Jason Haskins's Blog, page 52
October 11, 2014
The N(o) F(un) L(eague)
A touchdown is scored. The scoring player politely hands the referee the football. A penalty flag is thrown. The player has been flagged for handing the ball to the referee. Turns out, he handed the ball to the wrong official. He should have handed the ball to the back judge.
This is might sound far fetched, yes, but there may one day be an NFL in which we witness this happening. The decline of play on the field has already grown to be quite frustrating this year. (The Yellow Flags Fly High) Recently we've seen a player flagged for falling to his knees in prayer (NFL already apologized for this one, but the damage has been done. It's okay for Tim Tebow, though). Add in fines for how a player accessorizes after a game and we are seeing a clear change before our eyes. Welcome to the corporate future, NFL players. You are now part of a machine that is slowly sucking away your personalities.
This all began in the year 1988. A man that would go on to finish his career with 1,525 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns became a sensation and forced the NFL to re-evaluate on the field celebrations. In the 1988 season, this man began a touchdown dance that captured a nation's heart. That man's name is Ickey Woods and he can be seen here.
That's right. The Ickey Shuffle took hold of a nation. The NFL promptly told him that these celebrations could no longer be held on the field of play. Probably why very little video can be found of him celebrating on the actual field.
Woods and his Ickey Shuffle were never the same. A year after shuffling his way to 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns, Woods ran for a mere 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now, this was due to injury, but is it so hard to fathom that the young man's spirit was broken by this ban on celebrations? Woods would eventually retire after the 1991 season, never to recapture that golden year of 1988.
Fast forward to the 2000's. A new wave of entertainers have stepped onto the field. You may remember them as Terrell Owens, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, and Joe Horn. These three men brought to the field a new level of the touchdown celebration. Time had forgotten the Ickey Shuffle, so at first, these receivers were allowed to celebrate with ease.
Owens, as many famously know, took a sharpie from his socks and signed a football. He gave the signed football to a child in the stands. Johnson once famously used the end zone pylon as a putter to putt the football. Horn had a cellphone hidden in the padding around the base of the goal post and made a phone call after scoring a touchdown.
These are only a few examples of celebrations at this time (see also: Randy Moss), but the NFL was fed up. They laid down new rules and disallowed the use of props in touchdown celebrations. Penalties and fines would occur if the league deemed the celebration excessive or against their new rules. With it, Sundays lost a little bit of their luster.
This year, the NFL competition committee came up with a new rule. This rule prohibits players from dunking the football over the crossbar of the goal post. If a player does so, a fine must be paid. Ask Jimmy Graham about this rule. He shelled out a cool $30,000 for dunking the ball over the crossbar twice. Both occurred in the same preseason game. Preseason.
The No Fun League took things to a new level this past week and it didn't even have to do with an on field celebration. They decided to fine Colin Kaepernick $10,000 for wearing Beats by Dre headphones. Kaepernick was wearing these headphones after the game. Even though Kaepernick has a deal to promote Beats by Dre, he is not allowed to do so until 90 minutes after the game. If the press conference he was at had occurred at the 91st minute, it would have presumably been okay.
The NFL is a business. The company needs to look out for its investments and business partners (in this case, BOSE headphones). Beats by Dre probably received all the marketing it needed by the NFL fining Kaepernick. As it goes, if fans are watching a press conference, they are probably not tuned in to see what the quarterback is wearing around his neck and most likely more interested in what he has to say.
Part of the fun of watching a football game is the different types of celebration a player has. It brings out the creativity (or in some cases, a lack thereof) that is not often displayed on the field. Many of these players are phenomenal athletes. By allowing creative celebrations, we often see a lighter and more personable side of the player that fans can identify with. Keep the penalty flags for taunting, but let the players have fun out there. Perhaps if the players had more fun on the field then they might act more professional off of it. Having fun is certainly not the answer to fixing the NFL's off field problems, but hey, it might just be the tiniest of starts.
If both the on field product suffers and the bad behavior off the field continues, televisions will begin to be shut off by the fans. At this rate, when it's all said and done, fans may end up telling Roger Goodell and the NFL to go take a Lambeau Leap into the great abyss.
At least the leap is still a legal celebration. For now...
This is might sound far fetched, yes, but there may one day be an NFL in which we witness this happening. The decline of play on the field has already grown to be quite frustrating this year. (The Yellow Flags Fly High) Recently we've seen a player flagged for falling to his knees in prayer (NFL already apologized for this one, but the damage has been done. It's okay for Tim Tebow, though). Add in fines for how a player accessorizes after a game and we are seeing a clear change before our eyes. Welcome to the corporate future, NFL players. You are now part of a machine that is slowly sucking away your personalities.
This all began in the year 1988. A man that would go on to finish his career with 1,525 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns became a sensation and forced the NFL to re-evaluate on the field celebrations. In the 1988 season, this man began a touchdown dance that captured a nation's heart. That man's name is Ickey Woods and he can be seen here.
That's right. The Ickey Shuffle took hold of a nation. The NFL promptly told him that these celebrations could no longer be held on the field of play. Probably why very little video can be found of him celebrating on the actual field.
Woods and his Ickey Shuffle were never the same. A year after shuffling his way to 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns, Woods ran for a mere 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now, this was due to injury, but is it so hard to fathom that the young man's spirit was broken by this ban on celebrations? Woods would eventually retire after the 1991 season, never to recapture that golden year of 1988.
Fast forward to the 2000's. A new wave of entertainers have stepped onto the field. You may remember them as Terrell Owens, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, and Joe Horn. These three men brought to the field a new level of the touchdown celebration. Time had forgotten the Ickey Shuffle, so at first, these receivers were allowed to celebrate with ease.
Owens, as many famously know, took a sharpie from his socks and signed a football. He gave the signed football to a child in the stands. Johnson once famously used the end zone pylon as a putter to putt the football. Horn had a cellphone hidden in the padding around the base of the goal post and made a phone call after scoring a touchdown.
These are only a few examples of celebrations at this time (see also: Randy Moss), but the NFL was fed up. They laid down new rules and disallowed the use of props in touchdown celebrations. Penalties and fines would occur if the league deemed the celebration excessive or against their new rules. With it, Sundays lost a little bit of their luster.
This year, the NFL competition committee came up with a new rule. This rule prohibits players from dunking the football over the crossbar of the goal post. If a player does so, a fine must be paid. Ask Jimmy Graham about this rule. He shelled out a cool $30,000 for dunking the ball over the crossbar twice. Both occurred in the same preseason game. Preseason.
The No Fun League took things to a new level this past week and it didn't even have to do with an on field celebration. They decided to fine Colin Kaepernick $10,000 for wearing Beats by Dre headphones. Kaepernick was wearing these headphones after the game. Even though Kaepernick has a deal to promote Beats by Dre, he is not allowed to do so until 90 minutes after the game. If the press conference he was at had occurred at the 91st minute, it would have presumably been okay.
The NFL is a business. The company needs to look out for its investments and business partners (in this case, BOSE headphones). Beats by Dre probably received all the marketing it needed by the NFL fining Kaepernick. As it goes, if fans are watching a press conference, they are probably not tuned in to see what the quarterback is wearing around his neck and most likely more interested in what he has to say.
Part of the fun of watching a football game is the different types of celebration a player has. It brings out the creativity (or in some cases, a lack thereof) that is not often displayed on the field. Many of these players are phenomenal athletes. By allowing creative celebrations, we often see a lighter and more personable side of the player that fans can identify with. Keep the penalty flags for taunting, but let the players have fun out there. Perhaps if the players had more fun on the field then they might act more professional off of it. Having fun is certainly not the answer to fixing the NFL's off field problems, but hey, it might just be the tiniest of starts.
If both the on field product suffers and the bad behavior off the field continues, televisions will begin to be shut off by the fans. At this rate, when it's all said and done, fans may end up telling Roger Goodell and the NFL to go take a Lambeau Leap into the great abyss.
At least the leap is still a legal celebration. For now...
October 3, 2014
The East Always Rises
Dominance over the last 16 years in the NBA can be summed up with these three words: The Western Conference. These words can be followed up with two nicknames: The Big Fundamental and the Black Mamba. You line up those two statements and what you get is an Eastern Conference that is continually trying to piece together a competitive balance in the NBA Finals.
Tim Duncan aka The Big Fundamental, leader of the San Antonio Spurs and Kobe Bryant aka Black Mamba, leader of the Los Angeles Lakers, have combined to win ten NBA titles during their career. They've even split them right down the middle, winning five apiece. Over the last sixteen years the Western Conference has won eleven titles. (The 11th belongs to Dirk Nowitzki. Tough era for him to win multiple titles in.)
The Eastern Conference has five titles during this span. A title every third year. Three belong to the Miami Heat, one to the Detroit Pistons, and one to the team of one year destiny, the Boston Celtics. All of this begs the question: will the East rise again?
