Freedom of speech under attack in North Carolina?

I’m interested in learning more about the incident involving a “conservative kiosk” in North Carolina, whose owner claims he is being “kicked out” of a mall because he sells “conservative” items.

With the exception of Fox News, who I consider somewhat unreliable at best, the national media has totally ignored this story. A Google search produced several blog hits and a few reports from local media, but I didn’t find many national stories.

A North Carolina NBC affiliate carried the most informative story I’ve found so far. From it, I pieced the following together.

Loren Spivack owned and operated a kiosk inside the Concord Mills Mall in Concord, North Carolina. In his kiosk, Spivack sold various items with political motivated slogans and phrases. The examples provided by the NBC station included bumper stickers with “Impeach Obama,” “Work Harder. Obama Needs the Money,” and “Al Qaeda’s favorite days: 9/11/01 and 11/4/08″.

Personally, I find the stickers pretty lame and wonder how long it would take the average American to process the significance of the “11/4/08″ date. Sure, political junkies, such as myself, recognize the date as the day Barack Obama won the election, but you want a quick response and reaction with bumper stickers, from a mass audience, and that one requires a certain level of political awareness. Regardless, Simon Property Group, which owns Concord Mills Mall, communicated with  Spivack that they would allow his lease to expire on July 31, 2009. According to this report, mall management felt that items sold at the kiosk were not “neutral” enough.

This decision follows a strongly worded letter printed in the Charlotte Observer, in which a recent college graduate complained about several of the items sold at the kiosk. The letter refers to several items with “pro confederacy statements” and items that promote “racism, sexism and even slavery.”

I understand that kiosks in the South sometimes sell items containing the Confederate flag or with slogans like, “the South will rise again.” Those type of items are definitely tacky, but no one has provided examples of these items being sold at the kiosk in question. Indeed, the only three items I can find mentioned being sold at the kiosk are the three bumper stickers mentioned earlier. In my opinion, none of the bumper stickers reported by the NBC station promote racism, sexism or slavery and none of them contain “pro-Confederacy statements.”

All three stickers contain anti-Obama messages, but speaking out against this President, voicing a strongly worded opinion about his election, do not qualify as “racist” or “sexist.” Speaking out against elected officials is American as apple pie.  I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.

On October 14, 2008, I posted a blog expressing concern that criticizing then candidate Obama would result in this type of reaction.  In the piece, I modeled two t-shirts I bought to express my discontent with the Bush administration. During the the Bush administration, I decorated my car with several “anti-Bush” bumper stickers, including “Vote Republican, It’s Never Too Late to Return to the Dark Ages” and “F The President”.  I never went anywhere without my black rubber band that said “I Did Not Vote For Bush” or my blue band that said “Count Me Blue” (as in “blue states”). I wish I could contact the college student who wrote the letter to the Charlotte newspaper complaining about the kiosk. I would like to get their opinion on my anti-Bush t-shirts, bumper stickers and rubber bracelets.

Maybe it’s the punk in me, but I’m for free speech all the time, everywhere.  I did not vote for Bush and I did not vote for Obama. I think both are poor presidents and I have spent a good chunk of my time criticizing both of them. Until the suits at Simon decide to comment on this issue, we’ll never know the full story, but if what has been reported so far is true, I would suggest a boycott may be in order.

Your kiss, your kiss is on my list

It didn’t exactly go down the way that ESPN predicted, but Tim Thomas is officially a Dallas Maverick. While I’m sure the “kiss” Thomas blew at Dirk during the 2006 playoffs is forgotten, I don’t think Thomas and Dirk will ever be BFF’s. Don’t expect to see the two eating at Taco Diner or enjoying drinks at The Loon together, as Dirk and Steve Nash did. I’ve got to think that there will be at least some tension between the two. Dirk is a professional and I’m sure he will make every effort to make Thomas feel welcome on this team, but I’m sure he is with the rest of us and scratching his head at this signing.

Is this an indication that a trade is looming on the horizon?

Other blogs have speculated heavily on what the Mavs might be able to get for the Greg Buckner trading chip in September. Is it possible that either Thomas or Drew Gooden would be paired with Buckner to bring another piece to this ever confusing puzzle?

If Thomas stays with the Mavs, what will be his role? With the exception of Jason Terry, this team lacked a true 3-point threat last season. Sure, Dirk, Josh and Kidd would hit the occasional 3, but JET was the only true shooter on this squad.  Thomas instantly gives them another threat from beyond the arc. He ranks #22 all-time in 3-point field goal percentage at .413%.  Thomas, a highly emotional player, also brings a certain edge that has been lacking from this roster. Finally, while he will never be considered a defensive star, he is not a liability on defense either, especially in one-on-one situations. Look for Thomas to get minutes while Dirk rests.

