Stuff That I'm Digging Right Now

Alrighty constituents - here's what's cool, so you should pay attention.

- The first half of 2010 in the cinema world was, how shall I say it ... well, if we're comparing it to cuisine, let's agree that it was not "restaurant quality." The past couple of months have shown much more promise. There's a lot of stuff out now that I'd love to see but haven't. However, "The Town" did not slip past the goalie, and my mission was to make sure I didn't sleep on this one in the thee-ay-tur. Kiddies, this flick was bad-ass. Ben Affleck has been mostly a punchline for the past decade or so after the early part of his career (90s) showed such promise. But he's reinvented his image as a solid director, first with 2006's "Gone Baby Gone." "The Town" only further cements his reputation behind the camera lens. He also co-wrote the movie and stars in it, and did an above-average job in those departments as well. It's a gritty, pull-no-punches look at Charlestown (South Boston) bank robbers, and an FBI task force team, led by 'Mad Men' superstar Jon Hamm, trying to bust the bad boys. There's also a romance angle sprinkled in (Rebecca Hall plays the manager of the bank robbed in the opening scene), but not done in a turn-your-stomach sort of way.

The performances are top notch, and both the dialogue and pacing move quickly enough to make the two-plus hours fly by. Keep an eye on Jeremy Renner as the quick-tempered, downright frightening best friend of Affleck's character. He rocks the role like no other. If I had to nit-pick, there are some minor logic flaws with the plot here and there, and some of the action scenes (see the requisite 'car chase' scene that must be present in EVERY action flick) are maybe a shade less than wholly believable. But not to an egregious degree. And it's done in such a stylized, adrenaline-pumping manner that it can be largely overlooked. Put it this way - it didn't affect my enjoyment of the film, and if anyone is quick to bag on most forms of entertainment for coloring liberally outside the lines of plausibility, it's yours truly.

- Original entertainment on TV is as good now as it's ever been. Remember a time, you know 15 or more years ago, when network TV was the only place to see shows? Fortunately, it's not like that now. HBO and Showtime have both been killing it for years. I don't subscribe to Showtime, so I can only speak for HBO from personal experience, but with shows like "Treme," "Eastbound and Down," "The Life and Times of Tim," "Bored to Death," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the brand-new and brilliant "Boardwalk Empire" and "True Blood" (which I don't even watch), there's something for everyone. If you haven't checked out "Boardwalk Empire" yet, HBO's newest dramatic offering with Steve Buscemi as the lead character playing the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City in 1920 during the start of the Prohibition Era, do yourself a favor and check it out. If you don't get HBO, try to find a free viewing online or something. Smart, sleek, beautifully shot and highly entertaining. Martin Scorcese directed the premiere episode, which plays out like a sweeping mini-film at one hour and 15 minutes. He's set the bar high for his successors come future episodes.

Meanwhile, AMC's two hallmark programs, "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men," only continue to get better. They keep it humming, believe that. Mad Men has been 'off-the-charts' enthralling in this fourth season. Watching it just reinforces the notion that Don Draper (the aforementioned Jon Hamm) should have split with that selfish wet blanket Betty a LONG time ago so that he could make Don Draper mistakes and live the Don Draper lifestyle. Over the past couple of episodes he's begun to get himself together, cutting back on the drinking and appearing to attempt some form of a committed relationship with new Sterling-Cooper-Draper-Pryce market research expert Dr. Faye. And the continued exploration of a quickly maturing yet still confused Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) has provided for some great moments this season also, especially as the relationship between Peggy and Don continues to take bold turn after turn (see 'The Suitcase' - one of the best episodes ever). Can't wait to see what develops over these last five installments of Season Four. You know there will be some sort of major cliffhanger to keep us all amped up for the next season. Oh, and, whose heart wasn't bleeding for poor Sally Draper after this past episode. Sure she acted out and was a brat at the end, but if YOU were 10 years old and had Betty Draper for a mom, I don't think you'd be pleased as punch about it either.

- Why can't music like this be made these days?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCnebZnysmI

Literally, are there ANY bands out there now that just plug in and play, and let their raw musicianship and energy carry them to stardom?

Deep Purple was one of the greats of all time, so it's hard to live up to performances like this. But rock musicians of the world - please, a little more effort. Thanks, and stuff. By the way, pay special attention to the drumming on this track. Ian Paice is one of the all-time best, and that's my word. His break beat fills during the verses are insane, but on top of that, even his simple beat-keeping during the main riff stands out - lots of pop-and-snap on the snare and cymbals to keep the song moving along like a locomotive. Good, good, good times.

Football stuffage is comin' at you next.

College Pigskin - What a Weekend

Holy leaping lizards and downtrodden Broncos (of the Boise State variety, not Denver).