Last year, the eighth seed in the Easter Conference was the Atlanta Hawks, who sneaked into the playoffs with a record of 38-44. Over in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns failed to make the playoffs with a record of 48-34. In fact, this record would have placed the Suns as the third seed in the East. Western domination? Definitely.
On paper, it certainly looks like the quality of teams in the East is on the rise. At the top of the heap, as always, sits Lebron James. No, he's not a team, but he is debatably the top player in the game. Where he goes, wins are surely to follow. In a coup, the Cleveland Cavs also acquired Kevin Love, a top player that arrives from the Western Conference. These two should lead the Cavs back to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
Who will step up to join them? If Derrick Rose remains healthy, the Bulls will be there. The Heat and Pacers both lost key players, but both teams still have exceptional talent. Toronto, Washington, and Charlotte all have a young nucleus and will continue to get better. All of these teams have the tools in place to dethrone the Western Conference and its aging star power.
It won't be easy, of course, as not all of the Western Conference has old talent. The Clippers, Warriors, Rockets, and Thunder all have a superstar (or two) to help continue the trend of winning two out of every 3 championships. Of course, not all of these teams have tasted the Finals yet. Due to the logjam created by Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, only Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, and James Harden have been to the Finals. That means if and when players such as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin get there they may be easier to take down.
If you look at the years 1983-1998, the Eastern Conference dominated in number of titles won. During this span, the Western Conference won only five titles while the East won eleven titles. This era was dominated by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and the Bad Boys of Motown. If you are to look closely, when momentum shifted in the late 90's, the old guard of the Eastern Conference had retired or were busy toiling away in Washington. The youth of Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal took hold, beginning the current cycle we are in today.
We won't truly know if a new cycle begins this year for another nine months, but dominoes seem to be falling into the direction of the Eastern Conference. The East will rise again. Lebron James, playing in five championships, has carried the weight for years. It's time for other teams to follow his lead and help bring championships back to where basketball began: the East.
Tim Duncan aka The Big Fundamental, leader of the San Antonio Spurs and Kobe Bryant aka Black Mamba, leader of the Los Angeles Lakers, have combined to win ten NBA titles during their career. They've even split them right down the middle, winning five apiece. Over the last sixteen years the Western Conference has won eleven titles. (The 11th belongs to Dirk Nowitzki. Tough era for him to win multiple titles in.)
The Eastern Conference has five titles during this span. A title every third year. Three belong to the Miami Heat, one to the Detroit Pistons, and one to the team of one year destiny, the Boston Celtics. All of this begs the question: will the East rise again?
Last year, the eighth seed in the Easter Conference was the Atlanta Hawks, who sneaked into the playoffs with a record of 38-44. Over in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns failed to make the playoffs with a record of 48-34. In fact, this record would have placed the Suns as the third seed in the East. Western domination? Definitely.
On paper, it certainly looks like the quality of teams in the East is on the rise. At the top of the heap, as always, sits Lebron James. No, he's not a team, but he is debatably the top player in the game. Where he goes, wins are surely to follow. In a coup, the Cleveland Cavs also acquired Kevin Love, a top player that arrives from the Western Conference. These two should lead the Cavs back to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
Who will step up to join them? If Derrick Rose remains healthy, the Bulls will be there. The Heat and Pacers both lost key players, but both teams still have exceptional talent. Toronto, Washington, and Charlotte all have a young nucleus and will continue to get better. All of these teams have the tools in place to dethrone the Western Conference and its aging star power.
It won't be easy, of course, as not all of the Western Conference has old talent. The Clippers, Warriors, Rockets, and Thunder all have a superstar (or two) to help continue the trend of winning two out of every 3 championships. Of course, not all of these teams have tasted the Finals yet. Due to the logjam created by Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, only Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, and James Harden have been to the Finals. That means if and when players such as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin get there they may be easier to take down.
If you look at the years 1983-1998, the Eastern Conference dominated in number of titles won. During this span, the Western Conference won only five titles while the East won eleven titles. This era was dominated by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and the Bad Boys of Motown. If you are to look closely, when momentum shifted in the late 90's, the old guard of the Eastern Conference had retired or were busy toiling away in Washington. The youth of Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal took hold, beginning the current cycle we are in today.
We won't truly know if a new cycle begins this year for another nine months, but dominoes seem to be falling into the direction of the Eastern Conference. The East will rise again. Lebron James, playing in five championships, has carried the weight for years. It's time for other teams to follow his lead and help bring championships back to where basketball began: the East.
October 1, 2014
The Arrival of Autumn
This post has nothing to do with the arrival of Autumn. This post has nothing to do with arrival of a lady named Autumn, either. Though it would be pretty awesome if a magnificent lady named Autumn appeared in a blinding light from the heavens above the city and simply said, "You're welcome".
This is my favorite time of year. The days are a bit chillier, the nights even cooler, and an occasional rain descends upon us. I don't know why, but drinking coffee on autumn mornings also brings forth a certain sense of joy not felt in the other times of the year. Paradise...
I'm simply here today to provide some updates.
The Dragon Princess, day by day, gains a little traction. I was able to visit a morning show in Sacramento, called "Sac & Co.", to spend three minutes promoting the book. The experience was new to me, but also a wonderful opportunity to promote the book and to promote myself. Plus, I was able to see my dear friends Greg and Missi, who are always a good time. I've also placed post cards around the city of Boise promoting the book. These were made with the help of Carmen Galindo, for whom I'm always thankful for her helping hand. As always, more info on the book can be found here: The Dragon Princess
As of yesterday, I will be writing/contributing one to two articles a week on the website http://bronconationnews.com/. My first article will be appearing on Thursday, October 2nd. I am very excited for this opportunity and hopefully it will help me continue to grow as a writer.
Solace, my second full length play, is currently being looked at by a few theaters across this lovely nation of ours.
Poison, my first full length, is in the process of minor re-writes, but I still continue to send it out to various theater companies.
I am nearly complete with my third play, The Latitude of Life, and hope to have an informal reading in a few weeks to hear it read out loud for the first time. Pretty excited about this play so we'll see how much the reading brings me back to earth.
I have also started on a follow up to The Dragon Princess. Currently I'm about 15,000 words into it so the workings of this novel are still very early.
Thanks to everyone for reading. I'm now going to go enjoy my third cup of coffee today. Be well.
This is my favorite time of year. The days are a bit chillier, the nights even cooler, and an occasional rain descends upon us. I don't know why, but drinking coffee on autumn mornings also brings forth a certain sense of joy not felt in the other times of the year. Paradise...
I'm simply here today to provide some updates.
The Dragon Princess, day by day, gains a little traction. I was able to visit a morning show in Sacramento, called "Sac & Co.", to spend three minutes promoting the book. The experience was new to me, but also a wonderful opportunity to promote the book and to promote myself. Plus, I was able to see my dear friends Greg and Missi, who are always a good time. I've also placed post cards around the city of Boise promoting the book. These were made with the help of Carmen Galindo, for whom I'm always thankful for her helping hand. As always, more info on the book can be found here: The Dragon Princess
As of yesterday, I will be writing/contributing one to two articles a week on the website http://bronconationnews.com/. My first article will be appearing on Thursday, October 2nd. I am very excited for this opportunity and hopefully it will help me continue to grow as a writer.
Solace, my second full length play, is currently being looked at by a few theaters across this lovely nation of ours.
Poison, my first full length, is in the process of minor re-writes, but I still continue to send it out to various theater companies.
I am nearly complete with my third play, The Latitude of Life, and hope to have an informal reading in a few weeks to hear it read out loud for the first time. Pretty excited about this play so we'll see how much the reading brings me back to earth.
I have also started on a follow up to The Dragon Princess. Currently I'm about 15,000 words into it so the workings of this novel are still very early.
Thanks to everyone for reading. I'm now going to go enjoy my third cup of coffee today. Be well.
September 27, 2014
Here's a Quarter Back (Keep the Change)
Smell that? It's in the air, like a freshly made cup of coffee on a chilly September morning. There's trouble brewing for the Boise State football team. The grounds were put into the grinder tonight as a lack of productivity from the offense led to a 28-14 defeat by the Air Force Falcons.
Heading into Saturday's match, the Broncos offense had been hitting on all cylinders since their opening week loss to Ole Miss. Sure, the running game had a small hiccup against the University of Connecticut, but the passing game responded with the type of game you'd expect from a senior quarterback. Boise State won that game and the running game returned (with a balanced passing game) a week ago against Louisiana-Lafayette.
That all came crashing to a halt on Saturday night versus the Falcons. Grant Hedrick, the aforementioned senior quarterback, had quite possibly the worst game of his career. This was a performance that saw him throw for four interceptions and also a fumble (in which he recovered). Hedricks's passes failed to impress most of the evening and his confidence seemed to fall further into oblivion with the injury of senior receiver Matt Miller.