As I said yesterday, free agency is unpredictable and it’s way too early to determine what effect this signing will have on the Mavs 2009-2010 season. However, at this point, it is definitely the most curious off-season move by the Mavericks this season. Almost as curious as using their mid-level exception on ‘Gana Diop last season. Let us pray that the results are not as disastrous.

Drew Gooden now a Maverick

NBA teams understand the unpredictable nature of free agency. You can never know how a player will adjust to a new system, the effect a new player will have on the chemistry of a team or the effect of other intangible elements will have on a team.  Granted, some signings are a little easier to predict than others, but for the most part you cannot be sure the effect a free-agent will have on a team until some point well into the season.

Not one expert–not John Hollinger, not Mark Stein, not Mark Cuban nor Donnie Nelson–can accurately predict the effect the singing of Drew Gooden will have on the upcoming season, neither can I; however, I do have a few observations about the signing.

First, let’s examine the good.

Assuming that the Mavs use Gooden primarily as a 5, the Mavs have instantly improved what has traditionally been the lowest scoring position on their squad. I’ve thrown the numbers out there several times in the past few weeks, but Erick Dampier averages only 7.9 PPG for his career and averaged only 5.7 PPG last season.  Gooden averages exactly 12 PPG for his career.  I will say we should tap the brakes just a little in regards to scoring.  Gooden has played only sparingly at the 5 position throughout his career, so the numbers might not translate exactly to his new position, but he definitely posses the athletic tools necessary to be a much more effective offensive threat than Dampier.

Dampier constantly frustrates the Mavs coaching staff, teammates and fan base with his inability to finish on the offensive end. Gooden has better hands and a better shot, so one would think his scoring average would not drop too drastically moving down to the center position. The Mavs have struggled to score in the paint for several seasons and Gooden should be able to help those numbers. Gooden is also a much better free throw shooter than Dampier, which can come in handy late in the game.

Obviously, this makes Dampier expendable. A lot has been made about trade potential that Dampier’s expiring contract presents. It looked like we were faced with another season of Dampier and Ryan Hollins at the 5, but with Gooden signed, the Mavs can now re-sign Hollins and shop the Dampier contract.

Gooden also brings playoff experience in a more youthful body than Dampier. While Dampier has appeared in more playoff games (52) than Gooden (44), Gooden has started more playoff games (40) and logged more playoff minutes (1,191  minutes) than Dampier (32 games started; 1,150 minutes).  Gooden has averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game in the playoffs, while Dampier has averaged 5 points and 6 rebounds per game. Both have appeared in one NBA Finals, yet Gooden is seven years young than Damp. At 27, Gooden would be the baby of the starting line up.

It scares me that none of Gooden’s former teams showed much interest in him. He admitted himself on his Twitter account that he was surprised that neither Cleveland nor San Antonio showed “as much interest as other teams.”  The Cavs have never made it to the NBA Finals without Gooden, yet they didn’t seem to think he was vital enough to bring back to their team. I got to see Gooden first hand in the Mavs/Spurs series and was impressed with his limited play. I don’t know why the Spurs chose not to use him more. Evidently, there was something about him the coaches did not like.

It’s too early to tell whether or not this will end up being a good signing for the Mavs, but I definitely think it has some potential. Maybe not as much potential as Marcin Gortat and it’s definitely not as sexy as getting Shaq, but this could very easily upgrade the Mavs at the 5 position, which could help tremendously down the line.

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Now playing: Merle Haggard – What Happened?
via FoxyTunes

The Cosmic Cafe

I’m thinking about music today, specifically live music. Wherever I have lived, I’ve always been drawn to the local music scene. I’ve never been able to get into the Dallas scene, at least not since living here. In college, I spent many weekends traveling to various music venues in Deep Ellum, catching great local bands.

However, Dallas has changed and even the bands I followed as a college student seem to have sold out or disbanded all together.  There are days I long for the East Texas music scene. While they may lack the number of venues and bands as Dallas, when you dig deep, when you step into the underground, true treasures await.

Nestled deep within the majestic pine forests of East Texas, down a one-lane black-top county road, sits a lonely cabin. To be certain, these forests contain many cabins, but none as magical as the one in question here. I remember the first time a musician friend invited me to the cabin to hear “some cosmic American music.” At the time, punk dominated my playlists and I had very limited exposure to “cosmic American music,” but my friend promised fun, so I decided to tag-along.

We drove out a lonely Farm to Market road, past the county jail, turning onto a dark county road that created a snaking black vein through the lush pine thicket.  The further we drove, the road narrowed, giving way to the brush and over-growth.  Tree roots protruded out from the road and all was pitch black. Finally, we pulled onto a dirt drive and I caught my first glimpse of the Cosmic Cafe.

