At his 20th “Flight School” Camp in Santa Barbara, Jordan took the mic for a Q&A session…and it was everything an MJ fan would want it to be.
If you had to win one game, who would you want coaching: Phil Jackson or Dean Smith?
“Dean Smith…Phil was lucky because I was taught the game by Dean Smith.”
What did you think when Shaq said the All-Time Lakers could beat the Bulls’ greatest players?
“I just felt like he was just talking (Jordan shrug)…The thing is, we’d never know. I think we would’ve killed them…It’s just a debate”
Who would you choose to go one-on-one with between Stephen Curry or LeBron?
“Right now? I would go against StephON (I love that he calls him Stephon) because I’m a little bit bigger than he is so I could back him down…but LeBron’s too big.”
Who would you add to Team Jordan?
“Any sport?…I’m a big fan of Mike Trout. But he’s Nike. I can’t steal Nike’s guys.”
If you were in your prime, could you beat LeBron in a one-on-one game?
“This is the ESPN Question. I know it’s going to be all over ESPN…(longer pause).
No question.”
Cue another Jordan shrug.
MJ’s also a big Robin Thicke fan, apparently.
Jordan wasn’t wrong about the LeBron one-on-one question. It went viral in minutes. I haven’t even flipped on ESPN yet today, but it’s easy to guess what they are talking about.
I personally hate the debate. Jordan said so himself, while responding to Shaq’s nonsense, we’d never know because they won’t ever play each other in their prime. I also think people who get hung up on the debate don’t allow themselves the opportunity to appreciate what LeBron has accomplished.
What we forget is that the younger generation today didn’t even see Jordan play in a Chicago Bulls uniform. Kids going into high school weren’t even born yet, and neither were the kids who sat around Jordan at the Q&A. So when you hear rumors of a Space Jam sequel potentially happening, isn’t it logical for LeBron to star in it since most kids today grew up watching him play instead of Jordan?
Here’s the video to most of the Q&A and it’s definitely worth the watch.
It’s funny. I still remember former SportsCenter anchor Craig Kilborn sitting in The Daily Show host chair, who I sometimes confused with Jay Mohr. Bill Clinton was the focal point for most of the material. Celebrities sat in the couch and participated Kilborn’s hokey trivia segment “5 questions”. I also remember Jon Stewart being a guest on the second to last episode before Kilborn left to take over the Late Late Show for Tom Snyder on CBS. (Kilborn hosted the Late Late Show for 5 years before Craig Ferguson took over for the next 10).
Stewart was promoting the teacher-bodysnatching flick “The Faculty” that starred Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett, which he described as “Dawson’s Creek gone bad.” He was also taking the torch, err phone book(?), being passed on from Kilborn and supposedly firing all the correspondents as well.
“This is The Daily Show, man. Why don’t I draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa for God’s sake? This is The Daily Show. We are just bitches in the wheel of The Daily Show.”
Stewart’s first guest on the new show was Michael J. Fox. They riffed about Fox making out with Heidi Klum on Spin City and how they were the only two people to not see Titanic. Stewart gave him one last “5 Questions” bit, and the next 16 years proved the show only improved from there on.
What began as fake news and celebrity interviews, following a cartoon about crass 4th graders, turned into a reliable resource for honest criticism, brilliant satire, and meaningful discussions. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart reached a younger audience that wasn’t as informed or interested in the regular nightly news. Politicians, public figures, and authors all recognized that and either embraced it…or ignored the warnings were ultimately destroyed by the next broadcast.
It was appointment television and at the same time it wasn’t. Writers, producers, and Stewart himself crammed a lot into just a half hour and yet, with the growth of social media, it was viral content for the entire next day. The viewership on Comedy Central compared to network late night broadcasts was actually very small, but you were likely to hear more about a rant from Stewart than a joke from David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, or even Jimmy Fallon. Stewart wasn’t just commenting on the news, he was also making it.
The joke Stewart made with Kilborn about firing the correspondents made me laugh because his tenure with the show absolutely catapulted the careers of several entertainers. This “vortex” graphic from Wired sums his influence up perfectly for those stars and their projects which have become synonymous with our culture today.
How many of these names will we see in Stewart’s final Daily Show broadcast? Will we get the long “We’ll Meet Again” that wrapped up The Colbert Report, that featured everyone from Big Bird and Jeff Tweedy to Mike Huckabee and Bill Clinton? Will his favorite band play him off, like Foo Fighters did for Letterman? On Stewart’s previous MTV Talk Show, his last guest was actually Letterman. Interesting how they both took a bow in 2015, but I digress…
However Jon Stewart chooses to go out, you know it will be the way he wants to….and now your “Moment of Zen”.