Now, Matt Miller is a very viable threat on the field and this loss is never easy to overcome. With the running game not providing any sort of relief or momentum and a deficit of two touchdowns, Boise State was forced to take to the air. On this evening, the passing game was certainly not the answer. Hedrick's throws were a step behind the receivers or, in the case of the first interception, overthrown. The Air Force defense deserves some of the credit as they played with extra intensity throughout the game. Hedrick continued to struggle and by the end of the third quarter, Coach Bryan Harsin's hand was forced and he inserted back up quarterback Ryan Finley.
Finley responded with a 12-25 performance in the air and 161 yards and two touchdowns. Now, you may look at that and see that he only completed forty eight percent of his passes, but that doesn't tell half the story. Finley, after a shaky first few attempts, responded with two touchdown drives. He could have possibly provided more if it weren't for lackluster play from the left tackle position. Little time in the pocket forced Finley to rush a few throws that turned into incomplete passes. Despite this, Finley looked confident in the pocket and took more than one shot down field, connecting on a few long plays with receiver Thomas Sperbeck. A late interception from Finley dinged his final stats, but as a whole, the young quarterback performed well.
This poses the question: is there a quarterback controversy brewing for the Boise State football team? This is the second game this year that starter Grant Hedrick has thrown at least three interceptions in a game. The first game was against a SEC opponent and that can be easily overlooked due to the level of competition. A game against an Air Force team that won two games last year cannot. A team looks for composure in their senior quarterback and unfortunately Hedrick did not have that tonight. Finely did and the team responded in earnest.
Blame can be passed around tonight on the offense (including Jay Ajayi, who contributed to the ineptness of the offense with two lost fumbles), but in the end much of the drive killing turnovers can be blamed on Grant Hedrick. The quarterback can be praised for the effort he has shown over the last two years, but in the end it's his job to effectively lead players and win games. While this loss is not the end of the world, one has to wonder if Grant Hedrick's time as starting quarterback has come to an end. If there's any doubt, it will surely be played out in practice this week and come next Saturday against Nevada, we very well may be seeing the ushering in of the Ryan Finley era. An era that came about a quarter too late and very well a Mountain West title too short.
Heading into Saturday's match, the Broncos offense had been hitting on all cylinders since their opening week loss to Ole Miss. Sure, the running game had a small hiccup against the University of Connecticut, but the passing game responded with the type of game you'd expect from a senior quarterback. Boise State won that game and the running game returned (with a balanced passing game) a week ago against Louisiana-Lafayette.
That all came crashing to a halt on Saturday night versus the Falcons. Grant Hedrick, the aforementioned senior quarterback, had quite possibly the worst game of his career. This was a performance that saw him throw for four interceptions and also a fumble (in which he recovered). Hedricks's passes failed to impress most of the evening and his confidence seemed to fall further into oblivion with the injury of senior receiver Matt Miller.
Now, Matt Miller is a very viable threat on the field and this loss is never easy to overcome. With the running game not providing any sort of relief or momentum and a deficit of two touchdowns, Boise State was forced to take to the air. On this evening, the passing game was certainly not the answer. Hedrick's throws were a step behind the receivers or, in the case of the first interception, overthrown. The Air Force defense deserves some of the credit as they played with extra intensity throughout the game. Hedrick continued to struggle and by the end of the third quarter, Coach Bryan Harsin's hand was forced and he inserted back up quarterback Ryan Finley.
Finley responded with a 12-25 performance in the air and 161 yards and two touchdowns. Now, you may look at that and see that he only completed forty eight percent of his passes, but that doesn't tell half the story. Finley, after a shaky first few attempts, responded with two touchdown drives. He could have possibly provided more if it weren't for lackluster play from the left tackle position. Little time in the pocket forced Finley to rush a few throws that turned into incomplete passes. Despite this, Finley looked confident in the pocket and took more than one shot down field, connecting on a few long plays with receiver Thomas Sperbeck. A late interception from Finley dinged his final stats, but as a whole, the young quarterback performed well.
This poses the question: is there a quarterback controversy brewing for the Boise State football team? This is the second game this year that starter Grant Hedrick has thrown at least three interceptions in a game. The first game was against a SEC opponent and that can be easily overlooked due to the level of competition. A game against an Air Force team that won two games last year cannot. A team looks for composure in their senior quarterback and unfortunately Hedrick did not have that tonight. Finely did and the team responded in earnest.
Blame can be passed around tonight on the offense (including Jay Ajayi, who contributed to the ineptness of the offense with two lost fumbles), but in the end much of the drive killing turnovers can be blamed on Grant Hedrick. The quarterback can be praised for the effort he has shown over the last two years, but in the end it's his job to effectively lead players and win games. While this loss is not the end of the world, one has to wonder if Grant Hedrick's time as starting quarterback has come to an end. If there's any doubt, it will surely be played out in practice this week and come next Saturday against Nevada, we very well may be seeing the ushering in of the Ryan Finley era. An era that came about a quarter too late and very well a Mountain West title too short.
September 25, 2014
It's Thursday Already?
I have two thoughts for the day. Yep. These are the only two thoughts I'm going to have all day. For the rest of the day I will be shutting off my mind by indulging in a Two and a Half Men marathon. That show is not only hilarious, but the plot lines are riveting.
The first thought is regarding Emma Watson's recent speech on feminism and gender equality. Well said, Ms. Watson. Well said. I'm not going to break down the entire speech here. There is no need to analyze it sentence by sentence. I will say that what she stated about feminism was done in a constructive way and didn't come across as any of the ways that feminism (to me) is starting to be viewed as. (For the speech and more: Emma Watson on Feminism)
The speech was very educational to me and brought me back to a more rational viewpoint on what feminism is. Lately, I have seen the word "feminism" attached to articles and viewpoints that do come across as too angry and too anti-man. Now, to be clear, I'm not saying that because a woman is expressing her opinion means she's a bitch or bitchy or bossy. Opinions and strong stances are welcome and appreciated. It's the way these other articles, posts, and viewpoints are structured that are contributing to the problem. Maybe I'm reading the wrong things on the internet, but some of these articles are coming across as needlessly angry and emotional. (I wrote briefly of that here: A Crumbling Internet (08/18/2014)
It is refreshing to watch Ms. Watson speak eloquently on the matter of feminism and gender equality. I'm not saying that I don't already know women that are feminists and speak the same way. I do know these women. It's more that fact to me that the negative aspects of the feminist ideal have come to the forefront. To me, the man bashing aspect of feminism can often be detrimental to the notion of gender equality. Perhaps it is because of the way that men act or by rules and double standards that apply to men and women. Though I try my best to be part of the solution, I don't believe that I'm part of the problem. Maybe that's why the negativity irks so much. That's why continue to search out the positive ideas of feminism, as to hopefully not lump women all in one category.
The trials and tribulations of women over time have been well documented and, while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. Civility is the key. There is no need to add unneeded vileness and fan the fire just because a man held a door open for you. It does not mean he only wants one thing from you. It probably means he was raised right and is doing the polite thing.
In a way, this brings me to my other thought. Well, it's actually something new I learned last night. In the span of five minutes, I saw the following terms: cis man and cisgender. Three different posts on Facebook involved these terms. I was clueless on their meaning and part of me believed people were just making up their own terms again. (Like the word bae, but that's a different story.)
To Google I go. With the help of Wikipedia, Urban Dictionary, and this very helpful article from the Atlantic (Will Cisgender Survive?), my knowledge was expanded. Much of this article's discussion was new to me. I'll let you read the entire article if you'd like to know more. The article explains the terms and what it is much better than I can. I just wanted to pass along this new thing I learned. (Though I will not use the term myself. I will still refer to myself as a man, a boy, or a male. Clean and simple.)
Hope I didn't take up to much of your time.
"Men are from Earth, women are from earth. Deal with it."- George Carlin
The first thought is regarding Emma Watson's recent speech on feminism and gender equality. Well said, Ms. Watson. Well said. I'm not going to break down the entire speech here. There is no need to analyze it sentence by sentence. I will say that what she stated about feminism was done in a constructive way and didn't come across as any of the ways that feminism (to me) is starting to be viewed as. (For the speech and more: Emma Watson on Feminism)
The speech was very educational to me and brought me back to a more rational viewpoint on what feminism is. Lately, I have seen the word "feminism" attached to articles and viewpoints that do come across as too angry and too anti-man. Now, to be clear, I'm not saying that because a woman is expressing her opinion means she's a bitch or bitchy or bossy. Opinions and strong stances are welcome and appreciated. It's the way these other articles, posts, and viewpoints are structured that are contributing to the problem. Maybe I'm reading the wrong things on the internet, but some of these articles are coming across as needlessly angry and emotional. (I wrote briefly of that here: A Crumbling Internet (08/18/2014)
It is refreshing to watch Ms. Watson speak eloquently on the matter of feminism and gender equality. I'm not saying that I don't already know women that are feminists and speak the same way. I do know these women. It's more that fact to me that the negative aspects of the feminist ideal have come to the forefront. To me, the man bashing aspect of feminism can often be detrimental to the notion of gender equality. Perhaps it is because of the way that men act or by rules and double standards that apply to men and women. Though I try my best to be part of the solution, I don't believe that I'm part of the problem. Maybe that's why the negativity irks so much. That's why continue to search out the positive ideas of feminism, as to hopefully not lump women all in one category.