There was a clearing directly in front of the cabin and I noticed a make-shift pen, which on closer inspection contained two full grown Clydesdales.  We walk towards the cabin, which was actually two conjoined cabins: a spherical cabin of the geometric variety and a traditional wood cabin you would find on any lake or on any deer lease.  We entered through a door in the spherical shaped building and I was greeted with the smell of patchouli and cannabis.

Once inside the cabin, I noticd a large chandalier, which resembled an old wagon wheel, suspended from the ceiling. On top of the the chandalier were several mason jars, each one containing a dimly lit bulb. Hanging from the mason jars were assorted pieces of women’s lingerie, in ever shape, size and color imaginable.

To our right, was the main stage, where three men and lady, all in their 50′s and all dressed in vintage Western wear, gathered together.  To our left, a wide open space, wihch led into the other cabin. Tucked against the wall were two couches straight out of the 1970′s. A wall, with twin doors, had been constructed in between the two cabins and a few feet in front of the door way sat the sound board. Pops, a tall, lanky gentleman with long gray hair and a thick gray beard sat the helm.  A small group of ten or twelve people huddled around Pops. I knew a few of them from other local scenes, so I stopped to exchange pleasantries, before heading into the second cabin.

It appeared that this section served as the cantina, with two large folding tables, containing various wines and spirts, pressed against the wall on the left. Underneath the two tables, there were two coolers full of beer–Miller Lite, Shiner Bock, and Lone Star.  Two breakfast table sat in the middle of the room and each table featured an intense game of dominoes.  We grabbed a Shiner and were headed towards a door at the back of the cabin when we heard the first chord followed by a booming voice:

“Good evening! Welcome to the Cosmic Cafe.”

The band launched into a rendition of Gram Parson’s “In My Hour of Darkness,” and we decided to head back towards the stage. The lights were even more dim and another ten people had showed up. The stage was so dark, we couldn’t even see the drummer’s face. The lady sat at keyboard on the right side of the stage. On lead and vocals, appeared to be the oldest member of the outfit. He chained smoked throughout the entire set, holding a lit cigarette in between his ring finer and pinky on his right hand as he strummed the strings–true talent. Though not the best vocalist in the world, he did a terrific job not butchering Parson’s work.  The bassist was huge, at least 6’8, and had jet black hair and a jet black beard. This gave way to a cover of Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower,” which rolled into “Desperado,” into “Ripple.” The set ran about 45 mintues. Somewhere along the way, the band launched into CCR’s “Lodi.” It was the only time the female sang lead vocals and the only truly awkward moment of the set. They ended with an electric version of “Woodstock” (CSN&Y style), thanked the audience and invited “Pablo” to the stage.

Pablo, who doesn’t resemble a Pablo, took the stage with two other younger guys.  The three launched into an acoustic set that really engaged those present. By night’s end, Pops and I were the only two in the crowd not to take the state at some point.

When the music ended, my friend and I made our way the back door to a deck for a cigarette. We walked to the side railing and once again caught a glimpse of the pen with the Clydesdales.  What a weird place for Clydesdales. All of a sudden, I heard a deep booming voice.

“You want one of those horses?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer the question, so I simply stared at the man. It was the bassist from the first band–the giant. He told me he had recently “won” the Clydesdales in game a poker on a “whiskey night,” and had since sworn off whiskey. It turns out he owned the Cosmic Cafe and the land it set on, also a prize in a poker game.

Over the next few months, I made a few more visits to the Cosmic Cafe and found it be one hell of a venue. Normally, I was the only non-musician present. It truly was a locale for musicians to jam with other musicians. There were no set lists to speak of, no cover charge, no merchandise, just a bunch of people who loved good music getting together and jamming. Some nights the music leaned more towards rock, some night it leaned country, some nights indie and yes, there was always “cosmic American music” to be heard.

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Now playing: Grateful Dead – Eyes of the World
via FoxyTunes

A Tale of Two Outfielders: Cruz v. Murphy

Last year, David Murphy emerged as a rising star in the Texas Rangers organization.  The Josh Hamilton, “prodigal son” story overshadowed Murphy’s achievements for the majority of the season, but his stats don’t lie. Murphy hit .275, with 15 homers, 28 doubles and a .321 on-base percentage in his first full season in the majors. After beginning the 2009 season a woeful 0 for 29, Murphy has rebounded and now leads the team in on-base percentage (.368), is second on the team in batting (.284) and has been the one consistent bat in a very anemic line-up. Murphy continues to be patience and shows extreme discipline at the plate, even as the rest of the roster swings from their heels. He’s proven that he has bright future in this league, which makes the manner in which Ron Washington uses Murphy that much more perplexing.