“Half a decade ago” sounds like a while ago, right?
The tallest man-made structure to date, the Burj Khalifa, opened in Dubai.
The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.
WikiLeaks leaked over 90,000 internal United States documents to the public.
Dennis Hopper passed away at the age of 74.
Hopper was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actor (Hoosiers) and Best Writing (Easy Rider)
And here’s what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Easy A, Date Night, Grown Ups, Due Date, Hot Tub Time Machine, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Get Him to the Greek, Life as We Know It, Dinner for Schmucks, Flipped, Valentine’s Day, She’s Out of My League, Morning Glory, The Backup Plan, Killers, The Bounty Hunter, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Greenberg, Love & Other Drugs, Death at a Funeral, Leap Year, The Switch, Going the Distance, Super, MacGruber, AND…
The Other Guys
Action/Thriller
Shutter Island, The A-Team, The Expendables, Salt, Red, Predators, Takers, The Tourist, Machete, Green Zone, Devil, Unstoppable, The Next Three Days, Iron Man 2, Insidious, Edge of Darkness, The Losers, The American, Saw VII, 13, The Ghost Writer, Unthinkable, Buried, Piranha 3D, Repo Men, The Crazies, Monsters, The Book of Eli, Paranormal Activity 2, Knight and Day, From Paris With Love, Dylan Dog, AND…
Inception
Animated
How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Tangled, Shrek Forever After, MegaMind, Legend of the Guardians, The Illusionist, Arrietty, Alpha and Omega, Batman: Under the Red Hood, Yogi Bear, AND…
Toy Story 3
Dramas
Black Swan, The Social Network, The Fighter, Dear John, Remember Me, The Town, 127 Hours, Robin Hood, Submarine, Blue Valentine, The Kids Are All Right, All Good Things, Let Me In, True Grit, Cyrus, In A Better World, Winter’s Bone, Trust, Charlie St. Cloud, The Way Back, Animal Kingdom, Last Night, The Tempest, AND…
The King’s Speech
The 83rd Academy Awards
Best Actor
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
James Franco, 127 Hours
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech – Winner
Colin Firth was nominated the year before for “A Single Man”
Best Supporting Actor
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Christian Bale, The Fighter – Winner
Christian Bale was nominated again in 2014 for “American Hustle”.
Best Actress
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
Natalie Portman, Black Swan – Winner
Natalie Portman was nominated once previously for “Closer” in 2004.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Melissa Leo, The Fighter – Winner
Melissa Leo was nominated once more in 2009 for “Frozen River”.
Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
The King’s Speech – Winner
“The King’s Speech” won 4 of the 12 Awards it was nominated for, including Best Directing and Writing.
Music
Rock Albums
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Hip Hop Albums
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Pop Albums
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Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Songs
01. “Tik Tok” – Ke$ha
02. “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
03. “Hey, Soul Sister” – Train
04. “California Gurls” – Katy Perry
05. “OMG” – Usher
06. “Airplanes” – B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams
07. “Love the Way You Lie” – Eminem featuring Rihanna
08. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
09. “Dynamite” – Taio Cruz
10. “Break Your Heart” – Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
11. “Nothin’ On You” – B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
12. “I Like It” – Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull
13. “Bedrock” – Young Money featuring Lloyd
14. “In My Head” – Jason Derulo
15. “Rude Boy” – Rihanna
16. “Telephone” Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce
17. “Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry
18. “Just The Way You Are” – Bruno Mars
19. “Cooler Than me” – Mike Posner
20. “Imma Be” – Black Eyed Peas
21. “Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z + Alicia Keys
22. “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” – Usher featuring Pitbull
23. “Billionaire” – Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
Last night, Ryan Reynolds brought the Deadpool Red Band Trailer to CONAN on TBS and premiered it for all…of course after giving Conan O’Brien a massage with Panda tears.
Yep. Panda tears.
If you were on the internet while watching the interview, you probably caught the trailer already…but when isn’t Ryan Reynolds entertaining (outside of Green Lantern)? Unless you were at Comic-Con or like me and eager for bad bootleg copies of the San Diego screening, last night was your first chance to see “The Merc with a Mouth”. Before introducing the trailer, Reynolds took one more shot at Green Lantern, just to let the you know he thinks it sucked too. Then he let it roll…
“And please don’t make the super suit green…or animated.”