The trials and tribulations of women over time have been well documented and, while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. Civility is the key. There is no need to add unneeded vileness and fan the fire just because a man held a door open for you. It does not mean he only wants one thing from you. It probably means he was raised right and is doing the polite thing.
In a way, this brings me to my other thought. Well, it's actually something new I learned last night. In the span of five minutes, I saw the following terms: cis man and cisgender. Three different posts on Facebook involved these terms. I was clueless on their meaning and part of me believed people were just making up their own terms again. (Like the word bae, but that's a different story.)
To Google I go. With the help of Wikipedia, Urban Dictionary, and this very helpful article from the Atlantic (Will Cisgender Survive?), my knowledge was expanded. Much of this article's discussion was new to me. I'll let you read the entire article if you'd like to know more. The article explains the terms and what it is much better than I can. I just wanted to pass along this new thing I learned. (Though I will not use the term myself. I will still refer to myself as a man, a boy, or a male. Clean and simple.)
Hope I didn't take up to much of your time.
"Men are from Earth, women are from earth. Deal with it."- George Carlin
September 16, 2014
The Yellow Flags Fly High
Summer. 2014. NFL fans are fed up. Tired of watching NFL games that flow smoothly and are generally close to three hours in length, the fans rise up and demand that more penalties be called during a game. Ask and you shall receive. Through 64 total games this year, flags are flying at an alarming rate. Through the first two weeks of the season, 446 penalties have been called for 3,338 yards. Based off a rough estimate, at this rate approximately five hundred more penalties will be called this year than in 2013. We now have fields littered in yellow laundry and fans are releasing a collective sigh. Football is back!
Of course, fans were not clamoring for more penalties. In fact, many fans I have spoken with are growing quite frustrated with the interrupted play we have seen on the field this year. As it is fans are normally treated to eleven minutes of actual football action. Maybe this was this reason the NFL implemented new rules regarding illegal contact, illegal hands to the face, "late" hits, and profanity. By instructing the referees to enforce these new rules, the games have been longer. Penalties mean more plays in many cases. This in turn leads to longer games which leads to more advertising time and selling of ad time to companies. The NFL must see a nice bottom line with this tactic.
As you may have noticed, I mentioned penalties for the use of profanity. Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers received the first said penalty for profanity on Sunday night versus the Chicago Bears. (A game that had 26 penalties, by the way) The 49ers quarterback, at this time, denies saying anything that warranted the penalty. It is my understanding that the penalty flag is to be thrown for racial or homophobic slurs. I understand the need for this, as the NFL has had off the field image issues plague the league for the last couple of seasons. To what extent, though, has this rule been enforced. One player in the last two years flagged for this? I don't buy it. I have played sports in the past and many things have been said in the heat of the moment. These are professional athletes and I played through high school so I can only imagine what these grown men are saying when the violence and energy amps up. I can only imagine what Kaepernick might have said, but I like to think it was the classic George Costanza line, "Oh, well, I slept with your wife." (Seinfeld, Episode 147 "The Comeback")
There are certain coaches insinuating that the new penalty rules are due to the physical play of the Seattle Seahawks. Now, I don't consider myself an NFL insider, but I don't remember the Seahawks doing anything that caused the rules to be changed. Sure, they had 152 penalties last year, but those were called with the old rules in place. Yes, Seattle's Defense brings with them a smash mouth brand of football that hasn't been seen in awhile. I am not a Seahawks fan, but I like what the Defense and the "Legion of Boom" brings to the table. I enjoy watching games in which there is hard hitting and games not totally dominated by the Offense. Even if the Seahawks were the primary reason for the new rules, it certainly hasn't affected them. Sure, they are 1-1, but they have adapted and both games I've watched them play have included very little penalties.
The NFL cites safety and fair play amongst their reasons for the new rules. I've discussed the safety issue here before (The Beginning of the End 04/27/12) so I won't delve into that topic too far. Yes, the NFL has various pending lawsuits against them and they are looking to protect their future selves from more. I get it. Really, I do. Looking at the fair play angle, I only see changes that continue to help the Offense. The men on both sides of the ball are elite athletes making split second decisions. Sometimes the Offensive player makes a last second move. The Defensive player is already in the air and because the Offensive player has moved, the Defensive player hits the Offensive player illegally. No tapping a player as he runs out of bounds or it's a fifteen yard penalty. No hitting the quarterback except in the area between above the knees and below the waist. No touching a receiver before the ball is thrown to them. Linemen on both sides of the ball can't hit an opponent in the helmet while in the trenches, not even if it's an accident in which the hand is quickly withdrawn. Nope. Automatic penalty. I could go on but you get my point. The NFL is trending to a future of flag football that will be nationally televised on the Lifetime Channel.
How do you fix it? You let the players play the game. Go back to calling the penalties the way they were originally intended to be called (with an account for taste on the hard hitting, of course. SOME precautions should be taken). Give the fans a game in which the teams are actually allowed to play the game. Believe it or not, the game is just fine without constant tinkering.
In the end, many of the calls on the field are judgment calls by the referees. They often have to err on the side of caution because if they don't they will be graded lower and may face losing their jobs. Penalties are slowing down the game. It will continue to be this way unless something changes. As for now, the games are still entertaining albeit slightly less so. Frustration is building. I watch for entertainment. The NFL is in the sports entertainment business. If the product on the field continues to suffer in this way fans will slowly start to turn away from this billion dollar empire. Instead of passing needless on the field rules, the NFL should figure out the current off the field social issues of its men first. If Roger Goodell and the NFL continue to ignore this, then that's one giant yellow penalty flag most fans will be unwilling to look past.
*Penalty stats can be seen here: http://www.nflpenalties.com/
Of course, fans were not clamoring for more penalties. In fact, many fans I have spoken with are growing quite frustrated with the interrupted play we have seen on the field this year. As it is fans are normally treated to eleven minutes of actual football action. Maybe this was this reason the NFL implemented new rules regarding illegal contact, illegal hands to the face, "late" hits, and profanity. By instructing the referees to enforce these new rules, the games have been longer. Penalties mean more plays in many cases. This in turn leads to longer games which leads to more advertising time and selling of ad time to companies. The NFL must see a nice bottom line with this tactic.
As you may have noticed, I mentioned penalties for the use of profanity. Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers received the first said penalty for profanity on Sunday night versus the Chicago Bears. (A game that had 26 penalties, by the way) The 49ers quarterback, at this time, denies saying anything that warranted the penalty. It is my understanding that the penalty flag is to be thrown for racial or homophobic slurs. I understand the need for this, as the NFL has had off the field image issues plague the league for the last couple of seasons. To what extent, though, has this rule been enforced. One player in the last two years flagged for this? I don't buy it. I have played sports in the past and many things have been said in the heat of the moment. These are professional athletes and I played through high school so I can only imagine what these grown men are saying when the violence and energy amps up. I can only imagine what Kaepernick might have said, but I like to think it was the classic George Costanza line, "Oh, well, I slept with your wife." (Seinfeld, Episode 147 "The Comeback")
There are certain coaches insinuating that the new penalty rules are due to the physical play of the Seattle Seahawks. Now, I don't consider myself an NFL insider, but I don't remember the Seahawks doing anything that caused the rules to be changed. Sure, they had 152 penalties last year, but those were called with the old rules in place. Yes, Seattle's Defense brings with them a smash mouth brand of football that hasn't been seen in awhile. I am not a Seahawks fan, but I like what the Defense and the "Legion of Boom" brings to the table. I enjoy watching games in which there is hard hitting and games not totally dominated by the Offense. Even if the Seahawks were the primary reason for the new rules, it certainly hasn't affected them. Sure, they are 1-1, but they have adapted and both games I've watched them play have included very little penalties.