As of this point in the season, Murphy has appeared in only 69 games, while Nelson Cruz, a free swinging slugger with questionible defensive skills, has appeared in 82 games and can do no wrong in the eyes of Washington. Obviously, Murphy does not look like, nor does he play like the typical Rangers’ slugger. Over the past few years, well decades, Rangers’ fans have grown accustomed to sluggers in the mold of Josh Hamilton–large, hulking figures who can smash the ball 400 feet with consistency. Murphy is tall, lanky, knows how to work a pitcher and makes his living as a contact hitter. Yet since becoming a Ranger, Murphy has had to scrap to get playing time in the outfield.

Cruz, on the other hand, fits the Rangers prototype and has produced the power numbers (23 HR’s) that make Rudy Jaramillo smile, yet he fails to show the consistency of Murphy. Since being called up by the Brewers in 2005, Cruz has been a virtual yo-yo, bouncing back and forth in between Triple-A and the big leagues.  Through it all, the Rangers have remained committed and given Cruz every opportunity.

If the Rangers need a baserunner to manfacture runs, I’d rather have Murphy’s eye. If the Rangers need a hit in the bottom of the 9th with a runer in scoring postion, I’d rather have Murphy at the plate. If the Rangers need a great defensive stop in the outfield, I’d rather have Murphy’s glove.  Even in this modern age, home runs are a luxury, not a necessity, and as such I can think of no point in a baseball game where I would rather have Cruz over Murphy, but this manager seems to disagree on every point. One player puts up impressive numbers, yet can’t impress the skipper. One player is terribly inconsistent, but is heralded as the next great Rangers’ outfielder. It’s just one more reason I continue to question Ron Washington as the manager of this team.

The Evil of Empire (of sports) comes to Dallas…

I’m not your typical sports fan. I love sports, but only if my teams are involved, either directly or indirectly. During football season, I care about only the Cowboys. I’ll watch other NFC East games, because I know the outcome will have a direct effect on the Cowboys’ in the standings, but I have no interest in the performance of Chris Cooley, Donovan McNabb or Osi Umenyiora. I don’t watch basketball to see Kobe, LeBron or D’Wade.  I care about only the players who wear my teams’ uniform.

Since I live in Dallas, I’m lucky enough to have a ton of media coverage for each of my favorite teams. Before moving to Dallas, I had to depend on the limited coverage in the local papers and ESPN. With ESPN, I had to sit through 58 minutes of New England Patriot talk or New York Yankees talk, just to get a two minute segment on the Cowboys or Rangers. Maybe that’s why since moving to Dallas I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually watched Sports Center. Additionally, the advent of the league owned networks (i.e. NBA TV, NFL Network, MLB Network, etc.) have allowed me to keep up with my rivals without tuning into ESPN.

Based on a recent article in the New York Times, ESPN is targeting sports fans such as myself. In April, they launched ESPN Chicago, a website devoted to the city’s professional sports teams and local collegiate programs. ESPN plans to launch similar sites in three other cities, including one in Dallas in the fall. You would think that I would welcome their arrival, especially since the website promises local flavor; however, as I have weened myself off of the ESPN teet over the past few years, I’ve gained a sense of clarity and see ESPN for what it really is–a superfluous conglomerate that has destroyed the world of professional sports as we know it. What MTV did to music, ESPN has done to sports!

Forgot for a moment ESPN’s “East Coast bias,”  as exhibited by not only their content, but also the birthplace of many of their personalities.  Look at ESPN for what it has become, generic sports television, full of “know-it all” personalities and Captain Obvious comments and observations. Indeed, ESPN is no longer relevant in the world of sports.

Do they have deep pockets? Yes.  Are they well connected? Without a doubt, but being connected and being relevant are two completely different things.

If you read through the article, you will find that ESPN is trying to connect on a local level, that they plan to utilize fans as cub reporters, or “citizen journalists”, to send in pictures, video clips and scores from local sporting events, including high school sports. The way the ESPN executives speak, they feel that this is a completely new concept. What it shows is how out of touch ESPN is with the “flyover” states.

There are websites all over the state of Texas where fans can get together to discuss local sports, share scores, pictures and videos. The websites are run and maintained by members of the community and the writers, editors and forum moderators mix and mingle with their audience at the local high school football or basketball games.  These same sites provide the opportunity for fans to come together and discuss local pro and college teams as well. Basically, everything ESPN hopes to accomplish with their local websites has been in place since the turn of the century in many communities. The biggest difference is that they lack ESPN’s name and all that goes with it.