Fans have waited for this thing to become a reality for a long time. We were teased by the X-Men Origins version, also portrayed by Reynolds, that left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths…because they took his away.
The 2 minutes and 54 seconds we’ve been provided is already better for the geek’s pallet. And thank Stan Lee/God they made this an R-Rated movie. I don’t need Deadpool to be marketed with Burger King collectibles or the Toys aisle at Target. I need a gory and explicit flick, that’s already proven to work with the Daredevil Netflix series.
I am also excited by the ties to the X-Men universe. In the trailer, we get a good look at Piotr Rasputin, aka Colossus…
But there’s also a shot of another “must-be important” character as well. After a quick glance at IMDB, we can identify her as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, named after the Monster Magnet song. She’s a telepath who receives premonitions and precognitive nightmares.
What I’d love to see is an X-Men: First Class style Wolverine cameo. You may have hated the Origins flick, and maybe that would give you shell shock, but I didn’t. I personally loved the back-and-fourth between Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber’s Sabertooth. He was one of the more underrated Marvel cinematic villains that I want to be reprised in future X-Men Universe films. Give me one of these Logan quips and I’ll be good with that too…
Makes sense considering Deadpool the same way that Wolverine was, and Reynolds brought that up twice in his interview with Conan.
Lastly, TJ F’n Miller…
“You look like an avocado had sex with an older avocado.”
Your R-rated comedy action movie gets a significant bump when you add TJ Miller to the equation. He has the perfect combination of appropriate inappropriateness that works well with Reynolds’s brand of humor.
Are you as pumped for Deadpool as I am? Sure you are. Lets talk about it some more on Facebook and Twitter.
The 44th President of the United States LOVES his sports. He is an unapologetic Chicago White Sox fan. He fills out March Madness brackets for both Men and Women’s tournaments on SportsCenter each year. He also has no problem mixing it up on the White House basketball court.
So on his 54th birthday, lets put the partisan blah blah blah on the back-burner and appreciate something we all enjoy…Sports.
March Madness
I look forward to the President’s annual segment on ESPN where he joins the rest of the nation in the Madness. Since he was elected, President Obama is interviewed by college basketball reporter Andy Katz from the White House to talk out each of his picks. Last year he took regular season undefeated favorite Kentucky to win it all (like many of you did) over Nova, and was obviously incorrect as Duke beat Wisconsin in the National Championship.
President Obama finished in ESPN’s 72.9 percentile in 2014 and was most successful in 2011 with a bracket in the 87.4%. Both years, UConn won the National Championship and he didn’t pick them. The President did choose a National Champion for his first year in office, North Carolina in 2009.
ESPN isn’t the only network who gets to share air-time with the Commander in Chief as one of CBS’s best color analysts, Clark Kellogg, took him on in a game of HORSE…err POTUS.
I don’t even want to know what would’ve happen if the President got skunked.
He Loves His Chicago Teams
Despite referring to his White Sox’s home stadium as “Kaminskey Field” early in his first term, the President has never wavered as a Chicago die hard. When the Bulls re-signed All-Star Jimmy Butler to a longterm deal, he was on it…
butler's a great player on o and d; let's sign him up long term. go bulls! https://t.co/IqbyUmcbmJ
(Ironic that it was Mike Ditka handing the President his jersey since he also wanted to run against him for a Senate seat in 2004)
The ’85 Bears and the Blackhawks may be the only Chicago teams that the President has hosted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but he always seems to get a quick shoutout in for his favorite squads when he hosts other teams.
We all remember the drama surrounding Red Sox DH David Ortiz’s selfie with the President and the handful of athletes who make a thing out of not going to visit the White House, despite it being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (looking at you, Tim Thomas)…
I didn’t know how sports-centric Amy Schumer’s sorta-RomCom feature would be prior to seeing it yesterday. Sure Bill Hader’s character is a sports physician/surgeon and his closest friend in the film is LeBron James, but Judd Apatow goes above and beyond in sports-ness throughout the film.
If you haven’t seen “Trainwreck” yet, I’ll warn you that there are spoilers ahead…but you should have assumed that before clicking. Let’s take a look at the numerous cameos and references that made a generally “okay” movie a little bit better.
