I can’t wait to see what happens to KG, Kobe, T-Mac, Carmelo, Howard and others when they finish with basketball. These guys have been mini-corporations and basketball machines since the age of eighteen. What will they do? What will be important to them? When I was researching my book, one thing that blew me away was how brilliant the guys from the fifties and sixties were. Not as players, as people. Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain…these were thoughtful, well-rounded human beings who cared deeply about not just their sport, but about their place in society and (in the case of the black guys) their stature during such a tumultuous time. Everyone knows about Russell’s eleven rings, but did you know about everything he did to advance the cause of African-Americans? Everyone knows about Oscar’s triple doubles, but did you know that he filed the lawsuit that paved the way for a real players union and free agency? These were truly great men and the N.B.A. just wouldn’t be where it is if that wasn’t the case.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Current NBA players just aren't as interesting
From Bill Simmons' e-mail exchange about the NBA playoffs in the New Yorker:
Sports and birds just don't mix (Part 3)
We get another example that birds and sports don't mix today. This time, from women's golf:
Ahn Shi-hyun's drive on the ninth hole at the LPGA Championship on Friday hit a a robin, killing the unfortunate bird in a puff of feathers.
"It's a shame," marshal Nina Dawson of Lewisville, Pennsylvania, told Reuters. "The bird was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was instantaneous."
If anyone watched Jimmy Fallon they might be offended
I had a friend tell me to watch Jimmy Fallon for the "New Mexico segment."
The New Mexico segment was a fifteen second "live promo" that Fallon did on air that was supposedly to air during the 10:00 news here in New Mexico.
I don't think that the pueblos here in New Mexico (or Native Americans around the country, really) will be too happy with this depiction of them:
Apparently I can't embed this on the blog. But you can watch it here, a little more than halfway through if I remember correctly.
Though the depictions of stereotypical rednecks in their Knoxville spot was just as bad.
Another big problem that I see with the skit? It just isn't that funny.
The New Mexico segment was a fifteen second "live promo" that Fallon did on air that was supposedly to air during the 10:00 news here in New Mexico.
I don't think that the pueblos here in New Mexico (or Native Americans around the country, really) will be too happy with this depiction of them:
Apparently I can't embed this on the blog. But you can watch it here, a little more than halfway through if I remember correctly.
Though the depictions of stereotypical rednecks in their Knoxville spot was just as bad.
Another big problem that I see with the skit? It just isn't that funny.
Colbert reminds us the troops are still in Iraq
From the Los Angeles Times:
The Comedy Central star gave up a thick head of hair, and shelved his beloved blow-dryer. America won't soon forget the shtick -- Colbert forcibly shorn by the big, bald-headed general on "order" of the commander in chief, who beamed in via satellite TV to Camp Victory in Baghdad.
That scored lots of laughs and something more. It helped sidestep the presumptive war fatigue of the audience back home so Colbert could drive home a few more salient points: This war is not over. These soldiers are not home. Some of the rules (particularly the one prohibiting open homosexuals from serving their country) don't make sense. It won't be over any time soon.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sports and birds just don't mix (Part 2)
I wrote before about birds and sports and how they don't exactly always coexist.
It's still true.
Check out the Associated Press' account of the end of the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians.
It's still true.
Check out the Associated Press' account of the end of the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians.
Shin-Soo Choo lined a single off a low-flying sea gull, driving in Mark DeRosa from second base in the 10th inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.There's video at that link as well (you can only embed some ESPN videos for whatever reason).
Are Facebook's user names a mistake?
Facebook announced earlier this week that they would start letting users choose their own names.
But is it a good idea? Douglas Rushkoff, writing for The Daily Beast, says no. I don't know whether it's a good or bad idea, but Rushkoff's arguments are not very well thought out.
Rushkoff compares it to how AOL let its users to the wider internet beyond the gated community that was AOL. Rushkoff writes:
Many internet novices thought that AOL was the internet. But users of Facebook are not operating under the same delusion.
Tabbed browsing has now become ubiquitous -- Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and every new browser at there has the capability to have multiple pages up at once. I have six open here on Chrome and another dozen open on Firefox.