The NFL cites safety and fair play amongst their reasons for the new rules. I've discussed the safety issue here before (The Beginning of the End 04/27/12) so I won't delve into that topic too far. Yes, the NFL has various pending lawsuits against them and they are looking to protect their future selves from more. I get it. Really, I do. Looking at the fair play angle, I only see changes that continue to help the Offense. The men on both sides of the ball are elite athletes making split second decisions. Sometimes the Offensive player makes a last second move. The Defensive player is already in the air and because the Offensive player has moved, the Defensive player hits the Offensive player illegally. No tapping a player as he runs out of bounds or it's a fifteen yard penalty. No hitting the quarterback except in the area between above the knees and below the waist. No touching a receiver before the ball is thrown to them. Linemen on both sides of the ball can't hit an opponent in the helmet while in the trenches, not even if it's an accident in which the hand is quickly withdrawn. Nope. Automatic penalty. I could go on but you get my point. The NFL is trending to a future of flag football that will be nationally televised on the Lifetime Channel.
How do you fix it? You let the players play the game. Go back to calling the penalties the way they were originally intended to be called (with an account for taste on the hard hitting, of course. SOME precautions should be taken). Give the fans a game in which the teams are actually allowed to play the game. Believe it or not, the game is just fine without constant tinkering.
In the end, many of the calls on the field are judgment calls by the referees. They often have to err on the side of caution because if they don't they will be graded lower and may face losing their jobs. Penalties are slowing down the game. It will continue to be this way unless something changes. As for now, the games are still entertaining albeit slightly less so. Frustration is building. I watch for entertainment. The NFL is in the sports entertainment business. If the product on the field continues to suffer in this way fans will slowly start to turn away from this billion dollar empire. Instead of passing needless on the field rules, the NFL should figure out the current off the field social issues of its men first. If Roger Goodell and the NFL continue to ignore this, then that's one giant yellow penalty flag most fans will be unwilling to look past.
*Penalty stats can be seen here: http://www.nflpenalties.com/
September 10, 2014
iPhone 6 Released...And Life Goes On
The big news is in the title of this post. While I am continually amazed with the way modern technology grows every day, I, for one, am not rushing out to buy this new phone. In fact, I have owned four cell phones in my lifetime. I didn't even own a smart phone until two and half years ago. Don't get me wrong, I love the capabilities I have with my HTC phone from T-Mobile. I can make phone calls, there is text messaging capability, there is a camera, and I can get on the internet. Oh, and I also played Flappy Bird for a short time. I'm sure there are tons of other things I can do with this phone, but I just haven't. The phone provides with what I need. All of this begs one question: How much does the original iPhone cost now?
Okay, I'm well aware that the first version of the iPhone is probably not available for retail anywhere. Point is, I have never been one to really clamor for the next big gadget or device. Technology is constantly evolving and I am often a few years behind in acquiring said device. Am I not adaptable? No, that's not it. Sure, I still go to mapquest.com and get directions when I'm traveling to somewhere I've never been before. I guess I still enjoy the advantage of learning street names and memorizing directions. The once or twice I've been with someone that uses GPS have resulted in me not remembering how to get back to a place upon a second trip. That's just how how I roll. On the contrary, though, I do not memorize phone numbers anymore. I have my own number memorized, my parents, and one or two others. There used to be a time when I would have memorized the numbers of nearly everyone I knew. Why? Because you had to dial that number every time you called so eventually that number became ingrained in your head. (For what it's worth, I can also tell you my first cell number, but not second. Go figure.)
Am I cheap? No. Rather I'd argue that I'm economical and find other ways to spend money. If my cell phone is still working and providing me with the service I need (contacting people), then I will take that phone as far as I can. My second phone I bought was because I moved to L.A. and at that time I wanted a cool L.A. phone number. The third phone I bought was after I moved back from L.A. and I had stopped my previous service. That third phone was a Motorola Razr. That phone lasted me for five years before I finally decided to join the smart phone revolution. Remember when flip phones were hip and cool?
The iPhone 6, the most basic one that is being released, now has a screen size of 4.7 inches. When did it suddenly become ideal for people wanting bigger cell phones? Apparently people demanded a market for bigger phones and I just don't understand it. For awhile, the goal of cell phone companies was to create smaller phones with the same or better capability as a previous version. The movie Zoolander, among others, even went as far as to mock this trend. Here we are thirteen years after this movie's release and we now have these giant monstrosities that harken back to the late 80's/early 90's. This was a time when cell phones basically were the size of cordless home phones and Zach Morris was the coolest kid at Bayside. Cell phones, at the rate they are growing, won't even fit in the pockets of pants in the future. These hipsters and teens that love skinny jeans will have trouble fitting their smart phones in their pockets. Then we can finally have the answer to the age old question of "Is that a cell phone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" "Why yes, that is a cell phone in my pocket. It's the iPhone 6."
I'm not here to judge. I realize that I may be in the minority of people that does not rush out to buy the newest gadget or device in the first year of its release. Not only do I still own the first VCR (VCR definition) I bought nearly twenty years ago, I also own a 'DVD Recording VCR'. I have not used either of these devices in ages, but you'll never know when I want to watch the episode of Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed that I recorded years ago.
My DVD player is a PlayStation 2. That's correct, I still own a PS2. I play Madden 08, NCAA Football 08, and Star Wars: Battlefront. The PS2 still works great. There was a short time I had a desire to get a PS4 for the Blu Ray capabilities. That passed and until I come across some more money or take the plunge with my Best Buy card, I am perfectly content with my PS2.
I own a record player, CD's, a computer that is ten years old, and only bought a flat screen t.v. a few years ago. That was only because my first t.v. finally died on me and even then, I stopped at 24 inches with the new t.v. I'll be honest, I have not read up on what the new iPhone does. Does it cook me breakfast? Will Siri listen to my problems and lift my spirits when I'm feeling down? Can you still send and receive phone calls with this new phone? I'm not sure, but millions of people will soon find out. I hope these people that purchase the phone can relay the answers to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go send some telegrams before the sun goes down.
Okay, I'm well aware that the first version of the iPhone is probably not available for retail anywhere. Point is, I have never been one to really clamor for the next big gadget or device. Technology is constantly evolving and I am often a few years behind in acquiring said device. Am I not adaptable? No, that's not it. Sure, I still go to mapquest.com and get directions when I'm traveling to somewhere I've never been before. I guess I still enjoy the advantage of learning street names and memorizing directions. The once or twice I've been with someone that uses GPS have resulted in me not remembering how to get back to a place upon a second trip. That's just how how I roll. On the contrary, though, I do not memorize phone numbers anymore. I have my own number memorized, my parents, and one or two others. There used to be a time when I would have memorized the numbers of nearly everyone I knew. Why? Because you had to dial that number every time you called so eventually that number became ingrained in your head. (For what it's worth, I can also tell you my first cell number, but not second. Go figure.)
Am I cheap? No. Rather I'd argue that I'm economical and find other ways to spend money. If my cell phone is still working and providing me with the service I need (contacting people), then I will take that phone as far as I can. My second phone I bought was because I moved to L.A. and at that time I wanted a cool L.A. phone number. The third phone I bought was after I moved back from L.A. and I had stopped my previous service. That third phone was a Motorola Razr. That phone lasted me for five years before I finally decided to join the smart phone revolution. Remember when flip phones were hip and cool?
The iPhone 6, the most basic one that is being released, now has a screen size of 4.7 inches. When did it suddenly become ideal for people wanting bigger cell phones? Apparently people demanded a market for bigger phones and I just don't understand it. For awhile, the goal of cell phone companies was to create smaller phones with the same or better capability as a previous version. The movie Zoolander, among others, even went as far as to mock this trend. Here we are thirteen years after this movie's release and we now have these giant monstrosities that harken back to the late 80's/early 90's. This was a time when cell phones basically were the size of cordless home phones and Zach Morris was the coolest kid at Bayside. Cell phones, at the rate they are growing, won't even fit in the pockets of pants in the future. These hipsters and teens that love skinny jeans will have trouble fitting their smart phones in their pockets. Then we can finally have the answer to the age old question of "Is that a cell phone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" "Why yes, that is a cell phone in my pocket. It's the iPhone 6."
I'm not here to judge. I realize that I may be in the minority of people that does not rush out to buy the newest gadget or device in the first year of its release. Not only do I still own the first VCR (VCR definition) I bought nearly twenty years ago, I also own a 'DVD Recording VCR'. I have not used either of these devices in ages, but you'll never know when I want to watch the episode of Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed that I recorded years ago.
My DVD player is a PlayStation 2. That's correct, I still own a PS2. I play Madden 08, NCAA Football 08, and Star Wars: Battlefront. The PS2 still works great. There was a short time I had a desire to get a PS4 for the Blu Ray capabilities. That passed and until I come across some more money or take the plunge with my Best Buy card, I am perfectly content with my PS2.
I own a record player, CD's, a computer that is ten years old, and only bought a flat screen t.v. a few years ago. That was only because my first t.v. finally died on me and even then, I stopped at 24 inches with the new t.v. I'll be honest, I have not read up on what the new iPhone does. Does it cook me breakfast? Will Siri listen to my problems and lift my spirits when I'm feeling down? Can you still send and receive phone calls with this new phone? I'm not sure, but millions of people will soon find out. I hope these people that purchase the phone can relay the answers to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go send some telegrams before the sun goes down.