10. Hader Sports Trivia
In an effort to distract Amy’s dad (Colin Quinn) while sewing up stitches for him following a fall in an assisted living home, Bill Hader asks him a Trivia question that many sports fans have been asking to kill time or break the ice with for years…
“Which 9 Pro Sports Team Names Don’t End With ‘S’…?”
Tampa Bay Lightning
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Miami Heat
Utah Jazz
Orlando Magic
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
You’re welcome…for future parties.
9. Amy’s Cheerleader Number
Anyone who tells me that Cheerleading isn’t a sport is dead wrong. This scene is certainly evidence of that. While it also puts the icing on the cake to define “Trainwreck” as a RomCom (like as How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days as it gets), it’s actually a super impressive scene. Schumer said herself that it took 2 and a half months to train for the scene…and at least 10 takes.
The reason I didn’t rank this higher, despite the admirable effort by Schumer, the scene and its conclusion made me walk away feeling like I just watched an Adam Sandler movie. Not a good thing.
8. “Dallas Sucks”, Tony Romo
Kind of a sleeper in this film is Amare Stoudamire and his handful of scenes, despite being a real focal point to the movie’s plot. It’s awkward and a little dated because Amare isn’t even in New York anymore, but how can you not appreciate a “Dallas Sucks” heckle when Tony Romo is trying to have a semi-heartfelt moment introducing Hader’s character for an award.
7. John Cena “Dirty Talk”
I’m going to have a hard time looking at John Cena the same way again…and wash cloths.
In an attempt to spice things up, Amy tells John Cena’s character, Steven, to try talking dirty. Cena warns her that he’s not very good at that but he gives it a shot anyway…It goes from talking about “protein” to his best attempt at a cheesy sports movie coach’s inspirational speech. The sad part is that it pretty much summed up all of the cliches Gene Hackman used in “The Replacements.”
6. Hader hitting a shot on LeBron
I’ll be more extensive in my appreciation for LeBron James later, but I have to give props to Hader first…He takes a beating for most of this scene while LeBron is trying to give him dating advice and blocking every attempt made. It ends with a Hader jumper from the elbow, a weak contest from LeBron, and the ball hitting nothing but net.
I too would give up playing basketball forever if I hit a shot over LeBron James.
5. Colin Quinn vs. Babe Ruth
Anyone else wonder where Colin Quinn had been for the last thousand years? The former SNL ‘Weekend Update’ Anchor opens the film explaining why monogamy is dumb to his kids and that kinda-but-not-really justifies Schumer’s “Trainwreck” behavior throughout the film.
He’s living in an assisted living home due to MS and goes on typical Colin Quinn rants whenever he’s on screen. The best of his rants comes toward the beginning when one of the residents brings up Babe Ruth. As a huge Mets fan, he ruins the old Yankee fan’s dreams by telling him that every latin pitcher today would destroy Babe Ruth…who never played against black ballplayers.
4. Amare really likes Tom Brady’s wife
As I mentioned earlier, Amare is a serious sleeper in this flick. There is (and isn’t) a lot riding on Hader being able to successfully operate on Amare’s knee to get him back playing for the Knicks.
Sidenote: If this is taking place during the NBA season, why is LeBron spending so much time in New York following Hader around?
Anywho, Amare asks Hader how the procedure went and he is told that it was “Tom Brady” good. That prompts a medically drug induced Amare to profess his love and admiration for Gisele Bundchen.
From “I need me one of those” to “I follow her on Instagram”, that single scene was the perfect contrast to the creepy and gross Tom Brady stalking in “Ted 2”.
3. Marv Albert in the Intervention
While the scene seemed wildly out of place, and even more Sandler’ish than the cheerleader number, Marv Albert calling play-by-play of an intervention curated by LeBron for Hader following his breakup was too good.
Matthew Broderick and Chris Evert were there as well (why?), but that randomness was subsided by Marv doing his Marv thing.
2. Any and All LeBron Scenes
I want LeBron to be my best friend after seeing this movie.
He makes the movie fun by trying to be a normal dude looking out for his “best friend.” You’re not totally sure if Hader feels the same way about the LeBron, but that makes the chemistry all the more entertaining.
And you giggle like a kid when he gets pumped about “Sexual Intercourse”.
1. Hader’s “Client” Namedropping
I laughed the loudest (and probably way more than the few people where in the theater with me) at this scene, warranting it’s #1 ranking.