Why is that relevant? Because one of those tabs is open to Facebook pretty much all day.
Also, Facebook always has driven users away from its pages. Hell, I found this story on the Daily Beast from a story from my co-worker Trip Jennings on Facebook.
This would be true if people's knowledge of the internet had stayed the same for the past decade since the death of AOL as a major entity, but it hasn't. People know that Facebook isn't the internet -- they know it is a page on the internet.
In fact, using Rushkoff's logic, MySpace would never have been popular. People were immediately given the chance to create their own usernames. Yet people continued to use it until they found something better.
When something better than Facebook comes around, then that may kill the social network -- but adding user names?
Come on, don't be ridiculous.
But is it a good idea? Douglas Rushkoff, writing for The Daily Beast, says no. I don't know whether it's a good or bad idea, but Rushkoff's arguments are not very well thought out.
Rushkoff compares it to how AOL let its users to the wider internet beyond the gated community that was AOL. Rushkoff writes:
By opening itself to the greater Internet, AOL revealed itself as something of a wading pool. A mini-Internet. Once people could use AOL as a portal to the true, unadulterated, global net, the company was reduced to an ISP. AOL became series of phone numbers you dial to get online, and little more. Steve Case knew his moment was over, and used his inflated stock price to purchase some real assets like Time Warner. We all know how that turned out.There is a huge difference here between the two cases.
Many internet novices thought that AOL was the internet. But users of Facebook are not operating under the same delusion.
Tabbed browsing has now become ubiquitous -- Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and every new browser at there has the capability to have multiple pages up at once. I have six open here on Chrome and another dozen open on Firefox.
Why is that relevant? Because one of those tabs is open to Facebook pretty much all day.
Also, Facebook always has driven users away from its pages. Hell, I found this story on the Daily Beast from a story from my co-worker Trip Jennings on Facebook.
This would be true if people's knowledge of the internet had stayed the same for the past decade since the death of AOL as a major entity, but it hasn't. People know that Facebook isn't the internet -- they know it is a page on the internet.
In fact, using Rushkoff's logic, MySpace would never have been popular. People were immediately given the chance to create their own usernames. Yet people continued to use it until they found something better.
When something better than Facebook comes around, then that may kill the social network -- but adding user names?
Come on, don't be ridiculous.
U.S. video game sales way down
For the first time since August of 2007, video game sales failed to reach a billion dollars in sales, Reuters reports:
The best selling game was UFC Undisputed, followed by Wii Fit.
In the year to May, video games sales -- considered by NPD to include hardware, software, and accessories -- slipped 7 percent from a year earlier to $6.1 billion.May is typically a bad month for video game sales.
The best selling game was UFC Undisputed, followed by Wii Fit.
Obama signs note for kid playing hooky from school
President Barack Obama held town hall on healthcare reform today in Green Bay Wisconsin. When one man took the microphone to ask a question about healthcare, there was a moment of levity. The man, John Corpus, said that his 10-year old daughter was missing the last day of school to attend the town hall (nothing really happens on the last day of school anyway, though). Which led to an exchange where Obama told the man he could give her a note to excuse her absence.
The man said he would take Obama up on it.
The exchange continued:
“I’m serious,” said the president. "What’s your daughter’s name?"
The man told him.
“Kennedy,” repeated Mr. Obama. “That’s a cool name.”
And with that, he ripped off a piece of paper and wrote her an excuse.
“To Kennedy’s teacher. Please excuse Kennedy’s absence. She’s with me.” And he signed it: Barack Obama.
The Daily Show segment on the New York Times
I love the Daily Show:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| End Times | ||||
| ||||
Real Madrid spends a lot of money on two players
Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid. This comes the same week that Brazilian star Kaka left AC Milan to go to Real Madrid.
And it cost Real Madrid nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to buyout the contracts of the two superstars.
And it cost Real Madrid nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to buyout the contracts of the two superstars.
It is now certain that a second era of galacticos has begun at Madird [sic], with news of Ronaldo's £80m deal coming in the same week that Perez agreed a £59m deal ($97m or €69m) to sign Kaka. Which means in less than a week, Madrid have committed to spending an incredible £139m ($228m or €162.9m) on just two players.Must be nice.
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