September 2, 2014
The Bell Tolls...Quietly
Lifetime Television premiered it's most recent original movie, The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, last night. For anyone steeped in the culture/lore of Saved by the Bell there was probably nothing of any interest learned here. Except for that Dustin Diamond (Screech) made friends with an actor who could only get extra work. This actor turned him onto alcohol and marijuana. This actor even helped to get Mr. Diamond "laid" on down time from a press junket in South Carolina. As it turned out, this actor was just using Mr. Diamond in hopes of getting a part on the show. Go figure.
I will openly admit that I consider myself a Saved by the Bell aficionado. I have even written about the series and it's affects on misguided relationships on this blog years ago. (Saved by the Bell: Anatomy of a relationship 7/7/08). I decided to watch this Lifetime movie and put myself through two hours of what can be best described as melting vanilla ice cream. With the network that brought us such titles as Killing Daddy and Crime of Passion: She Woke up Pregnant and with a script loosely based on the book Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond, I was expecting a little bit of at least a PG-13 look into Saved by the Bell. Instead, we were given items that would have barely registered on an episode of the show itself. Die hard Saved by the Bell fans probably even noticed that episodes depicted in the movie actually never happened. I realize that copyright laws are in place and this is the most likely reason we saw allusions to episodes that occurred but no actual episodes.
Okay, not all the episodes depicted were lies. The graduation episode did occur and Slater (Mario Lopez) did have to dress up as a swan in a leotard, but everyone knows Bayside's color was maroon. Yes, we do get a look at the infamous caffeine pill episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c). A very serious moment occurs during rehearsal. Everyone is in awe, except for Mr. Diamond, who breaks out in a long laugh. Now if the main reason of this movie is for us as an audience to feel any sort of sentimentality for Mr. Diamond, this moment did not help.
I digress. I'm not here to break down the entire movie. That could take days. I'm here to list eight things I wanted to learn more about that the movie did not go into.
1.) Saved by the Bell helped to provide an influx of teen centered shows in the early to mid-90's. One of these shows was another Saturday morning staple, California Dreams. Even if it was to dramatize it (to the nth degree), I would have liked to see how the Saved by the Bell cast responded to the new kids on the block. I like to think that there were all out brawls on the studio lot and a Romeo and Juliet type love story when one member of Saved by the Bell slept with a cast member of California Dreams. Now that's drama. At the very least, we could have seen a battle of the bands in which The Zach Attack dominated the California Dreams in competition.
2.) Speaking of The Zach Attack, why was Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) not in the band. Had she already left the show at this time? Could she not pretend to play an instrument? Was the character of Jessie morally against music making? We knew she could sing. She was in the Glee Club and sang a song with Slater at the dance in which Zach (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) broke up. Where was she?!
3.) Kelly and Zach broke up because of Jeff (Patrick Muldoon). Mr. Muldoon was in Starship Troopers, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven. Mr. Verhoeven directed Showgirls, which starred Elizabeth Berkley. Who, of course, was conspicuously missing from The Zach Attack. I really just wanted this entire Lifetime movie to be about the band, I guess.
4.) When Ms. Thiessen and Ms. Berkley left the show, a new character was brought in. Her name is Tori (Leanna Creel). The characters are all seniors in high school. Now, the Lifetime movie explains this, but simply glosses over the character of Tori. Just like the original series did. Here we have episodes with Jessie and Kelly. Then they leave and Tori appears. Then suddenly the class is graduating with Kelly and Jessie, but Tori is nowhere to be seen. Tori went through all the trouble of dating Zach, helping to write the school song, and fixing Lisa's (Lark Voorhies) car after the drunk driving accident. Yet, she gets no diploma. Was there drama because of this? At this point, did the writers even care? I need to know these things to sleep at night.
5.) As most fans know, Saved by the Bell helped launch the career of Tori Spelling. Well, her dad probably helped with that, but you know what I mean. Also appearing in an episode was Denise Richards. Appearing as an extra in many episodes, you'll find a young Scott Wolf. Hmm... Scott Wolf played characters that have drinking problems, most notably in Party of Five. Mr. Diamond had an actor friend who was an extra that liked drinking vodka from a flask. What does this all mean? Probably nothing. I just like to talk about Scott Wolf whenever I can.
6.) As a society, what were we thinking about in our fashion choices of the early 90's? Those outfits that Slater wore were... I don't even have a word to accurately describe them. Lots of neon was involved, especially on the night the boys lip sync to the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann". Now there's a scene I would have liked to see the "behind the scenes" look at. I can't really blame the costumer because she was probably just dressing them in what was hip at the time.
7.) More Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins)! He pops in and out of scenes like nobody's business. I know the cast were all teenagers, but I bet he partied with them. Partied hard. I would have liked to seen his frustration when the kids started screwing around on the set. Or maybe he was the one that led them in their shenanigans and hi-jinks. We'll never know because apparently Lifetime didn't deem Mr. Belding that important. Shame on you, Lifetime Television. Shame on you.
8.) In the final moments of the show, the actor playing Dustin Diamond gives the audience a brief overview of what happened to the cast of six after the show. He briefly mentions something that actor did or continues did. He does not mention Franklin and Bash, but that's not important here. He does mention Saved by the Bell: The College Years, but he does not mention Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. He also does not mention that he would continue to play Screech for 7 more seasons in Saved by the Bell: The New Class. I think this was very vital to the telling of the story, especially for a man that despises the character of Screech so vehemently. Especially since the rest of the teenage cast tried desperately to shed their image and it worked. It will always be a part of their lives and yes, they will be remembered mainly for Saved by the Bell, but at least they have embraced their past and not continually tried to put it down.
There it is. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I decided to tune into a movie on Lifetime. I was expecting more of a behind the scenes look at one of my favorite t.v. shows while growing up. Instead, I was treated to what equated to a very badly re-enacted E! True Hollywood Story of Saved by the Bell. Now, if you excuse me, it's time go take down my Kelly Kapowski poster. It's time to grow up.
Friends Forever
I will openly admit that I consider myself a Saved by the Bell aficionado. I have even written about the series and it's affects on misguided relationships on this blog years ago. (Saved by the Bell: Anatomy of a relationship 7/7/08). I decided to watch this Lifetime movie and put myself through two hours of what can be best described as melting vanilla ice cream. With the network that brought us such titles as Killing Daddy and Crime of Passion: She Woke up Pregnant and with a script loosely based on the book Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond, I was expecting a little bit of at least a PG-13 look into Saved by the Bell. Instead, we were given items that would have barely registered on an episode of the show itself. Die hard Saved by the Bell fans probably even noticed that episodes depicted in the movie actually never happened. I realize that copyright laws are in place and this is the most likely reason we saw allusions to episodes that occurred but no actual episodes.
Okay, not all the episodes depicted were lies. The graduation episode did occur and Slater (Mario Lopez) did have to dress up as a swan in a leotard, but everyone knows Bayside's color was maroon. Yes, we do get a look at the infamous caffeine pill episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c). A very serious moment occurs during rehearsal. Everyone is in awe, except for Mr. Diamond, who breaks out in a long laugh. Now if the main reason of this movie is for us as an audience to feel any sort of sentimentality for Mr. Diamond, this moment did not help.
I digress. I'm not here to break down the entire movie. That could take days. I'm here to list eight things I wanted to learn more about that the movie did not go into.
1.) Saved by the Bell helped to provide an influx of teen centered shows in the early to mid-90's. One of these shows was another Saturday morning staple, California Dreams. Even if it was to dramatize it (to the nth degree), I would have liked to see how the Saved by the Bell cast responded to the new kids on the block. I like to think that there were all out brawls on the studio lot and a Romeo and Juliet type love story when one member of Saved by the Bell slept with a cast member of California Dreams. Now that's drama. At the very least, we could have seen a battle of the bands in which The Zach Attack dominated the California Dreams in competition.
2.) Speaking of The Zach Attack, why was Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) not in the band. Had she already left the show at this time? Could she not pretend to play an instrument? Was the character of Jessie morally against music making? We knew she could sing. She was in the Glee Club and sang a song with Slater at the dance in which Zach (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) broke up. Where was she?!
3.) Kelly and Zach broke up because of Jeff (Patrick Muldoon). Mr. Muldoon was in Starship Troopers, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven. Mr. Verhoeven directed Showgirls, which starred Elizabeth Berkley. Who, of course, was conspicuously missing from The Zach Attack. I really just wanted this entire Lifetime movie to be about the band, I guess.