While at a birthday party for Schumer’s nephew, Hader gets the “new boyfriend” treatment from the other guys there. Tim Meadows and Mike Birbiglia ask Hader specifically who he has worked on as a sports surgeon and it goes a little like this…
Bill: “Tom Brady…”
Them: “Wow!”
Bill: “Jay Cutler…”
Them: “Cool.”
Bill: “Alex Rodriguez…”
Tim Meadows: “FUCK THAT GUY!”
Yep. The “Ladies Man” gets the smallest part in the movie, but drops the best timed punchline over the course of 2 hours and too many more minutes.
Can you think of anything else from “Trainwreck” that sticks out to you? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.
In the year that doesn’t feel like it was 8 years ago…
Steve Jobs announced the first generation iPhone.
J.K. Rowlings releases “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows”, the fastest selling book ever.
Track Star Marion Jones surrendered her 5 Olympic gold medals after admitting to doping.
Legendary 49ers head coach Bill Walsh passed away at the age of 75.
4-time Best Drama Series Emmy award winning Mad Men premiered.
(Fingers crossed for Jon Hamm this year)And here’s the what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
Knocked Up, Superbad, Enchanted, Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Hot Fuzz, Juno, Evan Almighty, Balls of Fury, Good Luck Chuck, Hot Rod, Death at a Funeral, Lars and the Real Girl, Epic Movie, Wild Hogs, The Game Plan, The Heartbreak Kid, Who’s Your Caddy?, Dan in Real Life, Fred Clause, The Bucket List, Mr. Woodcock, License to Wed, AND…
The Simpsons Movie
Action
The Bourne Ultimatum, Grindhouse, Zodiac, Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers, I Am Legend, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Kingdom, Sweeney Todd, Hitman, Death Sentence, 28 Weeks Later, Disturbia, Spiderman 3, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Hannibal Rising, The Mist, Fracture, Ghost Rider, The Condemned, Vacancy, Rush Hour 3, War, Funny Games, Paranormal Activity, Mr. Brooks, The Hitcher, Resident Evil: Extinction AND…
Shooter
Drama
Into the Wild, Gone Baby Gone, Atonement, There Will Be Blood, American Gangster, Michael Clayton, Reign Over Me, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Visitor, The Girl Next Door, Premonition, We Own The Night, 3:10 To Yuma, In the Valley of Elah, PS. I Love You, The Lookout, Across the Universe, The Invisible, Breach, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Man From Earth, Control, Evening, Trade, Rendition, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Eastern Promises AND…
No Country For Old Men
The 80th Academy Awards
Best Actor
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood – Winner
(This was the 2nd of Daniel Day-Lewis’s 3 Best Actor Oscar wins)
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men – Winner
(It was Javier Bardem’s first win out of 3 Oscar nominations)
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose – Winner
(Marion Cotillard has been nominated twice for Best Leading Actress. This was her first win)
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton – Winner
(Swinton is batting 1.000 going one-for-one in Oscar nominations and awards, so far)
Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men – Winner
(Won 4 of the 8 Oscars it was nominated, including Best Writing and Directing)
Music
Rock Albums
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Hip Hop Albums
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Pop Albums
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Billboard Year-End Top 25
01. “Irreplaceable” – Beyonce
02. “Umbrella” – Rihanna
03. “The Sweet Escape” – Gwen Stefani and Akon
04. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Fergie
05. “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” – T-Pain featuring Young Joc
06. “Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood
07. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s
08. “I Wanna Love You” – Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
09. “Say It Right” – Nelly Furtado
10. “Glamorous” – Fergie featuring Ludacris
11. “Don’t Matter” – Akon
12. “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne
13. “Makes Me Wonder” – Maroon 5
14. “Party Like a Rockstar” – Shop Boyz
15. “Smack That” – Akon featuring Eminem
16. “This Is Why I’m Hot” – Mims
17. “It’s Not Over” – Daughtry
18. “The Way I Are” – Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson
19. “Fergalicious” – Fergie featuring will.i.am.
20. “Crank That (Soulja Boy) – Soulja Boy Tell’em
21. “Give It To Me” – Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
Many of you probably thought about quitting on True Detective Season 2 after the first 3 episodes. There were valid reasons for you to do so, but I also told you that Episode 4 was going to make or break the season…
(This is where I warn you that there are spoilers ahead, but you already knew that.)
Thankfully, Season 2 got better.