If there is anything we love as much as our sports in Dallas, it’s our Tex-Mex food. We have literally hundreds of restaurants where you can order tacos, fajitas and margaritas. Some of these restaurants are family-owned and operated, with family recipes that go back several generations.  Other restaurants are chains run by large corporations. While the chain may boasts fancy new digs and clever marketing, their food cannot compete with the family owned restaurants. They also lack the intimacy that makes the customer feel at home. At the end of the day, if you’re hungry for Tex-Mex in Dallas, you have the choice between Mia’s or On the Border. Nine out of ten Dallas-ites would choose Mia’s.

A little hint to the mental midgets running ESPN, in Dallas we consumer our sports like do our Tex-Mex food. A sparkling web design and clever marketing will only hold an audience for so long, eventually you’re going to have to cook up something worth eating and serve it in an intimate environment.

Watson at the Open

59 never looked so good.

That’s how I had planned to start this post had Tom Watson been able to finish off the miracle.

What Watson could have accomplished today lacks precedence.  Five Open Championships-impressive.  Eight major championships–amazing. To be able to add to these numbers at his age, thirteen years older than Jack Nicklaus was when he won The Masters in ’86, with an artificial hip, is unfathomable.

I’m told that the New York Mets were truly “amazing” in 1969. What the United State hockey team did in 1980 in Lake Placid, truly was a “miracle.” Villanova proved to us that Cinderella really can dance in 1984. However, none of these feats compare to Watson winning the Open Championship at the age of 59.

On Thursday, when the reports started coming in that Watson was on top of the leader board, I smiled. However, I never thought it would last. Last year, Greg Norman teased us, hanging around the top of the leader board until the very end. At best, I thought Watson could hang around through 36 holes, but to do it through 72 holes I felt was unimaginable.

Here was a man I watched as a young golfer.  I still remember writing Watson as a 9 year old and asking for his autograph. I guess I should dig through some of my old sports memorabilia, because Watson wrote back and somewhere, among mounds of baseball cards, I have his autograph.  Now, I’m 30 and Watson is once again relevant in the world of sports. This would be like Danny White coming back and leading the Cowboys to a Super Bowl title this year.

It hurt watching Watson shows signs of fatigue, bogeying 18 and then the tragic 4 hole playoff.  However,  I should look at it from the other perspective. Stewart Cink’s performance in the 4 hole playoff, and subsequent birdie on 18 was very Tiger like and for the first time in his career he started living up to his hype. Nothing should be taken away from Watson. His performance is still amazing.

I can only hope I look so good at 59.

105.3 The (Irrelevant) Fan

In the past, I’ve offered my analysis of both ESPN 103.3 and The Ticket. In all fairness, I think it’s time that I offer my assessment of the newest sports talk radio station in Dallas, 105.3 The Fan. I first became aware of The Fan flipping through the stations shortly before the start of baseball season. I heard the familiar voices of Ben & Skin, made famous by their weekend show on The Ticket, and thought I would give it a chance. Though their show lacked some of the comedy from their Ticket days, I still thought the station had potential to serve as an alternative on days when The Ticket was involved in shameless self promotions (i.e. Girls Night Out, Ticket Stock, The Great Game, etc.).

Over the next few months, I had the opportunity to catch some of the other shows, but never found a show that really engaged me. Based on the latest numbers, not many people have. The Ticket continues to dominate the male 25-54 demographic, ESPN is a distant second and The Fan brings up the rear of sports talk radio. Ironically, the Kevin Scott-Greg Hill experiment was the only Fan program not to finish dead last in head-to-head time slot competition with the other two stations, yet The Fan still decided to part ways with them.

They weren’t the only casualty, just ask Ben and Skin.  Ben and Skin pulled horrible numbers, but that says less about their appeal and more about the appeal of The Hardline. Look at it this way, a large part of Ben and Skins audience are loyal listeners to The Hardline and when given a choice between the two, the old reliable will win out. It would have been interesting to see what the numbers might have been if The Fan had decided to move the Ben & Skin time slot, say up against Norm Hitzges.  Instead, they canceled the show out right.

Why is The Fan in such bad shape and what can they do?

In addition to simply recycling on-air talent thrown away by other stations, The Fan takes their name too seriously. Sure, obnoxious, self-absorbed, know-it all hosts drive listeners away. Most people desire a radio program that engages the listener, not a program where the host spouts his opinions for 3 hours. The secret to good radio is knowing how to engage your audience without using the phone, text or e-mail as a crutch. These mediums should be used to supplement the programming, but never be the main focus of a program or a station.

The Fan throws out several, unrelated, inane topics to their audience over the course of a segment.  The on-air personality rarely issues an opinion and as such never develops their on-air persona. We learn more about “Gary in Garland” or “Joe in Prosper” than we do about the actual hosts. Contrast that with the personalities on The Ticket, loyal P1′s can you tell you everything about their favorite hosts. Vanilla hosts create vanilla programming, which in turn will drive down the ratings. In essence this is what plagues The Fan.

