specialist Eldridge is understandably insecure since he has to guard against Iraqi spectators who could be bombers themselves. All the characters are interesting in this movie, but the character of Sgt William James may be one of the most fascinating war movie characters in recent memory. He is a soldier constantly on the edge, always flirting with the line between bravery and insanity. James does not excel in his job at disarming bombs out of a need to be a hero but to provide a stimulating adrenaline rush that he can no longer live without. For James, being safe back home is like a temporary detox house that he can inhabit but never live in comfortably.
Director Kathryn Bigelow and Writer Mark Boal deserve high marks for creating a different view of war through the eyes of soldiers facing the unpredictable and extremely dangerous task of disarming bombs. It is both a tense war thriller and a first rate character study. The lingering thought audiences will probably have is of Sgt William James and how the extremely dangerous job of disarming bombs which he probably feared in a younger day became without any doubt the one thing he loves in his life that he will never be able to let go of.

Playoff picks

Ouch! I missed all my picks last week. Green Bay did their best but the Bengals and the Patriots were pathetic. This week's games have great matchups and all but one are difficult to pick.

Cardinals vs Saints
This should be a high scoring game but New Orleans struggled late this years against losing teams and will have trouble keeping up with Kurt Warner and the potent Cardinal offense.
Cardinals 35 Saints 24

Ravens vs Colts
Baltimore dominated New England early in the first quarter and the Patriots never recovered. You can't blame a long layoff for the Patriots poor performance. It was because they are old at offensive line and their defense does not have anywhere near the speed and talent that they had when they were winning superbowls. The Colts led by Dwight Freeney will pressure Joe Flacco into some turnovers and Peyton Manning will do just enough to engineer some scoring drives. This will be a close on

Colts 20 Ravens 17

Chargers vs Jets
Give the Jets credit. They have exceeded all expectations and Head Coach Rex Ryan has created one of the premiere defenses in the AFC. This will be a close game where special teams will be a factor. Charger place kicker Nate Kaeding has made 69 straight field goals within 40 yards and punter Mike Scifres is the best punter there is punting the ball in the coffin corner and making offenses start deep in their own area. The Charger offense if very effficient and rarely turns over the ball and this should be just enough for the Chargers to win

Chargers 21 Jets 14

Cowboys vs Vikings
Unless Adrian Peterson has a big game which is unlikely since his best games this year were against Cleveland and Detroit, the Cowboys should dominate. Brett Favre when pressured has a tendency to throw interceptions and the Cowboys will be bringing more pressure than he can handle. The Cowboys are on a roll and will steamroll the Vikings.

Cowboys 27 Vikings 13

America's Team Rising

Whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys, there is no doubt now that they are the best team in the NFC and maybe the best team in all of football. The Cowboys much maligned Head Coach Wade Phillips has ,under the radar, put together the NFL's best defense. The Cowboys defensive linemen and linebackers are hard hitting, fast players that create turnovers and the secondary has speed and discipline. There is no glaring weakness on this defense.
The only thing that can derail the Cowboys is if quarterback Tony Romo throws careless interceptions but Romo has become a much smarter quarterback this year and that along with the emergence of running back Felix Jones make it very unlikely that Romo will turnover the ball.
The Cowboys should dominate the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. While Minnesota does have some great offensive weapons, quarterback Brett Favre and running back Adrian Peterson are both prone to turning over the ball. This will play right into the hands of the Dallas defense and Dallas will win by at least 2 touchdowns causing Brett Favre to go back into (and probably later out of) retirement.
Cowboy haters need to brace themselves because this team has all the potential to dominate the remainding playoff teams in the NFC. The Cowboys are back and better than ever.

Playoff picks

Here are my picks for this week's playoff games.
Cincinnati 27 Jets 13 (The Jets are lucky to be in the playoffs and this game is where they crash and burn)
New England 24 Ravens 14 (Joe Flacco is not yet the quarterback to win a playoff game against a high caliber quarterback like Tom Brady)
Packers 28 Cardinals 21 (The toughest game to pick but the Packers have more momentum going into this game. Since their victory over the Cowboys November 15, the Packers have only one loss and that was in the final play against Pittsburgh. The pack is back).