We found parallels to Season 1, they cut some of the bullshit that muddied the story, and 3 out of the 4 major characters have developed into people worth investing in (Taylor Kitsch still sucks). There are still slow points and plot detours that will make you pull your hair out, but it’s hard to say the past 3 episodes haven’t redeemed the season at all.
Ray Velcoro and Rust Cohle Would Be Great Partners
There are common trends between Seasons 1 & 2. State government corruption is the overwhelming issue. The detectives have epic falls from from grace, or whatever resembles such a thing for them. There are also mid-season baddies who don’t go out quietly who serve as the “fall guy”, but then set our detectives on the right path.
Reggie Ledoux was the Season 1 “Yellow King”. Rust and Marty’s evidence led them to the meth cook’s compound for an insane confrontation, similar to the one we saw in episode 4 of Season 2 but with far fewer casualties.
Of course they DID do it again. The tip that Ani, Paul, and Ray got from Mayor McCheese led them to Ledo Amarilla’s version of Ledoux’s compound, and was likely meant to be a trap for the trio. In Nic Pizzolatto’s own way, he makes Amarilla into the Season 2 Yellow King. “Amarilla” is Spanish for “Yellow” and “Ledo” is 4/6 the spelling of “Ledoux”.
…And explosions.
After Amarilla’s case is closed, there are still 4 more episodes and a bunch of orgy-loving powerful people who need to be taken down. You wonder if Rust’s interrogation skills combined with Ray’s willingness to get dirty would have wrapped this mystery up much sooner. At least Ray is cynical enough to handle Rust’s bleak philosophical soliloquies…and Rust wouldn’t judge Ray’s demons either.
The Story is Better Simplified
One of the things that dragged Season 2 down was the show’s commitment to 4 major characters and trying to unravel them layer by layer. As I mentioned reviewing the first 3 episodes, the multiple subplots associated with too many character were deterring viewers away from what was actually a good mystery. Ray is no longer beating up his kid’s bullies and their bystander dads. Ani isn’t sleeping with other officers in her department, for the time being. Frank is done harkening back to his childhood. And thankfully Paul and his drama have taken a backseat to the team’s investigation.
The simplicity was most evident in Episode 6 “Church in Ruins”. The opening scene between Ray and Frank was as good it gets for this season. They didn’t beat around the bush. Everything was laid out on the table with pistols cocked underneath. Then they walked away with their separate businesses to take care of and nothing to distract them.
The focus on Ani’s preparation to go undercover for the anticipated “party” built up solid suspense for the mess that was bound to happen.
Who else gave an involuntary fist-pump when she was actually able to apply her knife-fighting practice? That was awesome.
Paul stayed out of everybody’s way and was actually effective when it came to getting the evidence and helping Ani out of the orgy. His redeeming quality is being a good soldier and completing the mission at hand.
With two episodes left, it’s the trio of detectives (and probably Frank) against California’s so-called elite, including Governor candidate Masuka from Dexter. Some of the subplots will likely arise again, especially Paul’s sexuality vs. marrying his baby’s momma, but the focus should be on closing this case.
“We could watch Friends.”
Ray’s kid is such a Ross. A very ginger pizza-loving Ross.
Going along the lines of simplicity, Ray cutting the cord from his son and ex-wife puts an end to one of the multiple distracting subplots. What’s interesting about that is the fact he agreed to join the “off the books” squad based on an agreement he could retain custody of his son. Ray seems focused on the task at hand after doing so, but maybe he has sealed his fate as well after doing so. Regardless, the best character on the show only got better because of it.
While in a drug induced trippy state, we learned more about Ani as she recalled a man who abused her in the past. The man looked like someone from her father’s photos and you wonder if he is more connected to the corruption than we already knew. Rescuing her missing person and getting a firsthand look at the kind of evil they are dealing with will probably have Ani sharpening her blade for more in Sunday’s episode.
Then there’s Frank…
Frank’s story hasn’t felt all that necessary, outside his influence on Ray, up to this point. The more he evolves into being a gangster again, the more entertaining he is…but do you really care what happens to him?
He is, however, acting as much like a detective as Ray, Ani, and Paul while trying to find out who killed Caspere and Stan. Frank has to tie into this thing significantly at some point, and his findings may be the thing that breaks the case wide open. You also anticipate some well deserved revenge on Frank’s 2nd in command, who is obviously undermining him with the trafficking of women.
Most importantly, there’s finally MOMENTUM. The final sequence was exhilarating and gave the viewer something to look forward. You feel better about there being just 8 episodes instead of the typical HBO 10, and that there will be closure to this story sooner than later.