The station is not going anywhere. They have deep pockets and just signed contracts to carry both the Rangers and Cowboys, still they will continue to struggle with ratings as long as they continue down this path. What can they do to fix the problem?

First, address their identity problem. What type of radio station do they want to be?  From the outside looking in, it appears that they experimented with two different philosophies–the ESPN way and The Ticket way–bringing in personalities from each discipline. Kevin Scott and Ben & Skin got the ax, while Sean Salisbury and Newy Scruggs remain, so it appears that they have opted for generic sports talk, yet their hosts still engage in “man talk”, which can either be awkward or just plain terrible radio.

My best advice to program director at The Fan–talk to David Smoak. As we reported earlier this week, Smoak resigned as sports director and talk host at KTBB radio in Tyler. He brings close to 20 years of on-air experience and is well connected in the Dallas community.  Start him in the Noon-3 slot, against BaD Radio and Michael Irvin. Smoaky’s style would appeal more to the Irvin audience, but he might be able to steal a few from BaD Radio occasionally. No one is going to displace Dunham & Miller in morning drive (I still don’t understand the show) and The Hardline and GAC will be 1 & 2 as long as Galloway is still working. The noon-3 slot is the weakest point, relatively speaking, for both stations and is where The Fan should attack first. They can then build around that time slot.

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Now playing: Pearl Jam – In My Tree
via FoxyTunes

The professional athlete as a fan…

A local talk radio program conducted an interview with Quinton Ross this morning. Now that he is officially a Dallas Maverick, Ross has the opportunity to do something very few athletes get to do–play ball in the same city for high school, colleges and the pros. Udonis Haslem is the only current athlete whose name I can think of off the top of my head, but I’m sure Miami, L.A. and Houston have had a few in the past.

I began to think about what it means for an athlete to play professionally for his hometown. Does it mean anything at all? Is there any emotional attachment between a pro-athlete and their hometown team or does a professional athlete automatically shed all childhood allegiances?

For better or worse, I am emotionally invested in the Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. I’ve followed these teams my entire life. As a kid, I collected the trading cards, autographs, the Starting Lineup action figures, and any other type of memorabilia you can possibly imagine associated with the guys on my team.

Throughout the years, Ive devoted my time to watching their games in person and/or on TV. Consider the fact that since 1990, I have missed only two Cowboys’ games (1.) a December 28, 2003 game against the New Orleans Saints 2.) a September 30, 2001 game against the Philadelphia Eagles). Similarly, I saw all 82 Dallas Maverick regular season games, either in person or on TV, in 2006-2007 and I have missed only 24 Mavericks regular season games since the 2005-2006 season.

As I grow older, I find that my devotion to these teams grows only stronger.  I invest countless hours each year to reading about my teams, writing about my teams, talking about my teams and listening to others talk about my teams. For what? So I can impress friends at a cocktail party by naming every Cowboys’ kicker since 1985? No, I do it out of love, love of and for my teams.

I was about a .230 hitter in youth league baseball (although I knew how to work a walk and had a .800% OBP one summer) and at 6 feet, 160 pounds, I was a back-up center and defensive tackle on my high school’s JV football team before I decided to quit.  Needless to say, I knew from an early age that professional sports were not part of my future.

Not only do I lack the set of physical skills necessary to be a pro-athlete, I lack the mindset as well.  You see, even if I had Tom Brady’s skill set and contract, I could not bring myself to, either directly or indirectly, compete with the Dallas Cowboys.

How does a professional athlete deal with this emotional schism? Let’s say a kid grows up in New England, idolizing the Sox. He’s a five tool player and he gets drafted in first round right out of high school and singed to a million dollar contract. The only catch is that the team that drafted and signed him is the New York Yankees.

I’m sure situations like this must arise in the professional sports world and when they do, I’m interested to find out how the athletes deal with it.

I realize that many professional athletes may grow up as a fan of a particular player or sport and not necessarily loyal to their local team, but I know there are some athletes with passions like mine. Would a multi-million dollar contract and the promise of a championship give me the motivation necessary to temporarily set these this emotional investment aside? I tend to think not.

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Now playing: David Paich, Don Henley & Jeff Porcaro – New York Minute
via FoxyTunes

61st Emmy Nominations

The nominees for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were announced today. Leading the way with 22 nominations was NBC’s 30 Rock. NBC fared pretty wel overall with 67 nominationsl (30 Rock,The Office and Saturday Night Live accounted for 44 nominations); however, the cable networks really flexed their muscles, with HBO pulling down 99 nominations alone.