September 11th, 2010 may be remembered as a landmark Saturday in the college football world. A lot of teams either grew up or got smacked down, at least in terms of their national title hopes (see Boise State). Okay, so the Broncos haven't officially been eliminated from national championship contention, but it doesn't help that their Labor Day victory over Virginia Tech - which seemed like it would be their shiniest badge of honor during an unlikely title run - was essentially negated with the Hokies' stunning 21-16 upset loss against in-state little brother rival James Madison Saturday. JMU doesn't even compete in Division I-A, and Boise State's remaining schedule is packed mostly with zeros rather than heroes.

Michigan catapulted itself into the Top 25 (No. 20) with a splendiferous (that's right, I said it!) and stupefying 28-24, last-minute triumph over the Fighting Irish in a packed house at Notre Dame. Sophomore QB Denard Robinson, with over 500 yards of all-purpose offense, was the key reason. It looks like Rich Rodriguez has found the perfect signal-caller for his spread offense. The lean times in Ann Arbor may be over, at least for a little while.

So many great games happening, but one of the other bullet-point mentionables is No. 1 Alabama running roughshod over No. 18 Penn State in Tuscaloosa. The Nittany Lions just didn't have the firepower to compete with the Crimson Tide, even though 'Bama was short by two top players (one of which was 2009 Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram). Elsewhere, No. 2 Ohio State maintained its hold on the second spot in the rankings with a 36-24 win against No. 12 Miami (Fla.), a game that received a decent amount of attention as a rematch of that thrilling, controversy-marred national championship game from the 2002 season. Well, the Buckeyes took care of business again, forcing Hurricanes QB Jacory Harris into 4 interceptions. Two of Miami's TDs came on special teams (punt return and kickoff return).

No. 3 Boise State sat idle, no doubt disbelieving its misfortune by the hand of VTU's incomprehensible loss. No. 4 TCU blasted Tennessee Tech, 62-7, and No. 7 Oregon struggled early at Tennessee before cruising to a 48-13 win, bumping the Ducks up to No. 5. That's your top 5 in the new AP poll, kiddos. Slots 6-10 belong to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Florida, respectively. All of them won convincingly.

Remember haters of the current system - every weekend is a playoff. Oh and uh, the idea of Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman is laughable. NCAA, you are often ridiculous and nobody really takes you seriously, just so you know.

I got your NFL right here, tough guy!

Other than being able to say you were right or wrong, predictions don’t mean a dad-gum thing. But they’re fun, so let’s rock’n’roll.

It also probably warrants mentioning that the two major lingering, hotbed NFL offseason storylines – Ben Roethlisberger and Darrelle Revis – have been resolved before 2010’s season has officially kicked off. Star cornerback Revis earlier this week signed a 4-year, $32 million contract with the NY Jets after a several-week holdout as a result of him having outperformed his contract, and Roethlisberger’s six-game suspension, handed down by the NFL due to a young woman’s sexual assault allegations against ‘Big Ben,’ was reduced to four games. Is there anyone who’s even mildly surprised about this?

Here’s a quick peek at the divisions.

NFC East – This division is always a meat-grinder, perhaps more so than any of the rest. Donovan McNabb is now with Washington, and the Eagles have Kevin Kolb taking over as a first-year starter. The Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t have any major dropoff in quality, but watch out for the N.Y. Giants. They’ll quietly go about their business and save their energy for when they need it most. I’d like to believe the Eagles can win this division, but they’re a little young this year, and Kolb will probably need at least one full season to develop into a confident leader and dependable winner.

NFC West – What can anyone say? The NFC West is sort of a joke. In fact, I find it regretful that I’ve already written three sentences about it. People are buzzing about San Fran again, like they do every year. Why not, I say. Nobody else looks better. Arizona is done (Kurt Warner has retired, Anquan Boldin is gone); Seattle has question marks, like always (Pete Carroll is unproven as a head NFL coach); and St. Louis, despite the promise and potential of Sam Bradford at QB, is still going to stumble worse than Snooki after 3 Irish car bombs.

NFC North – Green Bay seems like they’re on a mission. Aaron Rodgers is an awesome QB, point blank. People think this team could be the NFC’s Super Bowl rep. Favre is back for the Vikings after his annual ‘Will I or won’t I’ soap opera B.S., but top receiver Sidney Rice is done for half the year, and Percy Harvin might not be able to get a-‘head’ if his migraines don’t clear up. That offensive line looks somewhat questionable too. Don’t expect the Minnesota of 2010 to be the Minnesota of 2009. The Bears and Lions will finish third and fourth, not necessarily in that order (but probably).