Dallas vs Philadelphia
Dallas has the stronger offensive and defensive line and their secondary has been able to neutralize the Eagles speedy wide receivers. The Cowboys have all the momentum on their side and an abundance of confidence since they have already defeated the Eagles twice this year so the final score will be
Philadelphia 20 Dallas 17 (Tony Romo throws 3 interceptions, the "Sports Illustrated" jinx plays havoc on Miles Austin, and the fact that I picked Philadelphia to make it to the superbowl before the start of the season are the reason I pick the Eagles to win).

NFL Season

Playoff season is about to commence and looking back at the regular season there were a few surprises that caught me completely off guard.
The first was the collapse of the New York Giants defense. A defense that dominated the powerful New England offense in the superbowl in 2008 became a shell of itself this year. Things were going fine at the start of the season but beginning on week 6 when the Giants gave up 48 point to New Orleans, the Giants would finish giving up 356 points in 10 games, an average of 35.6 points a game.
The other suprise on defense was the Cincinnati Bengals. As the Giants defense collapsed the Cincinnati Bengals defense finally showed some teeth and were no longer pushovers like in years past. For the entire season the Bengals gave up 291 points which averages to 18 points a game and that would have been lower had Cincinnati not decided to mail in their last game against the Jets. Former Cowboy Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer earned everyone's respect this year turning this defense around in a season while having to deal with the sudden and tragic death of his wife.
I'm not sure what the odds are in Las Vegas for each team to win the superbowl but there are two teams that I'm already counting out.
In the AFC it's the New York Jets. How can even the most loyal Jets fan get excited about a team that got into the playoffs because their last two opponents (Indianapolis and Cincinnati) folded up their season's early. With a rookie quarterback who has a bad habit of throwing interceptions, the Jets will crash and burn early in the playoffs.
In the NFC it's the New Orleans Saints. A team that won its first 13 games in the regular season has clearly been exposed. An already suspect defense is even weaker now with the loss of Defensive End Charles Grant and it looks like opposing defenses have figured out Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints offense. If you can hear that distant sound of trumpets and trombones, that's the sound of the Saints marching out of the playoffs early.







I was 11 and 5 this last week so I finish off the regular season at 142 and 98. Congrats Mr. Slag , you picked these games better than me this regular season.

The Boys are Back

Sunday's domination of the Philadelphia Eagles has clearly shown that the Cowboys have their best team since the superbowl championship team of 1996. Unlike prior Cowboy teams coached by Wade Phillips that started out great and faded toward the last part of the season, this team has hit its peak at the right time. Quarterback Tony Romo has been excellent running the team's offense without turning the ball over but the reason for the Cowboy's recent surge is the outstanding play of their defense. The recent emergence of Linebacker Anthony Spencer has helped the Cowboys create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the improving play of Cornerback Mike Jenkins has helped take away opposing teams deep threats. To shut out the Philadelphia Eagles with a Quarterback like Donavan Mcnabb and fast Wide Receivers like Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin is impressive and as long as Spencer and Jenkins keep improving and reliable veteran players like Demarcus Ware, Keith Brookings and Marcus Spears keep playing the way they have been this year, the Cowboys will go far in the playoffs. The last time a team had a defense that started to improve in the last part of the season and dominate in the playoffs was the 2007-2008 New York Giants who defeated the seemingly invincible New England Patriots in the Superbowl. Generally the team with the best defense wins the superbowl and this year's Cowboys team has an outstanding chance to raise the Lombardy trophy.