Now I don’t have time to go through every nomination (the complete list of nominations is a 44 page PDF document), but let’s at least look at some of the major catergories.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
• Jemaine Clement – Flight of the Conchords
• Tony Shalhoub – Monk
• Steve Carell – The Office
• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
• Charlie Sheen – Two and a Half Men

For the most part, there’s not much to argue with regarding these choices. I don’t understand what is so great about Tony Shalhoub, but I’ve never watched Monk and he seems to be nominated every year for both the Emmy and Golden Globe award in this category, so he must have something. I think I would have found some way to work Larry David into the nominations, probably in place of Charlie Sheen.

For a long time, I looked down on The Big Bang Theory because it was not only on network TV, but it was also on CBS, a network who hasn’t produced a relevant TV show since The Dukes of Hazzard.  However, Netflix recommended Season 1 of Big Bang and though predictable, I found it to be a throwback to the situational comedy of old–a comfort show. Jim Parsons performance is definitely tops on the show and he is well deserving of this nomination.

Though not as groundbreaking as other HBO series, Flight of the Conchords is quirky and hillarious.  For some reason, fusing music and comedy together always packs an extra punch and Clement and co-star, Bret McKenzie definitely deliver in this one.  Of the two, Clement comes off as the more memorable and probably deserves the nod over McKenzie. Either way, it’s good to see the show represented.

NBC offers the top two picks in this category, Steve Carell from The Office and Alec Baldwin from 30 Rock. With all due respect to Carell, Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy character is the best on TV right now and already ranks as one of the top television characters of all time.

In my opinion, the choice in this category is rather easy, give me Alec Baldwin from 30 Rock.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Bryan Cranson – Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall – Dexter
• Hugh Laurie – House
• Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment
• Jon Hamm – Mad Men
• Simon Baker -  The Mentalist

This group seems a bit more curious. I’ve heard great things about Breaking Bad, Dexter, and In Treatment, but of the three I’m only seen one episode of In Treatment. It was late at night and I ended up falling asleep. I’m willing to give each of those three shows another shot.  The Simon Baker nod makes me scratchc my head. I haven’t seen The Mentalist either, but from the previews it looks rather generic, like most CBS programs. This looks like a nomination to satisfy CBS since it’s their season to show the awards ceremony.

I think Friday Night Lights’ Kyle Chandler and Jonathan Rhys Meyers from The Tudors both continue to amaze me with the way they develop their characters, yet neither one received a nomination.

Be not confused, this is a highly competitive field, but in my opinion it’s a two man race between Laurie and Hamm. Choosing between the two is like choosing between Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton to to play lead in your fantasy rock band–you can’t go wrong either way. One is a crazy Brit who has battled through addiction, the other a smooth American, both excel at their art. I think I have to give the nod to Hugh Laurie from  House, just because he is a Brit who flawlessly masters the American dialect.

Outstanding  Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Julia Louise-Dreyfus – The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Cristina Applegate – Samantha Who?
• Sarah Silverman – The Sarah Silverman Program
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock
• Toni Collette – United States of Tara
• Mary Louise-Parker – Weeds

My main experience with this group has been with Tina Fey and Mary Louise-Parker. I feel that over the course of the past year, Tina Fey have been over exposed.  No doubt that she has talent, but between her Sarah Palin bits and the media’s growing fascination with 30 Rock, it seems like she has been on the cover of every magazine, the star of every awards show and the subject of every podcast. It’s gotten just a tad bit old and stale.

Mary Louise-Parker’s first couple of seasons were amazing.  Over the past few seasons, the writing has gotten sloppy and Parker has tried to overcompensate with her acting. Her character has gone way over the top and the show jumped the shark a bit last season. Thankfully, the show has pulled back a bit during the current season, but this award is based on work from last season. Overexposed or not, Tina Fey deserves another award for 30 Rock.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Sally Field – Brothers and Sisters
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer
• Glenn Close – Damages
• Mariska Hargitay – Law &  Order: Special Victims Unit
• Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
• Holly Hunter – Saving Grace

I classify these nominations in the category of  ‘Things That Make You Go Hmmm”. Question marks pop up all over my head when I look at these nominees, are rather the people not on the list.

Let’s start with Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights. I watch her character and I see the small town, Texas mother. I can relate to her character. I see bits of my former teachers, my friends’ mothers and my own mother. No other actress on TV plays such a real character–a character I feel that I walk out my door and see on Main Street.

I’m just as baffled regarding the snub of Chloe Sevigny from HBO’s Big Love.  Sevigny has created a character some would describe as a monster, cunning, yet naive. However, you choose to describe her character, you have to be amazed at the depth she gives her character.