NFC South – Saints or Falcons? Conventional wisdom suggests it will be one of them winning this division. I can’t imagine New Orleans being any less effective than last year, except that this time they’ll have the old bulls-eye on their backs as the defending Super Bowl champs. Atlanta was surprisingly mediocre last year, but a lot of the ‘experts’ are looking for a rebound from them now. Carolina and Tampa Bay should be where we think they will (sitting at home during the playoffs).

----------------

AFC East – Holy crap is there going to be some knock-down, drag-out fights to win this division. Expectations for the Jets have never been so high. The Patriots are still the Patriots (in other words, you’d be stupid to count them out), and the 2009 Dolphins were perhaps the best team ever to lose more than 6 games in a season. It’s really anyone’s guess, but it feels like the Jets or Pats will likely take the crown. Sorry Bills. You’re still inept (not really a newsflash, am I right?)

AFC West – Much like the NFC West, not a strong field here. But San Diego is probably the best team, even if not by a long shot. There’s some optimism amongst Raiders fans, what with a new quarterback and all (it’s Jason Campbell folks, not Peyton Manning). Plus you have Al Davis manning the ship, which is basically a kiss of death to every season that passes by with him at the helm. Denver will be feisty, but they don’t feel like championship material. And some say watch out for KC this year, but I’m not buying that either. Chargers are still the team to beat here. In fact, I’m thinking that losing LaDainian Tomlinson will actually make them better.

AFC North – Everyone loves the Baltimore Ravens here. In fact, don’t sleep on that Ravens-Jets 7 p.m. Monday night game. Should be a doozy (perhaps a preview of the AFC title game?) The Steelers will still need work to be put away, but if they start weak without Big Ben through the first 4 games they may not recover. Don’t think Cincinnati will do this year what they did in ’09. As usual, the Cleveland Browns are the division doormat.

AFC South – This is a quietly tough, competitive division. This current regime of the Indy Colts will always be the favorite, but don’t forget how much momentum the Tennessee Titans had to finish out ’09. Wouldn’t be shocking to see them return to their 2008 form (in other words, a playoff team). Jacksonville gives good fight, but they won’t actually threaten for a division crown or playoff spot. Houston is another annual ‘bandwagon’ team, except that it always seems to turn out that the wagon is made of straw and not steel.

Happy pigskin in 2010. I’ll be keeping up on it just like you will, fo’ sure.

You mean … football is back?!

Hell yes, kids. Real, meaningful football (not the ‘preseason’ stuff) is officially upon us, as of last Thursday. Three days from now Minnesota and New Orleans will clash in The Big Easy, a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game, to kick off the 2010 NFL season.

In the meantime, a full weekend of college football has passed us by, and as is always the case, it’s awesome to have it back again. You know how sometimes you wish you could have more of something that you really like but can’t control? But then the next time you experience that thing after a long wait, you realize how much more you appreciate it as a result of having gone without? That’s kind of how I feel this weekend every year. Football just wouldn’t be the same if it was somehow staggered within its different levels (i.e. pro, college, high-profile high school games) so that it was ALWAYS being played.

To that end, we didn’t have a whole lot of shocking upsets to kick things off this year. Perhaps most notably, unranked Utah squeezed past No. 15 Pittsburgh 27-24 in overtime Thursday in Salt Lake in a tense, exciting clash that felt very much like it could have been a bowl game.

It’s never easy to start your season on the road, and that stadium was LOUD and fired up for the Utes to pull out the win. The Panthers come into 2010 with big expectations. Last year they won more games than any Pitt team since 1981 (when a guy by the name of Dan Marino was their QB). And now just one game in, their national title hopes are essentially dashed. Tough stuff.

Another dramatic moment of the opening CFB season came when No. 21 LSU barely hung on to beat No. 18 suspension-ravaged North Carolina. Considering the disciplinary action, the Tigers probably should have cruised, but the game was in Chapel Hill, so that always makes things a tad more difficult. The Tarheels had a chance to tie and possibly win on the last couple of plays as their final two TD pass attempts from inside the red zone fell incomplete. It was interesting to see the Replacements give it such the old ‘College Try’ and almost succeeding.

But the crown jewel of the opening weekend came Monday night on Labor Day - and this opening CFB weekend saved the best for last. No. 3 Boise State showed why it belongs in the national championship discussion with a donnybrook of a 33-30 victory over No. 10 Virginia Tech in front of a largely Hokies-partisan crowd at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Md. (Washington Redskins’ home field). The Broncos jumped out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, squandered it and then fought tooth and nail to win this contest, which it so desperately needed to do to remain a national title contender. It doesn’t help that BSU is likely to only play one more ranked team in the regular season (Oregon State). I don’t want to revisit the tired old “playoff vs. bowl season” discussion, but I think we can all agree that we hope not to see Boise get screwed should they go undefeated. Weekly drama in this crazy-arse Division I-A world of college football.