Folk and Future

So, I’ve sort of let sports over run my thoughts lately…

That’s not necessarily a bad thing when you work in sports and are currently going to graduate school to further study sports. At that point, you’re sort of supposed to let the topic spin through your head. Well, I’ve been flooded by consumed with sports to near suffocation lately.

Therefore, it seems like it’s time for some music/TV/movie talk. Variety is, as they say, the spice of life.

New music that I am currently diggin’:
Angus & Julia Stone
From Australia they released their debut album, A Book Like This, back in 2007 but it didn’t reach the American shores until just over 6 months ago. I’ll be honest with you from the get go – if you’re looking to really sink your teeth into some wild tunes and expand your mind to another dimension, this isn’t really for you. The point is not to blow you away. It’s supposed to be enjoyed. And you really don’t have to work to hard to make it through this album.

The brother-sister duo is as folksy and sweet sounding as they come. Angus is borderline hypnotic on songs like, “Paper Aeroplane” and “Mango Tree.” Julia’s quirky, but genuinely nice, voice softly swings through “Wasted” and “Hollywood.” Then there’s this little number that is just dripping with sticky pop:


Other stuff I’ve been listening to lately: She& Him, Brett Dennen and the soundtrack for Where the Wild Things Are with the music coming from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

New TV that I am currently diggin’:
FlashForward
Sure, I’m still sticking with the ol’ standbys of 30 Rock and The Office but you have to sprinkle in some new stuff every now and again. FlashForward fits the bill…despite the fact that they spell it as one word with a capital “F” stuck right in the middle. It’s an interesting concept – at the same moment, everyone in the world blacks out for 137 seconds. Beyond the mass chaos that ensues, everybody has glimpsed a surreal but grimly convincing vision of the future exactly six months ahead. It’s just intriguing enough to keep me coming back for one more episode (sort of the way Fringe did last year).

The only issues that I have with the show so far is I have no Earthly idea how you carry it past season one…but that’s for the writers to figure out. The other issue: Harold as an FBI agent?! Can I really buy into that? Well, I bought into Kumar being a doctor for a couple years so maybe this won’t be too difficult.


Other new stuff I’ve been watching lately: Glee (it’s almost surprisingly decent…and Jane Lynch is great in it) and Modern Family.

New movies that I am currently diggin’:
N/A
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to venture out to the local cinema lately. It just takes such an effort when you live in Atlanta. Traffic and parking in the city is just dreadful and then you have to expect to pay $25 per ticket and $12.50 for a medium Coke. Plus, it’s the fall…the time right in the middle of the summer blockbusters and holiday-season hits. That being said, I’ve heard good things about The Informant!, which stars, my boy, Matt Damon. I’m looking to take suggestions, though, if you’re willing to tell me what you’ve seen lately. Good or bad, let me hear it.

Now, back to more pressing matters...The Betting Man:
Last Week (2-2-1); Season (6-12-1)
-Stupid Houston keeping me from a winning record for the first time this season. You’re not even a real school! And stupid Ole Miss not being able to handle their own business against the Ol’ Ball Coach and the Gamecocks. AND…stupid California being favored by a touchdown and then getting absolutely shellacked by nearly 40 points. Unbelievable!

Wisconsin at Minnesota (-2.5)
-Gophers, while a nuisance to Carl Spackler at Bushwood Country Club, are still cooler than Badgers. Plus, they’re “Golden.” That has to count for something, right? Plus, it’s a Big 10 football game so nobody really cares anyway.

Texas A&M (-1) vs. Arkansas -- in Arlington, Texas
-This game isn’t exactly a home game for Arkansas (Arlington is about 400 miles away from Fayetteville). But I’m looking for Hog-QB Ryan Mallett to throw the ball all over the yard.

Auburn at Tennessee (-1.5)
-Old man Monty is going to have the Vols ready to roll. Auburn, who hasn’t played anyone worthwhile to this point is about to have someone show them what defense is. The Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagle/whatever-they-are-calling-themselves-this-week’s winning streak is over.

#7 USC (-5) at #24 California
-For the record, under normal circumstances, I would stay the heck away from this game. Cal is coming off an embarrassment and USC is trying to get back into the swing of things. Cal isn’t a bad pick here but I’ll take those crazy Trojans and their rendition of Lean On Me.

#8 Oklahoma (-7) @ #17 Miami
-No Bradford? No problem. I am just not going to buy into the hype of Miami. They are a nice team but I just don’t think they are there yet.

Television and Sports

So, I was stuck somewhere in between a Braves rain delay and the NBA Finals...

While I do enjoy the occasional hoops matchup, I just didn't find Magic-Lakers to be all that intriguing. Despite all the talk about how this was a huge series for Phil and Kobe, I just couldn't get into it. I just couldn't get excited. That all being said, because it was basketball's world championship...I'll took the Lakers in five...they ended up nailling things down in six.

Because of the my lack of interest in Naismith's Game, and Mother Nature's denial of baseball, I was left sifting through the DV-R (which I once described on this very blog as one of the best inventions of my lifetime). This great machine captures all my favorite shows - and a lot of the crap that I really shouln't waste my time with - but it got me thinking. What kinds of shows am I watching? What kinds of shows are you watching? And, frankly, how can I make some sort of sports comparison?

That's when I started jotting down a list of some of the shows that you can find on TV right now and tried to figure out who their athletic counterpart would be. Let me know what you think about this:

30 Rock = Manny Ramirez
They might both be the best out there. People under the age of about 35 LOVE them...people over the age of 35 don't really get them. The "oldies" find them both obnoxious and hard to relate to. You can't argue with the production though. They consistantly give you what you came to get - a couple of awkward moments and bunch of laughs. And sure, an occiasional steriods/female-fertility drug scandal.

The Office = Phil Mikkelson
What's interesting about these two pudgers is that they each have some of the best and worst moments on television. Plus, they need to just do what they do best...rely on the short game. Hour-long episodes of The Office that are "story-driven" just don't work as well as the half-hour episodes that have Jim and Dwight picking on each other. Just put it on the tee, knock it out there, then just give me short little pitches from afew of the tertiary characters and you have yourself a winner.

Heroes = Dontrelle Willis
Nothing has ever started out so hot only to take such a turn for the worse. Both are borderline unwatchable at this point but you gotta keep them in the rotation because you never know when they might catch fire again.
Quick side note: I just don't know if I am okay with Hayden Panettiere being 19 years old...it just makes me feel creepy. Can't she go back to being that little 5-year old girl who draws up high school football plays for her father in Remember The Titans?!

Seinfeld = Ken Griffey Jr.
This is a comparison that I just recently came to terms with. Both, in there time, were unquestionably the best in the business. Both had a long career and have been beloved by almost everyone. Both have become a little dated in the last year or so. Hear me out. I'm not saying that Seinfeld (or Junior for that matter) is done. I'm just saying that neither can really stand with the current players. Sure, every once in a while The Kid goes yard and every now and again you get "The Opposite" and you get that old warm, fuzzy feeling.



That's at least a start...