If I had to choose between the nominees, I would choose Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men. However, I still maintain that either Sevigny or Britton are more deserving.

Outstanding Supporting Actor ina Comedy Series

• Kevin Dillon – Entourage
• Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
• Rainn Wilson – The Office
• Tracy Morgan – 30 Rock
• Jack McBrayer – 30 Rock
• Jon Cryer – Two and a Half Men

At first glance, this looks like a pretty solid category, filled with big names.  On closer inspection, I’m left wondering if some of the nominees are really tht great. Like Weeds, Entourage jumped the shark a couple of seasons ago.  If anyone from that cast deserves a nomination, it’s Jeremy Piven, not Dillon.  Jack McBrayer’s character is funny because he is goofy, not because of great acting. The only thing more annoying than Tracy Morgan is the character he plays on 30 Rock, Tracy Jordan. Neil Patrick Harris will forever be Doogie Howser, M.D. to me. The Office’s Rainn Wilson deserves this award hands down.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• William Shatner – Boston Legal
• Christian Clemenson – Boston Legal
• Aaron Paul – Breaking Bad
• William Hurt – Damages
• Michael Emerson – Lost
• John Slattery – Mad Men

Michael Emerson’s “Benjamin Linus” is the best character on television today–period.

Outstanding Support Actress in a Comedy Series

• Kristin Chenoweth – Pushing Daisies
• Amy Poehler – Saturday Night Live
• Kristin Wiig – Saturday Night Live
• Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
• Vanessa Williams – Ugly Betty
• Elizabeth Perkins – Weeds

Another catergory with some big names, but notably absent is The Office’s Jenna Fisher. I’m a huge fan of Chenoweth, but moreso on stage than on screen. I find Poehler and Krakowski both to be funny, but worth of an Emmy? I look at Elizabeth Perkins from Weeds the ideal comedic character, both in the heroic and tragic sense, for this reason I give her my vote in this category.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Rose Byrne – Damages
• Sandra Oh – Grey’s Anatonmy
• Dianne Wiest – In Treatment
• Hope Davis – In Treatment
• Cherry Jones – 24
• Chandra Wilson – Grey’s Anatonmy

Another puzzling group of nominees.  Where to begin? Where is Lisa Edelstein from House? What ab0ut Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell? No love for Cristine Rose of  Heroes? So many great supporting females and these are the 6 nominated for an Emmy? Please. None of the nominees are worth of an Emmy, instead I choose to cast vote for another snub, January Jones from Mad Men.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Entourage – This started out as a great show, but has slowly morphed into Douchebags for Dummies and has far more eye candy than substance. Hopefully, Season 6 will see a return to the roots that made this show so great in the early going.
• Family Guy – Another on the long list of shows that were better when they began. I still get a ton of laughs from Family Guy, but it just hasn’t been the same since it returned from being canceled the first go-round.
• Flight of the Conchords – I used the word “quirky” to describe the cast and the same word can be used for the show. A lot of great moments, but there are also some dry spots. I see a lot of potential for this one, but Emmy worthy?
• How I Met Your Mother – I have not seen a single episode.
• The Office – It’s one of those rare shows that is so funny and so good that we’re seeing a whole new genre of programming created in its image (see Parks & Recreation). They’ve managed to keep the train on the tracks. The show remains funny and relevant and has yet to go over the top.
• 30 Rock – The show features a good staff, but two things make 30 Rock great, the writing and Alec Baldwin.
• Weeds – Perhaps its’ my ADD and I’ve grown restless with a lot of my favorite shows, but this is another program that has gone overboard with their storylines.

When all is said and done, I put The Office, just slightly ahead of 30 Rock.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Big Love – I’m glad to see this show finally starting to get some well deserved respect. Everything about the show–the writing, the directing and, without a doubt, the acting, is extraordinary.
• Breaking Bad – See my other earlier post regarding Bryan Cranson.
• Damages - Another show I haven’t had the opportunity to watch.
• Dexter – See above
• House – It’s predictable, but in this case that’s a good thing. You know that every week when you tune in you’re going to laugh, your going to be moved and, most importantly, you’re going to be entertained.
• Lost – What can I say? Amazing! So many twists and turns, it’s like a drug–highly addictive and you can never satisfy your appetitie, you constantly crave more and more.
• Mad Men – HBO quality on a basic cable budget. My biggest comlaint, as of last season, it wasn’t available in HD on DirectTV yet. Hopefully, that will soon change. That’s about that is missing from this show.

It really is nearly impossible to pick a top drama series from the above mentioned shows, so I won’t. Instead, I choose Friday Night Lights as the top dramatic television series.  When I watch the show, I see my hometown. I see a reflection of my life. I see a program that I can relate to in every episode. The characters, story lines and places are all very real to me.
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