4.) When Ms. Thiessen and Ms. Berkley left the show, a new character was brought in. Her name is Tori (Leanna Creel). The characters are all seniors in high school. Now, the Lifetime movie explains this, but simply glosses over the character of Tori. Just like the original series did. Here we have episodes with Jessie and Kelly. Then they leave and Tori appears. Then suddenly the class is graduating with Kelly and Jessie, but Tori is nowhere to be seen. Tori went through all the trouble of dating Zach, helping to write the school song, and fixing Lisa's (Lark Voorhies) car after the drunk driving accident. Yet, she gets no diploma. Was there drama because of this? At this point, did the writers even care? I need to know these things to sleep at night.
5.) As most fans know, Saved by the Bell helped launch the career of Tori Spelling. Well, her dad probably helped with that, but you know what I mean. Also appearing in an episode was Denise Richards. Appearing as an extra in many episodes, you'll find a young Scott Wolf. Hmm... Scott Wolf played characters that have drinking problems, most notably in Party of Five. Mr. Diamond had an actor friend who was an extra that liked drinking vodka from a flask. What does this all mean? Probably nothing. I just like to talk about Scott Wolf whenever I can.
6.) As a society, what were we thinking about in our fashion choices of the early 90's? Those outfits that Slater wore were... I don't even have a word to accurately describe them. Lots of neon was involved, especially on the night the boys lip sync to the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann". Now there's a scene I would have liked to see the "behind the scenes" look at. I can't really blame the costumer because she was probably just dressing them in what was hip at the time.
7.) More Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins)! He pops in and out of scenes like nobody's business. I know the cast were all teenagers, but I bet he partied with them. Partied hard. I would have liked to seen his frustration when the kids started screwing around on the set. Or maybe he was the one that led them in their shenanigans and hi-jinks. We'll never know because apparently Lifetime didn't deem Mr. Belding that important. Shame on you, Lifetime Television. Shame on you.
8.) In the final moments of the show, the actor playing Dustin Diamond gives the audience a brief overview of what happened to the cast of six after the show. He briefly mentions something that actor did or continues did. He does not mention Franklin and Bash, but that's not important here. He does mention Saved by the Bell: The College Years, but he does not mention Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. He also does not mention that he would continue to play Screech for 7 more seasons in Saved by the Bell: The New Class. I think this was very vital to the telling of the story, especially for a man that despises the character of Screech so vehemently. Especially since the rest of the teenage cast tried desperately to shed their image and it worked. It will always be a part of their lives and yes, they will be remembered mainly for Saved by the Bell, but at least they have embraced their past and not continually tried to put it down.
There it is. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I decided to tune into a movie on Lifetime. I was expecting more of a behind the scenes look at one of my favorite t.v. shows while growing up. Instead, I was treated to what equated to a very badly re-enacted E! True Hollywood Story of Saved by the Bell. Now, if you excuse me, it's time go take down my Kelly Kapowski poster. It's time to grow up.
Friends Forever
The Bell tolls...Quietly
Lifetime Television premiered it's most recent original movie, The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, last night. For anyone steeped in the culture/lore of Saved by the Bell there was probably nothing of any interest learned here. Except for that Dustin Diamond (Screech) made friends with an actor who could only get extra work. This actor turned him onto alcohol and marijuana. This actor even helped to get Mr. Diamond "laid" on down time from a press junket in South Carolina. As it turned out, this actor was just using Mr. Diamond in hopes of getting a part on the show. Go figure.
I will openly admit that I consider myself a Saved by the Bell aficionado. I have even written about the series and it's affects on misguided relationships on this blog years ago. (Saved by the Bell: Anatomy of a relationship 7/7/08). I decided to watch this Lifetime movie and put myself through two hours of what can be best described as melting vanilla ice cream. With the network that brought us such titles as Killing Daddy and Crime of Passion: She Woke up Pregnant and with a script loosely based on the book Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond, I was expecting a little bit of at least a PG-13 look into Saved by the Bell. Instead, we were given items that would have barely registered on an episode of the show itself. Die hard Saved by the Bell fans probably even noticed that episodes depicted in the movie actually never happened. I realize that copyright laws are in place and this is the most likely reason we saw allusions to episodes that occurred but no actual episodes.
Okay, not all the episodes depicted were lies. The graduation episode did occur and Slater (Mario Lopez) did have to dress up as a swan in a leotard, but everyone knows Bayside's color was maroon. Yes, we do get a look at the infamous caffeine pill episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c). A very serious moment occurs during rehearsal. Everyone is in awe, except for Mr. Diamond, who breaks out in a long laugh. Now if the main reason of this movie is for us as an audience to feel any sort of sentimentality for Mr. Diamond, this moment did not help.
I digress. I'm not here to break down the entire movie. That could take days. I'm here to list eight things I wanted to learn more about that the movie did not go into.
1.) Saved by the Bell helped to provide an influx of teen centered shows in the early to mid-90's. One of these shows was another Saturday morning staple, California Dreams. Even if it was to dramatize it (to the nth degree), I would have liked to see how the Saved by the Bell cast responded to the new kids on the block. I like to think that there were all out brawls on the studio lot and a Romeo and Juliet type love story when one member of Saved by the Bell slept with a cast member of California Dreams. Now that's drama. At the very least, we could have seen a battle of the bands in which The Zach Attack dominated the California Dreams in competition.
2.) Speaking of The Zach Attack, why was Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) not in the band. Had she already left the show at this time? Could she not pretend to play an instrument? Was the character of Jessie morally against music making? We knew she could sing. She was in the Glee Club and sang a song with Slater at the dance in which Zach (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) broke up. Where was she?!
3.) Kelly and Zach broke up because of Jeff (Patrick Muldoon). Mr. Muldoon was in Starship Troopers, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven. Mr. Verhoeven directed Showgirls, which starred Elizabeth Berkley. Who, of course, was conspicuously missing from The Zach Attack. I really just wanted this entire Lifetime movie to be about the band, I guess.
4.) When Ms. Thiessen and Ms. Berkley left the show, a new character was brought in. Her name is Tori (Leanna Creel). The characters are all seniors in high school. Now, the Lifetime movie explains this, but simply glosses over the character of Tori. Just like the original series did. Here we have episodes with Jessie and Kelly. Then they leave and Tori appears. Then suddenly the class is graduating with Kelly and Jessie, but Tori is nowhere to be seen. Tori went through all the trouble of dating Zach, helping to write the school song, and fixing Lisa's (Lark Voorhies) car after the drunk driving accident. Yet, she gets no diploma. Was there drama because of this? At this point, did the writers even care? I need to know these things to sleep at night.
5.) As most fans know, Saved by the Bell helped launch the career of Tori Spelling. Well, her dad probably helped with that, but you know what I mean. Also appearing in an episode was Denise Richards. Appearing as an extra in many episodes, you'll find a young Scott Wolf. Hmm... Scott Wolf played characters that have drinking problems, most notably in Party of Five. Mr. Diamond had an actor friend who was an extra that liked drinking vodka from a flask. What does this all mean? Probably nothing. I just like to talk about Scott Wolf whenever I can.
6.) As a society, what were we thinking about in our fashion choices of the early 90's? Those outfits that Slater wore were... I don't even have a word to accurately describe them. Lots of neon was involved, especially on the night the boys lip sync to the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann". Now there's a scene I would have liked to see the "behind the scenes" look at. I can't really blame the costumer because she was probably just dressing them in what was hip at the time.
7.) More Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins)! He pops in and out of scenes like nobody's business. I know the cast were all teenagers, but I bet he partied with them. Partied hard. I would have liked to seen his frustration when the kids started screwing around on the set. Or maybe he was the one that led them in their shenanigans and hi-jinks. We'll never know because apparently Lifetime didn't deem Mr. Belding that important. Shame on you, Lifetime Television. Shame on you.
8.) In the final moments of the show, the actor playing Dustin Diamond gives the audience a brief overview of what happened to the cast of six after the show. He briefly mentions something that actor did or continues did. He does not mention Franklin and Bash, but that's not important here. He does mention Saved by the Bell: The College Years, but he does not mention Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. He also does not mention that he would continue to play Screech for 7 more seasons in Saved by the Bell: The New Class. I think this was very vital to the telling of the story, especially for a man that despises the character of Screech so vehemently. Especially since the rest of the teenage cast tried desperately to shed their image and it worked. It will always be a part of their lives and yes, they will be remembered mainly for Saved by the Bell, but at least they have embraced their past and not continually tried to put it down.
There it is. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I decided to tune into a movie on Lifetime. I was expecting more of a behind the scenes look at one of my favorite t.v. shows while growing up. Instead, I was treated to what equated to a very badly re-enacted E! True Hollywood Story of Saved by the Bell. Now, if you excuse me, it's time go take down my Kelly Kapowski poster. It's time to grow up.
