Stop me if I'm rambling...

Monday, October 22, 2007

Boston = Winnerville!!


Twenty years from now, these will be known as the "good ol' days" for Boston sports fans. The Sox are going to the World Series, the Pats are 7-0, BC is ranked #2 in the country, the Celts will likely have the best team they've had since the 80s, and even the Bruins are knocking on the door of relevancy. Enjoy these days while they last!!! Bring on the Rockies! I can't wait for the series to start.

Does anyone else think that it was a little strange that Kevin Millar was at Fenway last night to throw out the game's ceremonial first pitch??? Yes, he's a former Sox player from the historic 2004 World Series championship team. Yes, he's a fun, engaging personality known for starting the 2003 rally cry "Cowboy Up" and infamous for having admitted to swilling some Jack Daniels before a game or two during the 2004 season. The particularly unusual fact of his appearance as Red Sox guest though is that he's currently employed by another MLB team, Sox AL East rival Baltimore Orioles. I'd be a little pissed off if I was an Orioles fan (not sure if they still exist) seeing Millar essentially saying, "I really wish I was here with you guys but I'll take my paycheck from the Orioles, thanks."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Thirteen and One-Half Games Up!!

I guess all those fans chanting that stupid (and previously untrue) statement "Yankees Suck" were right all along. It'll be interesting to see how much longer Brian Cashman and/or Joe Torre stay employed by the Evil Empire. Even if Roger Clemens returns to his 1986 form, how much of a difference can he make at this point?? Should be an interesting summer.

P.S. It was nice to see Trot Nixon get a much deserved standing ovation yesterday. While not the most talented player in Sox history, he was always a hard-nosed and classy player who could be relied on to provide a great effort.

Friday, May 25, 2007

WEEI Whiner Line

Since I drive to work now instead of taking the T, I've been listening to a lot more radio than I used to. I'm an inveterate channel-flipper but find myself tuning in most often to the wildly popular afternoon "Big Show" on sports radio WEEI 850AM. Veteran Boston sports guy Glenn Ordway serves as host and ringleader of the cast of characters who participate in the show's daily shouting match. Overall, the topics are standard sports radio fare (Celtics' NBA lottery debacle, Red Sox pitching match-ups, debates about whether Randy Moss can fit into the Pats regime, etc.) and the show can be mildly entertaining. For those not familiar with the format, Ordway concludes each show by airing segments from the "whiner line" in which callers leave messages that are occasionally funny, sometimes dull, but most often are mind-numbingly inane. But I still listen. Part of the show's appeal may be that it's amazingly consistent. The same cast of callers check in each day and a large percentage of the whiner messages come from recurring characters. The most consistently entertaining character is the "Bob Kraft guy." With his sl0w, rambling speech and slurred Boston accent, the guy sounds exactly like Kraft and the bits are almost always funny. The guy is amazing! In contrast, one recurring character whose popularity continues to baffle me is the "Glenn Ordway guy." Unfailingly, whenever he calls, his bits are met with howling laughter by the Big Show participants. Am I missing something? First, he doesn't sound anything like Glenn Ordway. Since when has Glenn Ordway had a southern accent?? The guy sounds more like former Clinton staffer and Louisiana native James Carville than North Shore native Ordway. Secondly, the guy is impossibly difficult to understand. Third, I also miss the significance of the final line in every one of his bits "You're making my point!" Please...if this post ever becomes google-able and some 'EEI fan in the know happens to stumble upon this post, can you please enlighten me as to what this bit is all about! Clearly, I must be missing some inside joke. In the meantime, I'll continue to listen.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The Celtic Curse: 1986-present


"The Curse of Len Bias" continues to plague the Celts. As a former die-hard Celtics fan who desperately would like to regain my passion for the team, it's not just sour grapes that are feeding my ire this morning. For several years, I've felt that there must be a better process than the current lottery system which seals a team's fate based on the selection of four ping-pong balls out of a drum. I understand that the lottery system, by not necessarily assuring a team that it will get the top pick if it has the worst record in the league, is designed to prevent teams that are not playoff-bound from tanking it at the end of the year. However, these noble intentions are not realized by the current lottery system either, which doesn't give teams any greater incentive to work harder as the season winds down. The probability of the worst teams securing the top picks are far too low with the current system, and consequently, two pitiful teams that deserved to get top picks are relegated to selecting fourth and fifth. After Oden and Durrant, there are still some solid players left in the draft but it's unlikely that any of them will be the immediate game-changers that these two promise to be. Looks like the Celtics should be mired in mediocrity for some years to come.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

American Idol Finale

On the eve of the American Idol finale, I'm re-publishing an article I wrote about a year ago. Funny how things don't change much in a year. Here it goes:

I have a confession to make: I love "American Idol." I know, I'm a 33 year-old straight guy, not exactly a member of AI's target demographic. But I love the show nonetheless. What's crazy about my guilty pleasure is that I really don't even like the type of music that most contestants sing during their tryouts. How many times do I need to hear "Fame" or "Chain of Fools"?? So why can't I get enough of this annual parade of talented (a few) and talentless (most of them) singers seeking their shot at a recording career??Well, first, clearly part of the appeal of "American Idol" is the freakshow factor. For every aspiring Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, or Clay Aiken (contestants with legitimate singing talent) there are countless William Hung wannabes, seeking their own fifteen minutes of fame. Because of the "Hung phenomenon," it seems that nearly every contestant is looking for an angle, seeking to peddle their own gimmick to impress the three judges, or more importantly, get their face on camera. And with each increasingly bizarre performer, Simon Cowell's razor-sharp tongue seems to become even more brutal. His worst insults are usually preceded by the phrase "I don't mean to be rude but..." Of course you mean to be rude, Simon, and that's why America loves you. Effeminate male contestants - and damn, there certainly are a lot of them - are often the worst victims of Cowell's snide humor. Last week he told one male contestant: "Just what we needed: Sylvester Stallone's younger sister singing Paula Abdul." Another guy wearing green face paint was told that he looks like the "Incredible Hulk's wife." Affable judge Randy Jackson even caught some heat from a gay advocacy group last week when he asked presumably male (the jury is still out on this one - check out the picture below) contestant Zachary Travis, another reject: "Are you a girl?" Some people think the judges are just plain mean. A scowling Cowell was particularly venomous when he told rejected "Idol" wannabe Charles Berry: "I don't mean this disrespectfully... shave off your beard and wear a dress." Right, no disrespect there. Yeah, sometimes it's harsh, but it's always entertaining stuff.Another appealing feature of "American Idol" is the format during the first round of auditions. Since contestants sing their chosen songs without the benefit of background music, the first round offers a forum for showcasing raw singing ability, or lack thereof. Consequently, during an "American Idol" audition, when talent is there, it's clearly apparent. And when it's not there, it's also embarrassingly evident. There's no bass player or sound engineer to blame for a lackluster song. I'd love to see Britney Spears or Ashlee Simpson in front of the three judges without the benefit of musical accompaniment to drown out their real voices. My guess is that Simon might have a word or two to say about them.Certainly many of the contestants audition on a dare or to try to seize their moment in the spotlight by adding to the show's freakshow factor. In many cases, these contestants don't seem particulary miffed when they're laughed off the stage by the judges. But it's amazing how many horrific singers seem legitimately pissed off - often to the point of tears - when they're told that they don't have what it takes. This is probably due to the fact that most of these 16 to 28 year-old contestants grew up in an era when public schools put greater emphasis on bolstering kids' self-esteem rather than judging individuals based on their actual achievement; thus, many are not accustomed to honest criticism from authority figures (but that's a topic for a different blog). In any case, how can they not know that they suck???? But perhaps the best feature of "American Idol" has nothing to do with the judges' caustic comments. Rather, it's the joy of watching previously unknown singers, most of whom have no connections in the music industry, take their shot at stardom. In auditioning for the show, many are trying to fulfill the biggest dream of their young lives. Whether they make it or not, many of them walk away knowing they gave it everything. "I gave it my best shot," many of them say, "I guess I just wasn't good enough today but I'll be back next year." And more power to them. Maybe they will be better next year, maybe not. What's important is that they had a chance at their dream and gave it their best. Wouldn't we all love that opportunity?

Thursday, September 28, 2006

What happened to my blog?!?!

It's been THREE months since I've written a post. I know, very negligent. I just started a new job, so I guess I have a decent excuse. Currently (and unfortunately), things such as Microsoft Access, SAP, and budget spreadsheets seem to be more pressing issues than commenting on the cast in the latest season of "The Biggest Loser," for example. But I'll be back...especially with the new TV season, MA gubernatorial race, and the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder starting to set in, I should have lots to talk about within the next week. Stay patient!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

ZOINKS!!!!


While it was arguably the least funny long-running sitcom in TV history ("Full House" is the only show that I can think of that presents a compelling challenge to that view), I'll admit that I did watch "Saved by the Bell" throughout my teen-age years. It certainly wasn't "Must See TV" at the time but the show offered a few reasons to tune in: The girls were cute; I could relate to the kids as they progressed through high school since they were all about the same age as me; and most importantly, the show provided a benign, "no thinking required" thirty-minute escape each Saturday morning. Bayside High presented an unlikely social milieu where the details really didn't matter. Think about it. The Hispanic guy had the very Anglo surname "Slater" (good job for anyone who knew that the "AC" stood for "Albert Clifford"). Zach got a 1502 on his SATs (in my lifetime, it's been impossible to get a 1502 since the scores are calculated exclusively in increments of 10). And most bewildering was the fact that the "cool" guys (Zach and Slater) and the popular girls (Lisa, Kelly, and Jessie) in an image-conscious California high school would allow an annoying dork like Screech to hang with them. But that's the kind of kids that they were; sure, they got mixed up in all sorts of teen-age high-jinks (usually at Principal Belding's expense), but they were likeable, wholesole kids at heart just looking to have a good time as they cruised through school. Right?

Well, as the years have passed, a more complex portrait of the Bayside kids has emerged. First, Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie) starred in a mid-90s flop about a stripper called "Showgirls" that received universally dreadful reviews. Then Mario Lopez ruined his future with wife-to-be, uber-babe Ali Landry by cheating at his bachelor party. Way to go Slater!! Recently, Lark Voorhies (who played shopaholic rich girl and the desire of Screech's affection, Lisa Turtle)was said by a tabloid to be a major drug abuser; she's currently suing. And finally, we have beloved dweeb Screech, played by Dustin Diamond.
Currently, Diamond is hawking $15 t-shirts online emblazoned with his character's image and the name "Screeech" (with three "e"'s to circumvent copyright restrictions) in an effort to save his Milwaukee house from being foreclosed. He needs to raise $250K by the end of June to keep the home. Say it ain't so, Screech (sorry, I mean "Screeech")!!! On the verge of losing your home?? In MILWAUKEE???? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Apparently, that rousing victory over Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo of "Welcome Back Kotter" fame) in Celebrity Boxing back in 2002 didn't fetch enough money to bankroll your life in the Badger State. Anyway, best of luck with the fund-raising man!