A Call for Honest Debate

Sometimes all it takes is to look a little to the past to make improvements on things in the present. Television can better serve our American Democracy by providing a forum for honest and civil debate on the issues by using the example set by the late William Buckley. Buckley, best known for his PBS show "Firing Line" , also provided and took part in debates that aired on PBS. Buckley, the deep conservative thinker, would be joined by his fellow conservative intellects to debate issues ranging from foreign policy matters like the cold war to domestic issues like the role of government in our lives with some of the best liberal minds in the country. What made these shows memorable is that they were honest civilized debates that challenged both the intelligence and opinions of viewers. They were not like the current presidential "debates" which have become staged speeches and photo ops. The participants in these debates were intelligent and could articulate their side of the debate in well thought out paragrahs without being disrespectful to their opponents. There were no sound bytes here, these debates involved people who could articulate a view without resorting to third rate one line statements designed only to create shock value. After the debate , I always suspected there would be some viewers whose opinions on issues would change and some viewers whose opinions would be reaffirmed after watching the debates.
Shows like "Meet the Press" and "This Week" on Sunday mornings do provide some discussion with with different views on topics but that is only for 15 minutes. Bill O'Reilly, host of Fox's "The O"Reilly Factor" and Bill Mahr, host of HBO's "Real Time" (the show should be called The Politically Correct emotional orgy hour) probably think their shows provide debate. Someone should tell O'Reilly that bullying and interrupting your opponent to where they can't articulate their opionions does not make you right on an issue and that arrogance is not the same as intelligence. Someone should also tell Bill Mahr ,who has his show packed with an audience that overwhelmingly agrees with him, (and probably aren't smart enough to think for themselves) that ganging up on someone who has a different view does not make you a better debater and that a person with intelligence is not the same thing as a smart ass.
I hope that as the new decade begins stations like PBS or cable stations like HBO or Showtime will some day soon provide an hour and a half to two hour debates the way William Buckley did. These debates don't need to include polarizing media hustlers who are intellectual light weights like Ann Coulter on the right or Michael Moore on the left but instead people who are respected for their intelligence and expertise in their fields both by people who agree and disagree with their views. For example, there could be a debate on the United States role in the global economy with George Will, Newt Gingrich, and Alan Greenspan on one side and Paul Krugman, Gary Hart, and Mario Cuomo on the other. That's just one example and there are plenty of other intellectual heavy weights today, both conservative and liberal, who can provide stimulating debate on current topics. Televised debates like these are not only good television, they show people exercising their first amendment rights in the best and most responisble ways.

this weeks picks

I was 9 and 7 last week and am 131 and 93 for the year. My nemesis Mr.Slag will beat me for regular season games with just a week left but just wait til the playoffs start.
Colts 17 Bills 16
Jaguars 20 Browns 14
Bears 24 Lion cubs 3
SF 27 Rams 7
Steelers 20 Dolphins 17
Giants 21 Vikings 14 (vikings are falling and can't get up)
Atlanta 27 TB 13
Carolina 23 Saints 20 (Saints defense is coming apart)
Texans 20 Patriots 17
Dallas 21 Eagles 20 (Eagles are without their starting center. That is the difference in the game)
Ravens 24 Raiders 17 (tough one to pick. The Raiders do well when you don't expect them to but Baltimore needs a win for the playoffs)
Cardinals 24 Packers 20 (Both these teams are peaking at the right time)
San Diego 21 Redskins 6
Denver 14 Chiefs 13
JETS 17 Bengals 16
Titans 28 Seahawks 14

Playoff push

The Cowboys do deserve some credit for their two consecutive wins. They have now shown that they are a team that can continue to play strong in December. Critics who have complained that the Cowboys are a team with no heart that fade in December have quickly jumped back on the Cowboy bandwagon. The fickle nature of the fair weather fan never ceases to amaze me. However, as good as the Cowboys have played lately, a reality check is in order. One of the Cowboys two victories in December was against the woeful and disorganized Washington Redskins . The other was what was thought to be a great win against the Saints in New Orleans. While it is always impressive to beat a winning team on the road, the Saints prior to that game and since have been declining. The week before that game the Saints needed overtime and luck (meaning a misssed 22 yard field goal) to beat the Washington Redskins and the week after the Saints lost at home to the lowly Tampa Bay Bucanneers. Clearly the Sainst are declining and how far the Cowboys will go in the playoffs will be determined by this Sunday's game against Philadelphia which is a team that has surged in December. As it stands now the NFC teams that look to be in position to make a push for the superbowl in the NFC are Philadelphia, Dallas, Green Bay and Arizona.