Friends Forever
I will openly admit that I consider myself a Saved by the Bell aficionado. I have even written about the series and it's affects on misguided relationships on this blog years ago. (Saved by the Bell: Anatomy of a relationship 7/7/08). I decided to watch this Lifetime movie and put myself through two hours of what can be best described as melting vanilla ice cream. With the network that brought us such titles as Killing Daddy and Crime of Passion: She Woke up Pregnant and with a script loosely based on the book Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond, I was expecting a little bit of at least a PG-13 look into Saved by the Bell. Instead, we were given items that would have barely registered on an episode of the show itself. Die hard Saved by the Bell fans probably even noticed that episodes depicted in the movie actually never happened. I realize that copyright laws are in place and this is the most likely reason we saw allusions to episodes that occurred but no actual episodes.
Okay, not all the episodes depicted were lies. The graduation episode did occur and Slater (Mario Lopez) did have to dress up as a swan in a leotard, but everyone knows Bayside's color was maroon. Yes, we do get a look at the infamous caffeine pill episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c). A very serious moment occurs during rehearsal. Everyone is in awe, except for Mr. Diamond, who breaks out in a long laugh. Now if the main reason of this movie is for us as an audience to feel any sort of sentimentality for Mr. Diamond, this moment did not help.
I digress. I'm not here to break down the entire movie. That could take days. I'm here to list eight things I wanted to learn more about that the movie did not go into.
1.) Saved by the Bell helped to provide an influx of teen centered shows in the early to mid-90's. One of these shows was another Saturday morning staple, California Dreams. Even if it was to dramatize it (to the nth degree), I would have liked to see how the Saved by the Bell cast responded to the new kids on the block. I like to think that there were all out brawls on the studio lot and a Romeo and Juliet type love story when one member of Saved by the Bell slept with a cast member of California Dreams. Now that's drama. At the very least, we could have seen a battle of the bands in which The Zach Attack dominated the California Dreams in competition.
2.) Speaking of The Zach Attack, why was Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) not in the band. Had she already left the show at this time? Could she not pretend to play an instrument? Was the character of Jessie morally against music making? We knew she could sing. She was in the Glee Club and sang a song with Slater at the dance in which Zach (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) broke up. Where was she?!
3.) Kelly and Zach broke up because of Jeff (Patrick Muldoon). Mr. Muldoon was in Starship Troopers, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven. Mr. Verhoeven directed Showgirls, which starred Elizabeth Berkley. Who, of course, was conspicuously missing from The Zach Attack. I really just wanted this entire Lifetime movie to be about the band, I guess.
4.) When Ms. Thiessen and Ms. Berkley left the show, a new character was brought in. Her name is Tori (Leanna Creel). The characters are all seniors in high school. Now, the Lifetime movie explains this, but simply glosses over the character of Tori. Just like the original series did. Here we have episodes with Jessie and Kelly. Then they leave and Tori appears. Then suddenly the class is graduating with Kelly and Jessie, but Tori is nowhere to be seen. Tori went through all the trouble of dating Zach, helping to write the school song, and fixing Lisa's (Lark Voorhies) car after the drunk driving accident. Yet, she gets no diploma. Was there drama because of this? At this point, did the writers even care? I need to know these things to sleep at night.
5.) As most fans know, Saved by the Bell helped launch the career of Tori Spelling. Well, her dad probably helped with that, but you know what I mean. Also appearing in an episode was Denise Richards. Appearing as an extra in many episodes, you'll find a young Scott Wolf. Hmm... Scott Wolf played characters that have drinking problems, most notably in Party of Five. Mr. Diamond had an actor friend who was an extra that liked drinking vodka from a flask. What does this all mean? Probably nothing. I just like to talk about Scott Wolf whenever I can.
6.) As a society, what were we thinking about in our fashion choices of the early 90's? Those outfits that Slater wore were... I don't even have a word to accurately describe them. Lots of neon was involved, especially on the night the boys lip sync to the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann". Now there's a scene I would have liked to see the "behind the scenes" look at. I can't really blame the costumer because she was probably just dressing them in what was hip at the time.
7.) More Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins)! He pops in and out of scenes like nobody's business. I know the cast were all teenagers, but I bet he partied with them. Partied hard. I would have liked to seen his frustration when the kids started screwing around on the set. Or maybe he was the one that led them in their shenanigans and hi-jinks. We'll never know because apparently Lifetime didn't deem Mr. Belding that important. Shame on you, Lifetime Television. Shame on you.
8.) In the final moments of the show, the actor playing Dustin Diamond gives the audience a brief overview of what happened to the cast of six after the show. He briefly mentions something that actor did or continues did. He does not mention Franklin and Bash, but that's not important here. He does mention Saved by the Bell: The College Years, but he does not mention Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. He also does not mention that he would continue to play Screech for 7 more seasons in Saved by the Bell: The New Class. I think this was very vital to the telling of the story, especially for a man that despises the character of Screech so vehemently. Especially since the rest of the teenage cast tried desperately to shed their image and it worked. It will always be a part of their lives and yes, they will be remembered mainly for Saved by the Bell, but at least they have embraced their past and not continually tried to put it down.
There it is. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I decided to tune into a movie on Lifetime. I was expecting more of a behind the scenes look at one of my favorite t.v. shows while growing up. Instead, I was treated to what equated to a very badly re-enacted E! True Hollywood Story of Saved by the Bell. Now, if you excuse me, it's time go take down my Kelly Kapowski poster. It's time to grow up.
Friends Forever
August 21, 2014
Boise State 2014 Football: A few thoughts
The roar of the crowds. Music blaring through the loud speakers. The cadence of drums in the distance. All of this can only signify one thing: the arrival of the 2014 Boise State Broncos football season.
After an 8-5 campaign last year and the transfer of Head Coach Chris Peterson to the University of Washington, expectations around the Treasure Valley have certainly been tempered. Yes, new Head Coach Bryan Harsin has brought a lot of buzz and energy to the team, yet expectations are nowhere near the levels of years past. This is the same program that over the last seven years has won two Fiesta Bowls and beaten high ranked teams such as Oregon, Georgia, and Virginia Tech. If attendance at the last scrimmage is to be of any indication, Boise State fans aren’t quite ready to jump back on the Boise State bandwagon.
Coach Harsin has brought with him a slogan of “Attack the Future”. He lived up to those words at the scrimmage by getting plenty of situational action for the second and third team, especially on offense. Senior Grant Hedrick (69% completion rate, 16 TD’s, 1825 yards) returns to quarterback the Broncos. The senior should have more opportunities to use his legs in the running game this year. Hedrick proved to be an ideal dual threat quarterback in certain situations last year. It wasn’t until he became the full time starting quarterback in which his running game was virtually taken away from him. Ryan Finley, returning from shoulder injury last year, has shown no ill effects from the injury and appears to have locked up the No. 2 quarterback position.
At the skill positions, Boise State returns some of the top stat leaders to appear in a Bronco uniform. The questions remain as to who will provide depth at these positions. Junior Jay Ajayi (1425 yards, 18 Rushing TD’s) returns at running back. He proved to be durable last year, but should he fall a group of young and inexperienced running backs waits behind him. Devan Demas showed flashes of electricity late last year and has the inside track as the No. 2 back.
The same worries can be said for wide receiver. Matt Miller (88 rec., 1140 yds., 12 TD’s) and jack-of-all trades playmaker Shane Williams Rhodes (77, 702, 6) return as two of the top receivers in the Mountain West. The battle for the third receiver was on full display at the scrimmage as Coach Harsin rotated candidates in and out during the two hour scrimmage. Troy Ware and Dallas Burroughs are two returning players that have seen adequate playing time throughout their careers with very little production.
The offensive line has to replace three starters and is very young. If the limited plays in the scrimmage seem to be any indication, the tight end position seems to be a returning part that has been missing from the offense the last two years.
On defense, coordinator Marcel Yates is looking to instill swagger back into a unit that slumped mightily last year. Gone were the hard hitting days of Jeron Johnson in last years downward spiral of the defense. It didn't take long for the defense to announce their new authoritative arrival this year. On the first play from scrimmage, cornerback Jonathan Moxey delivering a bone crushing hit to receiver Thomas Sperbeck. The hit drew a penalty flag for targeting, but with that first play the tone had been set. The defensive line lost a few players, including second round draft pick DeMarcus Lawrence, and is looking to build depth to unit that dealt with many injuries last year. The linebackers are a solid group, led by top returning tackle leader Ben Weaver. It is the secondary that appears to be the strongest unit on this defense. Both safeties return, as do five players at the cornerback position that saw significant playing time last year. Also waiting in the wings is four star recruit and true freshman Dylan Sumner Gardner.
With all these unknowns heading into the season, the die-hard fans showed up for the scrimmage and rose to their feet as the Broncos raced from the tunnel. The crowd roared and showed their appreciation to the hometown team. The roar subsided to a mere applause until Bryan Douglas took the opening kick of the scrimmage and returned it for a touchdown. Through the yelling and screaming of joy, one thing was for certain: Football was back and the fall atmosphere was here to stay