I’d like to hear what you think! Do you like Season 2 better now, or does it still suck?
Let me know on Facebook or Twitter and we can talk about it further.
That’s what head coach Bruce Arians said Monday, according to the Arizona Cardinals website, after the team announced that they added the first woman to coach in the NFL, Jen Welter. Welter joins the Cardinals as a training camp/preseason intern and will coach inside linebackers. She’ll be working alongside former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and 12-year veteran linebacker Larry Foote.
Breaking new ground is nothing new for Welter. After playing collegiate rugby and then 11 years in the Women’s Football Alliance, Welter played running back for the indoor football league Texas Revolution. She was the first woman to play a non-kicking position in a pro football game.
Back in March, Arians was asked a question about the possibility of women coaching in the NFL. Arians answered saying, “The minute they can prove they can make a player better, they’ll be hired.” A Revolution staff member reached out to Arians shortly after, recommending that he should speak with Welter if he was serious.
Arians invited Welter to the Cardinals’ OTAs and found her to be very passionate about football. That passion convinced Arians that Welter was for real and should get an opportunity to coach with his staff. She brings with her a masters degree in sports psychology and a PhD in psychology.
Lastly, Arians addressed the questions of weather or not Welter would be a distraction for the team and how the players will react. “I don’t think the players care, as long as they are being coached to get better. With her background as a player, a coach and a psychologist, I think our players will realize she can help them. She has a ton of energy and intelligence.”
Cardinals Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson has already welcomed Welter to the team on Twitter.
The bottom line, from what both Peterson and Arians are saying, is that this is about doing work and improving the club. The easy comparison to make is in another major sport as San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hired Becky Hammon to join his staff as an assistant coach last season. Hammon led the Spurs, recently, to a Summer League title and her prospects of being a head coach in the NBA are not a pipe dream by any degree. Expectations are no different for Welter’s coaching trajectory in the NFL, as Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman writes.
Ignorance from some fans, select players, and people who like the sound of their own voice on TV is inevitable. We see it all the time and my solution is always to just change the channel. Fortunately, the reaction has been mostly positive across social media and sports news outlets so far. The Cardinals organization is no stranger to being progressive either. Arians praised his employer last night for their consistent effort in promoting diversity, having hired the first African-American head coach and general manager tandem of Dennis Green and Rod Graves back in 2004. Vice President of the United States Joe Biden recognizes that as well.
Breaking barriers and reaching new heights. Congratulations to Jen Welter. This is what progress looks like. https://t.co/A6pT0RFXFL
It’s a groundbreaking move for sure…one that will open the door for women who won’t be hired just for the sake of diversity, but because they are the best for the job.
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I love the social media driven National Food days. They give us something to look forward to. They encourage us to go out and grab something good to eat. I also just really like having a reason to try new places.
For instance, today is #NationalHotDogDay. I’m not the biggest fan of hot dogs (more of a polish sausage guy) but I am always interested in experiencing something different. For years I’ve heard people rave about Superdawg in the Chicago area, so it being a “holiday” seemed as good an excuse as any to try it.
Let me tell you what…the hype is REAL at Superdawg.
Who decides these “National Food Days”? According to Food Timeline, there are 4 different sources that plan the National Food Calendar.
– The Federal Government, either by Presidential proclamation or the Department of Commerce
– Industry Associations
– Companies promoting their products
– Charities and Not-for-profit organizations
I know, right? Learn something new everyday.
So rather than waiting to see what advertisers and social media surprises us with next, why not take a look at the calendar and plan ahead for what’s to come.
July
July 24th
National Tequila Day
These National Holidays aren’t always just for food either. When it hits 5 o’clock (somewhere) tomorrow, find the nearest watering hole and have some fun.
Recommendation: If you can find it, Kilo Kai is where it’s at. Don’t even need a chaser.
August 19th
National Soft-Serve Ice Cream Day
Recommendation: Your nearest ballpark…Soft-serve is best in a baseball helmet.
August 19th
National ‘Bacon Lovers’ Day
If you love bacon, you know exactly where to find it. If you’re feeling adventurous, Little Caesar’s has a treat for you.
Recommendation: Any Brazilian Steakhouse will do the trick. Texas de Brazil even has a bowl of thick bacon pieces in their salad bar to take care of you.
Have your own recommendations? Let’s talk on Facebook or Twitter.
michaelpiff 